Peter Davies: Twenty-Two Foreigners in Funny Shorts: : The Intelligent Fan's Guide to Soccer and World Cup '94
Part guide to World Cup '94, part fan journal for Wrexham's 1994 season in which they pushed for promotion to the Championship. Davies' writing is witty and instructive, full of the true fans' pathos, obsessions and sheer goofiness. Those new to the game, as well as old veterans, will gain new appreciation from this book. (*****)
Steve Coll: Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
If you want to understand 9/11, read Coll's novel. This is a meticulously woven history and a good read. (*****)
Robert Charles Wilson: Spin
Currently my favorite SciFi writer. Another head-bending tale about real human characters caught up in mysterious technological forces changing the world around them. (****)
Franklin Foer: How Soccer Explains the World : An Unlikely Theory of Globalization
Soccer doesn't explain the world. However, it's a fun, informative read, as Foer tries to prove his these. (****)
Chuck Klosterman: Fargo Rock City : A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota
Ah, the 1980s, an era that consumed so many brain cells. Klosterman describes the hair metal that emerged (erupted, evulsed) during the era and served as the soundtrack to so many misguided youths like me. (****)
Harry Pearson: The Far Corner
I've never visited England, but thanks to Harry Pearson's evocative writing I feel like I've watched 50 years of Northeast Football. (*****)
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