First in Thirst: How Gatorade Turned the Science of Sweat Into a Cultural Phenomenon (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "IN THE BASEMENT of the pharmacy wing of J. Hillis Miller Health Center, in a room with unfinished floors and protruding pipes, surrounded by piles..." (more)
Key Phrases: thirst aid, food brokers, sports marketing, University of Florida, Quaker Oats, Stokely-Van Camp (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What began in 1965 as the after-hours project of four University of Florida doctors, Gatorade has grown into an internationally renowned brand that today comprises 80 percent of the U.S. sports drink market it created. A lifelong Gatorade consumer and ESPN.com's sports business writer, Rovell locates the increasingly wide intersection of sports, business and popular culture, creating an account wide in scope, rich in details and sufficiently varied to keep the pages turning. Rovell's research pays big dividends in entertaining stories, relating, for instance, when Florida's head football coach, Ray Graves, initially allowed the doctors to test Gatorade, but only on his freshman team; or the late nights before games when the doctors could be found in the lab squeezing lemons into the concoction to mask its then-rancid taste; or Stokely Van-Camp's decision, when buying Gatorade from the doctors and their investors, to compensate the Gatorade Trust on a royalty structure instead of paying a flat $1 million fee, which "turned out to be a boon for the doctors. Instead of collecting a couple of hundred thousand dollars each, they were to earn more than $30 million each over the next 40 years;" and even criticism of Gatorade by those who assert the company "overpromotes hydration in order to promote its product." Throughout his account, Rovell reveals the many secrets of Gatorade's success, portraying the company as an ever-evolving pioneer that continually tweaks its business model to remain on top, a sports analogy to be sure.
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Review

"...an account wide in scope, rich in details and sufficiently varied to keep the pages turning." -- Publishers Weekly

"A good read about a product's ups and downs for those into sports, business, or supposed hangover cures." -- BrandChannel.com

"He [Rovell]writes a fascinating chronicle of how Gatorade's superb marketing overcame obstacles." -- Detroit Free Press

"I started reading it, and...couldn't put it down." -- Chris Murray, Former Editor-in-Chief of Soundview Executive Book Summaries as quoted in The Chicago Tribune, May 9, 2006

"[A]new book by ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell provides fascinating insights into the original development--and sale-of Gatorade." -- Beverage Digest

"[Author]Rovell does an excellent-job keeping a business story moving by interweaving plenty of sports&bigger picture ideas into First in Thirst" -- Yahoo! Sports

"this book is a rewarding read." -- Ft.Worth Star Telegram

"…a fascinating business story." -- Mississippi Business Journal

“[A] fascinating new book….[Author] Rovell does an excellent job keeping a business story moving by interweaving plenty of sports and bigger picture ideas into First in Thirst. There is enough here for the businessperson, the sports fan and anyone who loves a story about how one small, simple idea could become so big.”

-Yahoo! Sports

A good read about a product's ups and downs for those into sports,business,or supposed hangover cures. -- Brandchannel.com Brandbooks

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; illustrated edition edition (August 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814472990
• ISBN-13: 978-0814472996
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #267,990 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, September 23, 2005

By	Gregory Desantis (Guilford, CT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read through this book one night recently and it's a great read. The insight into the history and buisness dealings of Gatorade kept me glued to the book; I had to read it in one sitting. Many of my Gatorade questions were answered; I recall watching the Mia Hamm 'Thank You' Gatorade commercial with my wife and wondering why Michael Jordan was in it. First in Thirst explained their 'competititon' commercial and helped explain the backstory of how that ended up on the air, which led me to understand why MJ was in Mia's 'thank you'. I thought each chapter was well organized and thorough. I liked the treats at the end of the book, such as the list of Gatorade US flavor releases (what a trip down memory lane of my years running cross country) and the Bill Parcells memos. That's some great history archived there.
All in all, well done. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and I'm sure in a number of years I'll pick it up off my bookshelf and go through it again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars for the first Gatorade Sports Business Book, September 2, 2005

By	Brooke Kingswood - See all my reviews

Rovell quenched my need for the first riveting Gatorade sports marketing book ever written. He didn't miss a beat in his passionate chronicle of Gatorade's inventors, memorable moments in sports history and Gatorade's rise to become an iconic brand. Rovell's journalistic integrity and skillful writing was quite evident and made me not want to put the book down. Rovell has given me the gift of a perfect, light hearted, easy read that anyone will enjoy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sports, Business, Entertainment, October 13, 2005

By	Sachin Gupta (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazing how Rovell was able to piece together such a detailed history of a product which was developed in a basement over 40 years ago. The relatively unknown early history of Gatorade at the University of Florida was fascinating. And the behind-the-scenes account of the part of Gatorade that we all know about, the commercials, was equally interesting and entertaining. I found myself singing 'Be Like Mike' and reminscing about the great Jordan commercials. I definitely would have paid a premium for an accompanying dvd of all the great Gatorade commercials. If you have any interest in Gatorade at all, this is an absolute must read. If you are interested in sports, business, or just want a good story, then First in Thirst is also for you.