Product Description

Soccer is much more than a game, or even a way of life. It's a perfect window into the crosscurrents of today's world, with all its joys and sorrows. In this remarkably insightful, wide-ranging work of reportage, Franklin Foer takes us on a surprising tour through the world of soccer, shining a spotlight on the clash of civilizations, the international economy, and just about everything in between. How Soccer Explains the World is an utterly original book that makes sense of our troubled times.

Customer Reviews (105)

Well-Written and Entertaining, but Empty of Content
I can understand why a middle-aged editor (Franklin Foer is the editor of the New Republic, a very well-established and prestigious magazine that no one reads) would want to take 8 months off from his high-pressure job to travel around the world, watch soccer games, and then write a book about it.I can also understand why publishers would want to publish it (because as Foer tells us there's a lot of American yuppies who grew up playing soccer).But I cannot understand why Franklin Foer insists on trying to instill metaphysical meaning into a glorified reporting vacation, and discuss how soccer "explains" the world (actually, I can understand why -- it's because he's the editor of a prestigious magazine that no one reads).

In "How Soccer Explains the World" Franklin Foer travels to soccer hot spots (for whatever reason, he starts off in Scotland, a place more known for rain and golf than for soccer), and instructs on the peculiarities of each region, and when convenient or possible comments on how globalization has affected the soccer economy (remember, this is a book about how soccer "explains the world).So we learn that corruption is particularly bad in Brazil, that referees are corrupt in Italy, and Nigerian players are mistreated by corrupt agents and they'll go to any place to play soccer.And there are a lot of soccer hooligans around.In other words, the world is a corrupt and violent place where the poor try to escape into rich countries.And that's why soccer can also be a corrupt and violent sport where poor players try to play for rich clubs.So there you go -- soccer does explain the world.

To be fair, this book is very pleasant to read, and it is well-written.And we do learn why soccer hooligans exist, and I think it's a very good explanation.It's not because they're poor or because they're angry or because they're misguided.It's because they like being violent, and nationalism gives them good cover for their senseless brutality.This also explains why we have bank robbers (it's not because they like being retards, it's because they like that violent rush of risking your life for not a lot of money), Special Forces soldiers (who are basically bank robbers who don't rob banks), and NFL players (who are bank robbers who don't rob banks and who didn't join the Special Forces).

HORRIBLE DELIVERY
the book is in horrible shape even though i bought i brand new, and on top of that it took forever to get delivered so i didnt have a book for class.

How Soccer Explains The World
This book was very well written. Franklin Foer's use of soccer as a way to explain the temper of the world today was very clever. From globalization,religion and politics,Franklin brings it all together in a well conceived book.If Americans can't understand the world's attraction to soccer this is the book to start!

Good quick summary for a beginner
My knowledge of soccer is limited to my son's games and watching some World Cup games, so this book is full of information that was new and fresh for me. I didn't buy into the idea that soccer explains or reflects globalization -- a silly idea that was probably necessary for the author to get a book contract -- but if that was the excuse for him to do a survey of the top teams in the world, that's fine with me.

It's a fun run around the globe, popping in to visit some of the most famous teams in the world and finding out how they got where they are.But I also suspected, as other reviewers have noted, that the facts aren't quite as portrayed in the book. The concluding chapter on soccer in the US is silly and superficial, and I suspect that a deep fan of soccer in any of the other countries described would also feel that the author has taken a few facts and a few cliches and woven them together to fit his thesis, rather than developing a thesis that fit the facts.

I'm left with one big question. I can't tell if hooliganism is really dangerous around the world, or not. It seems like it's a terror, given the lunatics that the author spends time with. Unquestionably, they are thugs with deep records of violence. On the other hand, real people go to games every week, and they don't wind up in the hospital. So, how is this happening? The author doesn't really explain how a regular person can go to a game in some of those arenas and not be beaten to a pulp either on the way in or on the way home.

Still, I enjoyed the book and marveled at some of the anecdotes that were shared. The way that star players and team owners have leveraged their fame is astounding -- and it makes the success of a baseball owner or football player turned US Senator pale in comparison.For a good understanding of how fervid the interest in soccer is around the world and what it means to the culture, this book is a great place to start.

Disappointing
I grew up in the US before youth soccer programs grew to their current popularity. Thus, when I began playing in a weekly office soccer game and found that it was truly a beautiful game, I immediately tried to immerse myself in soccer history, strategy, and lore. I added this book to my reading list because of the title. I am, by trade, a political economist - combining globalization and soccer seemed like a charming idea. I was grossly disappointed.

The book is written in a journalistic style that is easy to read and the anecdotes are rather entertaining. That is, however, the extent to which I found this book at all enjoyable. First, the author's narrative often fails to connect the anecdotes with the broader point that he is attempting to make. Even worse, the author often makes claims and offers no support for those claims. When reading pop-nonfiction, one must, to some extent, trust the author's claims. However, the author is attempting to connect soccer to well studied social phenomena - and on many ocassions gets it wrong. Moreover, the author's obvious biases make it incredibly difficult not to scoff at his assertions, especially when he offers no support other than his own word.

Additionally, the title suggests that soccer will be somehow tied to globalization, and yet the author only mentions globalization in terms of continued racism. I am inclined to believe that despite his experience with political journalism, the author has only the most basic understanding of the popular notion of globalization and is incapable of providing a meaningful application and analysis. This book is not an analysis or a fresh look at soccer. Instead it is the result of a journalist taking a year off from work, traveling around to watch soccer games and collect stories, and then trying to find a way to write them up in a book with a more intriguing title than "Tales from the pitch".

