Book Review 2024.03: I Think Therefore I Play -Andrea Pirlo, 150 pages, Paperback, 2013
This is the autobiography of Andrea Pirlo the Italian football legend who, for the more trophy valuing fans, is the winner of both the World Cup and the Champions League, the most coveted trophies for an European footballer and for the football connoisseur, the wizard of freekick goals and the best of deep lying midfield playmaker, a Mozart on the football field.
This book is a peep into the mind and thoughts of Pirlo at various stages of his football career from his youth to his peak as a player. He takes us through the highs and lows of his career and shares the mental state of a player and the pressures they face in one of the most visible and critiqued sport. The description of his mental state on their failure to win the 2005 Champions League final after leading 3-0 at half time is touching, just as his delight of winning the World Cup in 2006. This journey also includes interesting insights into a player’s life, full of pranks, parties and superstition and the rivalry among club football fans.
Reading this autobiography within a few days of the biography of the French football legend Thierry Henry helped me contrast the different facets embedded in autobiographies and biographies. While the autobiography helped me delve into the mind of the protagonist, I was able to better appreciate the biography as it provided the backdrop for a more meaningful understanding, especially the social and historical context in which the player blossomed. Further in the specific biography referred, the critical and objective view was very well balanced providing a more comprehensive picture. Further my lack of Italian football knowledge too could have been a major handicap in fully appreciating the contours of Italian football in general and the life of Pirlo in particular.
I commend this book to all passionate football fans for getting a clear insight into the minds of one of the greatest football mid-fielders and the best freekick specialist of the 21st century.
Happy reading.
