The Genius of Athletes: What World-Class Competitors Know That Can Change Your Life

by Noel Brick

"Self-help from elite endurance athletes who share their life-changing, scientifically backed cognitive strategies for success in any big endeavor"--

Genres: Sports, Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2021

Reviews

[Becky Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't think of many people who wouldn't benefit from reading this book. If you are (or were) an athlete, you likely employ many of the strategies described within, whether you realize it or not. You'll learn why they actually work, how to optimize them further, and how to transfer them to realms outside of sports. If you aren't an athlete, you may be surprised to learn just how applicable the lessons from world-class competitors are to the wider world (workplace, home, goals, etc.). Examples of great athletes who found similar success in different careers and overcame huge personal challenges drive those parallels home.

Between Noel Brick's psychology expertise and Scott Douglas' running and writing background, the authors brought the perfect blend of perspective, wisdom, and experience to this book. Do yourself a favor and add The Genius of Athletes to your collection!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of very basic advice - small process oriented goals with flexibility and an ability to see objectively when and how to pivot. Hi him

[Allyson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook. I didn’t like the narrator’s voice. It was very nasally. That said, I had a hard time getting into the book. It felt very academic and just boring. I’m not sure how much that was the narrator versus just being a very dry book. I learned some stuff, but ultimately think a lot of what is included is found in more engaging books (eg Atomic Habits, How Bad Do You Want This, Endurance). Wouldn’t recommend if you’ve read similar books.

[Mack Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good use of empirical data & real world athlete examples to provide new perspectives/practices on improving mental strength in both sport & day 2 day. Solid read.

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much great advice. Positive self talk! Prepare for challenges in advance. I listened to the audiobook and it was very well read !

[Ryan Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic resource for athletes, and anyone looking to improve their performance at anything challenging in life, The Genius of Athletes catalogues a comprehensive toolbox of the mental tools that successful professional athletes and coaches use to compete at the highest level. While not as compelling, and without as much prose, as other similar books about athletes or endurance sports, it provides a good level of detail, anecdotal evidence, and hard data to prove that each tool works - and it explains how to apply the tools to a broad spectrum of activities and goals.

This one won't keep you on the edge of your seat, but if you pay attention it will almost certainly make you a better athlete, professional, and person.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe this book just wasn’t for me. I felt that it was very repetitive in an unhelpful way and did not feel it provided enough statistical evidence behind its many anecdotes.

All I really need to know is the following and could have saved myself a few hours of time. Would recommend Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson.

Goal setting
Chunking
If Then planning
Habit setting
Emotion manipulating
Journaling
Emotion labelling
Gratitude
Worry time
Breathing (inc Progressive Muscle Relaxation)
Grounding
Associative strategies
Control mapping
Pre-performance routines
Post-performance routines
Trigger words
Self-Talk
Distancing
Self-talk diary
Imagery
Self-modelling
Strengths training

[Tian Foo Chou · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has some practical strategies anyone can adopt to bring focus and improvement in their day-to-day performance of work. Anyways, it's also a fun book to read if you have recently followed the Tokyo Olympics and are inspired by the grit and focus of the athletes! I particularly like a passage quoted from an accomplished athlete: "One thing that has really helped me - and I know it sounds like a silly trope - is if you're having a 3-out-of-10 day, make it a 3-out-of-3 day," she says, "It's like being at peace with the fact that you can't be at 100 percent all of the time, and doing what you can with the energy level you have and with what the conditions are."

[Sue Pulfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with Chatter and Peak, more about the conversations you have with yourself. Provides great insight into sports psychology and how to apply the principles to many situations in life, not just sports.

[Jaci Gehling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely geared toward endurance athletes. I enjoyed most of the stories of athletes in this book but overall it was repetitive. I did try the positive self talk during a long workout and it actually did help. I can use a few of these tools.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off good, with some actionable insights but bogs down with data after a while. The audiobook version is not quite monotone, but it lacks the cadence to direct your attention to the important bits.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspirational! I find the technique’s fascinating specially the mental aspects and how elite athletes have push their limits in times of diffculties during training and competitions. Truly the mind can really works wonders but it can also destroy us if not used properly.

[Reading A Nice · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, don't think it was ground breaking but reinforced a lot of what it was thinking with studies and anecdotes which gave it more credibility and might look to implement some of it into my life.

[Jason Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. Poor narration. Pretty common sense material.

[Beth Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were lots of great, practical steps for folks in this book.

[Shawn Persinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of platitudes – "You can do it!", "Stick with it!", "Don't give up." – and anecdotes.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read. More detail than other books.

[Amy Cope · Rating 5 out of 5]

The studies and anecdotal information made it easy to read. Lessons and review of using tools discussed helped me see a broader application and made me more likely to try them out.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some helpful hints and insight into sport performance. A good read overall.

[JW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best book on practical techniques to achieve one's goals, whether they are athletic, academic, or vocational in nature.

[Mugren Ohaly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Might be worth it if this is the first sport psychology book you’ve read.

Christopher David, the narrator, has a voice that will make your ears bleed.