By Jon Wertheim & Sam Sommers

Rating: 4/5

Three-Word Summary: Sociology meets sports

Sports are a microcosm of human existence. They reveal a great deal more about how we think and act than we might believe.

But how exactly do sports influence our lives? And why do these games make such an impact?

In their book This is Your Brain on Sports, Sports Illustrated editor Jon Wertheim and social psychologist Sam Sommers set out to answer those questions by asking a few of their own:

• Why do we always root for the underdog?
• Is giving kids participation trophies a bad idea?
• Why do smart athletes sometimes do dumb things?
• How is cheering for a bad team like building IKEA furniture?
• Do great athletes make terrible coaches?
• Why are quarterbacks always so good looking?

The authors take each of these seemingly incongruous topics (and many more) and stitch them together into a clearer picture of sports’ impact on our social behavior.

Using a combination of research studies, logic and athletic prowess, Wertheim and Sommers reveal the hidden world behind the games. And attempt to unravel some of the mysteries of sporting.

To be sure, some of the chapters were stronger than others; some of the arguments were more compelling than others. But on the whole, the book was as entertaining as it was informative. There was a distinct balance between the journalism and humor in the text.

As some one who has grown up a sports fan, I was better able to appreciate some of the finer nuances within the book’s references. However, there is still enough here for the non-sports fan to pick up on the larger human issues and still enjoy the read.

Editor’s note: I received a complementary copy of This is Your Brain on Sports in return for a fair review from the fine people at Blogging For Books. Just so you’re aware. However, this is one book that I would legitimately have considered purchasing had I not already been giving a free copy.