“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 World A 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.

"Soccer is a perfect window into the crosscurrents of today's world ... Franklin Foer takes us on a tour through the world of soccer, shattering the myths of our new global age along the way"--Jacket.

"Soccer is a perfect window into the crosscurrents of today's world ... Franklin Foer takes us on a tour through the world of soccer, shattering the myths of our new global age along the way"--Jacket.

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio explores just how crucial football is to understanding the American psyche Using some of the most prominent voices in pro sports and cultural and media criticism, "How Football Explains America" is a fascinating, first-of-its-kind journey through the making of America's most complex, intriguing, and popular game. It tackles varying American themes--from Manifest Destiny to "fourth and one"--as it answers the age-old question Why does America love football so much? An unabashedly celebratory explanation of America's love affair with the game and the men who make it possible, this work sheds light on how the pioneers and cowboys helped create a game that resembled their march across the continent. It explores why rugby and soccer don't excite the American male like football does and how the game's rules are continually changing to enhance the dramatic action and create a better narrative. It also investigates the eternal appeal of the heroic quarterback position, the sport's rich military lineage, and how the burgeoning medium of television identified and exploited the NFL's great characters. It is a must read for anyone interested in more fully understanding not only the game but also the nation in which it thrives. Updated throughout and with a new introduction, this edition brings "How Football Explains America" to paperback for the first time.

This book is packed with awesome true stories, real science and fascinating facts and will make you laugh loads - and it's all about football. What is a vomitory? When do footballers wee? Where do goalkeepers let in chickens? When did women start playing football? You'll find the answers to these questions and more in chapters on subjects such as biology, maths and history. Illustrated throughout with hilarious cartoons and filled with laugh-out-loud gags this is the perfect book for any boy or girl who loves football.

Synopsis coming soon.......

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,3, University of Maryland University College in Heidelberg, course: Non-Fiction, language: English, abstract: Most Americans would agree that watching football on the weekends and rooting for their favorite team is an integral part of Americanism. Therefore, it is not surprising that popular sports writing in the United States usually covers American football or baseball as stated in Don DeLillo's famous prologue "The Triumph of Death" to his novel Underworld. Franklin Foer breaks this tradition by introducing soccer to an American audience. Foer's book has been quite successful, as ESPN ranks it among the top four books written on the culture of soccer (Caple 1). Foer does not only discuss sports, but he also journeys from stadium to stadium around the globe to provide new insight on today's world events. He uses the globalized medium of soccer to explain political, economic and social occurrences. In this essay, I will look at chapters seven and nine in which Foer's argumentation is political. Therefore, this can be considered both sports, as well as political writing. How Soccer Explains the World is organized into ten chapters, which can be read as three different parts with regard to content. "The first third of the book explores globalization's failure to erode the game's great rivalries and the hatreds they can produce" (Young 1). Foer then elaborates on the role of soccer in politics and economics when he explains the rise of the oligarchs and the corruption that was included in this process. In the last part of the book, the role soccer plays in preserving nationalism and for returning to the idea of tribalism is looked at in-depth.