E27 Ashley Merryman: The Science Of Winning & Losing

In this episode I was joined on the phone from LA by New York Times bestselling author, Ashley Merryman. Merryman, along with her co-author Po Bronson, have written two award winning popular science books; NurtureShock: New Thinking About Parenting, and Top Dog: The Science Of Winning & Losing. Both books are a brilliant blend of storytelling and accessible science but during the episode we focus on her most recent book, Top Dog. Some of the topics covered in our conversation were: Merryman's experience as a young attorney and speechwriter with the Clinton administration. How the co-authoring process works. The difference between seeing competition as a challenge or a threat. Why women are less likely to engage in competition but slightly more likely to succeed when they do. Home field advantage. The difference between playing to win and playing not to lose. Does competition improve skills or effort? Ashley was a really enjoyable guest, with a great sense of humour and an obvious love for the work that she does. At some stage in the future Ashley will be back on the show to discuss NurtureShock, her book that changed the American narrative on parenting. All the books etc mentioned in the episode can be found in the detailed episode notes at inspirelandpodcast.com. Enjoy the episode. Dave