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hannahbright's review against another edition
5.0
Completely absorbing. Gave me Say Nothing vibes. You do not have to like soccer or even know anything about it to like this book. In fact, it is way more about the culture/history/current events that play into it. I learned so much about globalization and the unique cultures/histories/nuances of places like the Balkans, Brazil, Iran, etc and how those relate back to soccer. Truly a brilliant piece of journalism and I cannot recommend it highly enough!
tonythep's review against another edition
5.0
it's been a few years since i read this (before the great soccer awakening of 2010!), but i do remember that it blew me away.
nucleareaction's review against another edition
3.0
Good for the soccer fan to read, it pretty much confirms that soccer means something more to people than the average American sport.
caedocyon's review against another edition
4.0
I still think about this book sometimes, 10 years on. Ripe for a reread.
fdterritory's review
4.0
My only real complaint about this one is the title, and it's hard to hold such a thing against the author since authors often don't title their own works. Foer does an admirable job using soccer to expand on such topics as the inherent racism of the European game, the effects of globalization that has weakened the Brazilian leagues into a feeder for the "real" clubs in the work, and a primer on the Italian game and why they dive so *(@#&$*(#@ much. The book is a quick read and gives exactly as much information as needed to catch many of the nuances of complex systems. Worth a read even if you're not a footy fan.
c8_19's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Title seems a bit misleading because this was more of a piece where one soccer fan gets to talk about different quirks and functions of specific clubs. Mostly interesting.
melodyriggs's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The title is misleading as it's more a book about how soccer is sort of a microcosm for society at large, but overall it's an interesting read about different clubs, rivalries, and history of soccer. I enjoyed reading about the rivalries most, especially those within the premier league. I also found it interesting and relatable that soccer really didn't become popular in the US until those of us born in the 70s and 80s into middle class families and who grew up playing soccer (viewed as a safer alternative to American football) became adults and wanted more soccer to watch. Again, it's not really about globalization, but it does show how certain leagues and teams mirror the society in which they are popular (example: the Celts and Rangers rivalry was a mirror of the Catholic and Protestant feuding in Northern Ireland).
shari_billops's review against another edition
How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization by Franklin Foer (2005)