Summary Of &Quot;The Sports Taboo&Quot;

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“The Sports Taboo” by Malcolm Gladwell explores the factors why some people are more successful than others, as well as the stereotypes that come along with it. He discovers that race and gender are not the main reasons but others of far greater significance are. First, in order to be successful an individual should care and have the desire to go further. Second, some genetic aspects can put a person at an advantage than others. Third, an environment that is conducive to the person helps shape the outcome of success. Lastly, the psychological belief in one’s self such as the belief in natural ability helps a person become successful. Gladwell realized that a key ingredient to success is caring. He said that those who develop their talents were able to do so because they were willing to go to further lengths than others. Desire as Gladwell states has a significance that cannot be traced or measured. Its effects on performance cannot be grasped unlike the human genes. This became conscious to him when he was with his friends at the bottom of Signal Hill at St. Johns. He saw all of them as equals but when his friends announced that they wanted to run up the hill backwards, he ran home when his friends ran the race. Gladwell continues on by explaining what different groups care about and what they are known to be good at go hand in hand. He gave examples of different races and the sports that they are known for, like African-Americans and basketball, Canadians and hockey, Russians and chess and West Indians and sprinting. There is a stereotype that Blacks are better at sports than Whites. Gladwell acknowledges that there are genetic differences between African-Americans and Whites. He relates several medical evidences that African-Americans have greater bone mass on average which means that they also have greater muscle mass compared to white Americans. Further

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