everyone loves an underdog. that’s why we’re drawn to sports images, there’s something unique about the magic portrayed in remember the titans, the miracle, or perhaps something ridiculous like the water boy. but especially the best sportsbooks, and we mean the big ones, go much deeper.
Whether we’re learning a lot about something we care about, delving into an entirely new subject, or shooting in an entirely fictional universe on a novel set in an alternate world to our own, there’s bound to be when you’re the one painting the images inside your mind.
You are reading: Best sports books 2022
want to know more about mike tyson? you got it. how about michael jordan? of course. maybe you want to find a good yogi berra quote to text your mom and make her laugh. a good alternative! all that and more could come from choosing the ideal publication.
and below, penn book has the best sports books ever written that can help make this period of quarantine without sports less debilitating.
why are sports books worth reading?
every year during my elementary school years, there was a book fair. Although I had access to many books growing up in a household with two writers and voracious readers, there was something appealing about buying new volumes (a feeling I still have today).
I remember spending my hard-earned salary shoveling snow on three books: biographies of bo jackson, steve young, and troy aikman. I already like to read and play sports, so my purchases made sense. after that, i got addicted to sports literature.
Unlike the hardy boys or the goosebumps series of novels, I’ve never outgrown this affection. in fact, as I got older and older, I discovered new reasons to like sports writing. they are more than just a stupid hobby or fun. They contribute a lot.
Sports are a microcosm of life in many ways. the best sports books also serve as a prism through which one can perceive life from a different angle and discover deeper truths.
In well-written stories, the mundane takes on a new glow. despite being somewhat shielded from cultural realities, sport influences and shapes that same society. sports are shaped by cultural realities.
Sports create an alternate reality where lives that would never have intersected collide and impact each other. skin tone, class, and religion are overshadowed, at least temporarily, by uniform color each week. Spoken conversations on stifling buses during long journeys or in locker rooms make a lasting impression.
However, sports are not real life and do not alter the course of events. they are so mysterious and powerful. sports, in other words, are the soil where poignant and moving stories thrive.
The best stories include heroes and villains, joy and sadness, leaders and followers, tenacity and adversity, rivalry and camaraderie, suffering and hope, defeat and triumph.
The writing is exquisite, concise and insightful, with descriptions that draw you into a story and dialogue that places the character in your living room. like the best stories, they demonstrate and communicate the truth while bouncing a ball or covering themselves with a quilt.
We must not overlook the sheer pleasure of reading this type of novel. they enjoy them. they are happy what we aspire from the novels we like is precisely what happens when emotions run high, tears fall, pride grows and disappointment hurts.
These books were created as gifts by talented authors who tell stories that rival the greatest in literature. they portray narratives that are both redemptive and in need of redemption and are an echo of the creative hand of god. sports have the same power to inspire us to think, observe or feel something about god as literature, nature or music.
the best sports books to read most valued
jordan’s rules
sam smith
Let’s say following the 90’s NBA, you’ve heard of this one. if you saw the last dance, you’ve heard of it. but let’s get into it just in case: sportswriter sam smith got inside the chicago bulls because of his first tournament, in the 1990-1991 season.
for the first time, people saw that michael jordan-mj, his lightness, air jordan, whatever they called him was not only a two-dimensional basketball god, but a genuine person who has a real nature and real problems. . Furthermore, he also reaches out to the coaches and teammates of the time. A must-read for anyone looking to deliver on the relatively recent history of the NBA.
fever point
nick hornby
You’ve probably heard of the one of a kind when Jimmy Fallon directed (remember when he could behave?) a 2004 romantic comedy about a man who balances his love life with his obsessive love for the Boston Red Sox.
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The film is based on a memoir of obsessive dedication to the English football club’s arsenal, composed by writer Nick Hornby (HiFi, A Long Way Down).
funny, engaging, and fascinating, if you’re a sports fan who can’t figure out why you keep rooting for failure, you’ll find a home in a hot spot.
24: life stories and lessons from the boy who says hello
willie mays
While we’re all watching baseball (and trust me, we’d all like to be in a ballpark having a hot dog and a beer right now), why don’t you read a new post of the thoughts of one of the game greats of all time?
willie mays came along with co-author john shea to tell the story of his unique and long career (he played from 1951 to 1973), which saw him perform during the civil rights era as one of the game’s earliest superstars.
