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In the bestselling tradition of Freakonomics and Scorecasting comes a clever and accessible look at the big ideas underlying the science of football. Did you hear the one about the MacArthur genius physicist and the NFL coach? It�s not a joke. It�s actually an innovative way to understand chaos theory, and the remarkable complexity of modern professional football. In Newton�s Football, journalist and New York Times bestselling author Allen St. John and TED Speaker and former Yale professor Ainissa Ramirez explore the unexpected science behind America�s Game. Whether it�s Jerry Rice finding the common ground between quantum physics and the West Coast offense or an Ivy League biologist explaining�at a granular level�exactly how a Big Mac morphs into an outside linebacker, Newton�s Football illuminates football�and science�through funny, insightful stories told by some of the world�s sharpest minds. With a clear-eyed empirical approach�and an exuberant affection for the game�St. John and Ramirez address topics that have long beguiled scientists and football fans alike, including: � the unlikely evolution of the football (or, as they put it, �The Divinely Random Bounce of the Prolate Spheroid�) � what Vince Lombardi has in common with Isaac Newton � how the hardwired behavior of monkeys can explain a head coach�s reluctance to go for it on fourth-down � why a gruesome elevator accident jump-started the evolution of placekicking � how Teddy Roosevelt saved football using the same behavioral science concept that Dreamworks would use to save Shrek � why woodpeckers don�t get concussions � how better helmets actually made the game more dangerous Every Sunday the NFL shares a secret with only its savviest fans: The game isn�t just a clash of bodies, it�s a clash of ideas. The greatest minds in football have always possessed an instinctual grasp of science, understanding the big ideas and gritty realities that inform the game�s rich past, as well as its increasingly uncertain future. Blending smart reporting, counterintuitive creativity, and compelling narrative, Newton�s Football takes gridiron analysis to the next level, giving fans a book that entertains, enlightens, and explains the game anew. Praise for Newton�s Football �It was with great interest that I read Newton�s Football. I�m a fan of applying of science to sport and Newton�s Football truly delivers. The stories are as engaging as they are informative. This is a great read for all football fans.��Mark Cuban �A delightfully improbable book putting science nerds and sports fans on the same page.��Booklist �This breezily-written but informative book should pique the interest of any serious football fan in the twenty-first century.��The American Spectator �The authors have done a worthy job of combining popular science and sports into a work that features enough expertise on each topic to satisfy nerds and jocks alike. . . . The writers succeed in their task thanks to in-depth scientific knowledge, a wonderful grasp of football�s past and present, interviews with a wide array of experts, and witty prose. . . . [Newton�s Football is] fun and thought-provoking, proving that football is a mind game as much as it is a ball game.��Publishers Weekly From the Hardcover edition. (less)

In the bestselling tradition of Freakonomics and Scorecasting comes a clever and accessible look at the big ideas underlying the science of football. Did you hear the one about the MacArthur genius physicist and the NFL coach? It�s (…more)