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Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard
Twenty-two notable writers--including Bob Sullivan, Abby Ellin, Mike Pesca, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Louisa Hall, and Gay Talese--examine the untold stories of the losers, and in doing so reveal something raw and significant about what it means to be human
The locker rooms of winning teams are crowded with coaches, family, and fans. Reporters flock to the athletes, brimming with victory and celebration, to ask, How does it feel? In contrast, the locker rooms of the losing teams are quiet and awkward, and reporters tend to leave quickly, reluctant to linger too long around loss.
But, as sports journalists Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas argue, losing is not a phenomenon to be overlooked, and in Losers, they have called upon novelists, reporters, and athletes to consider what it means to lose. From the Olympic gymnast who was forced to surrender her spot to another teammate, to the legacy of Bill Buckner's tenth-inning error in the 1986 World Series, to LeBron James's losing record in the NBA Finals, these essays range from humorous to somber, but all are united by their focus on defeat. Interweaving fourteen completely new and unpublished pieces alongside beloved classics of the genre, Losers turns the art of sports writing on its head and proves that there is inspiration to be found in stories of risk, resilience, and getting up after you've been knocked down.
The locker rooms of winning teams are crowded with coaches, family, and fans. Reporters flock to the athletes, brimming with victory and celebration, to ask, How does it feel? In contrast, the locker rooms of the losing teams are quiet and awkward, and reporters tend to leave quickly, reluctant to linger too long around loss.
But, as sports journalists Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas argue, losing is not a phenomenon to be overlooked, and in Losers, they have called upon novelists, reporters, and athletes to consider what it means to lose. From the Olympic gymnast who was forced to surrender her spot to another teammate, to the legacy of Bill Buckner's tenth-inning error in the 1986 World Series, to LeBron James's losing record in the NBA Finals, these essays range from humorous to somber, but all are united by their focus on defeat. Interweaving fourteen completely new and unpublished pieces alongside beloved classics of the genre, Losers turns the art of sports writing on its head and proves that there is inspiration to be found in stories of risk, resilience, and getting up after you've been knocked down.
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2020
13 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Mary Pilon
10 books76 followersMary Pilon is a journalist focused primarily on the worlds of sports and business. She is the author of the bestselling books "The Monopolists" and "The Kevin Show," the co-editor of “Losers: Dispatches From the Other Side of the Scoreboard,” and co-host and co-author of the audio series “Twisted: The Story of Larry Nassar and the Women Who Brought Him Down.” Her work regularly appears in the New Yorker, Esquire, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Vice, New York, and The New York Times, among other publications.
She has worked as a producer with NBC at the 2016 Rio Olympics and on HBO’s forthcoming documentary “BS High.” She is currently co-directing a documentary about pickleball for Peter Berg’s Film 45.
Pilon previously was a staff reporter with The Times on the sports desk and at The Wall Street Journal, where she covered various aspects of business and finance.
A native of Eugene, Ore., Mary started reporting for her hometown paper, the Register-Guard, as a teenager and was a wildly mediocre athlete.
Today, she receives editorial input from her rescue puggle, Pedro, and her grandmother claims to be her biggest fan.
She has worked as a producer with NBC at the 2016 Rio Olympics and on HBO’s forthcoming documentary “BS High.” She is currently co-directing a documentary about pickleball for Peter Berg’s Film 45.
Pilon previously was a staff reporter with The Times on the sports desk and at The Wall Street Journal, where she covered various aspects of business and finance.
A native of Eugene, Ore., Mary started reporting for her hometown paper, the Register-Guard, as a teenager and was a wildly mediocre athlete.
Today, she receives editorial input from her rescue puggle, Pedro, and her grandmother claims to be her biggest fan.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 1, 2020
The title of this book – "Losers" – makes it sound like this will be a very depressing, somber type of book. However, the excellent collection of stories gathered and edited by Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas (who also contributed one of the stories) doesn't have that sense of dread. There are also contributions by two very famous authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Gay Talese. The latter's story is his well known writing about boxer Floyd Patterson after his losses to Sonny Liston.
