If I had to name the basketball player I cared the least about it would probally be Shane Battier. He went to Duke, his scalp has weird wrinkles in it, he has a French last name, and he plays roleplayer ball. Leave it to Mike Lewis, author of such gems as Liars Poker and Moneyball to make me rapt with interest in Mr. Battier.
In this NYTimes Magazine article Lewis explains why despite racking up few points, rebounds, or any other stat Shane is one of the most valuable players in basketball. The story is fascinating and Mike Lewis Brings it to life. Somehow he makes the most complicated and intricate topics understandable and engrossing.
Huge, huge fan. I just finished Panic! (link to Amazon), and have read pretty much all of his books.
He has great insights - a la Gladwell and Friedman - and uses great writing and characters to bring the ideas to life and make them easy for the reader to appreciate.
And he’s married to Tabitha Soren, the old MTV newscaster…
I think he’s one of the best non-fiction writers out there. The first thing I read by him was Liar’s Poker, which was great and very timely (and his explanation of mortgage bonds is still relevant). Here are the pieces he’s written for Slate, including an amusing series on the birth of his third child.
Another thing. Here are the first and second parts of a long and very good Op-Ed piece he wrote with David Einhorn (a hedge fund manager) explaining the current financial mess.