Practice Makes Perfect, If Your Genes Play Along

Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Like many others who read MalcolmGladwell’s book “Outliers” when it came out five years ago, Iwas impressed by the 10,000-hour rule of expertise. I wrote acolumn (for a different publication) espousing the rule, whichholds that to become a world-class competitor at anything fromchess to tennis to baseball, all that’s required is 10,000 hoursof deliberate practice.

David Epstein has convinced me I was wrong. His thoroughlyresearched new book, “The Sports Gene,” pretty much demolishesthe 10,000-hour rule -- and much of “Outliers” along with it.