Plot Summary
Some people just seem to have a knack for success. Great athletes, successful politicians, Fortune 500 CEO’s and other prominent individuals may not seem to have much in common, but they all share a remarkable capacity for identifying and achieving their goals. In the audiobook Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing, Po Bronson and Ashley Merriman take an original look at the minute differences between a successful and unsuccessful performance, and reveal the hidden facts behind the nature of competition.
Combining knowledge from fields ranging from athletics to finance, Bronson and Merryman examine the factors separating the triumphant from the disappointed using cutting edge scientific methods. By elucidating the complex factors behind competition, they allow the reader to discover his or her own competitive nature and use this to gain an edge in whatever field they themselves are involved in.
Bronson and Merryman’s research delves into historical events and scientific analysis in order to comprehend the many factors of a successful competitor of any kind. Research of home field advantage and its pertinence to business and diplomacy as well as sports, examination of why younger siblings tend to be more competitive, and even the correlation between a CEO’s hands and business plan are woven together in a riveting narrative that concludes with the reader gaining a significant competitive advantage.
An experienced and widely read business author, Po Bronson has published many books on what it takes to be successful in the world of business, or anywhere. He has published six books, two co-written with Ashley Merriman, and his book What Should I do with My Life was a New York Times #1 best seller. His articles in New York magazine, co-written with Ashley Merriman, have received the journalism award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, along with Mensa and Clarion awards. Ashley Merriman served as a researcher for the Clinton Administration, and worked as a speechwriter for former Vice President Al Gore. She has published several articles on the science of parenting, and has written a play called Metanoia.
“Interesting read – the explanation of studies got to be a littler cumbersome but definitely the science behind competition was interesting, the stresors and how it affects performance, etc. I’m grateful he didn’t go too far into the science as not my bailiwick but enough that I could understand…..”
—
Mary (4 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
New York Times Bestseller
Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman’s work changes the national dialogue. Beyond their bestselling books, you know them from commentary and features in the New York Times, CNN, NPR, Time, Newsweek, Wired, New York, and more. E-mail, Facebook, and Twitter accounts are filled with demands to read their reporting (such as “How Not to Talk to Your Kids,” “Creativity Crisis,” and “Losing Is Good for You”).
In Top Dog, Bronson and Merryman again use their astonishing blend of science and storytelling to reveal what’s truly in the heart of a champion. The joy of victory and the character-building agony of defeat. Testosterone and the neuroscience of mistakes. Why rivals motivate. How home field advantage gets you a raise. What teamwork really requires. It’s baseball, the SAT, sales contests, and Linux. How before da Vinci and FedEx were innovators, first, they were great competitors.
Olympians carry Top Dog in their gym bags. It’s in briefcases of Wall Street traders and Madison Avenue madmen. Risk takers from Silicon Valley to Vegas race to implement its ideas, as educators debate it in halls of academia. Now see for yourself what this game-changing talk is all about.
Download and start listening now!