On more than one ocassion, I read segments of the book aloud to various people for cheap laughs - colleagues, my political economist/soccer fanatic boyfriend, my boyfriends soccer fanatic friends. It is at best, a collection of interesting stories about soccer with some very poor narrative in between. If that's all you're looking for, read this book. If you are looking for something more substantive, look elsewhere.
... Read more

Product Description
Written by soccer great and championship Stanford coach Bobby Clark, COACHING YOUTH SOCCER: THE BAFFLED PARENT'S GUIDE tells you how, starting at point zero, an uninitiated coach can meld kids into a team and help them enjoy one of the most rewarding experiences of their youth. (In the end, you may be the one who reaps the biggest reward, as you watch kids learn and grow in an experience they'll treasure for a lifetime.) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Much Better than the typical "American Way"
I enjoyed this book and found it useful, particularly because of theauthor's philosophy. American kids often get bulliedhard by "Little League" parents who try to live their previous sports lives through the vicarious experience of their children. This either ruins the kids' love of the game, turns them into bullies themselves, or simply makes them miserable. By teaching kids the joy of the game Coach Bobby Clark's approach has the effect of putting a "fire in the belly" and instills a desire to keep learning. The drills, the graduated approach to learning, the emphasis on relaxation of rules (until the rules become truly meaningful) help make this book a really useful tool for "baffled parents," or in my case, grandparents. Thanks to Coach Clark.... it's easy to understand why he has had such a successful career.

Excellent teaching guide
This book is great for the first time coach.I played soccer in high school, but am just now coaching my first team and it has been a great tool!

Took Me from Clueless to Competent
This book took me from being a total non-athlete, knowing nearly nothing about soccer and never having coached anything before, to being a coach with a plan.I am coaching my son's U8 soccer team, and even with this book it has been a challenge, but without the book, I would have been completely lost.Here's what the book did for me:

(1) it taught me the rules of soccer.I did have a bit of trouble understanding the offside rule as stated in the book, so I had to ask a friend to clarify for me.

(2) it taught me the most fundamental soccer skills: dribbling, passing, shooting.

(3) it gave me sample practices and a general structure to use as templates for my own practices, and it gave me plenty of games and drills to choose from to fill them.

(4) it told me what to do on game day.

(5) it prepared me for the psychology of my wild and crazy boys.This is key.I am a female "intellectual type" who has never really played or enjoyed watching sports (and has never worked with this age group), so the whole mindset was completely foreign to me.It prepared me for the facts that they would listen to only the briefest of instructions, that they needed to be moving at almost all times, that for them no drill or game would be as exciting as JUST SOCCER, in its pure form.

So why four stars?There's one thing that could really improve this book, and that is some kind of guide, for all the games and drills in the book, that would rate the maturity level and skill level needed for each one.Maybe also a minimum child-to-adult ratio required to run it successfully.(Unfortunately ours is 10 to 1.)As a U8 coach in a relatively casual city recreation league, I am at the very bottom end of the intended audience for this book.And because of my inexperience, it is very difficult for me to tell which of the drills are appropriate for my team, until I get onto the field with them to try it.By then it's too late, and the failed drill can make it hard to re-engage the kids for the next activity.For this reason I plan to order the guide for 6-and-under soccer even though my kids are over six.I need some tried-and-true tricks for engaging the youngest players when things aren't going the way I planned.

Overall I am very grateful for this book and what it has done for our team.

Excellent - don't be put off by the title
This is an excellent book for ANY youth soccer coach - don't be put off by the title.

It has tons of drills and games you can instantly put into play at your next practice to keep things fun and fresh for the kids.

I've coached both girls and boys teams even though I never played the game, and I used many of the games, drills, and skills from this book to make my teams the best they could be.

The Baffled Parents Guide to Coaching Youth Soccer
Very helpful.First time coach.Had a winning season largely thanks to this book. ... Read more

Product Description

101 Great Youth Soccer Drills is an exhaustive collection of the very best drills available, providing a solid foundation for you to build your players' skills. Filled with simple step-by-step instructions and diagrams, plus a sample practice program, this encyclopedia of drills provides you with solid skill-building fundamentals as well as the advanced techniques you need to get your players in top form.

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Book for New Coaches
I am a new coach and use this book regulary for ideas for practice for my 9 year old's recreational team.I like how the chapters are divided into separate sections as to type of drill required:Defense, offense, etc.The author provides very simple step by step drills and pictures to help quickly reference the right skill.

My only complaint, not really a complaint but a suggestion - it would be nice to have some more details on building/progressing each drill - i.e. such as adding defenders or progressing a drill into separate activities (if that makes sense).

Bottomline, I recommend this book to any new or recreational soccer coach that wants to add diverse and fun drills to his/her practice!

Great book for coaches of youth soccer
This book has many great examples of drills and entire practices. I modify many but the book really helps me think of different techniques to try to emphasize different skills.

great book
excellent drills and good examples. I am a third year coach and find this book extremely helpful.

The Soccer Bible.....
I don't read alot of books. I think the last one was in High School, and I'm 30. I was sucked into this book. Once I started reading the book the wheels in my head started turning faster. This book is a breath of fresh air to my coaching career. To an author/coach I owe so much, now I know why you coached. Thank You for opening my eyes and refreshing my memory of the good ol' days. Great Book!

Bobby Benavides
San Antonio, Texas ... Read more

Product Description
Once considered to be a solely European sport, soccer has now surpassed baseball in popularity among American schoolchildren. Geared toward kids aged seven to twelve, this easy-to-understand book includes such topics as the history of the game, the basics of how to play, suggestions on how to become a better player, and fun soccer trivia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Brooks Clark "Kicks" Tail
As a long time recreation coach and soccer parent, Brooks Clark offer the side of the game perfect for all coaches just starting out, or for any parents who know little about the game their children are playing.Concise and fun, a great read for the basic rules and strategies of soccer.

I am feeling more confident while training my son
I read this book and now I feel all the more confident while training my son and his friends. I can explain them about the basics and the game and how to plan their game. Tecnicalities of the game are exaplined well in this book. Go ahead and buy this book to learn the basics of this game.

The Perfect Introduction
Whether a child, parent, or first time coach with no prior knowledge, this book is the perfect introduction to children's soccer.Add your league specifics and develop technically as you go. A first, must read.

Very helpful and easy to understand.
I am the first time coach of a second grade boys soccer team.This bookwas very easy to understand for the kids as well as myself. For kids thatare relatively new to the game it explains positions, the different kindsof kicks and the all around basics of soccer without getting too technical.It has been a great aid for our team.

