Recent reads -- Next Man Up

Next Man Up
John Feinstein

I didn't have a lot of hope on this one before I started but came away thinking this was probably one of the best football books I've read in a long time. Even better than my previous favorite -- Blind Side by Michael Lewis.

Feinstein does a great job describing how a NFL team works, through the 2004 season he spent with the Baltimore Ravens. Unlike other sports authors he keeps the game descriptions to a minimum. Thank you. There is nothing more boring or uninsightful than page after page of play by play descriptions. (Pat Conroy is famous for this in his basketball novels.)

In short it's basically a great description of how a NFL team works and how it makes personnel decisions throughout the year. It's a brutal sport and a brutal business that somehow many people find endearing.