This book sets out to answer the innocent question of Fox’s seven year old son, “Why do we play ball, anyway?” The author has done a tremendous amount of research, some of it by physically visiting places where embryonic versions of our modern ball games are still played—going to the Orkney Isles, France, and the interior of Mexico in an attempt to show how interwoven playing ball is with being human.

I particularly enjoyed his advancement of the theory that it was man’s development of his ability to throw a rock, in order to hunt more efficiently, that was the first step of early humans toward becoming modern homosapiens. Fox offers as proof the research of the evolutionary biologist, William Calvin from the University of Washington. Calvin believes, “The motion itself may have promoted the first lateralization of a function to the left brain, a spark that set in motion the development of language, tool use and much more.” As he continues to explain this theory Fox offers this gem, which made me laugh out loud, “Now you’ve got a not-so-smart, mostly upright, well-fed primate with a killer fastball and reproductive advantage. Add a lump of chaw and you’ve got your average major-league pitcher!” (pg. 34)

The result of his efforts is a work that is usually enlightening and often humorous though I did think that he got off track a couple of times and digressed on topics too peripheral to his central theme.

If you want to learn why it is so easy to lose yourself in a game of catch, this is the book for you.