The Bookshelf Conversations #193: Christian Sheppard

I’ve always enjoyed books that look at the game from an “outside” point of view. That’s why I’m drawn to those titles that look at such diverse topics as baseball and philosophy or baseball and film.

So it was kind of a natural when I discovered The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball: Lessons for Life and Homer’s Odyssey to the World Series by Christian Sheppard.

I was loathe to confess to him that I have never read the classic that’s so frequently taught in high school. I will look to rectify that in the near future.

While the chapters deal with topics found in The Odyssey, such as virtue, prudence, and courage, to name just a few, to my mind, the stories are more about his daughter, taking her to the ballpark and teaching her the game. And while I know he’s using her as an introduction to the concepts in Odyssey, they made me nostalgic for my the good old days with my own daughter. I loved having catches with her and seeing her do well on the softball diamond and then becoming the manager of her high school baseball team. So thanks for that, Christian.