Yes, this is a collection of stories about athletes or fans whose teams or accomplishments didn't land them in the winner's circle and yes, some of them can be quite sad. Thomas' story about her grandmother who suffered through abuse by her husband, but she also had a mostly successful business raising championship horses, is probably the most depressing piece in the book. There are other tales of woe of varying degrees, but not all of them are of this nature. Another one that comes to mind is the story of a cage fighter who never won a fight (before the days of MMA/UFC) who faked his own death to avoid paying debts but eventually was caught. This one was written by Pilon.
Indeed, some can be uplifting and cheerful in their tone, despite the fact that the subject of the story did not end up as the winner. The best example of this type of story is on marathon runner Dick Beardsley, who is one of the most famous second place finishers when he was runner-up to Alberto Salazar in the Boston Marathon.
One aspect of the book that is especially pleasing is that a wide variety of sports and playing levels are featured in the book. One of the more unusual stories is one about a matador who was nearing the end of his bullfighting career. There are stories about famous losses, such as a Boston fan's recollection of Bill Buckner's famous error in game six of the 1986 World Series. That particular story is interesting in that the author sounds like they are longing for the bad old days when Boston teams were mediocre instead of the champions they now are. Of course, a book on losers wouldn't be complete without a story on the most famous losers, the Washington Generals. For those who are not familiar with them, they are the team that faces the Harlem Globetrotters in their shows. Despite what one may believe, the story illustrates the Generals as good basketball players and talks about a game in which the Generals actually walked off the court victorious.
As is the case with any collection of essays or stories, not every one of them will appeal to every reader. That was the case with this reviewer for a few of the selections. But there were far many enjoyable ones than duds and they were fun to read. One doesn't have to be a big sports fan to enjoy this collection as many of the stories touch at the heart and soul of the "losers" in various sports.
I wish to thank Penguin Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
Yes, this is a collection of stories about athletes or fans whose teams or accomplishments didn't land them in the winner's circle and yes, some of them can be quite sad. Thomas' story about her grandmother who suffered through abuse by her husband, but she also had a mostly successful business raising championship horses, is probably the most depressing piece in the book. There are other tales of woe of varying degrees, but not all of them are of this nature. Another one that comes to mind is the story of a cage fighter who never won a fight (before the days of MMA/UFC) who faked his own death to avoid paying debts but eventually was caught. This one was written by Pilon.
Indeed, some can be uplifting and cheerful in their tone, despite the fact that the subject of the story did not end up as the winner. The best example of this type of story is on marathon runner Dick Beardsley, who is one of the most famous second place finishers when he was runner-up to Alberto Salazar in the Boston Marathon.
One aspect of the book that is especially pleasing is that a wide variety of sports and playing levels are featured in the book. One of the more unusual stories is one about a matador who was nearing the end of his bullfighting career. There are stories about famous losses, such as a Boston fan's recollection of Bill Buckner's famous error in game six of the 1986 World Series. That particular story is interesting in that the author sounds like they are longing for the bad old days when Boston teams were mediocre instead of the champions they now are. Of course, a book on losers wouldn't be complete without a story on the most famous losers, the Washington Generals. For those who are not familiar with them, they are the team that faces the Harlem Globetrotters in their shows. Despite what one may believe, the story illustrates the Generals as good basketball players and talks about a game in which the Generals actually walked off the court victorious.
As is the case with any collection of essays or stories, not every one of them will appeal to every reader. That was the case with this reviewer for a few of the selections. But there were far many enjoyable ones than duds and they were fun to read. One doesn't have to be a big sports fan to enjoy this collection as many of the stories touch at the heart and soul of the "losers" in various sports.
I wish to thank Penguin Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
August 31, 2020
“I know that guy!” he shouted. “He’s not supposed to be alive!”
Excellent anthology of offbeat sports stories. I love true crime, so my favorite piece was the one about the cage fighter who faked his own death. That one is called "Tomato Can Blues," and you can find it here: https://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013...
Excellent anthology of offbeat sports stories. I love true crime, so my favorite piece was the one about the cage fighter who faked his own death. That one is called "Tomato Can Blues," and you can find it here: https://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013...
