Spent some of the long weekend browsing in The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey (Harper Perennial Books), and I find myself thinking it's the best history I've read in a while. The idea was to get 32 good writers to write something about each of the 32 countries that qualified for the World Cup, and if the essay includes something about soccer, so much the better.
And they are frequently brilliant. Suddenly I know all about Tunisian politics and society from Wendell Steavenson's essay. I have a new angle on Dutch society. Tim Parks on Italy is brillant and hilarious. Paraguay, South Korea, Togo -- lots of wonderful bits.
Now I regret Canada didn't qualify for the Cup mostly because I would have loved to read the essay they'd have commissioned from Douglas Coupland or Hal Niedzviecki or someone. Jeez, I would have volunteered.
