wingers. heh. i'm sure this book pissed you off. how dare niven and barnes deviate from the official narrative!this was a fun book. not "great" but definitely fun. it raises some interesting questions, and if you've ever been a competitive athlete at the highest levels, it speaks to you. try to read it thru that lens. it also supposes some concepts that are bound to challenge your political ideals, whatever they may be. but if you like to think about why people strive for power, and what they will do to get it, this is an interesting book. i'm a long time sci fi reader and i won't call this book original or groundbreaking, but i enjoyed it and it made me recall the other times when sci fi and sports have come together in an entertaining way.