Brooks on Books: The Great Book of Washington, D.C. Sports Lists

List books may look easy to write, but they don't always work. This is an example of a list book done right. D.C.-area radio personality Andy Pollin and print journalist Leonard Shapiro, along with contributions from fellow media and sports personalities, deliver a fun assortment of opinions and facts. Unlike some list books, including one I'll get in a separate post, this one delivers good value for the money.

Now, if you're not from the D.C. area, or if you don't follow its teams and athletes, this might not be worth it for you. It is a pretty specific focus, after all, and furthermore, there's a lot of Redskins stuff (no surprise given their dominance of the market) and a lot of Washington media stuff (no surprise given the authors' prominence in local media). Furthermore, if you don't like the idea of a collection of lists like, "Worst Redskins First-Round Draft Picks" or "10 Grand Old But Not-Forgotten Sports Venues," each no more than a few pages in length, with bite-sized annotations for each item and some trivia and other tidbits sprinkled throughout, well, then this ain't your thang.

Me, I've enjoyed list books ever since I was a wee lad and I read one called...oh, what was it? Oh, yeah, "The Book of Lists." I've lived in the D.C. area long enough (and followed its teams longer), to enjoy the narrow focus. And I enjoy sports media stuff in general, and since much of this book covers the time before I arrived, I learned a lot about guys like Glenn Brenner and Warner Wolf.

And while I would have liked to have seen more lists on, say, baseball, considering the market didn't have it for decades (not counting the Orioles), it's understandable. But you still get Tom Boswell's favorite Senators, for example. Hockey fans will be disappointed at the lack of Capitals material, but there are lists devoted to Maryland basketball, Georgetown basketball, the Wizards/Bullets, pro golf, high school sports, and even some out-there entries like radio personality Al Galdi's list of the best pro wrestling pay-per-view events held in the region.

The fun of a book like this isn't necessarily finding out what the authors think is the best Redskins comeback or who the most prominent D.C. tennis players are. It's in starting some arguments and enjoying the information presented with those lists. Pollin and Shapiro show enough reverence for the local institutions without taking them (or this book) too seriously. It's a book written for fans by guys who are able to project a sense of fandom themselves. "The Great Book of Washington, D.C. Sports Lists" is an addictive, fun book with a great blend of whimsical and informative entries.