March is here and sports fans turn their thoughts to 'bracketology' and the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Author Mark Reiter says the bracket system can also help in making important decisions and putting order to life's maddening questions.
Bracketologists have come to understand that the method used to reduce 64 contestants to a single winner applies to a lot more than basketball. Who's the best 18th century poet? The best ad slogan, the best animation character? Brackets can help decide.
Guests:
Tom Goldman, NPR's sports correspondent
Mark Reiter, author of The Enlightened Bracketologist: The Final Four of Everything
Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players; regular contributor to All Things Considered
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