An excellent guide for beginning players and new coaches
This book provides a brief introduction to soccer, at the right level of detail for those new to the game. My 11-year-old son found the summary of the rules and strategies quite helpful. As a new coach, I was glad to have a compact volume that included most of what I needed to know. There are other books that provide more detail on the game and more exercises and drills for soccer players -- but this is the ideal "first book" for someone just learning about the game. I recommend it highly. ... Read more

Product Description
It's the day of the big game, and Froggy is ready.His soccer team is playing the Wild Things for the City Cup. All Froggy has to do is remember the rule: "Head it! Boot it! Knee it! Shoot it! BUT DON'T USE YOUR HANDS!"But Froggy's busy doing cartwheels and picking daisies.Uh oh, Froggy! Here comes the ball! Budding soccer players and Froggy's many fans will welcome Froggy's latest hilarious adventure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Froggy Plays Soccer
Do you like soccer? Then come to see a soccer game with Froggy. Froggy Plays Soccer is a book about Froggy playing soccer. First, Froggy gets dressed for his big soccer game. Then Froggy's father takes him to the game. Froggy starts picking his nose. Suddenly the ball bounces off Froggy's chest. Find out what happens next.

I like many parts in this book. One part I like is pretty disgusting. That part is when Froggy picks his nose. I like this nasty part. Do you like this disgusting part?

This book is very interesting. It may even be interesting to babies. You should get this book. If you want to get this book, go to the Scholastic Book Club. I recommend that you read this book.

Review Written By: Jelani D, Age 7.5, Brooklyn, NY

Another Froggy Adventure
As a fairly new reader of Jonathan London's stories about Froggy I really enjoyed this one.The really neat combination of amphibian and human characterisities makes Froggy a favorite with students.In this one Froggy is on a soccer team and tries to follow the rules and inadvertally wins the game for his side,So he goes home a hero to a snack of milk and dried flies.

Adults can enjoy reading these
My six year old grandson loves these books and they don't drive me crazy reading them over and over.There are also a lot of them so I can always add to his collection.They make great companions to the more classic Frog an Toad books.(What is it about frogs and little boys?)

Great book - lousy binding
My son loves this book, but after about 4 readings it started to fall apart and about 5 pages are now floating around somewhere in my house.Great book, just get the hardcover copy.

Book falls apart
This is my grandson's favorite Froggy story. However, the quality of the paper back book is abysmal. Both copies fell apart within 24 hours, with the middle pages detaching almost at once. Children's books must be durable and these are not. Don't waste your money. ... Read more

Product Description
A PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

A games-based alternative to tedious rote exercises, guaranteed to keep practices fun, engaging, and productive

Great Soccer Drills provides soccer coaches with a great way to make every soccer practice active, fun, and productive. Coaches get 125 games guaranteed to keep kids moving and excited while teaching them basic skills, sharpening their reflexes, and building their confidence and decision-making ability. Written by two of North America's foremost names in youth soccer coaching, it also includes guidelines on how to create just the right blend of drills to hold the attention of six- to twelve-year-old players.

Great Soccer Drills can be used in conjunction with the bestselling Coaching Youth Soccer: A Baffled Parent's Guide or as an excellent stand-alone resource for spicing up any practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Love this book!
I started coaching soccer last year with no idea where to begin. This book was a blessing to me and to my players. We were able to put together a winning season, but most importantly, the players had fun, were not bored and they learned alot.

A good manual for ideas
This book has proved a valuable resource for getting our U10 soccer team going.It provides numerous drills that are at once fun for the kids (8 & 9 year olds still play mostly for fun), and also effective at building skills.Used in conjunction with The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Soccer, it can provide a basic set of plans for any level of soccer play up to about U16.

Great Resource
I am a USSF National "D" license coach who also recently took the USYSA National Youth License Course. This book is an excellent resource and mirrored many of the things that were taught in the course. Don't let the title fool you; it is about teaching soccer through games and fun activities. I used it to supplement my training sessions at the U-9 competitve level here in Florida for my team and we had great success.I would recommend this book to anyone, including rec and competitive coaches for U-12 and below, especially. We are working on getting every coach in our club one of these books as well.

Perfect resource for efficient, age-appropriate training.
I'm an "A" Licensed coach who recently took the USSF National Youth License.This book was recommended by them.The course was excellent and this book, written by the same people who wrote the curriculum for the NYL, is a mirror-image.I found this such a great resource, I purchased one for every coach in my club.

Essential reading for any "baffled" parent...
While reading, Great Soccer Drills : The Baffled Parent's Guide by Thomas Fleck, I partiticipated as an assistant Soccer Coach on my son's team. I was familiar with his coach from a prior experience and knew this particular coach was difficult to communicate with. Shortly after beginning the practice season I was able to use Mr. Flecks book to identify some troubling aspects of our bi-weekly soccer practices. Our youth soccer league had endorsed the sort of "small sided" games illustrated in the book, however the teams coach would insist on using complicated drills for an older age group. The result was a group of young boys overwhelmed by the complicated drills who would then be subjected to repeated "stomach crunches" for not listening or following the drills. By reading the book, I was able to see that this situation bordered on abuse and I withdrew my child from that particular practice and team situation. My whole family is greatful for the thoughtful and "child centered" approach to coaching youth soccer presented in this very informative guide. ... Read more

Product Description
THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

The Everything Kids' Soccer Book: Rules, Techniques, & more
This book was good. The format was easy to read. Each section could have been longer.I wish defense was covered as well as offense. Ace, age 11

Good but be careful with kids age
Bought this book for my entire girls U8 team.
Although they were excited this turned out to be difficult for them to read.
The youngest reading level would probably be 3rd grade unless your child is a particularly good reader.
Nonetheless, this book is very good.
Lots of games and pictures and easy to explain concepts.
Definitely what I was looking for, but something my girls weren't quite able to read.

A Great Book For Kids
I coach a team of 8 through 10 year old girls, and I bought the book hoping to find an explanation for offside that kids that age could understand.

While that element was only so-so, I found that the book is a great resource for kids in many areas of the game. Truth is, I personally learned some things (like the "Argentina" free kick play) from this book as well.

Some things I liked:
- Most of the book is written in simple terms (there are a couple areas that might confuse kids)
- Puzzles and games and such to keep kids' attention
- Many areas of the game covered from rules to technique

Some things I didn't like:
- While it is for kids, it is not clearly geared to any particular age group, so there are parts that are too complicated for younger kids and still other parts that would seem too "childish" to older kids (overall, I felt it would be most useful to the 8 and 9 year olds on my team).
- The puzzles and games don't do anything to reinforce the information learned in the book. They are just for entertainment.

