Recommendations based on Soccer in Sun and Shadowby Eduardo Galeano

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization

    by Franklin Foer
    Exploring the political, economic and social ties between soccer and the world.

    Soccer is much more than a game, or even a way of life. It is a perfect window into the cross-currents of today's world, with all its joys and its sorrows. In this remarkably insightful, wide-ranging ... (Goodreads)

  2. Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent

    by Eduardo Galeano
    Historical account of the exploitation of Latin America by foreign powers.

    Open Veins of Latin America has a foreword written by Chilean writer Isabel Allende , followed by a preface by Galeano titled “In Defense of the World” and a series of acknowledgments. The book has ... (Wikipedia)

  3. The Complete Essays

    by Michel de Montaigne
    Collection of essays exploring diverse topics, from philosophy to morality.

    Michel de Montaigne was one of the most influential figures of the Renaissance, singlehandedly responsible for popularising the essay as a literary form. This Penguin Classics edition of The Complete ... (Goodreads)

  4. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

    by Michael Lewis
    How an unconventional approach to baseball changed the competitive landscape.

    Billy Beane, general manager of MLB's Oakland A's and protagonist of Michael Lewis's Moneyball , had a problem: how to win in the Major Leagues with a budget that's smaller than that of nearly every ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Autobiography of Malcolm X

    by Malcolm X
    A gripping account of one man's transformation from criminal to civil rights leader.

    Alternate cover for ISBN 9780345350688 Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century. In this riveting account, he tells of his ... (Goodreads)

  6. Soccernomics

    by Simon Kuper
    A data-driven analysis of soccer, exploring the economics and psychology behind the world's most popular sport.

    Why do England lose? Why does Scotland suck? Why doesn’t America dominate the sport internationally... and why do the Germans play with such an efficient but robotic style? These are questions every ... (Goodreads)

  7. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

    by Christopher McDougall
    A thrilling exploration of the Tarahumara tribe and their superhuman running abilities.

    Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does ... (Goodreads)

  8. A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments

    by David Foster Wallace
    Collection of essays and arguments, exploring the absurdities of contemporary culture.

    In this exuberantly praised book — a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary ... (Goodreads)

  9. My Family and Other Animals

    by Gerald Durrell
    A humorous memoir of a family's experiences living on the Mediterranean island of Corfu.

    When the unconventional Durrell family can no longer endure the damp, gray English climate, they do what any sensible family would do: sell their house and relocate to the sunny Greek isle of Corfu. ... (Goodreads)

  10. Dispatches

    by Michael Herr
    A journalist's account of the Vietnam War, depicting the brutality, confusion and chaos of the conflict.

    Written on the front lines in Vietnam, Dispatches became an immediate classic of war reportage when it was published in 1977. From its terrifying opening pages to its final eloquent words, Dispatches ... (Goodreads)

  11. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

    by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
    An exploration of the concept of 'flow' and how it can be used to enhance optimal experience.

    Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Nonsmokers Using the Easyway Method

    by Allen Carr
    A step-by-step guide for quitting smoking using the Easyway Method.

    A new edition of the revolutionary bestseller, with four million copies in print. Allen Carr’s innovative Easyway method—which he discovered after his own 100-cigarette-a-day habit nearly drove him ... (Goodreads)

  13. Black Skin, White Masks

    by Frantz Fanon
    Examining the psychological and social effects of colonialism on people of color.

    A major influence on civil rights, anti-colonial, and black consciousness movements around the world, Black Skin, White Masks is the unsurpassed study of the black psyche in a white world. Hailed for ... (Goodreads)

  14. From Beirut to Jerusalem

    by Thomas L. Friedman
    A journalist's account of the Middle East, from the civil war in Lebanon to the first Palestinian intifada.

    This extraordinary bestseller is still the most incisive, thought-provoking book ever written about the Middle East. Thomas L. Friedman, twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize for international ... (Goodreads)

  15. Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman

    by Jon Krakauer
    The inspiring story of a professional athlete and soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

    The bestselling author of, Into the Wild,, Into Thin Air, and, Under the Banner of Heaven, delivers a stunning, eloquent account of a remarkable young man’s haunting journey. Like the men whose epic ... (Goodreads)

  16. A Moveable Feast

    by Ernest Hemingway
    A memoir of Hemingway's life in 1920s Paris, exploring its rich bohemian culture.

