Rise Of Superman - Softcover

Steven Kotler

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1784291226 ISBN 13: 9781784291228

Publisher: Quercus Publishing, 2015

Synopsis

A razor-sharp analysis of how record-breaking exploits in extreme sport are redefining the limits of being human.

Right now, more people are risking their lives for their sports then ever before in history. As Thomas Pynchon once put it in Gravity''s Rainbow, ''it is not often that Death is told so clearly to f@%* off''.

Over the past three decades, the bounds of the possible in action and adventure sports - from sky-diving to motocross to surfing and beyond - have been pushed farther and faster. A generation''s worth of iconoclastic misfits have rewritten the rules of the feasible; not just raising the bar, but obliterating it altogether. Along the way, they have become a force pushing evolution relentlessly onward.

In a thrilling narrative that draws on biology, psychology, and philosophy, Steven Kotler asks why, at the tail end of the 20th century and the early portion of the 21st, are we seeing such a multi-sport assault on reality? Did we somehow slip through a wormhole to another universe where gravity is optional and common sense obsolete? And where - if anywhere - do our actual limits lie?

About this title

About the Author

Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning journalist. His books include the nonfiction works Abundance, A Small Furry Prayer, and West of Jesus, and the novel The Angle Quickest for Flight. His articles have appeared in more than sixty publications, including the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, Wired, Forbes, and GQ. He writes “Far Frontiers,” a blog about innovation and technology, for Forbes.com and “The Playing Field,” a blog about the science of sport and culture, for PsychologyToday.com. Kotler is also the cofounder and director of research at the Flow Genome Project, an international organization devoted to decoding the peak performance state of flow, and the cofounder of the New Mexico–based Rancho de Chihuahua dog sanctuary. He has a BA in English and creative writing from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MA in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University.

Review

**Wall Street Journal Bestseller

**New York Times Bestseller

“A thrill ride of a book, empowering in its implications of what any individual can achieve.”- Kirkus Reviews

“A fascinating primer on how athletes of extreme sports use flow to accomplish what seem like impossible goals, such as skiing down cliffs or surfing 100-foot waves. But a close reading of the book also provides great insights into how everyday athletes can use flow in their workouts and the rest of their lives.” - Financial Times

“Kotler takes on the latest research on flow through the lens of action and adventure athletics.... [writing] primarily about flow in high-stakes sports like surfing — where focus and concentration can be the difference between a tubular ride and a watery death — but the concept could also have big implications for the business world.” - Fortune

“In this high-octane study, Steven Kotler explores ‘flow’, a neurochemically rich state in which cognitive and physiological processes mesh. The stupendous physical feats of the late ski-base jumper Shane McConkey and others are riveting. Equally surprising is what we know of flow science, such as how the brain’s superior frontal gyrus deactivates to speed decision-making”- Nature

“The Rise of Superman is full of scientific explanations about why flow helps athletes perform at their peak, why this is on the upswing in recent decades, and how almost anybody can better tap their ultimate potential.”- Surfer Magazine

“Kotler focuses on extreme sports for good reason. These athletes face a constant choice, “flow or die,” and his book contains some compelling characters...Flow is rooted in the brain, and Kotler does a good job of explaining that science.”- The Washington Post

“In Kotler’s riveting and beautifully written book, he explains the neuroscience behind the mystery of the flow state, and provides the key to unlock innovation, creativity and ultimate achievement for leaders, entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the big and bold.” - Peter Diamandis, New York Times bestselling author, founder of the X Prize, co-founder of Singularity University.

”The Rise of Superman is an electrifying book about a potent state of mind. If you aren’t inspired to brainhack your way up to the next level, start again at page one.”- David Eagleman, Neuroscientist, New York Times bestselling author of Incognito.

“The Rise of Superman is a page-turning, game-changing account of the secrets of ultimate human performance—a must read for anyone interested in seriously raising the level of their game.- Ray Kurzweil , Director of Engineering at Google, author of How to Create a Mind and The Singularity is Near

”In THE RISE OF SUPERMAN, Steven Kotler breaks down the elusive and ecstatic ‘flow state’ that so many high performance athletes, musicians, and artists refer to as indispensable to their creativity and virtuosity – and in doing so, offers us a map to achieve massive upgrades in our capacities and potential.”- Jason Silva, futurist, host of National Geographic’s Brain Games

THE RISE OF SUPERMAN is a tour de force. Rare the book that is learned, clever, fascinating, and useful. This book is all four. Inspiring, impeccably researched, and supremely practical, Kotler’s book is a must-read for everyone who wants in on the secrets on how to surpass their personal best. - Ned Hallowell, New York Times best-selling author and Harvard Medical School psychiatrist

Edition details

• Publisher: Quercus Publishing
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1784291226
• ISBN 13: 9781784291228
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256