The same is true of his chapter on the "New Oligarchs" of Italy. Foer presents a fascinating and thought provoking overview of how obsessive Italy's soccer fans are about referees. He provides an excellent introduction to the clashing ruling families of post-war Italy and how they are different culturally, politically, and economically. The Angelli family - owners of Fiat and a host of other companies - control the powerful Juventus soccer club and are the old-fashioned pre-globalization ruling class. They seek influence and political control through bribery and corruption but they do it from behind the scenes and in back rooms. The flamboyant and controversial newcomer Silvio Berlusconi - owner of the rival club AC Milan - in contrast built a brash media empire and is not shy about using his media power politically or vice versa. For those unfamiliar with the game or with the Italian politics the chapter is both captivating and educational. But I am still skeptical that soccer is anything but an interesting illustration of Italian life. Berlusconi is an ambitious and talented man; if soccer were unavailable he would have chosen another medium with which to seek power. Soccer provides a unique angle for the story but hardly seems a causal factor.

Perhaps I am being too hard on Foer because I enjoyed the book a great deal. Each chapter is eminently readable and provides useful insights into the culture and politics of the country it touches on. If you are a soccer buff or particularly knowledgeable about the game's history and rivalries much of this might be familiar territory. For the novice or the fan of the game without an encyclopedic knowledge of its history, however, Foer provides a trip around the world of soccer. He touches on the long history of the game, the violent, and often hate-filled, rivalries that burn themselves into the culture, and the larger than life personalities that are at the center of these clubs. From the Serbian hooligan Arkan who provided Slobodan Milosevic with shock troops; to the all Jewish Hakoah of Vienna soccer team that was briefly the toast of inter-war Europe; to the Nigerian soccer stars who find themselves trapped in the obscure mathematical (and artic cold) world of Ukrainian soccer; to the up and down and up again life of (perhaps the world most famous soccer player) Pele; Foer entertains his readers and sheds light on how the rest of the world lives.

Given all of the above, it is fair to say that I don't really hold the book's title against him. Part history, part cultural commentary, part political analysis, and part diehard sports fan evangelism, How Soccer Explains the World is an interesting and thought provoking read even if it doesn't explain the world.