There are mounds of books out on the science of maximum human performance, be they on mind-hacking, sports & exercise science, or some combination thereof as applied to a particular pursuit. Hooper creates his niche by way of a broad and varied selection of topics, including: language learning, singing, running, achieving longevity, and sleeping. For the reader who is interested in the topic of how top performers in a given domain achieve that supernormal performance, it makes for an interesting read. However, it may leave some readers scratching their heads as to who the book is aimed at. It should be noted that several of the topics addressed are of much more broad-ranging appeal than those I mentioned (e.g. focus / attentiveness, bravery / courage, and resilience.)

The book is divided into three parts on “thinking,” “doing,” and “being,” respectively. The four chapters in the first part investigate the heights of intelligence, memory, language, and focus. The chapter on language deals with how some people are masterful polyglots, speaking many languages, as opposed to the harder to investigate question of how someone becomes William Shakespeare. Throughout the book, there is a mix of stories and interview insights from those who are peak performers as well as discussion of what scientific studies have found. The former makes up the lion’s share of the discussion, and the central question with of science is how much of peak performance is genetic and how much is built.

Part II, on doing, has three chapters, exploring the topics of bravery, singing, and running. This is where one really sees the book’s diversity. Books like Amanda Ripley’s “Unthinkable” address the question, among related questions, of why some act heroically, and there are a huge number of books on how to be the best runner or singer one can be, but not a lot of books take on all three questions in one section. The book on singing focuses on opera singers who belt out their tunes largely sans technology – i.e. there’s no Milli-Vanilli-ing L’Orfeo. The chapter on running gives particular scrutiny to endurance running.

Part III investigates why some people live longer, are more resilient, sleep better (or do well with less sleep,) or are happier. Since Buettner’s “National Geographic” article on “blue zones” (i.e. places where a disproportionate percentage of the population live well beyond the average human lifespan,) there’s been a renewal of interest in what science has to say about longevity. As mentioned, the chapter on sleep covers the topic from multiple vantage points. Everyone needs sleep, but some perform best with ten or more hours of sleep while others are extremely productive on four hours a day, and some can cat-nap periodically through the day while others need a single extended and uninterrupted period of sleeps. Wisely, Hooper doesn’t simply take on the question of why some people are happier than others in the book’s last chapter, but rather he asks the more interesting question of why some people who have every reason to be morose (e.g. paralyzed individuals) manage to be ecstatically happy.

The book has a references section, but there isn’t a lot of ancillary matter (i.e. graphics, appendices, etc.) It’s a text-centric book that relies heavily on stories about Formula-1 racers, opera stars, ultra-marathoners, and other extraordinary individuals while investigating the subject matter.

I enjoyed this book. I am intensely interested in optimal human performance across a range of skills and characteristics. So, I guess when people inevitably ask who the book is directed at, it’s directed at me and others with this strange fascination. If you have that interest, it’s for you as well.

The only reason I am giving this 3 stars is because for my personal taste it was dry. I went outside my usual genres and my rating of 3 stars has more to do with my personal preferences rather than the writing itself.

Just what are we capable of?

That’s the question asked by biologists, psychologists, anthropologists – just about any “-ist” you can think of … what are the limits to human endeavor? It’s a question whose complicated answers evolutionary biologist Rowan Hooper hopes to unravel.

Hooper’s new book is “Superhuman: Life at the Extremes of Our Capacity” introduces us to a vast and varied collection of outliers, individuals whose abilities in certain arenas far outstrip the capacity of the average person. Whether we’re looking at intelligence or physical endurance or courage or empathy, there are people out there who are more disposed to the extreme end of the spectrum.

Hooper also explores the foundation beneath such performance. How much of a factor is a person’s genetic makeup? How about their developmental environment? What other factors might go into pushing a person to the outer limits of human capability?

The collection of conversations that Hooper has assembled is remarkable. He breaks these interviews down and gathers them into three sections – Part I is “Thinking,” Part II is “Doing” and Part III is “Being.”

In Part I, he talks with a chess master and a best-selling author, finding the parallels between the source of their respective excellence. We learn about the youngest Oxford undergraduate in five centuries. The relative value of IQ tests is considered, as well as the nature/nurture argument regarding intellectual development. Memory and the different ways that one can display outsized ability – the rote style of memory champions or the near-total personal recall of hyperthymesia – are investigated. People who memorize pi to 100,000 digits or can offer detailed descriptions of almost any day of their lives. In addition, we meet gifted polyglots, capable of learning dozens of languages fluently, and are introduced to people with preternatural personal focus.

Part II introduces us to some physical marvels, such as endurance athletes who are capable of running hundreds of miles. For instance, take the guy who ran 188 miles – in just 24 hours. Those sorts of feats – wilderness ultramarathons or timed track-based distance events – point toward what our physical ceilings might be. It’s not just running, either. Hooper meets up with a pair of renowned opera singers, where we learn about the tremendous physicality necessary to reach operatic greatness. He also spends time with a former bomb disposal officer to explore the possibility of a genetic basis for bravery.

