Over the holidays last year, I received a copy of Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented By Man by Pasquale Anthony Leonardo from my quasi-uncle Jim Levine, team member of the ‘81 & ‘82 Open semifinalists, Hostages. A copy signed by the author no less.

The first thought that occurred to me while reading the book was the striking resemblance between it and another book that I had given my brother a few years back, The Hipster Handbook by Robert Lanham. Both incisive cultural anthropologic studies of groups of people who take themselves a little too seriously and sometimes lack a sense of humor.

Simply put, the book is funny. Mr. Leonardo has some hysterical sections: the player archetypes, from the Permanent Grad Student to the Local Oldster; the progressive stages of hooking up, dating, and marriage amongst Ultimate players; the day in the life of a college player.

And it’s not just a hilarious look at the sport, it’s also fairly informative. With various introductory sections to the game on rules, skills, and training, as well as interspersed “Tips From The Experts,” the book serves as a nice preface to any beginner looking to start playing.

While the book might perpetuate myths and stereotypes about Ultimate and its practitioners, can you really fault the author if the myths and stereotypes are in fact true?

LINK: Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented By Man