Sport and neoliberalism : politics, consumption, and culture /

Andrews (physical and cultural studies, kinesiology, Univ. of Maryland, College Park) and Silk (humanities and social science, Univ. of Bath, UK) have compiled an extensive collection of essays that provide a look at sport from political, social, and economic points of view (with a neoliberal slant). Sport can be classified as a national pastime, but its relationship to urban policy, public governance, environment, and health issues are highlighted in a unique way to help readers understand the relationship of sport to culture, politics, and identity. In the afterword, Norman Denzin writes, of sport in the context of society, that "sport [is] buried deep in the belly of [a] grotesque, monstrous beast," the beast further described as "ugly, huge, sprawling, multiheaded." Sport can be enjoyable and pleasing to the eye, but it can also be blemished by terror, race, and gender issues. In sum, this book attempts to redefine how sport is viewed, discussed, and understood. It will be particularly useful to those interested in the intersection of politics, economics, and sport. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. M. E. Beagle Berea College