March 7, 2021
I loved the organizing concept behind the book "Losers," edited by Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas: Compile stories of sports figures, teams, and even fans who found themselves on the wrong side of a game outcome and consider the impact that loss had on them. Because of the anthology format, there's a lot of variety here--from bullfighting to gymnastics--and truly something for everyone, whether you like your sports writing to be of the play-by-play game recap variety (as with "Requiem for the Ivory Coast: An Anatomy of Greece's Last-Minute Penalty" or "That Loser LeBron"); profiles of sports figures present and past ("The Kyrgios Enigma" or "The Loser," a profile of Floyd Patterson by Gay Talese); or even if you prefer something more sports adjacent, as in "If You Can't Beat 'Em," the story of a dysfunctional family and their collective (and conflicting) memories of parents who happened to be involved in horse racing, and "Tomato Can Blues," a true crime profile of a one-time cage fighter. These last two were particular standouts for me, but I found the collection as a whole (with a few exceptions) well curated, interesting and worth the read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
July 11, 2022
I liked the stories, interesting lesser-heard-of highlights, BUT only 3 out of the 22 were female athletes???? And it's not like they didn't have space because they let some guy write about how hard it is to be a Boston fan and how he got kicked out of a game for jeering a child. So, yeah.
January 18, 2023
Many different meanings of losing in short story form. Some were excellent, some skippable.
April 10, 2020
So many sports books are similar in scope, reflecting the views, anodyne or original of the winners, telling their tales of their triumphs and how they overcame adversity to achieve success.
But what about the losers? So often left to slink away to the dressing room with disappointment etched all over their faces. How do they feel? Can they recover their resolve to have another crack at achieving that elusive success?
Finally we are given the opportunity to read accounts from their perspective and long overdue it has been.
Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas have compiled an anthology of tales from the losers' perspective. What happened, how could it have happened, how did it make me feel, could I recover, are all some of the questions answered in this timely and totally original book.
They have put together contributions from twenty-two major writers, new and old, sports reporters athletes and authors alike, who provide their observations both personal and observed on the losers in sport. Some are well known, others never previously published - gems all of them.
Their contributions range from the humorous to the sad but all are insightful and the combination is spellbinding and not to be missed.
For a book on losers Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas have certainly come up trumps and are both winners in their own right.
Highly recommended and thoroughly enjoyed.
But what about the losers? So often left to slink away to the dressing room with disappointment etched all over their faces. How do they feel? Can they recover their resolve to have another crack at achieving that elusive success?
Finally we are given the opportunity to read accounts from their perspective and long overdue it has been.
Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas have compiled an anthology of tales from the losers' perspective. What happened, how could it have happened, how did it make me feel, could I recover, are all some of the questions answered in this timely and totally original book.
They have put together contributions from twenty-two major writers, new and old, sports reporters athletes and authors alike, who provide their observations both personal and observed on the losers in sport. Some are well known, others never previously published - gems all of them.
Their contributions range from the humorous to the sad but all are insightful and the combination is spellbinding and not to be missed.
For a book on losers Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas have certainly come up trumps and are both winners in their own right.
Highly recommended and thoroughly enjoyed.
September 15, 2020
Collection of short non-fiction stories sourced from the modern sporting life and shared from the loser’s perspective. Likely relatable for the majority of folks in the world, as humans undoubtedly fail more often than succeed, at least if we’re honest with ourselves and others. But losing again and again sure builds character and makes that rarer success all the sweeter and greatly appreciated, of course.
Personally, I often find a loser’s story much more interesting, touching and human than those from the perennial winner’s side and, if otherwise unattached to a sporting competition, I always cheer for the underdog!
Personally, I often find a loser’s story much more interesting, touching and human than those from the perennial winner’s side and, if otherwise unattached to a sporting competition, I always cheer for the underdog!
August 26, 2020
https://www.themaineedge.com/sports/t...
They say that history is written by the victors. But so too are the victors most often the ones written into history.
That fact is even truer in the sporting realm than it is elsewhere. By its very nature, sport is concerned with winners and losers. And while those who win are celebrated and lauded in the years that follow, their victory burnished by the sheer volume of memory – what of those who fall short? What of those who reach the pinnacle, only to be stopped just short.
“Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scorecard” is a collection of pieces devoted to looking at those who never quite reached the top of the mountain. Edited by Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas – both of whom also have work included within – this assemblage of essays spans more than a century of athletic near-misses.
