#worldcup
The World Cup is entering its final stage. We saw some great football being played, and some not so great. There were a couple of surprises, some tears, and a lot of joy. It is believed that it’s a favourite pastime of millions of people around the world. And while we wait for the semi - final games this week and the final on July 15, we found some great books to make the time go faster. To better understand this beautiful game, fan devotion and what is it that keeps millions going to the stadiums and staying glued to their TV screens, take a look at some of these titles.
Fever Pitch-Nick Hornby
In America, it is soccer. But in Great Britain, it is the real football. No pads, no prayers, no prisoners. And that’s before the players even take the field.Nick Hornby has been a football fan since the moment he was conceived. Call it pre destiny. Or call it preschool. Fever Pitch is his tribute to a lifelong obsession. Part autobiography, part comedy, part incisive analysis of insanity, Hornby’s award-winning memoir captures the fever pitch of fandom–its agony and ecstasy, its community, its defining role in thousands of young men’s coming-of-age stories. Fever Pitch is one for the home team. But above all, it is one for everyone who knows what it really means to have a losing season.
The Game of Our Lives: The English Premier League and the Making of Modern Britain- David Goldblatt
The Game of Our Lives is a masterly portrait of soccer and contemporary Britain. Soccer in the United Kingdom has evolved from a jaded, working-class tradition to a sport at the heart of popular culture, from an economic mess to a booming entertainment industry that has conquered the world. The changes in the game, David Goldblatt shows, uncannily mirror the evolution of British society.
How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization-Franklin Foer
A ground-breaking work - named one of the five most influential sports books of the decade by Sports Illustrated—How Soccer Explains the World is a unique and brilliantly illuminating look at soccer, the world’s most popular sport, as a lens through which to view the pressing issues of our age, from the clash of civilizations to the global economy.
Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica: A Suboptimal Guide to Soccer, America’s “sport of the Future” Since 1972 - Roger Bennett, Michael Davies
The Men in Blazers are two English-born, soccer-obsessed broadcasters who have savored the dizzying growth of the game along with millions of Americans. Now they immerse fans and novices alike in the history and culture of the world’s game with Encyclopedia Blazertannica. Examining fan culture, from the famous stadium chants to the tactical variations of scarf tying, exploring the complex physics and ethics of both celebratory knee slides and fights between players, reliving the careers of legendary players, classic matches, and colorful World Cup history, and sharing a deep appreciation for the athletic brilliance and ill-judged neck tattoos that dominate the sport, this indispensable tome gives readers a front-row seat to all the action of football madness.
The World Cup in 100 Objects- Iain Spragg
See the 85-year history of the World Cup as never before: through 100 iconic objects associated with the game.
This fabulous photographic history boasts the most fascinating collection of artefacts from the FIFA World Cup. The 100 objects include: the ball used in the final of the very first tournament; the collar of Pickles the dog (who found the stolen FIFA World Cup trophy in 1966); the shirt Bobby Moore gave to Pele in the 1970 finals and the one Diego Maradona wore when he scored his infamous “Hand of God” goal; the infamous, controversial vuvuzela; and the scoreboard that registered Brazil’s calamitous defeat to Germany. Entertaining text by a recognized soccer authority and supplementary photos put each item in context and highlight its significance. Every item tells a rich and fascinating story.
Wulkan
Przede mną drabina, kilka szczebli
Pierwszy wydaje się najtrudniejszy,
Drugi galopem przemierzam
Trzeciego nie czuję.
Czwarty przemykam niczym wiatr
Niosący kamienie
Robi się coraz cieplej.
Ląd oddala się z każdą sekundą, spełniam swoje marzenia.
Wzbijam się ku czerwonym obłokom.
Czuję czyste powietrze, którego tak brakuje na dole.
Intuicja odpowiada mi echem,
A ja zbliżam się do początku.
Idę do góry,
Czy w głąb krateru.
Wszystko na nic,
Znowu upadłem.
Throwback to JLo in Louboutins at the Brazil 2014 World Cup opening ceremony! Awesome Louboutins, awesome energy, awesome woman!