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The cover of Moneyball

Moneyball

Michael Lewis, 2004

With a third of the Yankees' payroll, the Oakland A's kept winning. See how Billy Beane's front office used data to find value in players baseball had written off.

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15 parts, about 31 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • Explains how a poor team won by paying for undervalued skills like drawing walks and reaching base, not for looks or speed
  • Contrasts scouts who trust their eyes with a front office that judges players by what they have done, using college statistics
  • Shows how outside thinkers questioned baseball's own numbers, from errors, batting average and runs batted in to what pitchers control

Who it is for

  • Baseball fans curious how a poor team beat rich ones
  • Managers who must compete with a smaller budget
  • Readers interested in data versus gut instinct

What the summary covers

  1. How Does a Poor Team Win?2 min
  2. The Curse of Talent1 min
  3. How to Find a Ballplayer3 min
  4. The Enlightenment2 min
  5. Field of Ignorance2 min
  6. Draft Day2 min
  7. The Science of Winning an Unfair Game3 min
  8. Giambi's Hole2 min
  9. Scott Hatteberg, Pickin' Machine2 min
  10. The Trading Desk2 min
  11. Anatomy of an Undervalued Pitcher3 min
  12. The Human Element2 min
  13. The Speed of the Idea2 min
  14. The Badger1 min
  15. Inside Baseball's Religious War2 min

Recommended by

  • Garry TrudeauCartoonist and creator of Doonesbury
    Michael Lewis's beautiful obsession with the idea of value has once again yielded gold.
  • Nick HornbyNovelist and author of High Fidelity
    I understood about one in four words of Moneyball, and it's still the best and most engrossing sports book I've read in years.
  • Charles YuNovelist
    It’s a sports story that’s actually a business story that’s also a story about preconceptions. Plus, Michael Lewis’s writing is so clear, readable, and highly entertaining.
  • Rob NeyerBaseball writer
    The single most influential baseball book ever.

About the author

  • Michael LewisAmerican author and financial journalist; former Salomon Brothers bond salesman
    • Born 15 October 1960 in New Orleans
    • MSc in economics 1985
    • Bond salesman at Salomon Brothers in London
    • Liar's Poker (1989) described his Salomon experience
    • Vanity Fair contributing editor 2009 to 2026

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