Book Log 2007 #45: The Mind of Bill James by Scott Gray

I'm pretty conflicted about this book, as I liked a fair amount of what it covers about James's life and work, but it doesn't feel particularly whole to me. I can't quite put my finger on why.

I actually went and read some of the Amazon.com customer reviews to try to jog my memory, and I think (for once) they may have something. Each of the three "most helpful" reviews point to a lack of context. James is quoted at length, but there's not much discussion with anyone who isn't connected to James. They also point to a lack of explanation as to what he actually does. For example, Win Shares are mentioned, but not really explained.

So I guess my feeling about this book comes from it not really showing how, or even if, James has changed baseball. There should have been a chance here to give people more of an idea of what James has done and its impact on baseball. Instead, this book is a missed opportunity.