The Winner Effect: The Neuroscience of Success and Failure

Considering the question of whether winners are born or made, how power affects people, and related matters, Robertson (Mind Sculpture), professor of psychology at Trinity College, Dublin, has produced a book that is both utterly fascinating and deeply unsatisfying. It is fascinating in the same manner as tabloid gossip and unsatisfying because there is no reason to accept any of the explanations offered. Robertson believes it possible to merge experimental psychology with neuroscience to explain the behavior of famous individuals. For example he addresses why Pablo Picasso’s son, Paulo, led a dysfunctional life, why the friendship between Tony Blair and Bill Clinton disintegrated, and why Tiger Woods missed a three-foot putt in a tournament playoff in 2006. Although Robertson acknowledges that he’s merely speculating, he writes as if individual behavior is fully deterministic. He jumps among examples and time periods so freely that reading this book is akin to riding a roller-coaster while looking through a kaleidoscope. Beyond the pop psychology, Robertson does encourage readers to focus on the role power plays in interpersonal and political relationships, urging a deeper understanding of how its use can be structured to serve the greater good. Agent: Sally Holloway, Felicity Bryan Associates (U.K.). (Oct.)