Playbooks and Checkbooks:
An Introduction to the Economics of Modern Sports
by Stefan Szymanski
GV717 .S993 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
With the Olympics closing this past weekend, the NBA and NHL in the middle of their seasons and baseball preseason starting up in the next few weeks, sports on many people’s minds. This week’s featured title makes us think about all of the finances that go into the sports industry.
Szymanski, professor of economics at the City University London, explores the fascinating (and sickening to some) world of professional sports and the business models used to generate the necessary income to support themselves. He examines the economics behind this industry and how it functions and doesn’t function like other profit-grossing industries. The author bases much of his book on scholarly literature and provides a ‘beginner’s guide’ to said literature for those interested in further investigation.
