todd@forestgiant.com

David Epstein

David Epstein is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated and author of The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance. In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success, Epstein investigates the so-called 10,000-hour rule, made famous by Malcolm Gladwell, to uncover whether rigorous and consistent practice from a young age is the only route to athletic excellence. Along the way, Epstein dispels many of our perceptions about why top athletes excel. He shows why some skills that we assume are innate, like the bullet-fast reactions of a baseball or cricket batter, are not, and why other characteristics that we assume are entirely voluntary, like an athlete’s will to train, in fact have important genetic components. 

@DavidEpstein

Session: The Sports Gene
Wednesday, September 30
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Bomhard Theater, Kentucky Center

Each year IdeaFestival asks our presenters to submit a list of books that they are currently reading or any book(s) they have read in the past or at any stage of their lives that have had a major influence on their thinking. 

Recommended Books

Stephanie Freid

Stephanie Freid has been covering breaking news in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the U.S. for more than a decade.

Highlights include the Israel-Jordan Peace Accord signing, the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, the war in Libya, Hosni Mubarak’s step-down, the Ukraine crisis, French mobilization in Mali, the war in Syria, Lebanon’s political stalemate, etc.

Before joining CCTV she freelanced for The San Francisco Chronicle, George Lucas’ Edutopia Magazine, CNN Traveler Magazine, Reuters, the BBC, NBC News, Sky News, etc.

@stefanella

Session: Stephanie Freid
Thursday, October 1
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Bomhard Theater, Kentucky Center

Each year IdeaFestival asks our presenters to submit a list of books that they are currently reading or any book(s) they have read in the past or at any stage of their lives that have had a major influence on their thinking. 

Recommended Books

Ndaba Mandela

Grandson of Nelson Mandela, Co-Founder & Chairman of Africa Rising Foundation, Ndaba Mandela carries his grandfathers torch to keep its beacon of hope bright, fueling its fiery message that “one person can make a difference.”

@ndabamandela

Session: Ndaba Mandela
Friday, October 2
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Bomhard Theater, Kentucky Center

Each year IdeaFestival asks our presenters to submit a list of books that they are currently reading or any book(s) they have read in the past or at any stage of their lives that have had a major influence on their thinking. 

Recommended Books