13th out of 472 books
—
518 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Men at Work” as Want to Read:
Men at Work
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning political commentator and longtime baseball fanatic George F. Will--the #1 bestselling ultimate insider's look at the exacting craft of baseball
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
March 15th 1991
by ReganBooks
(first published 1990)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Men at Work,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about Men at Work
Community Reviews
(showing 1-30 of 3,000)
There’s a lot of stuff goes on.
Tony LaRussa
This is a TOP TEN book in my baseball library.
Availability. 2010 edition, paperback, Kindle.
Type. THE GAME
Use. READ [EH]
_explanation_
This book, published twenty-five years ago (1990) by a noted columnist (but not a sports columnist) is a classic description of how baseball is played. (The author is noted for his conservative political and social commentary in his syndicated column. I'm not holding that against him.
George Will is a polished writer, an ...more
Tony LaRussa
This is a TOP TEN book in my baseball library.
Availability. 2010 edition, paperback, Kindle.
Type. THE GAME
Use. READ [EH]
_explanation_
This book, published twenty-five years ago (1990) by a noted columnist (but not a sports columnist) is a classic description of how baseball is played. (The author is noted for his conservative political and social commentary in his syndicated column. I'm not holding that against him.
George Will is a polished writer, an ...more
Originally seen on my book blog
Before I dive into the review of the book, I should mention that this is not a book for someone that isn’t already an active fan of baseball. This is not a book to read if you are trying to learn about baseball. You will get utterly confused by the baseball language in the book and will probably drop it. I had to read it slower than I would normally so I could take time to pi ...more
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.
Before I dive into the review of the book, I should mention that this is not a book for someone that isn’t already an active fan of baseball. This is not a book to read if you are trying to learn about baseball. You will get utterly confused by the baseball language in the book and will probably drop it. I had to read it slower than I would normally so I could take time to pi ...more
I meant to read MEN AT WORK 20 years ago, but got around to it only recently. It is excellent notwithstanding that it shows a tiny bit of age. Will is a conservative pundit of great influence today. But back when this book was written in the late 80s, he was widely regarded as the most influential journalist in America. Political journalism then was still a dignified craft. It caught me by surprise when Will published a major baseball book in 1990.
If you have read any of Will’s stuff, then you k ...more
If you have read any of Will’s stuff, then you k ...more
Jan 31, 2011
John
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those who love baseball, or want to know why it holds the imagination of a country
Shelves:
baseball
A wonderful book full of vignettes. Stories of respect and love. In baseball there are no idle moments.
"There is a myth of the "natural athlete" whose effortless excellence is a kind of spontaneous blooming. That myth is false and pernicious. It dilutes the emulative value of superior performers. It does so by discounting the extent to which character counts in sport. The myth is especially damaging to blacks. Sport has become an especially important arena of excellence-and a realm of upward mo ...more
"There is a myth of the "natural athlete" whose effortless excellence is a kind of spontaneous blooming. That myth is false and pernicious. It dilutes the emulative value of superior performers. It does so by discounting the extent to which character counts in sport. The myth is especially damaging to blacks. Sport has become an especially important arena of excellence-and a realm of upward mo ...more
I borrowed it from a friend and slowed down immediately. I found it while cleaning one day and decided I needed to finish it. My goal was to finish it during playoffs and the World Series. I made it!
This book is 45% statistics, 45% technical, and 10% history of baseball. As a baseball fan who just enjoys the game for the game itself, I bogged down with all the stats and technical stuff. I enjoyed a small section of the book and now know why the NY Yankees uniforms have stripes and where the 7th ...more
This book is 45% statistics, 45% technical, and 10% history of baseball. As a baseball fan who just enjoys the game for the game itself, I bogged down with all the stats and technical stuff. I enjoyed a small section of the book and now know why the NY Yankees uniforms have stripes and where the 7th ...more
This book is quite literally “inside baseball”. In in-depth interviews with Tony LaRussa, Orel Hershiser, Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. the author, conservative columnist George F. Will, uncovers details of managing, pitching, hitting and fielding respectively. As can be deduced from the aforementioned list of names this book is now almost a quarter of a century old. It captures major league baseball on the cusp of the steroid era. The chapter on Tony LaRussa, written when he was manager of the
...more
(Actually paperback, not ebook, fwiw.) George Will says he set out to write the book about baseball that he had tried unsuccessfully to find, and he presents us with a remarkable collection of baseball statistics and anecdotes, filtered through the unique perspectives of an outstanding manager (Tony La Russa), hitter (Tony Gwynn), fielder (Cal Ripken, Jr.), and pitcher (Orel Hershiser). Only occasionally does his wonderful writing lapse into dry laundry lists of stats. The unifying theme is that
...more
George Will's book on baseball was quite obviously the blueprint for Michael Lewis' later effort, Moneyball.