Overall a very good book, and for 8 bucks, it's definitely worth a buy if soccer is your kid's thing.

--------------
I liked the book so much, on 3/23/09, I accidentally reviewed it a 2nd time. My opinion hasn't changed much. Here is what I more recently said:

I coach girls under 10, and this is the best book I have found for them; but parents and coaches can also benefit from some of the information in it.

Some of the things that I really like are...

For kids:
- It is written in an easy to understand, simple manner.
- There are several games in the book, including mazes and crosswords.
- Lots of graphics and diagrams
- Big type

For adults:
- The easy to understand language is great for clarifying things like the often misunderstood "offside" rule.
- Information like field dimensions and "parts" of the field
- Book encourages good nutrition in your kids
- Small section with practice games

I even learned a set free-kick play that I use with my tournament team from it.

If you check my other reviews, you will see that I read many books on soccer, sports, and coaching in general, and I highly recommend this book for kids 9 and under as well as adults who need a kid's introduction to soccer.

The Everything Kids' Soccer Book
I enjoyed this book as it provided the information I needed to refresh my memory as I committed to coach a girl's soccer team, 8 & 9 year olds.

It provides a great breakdown of information for someone beginning their coaching career or as a refresher for someone who has coached in the past.

Daughter Enjoys
My daughter has learned a lot from this read, it is informative and talks about rules of the game as well as moves. ... Read more

Product Description

Soccer is fun - let's play!

Find all the basics in this lively guide.

• The markings on a soccer field
• What soccer players wear
• The positions, from forward to goalkeeper
• The excitement of pasing a ball
• The thrill of making a goal

All these and more are included, with a useful glossary at the end.

Customer Reviews (2)

Great for four year olds!
My two love this book.It breaks the principles of the game into simplistic steps and basic explanations which are perfect for preschoolers.The bold pictures make the book enjoyable for the boys to "read" to themselves sometimes, too.

Good for 4 or 5 year olds.
I was very disappointed when I first looked at this book.It is very basic and hardly seems to provide enough information to be worthwhile.But when I read it to my four year old it solicited a string of questions.So it probably has the about the right amount of information for a very basic introduction to soccer, which is all the intended audience is ready for.Overall I would recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
The world's most popular sport has hit the big time in the U.S., and this guide is just what fans have been waiting for! It's brimming with tips and techniques, official rules and regulations, coaching advice, and much more.

You'll get a kick out of the winning tips from U.S. Men's and Women's National Soccer Team stars as they lead you to better dribbling, passing, coaching -- even watching the game. Whether you're a soccer mom or dad sitting on the sidelines or the next Brandi Chastain, Soccer For Dummies initiates you into the world of this popular international sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Definitely for the beginner,
it will get you started understanding soccer and offer opinions on great teams and their players.

Soccer for Dummies
I bought this book for my husband because my son started Soccer for the 1st time and my husband has no clue about the sport. He says that this book has helped him out a lot in understanding the game!

You won't learn how soccer is played from this book
I just wanted to know what the rules, plays, and basic strategies of soccer were. There's almost none of that here - I wasted my money.

Soccer for Dummies
I knew nothing about soccer and was tasked with coaching a U-6 team. This book was a great tool in introducing me to the world of soccer. There are a lot of great suggestions about how to play and coach. I think the next book I buy will be "Coaching Soccer for Dummies". (I didn't know this one existed until after I bought the former.) "Soccer for Dummies" is great for anyone interested in soccer, from the player to the soccer moms and dads.

A well-rounded intro to the game of Soccer
Soccer For Dummies is an excellent introduction for anyone who wants to understand the game of soccer. This book covers every aspect of the game, from the rules and the equipment used all the way up to soccer strategies and formations. This work also provides detailed information about international soccer and soccer clubs. The only improvement I could suggest for this book is that some of the illustrations are not helpful and that certain rules are not illustrated (the offsides rules definitely needs an illustration or two). ... Read more

Product Description
Master all the fundamentals that matter on the pitch with Soccer Skills & Drills. This comprehensive instructional guide for players and coaches alike teaches the techniques necessary for success as well as games and drills to hone your skills to perfection.

Learn to dribble, receive, pass, shoot, head, tackle, and guard the goal with guidance from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the top coaches’ organization in the United States. Then use the 80 progressively arranged games and drills to practice those skills in competitive situations and small-sided games. The insightful teaching points and effective practice activities will reinforce your execution of the fundamentals and expand your repertoire of techniques and tactics.

Dozens of photographs and diagrams are provided to help you visualize the technical instruction, while the application of each skill is described from both tactical and positional perspectives. More than a drill book, Soccer Skills & Drills is the information-packed resource that will elevate any player’s game! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very Good Drills!
This quality soccer book will teach you how to learn to
dribble, receive, pass, shoot, head and tackle.
Coaches and parents will also gain valuable teaching techniques.
A good read!







This reviewer also recommends these popular soccer products!
Championship Soccer Drills
Backyard Soccer Drills
Schupak's Soccer 6 Pack DVD Set

Good suppoort!
I purchased this book on the heels of completing my "E" coaching license.It's great in explaining proper technique of soccer basics with specific drills to help the youth player develop the right skills.I would also recommend for the coach searching to get a refresher for older players who need help with the basics.If you are just starting out in your soccer coaching career, volunteering to coach your kids team, or a parent who wants to help their child get the right form in the backyard don't hesitate to add this book to the library.It's even more powerful when combined with the DVD from the NSCAA entitled "Technical Training: Critical Coaching Points."Good luck! ... Read more

Product Description
Rhyming text and spirited illustrations take readers through the exciting ups and downs of a neighborhood soccer game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great way to begin reading!
I bought this book for my 4 year old granddaughter, Lily, and soon she was able to sound out all the words and read the book to her younger brother. She loves to learn and she loves this book!

Gift for a 6 year old
This book was a gift for my surrogate granddaughter who is 6 years old.I gave it to her last Wednesday, but she had not read it before I left her house.I thought the book was cute.I hope she liked it. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Magnificent reference book
If you write about football or just are a regular fan this Encyclopedia will give you a wealth of facts and history behind the 'beautiful game'.

