Okay so I am a self-proclaimed nerd (between going to Space Camp, being President of the Stock Market Club, and never leaving home without Sudoku, maybe its a well-known fact.)
This weekend I delved into three topics always on the mind- going green, making the green, and the action that happens on the green... Okay maybe it was the Green Beer?!
1. Green Chic by Christie Matheson $12.95
Gives tips on staying chic while being eco-friendly... from planning an eco-friendly wedding to the little things you can do that make a big difference! Actually spoke with a friend of hers who recommended the book. A lot of basic things you probably already know, but is written with tongue-in-cheek humor and is just delightful! (Oh, and it is printed on recycled paper!)
2. Ugly Americans by Ben Mezrich
I love Ben Mezrich because he writes Non-fiction like fiction. So readable yet with tons and tons of information. I felt he really shows the characters evolve as they become privy to new information. None of the characters are flat, which often happens in books such as these. He did his research- that's apparent. In light of the market this week, I would suggest checking out this quick read!
3. How Soccer Explains the World by Frank Foer $13.95
The title is very assuming, but in my opinion Frank Foer touches on some great aspects regarding nationalism, race, globalization, etc. as he uses the world's most popular sport to illustrate his thesis. I never really witnessed hooligans in MLS soccer apart from the Chivas fans throwing smoke bombs into the goal so the goalie couldn't see. In London, at my first EPL game of Fulham vs. Man City, I was astonished when hooligans threw their lit cigarettes at the police officers on horseback, causing the horses to literally go insane and knock fans all over the place, stomping them as the officers lost control. On top of that, our car was almost over turned as we were with Fulham and the pudgy, pasty Man City fans thought it was appropriate to show us their derrieres in the 20 degree weather. Yuck! Foer describes the unimaginable, delineating calculated hooligans who dressed up in opposing teams jerseys, befriending them and luring them into their cars after the game, and then beating them to death. He talks about the racial divide as well as religious divides in soccer. He looks at Pele's conversion to Capitalism. Whether or not you are a sports fan, I encourage you to pick up this illustrative account of how the world can be understood through athletic rationality.
Posts
1 comment:
i loved this book. being an anthro major (*nerd*) AND a soccer fan, this was essentially like reading literary porn for me. some chapters were better than others, but the history of fc barcelona was i think the most interesting.
Post a Comment