I haven’t actually read the book ‘Choke’ by Sian Beilock but the coverage and summaries on the net are so comprehensive that I probably don’t really need to.
The subtitle is ‘the secret to performing under pressure’ or, more specifically (and wordily) ‘What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal about Success and Failure at Work and at Play’.
‘Choking’ is defined as performing below your actual ability and Beilock, a professor of psychology at Chicago University, claims it is more than simply a case of nerves getting the better of you.
The book cover is misleading in that it refers to ‘the secret’ in the singular as if there is one magic formula. Not surprisingly Beilock gives many ‘secrets’ depending on the situation. She does not talk only about work or school situations but also looks at the psychological stress faced by sports men and women. Continue reading
