The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors: A Compendium of Competitive Words and Idioms by Josh ChetwyndMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
While Mr. Chetwynd has given us an interesting look at a selection of expressions and where they came from, I found this book to be somewhat disappointing.
For starters, unless you have a decent familiarity with a variety of sports, much of what is referenced simply does not make sense. Mr. Chetwynd uses a lot of sporty jargon, seemingly assuming anyone who picks up his book is an avid and knowledgeable sports fan. If someone unfamiliar with sports, but interested in words and where they come from, reads this book, many times throughout it they will be struggling to follow what he's communicating. Add to that the fact that the author seems to have a fascination with using distracting puns, annoying satire, pointed sarcasm, and lots of metaphors in general, it makes for difficult reading.
Secondly, in many of the entries, there seemed to be a focus on how the word or phrase came to be used in the world of sports, instead of how the expression began to be used outside that context. Several times, there was not even a definition of how the expression in question is even used outside of sports, just a statement that it is. By reading the descriptions of this book, one is led to believe that the opposite is what they will be experiencing.
Also, Mr. Chetwynd persistently used the notation "BCE" when referencing relevant sports facts from ancient times, when "B.C." is correct.
Lastly, while the small font size possibly enabled the book to be contained in a compact, almost pocket-sized little volume, I am afraid the tiny print was another drawback for me.
The best thing about this book was it's design. The cover's navy, rich green, and bright white color scheme was refreshing and eye-pleasing, and the vintage artwork agreed with the "Field Guide..." title.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books for my honest review.
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