Review of "An Economist Goes to the Game"

In order to be interested in a book, I usually need more than just the title to pick it up.  However, this title was so different and so interesting that I took a chance and ended up liking this short and informative book. 

Title/Author:

“An Economist Goes to the Game: How to Throw Away $580 Million and Other Surprising Insights from the Economics of Sports” by Paul Oyer

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: There have been many books published about the business of sport – just about all sports – in various formats, but this one was very different and very informative.  Written in several short chapter on various sports topics, this book by Paul Oyer is not only one in which a reader will learn about a different line of thinking for economics and sports, but will also be entertained as well.

While I thought the entire book was good, the best part came at the beginning when Oyer explained how some of the action on the field of play comes from theories of economics.  His example of why Michael Jordan passed up the shot that would win the 1997 NBA championship for his Chicago Bulls and instead passed the ball to Steve Kerr who hit that shot is brilliant in how it ties economic thinking and the risk versus reward logic worked for that instant. Similar scenarios and different theories are sprinkled throughout the book.

However, the bulk of the stories are written about the topics that one would expect in a book on economics and sports – ticket sales and brokers, publicly financed stadiums, and why cities are not as excited to host the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup like they used to be.  Oyer writes about these topics in a manner that anyone who has an interest in either topic will enjoy but also in plain language without a lot of advanced vocabulary in either sports or economics.  This combination, plus the variety of topics addressed, made this a book that will be enjoyed by a wide variety of readers.

I wish to thank Yale University Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Link: Amazon.com: An Economist Goes to the Game: How to Throw Away $580 Million and Other Surprising Insights from the Economics of Sports: 9780300218244: Oyer, Paul: Books