This was a delightful book. If you've ever wondered, as I have, how it could be psychologically possible to enjoy following and rooting for the Buffalo Bills, this is the book for you. Not only do the authors explore the anecdotal evidence on hometown loyalty, home-field advantage, and rivalries, but they use solid research in behavioral economics and cite a number of well-run studies and test cases, not to mention piggybacking on giants in the field like Kahneman, Ariely, and Lowenstein.
If that wasn't enough to make an interesting book about the social science of sports, the writing is downright funny as well. I thumbed to the index as soon as it arrived to make sure that there weren't going to be too many Bills jokes (only Bills fans are allowed to make fun of our team, after all) and was relieved to discover that the Browns are more often the target of their NFL barbs.
Towards the end of the book there are several chapters devoted to serious and downright important topics too, such as bias in moral judgment, the finish-line effect, the data of performing in the midst of trauma, and even a case-study from a patient in a coma. It was a fun, quick book, and I'd highly recommend it to even a casual sports fan.
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