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Harper Perennial

How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization

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Format: Paperback


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“An eccentric, fascinating exposé of a world most of us know nothing about. . . . Bristles with anecdotes that are almost impossible to believe.” —New York Times Book Review“Terrific. . . . A travelogue full of important insights into both cultural change and persistence. . . . Foer’s soccer odyssey lends weight to the argument that a humane world order is possible.” — Washington Post Book WorldA groundbreaking work—named one of the five most influential sports books of the decade by Sports Illustrated—How Soccer Explains the World is a unique and brilliantly illuminating look at soccer, the world’s most popular sport, as a lens through which to view the pressing issues of our age, from the clash of civilizations to the global economy.From Brazil to Bosnia, and Italy to Iran, this is an eye-opening chronicle of how a beautiful sport and its fanatical followers can highlight the fault lines of a society, whether it’s terrorism, poverty, anti-Semitism, or radical Islam—issues that now have an impact on all of us. Filled with blazing intelligence, colorful characters, wry humor, and an equal passion for soccer and humanity, How Soccer Explains the World is an utterly original book that makes sense of our troubled times. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (May 11, 2010)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061978051


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 50


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.9 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.72 x 8 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #27,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #10 in Sociology of Sports (Books) #23 in Soccer (Books) #34 in Sports History (Books)


#10 in Sociology of Sports (Books):