The two books compare like so: If chess is a simple game of complicated moves and checkers is a complicated game of simple moves, Men at Work is a complicated book about a simple game while Moneyball is a simple book about a complicated game.
George Will, as a Pulitzer-prize winning columnist at the Washington Post, is arguably opinion's most authoritative voice; wherever a person falls alo ...more
The two books compare like so: If chess is a simple game of complicated moves and checkers is a complicated game of simple moves, Men at Work is a complicated book about a simple game while Moneyball is a simple book about a complicated game.
George Will, as a Pulitzer-prize winning columnist at the Washington Post, is arguably opinion's most authoritative voice; wherever a person falls alo ...more
George Will is generally considered to be somewhat of a stuffed shirt. He is a well respected columnist and journalist, good enough to possess a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. To many it is surprising that such a serious conservative voice in the noise we call politics is a devoted fan of America’s Pastime. There are two dimensions that are evident in George Will, lover of baseball … the kid who fell for the game and the passionate student of its mechanics, nuances, strategies, and numbers. Even
...more
"Even the most gentlemanly pitchers can be provoked to use fear. [Tony] Kubek says that Sandy Koufax, 'who could throw a baseball maybe better than anybody in history,' once threatened Lou Brock just because Brock stole a base in a crucial situation. As Brock was dusting himself off at second, Koufax turned to him and, according to Kubek, said 'Next time you do that I'm going to hit you right in the head.' Broke stole another base against Koufax. He then became the only man Koufax ever hit in th
...more
I really liked this book and can't believe I hadn't read this book years ago since it has sections on three of my some of my favorite players of all time in Cal Ripken, Tony Gywnn and Orel Hershiser. The section on Tony LaRussa is also very interesting. Really took me back to the 1988 and 89 seasons when both the Dodgers and A's were very good. I recommend this book to only the die-hard baseball fans, and not fans of the history of the game. This is a book on how the game is played. Good stuff.
Good book. Had always heard that baseball was a chess match but didn't realize to what extent. Intelligence in the form of scouting reports has really changed the game. I can only imagine how much more intel is available with the internet, since this book was written before the internet existed like it does today. Enjoyed the layout of the book and Will's writing style; however, he is delusional to think that the 1989 Athletics were near the caliber of the 1975 and 1976 Reds.
A serene, magisterial work that, far from aging into irrelevance, has become a timeless classic. Will anticipates Moneyball with his understanding of statistics, but he blends this knowledge with masterful literary skill and a great appreciation for the work that the four men he profiled (as well as the countless others he interviewed) do. Men at Work is on a par with Roger Angell's best offerings--and is perhaps better still, given its narrative coherence.
Men At Work is an extremely well-written piece that analyzes the four basic elements of baseball: managing, pitching, hitting, and fielding. George Will chooses one person for each of the four components (Tony La Russa, Orel Hershiser, Tony Gwynn, and Cal Ripken Jr., respectively) and provides amazing insights into their views on the game, their thought processes, and the strategy that made them some of the greatest ever. The book does have a tendency to ramble, often straying from the four core
...more
Ninety percent of people who call themselves baseball fans would think that this book is too detailed, but I loved it.
I've never read a sports book like this. Will provides a glimpse into the minds of the best baseball players and managers and- even more impressively- he makes what goes on there accessible.
