The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors by John Chetwynd

I love sports, and I love metaphors, so this should have been the book for me. The experience of reading it cover to cover, though, was not unlike reading a dictionary; it felt like more than I bargained for. The complimentary thing to say would be that the book is thorough and well researched; in actuality, the narration about almost every metaphor exceeded my interest, as it was filled with dates and citations that at times made it read like an encyclopedia. My opinion is that this little book is a good reference to keep on the shelf until one thinks, “I wonder how ‘no harm, no foul’ came to be part of everyday language?” That’s the time to look things up in the very handy index. But reading the book cover to cover feels like reading answers to questions not being asked, not a pleasant experience. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.