From the start in English schools to the multi-billion dollar industry that world football is today this book details with the growth through stats, history, photos, and historic scores.

Highly recommended for any footy fan. ... Read more

Product Description
The key to successful coaching is preparing your players to make intelligent decisions on the field. For years, the best-selling Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer has helped coaches of every level do just that. Now, soccer's premier coaching resource has been updated and expanded to provide you with more insights into developing individual talent, team tactics, and winning play.

Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer provides you with over 125 drills for teaching skills and techniques. You'll also learn how to develop these skills in realistic game situations with beginning, intermediate, advanced, and all-star players.

Essential skills are presented, including collecting and controlling, passing, dribbling, kicking, heading, and goalkeeping. You'll then apply those individual skills with attacking and defensive tactics, team formations, and set pieces. With Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer, you'll learn the what, how, and why of soccer through these essentials:

• Over 125 drills for beginning, intermediate, advanced, and all-star players
• Progressing basic drills into realistic, competitive situations
• Tactics in attack and defense
• Tactics in set plays
• Team management
• Mental and physical preparation for games
• Handling problem players and parents
• Fitness and conditioning
• Preparing and developing coaching sessions
• Establishing a coaching philosophy

Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer is an invaluable guide for coaching any team in any setting. The best team doesn't always win--but it usually does. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

awsome
I used this book quite a bit this past soccer season.It gave me many ideas to use when coaching my child's team

I wish I'd found this book when I first started coaching
I'm your typical parent/volunteer coach with absolutely zero background in the sport. While I really enjoyed the game and enjoyed coaching, I certainly struggled at first and found it very difficult to gather information from a variety of sources. But, I stuck with it and improved as a coach and moved on to coach my younger kids, too. Then, last year, having moved up to coaching at a slightly more competitive level, I discovered this book. I've been through it several times and it is the foundation for most of my practices.
I can't recommend this book enough to a beginning or slightly experienced parent/coach. The organization of the book is first-rate. Each skill is explained in detail, with plenty of photos and diagrams to get the point across, then the authors present several drills (with progressions for better players) to reinforce the teaching of a given skill. There's information on the basic skills of the game (dribbling, shooting, receiving, etc...), as well as tactics and coaching techniques. I'm currently coaching my daughter's U8 team and son's U10 team. There's definitely a gap in skillset between the two ages, yet this book has plenty of drills for both.

Solid Soccer Book for Beginning to Intermediate Coaches
Solid Soccer Manual for Beginning to Intermediate Coaches.

Good diagrams.
Good explinations.
The coaches progressions are reasonable so that you can see how to "regress" (dumb down) or "progress" (ramp up) each of the drills.

Re-Read-ability: Has good re-readability and is useful as a reference during season and (more importantly) next season. There are some very popular Soccer coaching books that I have read once and then shelved. Skills & Strategies is a book that you can page through time and again, lift drills straight from the book or spark new ideas for training sessions -- the more one coaches the more one "sees" the idea behind a drill or the concept being taught and then creates a new one tailered to your own teams needs. Skills & Strategies has good breadth (technique/tactics/coaching philosophy/team concepts/team management)but not just latest fades.

ie. Set Pieces -- doesn't try to give you the "definitive set-up" for each player but rather tries to diagram the main lanes of attack.

Problems: As with any book w/ the word "Complete" in its title, it is not actually complete -- its more of a, "What every beginning/intermediate soccer coach should know...." But as a large part of soccer coaching is the ability to see and teach re-occuring patterns, this book is worth the money.

This book has everything you'll ever need on soccer coaching.Buy this and you won't need any other soccer coaching book.
Reviewed by Rory, UK - a PE specialist teacher and sports coach

This book is the bible of soccer coaching but it is useful to anyone involved in the game, coaches, teachers and players alike.It covers skills for beginners, intermediate and advanced players with a load of information to help coaches with the progression of their pupils.

The first edition was a best seller and this second edition has been excellently updated.I only wish I'd known of the book whilst at University as it would have been of huge benefit when writing assignments covering the techniques of soccer and how to coach effectively but now that I have found it I am looking to it for advice whenever I coach.

There is plenty of technical information eg on taking penalties and techniques for throw ins, including information covering the tactical benefits of the long throw which I found of particular use as information on this is quite rare.I particularly like the fact that the book emphasises a positive approach to coaching based on skill and fair play and also gives information on good nutrition and diet.The book is arranged in such an easy to use manner that, if my team was weak on attacking, I could easily find the chapter and read up about what was needed to correct the problem.

Hargreaves and Bate clearly have a wealth of experience in soccer coaching; their technique sessions are well illustrated and can easily be replicated on the training field and on the pitch.They don't just assume that coaches will have total obedience from their players and there is an excellent chapter in the book about how to cope with problem players and parents!

Excellent use of colour, diagrams, photographs and layout.Glossary included - so you can really prove that you know what you're talking about!

As I said, everyone involved in soccer would benfefit from this book but, for a practical handbook, as well as a great reference book for those "studying" the game or wanting to have a better understanding of what it is all about, this is a great investment.Buy it!
... Read more

Product Description
Football is one of the most followed sports in the United Kingdom and Europe and these fans will love to read about the greatest stars on the football pitch and the trivia surrounding them. This book contains full colour photographs and facts about players from many countries. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is for all those who find themselves at soccer games and not fully understanding what's going on. It clearly explains the "beautiful game" so that none of the excitement is missed. It spells out what each player at each position is supposed to do, describes the skills and talents needed to perform well, and lays out the basic offensive and defensive strategies teams employ to secure a win. Books currently available on soccer focus on how to play or how to coach the game. This is the only book written for those watching a game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

When your grandkids play Soccer .. .
and you don't have the slightest idea what's going on (where's the quarterback? who fouled whom?) this is the book for you.Sure the kids will love Grandpa even if he doesn't know the difference between an indirect free kick and a direct free kick is but certainly you don't want to sound dumb to their team-mate's Soccer Moms/Dads do you?

A well written book that will have you following Chivas USA or the Sounders or equivalent in short order.

No Kindle formatting issues either. ... Read more

Product Description
When veggie-nibbling Grazers and meat-munching Biters take to the soccer field, it's a showdown of prehistoric proportions.Herbivores and carnivores play a hilarious and closely fought soccer match (ref'd by a dodo bird, naturally) in front of a stadium full of cheering dinosaurs.

