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Synopsis

There is a huge category of sports fan: people who love a bloody good argument. Sport makes them think, engage and argue. Given that people already take sport so very seriously, and at such an intense level of enquiry, then Ed Smith concludes we should draw out some of sport's intellectual lessons and practical uses.

What Sport Teaches Us About Life gives us a rare glimpse into the world of sport as seen from an extraordinarily keen, and closely-involved observer. In one chapter Smith extols the virtues of amateurism in today's professional world; in another he explains why there'll never be another sportsman as dominant as Don Bradman. He unearths the hidden dimensions of England's 2005 Ashes win, examines the impact of the free market on cricket and football, argues that cheating is not always as clear cut as it might seem.

Reviews

Critic Review:

‘A terrific book – Smith has distilled into 200 pages things that took me fifteen years of playing to work out.’
Mike Atherton

‘An exceptional book: lucid, thought-provoking, informative and fair. Outstanding.’
Christopher Martin-Jenkins, The Times

‘A refreshingly thoughtful book...with a great deal of humour and commonsense. This is one of the best books on sport I've read.’
Michael Brearley

‘A tremendous book. I wanted more chapters. Brilliant.’
Stephen Frears, director of The Queen

‘A splendid book – well thought-out, deeply researched, impressively argued and very readable. A book that deserves to be widely read – and not just by sports nuts like me.’
Barry Norman

‘An absolutely delightful book. What Smith says about rhythm in batting is true of writing – poise, balance, etc. – and Smith has it.’
Simon Gray, author of The Smoking Diaries

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