#23 in Soccer (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • creative and insightful
Franklin Foer gives us a globe sized view of the beautiful game. He moves through cultures and histories showing how soccer has been a part — and often a central part — of major cultural movements throughout the last 100 years. All this without really mentioning the Dutch - they have already been covered. He covers hooliganism, nationalism, racism and corruption, to name just a few topics, moving from Yugoslavia to Ukraine, Barcelona, Ireland and America. Each chapter is fresh and observant. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2023 by Fred Provencher
    • A Page Turner.
Let me just say that, like the author Franklin Foer, I am a huge fan of international soccer and really love watching the World Cup every four years. It's a far more entertaining month, in my mind, than The Olympics. That's why I gave this book a chance. As far as soccer goes, the book is fantastic. The politics subplot left much to be desired, however, but that wasn't why I bought it in the first place. Each of the chapters tells a different story about soccer within a different area of the world. Europe is, of course, represented heavily. An inside look at teams like Red Star Belgrade would make anybody twice as happy to be a United States citizen. Our sports have Holly Hobby characters by comparison. The rivalry between the two Glasgow teams, the Protestant Rangers and the Catholic Celtic, is unlike anything that we have in this nation. It makes the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry look like a Soap Box Derby. The intensity of these matches and its meaning for the fans is something that Foer excels at describing. One can practically see the Tottenham supporters and their emblems of their philosemitism in the stands, and that chapter, in particular, is brilliantly written. It is ironic that a sport, referred to in one editorial as "a slum sport played by slum people" can produce so much grandeur and memory. The story of Brazilian team soccer, and its rule by top hats, is rather depressing. It appears that the entire league is hopelessly corrupt, which may be a reason that so many of their superstars play elsewhere. The only problem that I had with Foer as a narrator is that he seems completely infected with political correctness. He goes in search of finding a team to support and chooses Barcelona, but is dedicated to avoiding teams with a past history of racism or fascism or whatever -ism happens to be trendy at the moment. The problem with this is that what transpires on the pitch has little to do with the thoughts that race through each supporters' head. You cannot vouch for the sanity of your fellow fans, and you cannot blame team ownership for what former owners did before their individual births. Soccer is a noble game; let's not reduce it to the level of politics or worry about a past that those of us in the present had zero control over. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2005 by BC
    • outdated but relevant as much today as when it was written
Smart analysis of the power of soccer to influence nations as a globalizing force. Recommended to soccer fans and globalization students and adherents
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2022 by Mark Sandelson
    • Don't fall into the title's trap
Foer, F. (2004). How soccer explains the world: An unlikely theory of globalization. New York: Harper Perennial. Franklin Foer attempts to simplify the world with his "less economic than cultural" view of planet Earth in, "How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization." The book isn't about what led to globalization, but rather what has become of it, and more specifically what it's done for the sport of soccer. It focuses more on what the sport means to so many people. How they perceive, consume and embody it. The athletes are idolized. The teams are revered. The sport itself is worshiped. Foer traveled the globe in the quest to understand soccer as it strengthens national ties, crosses borders and seemingly extends the arm of diplomacy between feuding states. He posits his argument by discussing the ways in which club teams field rosters of multicultural players. The pitch knows no national boundaries. Continental and global tournaments bring teams from all over together in competition, with the World Cup "[putting] the 'ethnic stereotypes' of nationalities on display." Foer uses the defensive oriented Italians and the rugged brutality of the English national teams to illustrate the homogenous traits that remain on national team squads despite global communities' growing connectedness. Technology, mainly satellites and high-speed internet, builds metaphorical bridges between communities on opposite sides of the globe. Foer's passion for soccer came as a result of it. Media consumption accelerates the sport's growth and increases and enhances its fan base. The modes and methods of soccer consumption vary, with some going to the extreme. Italian media outlets even go so far as to review, critique and referee the performance of referees. Controversial calls are scrutinized, with the help of slow motion replays. Statistics are accumulated with extreme precision, with hopes of exposing bias. Foer uses the passionate Italians as the epitome of die-hard soccer fans. One of the most inspiring in Foer's work is the relationship between soccer fans and their clubs in Islamic nations. With a society and culture stifled by an oppressive religion, Muslims use soccer as an escape from their highly regulated lives. "Fans will cure in the foulest, most clearly verboten language. They will throw punches that can't be justified by any reasonable interpretation of the Koran," Foer wrote (p. 218). The allure of the game makes it difficult for a large portion of the Muslim population, as they are prohibited from attending a live match. Women living in Islamic regimes occasionally risk their own safety by disguising themselves as men to sneak into a match at Azadi, the 120,000 seat staduim in Tehran, Iran. Their actions muster up a faint voice for a population typically overlooked. The Iranian people's celebration after their national team qualified for the 1998 World Cup exemplified just that. For that night, Iranians were free. Women took off their hijabs, throngs of Iranians consumed alcohol in the streets while listening to western pop music. When the militia arrived to shut down the parties, they couldn't resist partaking in the festivities. Foer didn't possess, nor need, and expertise in the sporting arena to publish his work. While a vast amount of reporting and journalism experience and an unbridled passion for soccer enhances the final product, no "expertise" in either, nor globalization, was required to understand and disseminate the material. He admitted his 248 page thesis doesn't come close to mastering and abridging the complexity that is globalization theory. He even goes so far as to say he took on the task fueled by personal interest. Yet, what Foer does accomplish is shining a light on areas in the soccer world that even embedded journalists wouldn't uncover. The interconnectedness of soccer clubs in Italy and the ruling class. The working poor in the Balkan nations, who cling to their favorite teams as if it was life support. To some, the worlds sport means the world to them. Readers of Thomas Friedman's work may feel slighted at the use of "globalization." While offering only multicultural teams and ease of access to sporting events to explain his theory, Foers book, while interesting, was but several lengthy accounts of teams and their fans and "stadiums [he] most desperately wanted to see." As a journalist, Foer should have at least considered objectivity before leaving his desk at the New Republic. Soccer fans would undoubtedly enjoy the book, however globalization theorists, anthropologists and sociologists would feel deceived by the book's title. In all, Foer's passion makes for a pleasurable read. While soccer may not bring the world together-- as many Americans delight in despising it -its fans, no matter the demographic, comprise the entire population. While all may not indulge, everyone is represented. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2012 by Jordan
    • Globalization From The Stadium's Viewpoint
This is one of the most perceptive descriptions of globalization's impacts, both positive and negative, that I have read. Franklin Foer takes his lifelong love for soccer and uses it to explain the interconnections and implications of widely separated and seemingly disparate phenomena such as the rivalry between Protestant and Catholic teams in Glasgow, the "Jewishness" of teams in London and Budapest (and how that explains British soccer hooligans), the decline and fall of Communism in the former Soviet Union, the pulse of reform in the Islamic world, and the blue/red divide here in the United States. This description makes the book seem far-fetched and somewhat hokey, but once you start reading Foer makes every point logically. This is an intelligent, succint explanation for globalization that deserves a spot on your bookshelf beside Thomas Friedman's "The Lexus and the Olive Tree." ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2005 by John D. Cofield

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