This is the follow-up to the popular picture book Dino-Hockey/ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review
Reviewed by: Wayne Walker

Can you imagine what might happen if a group of meat-eating dinosaurs got together with a group of plant-eating dinosaurs for a friendly game of soccer? Lisa Wheeler, author of the popular Dino-Hockey, whimsically describes how the Biters in blue, with T.Rex as their striker, challenge the Grazers in gold, with Ankylosaurus as their striker, to a soccer match. The Grazers get the first point as Diplodocus makes a goal. Then Gallimimus scores one for the Biters. Next Apatosaurus makes it 2-1 for the Grazers. And Allosaurus hits the ball into the net to tie the game for the Biters at 2-2. So, who will win? And can you guess what the dinos will play next?

Most kids love anything dealing with dinosaurs. And soccer has become a very popular sport in the United States. So why not put the two together into a fun story for young children? The rhyming play-by-play style of narration makes this a good read-aloud book for Kindergarten and early elementary-age students. And the comical paintings by illustrator Barry Gott emphasize the action moves. Wheeler has met hundreds of soccer-playing youngsters who asked her to write a dino-soccer book. Gott spent much of his childhood both playing soccer and playing with toy dinosaurs. Working with each other, they have produced a winning combination.

Great Book for the little Soccer player!
Our 4 year old son loves this book. It has been hard to find sports books that keep his attention but he makes us read this one every night. Def. worth checking out!

How do we play?HARD!!! What do we play with?Our feet!!!Watch out because Dino-Soccer is about to start!
The dino fans are clustering around the outside edges of the locker room hoping to get an autograph or at least a glimpse of their favorite players.A couple of blue Biters flags are held high, but a Grazers fan is closer to the locker room with his gold one.Everyone is yelling and shouting and the game hasn't even started yet.You can easily imagine what they are hooting about.How do we play?HARD!!! What do we play with?Our feet!!! Here they go, onto the field.With scorecards in hand you can see and feel the excitement of the crowd as the players get ready.They are warming up by bending their legs and stretching their scales.The ref flips that coin and the Grazers start

"Ankylosaurus makes the pass,
a sneaky side kick through the grass.
Lesa traps it with his feet.
Although he's small,
his moves are sweet.
He zigs.He zags.
He scampers `round.
The two defenders
stand their ground."

Back and forth they go.Whoa! Diplo scores and the Grazers fans go wild. T. Rex gets checked by Stegosaurus.Stego steals, but Pterodactyls uses his "clever claws" and takes the ball.The teams are moving fast, the fans are going wild!"They love their teams.They're having fun.It's Grazers-2 and Biters-1."This is the last game of the season.Everyone is playing with gusto and lots of spirit, but who is going to win?

This is an amazingly fun and exciting book to read.It is an ingenious way to learn about carnivorous dinosaurs (the biters) and herbivores (the grazers).The scorecard or programs the dino fans were holding were actual lists of the dinosaurs in each group.The blue and gold jerseys easily separated the groups and each player (Triceratops, Lesothosaurus, Pterodactyl, etc.) had their names on the back.Naturally your dino-soccer player/lover will go WILD for this book. Do you know which team the Pachycephalosaur plays for?After you read this book, you're going to know! ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive book about soccer. With a new foreword for the American edition.

There may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final.

In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport-now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.Amazon.com Review
The definitive book about soccer. With a new foreword for the American edition.

There may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final.

In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport-now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.

Questions for David Goldblatt

Amazon.com: There's a sentence in the middle of The Ball Is Round that to me sums up a great deal of the culture of football. After noting that Pelé had scored nearly a goal a game in over 1,300 professional matches--the sort of stat that would be on every page in a history of one of the major American sports but that is very rare in this one--you write, "This of course tells us nothing about all the goals he made." What stories do football fans tell about their sport and their stars?

Goldblatt: Well, in America not only would you be banging on about Pele's goal to game ratio but you would have been collecting statistics in a rational organized manner about his assists--a concept that had only entered soccer statistics in the last few years. The state of Brazilian football statistics during Pelé's career would not pass muster in Cooperstown in can tell you. Bill James would have a nervous breakdown with hopeless state of the data base. Soccer fans tell a lot the same stories that Americans tell themselves, sagas, epics, heroic tasks, near misses, dramatic comebacks, tales of curious individualists and unshakeable teams, but they are told in a the idioms, genres, vocabulary, and head space ofhundreds of different cultures.

Amazon.com: I have to ask the inevitable question: why hasn't football--rather, soccer--ever taken hold in the United States (despite generations now who grow up playing it)? (And does the rest of the world care if it ever does?) I was fascinated by your comment in the American foreword that you recovered from finishing the book by ignoring soccer for half a year and only watching American sports. What did you notice?

Goldblatt: Contrary to the received wisdom I would say that soccer has taken hold in the US, if we look at participation figures amongst women and the young, and while MLS isn't about to challenge the premiership or Serie A for money or glamour it looks like it is now established on a firm footing. If the game can just tap into the rising Latino communities of America it could be pushing hockey for fourth sport.

That said it would still be just number 4. Baseball, football, and basketball have now had over a century's head start on soccer and between them created a wider sports culture--of expectations, tastes, and pleasures--that I think sometimes finds soccer incomprehensible ( what's with the draws?) or distasteful (all that diving). Soccer had its chance in the USA in the 1920s and 30s when East Coast professional leagues were drawing big crowds but a combination of bureaucratic infighting, the Wall Street crash, and the lingering ethnic associations of the game killed it for two generations.

My time with American sports, which I should add is far from over, wasn't planned. After the 2006 World Cup I just couldn't watch any more soccer and there was an awfully big space in my brain where that used to go on. Moneyball by Michael Lewis came into the void and that took me to Jules Tygiel and the great tradition of baseball histories, Ken Burns's long documentary which enchanted me (watched the whole thing in two days) and by the time I had read Roger Angell and stopped laughing, discovered Jackie Robinson, DiMaggio's Streak, and the Shot Heard Round the World it was time to subscribe to NASN and watch the last two months of the 2006 season. If you like the places where culture, society, sport, and history intersect then you're going to like baseball. I'm still working on hockey, in fact I'm still working on seeing the puck, and I'm trying hard to understand football--but I'm finding the helmets, amongst other things, a problem.

