Nonfiction – Business / Sports (Released May, 2011)
Bottom Line: Read it.
Link to this Book on Amazon

Plot Summary:
An oral history of the ESPN network.

My Thoughts:
These Guys Have All the Fun was written by the same author team that wrote Live From New York, the oral history of “Saturday Night Live”. It’s structured the same way, using direct quotes from various sources to tell the story of the history of the ESPN network.

I expected These Guys Have All the Fun to be a sports book full of stories about games and celebrity athletes. And, it does deliver on that count. But, what pleasantly surprised me was the focus on how the company was founded and built into a successful business empire – I learned a lot and it gave These Guys Have All the Fun a depth beyond just sports. I consider this one a business book, too.

The quotes from ESPN insiders (even from many still at the company) and sports world figures were surprisingly (shockingly, at times) candid. You will hear about the Keith Olbermann drama, the sexually charged culture at the network (including the behavior of some current commentators), the rivalries between fellow writers and commentators, and the quirks of some of ESPN’s more well-known personalities.

These Guys Have All the Fun is the perfect book for business men and women who are also interested in sports.