The Perfection Point

by Brenkus, John

• ISBN13: 9780061845499
• ISBN10: 0061845493
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-09-13
• Publisher: Harpercollins

Summary

Untill 1954, common wisdom and scientific knowledge considered as sub four-minute mile an impossible feat for a human. But then Roger. Bannister broke that mark, followed quickly by a host of other athletes today the world record stands at 3 minutes, 43 seconds, yet even that number doesn't tell the full story of how fast humans can run a mile records are a mark of how well people have done, not how well they can do. ln this fascinating and thought-provoking book, John Brenkus ventures across the sports world to provide an in-depth look at the absolute limits of human performance. For years, coaches, pundits, and experts have speculated. about the extremes of human ability. The Perfection Point finally provides answers. Book jacket.

Author Biography

John Brenkus has spent the last decade studying the unique characteristics of the world's greatest athletes. He cocreated the groundbreaking series Fight Science for the National Geographic Channel, and he serves as the on-air host, cocreator, and executive producer of ESPN's Emmy Award-winning show Sport Science.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Finding the limits	p. ix
Raw Speed: How fast can a human run?	p. 1
Pumping Iron: The limits of pure strength	p. 34
Swimming: How fast can someone swim the 50-meter freestyle?	p. 54
Performance-Enhancing Substances: A digression	p. 76
Driving for Dough: What's the farthest someone can hit a golf ball?	p. 95
Hang Time: How high can basketball take the dunk?	p. 121
Breathing Lessons: What's the longest someone can hold his breath?	p. 149
The Last Slugger: Hitting the longest homer	p. 174
The Marathon and the Mile: The limits of the legendary distances	p. 201
Epilogue: Are perfection points reachable?	p. 231
Acknowledgments	p. 239
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.