Category Archives: non-fiction
Billion Dollar Ball
In Billion Dollar Ball: A Journey Through the Big-Money Culture of College Football, Gilbert Gaul shed slight on the $2.5 billion (and growing) entertainment business — a business that was once part of academia, but has now outgrown it. It’s … Continue reading
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Soccer in Sun and Shadow
Eduardo Galeano’s Soccer in Sun and Shadow is a must read for anyone who loves the beautiful game. Read reviews from the Staten Island Advance, Publisher’s Weekly and World Soccer Talk. Listen to a story about the book at NPR.
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@War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex
In ‘@War,’ Shane Harris explains tells the emerging world of cyber warfare. It is a world of blurred lines – there are no national borders in cyberspace, and the roles of the military, law enforcement, and intelligence services are much … Continue reading
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The Soccer Diaries
The Soccer Diaries, by Michael Agovino, is a very readable personal soccer history by a passionate follower of the game. It begins in the Bronx when, as a child, Agovino finds himself captivated by ‘the beautiful game.’ (It’s a lso … Continue reading
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The Hollywood Economist
Edward Jay Epstein’s the Hollywood Economist is a must-read for anyone who remembers the not-too-distant age when television was known as “the boob tube” and movies were more than a series of car crashes and shoot-outs. The author provides some … Continue reading
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The Wolf of Wall Street
I figured that I would see Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” at some point, and I like to read the book before I see the movie. So I took Jordan Belfort’s 2007 “memoir” out of the library. A … Continue reading
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Forged: Why Fakes Are the Great Art of Our Age
I am fascinated with con men and others who engage in fraud, including art forgery. In the art world (at least in today’s art world, which is driven in large part by commercial considerations), forgeries raise fundamental questions about the … Continue reading
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Newton’s Football
In Newton’s Football,” Allen St. John and Ainissa Ramirez look at the science behind “America’s game.” They provide an interesting look at the game’s history and innovators as well. Very well done. Read reviews from Goodreads and the LA Times.
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This Town
In “This Town,” Mark Leibovich explains how Washington D.C. really works. A warning — it’s not particularly pretty, but as sociological study of what he sometimes calls “Suck Up City,”it is fascinating. Highly recommended… Read reviews from the NY Times, … Continue reading
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The King of Sports
Gregg Easterbrook’s “The King of Sports” should be required reading by anyone who watches football — professional, collegiate or high school. He covers the financial hypocrisy of the NFL (the “Non-Profit Football League”), as well as the all-too-brief careers of … Continue reading
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