You Say Soccer, I Say Football

"[Akinyemi] seamlessly weaves together academic and pop culture sources into the soccer sources to illustrate why soccer concepts appeal to a wider discussion, and vice versa." -- World Soccer Talk

The world's most popular game continues to seduce millions of people all over the world. But football fans are constantly accused of caring too much about something that is "just a game". Unfortunately, these accusations are probably justified.

They shouldn't care so much. They shouldn't shed all those tears over that last-gasp goal that lost them the championship. They shouldn't become enraged over that missed penalty.

And yet, they do.

You Say Soccer, I Say Football will tell you something that every fan of the game knows deep inside his or her heart. That underneath the surface, there are serious, bigger-picture lessons to be learned through football.

Lessons about life, identity, leadership, mental health, and society. Lessons that encompass psychology, philosophy, politics, racism, and inequality. Lessons that, if only football fans mastered the art of rationally explaining them, would both legitimize this seemingly irrational passion and silence the critics that look down on them because of their obsession.

From the author of Community Heroes: What a Year as an AmeriCorps VISTA Member Taught Me About Community Development and writer and podcast host for the prominent football website Black & White & Read All Over, Akinyemi's latest book You Say Soccer, I Say Football will help you explain why and understand how even though football is just a game, it can teach us invaluable lessons about life and ourselves.

"Deserves a spot on the shelf among your soccer books you'll loan out (and require the person to return)." -- World Soccer Talk