4. Futebol: The Brazilian Way Of Life Alex Bellos
As with any great football books that focusses on a nation or region, Futebol is as much about football as it is the country that it is played in. As a book about the history of Brazilian football, Futebol is as informative and witty as is its social commentary on Brazil. Brazil is the most passionate football country in the world and Futebol really gets under its skin to see what makes it tick. This eclectic and entertaining book not only looks at the great players such as Pele, Garrincha and Zico and their clubs, but the side of Brazilian football we know next to nothing about. How is football played in the Amazon? How exactly did a Brazilian striker end up being a star player in the Faroe Islands? There is, however a darker side to the book, as Bellos examines Brazilian footballs administrative side, which is rife with corruption. As a study of why a country is so obsessed with the beautiful game, this book takes some beating.