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9th out of 9 books
—
3 voters
Finding the Game: Three Years, Twenty-five Countries, and the Search for Pickup Soccer
Across two dozen countries—from back alleys to remote beaches to the roofs of skyscrapers—an eye-opening journey into the heart of soccerEvery country has a different term for it: In the United States it’s “pickup.” In Trinidad it’s “taking a sweat.” In Brazil it’s “pelada” (literally “naked”). It’s the other side of soccer, those spontaneous matches played away from the b...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
June 19th 2012
by St. Martin's Press
(first published November 28th 2011)
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This book was a number of things. It was a story about making a movie - the travels involved in visiting 25 countries to film pick-up soccer games. I loved the first part, where they were working on a grant and traveling through South America, sleeping on floors and playing lots and lots of soccer.
It was also the story of a changing relationship - the one between the author and soccer. This game had been and continued to be her passion, her identity, and yet she was growing older, finding other...more
It was also the story of a changing relationship - the one between the author and soccer. This game had been and continued to be her passion, her identity, and yet she was growing older, finding other...more
A good read about how to take your love of something and use it to see the world. The story is about a couple of accomplished soccer players, the games they found and the people they met traveling around with a soccer ball, all while shooting a documentary, "Pelada".
It's definitely from a woman's perspective as she continually verbalizes her insecurities, which may be annoying to a man, but I can appreciate. If you can relate to any universal passion; music, climbing, kayaking, food, etc., you...more
It's definitely from a woman's perspective as she continually verbalizes her insecurities, which may be annoying to a man, but I can appreciate. If you can relate to any universal passion; music, climbing, kayaking, food, etc., you...more
Definitely not a substitute for her breathtaking film "Pelada," but a worthy companion piece. For a while, the book repeats much of the documentary, but we get a peek behind the scenes of the film. We learn more about her and her relationship with Luke, but we also meet the other two filmmakers and how they worked together to make the film.
It's not written in the same style as your typical soccer book -- most of us aren't grad students in creative writing! Sometimes her ornate style seems like o...more
It's not written in the same style as your typical soccer book -- most of us aren't grad students in creative writing! Sometimes her ornate style seems like o...more
Oxenham played soccer at Duke and hoped to play professionally, but she graduated just when the WUSA (women’s professional soccer league) folded. A couple of years afterwards, along with her boyfriend and two college friends, she set out to make a documentary film about informal pick-up soccer games in other countries. I’ve heard good things about “Pelada” and hope to see it soon; I’m interested to see how they wove a narrative from what (in the book) end up being unconnected serial episodes. De...more
Came across the book long after I'd watched the documentary. Both are brilliant. Ms. Oxenham's passion for the beautiful game translates well to her writing and I look forward to her next book. Highly recommend.
Great book written by a Duke grad with an appreciation for soccer, culture, travel, and life!
A terrific read where soccer and travel intersect to make for a compelling narrative.
Great book, even better movie. Must see Pelada, absolutely amazing story of pickup soccer around the world.
Brilliantly written,
Jun 17, 2013
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