Finding the Game: Three Years, Twenty-five Countries, and the Search for Pickup Soccer Kindle Edition

Gwendolyn Oxenham says that she loves to read and it’s apparent in the way she writes. Two summers ago I discovered Paleda, the documentary that covers the same experience that is the book’s subject. I loved watching Paleda, but being a “word” person first, reading her account in Finding the Game made a more profound impact on me.I went into both works with the benefit of loving soccer. But an appreciation of the sport isn’t a perquisite for being both entertained and enlightened by Oxenham’s adventures traveling the globe with her friends and finding those spaces where life happens beyond our awareness. While, ostensibly, they were searching for a ball being kicked around outside of the stadium lights or the reach of organized activity, what they found were hopes and joys, often in places where hopes and joys seem to be in short supply. While Oxenham’s account opened my eyes to some of life’s inequities, it didn’t leave me feeling sorry for her subjects. She captured the beauty in their lives as well. It takes a very good writer to interpret and present the emotions of everyday life, both the writer’s own and those of the people she encounters. I imagine doing so in an unfamiliar culture makes this even more challenging. Oxenham was able to do so in the process of telling a wonderful story.I really loved reading this.

This book combines two of my personal passions: soccer and travel. One need not be a soccer enthusiast to enjoy this book. I felt the author did an extremely good job of captivating the reader and bringing us along on her journey around the world.If you are a lover of the beautiful game and looking for a great soccer book, this is for you. If you are someone that loves to travel and gets inspiration to travel from reading of other's journey, this book is for you. If you are just someone who enjoys a good read, this book is for you!If you have watched the movie Pelada this is a MUST read. The book contains so much more than the movie and really provides a lot of insight to their journey.

Well written, deeply personal story about how soccer connects people and brings communities together. This is not about the game at its highest levels, but played instead by everyday people in big cities and small towns around the world. It’s about the spirit of the game, a great read for anyone who feels deeply connected to soccer, or is curious about why it is the world’s most popular sport.

A compelling and enjoyable read! I hope it's made into a movie! This is a remarkable story of how the "Beautiful Game" has carried this woman around the world and the love and lessons it has brought her.

I really enjoyed traveling the world and hearing about pick up games and people's lives. Pickup games whether they were soccer, touch football or basketball were a big part of my life growing up. I really enjoyed reading about how important these games are to people around the world. It also weaves a very personal journey of the author which made the book that much better. A great read which I highly recommend.

When I first heard the premise of the film "Pelada", I was immediately jealous. Not just that two Americans around my age were traveling the world playing pick-up soccer, but moreso, I was jealous of their courageous spirit and sense of adventure. You see, I have always been a soccer person. I played soccer in college, have traveled to 3 World Cups, and worked on the business side of the sport in various ways for 7 years.But never in my wildest dreams would I have come up with as crazy an idea as what Gwendolyn and Luke did...putting off career and stability to travel the world in search of the beautiful game, in parks, on rooftops, and around street corners. The good news is though, with both "Pelada" and now "Finding the Game", I didn't have to.In "Finding the Game", Gwendolyn Oxenham brought me on their journey showing that a simple soccer ball can cross language barriers and create friendships with people you never would know otherwise...with bootleggers in the slums of Nairobi, hip hop artists in Marseille, and even prisoners in Bolivia. She made me want to go to these places and play soccer with these people.Plus, the Ruud van Nistelrooy story is pretty awesome as well!"Finding the Game" not only fills in the gaps of the movie "Pelada" (which is a must-see), but it stands on its own as incredibly well written and as great evidence of turning a dream into reality. I highly recommend this book!

I played really competitive football (soccer) from an early age in many different countries and loved the experience. Around 19 years old I realized that I wasn't good enough or ambitious enough to make it in the higher leagues. This story made me realize just how much I love playing regardless of the standard and how that no matter where you travel you can always find people to play with and talk about the game with them.I really enjoyed Pelada the movie and I hope there is a directors cut with all the countries that got taken out of the movie.This book is really well done. I enjoy the author's telling of the story and I admire her and her partners for having the get-up-and-go to make it happen. I read this in two nights and highly recommend it.If they are ever up near San Francisco and are looking for a game, I hope they get in touch.Great read!