Finally, Part III looks at what it means to be human and the impact of unusual aptitude in our general existence. For instance, Hopper spends some time dealing with longevity, likely the most coveted of all of these high-performance categories. How does one live as long as possible? What makes a centenarian? That’s not all, however. There’s an in-depth look at sleep and how some people are better at it, whether that means longer duration or lucid dreaming or polyphasic cycling. We also get a chance to explore the idea of there being a genetic predisposition toward happiness – a valuable ability indeed – as well as toward one’s predisposition toward bouncing back from adversity.

“Superhuman” is Hooper’s first book, but it certainly doesn’t read that way. He approaches his subject matter from a very intellectual perspective and is unafraid to use jargon and other very specific language to advance the proceedings how he sees fit, yet he also manages to make the book extremely readable even as he challenges the reader. His prose is engaging and he has a fine sense of narrative; the individual stories flow nicely as he relates them.

The genetic basis for these superior achievements is rarely simple; there’s no single intelligence gene or endurance gene or longevity gene. It’s not one big switch to flip, but rather the final product of slight, subtle alterations across an unknown number of genes. Some clues have been discovered, but the big picture is far from clear when it comes to any of this stuff.

That uncertainty is part of what makes “Superhuman” such a fun read. Meeting these people, these pinnacle-type examples of what humans can be, is interesting. And learning about some of what makes them this way is as well. But the mystery, the knowledge that, as of right now, we can’t say for sure WHY the outliers are the way they are … that’s the coolest part of all.

In Superhuman the author explores how some are able to attain miraculous performances in many areas of life. Lots of questions about super-human abilities are explored in this book. In each area, examples in capability are examined through interrogations with these so called super-humans. Through research an attempt is made to determine why some achieve much higher than average results. Though the author examines numerous illustrations of superhuman ability, he comes up with no conclusions as to why these abilities are achieved.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

This was a very well researched and thought out book about being exceptional in different areas such as intelligence, memory, bravery, language and more. I really learned a good bit about being exceptional. I normally do not read this type of book, so I think it was good to expand my horizons. It was very well written. The only reason I am giving this 3 stars is because for my personal taste it was dry. I went outside my usual genres and my rating of 3 stars has more to do with my personal preferences rather than the writing itself.

This is a wonderful book about human accomplishments. The book explored the nature vs. nurture interplay. The stories were intriguing. I read it slowly, taking breaks between chapters, in order to savor the stories, although some of the chapters were a bit long and repetitive. Recommended!

Humans are amazing. But have you ever wondered why some have abilities even beyond those that most of us hold? Superhuman: Life At The Extremes Of Our Capacity looks at how some accomplish the unbelievable.

Superhuman Ability

In Superhuman: Life At The Extremes Of Our Capacity, Dr. Rowan Hooper sets out to explore how some are able to achieve superhuman-like performances in the areas of; intelligence, memory, language, focus, bravery, singing, running, longevity, resilience, sleeping, and happiness.

In each area, stand-out examples in ability are examined through interviews with these super-humans. Scientific experts and research are also examined in an attempt to quantify what it is that allows some to perform far above average.

How are some able to live to be well over 100 years old? What allows a few to push their bodies to run insane distances? Those questions and many more are explored throughout Superhuman.

Less Than Super

Though interesting at first, the chapters in Superhuman seem to wear on far too long. The initial investigation into each topic areas is covered and then there seems to be additional length where nothing of real value is added. Talking in circles without providing more value to the examination.

Though Dr. Hooper is a PhD in evolutionary biology, none of his own research is presented throughout the book. Generally we see books on similar topics also include some research examples the author can offer from their own experience. It seems strange to have none included and makes one a bit less trusting of the examination the author undertakes.

In the end, Superhuman fail to draw any real conclusions. While we explore dozens of examples of superhuman ability, the reasons they exist are all left a mystery. How can you live longer? No idea. What allows some to run crazy distances? We're unsure. Why can some sing better than others? Who knows. We're left with no answers to the questions the book sets out to explore.

Average Performance

The areas they set out to study in Superhuman are certainly interesting. It's great learning about top-performers and their amazing abilities. But at some point it becomes a bit tiring when we're unable to find a way to advance our own performance, and that's where this read falls short.

For those still interested in learning about people pushing the boundaries of human capabilities, grab yourself a copy of Superhuman: Life At The Extremes Of Our Capacity from Amazon now.

“Superhuman” by Rowan Hooper is an insightful and thought provoking book. It borders on almost inspirational at points.
The only flaw with this book is the repetition of each particular “theme” in each chapter.
I still enjoyed reading it and would recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.