# Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Understanding - Hardcover

by **Larry Olmsted** (Author)

**A _New York Times_ bestselling and award-winning journalist uses cutting-edge sports research to make the case for why being a fan is good for us individually and is a force for positive change in our society.**

Larry Olmsted's writing and research have been called "eye-opening" (_People_), "impressive" (_Publishers Weekly_, starred review), and "enlightening" (_Kirkus Reviews_).

Now, the _New York Times_ and _Washington Post_ bestselling author turns his expertise to a subject that has never been fully explored, delivering a highly entertaining game changer that uses brand-new research to show us why being a sports fan is good for us individually and is a force for positive change in society. _Fans_ is a passionate reminder  
of how games, teams, and the communities dedicated to them are vital to our lives.

Citing fascinating new studies on sports fandom, Larry Olmsted makes the case that the more you identify with a sports team, the better your social, psychological, and physical health is; the more meaningful your relationships are; and the more connected and happier you are. Fans maintain better cognitive processing as their gray matter ages; they have better language skills; and college students who follow sports have higher GPAs, better graduation rates, and higher incomes after graduating. And there's more: On a societal level, sports help us heal after tragedies, providing community and hope when we need it most. _Fans_ is the perfect gift for anyone who loves sports or anyone who loves someone who loves sports.

"Olmsted opens a window into a psychologically compelling world of passion and purpose."  
\--Harvey Araton, author of _Our Last Season: A Writer, a Fan, a Friendship_  

### Author Biography

Larry Olmsted is an award-winning journalist and visiting professor of at Dartmouth College, where he teaches nonfiction writing. He is the author of the _New York Times_ bestseller _Real Food Fake Food_ and _Getting into Guinness,_ a history of the _Guinness Book of World Records_, a book for which he broke three world records himself while researching. He currently writes popular online columns for _Forbes_ and _USAToday_, and he is the contributing travel editor for _Cigar Aficionado_ magazine. Olmsted has been a panelist or guest speaker at many conferences and appears regularly on television and radio. He is avid fan of _American Ninja Warrior_ and a fan of sports fans.

**Number of Pages:** 320

**Dimensions:** 1.2 x 7.2 x 5.4 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** March 02, 2021

## Details

- **Price:** 25.95 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 25.95 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Understanding - Hardcover

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