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How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Red Star Belgrade is the most beloved, most successful soccer team in Serbia..." (more)
Key Phrases: football revolution, beloved club, Red Star, World Cup, Real Madrid (more...)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The global power of soccer might be a little hard for Americans, living in a country that views the game with the same skepticism used for the metric system and the threat of killer bees, to grasp fully. But in Europe, South America, and elsewhere, soccer is not merely a pastime but often an expression of the social, economic, political, and racial composition of the communities that host both the teams and their throngs of enthusiastic fans. New Republic editor Franklin Foer, a lifelong devotee of soccer dating from his own inept youth playing days to an adulthood of obsessive fandom, examines soccer's role in various cultures as a means of examining the reach of globalization. Foer's approach is long on soccer reportage, providing extensive history and fascinating interviews on the Rangers-Celtic rivalry and the inner workings of AC Milan, and light on direct discussion of issues like world trade and the exportation of Western culture. But by creating such a compelling narrative of soccer around the planet, Foer draws the reader into these sport-mad societies, and subtly provides the explanations he promises in chapters with titles like "How Soccer Explains the New Oligarchs", "How Soccer Explains Islam's Hope", and "How Soccer Explains the Sentimental Hooligan." Foer's own passion for the game gives his book an infectious energy but still pales in comparison to the religious fervor of his subjects. His portraits of legendary hooligans in Serbia and Britain, in particular, make the most die-hard roughneck New York Yankees fan look like a choirboy in comparison. Beyond the thugs, Foer also profiles Nigerian players living in the Ukraine, Iranian women struggling against strict edicts to attend matches, and the parallel worlds of Brazilian soccer and politics from which Pele emerged and returned. Foer posits that globalization has eliminated neither local cultural identities nor violent hatred among fans of rival teams, and it has not washed out local businesses in a sea of corporate wealth nor has it quelled rampant local corruption. Readers with an interest in international economics are sure to like How Soccer Explains the World, but soccer fans will love it. --John Moe


From Publishers Weekly

Foer, a New Republic editor, scores a game-winning goal with this analysis of the interchange between soccer and the new global economy. The subtitle is a bit misleading, though: he doesn't really use soccer to develop a theory; instead, he focuses on how examining soccer in different countries allows us to understand how international forces affect politics and life around the globe. The book is full of colorful reporting, strong characters and insightful analysis: In one of the most compelling chapters, Foer shows how a soccer thug in Serbia helped to organize troops who committed atrocities in the Balkan War—by the end of the war, the thug's men, with the acquiescence of Serbian leaders, had killed at least 2,000 Croats and Bosnians. Then he bought his own soccer club and, before he was gunned down in 2000, intimidated other teams into losing. Most of the stories aren't as gruesome, but they're equally fascinating. The crude hatred, racism and anti-Semitism on display in many soccer stadiums is simply amazing, and Foer offers context for them, including how current economic conditions are affecting these manifestations. In Scotland, the management of some teams have kept religious hatreds alive in order to sell tickets and team merchandise. But Foer, a diehard soccer enthusiast, is no anti-globalist. In Iran, for example, he depicts how soccer works as a modernizing force: thousands of women forced police to allow them into a men's-only stadium to celebrate the national team's triumph in an international match. One doesn't have to be a soccer fan to truly appreciate this absorbing book.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st American edition (June 29, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0066212340
  • ISBN-13: 978-0066212340
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.3 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #148,133 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #15 in  Books > Sports > Miscellaneous > Sociology of Sports
    #83 in  Books > Sports > Soccer

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More About the Author

Franklin Foer
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Red Star Belgrade is the most beloved, most successful soccer team in Serbia. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
football revolution, beloved club
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Red Star, World Cup, Real Madrid, Old Firm, United States, World War, Ultra Bad Boys, Camp Nou, Champions League, Reza Shah, Eurico Miranda, Northern Ireland, Sao Januário, Manchester United, Silvio Berlusconi, Western Europe, European Union, King Billy, Latin America, Primo de Rivera, Stamford Bridge, Alan Garrison, Church of Scotland, Communist Party, Donald Findlay
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Customer Reviews

91 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (91 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars oh dear, November 12, 2004
By Stephen Herlihy (Bristol, Uk) - See all my reviews
I picked this up when in the States; a football loving Brit who watches games around the world wanting to read a 'yank's' take on the beautiful game.

The author writes well. It is a fun read, but since getting back to England I've gained many cheap laughs by reading excerpts out loud.You have to trust an author when he states something as fact, but whenever I came across something I had personal knowledge of he gets it wrong.

