This Is Your Brain on Sports by L. Jon Wertheim and Sam Sommers Summary
Overview of This Is Your Brain on Sports
Discover why fans love underdogs and how dopamine fuels sports obsession. This acclaimed psychology-meets-sports masterpiece reveals the tribal loyalties and irrational behaviors behind fandom. "One of America's best sports journalists" crafts a mind-bending journey through our brain on the game.
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Why We Lose Our Minds Over Free T-Shirts
Picture a basketball arena where the home team is enduring one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Fans sit through blowout losses, watching their team stumble toward a franchise-record 65 defeats. Yet when the t-shirt cannon emerges, these same demoralized spectators transform into frenzied competitors, lunging over seats and shoving strangers for a promotional shirt they'd never buy in a store. This bizarre spectacle isn't just about sports-it's a window into how our brains make decisions. Dan Ariely's chocolate experiments perfectly capture this irrationality. When offered a premium Lindt truffle for 15 cents or a Hershey's Kiss for one cent, 75% of people chose the better deal. But when both dropped by just a penny-making the Kiss free and the truffle 14 cents-the results flipped dramatically. Suddenly 69% grabbed the inferior chocolate simply because it cost nothing. The word "free" hijacks our rational thinking, creating what researchers call the "zero-price effect." We'll participate in tedious phone surveys for movie passes, choose high-interest credit cards with no annual fee, and drive across town to save five dollars on a cheap item while ignoring the same savings on expensive purchases. Even wealthy athletes aren't immune, agreeing to promotional appearances for items they could easily afford. The emotional thrill of getting something for nothing overrides logic every time, which is exactly why that t-shirt cannon remains an effective marketing tool despite launching objectively worthless merchandise into the crowd.
The Face of Leadership: What Quarterbacks Really Look Like
The Disrespect Delusion: Manufacturing Motivation from Thin Air
Why We Root for the Losing Team
The Paradox of Expertise and the Curse of Knowledge
When the Brain Short-Circuits: The Science of Athletic Meltdowns
The Dark Side of Loyalty: How Sports Reveals Our Moral Hypocrisy
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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