So much of sports journalism and literature focuses on personality and digestible narrative and leaves completely aside the real meat of what goes on. I remember reading that the Heat won the NBA Finals because Lebron James was "relaxed" and read The Hunger Games in the locker room before the game. That was ...more
So much of sports journalism and literature focuses on personality and digestible narrative and leaves completely aside the real meat of what goes on. I remember reading that the Heat won the NBA Finals because Lebron James was "relaxed" and read The Hunger Games in the locker room before the game. That was ...more
The reason owning books is worthwhile is that sometimes an old one will catch your eye and you might decide to pick it up and read a few paragraphs and find yourself reading it all over again. It must have been around 1993 when I read this book for the first time and it has aged so well I wonder why Mr. Will hasn't been writing more of them. His formula for studying a manager, a pitcher, a hitter, and a fielder would work just as well in this era as it did in the late 1980s.
Here he looks at Ton ...more
Here he looks at Ton ...more
I didn't dislike this book, so much as I just found it too weighty to really read and enjoy. I will admit to not finishing it (probably got 3/4 of the way through) after reading it for close to a year or more. It never grabbed me enough to keep reading, I would put it down for a while then come back, hoping that I would be able to finish it. I still may, but for now I had to call it quits.
Will has written a really good book about baseball that REALLY hardcore fans will enjoy (I'd put myself in ...more
Will has written a really good book about baseball that REALLY hardcore fans will enjoy (I'd put myself in ...more
I wanted to read this book for some time because of its acclaim as such a great analysis of baseball. For the most part, the book is wealth of knowledge and true respect and love of the game.
My problems with the book are twofold. First, I couldn't help but feel that this book is rather dated. It was written just 20 years ago, but so much has changed in those years, specifically the steroids issues (which is briefly addressed in the new introduction). Smaller points I disagreed with include his ...more
My problems with the book are twofold. First, I couldn't help but feel that this book is rather dated. It was written just 20 years ago, but so much has changed in those years, specifically the steroids issues (which is briefly addressed in the new introduction). Smaller points I disagreed with include his ...more
Today is the regular season opener, so I grabbed this and Moneyball from the library. It's spring, the weather is cool and beautiful, and I'm in a mood to read some inside baseball. I wanted to like Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball.
The book was published in 1990, which is perfect; I was 13, just coming down from my peak years of collecting baseball cards. George Will is writing about the people I grew up watching: Hershiser, Ripken, Gwynn, La Russa. And Will shares my interest in baseball play ...more
The book was published in 1990, which is perfect; I was 13, just coming down from my peak years of collecting baseball cards. George Will is writing about the people I grew up watching: Hershiser, Ripken, Gwynn, La Russa. And Will shares my interest in baseball play ...more
It was a good book on my first sports love: baseball. Ever since I was a young boy, I've had a great love affair with America's pastime. Seriously. I remember how excited I was at 5 years old to get my very first little league uniform (Harvest Market what what!). I remember my grandpa teaching me the basics of throwing a ball and swinging a bat. Will's book in some ways transported me back, because it was written at a time when I would have first been watching and playing baseball. The names, th
...more
I appreciated the anecdotes and little tidbits within this book, especially the interviews with players like Orel Hershiser who allow the readers a little peek into their incredibly interesting minds.
But, all in all, this book was pretty hard to get through. The author loves to ramble. There are four parts, which focus on the pitcher, the batter, the manager, and the defense. But within each part, the author just goes off on a multitude of subjects that somehow relate to the chapter. There is n ...more
But, all in all, this book was pretty hard to get through. The author loves to ramble. There are four parts, which focus on the pitcher, the batter, the manager, and the defense. But within each part, the author just goes off on a multitude of subjects that somehow relate to the chapter. There is n ...more
My introduction to George Will (apparently a polarizing figure, a good friend/baseball aficionado/politico saw my book and immediately erupted with "George Will is a jackass") comes in his 1990 baseball eloquent in which one stands to learn more English vocabulary than baseball. (Though don't be fooled - there's a lot of baseball.)
