The Ball: Discovering the Object of the Game [Paperback]

Anthropologist John Fox sets off on a worldwide adventure to thefarthest reaches of the globe and the deepest recesses of our ancientpast to answer a question inspired by his sports-loving son:

Why do we play ball?

From Mexican jungles to the small-town gridirons of Ohio, frommedieval villages and royal courts to modern soccer pitches andbaseball parks,The Ballexplores the little-known origins ofour favorite sports across the centuries, and traces how a simpleinvention like the ball has come to stake an unrivaled claim on ourpassions, our money, and our lives. Equal parts history and travelogue,The Ballremoves us from the scandals and commercialism of today'ssports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaimour universal connection to the games we love.

Anybody who has ever thrown, caught, bounced, hit (or whiffed) a ball will mightily enjoy John Foxs stories of where all these balls came from, and why, from our earliest days, they have been such an integral part of the very fun that makes us human.[In THE BALL], a realm of behavior that we take for granted is seen anew in all of its original strangeness. The ball itselfwhether made of grass and beeswax, opossum pelts, kangaroo scrotums or seal hidesis depicted freshly as an extraordinary invention of human happiness.John Fox is dauntless&The Ball is a fascinating read that  like a good ball game  is both compelling and fun.John Fox is equal parts historian, anthropologist, world traveler, sports nut, and storyteller. The Ball is a fascinating exploration not just of the games we play but why we play themof what our ballgames tell us about ourselves.A fun and anecdotal new book&which uses the evolution of the ball itself to trace mankinds progress from prehistory through ancient Egypt and gladiatorial Rome to the births of modern sports like tennis and base-ball.In tracing the fascinating history of ball games  from the primal contests ls9