I’m
not into sports. I don’t root for any teams and have no interest in the
Olympics, World Cup, Superbowl, or anything that requires sweaty people to vie
for a trophy. The quirky aspects of both fans and athletes has always been a
mystery to me, but thanks to Wertheim and Sommers I have a better understanding
of people who sit in a stadium with giant cheese wedge hats on their heads. The
nature of sports turns out to be not much different from other forces that
shape human behavior. Athletes and fans aren’t so crazy after all, and after
reading this engaging book I realize I’m actually more like them then I care to
admit.
The
book examines sports from many aspects; behavioral psychology, marketing,
economics, with a dash of evolutionary biology thrown in. Part of the fun is
the often lighthearted approach seasoning the science. Why are quarterbacks
always so darn good looking? Blame part of the reason on the halo effect which
endows qualities of attractiveness to those in positions of authority or
command.
A fascinating
section on underdogs explains fan loyalty with teams in the bottom of the
rankings. According to studies, the struggle to rise to the top is enough to
engage support. As Wertheim and Sommers note, the role of the underdog seems
natural. Losers are more human, poor schlubs striving to overcome obstacles
like the rest of us. We relate better to them than those with godlike physical
talents and attributes. People also frame the performance of a longshot more
favorably; the humble, scrappy losers are endowed with more character than
those prideful adversaries who stomped all over them. You don’t have to be a sports
fan to understand.
This
book isn’t a sugarcoated treatise on the benefits of sports. Negative aspects
of competition are given an evenhanded investigation. A section on violence explains
the link to arousal, and the authors draw interesting parallels between sport's violence, the ability to
negotiate a business deal, and ad agencies using arousal to cajole
consumers to buy. Apparently sex not only sells, but also, according to research, doesn't detract from an athlete's abilities. Remaining celibate before the big game to improve performance is a myth.
What
I particularly enjoyed about This is your
Brain on Sports is that it’s written for the fan and nonfan alike. The book
is both entertaining and thoughtful. Even when the authors go deep into the
science, explanations are easy for the layman to follow. Everyone will come away
with a little better understanding of not just sports, but human behavior as well. Sure, sports fans are a little crazy,
but apparently so are the rest of us. Now, hand me my giant cheese wedge hat.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.
