How Football Explains The World Paperback – 2 Mar. 2006

Having grown up in the United States, I was poorly equipped to handle the football culture I encountered when moving to Europe a few years ago. Aside from not having a strong grasp on the sport's rules (I grew up playing baseball), I had zero understanding of the history and dynamics of specific clubs and of their importance to different cities and countries. While I have finally been able to learn the rules of the game thanks to the kids in my neighborhood, I owe this book much thanks for helping me better comprehend the bigger meaning of the sport. At a minimum, when I travel I at least know what clubs I should be supporting.I would recommend this book for anyone, like me, who is clueless about the non-athletic aspects of the sport. It definitely gave me a greater appreciation for football while teaching me a bit of history at the same time.

I may not agree with all of the author's conclusions but he should be congratulated for tackling such an ambitious project. The book is a welcome alternative to those of us who love football but dont want to read hoolifan biogs, partisan club volumes, or another Fever Pitch impersonator.The chapters dealing with Serb hooligans and the Balkan wars (what about the Croats?), the Jewish question, and Iran are especially good and provided information that was new to even this football-obsessed reader. The chapter on Italy is excellent and expertly anticipates the match-fixing scandal of Summer 2006.Well worth reading.

This review refers to the US version of the book, which I presume is virtually the same, save for a minor change to the title.The first thing to be said is that the title is rather misleading. Foer doesn't really exlpain quite how "football explains the world" - which is understandable was such a grandiose claim seems a little overblown. The blurb of the book also refers to globalisation and its effects on football, an issue that Foer sometimes loses track of. The chapter titles are also rather tiring, each begins, 'How Football Explains...' (eg, "How Football Explains Islam's Hope"). However, that said the book is well worth reading. The chapter on Serbian fans is particularly informing, showing just how the conflicts in the region express themselves and even had their roots in football and the fans of teams such as Red Star. The Nigeria-Ukrian connect is also good, showing how trends and fashions in football are quickly made and then jumped on by other clubs.Foer's major argument - that globalisation has eliminated neither local cultural identities nor violent hatred among fans of rival teams - is clearly explained, though most football fans could have told you the same thing.How Football Explains the World is very similar to (some might say derivitive of)Simon Kuper's superb 'Football Against the Enemy'. If you haven't read 'Football Against the Enemy' then read it before you buy this, it is the better book, and it did what Foer has done more than a decade before him. Still, Foer's book is worth picking up, sort of as a companion piece to Kuper's.

I am what you could call an avid reader of any book relating to football and therefore I attempted to tackle this book as I felt it would reflect my own thoughts and experiences of the peoples game. I was disappointed when I tried to get into it. I found it heavy going and although interesting it was unlike other books in the fact that I could easily put it down.It is for the researchers and sociologists out there and not necessarily for us 'ordinary' fans.

A few cultural anecdotes that were interesting. (Hence the two stars)However some major innacuracies in the book caused through shallow research. A bit like looking through one window for a few seconds and summing up the life of an entire home. It’s not completely accurate, it can be biased and aside from this the book has no real analysis, it doesn’t explain much despite the title indicating thus.Got the impression the book was written to sell a book, not to share real knowledge.Not a horrendous read, just disappointed I sat and persisted with it.

Chosen by my book club, I found this book out of date and tedious. The author conveyed the story from a journalistic and personal experience perspective, however it reads like a textbook. The epilogue indicates it is a discussion on football as a tool of globalization. Each chapter seem unrelated (aside football theme), and do not prove globalization or a reaction to it. There was no denouement to this story. The key argument is not till the final chapter, and this has proven true in USA politics and globalization in the 20 years since this was written.

I thought it was an fascinating read, showing how much more there is to the wonderful game of football.

I'm not in a position to comment on most sections of this book, but as someone who has lived their whole life in Glasgow I am qualified to comment on the section regarding the so called 'old firm' rivalry.I have no idea how the writer researched this book, but the information regarding the history of the two teams and Scottish society in general is so biased and ill informed as to be offensive. Read any legitimate history of Scotland and such a blinkered viewpoint will not appear. A warning to anyone outside of Scotland who reads this - don't believe everything you read. If you are interested in a more balanced history of Glasgow and Scottish society since the 1850's I would recommendIrish: The Remarkable Saga of a Nation and a City