Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville: A Lifelong Passion for Baseball

by Stephen Jay Gould

Other authorsDavid Halberstam (Introduction)
Paper Book, 2003

Status

Available

Call number

796.35702

Tags

Misc Topics

Genres

Collection

Sports- Baseball

Publication

W. W. Norton & Company (2003), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 320 pages

Description

Among Stephen Jay Gould's many gifts was his ability to write eloquently about baseball, his great passion. Through the years, the renowned palaeontologist published numerous essays on the sport which have now been collected in this volume.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Othemts
One day I’ll actually read a book by Gould on paleontology, but I enjoy his writing on his side topics. This is a collection of previously published articles so there is a bit of repetition of ideas and reminiscing, and I have to hold my nose as Gould goes on about his “beloved Yankees” and
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 how the “evil Bums” won the 1955 World Series (so the Yankees occasionally lose in the World Series, the heartbreak!!!). Gould’s best writings are the ones where he ties baseball into natural history and performs a scientific evaluation of baseball statistics. His writing is poorer when he goes into memoryland and hero worship.

“I don’t know why grown men care so deeply about something that neither kills, nor starves, nor maims, nor even scratches in our world of woe. I don’t know why we care so much, but I’m glad that we do.” (p. 53)
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1 more
LibraryThing member Devil_llama
A posthumously released book of essays that contained some aspect of baseball. The essays range from straight discussions of baseball topics to the use of baseball to explain statistics and evolutionary theory. All in all, a fun, lighthearted romp.

Subjects

Baseball Miscellanea
Baseball United States

Language

English

Physical description

320 p.; 9.72 inches

ISBN

0393057550 / 9780393057553

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