Peak Performance

"A transfixing book on how to sustain peak performance and avoid burnout" -Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Option B, Originals, and Give and Take
"An essential playbook for success, happiness, and getting the most out of ourselves." Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution
"I doubt anyone can read Peak Performance without itching to apply something to their own lives." -David Epstein, New York Times bestselling author of The Sports Gene
A few common principles drive performance, regardless of the field or the task at hand. Whether someone is trying to qualify for the Olympics, break ground in mathematical theory or craft an artistic masterpiece, many of the practices that lead to great success are the same. In Peak Performance, Brad Stulberg, a former McKinsey and Company consultant and writer who covers health and the science of human performance, and Steve Magness, a performance scientist and coach of Olympic athletes, team up to demystify these practices and demonstrate how you can achieve your best.
The first book of its kind, Peak Performance combines the inspiring stories of top performers across a range of capabilities-from athletic to intellectual and artistic-with the latest scientific insights into the cognitive and neurochemical factors that drive performance in all domains. In doing so, Peak Performance uncovers new linkages that hold promise as performance enhancers but have been overlooked in our traditionally-siloed ways of thinking. The result is a life-changing book in which you can learn how to enhance your performance via myriad ways including: optimally alternating between periods of intense work and rest; priming the body and mind for enhanced productivity; and developing and harnessing the power of a self-transcending purpose.
In revealing the science of great performance and the stories of great performers across a wide range of capabilities, Peak Performance uncovers the secrets of success, and coaches you on how to use them. If you want to take your game to the next level, whatever "your game" may be, Peak Performance will teach you how.

Brad Stulberg researches, writes, speaks, and coaches on health and human performance. His coaching practice includes working with athletes, entrepreneurs, and executives on their mental skills and overall wellbeing. He is a columnist at Outside magazine and has written for The New York Times, New York magazine, Sports Illustrated, Wired, Forbes and the Los Angeles Times. Previously, Stulberg worked as a consultant for McKinsey and Company, where he counseled some of the world's top executives on a broad range of issues. An avid athlete and outdoor enthusiast, Stulberg lives in Northern California with his wife, son, and two cats.
Steve Magness is a coach to some of the top distance runners in the world, having coached numerous athletes to Olympic trials, world championship teams, and the Olympics. Known widely for his integration of science and practice, Steve has been on the forefront of innovation in sport. He has been a featured expert in Runner's World, The New York Times, The New Yorker, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and ESPN The Magazine. His first book, The Science of Running, was published in 2014. He lives in Houston, Texas.