The Numbers Game
Authors – Chris Anderson and David Sally
Publisher – Penguin
Release date – 5th June 2014
The Numbers Game is a book written about two things – numbers and sport. Data science is growing in importance within the sports arena. Whilst people have been studying the numbers for around a hundred years, no one has really known what the numbers mean, or how to get the best from them. Even today, we are learning, but what we have learned so far is presented very well in this book.
This book isn’t written with the head of sports analysis at Chelsea in mind. It is written with you, the fan, the critic, the better, the armchair manager in mind. By reading this book, you will see that football is full of nuances that you didn’t know existed! The truth is being uncovered and this is a great presentation of the truth so far.
Ever wondered why your accumulators don’t come in? Why did Manchester United win the Premiership with unnerving regularity? What is the winning formula for your favourite football team? The honest answer, as discovered within this book – Luck! By analysing statistical data available, Anderson and Sally provide insightful detailed information showing that your sure thing isn’t quite as sure as you might think!
The book is very well written, with all points being very easy to follow and sometimes quite humorous. Graphs are presented clearly throughout the book to highlight key points and make them easy to visualise. If you have an interest in sports betting, or simply enjoy "The Beautiful Game", you must read this book.
My rating:
Three stars
Buy The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Football is Wrong from Amazon, Here.
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