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These are questions every soccer aficionado has asked. Soccernomics answers them.
Using insights and analogies from economics, statistics, psychology, and business to cast a new and entertaining light on how the game works, Soccernomics reveals the often surprisingly counterintuitive truths about soccer. An essential guide for the 2010 World Cup, Soccernomics is a new way of looking at the world’s most popular game.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even predicted the World Cup Accurately!,
By
This review is from: Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the U.S., Japan, Australia, Turkey--And Even Iraq--Are Destined to Become the Kings Of the World's Most Popular Sport (Paperback)
To add to the credibility of what these guys are saying, read and/or re-read this book and compare what they said to what actually happened in the FIFA 2010 World Cup. They said West Europe is currently/still the dominant force at the world soccer stage, that are; they said Japan would do well and they did; and they predicted England's exit to a tee: they predicted they'd lose to Germany or another old war time rival; and they did. Excellent read from both a statistical standpoint and in the entertainment department.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Read!: Well-researched, Humorous, Intelligent and Carefully Executed,
By Complex (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the U.S., Japan, Australia, Turkey--And Even Iraq--Are Destined to Become the Kings Of the World's Most Popular Sport (Paperback)
I first came to know the name Simon Kuper when he was a guest lecturer at a local university in Toronto, Canada. The articulate British author talked about his new novel Soccernomics and some of the core arguments. Despite making some fascinating points about football, he looked uncomfortable and unable to answer some of the questions that the audience prosed in the Q&A period. I was greeted with a great deal of skepticism, but decided to purchase the book anyway.After reading through the book, I can safely say Soccernomics is fantastic and a must-read for any soccer fan! Stefan Szymanski lives up to his billing as a top sports economist with thorough detail and Kuper fits the part with his commentary including tidbits of witty humour. Correlating statistical analysis with any sport is extremely difficult because you are attempting to satisfy the common reader without flattening the economic methodology. Kuper is to-the-point and articulate in his arguments. Most importantly, he does not make an argument, and then uses statistics to back up his perspective. Rather, he reads through the information, recognizes patterns, and creates a formula. Several fascinating chapters include Core to the Periphery (Guus Hiddink) and why England loses. Despite the many positives, there are some flaws. At times, the economic analysis is overwhelming and seems suited more for a peer-reviewed journal than a book for the common consumer. As well, some of the variables are far too large (population, income etc) and rarely include common competing variables (other popular sports etc). Furthermore, Kuper is well-travelled and could integrate more of his personal experiences to add some `spice' to the arguments (Hiddink is an excellent example but we also know how he has done speeches at Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü. All in all, an excellent book and I would highly recommend it. 4.25/5
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
If love soccer you'll love this book,
By Jasper Taylor (Toronto (ON)) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the U.S., Japan, Australia, Turkey--And Even Iraq--Are Destined to Become the Kings Of the World's Most Popular Sport (Paperback)
This is one fun book to read. The chapter on penalty shoot outs is worth the price alone. I highly recommend it to anyone who actively follows the sport - it's a very entertaining book on a fascinating topic.
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