All told, there are 22 pieces here, 14 of which are previously unpublished. Every one of them is devoted to exploring what it means to lose, to be beaten. The reasons behind their shortfalls vary – some are faced with legendary opposition, while others simply deal with a bad day or bad luck – but all of them find ways to reflect the impact of almost. Some of these stories are funny, while others are sad and still others inspire, but all of them together paint a portrait of the truth behind loss. It’s a compelling journey through the competitive landscape, with all manner of sport and athlete represented.
Considering the wide range of subjects covered, different readers will find different stories more engaging. That being said, here are a few of the pieces I personally found to be highlights, though as always, your mileage may vary.
We’ll start right at the top. The collection’s very first essay is Charles Bock’s “The Sporting House.” It’s a story about the troubled basketball star Lloyd Daniels and his checkered efforts to take the court for UNLV back in that program’s outlaw heyday in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Bock deconstructs his own relationship with the Daniels mythos and digs into Daniels’ immense and unlikely talent, as well as the personal difficulties that brought it all crashing down.
Immediately following is “Yankees Strike” by Bob Sullivan, wherein the author discusses his time on the fringes of organized baseball through the lens of not just his own experience, but that of a former semi-pro teammate who was poised to take the mound for the fabled New York Yankees … until the players’ strike of 1994-95 came to an end. It’s a love letter to the game, written by someone who clung to it with every fiber of his being.
Ryan Bailey’s “The Great Wimbledon FC Heist” is a phenomenal story about what happened when his hometown football club was purchased by outsiders and moved. That fandom disaster led to an explosive community effort that brought the game back to those who loved it. That includes the author and his father; it’s an illustration of the connection that sports can forge between fathers and sons.
Perhaps my low-key favorite of the bunch is the abundantly-titled “Chasing Ashton Eaton: An Unintended Pursuit of the World’s Greatest Athlete That No One Has Heard Of.” It’s the story of decathlete Jeremy Taiwo, told to writer Stefanie Loh. Taiwo spent the last decade as an elite competitor in the decathlon, one of America’s best and brightest. He just had the misfortune of coming along at the same time as the titular Eaton, who would turn out to be in the conversation for greatest of all time. Despite putting up elite performances for years, he always fell short of the sheer greatness of Eaton. In sports, as in life, sometimes it’s all in the timing.
And on and on. Brian Platzer’s “Two White Kids from New York Kicking Ass” looks at a pair of former table tennis phenoms that never quite made it to the mountaintop. Abby Ellin’s “Larry and the Ball” unpacks the writer’s feelings regarding an overdue athletic redemption from an unlikely source. There’s even an old dispatch from the 1908 Olympic Marathon written by the creator of Sherlock Holmes himself, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
“Losers” is packed with insight; each essay brings a new and different perspective to the idea of losing. These stories aren’t the sort of triumphant tales that are inspired by victory, but the truth is that most stories of winning are markedly similar. There are relatively few ways to win, but a nigh-infinite number of ways to lose. The stories of these so-called “losers” are ripe with nuance, allowing for an exploration of the challenges that come not just on the field of play, but off it as well.
“Losers” is a sports book, but it is also more than that. These essays offer a way to engage with the human condition; there’s a real empathy inspired by these pieces, whether we’re talking about Olympic gymnasts or heavyweight boxers or aging bullfighters. It’s about acknowledging that there’s a flip side to every victory and that there is value to those stories as well.
This time, history is written by the losers.
They say that history is written by the victors. But so too are the victors most often the ones written into history.
That fact is even truer in the sporting realm than it is elsewhere. By its very nature, sport is concerned with winners and losers. And while those who win are celebrated and lauded in the years that follow, their victory burnished by the sheer volume of memory – what of those who fall short? What of those who reach the pinnacle, only to be stopped just short.
“Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scorecard” is a collection of pieces devoted to looking at those who never quite reached the top of the mountain. Edited by Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas – both of whom also have work included within – this assemblage of essays spans more than a century of athletic near-misses.
