Review: How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization

Call me a lousy "educator," but I don't read many books.  And really, it's simply because I can rarely find the time to sit down and read an actual book of certain length.  I made an exception for this book--I simply replaced the time I spend daydreaming about Stuart Holden's rise to EPL stardom with some time spent reading How Soccer Explains the World, by Franklin Foer.

The book was finished in 2004, but it does a phenomenal job of avoiding an otherwise inevitable dating of itself.  Foer smartly proves that soccer is more than a game--it is a culture, a lifestyle, a necessity--but also a medium for the exploitation of (and recovery from) war, a religious experience, and an unavoidable force in a rapidly-globalizing world.

The book begins with a chapter explaining, more or less, how nationalist soccer gangs in Belgrade, Serbia influenced the Balkan Wars by taking advantage of the need for paramilitary groups and using their political influence to accomplish independence from Yugoslavia.

The Celtic-Rangers rivalry transcends
a mere sporting hatred.

The following chapter zeroes in on the Celtic-Rangers rivalry in Glasgow, Scotland (and elsewhere in the British Isles, as well).  The "Old Firm" rivalry, while outwardly a result of geographic proximity, is explained in this book as a battleground for the unfinished business of the Protestant Reformation.  It's mind-bogglingly sensible.

Other chapters include stories on the Jewish identity (through clubs such as Tottenham, Ajax, and actual Jewish clubs in Europe), economic exploitation among elites in Brazil and Italy, the African movement of soccer talent in the Ukraine, Islam's affect on the game in post-revolution Iran, the "discreet charm" of Catalonian nationalism of Barcelona fans as it relates to other nationalist movements worldwide, etc.

The final chapter briefly talks about the almighty American soccer debate, relating it to American culture wars and pro- and anti-European sentiments.  This is the only chapter where the book's age becomes a remote issue--it obviously cannot include the exponential growth of the sport in the public eye since the book's publishing.

The book is incredible for soccer fans of all levels, as well as those who would appreciate the obvious geopolitical essays it contains.  If you identify with any of the cultures listed above, you need to read it.  Shit, if you've ever been to church or a place of religious worship of any kind, you need to read it.  Franklin Foer shows us not only why fans like us need the game, but also why those who resent the game can't avoid it.

NEXT: How the newly-approved World Cup qualifying format hurts the US in more ways than one.