See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

32 used & new from $0.06

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Tell the Publisher! I�d like to read this book on Kindle Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure (Hardcover)

by Alexander Wolff (Author)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.

6 new from $5.99 25 used from $0.06 1 collectible from $24.45

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Paperback			29 used & new from $1.21

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Heaven Is a Playground

by Rick Telander

5.0 out of 5 stars (22) $16.15

Crashing the Borders: How Basketball Won the World and Lost Its Soul at Home

by Harvey Araton

4.0 out of 5 stars (4)

Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond

by Paul Shirley

3.6 out of 5 stars (49) $10.20

The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Lives

by Neil Swidey

4.9 out of 5 stars (8) $12.71

Seven Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns

by Jack McCallum

4.5 out of 5 stars (26) $9.60

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
From basketball's origins in Canada to modern China--with stops in Iowa, Italy, Arizona, and Angola--Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure ably tracks the international growth and popularity of basketball. Alexander Wolff simply (and convincingly) explores basketball's reach as a driving force and saving grace.

Some countries mimic the NBA to the last detail, while the game provides a symbol of freedom and opportunity in more restrictive countries. Interviews with players, coaches, and local legends provide insight into how the sport has evolved, and what it means, in their respective countries. Perhaps most importantly, we see that, like soccer, basketball is a part of the social fabric, played everywhere by children, sometimes with little more than the rocks Dr. James Naismith had. Although Wolff covers much ground, he covers it quickly; details beyond the game are relatively sparse, as though he had a tight schedule. Still, the book is thoughtfully prepared, the interviews engaging, and Wolff a sure-handed writer.

So why the drive in small countries to play basketball? As a Lithuanian noted: "In Lithuania today, if you have money, you have no reputation, because your money is black [market] money. If you have reputation, you are teacher, scientist, artist--but you have no money. Only basketball player has money and reputation." True, this observation applies to many sports worldwide, but Big Game, Small World stands as part of the proof. --Michael Ferch

From Publishers Weekly
In his newest, Wolff (coauthor of Raw Recruits) sets off on his international tour of "the country of basketball" 16 different nations and eight states with his thesis: "Basketball is quick-cutting, digital, and perfectly adapted to... manifestations of American cultural power." And fortunately for fans, he's also a stylish reporter (for Sports Illustrated). Basketball is now stepping on the heels of soccer as the world's game (Wolff claims that 71% of middle-class teenagers worldwide play or watch, including "two of every three girls on the planet." In the middle of a 1998 Princeton game, Wolff had an epiphany: he would become a roundball anthropologist. His first expedition was to explore professional basketball culture in Europe and to record indigenous versions in Japan, the Philippines, Bhutan and Brazil. He proves that the game's essence transcends national boundaries, and he turns up dozens of dedicated, delightful even tragic basketball stories and characters in what will seem unlikely places to an average Kansas State fan, for instance. He doesn't neglect U.S. homegrown teams, however, and includes familiar interviews in Chapel Hill, Kansas and Texas but it is the new comparative basketball culture that excites his best writing.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Warner Books (January 10, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446526010
ISBN-13: 978-0446526012
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,280,070 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
I had bought the Russian nesting dolls from a street vendor in St. Petersburg. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
basketball federation, midnight basketball, national team, star guard

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Doc Naismith, New York, Karma Lam, Michael Jordan, Sister Rose, North Carolina, South Africa, Tel Aviv, Aulcie Perry, James Naismith, European Cup, Kansas City, Night Hoops, Qiao Dan, Ivory Coast, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Poor Clare, World War, Bill Bradley, Chapel Hill, Chicago Bulls, Hall of Fame, Air Gabon, European Championships

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 22 books:

A Right to Be Merry by Mother Mary Francis on page 299, and page 304
Time Present, Time Past by Bill Bradley on page 283, and Back Matter
Raw Recruits by Alexander Wolff in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Values of the Game by Bill Bradley on page 284, and Back Matter
Life on the Run by Bill Bradley on page 285, and Back Matter

See all 22 books this book cites

2 books cite this book:

The Meaning of Sports: Why Americans Watch Baseball, Football, and Basketball and What They See When They Do by Michael Mandelbaum in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Playing the Game: Inside Athletic Recruiting in the Ivy League by Chris Lincoln in Front Matter

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Michael Jordan and the New Global Capitalism, New and Expanded Edition by Walter Lafeber Ph.D.

Discusses:

Basketball's Most Wanted by Floyd Conner

Discusses:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Basketball

Discusses:

The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia by Jan Hubbard

Discusses:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).

basketball(12)

sports(9)

knight(3)

college(2)

john feinstein(2)

coaching(2)

john wooden(2)

ucla(2)

high school basketball(2)

stephon marbury(2)

harlem(1)

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent basketball travelogue., January 16, 2002

By	Jake Wilson (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

The book is a basketball travelogue that takes the reader around the world to illustrate the global nature and universal appeal of the game of basketball. As a fan of Ivy League basketball two chapters in particular stood out to me: "Philadelphia: Quaker Meeting House" and "Princeton, New Jersey: Through the Back Door"
As you might have guessed, the "Quaker meeting house" in question is the Palestra. The first half of the chapter recounts the past glories of the building while the latter half brings to life the famous Penn-Princeton game that took place on February 9, 1999.

