The Meaning of Sports

by Michael Mandelbaum

Book Overview

In The Meaning of Sports, Michael Mandelbaum, a sports fan who is also one of the nation's preeminent foreign policy thinkers, examines America's century-long love affair with team sports. In keeping with his reputation for writing about big ideas in an illuminating and graceful way, he shows how sports respond to deep human needs; describes the ways in which baseball, football and basketball became national institutions and how they reached...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586483307
• ISBN13: 9781586483302
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Mandelbaum's work teaches us all.

Mandelbaum's work teaches us all. Michael Mandelbaum's The Meaning of Sports lived up to all of the expectations I had for it. It captured my attention with facts about my minds blurred past of sports. The way he breaks down each mjor individual sport and relates them to the major periods and times of our world was intriging. I would suggest this book to any non sports fan who cannot see why the rest of us are in love with these great games and memorable moments because you will learn a lot. Also, I would reccomend this book to every sports fan becuase no matter how knowledgeable you are about each and every sport, you too will learn something and will also walk away with a better appreciation and love for these games.

Superb! A great mind applied to a great subject

This is a brilliant book. I recommend it wholeheartedly to any sports fan, as well as to anyone who isn't a fan. It is a pleasure to read and you'll learn a lot about the culture of the United States, about human nature and about why people love sports. Beautifully written, as well. A great mind applied to a great topic.

Outstanding - A great book for Sports Fans & Thinkers Alike

What a wonderful and unique addition to the world of sports publishing. Not only are there facts galore that educate even a highly knowledgeable sports fan, the insights and analysis are unparrelled. I could not put it down. This amazing book by Professore Mandelbaum can be read on many levels (far more than I can probably grasp) and yet it appears approachable by anyone; be they sports fan, someone who questions why sports are important in our society, and even those looking for lessons on how to lead people or manage a business.The contrasting of baseball, football and basketball provides a fascinating window on why we Americans are who we are today and how we got here. The interlacing of history with observations about how people operate in our society and within organizations is really amazing. We love our football in Texas and Mandelbaum is right on in his analysis about football in every sense. He hits the mark on baseball and basketball as well. This book really makes you think, but gives so much in return that you come away feeling as though you just had a wonderful meal for your mind. I now enjoy watching sports more than I did before reading The Meaning of Sports. I am going to read it again.

A wonderful read---pure pleasure and fascination

I loved this book for its beautiful writing, the clarity of the author's thinking, and the way it showed me why people love sports. I've given it to my father, a big time sports fan, who adored it, and my grandmother, who has lived with a sports fan for more than 60 years, and she loved it, too. Whether you love sports or don't understand what the big deal is, this is a great read, pure pleasure. You'll learn a lot whether you started at zero or were very knowledgable to begin with. A great book by a great writer.

a terrific read--and not just for sports fans

Michael Mandelbaum, who happens to be one of the country's leading experts on international politics, offers here a beautiful written, engaging account of the history of America's three major sports: baseball, football, and basketball. Sports enthusiasts will love this book, but so will those--like me--who have only a passing interest in sports, or none at all, for Mandelbaum not only tells us about the colorful personalities and defining moments of American sports; he shows us how sports shaped who we are as a people. There is an abundance of wit, wisdom, and insight in this book, and the prose is so elegant and effortless that the pages turn (all too) rapidly. Buy this book. You'll be swept away. Great for summer reading and likely to become a classic.