What did I notice? Where do I begin? After barely thinking about the United States for three and half years the whole modern history of America opened up before me. That's a work in progress.

Amazon.com: It's hard to underestimate the density and breadth of knowledge that went into this book: politics, culture, and of course football, across the entire football-playing world (which is to say, the entire world). How did you research your vast topic?

Goldblatt: The Ball Is Round was, in retrospect, 20 years in the making. I had wanted to write a world history since I knew that such things existed. In a former life I spent a long time working on globalization and global history and then I made a global atlas of football, so I had plenty of background.

After that, I followed Phillip Pullman's advice, "Read like a butterfly, write like a bee." I read a lot, followed my nose and other's advice, scoured journals, libraries and old magazines, studied web sites, visited museums, stadia, and shrines, made contacts in a lot of countries, and begged, bought, and traded information and opinion--oh and I watched an awful lot of football.

There were trips to Scotland, Sweden, Serbia, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Greece, Tunisia, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina not to mention a lot of old games on video and DVD.

How did I write it? Fast.

Amazon.com: There is nearly as much politics in your history as football--among Argentines, for instance, Peron has nearly as many index entries as Maradona. Why did you not want to write a history only of the players and the games? What relationship do you see between football and politics?

Goldblatt: How could anyone write a history of just players and games and be true to the meaning of soccer? Milan Kundera defended the role of the literary critic by arguing "Without the meditative background that is criticism, works become isolated gestures, historical accidents, soon forgotten." I would say the same of same of social history and sport. All sports trade on their histories, but tend to offer us at best the anodyne accounts of their own development and meanings at worst they are scurrilous cover-ups and concocted myth. Sport and its audience deserve better.

The relationship between football and politics takes many forms--it has been entwined with every conceivable political ideology and movement, every geographical unit and social division, and it has served authoritarian and democratic visions. In the end, football will take on and express the politics determined by our collective choices and struggles, the point for me is to remember that one has choices; to some extent we get the soccer we deserve.

Amazon.com: Has modern football become too big for itself, between the tycoons and the multinationals, the giant audiences and transfer fees, the corruption and the endless media coverage? Is there still space for the game?

Goldblatt: I went to see Manchester United last year in the Champions league--a 70th birthday present for my Mancunian father-in-law--and here at the epicenter of the global branding revolution and the foreign takeover and the rest of it I was privileged to see Carlos Tevez take the game by the scruff of the neck and force 21 players and 70,000 people to track his every move--electric.

Come to Bristol, England's most underperforming soccer city (half a million people, two clubs, no titles) and tell me there's no space for the game. No one is going to Bristol Rovers to be part of giant audience or a world shaped by tycoons and multinationals. But go they do, and to Bristol City too, teetering on the edge of the premiership and there I find a game that makes me laugh--soccer does pantomime and farce here--but surprises, thrills, and reminds me as part of a living crowd the one thing that writing a world history really drives home--"we are all just a drop in the ocean."

Customer Reviews (10)

great book
A great book for a soccer fan; the firstI saw that gives you the game in the contest of the social, political, and religious reasons of why and how the sport developed in the different parts of the world.
gb

Must Have for Soccer Fans!
I have had a dabbling interest in soccer for a few years now, mostly watching EPL games, and whatever MLS games I can find locally. I really started to get more into the game globally since the 2010 World Cup. I thought this book might help me 'catch up' on the culture surrounding The Beautiful Game, and boy, was I right!

The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer is a great read for long time fans, or people just new to the sport. As an American, it is hard to comprehend how the rest of the world has been shaped by this game. Just as baseball is interwoven into the fabric of American modern history, so too is football (or soccer) for the rest of the world. From rebuilding the proud heritage of Germany and Eastern Europe after World War II, to helping England move from an empirical power to a member of a global community, to sparking social, political, and criminal revolutions in South America, and bringing both European and South American culture to the African continent, football has helped shape most of the modern civilizations currently thriving on our planet, and there is no better way to experience these effects than through this incredibly comprehensive text.

I should include a disclaimer, if you do not really, REALLY like the sport, this probably isn't the book for you. While there is much modern world history interspersed with the minutiae of football's past, there are probably better options from a strictly historical perspective. If, however, you are interested in seeing how cultures across the globe have evolved through sport, there is no better text.

So the next time you insult a linesman, post a harsh comment on a soccer blog, or lambaste your team for not adding a new striker, take heart that you are a member of a world community. If you want to know more, David Goldblatt will be happy to educate you.

Overpriced
$19 for an e-book, when the paperback is $16.50?!

Sorry Penguin. I'll get this one at the library. You just lost a sale.

Did They Actually Read The Whole Thing?
My title is not directed at other reviewers here, but at the many glowing reviews for this book featured on its cover and first pages.This is not a beautifully written book, the majority of it is extremely tedious, and at its worst the writing is virtually incoherent.

THE BALL IS ROUND is touted as a history of soccer, but it is ultimately a book about world history in the 20th Century, with soccer as the lens through which that history is viewed.This is an important distinction to make, because reading this book will give you little understanding of the tactical evolution of the game, the famous personalities, players, coaches, the legendary moments of triumph and failure, the great rivalries between teams.The book is much more interested in the politcal and historical aspects of the game's history, and much less so in the sporting ones.

Nevertheless, the book is extremely comprehensive in the outlook that it does take.Goldblatt examines the history of the game on practically (often literally) a nation by nation basis, covering the entire world.He divides the book both by historical era and geographical location, so that chapters generally alternate back and forth from one continent to the next while the book proceeds gradually forward through historical time.Unfortunately, much of this content ends up being tedious and scrapped together.

THE BALL IS ROUND starts off well, the sections about the early history of the game are excellent and I recommend them, but after the first one or two hundred pages, the quality of prose and content rapidly decline.Goldblatt approaches this history with a relentless determination both to editorialize it and to cast it in literary terms, leading to often tortured descriptions of situations and events.It becomes a long, slow, uphill slog.There is a lot of information here, but you will really have to work for it.The book's prose and structural coherence gradually disintegrate into an awkward litany of facts and propositions, even to the point of virtual incoherence.For example, "If the Premiereship has come to signal the renascent successes and costs of England's new commercially minded private sector and the tastes of its comfortable middle classes, the fate of the national team has offered more complex readings."Really slow down and try to parse that sentence.

With a lot more editing, and perhaps another year or three of work, I think this book could have realized its high ambitions and been a classic.As it is, it is neither a good historical survey nor an engaging read for the football/soccer enthusiast.There is much to learn about world history and the history of soccer within the pages of THE BALL IS ROUND, and the sections on the early history of the sport are really very good, but the middle sections of the book lack structure and are poorly written.It gets a bit better again towards the end.

One interesting thing this book revealed was how rife with corruption the entire history of the sport of soccer has been.Goldblatt does not shy away from these ugly moments, which are often swept under the rug by other books and commentators.

I wish I could give this book a more positive review, but I have to be honest.I know of few readers who would push past the two or three hundred page mark on this one, and perhaps that is why there are only a handful of reviews here in spite of the sport's surging popularity in the US.Being stubborn and reading the whole thing like I did is unlikely to be a satisfying use of your time.

Amazing work
An amazing piece of historical writing.Well worth your time.Start now in order to finish before next years World Cup.... ... Read more

Product Description

"Scott and David have done a fantastic job getting into the psyche of these very young players. What I really love is their emphasis on FUN, and that kids learn by DOING. This book will make a great extra assistant as you prepare for your season."—Bobby Clark, Head Soccer Coach, University of Notre Dame; author of the best-selling Coaching Youth Soccer: The Baffled Parent's Guide

Coach. You're the new coach of your child's soccer team, and you're not sure how to teach your players the fundamentals of soccer while also ensuring they have fun. Don't panic—Coaching 6-and-Under Soccer is here to help.

Coaching 6-and-Under Soccer offers straightforward advice, tips, and techniques, including reward-based games and drills; your first six practices in an easy-to-photocopy format; and how to teach soccer basics to 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds in ways that are fun for you and your players. This complete tool kit for a new coach includes:

• The twelve easy-to-run drills that work best with young soccer players
• How to keep your young players happy and active while they learn
• How to make parents your best assistants and supporters
• How to keep the focus where it belongs—not on winning or losing, but on having fun
• How to have a terrific time coaching young players

"Coaching 6-and-Under Soccer shows you how to teach your young players the right way—through lively games that encourage kids to use their creativity and self-expression when playing."—Brandi Chastain, Olympic and World Cup Soccer Champion; author of It's Not About the Bra: Play Hard, Play Fair, and Put the Fun Back into Competitive Sports

"I have no doubt that young players will come to love the game of soccer if their coaches follow the simple, straightforward advice in this book."—Anson Dorrance, Head Women's Soccer Coach, University of North Carolina; author of The Vision of a Champion: Advice and Inspiration from the World's Most Successful Women's Soccer Coach

"I highly recommend this terrific book to coaches who want to instill good sportsmanship and the love of the game in their young players while building a solid foundation in basic soccer skills and teamwork."—Jeremy Gunn, Head Men's Soccer Coach, Fort Lewis College ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Excellent purchase
This is an excellent purchase for anyone taking on the task of coaching U6 and under.I am a second year U5 coach and had no clue where to begin.The book addressed most of my concerns.If you are new at soccer or have been around for a while - coaching 3,4 and 5 year olds is a far different beast that your older kids.Great book - lots of personal stories that will make you laugh and most of all encouraging you as a coach to have fun with this age group.Because it is all about fun for U6 and under.

A lifesaver for new coaches!!
My husband and I decided to coach our 5 year old son's soccer team this fall, because he had a prettynegative experience with his last volunteer coach and we wanted to make sure this soccer season was more fun. Neither of us had ever coached before, but this book really saved our bacon. It helped confirm what we already believed, that soccer for this age group should be about having fun, learning skills and building friendships, not about competition. The drills in this book are all presented in the form of fun games, and the kids loved them! As a result, we had very few behavior problems with our kids, tons of enthusiasm, and almost 100% attendance at every practice and game. Coincidentally, we also won every game we played, even though we didn't focus on the competitive aspects of the sport. I think we won because our kids were so happy and excited about playing. Their parents all expressed appreciation and gratitude to us. In short, this book is golden... buy it!

Fantastic book
Fantastic book!!! If you're looking to coach a young team, then buy this book!

I'm a first time coach for 5 year old girls team. This helped me better understand how to teach them. Just in the second practice, the girls started to get a good handle on dribbling. Had our first game yesterday and they really did great handling the ball/scoring goals. The practice schedules in the back are very good and fast paced. I recommend even cutting them down to 8-minutes each, as there's always something that delays the breaks.

A helpful guide
Having played soccer for decades, this book helped me when it came time to coach my first very young team.There are some great ideas and the book is very good at preparing a coach for the mindset of coaching very young players.Pick it up - well worth having in your bag of tricks.

Great Start
Book helped me to be a successful coaches assistant for the ages six and under. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent book for a young soccer fan
I bought this for my son's birthday (15).I got a brief chance to look through it before and was impressed with the whole thing. I do plan to go back and read it all. He loves it and has commented a few times how much he likes it and thanked me more than once!He said he has read it through 3 times.He loves the game and this was just a great way to get more info on players he loves and some he doesn't.You won't be disappointed whether for you or as a gift.

The game is the big star
The bigger picture this book paints of how the game affects lives, all over the world, in profound ways is what is most impressive. The photographs are moving and interweave brilliantly with the short biographies of world famous professionals. Stories from tiny countries to the worlds super powers help you get a sense of what this game represents globally. I suppose it could be any sport, soccer happens to be the most popular game all over the world for good reason: it's simplicity plus it is a universal language. It has a massive impact on lives.

My son loves this book and loves to learn about some of his favorite players. The stories are short and you don't need to read it from front to back. Easy to pick up and flip through for a few moments, gives the reader a real sense of some far away land. It truly is a moving book for anyone, not just a soccer fan ... Read more

Product Description
Updated and revised in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup! From the early history of the game to today's biggest stars, this new edition of DK's classic Eyewitness Soccer features updated text, images, and statistics throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Soccer (DK Eyewitness Books)
This was a great reference book to show the different styles of each aspect of the game.very interesting to see how the game has evolved not only over time but throughout the world. ... Read more