• The Performance Cortex

  • How Neuroscience Is Redefining Athletic Genius
  • By: Zach Schonbrun
  • Narrated by: Thomas Vincent Kelly
  • Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (81 ratings)

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The Performance Cortex  By  cover art

The Performance Cortex

By: Zach Schonbrun
Narrated by: Thomas Vincent Kelly
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Publisher's summary

Athletic genius explained. A groundbreaking new perspective on the science of elite sporting performance.

Why couldn't Michael Jordan, master athlete that he was, hit a baseball? Why can't modern robotics come close to replicating the dexterity of a five-year-old? Why do good quarterbacks always seem to know where their receivers are?

In this deeply researched book, sports and business reporter Zach Schonbrun explores what actually drives human movement and its spectacular potential. The groundbreaking work of two neuroscientists in Major League Baseball is only the beginning. Schonbrun traces the fascinating history of motor research and details how new investigations in the brain are helping explain the extraordinary skills of talented performers like Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, and Lionel Messi; as well as musical virtuosos, dancers, rock climbers, race-car drivers, and more.

Whether it is timing a 95-mph fastball or reaching for a coffee mug, movement requires extraordinary computation that many take for granted - until now. The Performance Cortex ushers in a new way of thinking about the athletic gifts we strain to see in our cavernous arenas. It's not about the million-dollar arm anymore. It's about the million-dollar brain.

Includes a bonus PDF with charts and graphs.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Zach Schonbrun (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A must-read for the cerebral sports fan . . . like Moneyball except nerdier. Much nerdier.” (Sports Illustrated)

“Fans of sport science, sport psychology, robotics, and neuroscience will find this to be informative and inspiring.” (Library Journal)

“A revealing tour of the minds of winning athletes . . . Readers interested in the applications of neuroscience to everyday life will find plenty of value here.” (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about The Performance Cortex

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  • 07-01-23

Excellent!

The information contained is transferable to so many other areas of motor skill and development.

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Impressive

Well narrated and easy to understand. understanding why and how you move is awesome.

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