    Hemingway's memories of his life as an unknown writer living in Paris in the twenties are deeply personal, warmly affectionate, and full of wit. Looking back not only at his own much younger self, ... (Goodreads)

  17. How Music Works

    by David Byrne
    A comprehensive look at the history and science of music, exploring its impact on culture.

    Best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the iconic band Talking Heads, David Byrne has received Grammy, Oscar, and Golden Globe awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll ... (Goodreads)

  18. Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets

    by David Simon
    A year-long journey with Baltimore homicide detectives as they solve murders and navigate the city's complex social and political landscape.

    From the creator of HBO's, The Wire, the classic book about homicide investigation that became the basis for the hit television show. The scene is Baltimore. Twice every three days another citizen is ... (Goodreads)

  19. A Short History of Nearly Everything

    by Bill Bryson
    A captivating overview of the natural sciences, spanning the history of the universe.

    In Bryson's biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand—and, if possible, answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory ... (Goodreads)

  20. When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management

    by Roger Lowenstein
    The story of the hedge fund that almost brought down the financial system in 1998, and the hubris and greed that led to its downfall.

    With a new Afterword addressing today’s financial crisis A BUSINESS WEEK BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR In this business classic—now with a new Afterword in which the author draws parallels to the recent ... (Goodreads)

  21. Between the World and Me

    by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    A letter to his son, exploring the realities of racism in America.

    “This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.” In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American ... (Goodreads)

  22. Zeitoun

    by Dave Eggers
    A man's struggle to survive and reunite with his family amidst the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

    Abdulrahman Zeitoun grew up in Syria. After a few years of apprenticeship in the Syrian port city of Jableh , Zeitoun spent twenty years working at sea as a muscleman, engineer and fisherman. During ... (Wikipedia)

  23. The World of Yesterday

    by Stefan Zweig
    Autobiography of a Jewish writer, describing the intellectual and social life of fin de siècle Europe.

    The World of Yesterday, mailed to his publisher a few days before Stefan Zweig took his life in 1942, has become a classic of the memoir genre. Originally titled “Three Lives,” the memoir describes ... (Goodreads)

  24. A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary

    by Marta Hillers
    An account of the struggles of a German woman during the occupation of Berlin, as she attempts to survive.

    A, New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice For eight weeks in 1945, as Berlin fell to the Russian army, a young woman kept a daily record of life in her apartment building and among its ... (Goodreads)

  25. Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil

    by Hannah Arendt
    Exploration of the trial of Adolf Eichmann, examining the nature of evil and its implications.

    Originally appearing as a series of articles in The New Yorker , Hannah Arendt’s authoritative and stunning report on the trial of Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann sparked a flurry of debate upon its ... (Goodreads)

  26. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books

    by Azar Nafisi
    Memoir of a professor's struggle in Iran, using literature to find freedom.

    The book consists of a memoir of the author's experiences about returning to Iran during the revolution (1978–1981) and living under the Islamic Republic of Iran government until her departure in ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Shadow of the Sun

    by Ryszard Kapuściński
    An epic account of a journey through Africa, navigating the continent's diverse cultures and politics.

    In 1957, Ryszard Kapuscinski arrived in Africa to witness the beginning of the end of colonial rule as the first African correspondent of Poland's state newspaper. From the early days of independence ... (Goodreads)

  28. What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures

    by Malcolm Gladwell
    Collection of essays about the surprising connections between seemingly unrelated topics.

    What is the difference between choking and panicking? Why are there dozens of varieties of mustard but only one variety of ketchup? What do football players teach us about how to hire teachers? What ... (Goodreads)

  29. Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

    by V.S. Ramachandran
    An exploration of the human brain, examining its functions and mysteries.

    Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran is internationally renowned for uncovering answers to the deep and quirky questions of human nature that few scientists have dared to address. His bold insights about ... (Goodreads)