Unpaid Professionals

Rating:
Summary: In-depth review of the economics of college athletics
Review: This book should be read by anyone working in or with college athletics as well as fans that want to understand the "business" behind the games. The author takes a view of the subject from many angles. The chapter dealing in the profit or loss of athletic departments is very enlightening particularly as it deals with the lack of accounting standard conformity.

In the last chapter the author recommends 10 steps to cure the problems. Frankly, I didn't find them compelling and generally not workable. This is a thought provoking read if you have interest in the subject but should not be purchased for entertainment purposes as it reads more like a business analysis.

Rating:
Summary: A valuable study but...
Review: This book should be read by anyone working in or with college athletics as well as fans that want to understand the "business" behind the games. The author takes a view of the subject from many angles. The chapter dealing in the profit or loss of athletic departments is very enlightening particularly as it deals with the lack of accounting standard conformity.

In the last chapter the author recommends 10 steps to cure the problems. Frankly, I didn't find them compelling and generally not workable. This is a thought provoking read if you have interest in the subject but should not be purchased for entertainment purposes as it reads more like a business analysis.

Rating:
Summary: A valuable study but...
Review: This is a valuable study of college sports. Zimbalist shows how much money is really lost by schools, and how foolish they are to pursue dreams of glory in college sports.

The one problem with the book is that the author, a college professor, really writes like one. It is often hard to figure out what he is talking about, but if you hang in there, when you do find out, it is usually worth it.