What We Think about When We Think About Soccer

Critchley (Hans Jonas Professor of Philosophy, New Sch. for Social Research; ABC of Impossibility) is a widely published British philosopher whose 20-plus works cover the history of philosophy, ethics, religions, and the arts. This latest book is his first venture into the world of sports and soccer; a rambling collection of thoughts about the philosophy of being a soccer fan, not the philosophy of sport. The author's crisp style, biting sense of reality, and love of the game blend into a "thoughtful poetics of soccer." Readers seeking a book about games, players, and historic matches should look elsewhere. What Critchley achieves here is an introspective look into soccer as an experience and a personal philosophy. Nowhere are the author's reflections more evident than in his chapter on French star Zinedine Zidane, a player unequaled on and off the pitch. Zidane's exploits are heroic and tragic and a significant part of soccer history.