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What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Fights And Tragic Death Of An American Teenager
kate fagan
things may not necessarily be as bright as they seem. That’s the main takeaway from this devastating book by Kate Fagan, expanded on in ESPN magazine’s story on the tragic passing of Madison Holleran.
The story is about a high school athlete who, by all accounts, seemed to have it all but had an unexplained darkness bubbling under the surface. a devastating narrative, but one that deserves to be read.
ball of money
michael lewis
You will be hard pressed to find a good book that has had a more significant influence on the sport in question than this one. For better or worse, Billy Beane’s incisive profile and Lewis’ Oakland Athletics in 2003, which was eventually adapted into the Brad Pitt movie of the same name, prompted MLB headquarters and beyond to reconsider their approach to building their teams.
paper lion: confessions of a state-of-the-art quarterback
george plimpton
best nonfiction sports books
The pinnacle remains George Plimpton’s paper lion: confessions from a back-row quarterback about what would happen if an ordinary man dressed up to play for an NFL team.
in his 1966 classic work on participatory journalism, george plimpton tried to answer this question. Plimpton, trying to understand the differences between professional athletes and normal people, went through training camp with the Detroit Lions. she took a series of disastrous plays under center for team members in an exhibition game.
The experience was then documented for our benefit. Similar experiments have been conducted in professional baseball, hockey, and boxing, as well as golf.
the blind side
michael lewis
Often forgotten after the 2009 film adaptation starring sandra bullock that focused entirely on would-be nfl left tackle michael oher, moneyball author michael lewis’s intriguing 2005 analysis is significantly less biographical and a much more careful assessment of the transformation of football’s tackle spot from an afterthought to a high-paying priority.
Prompted to move by the arrival of quarterback-busting speedrunners like Lawrence Taylor, Lewis breaks up the terrifying battle to develop a wider, faster and more athletic assortment of offensive linemen.
From the time the process is complete, this new creation of quarterback guards is now arguably the most prized and elusive product in the NFL. this essay on sports illustrated the lesson that taught me new ways to think about baseball.
Friday night lights
h.g. bisinger
The basis of the hit film and television series, Bissinger’s book recounts a year in the life of League All Stars and training with boxing legend Archie Moore. Thus encouraged, he took on a talented but troubled high school football team in Odessa, Texas. This is one of the best sports motivation books to read. [Friday Night Lights is a New York Times Bestseller]
those guys have fun: inside the world of espn
james andrew miller, tom shale
This former and current espn nonfiction narrative is lengthy (763 pages), but it’s an oral history so it’s possible to read it like a cinematic conversation.
Beginning with accounts of the beginning of this network in 1979 and updating with several titles you’ll still see on TV every day, this publication is gripping and very cinematic.
so, cinematically, actually, a significant adaptation was in the conversation for a few years. read today’s bestseller and get ahead of this curve.
when pride still mattered
david maraniss
It chronicles the life and times of Vince Lombardi, beginning with his humble beginnings in Brooklyn and his many years in high school track and field to becoming the head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1959. Remember his mindset winner and the forces that have shaped her life. should be the standard for the best sports biography books.
the america game
michael maccambridge
maccambridge is not lost in the weeds by implementing any sociological significance in the rise of the nfl; Instead of offering a full (but readable) account of just the facts of how the team became the behemoth, it’s today.
The only problem is that the book was printed in 2005 and could use an update, but that’s a minor issue. no one has reported the history of the league.
doc: The life of Roy Halladay
todd zolecki
Todd Zolecki’s new book (out May 19) calls for a deeper look at MLB celebrity Roy Halladay. Halladay was inducted into the Hall of Fame last summer and is another example of someone who had demons hiding below the surface; Doc tells the intriguing story behind Halladay’s reconciliation action.
He was a celebrity in the area, along with a loving husband and father, while also managing dark demons with dependency.
indisputable truth
mike tyson, larry sloman
(best sports memories)
It may seem that there is a great time divide with the memories of the stars. Sure, it’s someone you want to see and meet, but the post isn’t in his voice, it’s the voice of an unrevealed ghostwriter.