His chapter on Ukrainian racism ends with him saying the racist abuse of black players there is not as bad as in England.Racist abuse was bad here 30 years ago, but disappeared many years ago.He talks of Iranian players `emigrating to play in English football- there's not one. He refers to the 1998 World Game, Germany v Iran, and says the`stadium was full of pro democracy Iranians. It was not. I was at that game . The stadium was full of Germans. And as for his`piece on Tottenham- someone was clearly winding him up.

This might seem picky, but instances like these made me suspect what he was saying about things I knew nothing about. If you want to read about football, pick up Simon Kuper's book 'Football against the enemy',David Winner's ' Brilliant Orange' and Pete Davie's brilliant 'All Played Out'. This book explained nothing










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26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars This is very familiar ground, July 9, 2004
By A Customer
Foer is an excellent writer, and for those who aren't familiar with the history of the sport this is an excellent introduction. For those who are already well-read on football, much of this will be too familiar. The religious and political context of the Celtic v. Rangers rivalry, the laughable corruption of Brazilian football, and basically every other story in this book has already been covered by other writers. Though the globalization theme tries to bring a new perspective to these old stories, it just feels gimmicky. If you've already read Simon Kuper's FOOTBALL AGAINST THE ENEMY you'll regret spending your money here. If you haven't read Kuper's book, but you're interested in the sport, buy it immediately. This is light reading designed for those who know nothing about the sport's history. For those looking for more depth and more entertainment, skip this and go straight to Kuper, David Winner's BRILLIANT ORANGE, and Alex Bellos' FUTEBOL: SOCCER, THE BRAZILIAN WAY. All three are excellent, entertaining, and provide more insight into the topics Foer touches on. To summarize: the typical American reader with limited soccer knowledge will enjoy this, those with real interest in the subject would do well to move on to more meaty fare.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't live up to premise of title...still a good read, July 27, 2005
By Derrick Peterman (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization (Paperback)
I suppose a book titled "10 Essays of the Political, Social, and Economic Underpinnings of Soccer" won't sell as many books, but in this case, would be more accurate. Maybe "How the World Explains Soccer" would be the better way to go. I had high expectations when I bought this, and while it's a good read, it was hard not to be disappointed with the book not really delivering on the title.

That said, some of the chapters were compelling. The first chapter demonstrating how Red Star Brigade was instrumental in Serbian nationalism in the 90's was rather chilling. The chapter on Celtic-Chelsea rivalry and Nigerians playing in the Ukraine were also most interesting to me. As a soccer fan that catches the occasional MLS match on US television, follows the US national team, and watches several World Cup matches every four years, I found the essays broadened my appreciation for the sport. More dedicated fans of the beautiful game will probably find some of the essays less informative, since a few seemed more like good reporting and really didn't have anything really profound to say, despite Foer trying mightily to do so.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars starts well but goes off the rail too quickly
I like the opening chapters about Red Star Belgrade and the Glasgow rivalry but think he lost his way when he banging on about the all Jewish team and the whole Chelsea bad boys... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Quicksilver

4.0 out of 5 stars soccer and globalization
Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide. This book is about explaining the world with a phenomenon that is common to most citizens of the world - an important and timely... Read more
Published 8 days ago by H. V. Amavilah

5.0 out of 5 stars Soccer
This book was found in a collection of the "greatest books selections" included in THIS WEEK magazine. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Happy's Mom

4.0 out of 5 stars good but not great
just finished this on my kindle. a must if you like soccer. the fc barcelona chapter is outstanding. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Benjamin

5.0 out of 5 stars Go Barca!!
Frank and I see the world through the same eyes, similar experiences, same politics, and now the same love for Barca... Read more
Published 6 months ago by James Poteet

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy read, keep your expectations low
First the picture on the cover caught my eye, when I was browsing the books in the "social sciences" section of my local bookstore. Read more
Published 7 months ago by K. B. Rodoper

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read for Soccer lovers
Enjoyable, but I'm not sure if someone who doesn't know the game would be thrilled with it. But if you give it a chance, it gives Americans an understanding of the most popular... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Frederick D. Fiene

1.0 out of 5 stars ILL-INFORMED
The biggest problem with this book is that, in support of its underlying theory, it presents as fact a multitude of false premises, bigoted stereotypes and gross inaccuracies... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Fiorano

3.0 out of 5 stars To the Uninitiated...
What does the average American know about the global picture of soccer? About as much as he or she knows about African politics or the migratory patterns of South American birds... Read more
Published 8 months ago by John Galluzzo

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Ever Soccer Fan
If you are a soccer fan, you simply must read this book. Every person I have passed the book along to has loved it and, like me, could not put it down. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Neil Chasan

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