The coronapocalypse is on, so instead of watching sports I hope to read some books.
Life is tough.
Here are six nonfiction books I plan to read during the coronavirus crisis, listed in no particular order.
If you prefer fiction, here’s my breakdown of the top five American novels of all time.
Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction
By Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner
Superforecasting has been on my list for a while, ever since Tetlock — and, more importantly, FantasyLabs Co-Founder Jonathan Bales — appeared on Ep. 233 of Freakonomics Radio: “How to Be Less Terrible at Predicting the Future.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgGNbMBhXdU
For anyone who wants to get better at thinking probabilistically, this is supposed to be a great book.
The Federalist Papers
By Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
Aside from the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, The Federalist Papers might be the most important historical document in the United States.
Written by three of the Constitution’s framers and published serially in 1787-88, The Federalist Papers (a collection of 85 articles) argued for the necessity and adoption of the Constitution at a time when the future of the United States was very much in doubt.
Lots of people talk about the Constitution and how it should be interpreted, but my sense is that most people don’t know the history of the document and the logic that brought it into existence — and I don’t want to be one of those people.
Reality Is Broken: Why Games Makes Us Better and How They Can Change the World
By Jane McGonigal
Games aren’t just games: I think that’s what Reality Is Broken is about. From esports to fantasy sports and beyond, games can shape reality and inform the way we see the world.
McGonigal has given a number of public talks — it’s not hard to find them on YouTube — and she seems like a smart person.
I personally like the idea of games preparing us for the challenges of reality. I can’t claim to be an investing savant, but I know the way I view the stock market has been informed by what I’ve learned from fantasy sports … and I think that’s a good thing?
The Logic of Sports Betting
By Ed Miller and Matthew Davidow
It’s embarrassing, but I haven’t yet read The Logic of Sports Betting even though 1) it came out last year and 2) I work in sports betting media.
But I’ve heard Ed and Matt on a number of podcasts, such as The Taekcast with Davis Mattek, so I think I have a good sense of what to expect from their book.
Ed is a poker professional who has written extensively, and Matt is a professional sports modeler: They know what they’re talking about.
Check out my Mar. 25 Over/Under with Davis.
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
By David Epstein
As someone who isn’t special at anything, I like the main thesis of Range: At least early on, it’s better to have breadth than depth.
At the 2019 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Epstein discussed his book with Malcolm Gladwell.
While the conversation at Sloan was framed in the context of the modern athlete — Epstein’s first book, The Sports Gene, explores the science of human performance — his research on the generalist/specialist dichotomy is widely applicable.
A Brief History of Time
By Stephen Hawking
It’s A Brief History of Time and Stephen Fucking Hawking. I don’t need any more reasons to read it.