See Also: 32 Best Anthropology Books For Beginner To Advanced 2022 Review
well, the undeniable truth probably has its ghost writer, but it’s so good since it reads like a book that mike tyson wrote.
This post jumps from one interesting anecdote to the next rather than giving the feeling that you are getting your data from anywhere besides the person themselves.
soccer against the enemy
simón kuper
financial times columnist simon kuper wrote that this flamboyant and accomplished football travelogue was only in his early 20s. and it’s unexpectedly good; It is arguably the oldest and even the best of the now not-so-new soccer literary tomes that have followed in ever-increasing numbers.
kuper travels to 22 countries to discover how football has shaped politics and human civilization and vice versa, meeting politicians, players and collecting anecdotes and observations along the way. Most of us know soccer as a global obsession, but these exciting stories from the horrific to the eccentric reveal just how far its reach goes.
game breaks
david halberstam
david halberstam includes a pulitzer prize for him to know how to compose. he took these prodigious abilities and turned to a self-interest, especially basketball.
halberstam joined all of the 1979-80 portland pioneers, a team that had won the nba title a couple of years earlier. He was assisted by writing about the always impressive Bill Walton as part of this narrative. [new york times bestseller]
ball four
jim bouton
a 20th anniversary twist on a baseball classic, with a new afterword by jim bouton.
When it was first released in 1970, the four ball stunned the sports world. the commissioner, executives and players were shocked. sportswriters called the bouton writer a traitor and a social leper. Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn attempted to induce him to announce the post as false. however, sports fans loved this book.
and harsh critics called it an essential social record. Now, Bouton isn’t encouraged by the veteran’s days at Yankee Stadium. however, his historical novel is still being read by those who don’t normally follow baseball. [new york times bestseller]
If you’re looking for books on how to improve stamina, build muscle, cardio, breathing, and natural living with excellent health, read more about the best fitness books of all time, 2022 review
the dynasty
jeff benedict
Okay, we’ll be honest with you. the dynasty is not out yet. it comes out in september. but you probably need to pre-order this novel by author jeff benedict who wrote tiger woods.
Here’s a novel of sorts on the way about the New England Patriots, with over 200 interviews conducted on the group’s three lightning sticks: Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady. along with brady today, a buccaneer from tampa bay, we guess there might be some last minute edits and we can’t wait to see them.
the victory machine: the making and unmaking of the dynasty of warriors
ethan sherwood strauss
If you enjoyed Jordan’s rules, this post by NBA author Ethan Sherwood Strauss might be the closest thing to a modern version of it. focusing on the decades of the Golden State Warriors dynasty of the late 2010s.
this post discusses the possession of the warriors and the development of this dynasty, and the entry and exit of kevin durant in the narrative. the mercurial durant refused to be interviewed for the book which, in many ways, made it even juicier.
the boys of summer
roger kahn
In Boys of Summer, Roger Kahn’s 1972 masterpiece, considered by some to be one of the greatest baseball books ever written, isn’t just a love letter to the Brooklyn Dodgers, it’s a love letter to baseball in general. In this book, he also tells the story of Jackie Robinson, Carl Erskine, Pee Wee Reese, Preacher Roe, and the rest of the team’s baseball legends.
the last shot
darcy frey
For many inner-city teens, the opportunity to pursue a career in basketball is their only hope. the author spends a year working with young players to improve their skills in preparation for a college scholarship competition.
He describes the recruitment process as a shady undertaking that deals with the lives of children. the author praises athletes who strive to improve their skills.
loose balls
terry pluto
the american basketball association (1967-1976) gave birth to julius erving, moses malone, bob costas, the indiana pacers, the san antonio spurs, the dunk competition, flashy moves, along with also the three points.
Throughout its nine seasons, the aba drew ridicule and laughter and created a lasting effect on the way the sport is played. 24 pages of photographs.
an idea of where you are: bill bradley in princeton
john mcphee
When John Angus McPhee met Bill Bradley, they were both early in their careers. A Feeling of Where You Are, McPhee’s debut novel, is pretty much Bradley if he were the greatest basketball player Princeton had ever seen.
mcphee explains to his reader the techniques and training that made bradley the outstanding athlete he had been, and this part of the post is a superlative basketball model.
