World through Soccer

This book uses soccer to provide insights into worldwide politics, religion, business, ethics, leadership, childhood, philosophy, and art. It examines the way soccer influences and reflects these aspects of society, and vice versa. Each chapter includes a selection of players that represent the current lesson, providing the reader with specific examples of how soccer replicates and informs our lives.

Tamir Bar-On is professor in the Department of International Relations and Humanities at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Querétaro, in Mexico. He is the author of Where Have All the Fascists Gone? (2007) and Rethinking the French New Right: Alternatives to modernity (2013).

Acknowledgments Foreword Introduction Chapter 1: Saving the nation - Soccer and national identity Chapter 2: "Believe, obey, and fight"- Soccer and dictators Chapter 3: Winning hearts and minds - Soccer, ideological hegemony, and "class warfare" Chapter 4: "One ball can change the world" - Soccer and social change Chapter 5: Gods and their shrines - Soccer as a pagan religion Chapter 6: Playing fair - Soccer and ethics Chapter 7: The business of business - Soccer, business, and marketing Chapter 8: Leading by example - Soccer as a leadership opportunity Chapter 9: Dreaming of Wembley or Anfield - Soccer, dreams, and childhood Chapter 10: Immortal heroes? - Soccer and the meaning of life Chapter 11: Soccer and fine arts - The pitch as canvas and player as artist Conclusion Appendix Bibliography About the Author