Making Decisions

Ed Smith is renowned thinker on the history and culture of sport and leadership.

He is Co-Founder and Director of the Institute of Sports Humanities.

He has written four books, including What Sport Tells Us About Life (Penguin, 2008).

He played cricket for Kent, Middlesex and England and was Chief Selector for England cricket from 2018 to 2021, a period of unprecedented success for England's men's teams.

Ed is a Contributing Writer for the New Statesman.

PRAISE FOR MAKING DECISIONS

'Sincere and often self-reflective... offers genuine searing insight, making points you feel have never been made before. A learned and engaging study of decision-making.' New Statesmen

'A WONDERFUL book' Stumbling and Mumbling Economics blog

'An excellent read... based on his years as England's chief cricket selector, but drawing on much broader thinking on decision-making' Simon Kuper

'A masterful combination of analysis and personal experience of decision-making at the highest level. Full of insights, wisdom and highly entertaining' Mervyn King

'In this fascinating and highly readable book, Ed Smith explores how the human and the machine can work together' Matt Ridley

PRAISE FOR ED SMITH'S LUCK

'There's hardly a sentence here that isn't clear, thought-provoking and beautifully expressed. Sport bores me rigid. Inspirational books repel me. But Smith on sport, life and luck brings fresh ways of looking at things on every page and, despite myself, I read on'
Matthew Parris

'Smith is a beguiling and skilful writer: good-humoured, anecdotal, discursive and often fascinating. You'll probably read his book in an evening but think about it for weeks, even years, afterwards'
New Statesman

'Book of the week ... Elegant and absorbing ... Smith is excellent at exploring nuances ... The writing on sport is superb ... Smith moves beyond sport with great effect'
The Times

'Funny and honest ... like one of Smith's well-crafted innings in his playing career, it leaves you wanting more'
Sunday Times

'Blends personal experience, sporting insight and a broad knowledge of history with the journalist's talent for storytelling to fashion an original and thought-provoking book ... not only refreshing but uplifting'
Spectator

An exceptional book: lucid, thought-provoking, informative and fair. Outstanding'
The Times