Cystic Fibrosis, Excellence, and Texas Tech Offense

Caught up on some reading when I was on vacation, and these two articles, each over a year old, are fantastic. Don't miss 'em:

• The Bell Curve by Atul Gawande ("What happens when patients discover how good their doctors really are?")
• Coach Leach Goes Deep, Very Deep by Michael Lewis ("It's like he's been given this chessboard, and all the pieces but none of the rules, and he's trying to figure out where all the chess pieces should go. From scratch!")

The first is remarkable for underscoring the simultaneously subtle (in terms of what a person does) and glaring (in terms of the results) differences between very good and great. The second is amazing. If a lawyer can reinvent college football offense, imagine the Ultimate renaissance that awaits us if the sport ever gets out of its infancy.