Year of the dunk

The showmanship of the dunk mesmerized Price as a child, but even with his height (six foot plus) and impressive wingspan, he never pushed himself to try it. Now, approaching middle age, Asher decides to spend a year remaking his body and testing his mind as he wonders, like most adults, what untapped talent he still possesses. Along the way he dives into the history and science of one of sports' most exuberant acts, examining everything from our genetic predisposition towards jumping to the cultural role of the slam dunk. The year-long effort forces him to ask some fundamental questions about human ability and the degree to which we can actually improve ourselves, even with great determination. By learning to dunk a ball at the age of 34, journalist Asher Price investigates the limits of his potential--and our own. We all like to think we can run faster, pick up another language, or cook a souffle. But very few of us ever really test ourselves. Seizing upon the dunk, which is richly freighted with distinctly American themes of culture, race, and upward mobility, Price asks: How much of our story do we weave with our own hands? The dunk mesmerized Asher Price as a child, but even w