The Talent Code:Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. »

Daniel Coyle is the author of the New York Times bestseller Lance Armstrong’s War and Hardball: A Season in the Projects, and is a contributing editor for Outside magazine. He lives with his wife and four children in Homer, Alaska, where he coaches a rapidly improving Little League team.

Where does talent come from? How does it grow? The surprising answer begins with a substance in our brains: myelin.

Until recently myelin was considered an inert form of insulation for brain cells. New research has revealed that it is much more—that it may in fact be the holy grail of acquiring skill. What’s even more exciting is that it grows in response to activities that we can control.

Coyle reveals the simple yet powerful mechanisms through which human beings acquire skill: the kinds of practice, motivation, and coaching that grow myelin the fastest. Through visits to the world’s best soccer players, bank robbers, violinists, fighter pilots, artists, and skateboarders, and to the labs where myelin is being investigated, this compelling and instructive book will transform the way we view talent and enable all of us to develop our full potential.

Publishers Weekly

Journalist Coyle travels the world to discover the truth about talent in this fascinating account that studies how individuals can “unlock their full potential and bring their talents to light.” The discoveries put forth by Coyle come down to three main elements: coaching, motivation and practice. While these hardly seem like breakthroughs, Coyle's discovery process proves fascinating. Providing detailed examples from a variety of different sources, Coyle's work becomes as motivational as the stories he presents. John Farrell reads with a voice that is at once firm yet highly identifiable. The resulting recording serves as a fine instructional guide for those searching for how to fulfill their dreams. A Bantam hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 6). (Apr.)