But sporting prowess alone wouldn’t explain Bradley’s man-level magnetism, self-discipline, rationality, and sense of obligation.
here is a portrait of bradley because he had been in school, he was ahead of his time with the new york knicks along with his choice in the united states. Senate a narrative that indicates the great beginnings of his professional career in politics and sports.
the sweet science
a. J. lie
no list of sports novels would be complete without liebling’s boxing set of documents. the late New York author and writer wrote about boxing and how he wrote about food, another of his favorite subjects alongside equal parts insight and humor. He was recognized for his musings on the game that the Boxing Writers Association of America gave him a damn award.
game levels
john mcphee
as most of his novels do, this author’s favorite began as an article in the new yorker. Because of the 1968 US Open semi-final between Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner, a profile of both boys and their placement in American society at the time.
ashe is bashful, democrat, bookish, lanky; graebner the opposite. every sports journalist has ever played with the sport is life and life is sport card. In this slim volume that sheds far beyond her weight, McPhee plays the best of everyone.
the sports gene
david epstein
why are athletes elite? what makes them important enough to become professionals? David Epstein delved into that in conjunction with his 2013 post The Sports Gene. Having an analytical mind, Epstein delves into the science of genetics and athletic instruction affects athletics.
addresses many questions about what makes the world’s best athletes tick, but provides no simple answers or insights.
ali: a life
jonathan eig
there are many novels about muhammad ali. this stands to reason the man was a huge star, a fantastic athlete and a significant cultural figure.
The best of the bunch might be the latest. Jonathan Eig’s book came out in 2017 after Ali expired in 2016. It was the first book printed after the death of the best. luckily he did his service for life.
only the ball was white
robert peterson
Peterson’s record in the Negro leagues in the 1970s gave due credit to black leaders in baseball. the latter had previously joined the national pastime to play the game in their own league.
Peterson’s book brought a more comprehensive approach to the league and also triggered well-deserved recognition from some of its celebrities, such as satchel paige.
the art of fielding
chad harbach
Breaking into the crowded area of outstanding baseball-related fiction is a daunting, if not audacious, task, all of which makes Chad Harbach’s magnificent 2011 publication an even more amazing achievement.
Focusing on the teaching career of gauntlet ace Henry Skrimshander, the publication’s panoramic scope reflects the game on and off the field in both captivating stipulations, demonstrating both a deep understanding of the game itself and the mechanical sophistication of the relationships. among teammates, friends, and sports fans alike. this is one of the best sports fiction books to read.
in these girls, hope is a muscle
madeleine blais
The Pulitzer Prize winner spent an entire season shadowing a high school girls basketball team for their 1995 classic and came out with a vital coming-of-age book about the impact of athletics on young women.
end zone
don delillo
gary harkness, a college football player at a small school in texas, is worried about the pace and violence of the game. Gary goes on a hunger strike in response to Coach’s continual jostling to hit someone, hit anyone. database 35693.
notes from a fan: a fictional memory
frederick exley
exley’s 1968 novel used sports fanaticism as a lens through which to examine the american ideal, in particular the title character’s infatuation with frank gifford and the new york giants, and is today considered a classic analysis of American culture in the mid-twentieth century. .
the miracle of the blood castel
joe mcginniss
mcginnis settled in this small Italian town after his soccer club rose to the second tier. the story follows the team throughout the upcoming season.
you know me, al: the cards of a busher
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ring pantry
mark and kate sit next to each other in class but know very little about each other until they run into each other at a san francisco club during pride week and help each other get over their forbidden loves.
the great american novel
philip roth
The tumultuous story of a forgotten Third Major League Baseball (the Patriot League) and its bumbling Ruppert Mundys, a club of leftover misfits who were turned away from World War II, is told by sportswriter Word Smith.
the boys in the boat
daniel james brown
rowing is one of America’s oldest and most beloved sports. Daniel James Brown has written a compelling and beautiful story about the rowers who tried to win the Olympic gold medal in 1936.
