Buying a book is like buying an album. The decision is so much easier if you can sample some of the material first. Well, FT Press (our publisher) is giving you such a chance. Here are three articles taken from the material in Stumbling on Wins. If you like these, you will probably like — and should buy — the book [even if you don’t like these, for some reason we are optimistic you will still like — and should still buy — the rest of the book :)]:
Sports Fans vs. Traditional Economics: Why Many Economists Think the Fans are On to Something
A Century of Mistakes in Baseball
– DJ
Posted in: Basketball Stories
Wages of Wins Journal 
Evan
March 31, 2010
It should probably be noted that you need a kindle, iphone or blackberry to read these, unless I’m missing something.
dberri
March 31, 2010
For the last two you need kindle. And these are not free. But the first one is free.
Justin
March 31, 2010
The first “article” is more like an introduction and the second two require you to not only purchase them, but own a Kindle.
That’s like letting someone sample an album by listening to the first 20 seconds of a song and then giving them the option to buy two additional songs.
If you’re not going to deliver samples, at least be up front about it.
EJ
March 31, 2010
It doesn’t really help in making a decision on buying the book, when you have to pay for the samples.
dberri
March 31, 2010
The first one is free. The publisher is selling the other two. And everything else is free on this blog. So I am having trouble seeing the problem.
Robert
April 1, 2010
“So I am having trouble seeing the problem.”
[quote]The decision is so much easier if you can sample some of the material first. Well, FT Press (our publisher) is giving you such a chance.[/quote]
The problem is FT Press is not, in fact, giving you that chance. Since sampling = free. Since you need to pay for those articles, it’s not sampling.
That’s the disconnect. Hope that helps.
Michael
April 1, 2010
I think those samples are overpriced. It’s $4 for a sample or $14 for the whole book (on kindle.)
Then again, Kindle itself is way overpriced in my opinion so maybe the whole thing is aimed at early adopters a long way above my income range :-)
I think I’ll wait for the actual physical book.
bduran
April 1, 2010
Samples are not necessarily free. $4 does seem overpriced. However, I do think it’s a fair point that this whole blog serves as a free sample. So quit your whining.
dberri
April 1, 2010
Just to make it up to everyone…. I will try and post an absolutely free column in the next few hours :)
robbieomalley
April 1, 2010
Oh, it has been hours. He’s April Fooling us. :-D