Fantasy Life
The Outrageous, Uplifting, and Heartbreaking World of Fantasy Sports from the Gu y Who's Lived It
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4.5 • 206 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Includes new chapters with small, easy-to-understand words. Bestselling words!
Fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy basketball, even fantasy sumo wrestling: the world of fantasy sports is huge, and still growing. Today, more than 35 million people in the United States and Canada spend hours upon hours each week on their fantasy sports teams. And as the Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst for ESPN, Matthew Berry is on the front lines of what has grown from a niche subculture into a national pastime.
In his New York Times-bestselling Fantasy Life, Berry celebrates every aspect of the fantasy sports world. Brilliant trash talk. Unbelievable trophies. Insane draft day locations. Shake-your-head-in-disbelief punishments. Ingenious attempts at cheating. And surprisingly uplifting stories that remind us why we play these games in the first place.
Written with the same award-winning style that has made Berry one of the most popular columnists on ESPN.com, Fantasy Life is a book for both hard-core fantasy players and people who have never played before. Between tales of love and hate, birth and death, tattoos and furry animal costumes, the White House Situation Room and a 126-pound golden pelican, Matthew chronicles his journey from a fourteen-year-old fantasy player to the face of fantasy sports for the largest sports media company in the world.
Fantasy will save your life. Fantasy will set you free. And fantasy life is most definitely better than real life. You’ll see.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mixing autobiography with reportage on friends and field-famous players, ESPN personality Berry delves into the psychology and, more to the point, the comedy of fantasy sports. From mustache-growing pacts to Twitter accounts devoted exclusively to intra-league trash talk, Berry introduces some of the most creative fantasy traditions known to breed league-spirit. His tone laid-back, witty suits the beery, good-time atmosphere of fantasy sports. A one-time sitcom scribe, Berry knows how to frame a scene so its full, maybe even shocking, humorous glory shines through (See the one about the repo man, the owner of the would-be-repossessed car, and the cop who all put aside their differences to convene on the wisdom of a draft pick). Similarly, his comic timing comes into play in observations on the non-fantasy ramifications of fantasy team construction. Without abandoning his comedic baseline, Berry successfully journeys into philosophy that of team play, that of living and practical advice for leaguers concerning, for instance, how to not be That Guy. Though some sections are targeted solely towards fantasy fans ("20 Most Soul-Crushing Ways to Lose"), readers don't need a commissioner's knowledge to enjoy this insider's peek into the often astounding and always fun realm of fantasy sports.
Customer Reviews
The Talented Mr. Roto is the face of fantasy sports
Matthew Berry is the face of fantasy sports and he's seen the sport grow from behind backroom doors to out in the mainstream. Over 30 million people have become obsessed with the sport and Berry's book details his personal journey, along with the journey of fantasy sports. A must read book that will leave you with a greater understanding and appreciation for the industry, along with Berry's incredible knowledge, wit, and humor!
Must read if you love fantasy football
I'm not a big reader but this book I could not put down. I am a big Fantasy football player and this big gave me ideas for my league. This is one funny and amazing book. Buy it!!!
First book I've read cover to cover in 10 years
I'm not a very big book reader, but I loved every single page of this book! The book is an amazing mixture of life and fantasy sports . It's a great read and I have already purchased 3 other copies for friends and family members.