All told, there are 22 pieces here, 14 of which are previously unpublished. Every one of them is devoted to exploring what it means to lose, to be beaten. The reasons behind their shortfalls vary – some are faced with legendary opposition, while others simply deal with a bad day or bad luck – but all of them find ways to reflect the impact of almost. Some of these stories are funny, while others are sad and still others inspire, but all of them together paint a portrait of the truth behind loss. It’s a compelling journey through the competitive landscape, with all manner of sport and athlete represented.
Considering the wide range of subjects covered, different readers will find different stories more engaging. That being said, here are a few of the pieces I personally found to be highlights, though as always, your mileage may vary.
We’ll start right at the top. The collection’s very first essay is Charles Bock’s “The Sporting House.” It’s a story about the troubled basketball star Lloyd Daniels and his checkered efforts to take the court for UNLV back in that program’s outlaw heyday in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Bock deconstructs his own relationship with the Daniels mythos and digs into Daniels’ immense and unlikely talent, as well as the personal difficulties that brought it all crashing down.
Immediately following is “Yankees Strike” by Bob Sullivan, wherein the author discusses his time on the fringes of organized baseball through the lens of not just his own experience, but that of a former semi-pro teammate who was poised to take the mound for the fabled New York Yankees … until the players’ strike of 1994-95 came to an end. It’s a love letter to the game, written by someone who clung to it with every fiber of his being.
Ryan Bailey’s “The Great Wimbledon FC Heist” is a phenomenal story about what happened when his hometown football club was purchased by outsiders and moved. That fandom disaster led to an explosive community effort that brought the game back to those who loved it. That includes the author and his father; it’s an illustration of the connection that sports can forge between fathers and sons.
Perhaps my low-key favorite of the bunch is the abundantly-titled “Chasing Ashton Eaton: An Unintended Pursuit of the World’s Greatest Athlete That No One Has Heard Of.” It’s the story of decathlete Jeremy Taiwo, told to writer Stefanie Loh. Taiwo spent the last decade as an elite competitor in the decathlon, one of America’s best and brightest. He just had the misfortune of coming along at the same time as the titular Eaton, who would turn out to be in the conversation for greatest of all time. Despite putting up elite performances for years, he always fell short of the sheer greatness of Eaton. In sports, as in life, sometimes it’s all in the timing.
And on and on. Brian Platzer’s “Two White Kids from New York Kicking Ass” looks at a pair of former table tennis phenoms that never quite made it to the mountaintop. Abby Ellin’s “Larry and the Ball” unpacks the writer’s feelings regarding an overdue athletic redemption from an unlikely source. There’s even an old dispatch from the 1908 Olympic Marathon written by the creator of Sherlock Holmes himself, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
“Losers” is packed with insight; each essay brings a new and different perspective to the idea of losing. These stories aren’t the sort of triumphant tales that are inspired by victory, but the truth is that most stories of winning are markedly similar. There are relatively few ways to win, but a nigh-infinite number of ways to lose. The stories of these so-called “losers” are ripe with nuance, allowing for an exploration of the challenges that come not just on the field of play, but off it as well.
“Losers” is a sports book, but it is also more than that. These essays offer a way to engage with the human condition; there’s a real empathy inspired by these pieces, whether we’re talking about Olympic gymnasts or heavyweight boxers or aging bullfighters. It’s about acknowledging that there’s a flip side to every victory and that there is value to those stories as well.
This time, history is written by the losers.
January 21, 2021
The book advertises itself as the story of athletes who have lost the big game and how it was for them. Some of these stories are that, but they are mixed in with other stories that, while interesting, really do not relate to the book's main topic.
There is the story of Floyd Patterson's brother, and how psychologically devastating it was for him to lose boxing matches, despite all the money he has, and how an Olympic athlete tries to best another and does not, only to realize that that was not his real goal, and how a losing marathon runner is respected by the one who did win. But others are really off-topic, such as an English town losing its soccer team and starting a new one, or people losing on purpose, or people who never lose the big game because they never make it there.
The stories are all interesting, but the book would have been better if they all related to the title theme as laid out in the introduction.
There is the story of Floyd Patterson's brother, and how psychologically devastating it was for him to lose boxing matches, despite all the money he has, and how an Olympic athlete tries to best another and does not, only to realize that that was not his real goal, and how a losing marathon runner is respected by the one who did win. But others are really off-topic, such as an English town losing its soccer team and starting a new one, or people losing on purpose, or people who never lose the big game because they never make it there.
