Fantasy Life, by Matthew Berry

This book is basically a bunch of anecdotes about fantasy sports leagues - 80% football, 19% baseball, 1% other. Those stories were sent in mostly by readers/listeners to Berry's EPSN content. The through-line of the book is Berry's story of how he came to be the Senior Fantasy Analyst at ESPN, and how his pursuit of that job has affected his life. His story is one of persistence (often to the point of stupidity), and trial-and-error.

Many of the anecdotes are jaw-dropping - because of the players' ridiculous dedication to their fantasy sports team, or because of co-incidences, or because of the players' circumstances (soldiers in the field of battle, husbands on their honeymoon, etc). There were a few heart-tugging stories as well - bonding father/son, husband/wife, etc.

It was a fun read - certainly a self-centered book, but that's to be expected: it is essentially a book about Berry.

He comes across as a "knocked down 7 times, got up 8" kind of guy. Humbled by the journey, yet also proud of his own persistence and success. He's self-deprecating and deflects his spotlight toward those he deems worthy.

In the last chapter, he mentions that this book is a "love note to fantasy" - and that is the perfect summary. He showed how he, above all others, loves fantasy sports.