Well-Written Book

I just finished a great book, A Well-Paid Slave by Brad Snyder.

The book tells the story of Curt Flood's legal battle against Major League Baseball seeking free agency for players bound to teams by a contractual provision called the "reserve clause." (Rarely has a contract provided such a compelling villain.) Brad tells an under-appreciated story in grand fashion, and the result is part Seabiscuit, part Gideon's Trumpet, though there is no Hollywood gloss here.

This is a great book, not just for baseball lovers and lawyers. It builds around a theme anyone can love: a man following the example of his hero (Jackie Robinson) and standing up to the establishment at great personal risk and sacrifice.

(I should mention that the author is a friend and used to occupy the office next to mine, though it is hard to find much mention of that era in his bio.)

So, go buy A Well-Paid Slave today.