Soccernomics
2009
- social aspects
- social aspects of soccer
- soccer
- sports
- games
- gambling
- sports & recreation
- business aspects
- essays
- history
The story
Using insights and analogies from economics, statistics, psychology, and business to cast a new and entertaining light on how the game of soccer works, "Soccernomics" reveals the often surprisingly counterintuitive truths about the world's most popular game. An essential guide for the 2010 World Cup.
What it’s like
Crisp, brisk nonfiction prose that reads like a sharp columnist with a calculator at the pub: short declarative sentences, numbers dropped in with wry asides, and the occasional tabled statistic set off like a punchline. The texture is conversational and quick, with each chapter a self-contained argument that snaps shut before the next begins, so it moves in lively bursts rather than a sustained glide. Vibe: witty, contrarian, mildly irreverent, the feeling of having a clever mate explain why the stats say your team is overrated. It suits a long train journey, a lazy afternoon with a pot of coffee, or a between-matches read during a tournament. Intensity is gentle: no violence, no sexual content, nothing frightening; the only bite is intellectual, in the form of sacred cows being gently skewered and transfer fees being picked apart. Tone is warm and playful, never cynical about the game itself. Written for football fans who want their passion tested against data, for readers curious about economics who need an accessible way in, and for anyone who enjoys being told, pleasantly, that they've been wrong about something.
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