{"product_id":"the-meaning-of-sports","title":"The Meaning Of Sports","description":"In The Meaning of Sports, Michael Mandelbaum, a sports fan who is also one of the nation's preeminent foreign policy thinkers, examines America's century-long love affair with team sports. In keeping with his reputation for writing about big ideas in an illuminating and graceful way, he shows how sports respond to deep human needs; describes the ways in which baseball, football and basketball became national institutions and how they reached their present forms; and covers the evolution of rules, the rise and fall of the most successful teams, and the historical significance of the most famous and influential figures such as Babe Ruth, Vince Lombardi, and Michael Jordan.\n\nWhether he is writing about baseball as the agrarian game, football as similar to warfare, basketball as the embodiment of post-industrial society, or the moral havoc created by baseball's designated hitter rule, Mandelbaum applies the full force of his learning and wit to subjects about which so many Americans care passionately: the games they played in their youth and continue to follow as adults. By offering a fresh and unconventional perspective on these games, The Meaning of Sports makes for fascinating and rewarding reading both for fans and newcomers.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 1586483307\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: RDV.1586483307.A\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Acceptable\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Mandelbaum, Michael\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: This book itself and pages are in great condition but it has a wave to the cover. Integrity of the book is still intact with no missing pages. The dust jacket is missing. May have notes or highlighting. Cover image on the book may vary from photo. Ships out quickly in a secure plastic mailer.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Reliant Bookstore","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45489909530801,"sku":"RDV.1586483307.A","price":6.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0544\/8872\/7729\/files\/1586483307-0.jpg?v=1746207008","url":"https:\/\/www.reliantbookstore.com\/products\/the-meaning-of-sports","provider":"Reliant Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}