Sooner or later everyone encounters a situation in which the stakes are high and the outcome is vital. And even top performers can crumble when faced with such extreme pressure. But then there are the performers who thrive under such conditions.

In Clutch, you'll meet: A skinny sergeant who saved his battalion in Iraq, a rookie baseball player who pitched his team into its first World Series, a lawyer who struggled in school but became one of the top litigators in America. According to Sullivan, clutch performance does not stem from an innate ability. It's a learned skill-the art of operating in high- stress situations as if they were everyday conditions. Even some of the most experienced and talented performers lack this skill-but Sullivan shows that anyone can develop it.