How Soccer Explains the World : An Unlikely Theory of Globalization

Rating:
Summary: Interesting read
Review: The stupid decision to print this book in an odd shape is distracting, but luckily enough for Foer, the stories he writes about are informative, funny/horrifying and certainly shed some light on why soccer is so popular around the world. The chapter explaining the Ukrainian scientific Marxist approach to the game was particularly entertaining. Does this book answer the question, "How soccer explains the world?" No. Could it have done a better job explaining his unlikely theory of globalization? Yes. Read this book regardless, especially if you previously did not know much about the sport.


Rating:
Summary: Great insights into football
Review: The title grabbed me first, especially the reference to globalization. But it's obvious soccer is international and hence is now part of the globalization story. What I look for in a good book is (a) you learn something (b) you don't want to put it down (c)it is easy to read. This has all these factors in "spades". I was sad when I finished it. Red Star Belgrade and the Balkans war, hooliganism in England and the change in "social position" of Chlesea, the Celtic/Rangers religious divide (I have been to a Celtic match just after 9/11 and did not realise the significance), the Jewish teams of pre-Hitler Europe and the sorry state of South American football clubs are all covered. These topics had the "gee factor", fascinating reading! You don't need to be a fan of football to enjoy this book. All the same, a great insight on this truly global sport.

Rating:
Summary: Game Tours
Review: This is a strong work. Like J.C. Hallman's "The Chess Artist" for Chess and Stephan Fatsis' "Word Freak" for Scrabble, Foer goes on a world tour via soccer that ultimately says more about the world than it does about soccer, addressing things like peoples' tendency to obsess, exhibiting a cult-like fascination with games and sports. Soccer is the vehicle here, and the book is well worth its world-wide ride.