Exley put all he had into his books, and what he had, besides his talent, was shockingly  a troubled heart, a bottle, an affection for the home team, and a cacophony of chemical imbalances.
Exley put no effort into his books.
mnli hypothesis: Exley put no effort into his books. premise: Exley put all he had into his books, and what he had, besides his talent, was shockingly  a troubled heart, a bottle, an affection for the home team, and a cacophony of chemical imbalances.