Will cleverly quarters his book by four fundamental skills - managing, hitting, pitching, and defense, and then weaves rich historic and contemporary research to compl ...more
Will cleverly quarters his book by four fundamental skills - managing, hitting, pitching, and defense, and then weaves rich historic and contemporary research to compl ...more
George Will should get another Pulitzer for writing about baseball. This book is dense with facts, strategies, and analysis, particularly in the first section devoted to managing (the others are hitting, pitching, and defense). Will makes a compelling argument that, no matter how anemic other American institutions have become, baseball is better then ever (or was when he wrote this book in 1990). The dry wit of his prose had me laughing out loud, and reading passages to my indifferent wife. I co
...more
Wow, did this ever date rapidly. This was celebrated as The Baseball Book of the Decade, but would an educated fan learn anything from it today? I doubt it. While Will mentions many figures whose work has stood up over in recent decades (Bill James, Stephen Jay Gould, Craig Wright, and John Thorn are all mentioned approvingly, and that's just off the top of my head), the bulk of the book is the same hackneyed truisms from players and coaches. It amounts to what you would read from a typical beat
...more
Jul 25, 2011
Aaron
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
baseball fans
Recommended to Aaron by:
Bob French
A brilliant little tome that owes much to the gentlemen of the game, but is owed a great debt to the fans of baseball who, at the very least, needed to be reminded of the mental intricacies inherent within the foul lines. George Will interviews and truly listens to several baseball greats who understand that the game is more than just hitting a ball and catching it. He also listens as they tell him that sometimes it needs to be that simple as well. I would give it 4.5 stars were that possible, b
...more
An erudite analysis of three great players and a great manager. Anyone who loves baseball will love what George Will has extracted from in-depth interviews with Tony LaRussa, Tony Gwynn, Orel Hershiser, and Cal Ripken, Jr. to give the reader a deep sense of how they approach their craft. A fabulous baseball book.
I'll read anything from George Will. Politically we disagree more often than not but he argues with logic and intelligence without screaming, propagating lies and fear mongering.
Politics aside, if you've never read a George Will baseball book, treat yourself! This may be the best baseball book I've ever read.
Politics aside, if you've never read a George Will baseball book, treat yourself! This may be the best baseball book I've ever read.
If your a baseball/sports junkie, definitely check out this book. It's outdated (written in 1990) and a little slow at times (how they pitch to batter is excruciating to read) but it goes into great detail about baseball strategy and all the facets of the game. The books looks at some great players- Ripkin, Gwynn, Herschier, & LaRussa and their perspectives on each of their art. On the other end its fascinating to see Will talk about Canseco/McGwire, their greatness, and not mention steroids
...more
This is without doubt the best sports book I've ever read. After I read it, baseball games looked completely different because I understood a lot more of what was going on in the minds of the pitcher, batter, fielders and manager. Therefore, it also helped my thought process while playing baseball (well, ok, softball).
Will is an excellent writer, combining funny anecdotes, hard statistics and some over-romanticized descriptions that are very inspiring to read.
Unfortunately, this book cannot be r ...more
Will is an excellent writer, combining funny anecdotes, hard statistics and some over-romanticized descriptions that are very inspiring to read.
Unfortunately, this book cannot be r ...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
George Frederick Will is an American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winner best known for his conservative commentary on politics. By the mid 1980s the Wall Street Journal reported he was "perhaps the most powerful journalist in America," in a league with Walter Lippmann (1899–1975).
Will served as an editor for National Review from 1972 to 1978. He joined the W ...more
More about George F. Will...
Will served as an editor for National Review from 1972 to 1978. He joined the W ...more
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“Sport, they said, is morally serious because mankind’s noblest aim is the loving contemplation of worthy things, such as beauty and courage. By witnessing physical grace, the soul comes to understand and love beauty. Seeing people compete courageously and fairly helps emancipate the individual by educating his passions.”
—
0 likes
“A society with a crabbed spirit and a cynical urge to discount and devalue will find that one day when it needs to draw upon the reservoirs of excellence, the reservoirs have run dry. A society in which the capacity for warm appreciation of excellence atrophies will find that its capacity for excellence diminishes. Happiness, too, diminishes as the appreciation of excellence diminishes. That is no small loss, least of all to a nation in which the pursuit of happiness was endorsed in the founding moment.”
—
0 likes
More quotes…
And I wonder, does anyone put one fielder in the LF hole (typical shortstop ...more
Aug 05, 2016 04:26PM
And I wonder, does anyone put one fielder in the LF hole (typic ...more
Aug 05, 2016 05:48PM