Inside the Olympic Industry : Power, Politics, and Activism [Paperback]

Helen Jefferson Lenskyj (Author), Varda Burstyn (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2000 | Series: Suny Series on Sport, Culture, and Social Relations

In a startling exposé of the Olympic industry, Helen Jefferson Lenskyj goes beyond the media hype of international goodwill and spirited competition to uncover a darker side of the global Games. She reports on the pre- and post-Olympic impacts from recent host cities, bribery investigations and their outcomes, grassroots resistance movements, and the role of the mass media in the controversy. A highly accessible book about a complex subject that touches the hearts of sports fans everywhere, Inside the Olympic Industry is a must-read, behind-the-scenes look at the politics surrounding the choice of Sydney, Australia as host city for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Lenskyj, a University of Toronto sociology professor, is the author of Out of Bounds: Women, Sport, and Sexuality (1986), and she has been conducting research on the Olympics and its site-selection process for more than 10 years. Lenskyj portrays the Olympic movement as a huge money-making juggernaut that has duped the average sports fan with the myth of pure athleticism and tricked local government officials into believing their cities can reap financial bonanzas when they play host to the Olympic games. Lenskyj finds plenty of evidence to validate her claims. She examines the bribery scandal behind Salt Lake City's bid to host the Winter Games, looks at the makeup of the International Olympic Committee and the so-called Olympic family, and compares Toronto's failed bid with that of Sydney's successful one. Lenskyj also suggests that there are significant hidden economic, social, political, and environmental costs involved with being a host city and documents the extensive network of anti-Olympic protest groups and watchdog organizations. She then charges the press with cheerleading for the Olympics and with "manufacturing consent." David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Helen Jefferson Lenskyj is Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. She is the author of Women, Sport, and Physical Activity: Selected Research Themes and Out of Bounds: Women, Sport, and Sexuality.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (July 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791447561
• ISBN-13: 978-0791447567
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #338,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Other Team Sports > Lacrosse
  • #65 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Olympic Games

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