Each story tells the story of this tragic fight for Olympic glory. brown takes us to the rivers of berlin, where the boys must prove their victory. this is a captivating and captivating story that sports lovers will love.
co-sell
howard cosell
More information about the controversial sports commentator’s past and personal life emerges in this account of his work and the people he has met. there are stories about muhammad ali, jackie robinson and vince lombardi.
when the game was ours
jackie macmullan
Despite being published more than 20 years after the event, this is the best sports book ever written on the Lakers-Celtics rivalry.
macmullan had new stories and managed to persuade magic johnson and larry bird to speak for the book, even though the topic had been written about many times. star athletes usually save the most incredible stories for their books, so this is a remarkable achievement.
north dallas forties
peter gent
Gent, a former professional soccer player, follows Phillip Elliott and other members of the North Dallas soccer team for eight days. Despite his addictions to drugs and alcohol and his relationships with two women, Elliott is a fantastic player. However, his team loses and Elliott is suspended indefinitely. [new york times bestseller]
cobbler dog: memories
the creator of nike
What better way to start a new hobby than with one of America’s best-known brands? Have you ever wondered what’s in that $120 sneaker you bought? if so, great.
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to start. shoe dog of phil knight is a riveting, never-before-told narrative of the birth of nike that you may have heard of.
the yogi book
worker publisher
This is not so much a book that you will sit down and read for several hours, but a book that you will pick up and laugh at when you sit down with family and friends. The Yogi Book is hard to beat as a collection of Yogi Berra’s best quotes and funniest short stories (under 200 pages).
veeck as in a shipwreck: the autobiography of bill veeck
bill veeck and ed linn
memoirs of the owner and manager of a baseball team. A humorous account of Veeck’s lifelong love affair with the game. Includes information on his time with the Cleveland Indians, St. louis browns and the chicago white sox.
the cactus league: a novel
Do you love baseball? do you love to write well? The Cactus League, the first novel by Emily Nemens, Paris Review Editor, is for you. the stereotypes of a baseball player are the ones you know: steroid use, chewing tobacco, meat-head meat pies. the cactus league is not like that. instead, look at the opposite; spring training for the boys.
guys who don’t know what the future holds for them; I don’t even know if it’s possible to be part of the team. Although it is fiction, it is the dream of every baseball player, especially when no game is being played. It’s fiction, but it’s a baseball fan’s dream, especially when games aren’t being played.
tiger forests
simón & schuster
When the last dance was over, there was a lot of talk about who else could be as captivating and compelling as michael jordan. one person could power his 10-part documentary series: the most common response was tiger woods. this biography of jeff benedict, published just before his 2019 master’s degree, proves that there are many mines.
tiger woods talks to more than 250 people within the circle of golfers and paints in the easiest way you can imagine. tiger woods talks to over 250 people in the golfer’s orbit and paints as clear a picture as you can imagine.
relate: review of the best golf books of all time
in the air: a personal account of mt. everest disaster
by jon krakauer
jon krakauer’s 1997 airborne non-fiction masterpiece depicts his experience a year before the mount everest catastrophe. at the time, the writer was climbing to the top for an article for an outside magazine when a snowstorm hit, killing eight climbers. [new york times bestseller]
a river runs through it, and other stories
norman maclean
Young and Fire (RC 35639) is a memoir about the author’s childhood in Montana. he remembers fly-fishing with his brother and his father in the 1930s on a river that runs through it. summer occupations in forestry and firefighting are featured in other articles. there’s some harsh language here.
semi-resistant
dan jenkins
Billy Clyde Puckett of the New York Giants travels to Los Angeles with his friends to compete in the Super Bowl against the New York Jets.
fast company
for better or worse, hustlers have always had a place in sports, and john bradshaw was one of them. Some, like famous backgammon player Tim Holland, aren’t necessarily athletes.
However, prominent sports figures such as the Minnesota Fats and Bobby Riggs, the latter of whom is now best known for the battle of the sexes in the tennis match, are also included in the narrative.
the natural
bernard malamud
roy hobbs is a natural athlete who should be a baseball legend, but his personal life gets in the way of his profession. Roy’s irrational love for Memo Paris, the club manager’s niece, trumps his passion for baseball, forcing him into a playoff game.
the game: 30th anniversary edition
ken dryden
the best hockey book ever written
In his excellent 1983 book, former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden discusses his life in hockey and provides a clear picture of what the game means to Canadians.
beat the drum slowly, by mark harris
Bruce, a major league baseball catcher, has Hodgkin’s disease and is slowly dying. As a complicated connection develops between the two men, his teammate Henry, who only knows about Bruce’s illness, becomes his advocate and supporter.
universal baseball association, inc.,
robert coover
When a lonely accountant invents a dice-based baseball game to play in his dingy apartment, other drunk and lecherous dudes join him for a partnership and invade his personal life.
a season on the edge
my esteemed colleague didn’t pay me to endorse his book on the 1985-86 indiana men’s basketball season. but, i’m doing it anyway because of how revolutionary it was back then, given john’s unprecedented access to bob knight players.