The Princeton chapter deals with the legendary "Princeton offense." It uses the context of lunchtime pickup games at Princeton's Jadwin Gym to make its points and gives a wonderful look inside the family atmosphere that permeates Princeton basketball like few other college basketball programs.

I would add "Big Game, Small World" to a list of recommended basketball reading that includes John Feinstein's superb "The Last Amateurs."

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful journey, May 15, 2003

By	Brandon Wilkening (Bloomington, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an essential read for anyone interested in basketball history and all those, such as myself, who are excited by the increasingly international dimensions of the game. Wolff starts his journey in Princeton, the home of pure, fundamentals-driven b-ball, and visits many disparate corners of the globe, examining the local idiosyncrasies of the game through colorful anecdotes, a bit of philosophizing, and a great sense of humor. One of the things that caught my interest was hearing the names of former American hoopsters now playing overseas. Ever wonder what happened to Richard Dumas, the former Phoenix Sun who looked like a budding superstar in the 1993 NBA finals against the Chicago Bulls? You'll find out in this book. Another fascinating thing that caught my attention is the way in which hoops is so affected by politics in many countries. Wolff looks at how hoopsters had to literally dodge landmines to make it to their games in the former Yugoslavia and in present day Angola. His chapter on Africa is outstanding; it left me convinced that Africa is the real untapped reservoir of future NBA superstars. Another place in which b-ball and politics are inextricably entwined is China, where the state is finally loosening its hold over sports. In Bhutan, the monarch is literally the hoopster in chief. Wolff relates the interesting story of how hoops came to this tiny, Himalayan kingdom. These are just a few of the great stories contained within this book. Besides numerous international sojourns, Wolff also writes on the game closer to home, with some great chapters set in Philly, Peoria, Kansas City, and Washington D.C. I can't say much more other than to give this book my highest recommendations!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and Fascinating, June 4, 2002

By	Dan Diamond (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This may be the most far-reaching basketball book I have ever read. Wolff chronicles the game's impact and value in such disparate locations such as a modernizing China, the backwaters of Eastern Europe, and even within Bill Bradley's aborted 2000 presidential campaign!
Since the author visits such a long list of out-of-the-way places, you would expect his prose or reporting to suffer as the book progresses. Rather, Wolff keeps the story light and full of offbeat humor, while using his sharp skills to sniff out a story. For example, the author learns much about the Phillippines' national league and even meets the country's greatest player. Yet he is not satisfied with basketball's role in the country until he wanders the streets and unearths the tale of a local's fight to build a community court.
The story is broken down into epsiodes, as Wolff devotes each chapter to one of his stops. This makes it easy, should a particular subject or country interest you, to read the book slightly out of order. Yet the author does tie together many of his threads, and makes Big Game, Small World an informative look at the ways the game of basketball is shaping (and being shaped by) the world, as well as doubling as a minor commentary on many countries' natures and traditions.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 4 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A true vision of the global game
'Big Game, Small World' is a modern bible of basketball. The NBA has never been more popular, and just one look at any team's roster will tell you how global the game has become... Read more

Published on April 8, 2002 by Nate Sellyn

› See all 4 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

Active discussions in related forums

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
sports Authors, tell us about your sports novels	183	7 days ago
sports Great sports books on Amazon	22	10 days ago
sports New Tide Stain Release Available!	0	12 days ago

The Basketball community

Latest activity 1 day ago

1,279 customers have contributed 938 products, 8 discussions and more...

› Explore the community

The Sports community

Latest activity 4 hours ago

3,836 customers have contributed 4,232 products, 46 discussions and more...

› Explore the community

Explore more

› See all Customer Communities

› Your communities

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

Listmania!

Books By Basketball Players And Coaches: A list by hardertheyfall "Adam"
Incredible Basketball Books: A list by Mr. Basketball "Morris Johnson"
"Inside Look" Basketball Book List.: A list by Jeffrey P. Hoyle

Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...

wander Indiana.: A guide by Mark Gaines

Create a guide

Look for Similar Items by Category

Books > Sports > Basketball

Up to 50% Off Hot Brands in Skin Care

Get favorite name brands in skin care for face, body, and sun care, now up to 50% off at the skin care sale, only from Amazon Beauty.

›Shop all skin care

Big Savings in Books

Find great titles at fantastic prices in our Bargain Books Store.

Dive into Summer Reading

Don't even think about hitting the beach without browsing the books in our Summer Reading Store. Discover bestsellers, paperback picks, beach reads, and more terrific titles all summer long.