Endure. Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "Reveals how we can all surpass our perceived physical limits." —Adam Grant Limits are an illusion: a revolutionary book that uncovers how to access hidden potential. The ability to endure is essential for outstanding performance in various fields—from sprinting to ultramarathons, climbing Everest to completing challenging projects. What if we can exceed our perceived capabilities? Blending cutting-edge science with compelling storytelling, award-winning journalist Alex Hutchinson, with a foreword by Malcolm Gladwell, highlights research suggesting that the physical barriers we face are often dictated by our minds as much as our bodies. This implies that the mind is the new frontier of endurance, expanding the horizons of performance more than previously thought. Hutchinson explores physical limits—pain, muscle, oxygen, heat, thirst, fuel—by sharing riveting stories of individuals who have pushed their boundaries. As a former national-team long-distance runner and Cambridge-trained physicist, Hutchinson gained unique insights while shadowing elite athletes and participating in Nike’s secret project to break the two-hour marathon barrier. The lessons he learns are surprisingly universal. Endurance, he argues, is “the struggle to continue against a mounting desire to stop”—and we all have the capacity to push a little further.