Despite being printed in the millions, it’s still the standard for reporting on a single team during an unforgettable season. had a significant impact on many people, myself included, who chose to pursue a career in sports journalism.
back of 33 (2011), by dan barry
No matter how many times it is read, this book will make you feel like you are in the pawtucket minor league stadium on an April night in 1981. It will take you back to that cold April night and allow you to witness the most long professional baseball game.
The story is more than an entry-by-entry recount of an endless game that lasted eight hours. it’s not finished until a few months later.
The backdrop of a dying old mill town provides an excellent setting for the narrative. it humanizes many people, often humorously, and their allegiance to this game. at 3:30 a.m. m., some fans were still watching.
the manager was expelled. families and wives. reporters and announcers. obscure players who dream of the big leagues but will have problems later in life.
wade boggs and cal ripken jr., both rival young third basemen, end up in the hall of fame. is a fantastic adventure that forces you to think about why baseball is so important.
Bloodhorses: Notes from a Sportswriter’s Son by John Jeremiah Sullivan (2004)
John Jeremiah Sullivan’s first book, published in the UK in 2013, following his excellent 2012 pulphead collection of essays, is a sports book, but it’s also much more.
was inspired by the life of mike sullivan, a kentucky newspaper sportswriter whose son never understood the sport of horse racing. he tells the story of secretariat, the legendary racehorse, and how he attended the kentucky derby. it is a fascinating and mysterious sport.
billy lynn’s long part time walk” (2012) by ben fountain
is more of an iraq war novel set at a sporting event, like a dallas cowboys thanksgiving game, during which a group of iraq war veterans are honored, than a true sportsbook, but that’s not the point.
Sports are the stage for human drama. they allow us to share achievement, sacrifice, teamwork, and sometimes even pantomime, simplify, and commercialize.
It’s been six or seven years since I first read it. I think of this book more than any other time I watch games, this being the era of #sticktosports and colin kaepernick. is both a war novel and a great one. it is also an excellent book for sports. david larimé.
other important sports books you have read:
- fat city by lenard gardner (1969)
- “girls in pretty boxes” (1995), by joan ryan
- bad days: a surf life by william finnegan (2015)
- open: an autobiography of andre agassi
- eight men out: the black sox and the 1919 world series by eliot asinof
- joe without shoes by wp kinsella
- the mind of the champion: how great athletes think, train and thrive by jim afremow
- baseball’s great experiment: jackie robinson and her legacy by jules tygiel
- universal baseball association, inc. by robert coover.
- Best American Sports Writing of 2020, edited by Glenn Stout and Jackie Macmullan: The Best Sports Books of 2020
- Gods at Play: An Eyewitness Account presence of great moments in united states sports by tom callahan
- heaven is a playground by rick telander (1976)
- lords of the realm: the real history of baseball by john helyar
- inside edge by christine brennan (1996)
- laughing in the hills by bill barich (1980)
- seabiscuit: an american legend by laura hillenbrand
- miracle at lake placid: the greatest hockey story ever told by john gilbert
- among the bullies by bill buford
- a good ride gone sour: days and nights on tour of the pga by john feinstein (1995)
- the fight for norman mailer
- born to race by christopher mcdougall (2009)
conclusion
The connection between literature and sport goes back practically to the arrival of the written word, already in the epic of Gilgamesh and his appraisals of power or the Iliad using his ritualized funeral matches.
since the best writers among us are likely to repeatedly test their mettle with the stories of people who dare to step foot in the ballpark, the connection between the great athlete and the writer is both symbiotic and empathic.
both seek to know themselves through the very rigorous test of wills. both understand failure just as often as success probably often.
thanks for reading!