No one can deny the power of sports in American culture but before Michael Mandelbaum, no one had truly explained it. In The Meaning of Sports, Mandelbaum, one of the nations most preeminent foreign policy thinkers, applies the full force of his wit and intellect to Americas century-long love affair with team sports. Whether he is writing about the histories, the legends, the rules or the strategies of these games, Mandelbaum illuminates the cultural principles and the social trends that they embody. Critically acclaimed by sports writers, cultural commentators, and political pundits, The Meaning of Sports offers everyonefrom novice sports fans to the most seasoned fanatics, from scholars of Americana to sports widowsa deep, compelling, and utterly new understanding of baseball, football and basketball: what they say about us, and why so many of us follow them with such remarkable devotion.