NICK GREENE

SANTA ROSA --

You’ll never watch soccer the same way again!

Copperfield’s Books is thrilled to welcome East Bay author Nick Greene to Santa Rosa in celebration of his remarkable new book, .

Drawing on insights from architects, stuntwomen, paleoanthropologists, and computer scientists, Greene reveals the hidden patterns, strategies, and science that shape soccer at every level.

Join us for a soccer-themed reading and conversation, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.

This event is free and open to the public, registration recommended for seating.

A brilliant and entertaining deconstruction of the most popular sport in the world, just in time for the 2026 World Cup in North America, from the bestselling author of How to Watch Basketball Like a Genius!

After reading this fun book, you’ll never look at soccer the same way again.

In How to Watch Soccer Like a Genius, Nick Greene calls on a turf manager, an expert on color theory, and a landscape historian to understand the field itself, a paleoanthropologist to talk kicking, and an Anglican priest to explain schisms—how American football, soccer, and rugby could all develop from the field games of rowdy 19th-century British schoolboys.

Greene delves deep into what defines the game, how it developed, and what happens during a match’s 90 minutes (and then some). His expert commentators include a domino toppler, a developmental neuroscientist, an art historian, a civil engineer, and more.

On the surface, soccer seems like the simplest of games: one ball, two teams, two goals, and (preferably) some grass. There’s a reason it’s the first team sport little kids learn to play. But the closer you look, the more you dig into the game’s history, the more infinitely complex and complex the picture becomes.

Author: Nick Greene is the author of How to Watch Basketball Like a Genius. His work has appeared in Slate, The Washington Post, and Chicago magazine. He lives in Berkeley, California.

Praise:

“From mutant fruit flies to penalty shoot-outs and the structure of the atom, Nick Greene’s book explores the backstories of soccer and shows how the game is connected to . . . well, almost everything. Perceptive, witty, philosophical, and stylish. A delight.” — DAVID WINNER, author of Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer

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