Math + baseball = a great afternoon and as it turns out, a pretty good book. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis was my second holiday read last month. I sped through this novel like a runner stealing bases, except of course, an Oakland A's runner. It was head above heart, math versus tradition, and a completely unorthodox approach to a sport I remember from my youth on AM radio in the basement folding laundry with my mother. And yet...
the principles of Billy Beane sounded quite like the strategy from Viva B (MBA flashback).
"Know exactly what every player in baseball is worth to you" (Kindle Location 3149) read to me like BATNA.
"Know exactly who you want and go after him" (Location 3150) sounded to me like a man who had a BHAG.
I have a great deal of respect for instruments of change, particularly when their methods are against the norm. Even if you're not a sports fan or strategy buff, it's a lot of fun to read a David vs Goliath (A's versus Yankees) tale and wonder if our protagonist's theory has any "bases."
Author's note: One of her few regrets is not utilizing Chicago baseball tickets in the summer of 2006. She still hasn't visited the stadiums.
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