The stories are all interesting, but the book would have been better if they all related to the title theme as laid out in the introduction.
August 24, 2022
Enjoyed more than I thought I would! We don’t pay much attention to the teams, athletes, and fans who don’t finish at the top, but this eclectic anthology of essays gives recognition to one of the most universal experiences in sports: losing. It’s not all crying in baseball (although there is some, you Red Sox and Cubs fans): the editors curated a (welcome) variety of sports across the 20th and 21st century, as well as stories that depict a range of emotions - of course, sadness, but also apathy, humor, and gratitude. My favorite inclusions were An Athens Odyssey Skips the Medal Mark, by Kevin Hall, Olympic sailer; Washington Generals Win! by Matt Nissenbaum; Losing on Purpose by Mike Pesca; and Larry and the Ball by Abby Ellin. That said, there were some essays that were definitely better than others.
September 8, 2020
(Audiobook) This book is a collection of essays that focus not on victory, but defeat. It is an eclectic mix, from famous to relatively unknown individuals. Some of the works focus on results on the field or in competition, but many focus on those athletes whose biggest competition is outside the arena. They can be encouraging, but also heart-breaking. Overall, a good audiobook that lends itself to starts and stops, especially since it is a compilation. The readers are good, but they don’t add or detract from the work. Worth the listen/read.
November 10, 2025
Something for everyone in the collection of essays, though I think the introduction might honestly be the strongest piece with the idea about how everyone's a loser at some point and yet we talk about that the least. Ivory Coast essay stood out to me, as did the Kyrgios tennis piece, both, I think, for capturing the joy of the almost and the constant that is the near miss, the pursuit of something even after it's gone. Worth picking up and putting down as you feel like reading the essays, worth talk about, too.
August 12, 2020
Read if you: Enjoy essay collections, and want something offbeat.
Librarians/booksellers: With some readers having trouble concentrating on longer stories/books during COVD-19, essay/short story collections are becoming popular with those readers. Purchase if you need to update your essay or sports collection.
Many thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Librarians/booksellers: With some readers having trouble concentrating on longer stories/books during COVD-19, essay/short story collections are becoming popular with those readers. Purchase if you need to update your essay or sports collection.
Many thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2026
Not Losery enough. Some of these athletes lost but aren't losers. One woman didn't lose at all. She was a big winner in her sport by all accounts but couldn't leave an abusive marriage. What's that got to do with living on the other side of the scoreboard? Another story is more about an athlete who lost in life by becoming a crook. But he never lost against anyone competitive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2020
A compendium of sports essays that are loosely around the theme of losing. Although none examined the heartache of losing, they were all well written and enjoyable. I particularly liked Mike Pesca's and Louisa Hall's contributions.
October 30, 2020
Disappointing. Except for one or two, the stories are monotonous (some seemed to have no point - or no point I cared about; some tried to be funny but I didn't even smile) and I had no interest. When I closed the book I felt let down and like I wasted my time.
December 22, 2021
3.5 stars. As with most compilations, this one included some duds, but there were also some excellent essays in here. If you enjoy sports even a little bit, I think you'd like this book. It's also a fairly quick read.
June 27, 2022
Decent. Some of the essays were good and somewhat inspiring whereas others i was literally just reading like damn this person really is a loser! I felt like it was jumbled up and easy to get bored with. Interesting book though, but frankly, not my favorite.
September 30, 2020
Enjoyable stories. Nothing mind-blowing.
October 28, 2020
Eh, ok, not all the stories were great
January 8, 2021
"The Sporting House," "The Kyrgios Enigma," and "The Loser" are the standout essays.
February 21, 2021
Some of these stories were incredibly good, others I skimmed through.
February 27, 2021
This had some interesting essays. I was expecting it to be better than it was, but for the most part it was just okay. Spoiler: losing still sucks.
May 29, 2025
A great compilation of stories. Together they illustrate the toxicity of society's current obsession with winning and winners.
June 8, 2021
I read an advanced copy from Edelweiss.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews