Review of "Intangibles"

The title of this book caught my eye as an athlete's "intagibles" always seem to be discussed.  However, that isn't really what the book is about, but instead another trait hard to measure - team chemistry.  This book by Joan Ryan is a very good one on the topic.  Here is my review of "Intangibles"

Title/Author:

“Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry" by Joan Ryan

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Giants, science

Publish date:

April 28, 2020

Length:

272 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

"Team chemistry" is a trait that doesn't have a true scientific definition, yet is accepted as a necessary element in a championship team, no matter which sport.  Journalist Joan Ryan decided to look into this trait further to see if there was some scientific truth behind "team chemistry" as well as share stories from players who are credited with elevating this trait.

While Ryan writes about several teams in the book, including the Golden State Warriors and Oakland Athletics, she dedicates most of the material to the San Francisco Giants, a team with who she has worked in the past eight years.  For the scientific aspect, she interviews experts in areas such as neuroscience and psychology and their input lead credence to the thought that good team chemistry is necessary.  However, like the players and managers interviewed, that is not a unanimous consensus and most likely never will be.

However, what makes this book fun to read are the stories by and about players who have been credited with affecting team chemistry whether positive or negative.  Ryan has a label for most of these such as a "super-carrier" – Jonny Gomes, a utility player who found a way to help each of his teammates.  There is the "super-disruptor" – Barry Bonds, and the story he shares with Ryan is worth the time to read no matter one's opinion on his behavior or legitimacy to the home run record. There is a chapter on Mike Krukow, a long time Giant player and broadcaster called "Humm-Baby".  These are just a few examples of the extensive research Ryan put into the project and the finished product is a fun read.

At the end of the book, Ryan does answer two questions about measuring chemistry (can't be the same as sabermetrics) and what is the function.  This review won't give that away, as it is recommended that all baseball fans pick up this book to find out the answers.

I wish to thank Little, Brown and company for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

                                    

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Intangibles-Unlocking-Science-Soul-Chemistry-ebook/dp/B07W56J313/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr