Product Description
This book provides coaches, educators, parents, and others dealing with students and athletes with an engaging and critical venue by which to examine contemporary issues and controversies surrounding sport. In this text, authors take up the challenges faced by sport in our world, especially as it relates to the lives of young people, providing multiple perspectives on the issues, problems, and possibilities of sport in contemporary American society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A decent book for general info
This is the book required by a class I'm taking. There are some interesting insights through the various sections and chapters. Having only gotten through 2 sections, however, it should be understood that in depth discourse is not what you'll find here. As an example: I've been very involved in youth sports for a number of years and have done a good bit of reading on the subject. The section that addresses youth sports iterates much of the knowledge out there in a general sense. Again, as an introduction to these concepts and ideas, this book will do nicely (except chapter 9- that was the worst bit of writing that I've ever read by someone who's supposed to be an academic! But, that shouldn't stop anyone from purchasing the book). ... Read more

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This is the most comprehensive collection of articles available on women, sport, and culture. The book contains 24 selections from various feminist positions that examine sport and its relation to gender issues. Women, Sport and Culture is an excellent reference for anyone interested in gender relations, including sport sociologists, women's studies scholars, and cultural studies specialists. It's also an excellent text for students in upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses. Readers will find that the articles in the collection serve as a marker of where feminist sport studies has been as a field and a guidepost for what may be the most promising theoretical directions in the future. Part I introduces and provides an overview of feminist theory as it relates to the study of sport. The articles in the section discuss the complexity of the relations among sport, gender, ideology, bodies, and technology. Part II addresses the gendered organisational order of sport and explores the practices through which women in institutionalised sport are managed.The articles in Part III respond to Kenneth Sheard and Eric Dunning's idea that sport is a "male preserve" - site for the production and reproduction of gendered power relations. The section explores how certain practices associated with sport actively degrade women and how women have alternately appropriated and opposed what they perceive to be oppressive and unjust practices. Part IV examines the role of the media in circulating and legitimising dominant meanings of sport, women, gendered bodies, and sexuality. Part V looks at heterosexism and homophobia in sport. ... Read more

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In recent years the United States has seen an influx of Christian athletes and coaches into big-time sports, as well as a heightened importance placed on sports in church programs and enormous platforms for intercollegiate sports at Christian schools and colleges. However, as Shirl Hoffman critiques, a Christian vision of sport remains merely superficialreplete with prayers before free throws and praises after touchdowns but offering little if any alternative vision from the secular sports culture. Far from being the kind of life-affirming, faith-affirming events that they could be, games played in Christian college gymnasiums, for example, too often end up as mockeries of the faith statements given prominence in their mission statements. Here, in this thoughtful, narrative-driven exploration, Hoffman retells numerous fascinating stories from the world of ancient and contemporary sports and draws on the history of the Christian tradition as he seeks to answer the question What would it mean to think Christianly about sport? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A worthy read for Christian athletes
There's more to faith in sports than a pre-game prayer. "Good Game: Christianity and the Culture of Sports" looks into the relationship of Christianity and the sports that so many Christians love and embrace, often thanking God for their successes or the very least hoping for it. Stating that much of the religion in modern sports is empty and soulless, Shirl James Hoffman provides many stories of genuine faith in sports. "Good Game" is a worthy read for Christian athletes.

Good Discussion Points But Goes Too Far
"Good Game" is a thorough, expansive discussion of the relation between religion (Christianity in particular) and sport.Mr. Hoffman gives an excellent history lesson for the first half of the book.The second half is devoted to commentary on the current state of sports & the Church.

I found the initial history portion to be entertaining and educational.The second half, while interesting and thought-provoking, seemed to be delivered from atop a very high horse.I don't disagree with all of Hoffman's opinions, but I frequently felt that he went to far in decrying the choices that Christians make in regard to sports and fitness today.He also seems to contradict himself quite often.

While I found Mr. Hoffman to be frequently condescending and extreme, I still found this title to be very thought-provoking and timely.Many of the issues he raises really *are* worth considering and discussing."Good Game" would make an excellent textbook for a Christian collegiate Sports Science class, if for no other reason than to inspire thoughtful debate.

I give this title only two stars because of my frequent and passionate disagreement with Mr. Hoffman's personal ideas.However, the book is very well written & researched, and he has a right to his opinions.I just wish the author had entertained a bit more empathy for the Body of Christ in general.

For more on this review, please visit my review blog, The Calico Critic.

A whole lot to chew on...
Good Game by Shirl James Hoffman is most defiantly the deepest, most thought-provoking, and heaviest book I have read. At some points, I found myself thinking that even C.S. Lewis's writings were a bit easier to work through. Sometimes you pay for what you get and with this book you get a lot of "meat to chew" on for the price!

While Good Game is by no means an easy read, quick read, or light read (just check out the incredibly massive bibliography) it is a read that is worth the time if you are up to the challenge. Hoffman really makes one think through the culture of sports and take a deep look into it's past, present, and future.

This is a book that I think is good, but also one that I can neither say "don't read" or "do read". Each person must approach this book ready to re-think a subject that so many of us are already so opinionated about. I am not sure if anyone will walk away in complete agreement, but I would highly encourage you to not dismiss everything he has to say either. There is great value in this book, I only wish it could be simplified and streamlined for easier reading.

This review copy was provided courtesy of The B&B Media Group.

Dense, thoughtful and needed
This is a very long (300+ pages), dense and thoughtful book. I didn't always agree with the arguments Hoffman set forth, but he does an excellent job at thinking critically about a topic needs further exploration - namely the intersection between Christian faith and sports.A point that Hoffman often comes back to is that Christians have been influenced by sports more than the other way around.

The first half of this book is a history of the church's relationship with sports. This was an important section, though I found it hard to get through at times. It felt more like a book I would read for class rather than for pleasure. The second half of the book was more contemporary and tackled topics such as the killer instinct and prayer on the athletic field. I enjoyed this section much more and would recommend reading it first if you are interested in this treatise, but don't have time to go through the whole thing.

Overall, I found this book well-researched (the bibliography is massive) and necessary. Hoffman is an expert on the topic of faith and sports. He uses many stories and anecdotes across generations that I had either never heard or were buried in my mind and does a masterful job weaving it all together. Sports need to be brought into the conversation between Christ and culture. Hopefully, this book will open some much-needed dialogue regarding some insidious aspects of sports and competition. It gets into some solutions at the end, but just being aware and surfacing issues is an important first step.

(The book was provided for review by the publisher.)

Thought-provoking with much to ponder
Is there a difference between how Christians view sports and competition as opposed to the rest of the world? Should there be?

Shirl James Hoffman addresses our society's obsession with sports. This is a fascinating book with much to ponder. I especially urge believers to thoughtfully read this and take a look at their attitudes toward sports. This will not be a popular book, and will likely make some folks angry or, at the least, defensive. But for those who read it with an open and reflective spirit, it will transform how they view the athletic competitions of our day.

Hoffman details the history of the Christian response to sport from the days of the early church to modern times. At various times in history, the "church" frowned upon athletics because of the mind-set needed and the potential for obsession.In modern times the church has not only accepted sports but embraced it in what the author calls Sportianity.The author also takes a look at character, and how sport impacts that, which, surprisingly, isn't always for the better.

Hoffman isn't a sports hater; on the contrary, he simply points out some troubling aspects of this obsession and provides suggestions for sports to become the well-played game it should be.


Disclosure:I received a free copy of this book from the publisher; I was not required to write a positive review. ... Read more

Product Description
This work brings together 16 of the best presentations on sport from the conferences of the Popular Culture Association. Topics include baseball (the 1941 World Series, the career of Stan Musial, Italian Americans in the game, and Japanese players), golf (Tiger Woods, and the culture wars over women at Augusta National), football (integration at UCLA, the controversy over the Indian mascot at Florida State, and the creation of the New Orleans Saints), auto racing (the revival of dirt tracks, racing’s roots in Virginia, NASCAR in Eastern Iowa, and the NASCAR fan), and sports and men (marketing in hockey, social class and fishing, and Muhammad Ali’s last stand). Together the essays demonstrate that sports are deeply woven into the fabric of American culture—a tapestry of society with all its heroism and triumph, failures and flaws. ... Read more

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This book explores the history and changing meanings attached to particular sports in the old and new South Africa, and how sport is being used and abused in the present. ... Read more

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Sport-Commerce-Culture makes a significant contribution to the growing body of literature on the critical analysis of today's highly mediated and commercialized sport spectacles. David L. Andrews explores sport's interdependent relation with the commercial structures and rhythms that define the experience of consumer capitalism within the contemporary United States. Through a series of highly original, interrelated essays, Andrews uncovers the complex connections between sport and contemporary processes of commercialization, commodification, and mass mediation. Focusing attention on a wide variety of sport events, signs, stars, and spaces, such as the XFL, Tiger Woods, the Olympic Games, suburban soccer, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Sport-Commerce-Culture offers a unique point of entry into the study of American life. This book is compulsory reading for students and researchers of contemporary sport and sport culture. ... Read more

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Frederick Douglass liked to say of West Indian boxer Peter Jackson that "Peter is doing a great deal with his fists to solve the Negro question."His comment reflects the possibilities for social transformation that he saw in the emerging modern sports culture.Indeed, as the twentieth century developed, sports have become an important cultural terrain over which various racial groups have contested, defined, and represented their racial, national, and inter-ethnic identities.

Sports Matters brings critical attention to the centrality of race within the politics and pleasures of the massive sports culture that developed in the U.S. during the past century and a half.The contributors collected here address such issues as popular representations of blacks in sports.They consider baseball—from Nisei players in Oregon to Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles.And they look at the use of warrior imagery in representations of Native American athletes and the evolution of black expressive style within basketball.

Sports Matters challenges our presumptions about sports, illuminating in the process the complexities of race and gender as they relate to popular culture.

Contributors include Amy Bass, John Bloom, Annie Gilbert Coleman, Gena Caponi, Montye Fuse, Randy Hanson, Michiko Hase, George Lipsitz, Keith Miller, Sharon O'Brien, Connie Razza, Sam Regalado, Greg Rodriguez, Julio Rodriguez, Michael Willard, and Henry Yu. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

Like Global Sports 101: The One Book Any True Sports Fan Needs for Sports Literacy
After taking Professor Andrei Markovits' class titled "Sports and Society" at the University of Michigan, I couldn't anticipate ever having access to the type of global sports knowledge that I received in the class. I was wrong.After reading this book, I realized that it was indeed possible to convey a deep sports knowledge, in conjunction with how and where these sports influence communities across the globe, in one book.I was left feeling that any sports fan or anyone interested in sport's increasing role in local and global communities, should read this book in order to gain "Sports Literacy".From each of the sports' origins to their profound impacts on the countries where they originated to their impact abroad in a more globalized society, this book includes all the necessary knowledge to give you a comprehensive perspective on the global sports world. Specifically, the representation of sports as languages is fitting and revolutionary.In many ways this book is a "greatest hits" of sorts from what was a truly amazing class taught by Markovits while adding in the additional perspective another brilliant academic in Rensmann. No guy wants to ever feel that his sports knowledge is outmatched by his fellow man, so do yourself a favor and read this book (and then buy it for a friend so you can both converse on the same level about sports).
GO BLUE!

Sports Matter
Gaming the World: How Sports are ReshapingGlobal Politics and Culture byAndrei Markovits and Lars Rensmann is an excellent follow up to Markovits' previous volumeon sports, Offside.Offside was focused on the development and formation of modern sports-soccer,rugby and cricket-in 19th century England and their expansion across the globe in the first period of globalization.This is contrasted with the developments in the U.S. which developed its own unique sports environment revolving around baseball, football, basketball and hockey.
Gaming the World continues the analysis of sports in the second period of globalization starting in the 1970's in a comparative manner.Specifically, the world plays soccer and the U.S. does not. But this work is much more then 'why is there no soccer in America', Markovits and Rensmann show how sports can illuminate both the positive and negative reactions to globalization.
Sports can alter excepted and unchallenged prejudices by an athlete, seen as an unknown other, excelling on the playing field.Thus,exposingthe hollowness ofthose previous held views. Making it possible to expand acceptance by a community. It can also work in the opposite way by intensifyingattachment to a unique local identitycoalescing around 'my team'. The local becomes a refuge from the forces of globalization.
Gaming the World shows that sports do matter.Their impact is felt beyond the narrowly defined space between the lines.

Understanding Sports
Sports Matter.The first sentence in this book gets right to the point.Sports are an integral part of our culture throughout the world.Sports connect politics, culture, education, and all of society together with more fluidity than anything else.While we know of the major changes within the world from the late 19th century to the early 20th century - the authors make note of the ever-changing world in which we are living today. Markovits and Rensmann do a wonderful job in helping all of us understand how different sports languages relate with one another and cross over into different cultures.

Early on, this book gives us a great quote from a manager from Liverpool FC Bill Shankly.He said, "Some people think football is a matter of life or death.I don't like that attitude.I can assure them it is much more important than that!""Gaming the World" is chock full of enjoyable tidbits and fascinating facts about sports figures across the world.Why does the President throw out the first pitch on opening day of every baseball season?Why do we stand for the 7th inning stretch?How was the "wave" introduced to baseball?All of these, and many more questions are answered in this book.

"Gaming the World" also helps us to see how sports have helped to bridge the gap in race relations in our country and around the world.While it is almost common knowledge in the United States that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in US sports in 1947, Gaming the World takes a global look at this unfortunate situation that we still deal with to this day - and more importantly, how sports has helped us to garner a better understanding from our different brothers and sisters."Gaming the World" also looks at how sports have propelled women to gain more equality throughout the world.And finally, religion is yet another aspect of society that have divided people until sports was able to bring them together.

Much like the way Jim Bouton revealed to the rest of the world the inner workings of baseball with his highly controversial book "Ball Four," Markovits and Rensmann show us how sports have become an international phenomenon."Gaming the World" gives us an explanation of how sports have crossed into today's societies, modern cultures and the politics of the world that we live in today.

Persuasive and Engaging
The new book Gaming the World: How Sports are Reshaping Global Politics and Culture is a sophisticated and welcome look at the seemingly contradictory role played by sports in furthering the diffusion of global culture while at the same time serving as a venue for those who resist and reject this spread. The book examines how professional sports have become international phenomena and why some sports are virtually universally popular (e.g. soccer) while others (e.g. American football) remain confined to certain countries and regions.

Written by renowned social scientists, Gaming the World will appeal to sports fans and non-fans as well as to academics and non-academics alike. The book is filled with illuminating examples and persuasive arguments which make for an enjoyable read. I found the metaphor of sports as languages particularly useful and compelling. Markovits and Rensmann contend that sports are like languages in that though they oftentimes share basic characteristics, they will remain unintelligible "without a long process of acculturation and learning". As an American, I `speak' baseball fluently but its relative cricket will always remain Greek to me.

Gaming the World is highly recommended for all those who take sports seriously but it is also a must-read for those interested in the processes of globalization and what the authors call "cosmopolitanism" and "counter-cosmopolitanism". You will enjoy this book.

A Triumph of Sport
As a longtime sports fan, I live in the ESPN-centered world of quick updates and a few storylines that are beaten to death.This book is a refreshing break from that world to give a full background on the origins of sports and how they came to be so popular.Markovits and Rensmann combine their academic backgrounds with their lives as sports fan to create an approachable narrative that really helps you understand why sports are so important to so many people's lives.This book will change how you watch sports, how you think about them, and how you live them.It is absolutely worth reading and I strongly recommend it. ... Read more

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What southerners do, where they go, and what they expect to accomplish in their spare time, their "leisure," reveals much about their cultural values, class and racial similarities and differences, and historical perspectives. This volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture offers an authoritative and readable reference to the culture of sports and recreation in the American South, surveying the various activities in which southerners engage in their nonwork hours, as well as attitudes surrounding those activities.

Seventy-four thematic essays explore activities from the familiar (porch sitting and fairs) to the essential (football and stock car racing) to the unusual (pool checkers and a sport called "fireballing"). In seventy-eight topical entries, contributors profile major sites associated with recreational activities (such as Dollywood, drive-ins, and the Appalachian Trail) and prominent sports figures (including Althea Gibson, Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, and Hank Aaron). Taken together, the entries provide an engaging look at the ways southerners relax, pass time, celebrate, let loose, and have fun. ... Read more

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This interesting book discusses the emergence and development of five extremely popular team sports - baseball, basketball, football-soccer, ice hockey and cricket - since the 1800s in 15 different countries. It addresses some of the most provocative, recent and unique economic and business issues associated with team sports in the various nations. For example, to what extent has each of these spectator sports prospered as industries, and will they expand into other regions of the world during the early to mid-2000s? This book answers these questions, and compares the performances of each country's amateur, semiprofessional and/or professional sports leagues and their respective teams by providing detailed statistics and other relevant historical information. ... Read more

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A comprehensive history of skiing from its earliest origins to the outbreak of World War II, this book traces the transformation of what for centuries remained an exclusively utilitarian practice into the exhilarating modern sport we know today. E. John B. Allen places particular emphasis on the impact of culture on the development of skiing, from the influence of Norwegian nationalism to the role of the military in countries as far removed as Austria, India, and Japan. Although the focus is on Europe, Allen’s analysis ranges all over the snow-covered world, from Algeria to China to Zakopane. He also discusses theparticipation of women and children in what for much of its history remained a male-dominated sport. Of all the individuals who contributed to the modernization of skiing before World War II, Allen identifies three who were especially influential: Fridtjof Nansen of Norway, whose explorations on skis paradoxically inspired the idea of skiing as sport; Arnold Lunn of England, whose invention of downhill skiing and the slalom were foundations of the sport’s globalization; and Hannes Schneider, whose teachings introduced both speed and safety into the sport.Underscoring the extent to which ancient ways persisted despite modernization, the book ends with the Russo-Finnish War, a conflict in which the Finns, using equipment that would have been familiar a thousand years before, were able to maneuver in snow that had brought the mechanized Soviet army to a halt.

More than fifty images not only illustrate this rich history but provide further opportunity for analysis of itscultural significance. ... Read more

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"Touching Base" examines the myths as well as the realities, symbols, and rituals of "America's favorite pastime." Steven Riess details the relationships among urban politics, communities, and baseball, exploring how debates over issues such as Sunday games, ballpark construction, and the promotion of the game were shaped by Progressive Era sensibilities. Focusing on Atlanta, New York, and Chicago, Riess analyzes the spectators, owners, and players to evaluate how baseball both influenced and mirrored broader society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Must Read on the Development of Professional Baseball
A revised edition of a very successful 1983 work, "Touching Base" remains a standard work on the development of professional baseball in the first three decades of the twentieth century. The author and publisher should be commended for making this revision available in an inexpensive paperback edition.

In this work Steven Riess, on the faculty of Northwestern University, explores the history of baseball--truly the national pastime in this era--as it became in the first part of the twentieth century the preeminent sporting activity in the United States. He notes that there are many myths about this sport that have informed our perspective on the rise of the sport, and seeks to explore how these arose and explodes or revises many of them.

Beginning with an excellent historiographical essay on the study of baseball history, much updated since the 1983 edition, Riess places the sport's history in the larger context of cultural studies in the United States and charts a course for its study as a significant factor during the Progressive era. He then moves on to explore the unique relationship between baseball and the fan, and the sport's relationship to deeply felt societal needs within the United States.

Thereafter Riess considers the relationships between professional baseball and urban politicos and the larger communities that they were a part of. This discussion revolves around several of the key questions that arose in the Progressive era. These include the siting and construction of baseball parks and the role of the public/private partnership in bringing them to fruition; the propriety of playing baseball games on Sundays and the repeal of "Blue Laws"; and the manner in which the game was promoted to the public by both the owners and the leaders of the larger community.

In each case, Riess focuses on examples drawn from Atlanta, New York, and Chicago. Certainly New York and Chicago are the two most significant major league cities of the era, although it would have been interesting to have seen more examples from places like Boston, St. Louis, and Philadelphia, each of which had two teams. Atlanta has an important place in this study because of its central role in minor league baseball with the legendary "Crackers." Again, additional experiences drawn from other stellar minor league cities of the Progressive era, such as those in the Pacific Coast League, would have broadened the study.

These are minor objections to be sure; this study is one of the most important ever to appear in sports history. It is a must read for anyone who seeks to understand the history of baseball and its relationship to larger American society. As such, it has taken an enormous stride beyond the usual historical treatments of baseball with their emphasis on exploits on the field and heroes of the diamond to ask and seek to answer fundamental questions about America culture and its development in the twentieth century.

Great historical perspective on baseball in America
Touching Base is a well-researched account of the sport of baseball during its formative years. This book explains how and why baseball became our favorite pastime and how the sport paralleled the life and challenges ofthe American people during the first of the twentieth century. Greatcomparisons between the myths and the realities of the game. ... Read more

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There exists in America a peculiar, fascinatingsubculture. Its exotic rituals include withstanding subzerotemperatures with an upper body clad only in brightly colored paint,shouting arcane statistics at talk-show broadcasters, adopting thegraphic images of lucrative businesses in bursts of patriotic fervor,and finding a curious but tangible form of self-esteem in thespectacle of overgrown armored men banging each other intounconsciousness. Hello, sports fans, this is a book about you. Infact, about us!

For true fans, sports are close to religion, a substitute forpolitics, an outlet for the most violent tendencies, and an excuse tovent primal instincts--in other words, to act like the maniacs weare. But for the professional leagues and the megacorporations thatexploit them, sports is a lot more important than any number ofbrew-soaked stadium seats. It's a serious business with rules youdon't break and customers you don't serve, and it makes a small groupof talented and/or connected people very, very, very rich, often atthe expense of "home team" taxpayers who never hear the crack of a bator the swish of a net.

In this scathing, passionate, hilarious book, Dennis Perrin, theacclaimed author of Mr. Mike, examines the species Sportus fannus fromthe point of view of a life-long member. But his love of America'sgreat games does not blind him to their routine, often cynical misuseby a sports marketing establishment that goes to absurd lengths toglorify, even deify, professional athletes, just to sell a few morepairs of sneakers to awestruck fans at home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I may never watch pro sports again
Wow, excellent read.The author goes on a subject by subject dissection of the madness that is pro sports.Everything from Religion to Race to the Cult of The Swoosh is covered. American Fan really got me thinking.What kind of person am I that i put so much time, money, and energy on the abilities of a bunch of spoiled millionaires.The sports themseleves are fine, i think football is a blast to watch, its' what's done with them that bothered me.As a sports radio commentator once said(they are skewered in the book also)If all the ownersdisappeared one day, big deal get new owners, likewise no more players fine, get new players, get rid of all the fans...oops no more sports..and guess who gets screwed all the time , the fans.Well not me, no more. There's better things to do with the 50 or so years(i hope)I have left on earth. Thank you Mr. Perrin for putting into print what i've felt for a long time.

Ugh.
I'm relatively stunned at the amount of good publicity this book seems to be getting in the media. I thought it was an incoherent rant that touched on many different subjects without order or insight. You might want to saveyour money on this one. ... Read more

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It is impossible to fully understand contemporary society and culture without acknowledging the place of sport. Sport is part of our social and cultural fabric, possessing a social and commercial power that makes it a potent force in the world, for good and for bad. Sport has helped to start wars and promote international reconciliation, while every government around the world commits public resources to sport because of its perceived benefits. From the bleachers to the boardroom, sport matters.

This exciting, comprehensive and accessible textbook introduces the study of sport, culture and society. International in scope, the book explores the key social theories that shape our understanding of sport as a social phenomenon and critically examines many of the assumptions that underpin that understanding. Placing sport at the very heart of the analysis, and including vibrant sporting examples throughout, the book introduces the student to every core topic and emerging area in the study of sport and society, including:

• The history and politics of sport
• Sport and globalisation
• Sport and the media
• Sport, violence and crime
• Sport, the body and health
• Sport and the environment
• Alternative sports and lifestyles
• Sporting mega-events
• Sport and development

Each chapter includes a wealth of useful features to assist the student, including chapter summaries, highlighted definitions of key terms, practical projects, revision questions, boxed case-studies and biographies, and guides to further reading, with additional teaching and learning resources available on a companion website. Sport, Culture and Society is the most broad-ranging and thoughtful introduction to the socio-cultural analysis of sport currently available and sets a new agenda for the discipline. It is essential reading for all students with an interest in sport.

Product Description
This study of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue demonstrates how the magazine encourages individual and institutional practices that create and maintain inequality. Laurel Davis illustrates how the interactions of media production, media texts, media consumption, and social context influence meaning. Individuals' interpretations of and reactions to the magazine are influenced by their views about gender and sexuality, views that have been shaped by their social experiences. Based on extensive interviews with Sports Illustrated producers and consumers, as well as analysis of every swimsuit issue from the first in 1964 to those of the 1990s, the book argues that Sports Illustrated uses the swimsuit issue to secure a large male audience by creating a climate of hegemonic masculinity. This practice produces considerable profit but on the way to the bank tramples women, gays, lesbians, people of color, and residents of the postcolonialized world. ... Read more

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This work is based on extensive research. It involves a synthesis of material that distils a diverse variety of socio-cultural principles into a succinct argument. In doing so, it challenges the traditional view that Australia is a place dominated by a culture of the bush. It presents a series of papers that suggest that Australia is now a country that has embraced a beach culture. ... Read more

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Asses the ritualization and representation of racial difference associated with intercollegiate athletics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Informative but DRY!
A great treatise on the relationship between America's love of sports and America's conflicted attitudes about race.But I can't imagine how the knowledgable authors could have written a book that is harder to read.They never use a simple word when a complex one will do; never go for short when long will do.

Don't read this book when you're sleepy, you'll never finish it.But if you are in a scholarly mode, you will learn a lot.I did. ... Read more

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Though Americans spend more than $25 billion on sports and sporting events, this book argues that the influence of sports on our lives is even more profound than this huge figure would seem to suggest. Exploring such topics as the role of sports in the creation of mass culture, cheating, the abuse of illegal drugs, the strange and fascinating role that numbers play in sporting events, and the future of spectator sport, this book surveys the outsized impact that sports have on American culture. The author draws from new work in such fields as history, economics, politics, sociology, psychology, and ethics to support his claims. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Dr. Quinn is genuine sports fan that dabbles in economics
Its obvious Dr. Quinn is a fan of sport and just so happens to be an economist.If you have ever been curious about how the economics of sports works...this book analyzes it and in a way even dumb people like me can understand. ... Read more