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Playing to Win
- Narrated by: Michael Lewis
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
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Playing to Win
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Publisher's Summary
When New York Times best-selling author and journalist Michael Lewis got involved in his kids’ local softball league, it all seemed so wholesome and simple. Ten years later, his family looked back to find that they had spent thousands of dollars - not to mention hours - and traveled thousands of miles in the service of a single sport.
All over America, families are investing blood, sweat, tears, and retirement savings in their children’s sports careers, all with the ultimate goal of…what exactly? A college scholarship? A professional contract? Simply the taste of victory?
Through the lens of the highly competitive world of girls’ softball, Lewis reveals the youth sports industrial complex that has arisen to aggressively monetize after-school pastimes. The major players aren’t the ones on the field - they’re the ones stripping the pockets of unwitting parents to the tune of billions of dollars a year, creating an arms race of amateur athletics and enabling the Varsity Blues scandal. So what’s in it for the parents - or, for that matter, the kids themselves? This from-the-bleachers portrait of our national obsession with youth sports explores the consequences of high-stakes play for families, communities, and the kids in the game.
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What listeners say about Playing to Win
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Megan Dunell
- 09-12-2022
Brilliant!
Fantastic once again. My condolences to the entire family on the loss of Dixie.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 19-11-2021
if you have children in sport must listen
Although a reflection on the US children's sport market these days it happening across the globe. Some of the observations on parents in sport are universal great listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chris Williams
- 13-09-2021
An enjoyable easy listen.
Michael Lewis is simply a great writer. He can make anything seem interesting. As a parent of a 12-year-old who is now excelling at sport, I found the back story to this industry.
Even if you don't have kids it's a wonderful insight into an industry that you wouldn't have expected to exist at this magnitude.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 18-01-2022
Great insight into American youth sport
Michael Lewis brings his unique perspective to the world of American youth sport, told through his personal experience with his daughter's softball team.
The story is very eye-opening and a good lesson for any parent looking to take their kids on the journey of intense amateur sports.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 03-08-2023
Relatable as a parent of a youth athlete
I listened for the antedates and relatability. I would have liked insight from his daughters perspective. All it looked at was her calm disposition but that’s an outward appearance. Could she feel the weight of parental expectation, could her peers? Was the softball league her second family? Were they rivals when aware the reality was 1/10? Too many questions I had were unexplored.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Natasha
- 22-05-2023
Not a good use of time
I’ve listened to many audio books. Often I am stopping and taking notes and totally engaged. I spent an hour waiting to be engaged and didn’t get anything out of this and didn’t bother after the first hour.
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1 person found this helpful
