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This tiny book was written in 1961 and reads like it. However, each very short chapter is filled with wisdom for those seeking a renewed vision of a God Who transcends not only poisonous US culture but humanity as a whole. There is just so much packed into this book. I have finished reading it but I expect I will continue to study and meditate on it for some time.

I found the first half very helpful; the second half less so. Much of what was said about women is no doubt true of men as well (for example, many of the experiences she described are things I share with my son), but it is true that autism and ADHD are often overlooked in girls and women and so many women suffer in silence for years. This kind of book might help some of them begin to understand their struggles.

I love this woman’s books - they are simply fun. This one was interesting too as a study of how our relationships as teens continue to shape us long after we suppose we’ve moved on.

Most of the book involved the author bemoaning the corporatization of the Beautiful Game, which is perhaps fair enough. However, even in translation the writing is a pleasure to read.

I enjoyed this - it was a quick read, and it held my interest. I found certain aspects a bit far-fetched, and I really didn't like the fact that so many people who claimed to care about the main character felt free to 'out' her to the entire town regarding the secret she had worked so hard to protect - as much a violation, really, as the rape she didn't want everyone to know about. That bothered me a lot. But otherwise it was an enjoyable way to spend a few evenings.

The first few chapters of this were kind of disjointed and I wasn’t sure what his point was. (Although the chapter on Celtic and Rangers had the following observation: “The Protestant reformation sank its talons into Scotland with greater ferocity than anywhere else in Europe”, which is quite possibly true.) As I progressed, I kind of got the hang of it. He didn’t really have an overarching thesis, just observations on the different countries where football is played and the various quirks - national and/or corporate - that characterise each club examined. The chapter on the history and character of Barcelona and its fans, and the final chapter (on the. way the sport has been received - or reviled - in the US) were particularly interesting.

I really, really enjoyed this, and I enjoyed it on two separate levels: first, the story was quite good and it never lagged; second, the setting - what a year 1989 was! I was living in Scotland then, and each of the events that form the background to the story looms large in my memory. It was something of a jolt to be reminded that Lockerbie, and Hillsborough, and the poll tax, and the fall of the Berlin Wall all happened within twelve short months. Ironically, being reminded of these mostly tragic events takes me back to what was one of the happiest times in my life.

When I saw this latest volume awaiting me at the library, I felt like a kid at Christmas. Not only are these books well written, they’re also just ridiculously good fun, and the third one is possibly the best of the three.

I’d give this 3.5 stars if I knew how. I really enjoyed most of it, especially the mystery of Hefflin’s past and the way he got caught up in events at the fall of the Ceausescus. However, some parts were a bit fantastic - not only the (in my opinion) unnecessary receipt of great wealth at the end, but other things too; for example, Hefflin for all his disgust at the violence of the revolution and his disillusionment with the CIA seems to experience very little anguish about killing people himself. Even justified it seems like something an ordinary person wouldn’t simply accept having done. And parts of the romance could have been better written. The resolution felt rushed. Still, it is Maz’s first novel, so let’s see where he goes from here.