Celebration Capitalism and the Olympic Games

"You can’t understand economics, politics, or the way consent is manufactured and dissent is criminalized without reading Celebration Capitalism and the Olympic Games. Jules Boykoff has written "The Shock Doctrine" for anyone who cares about the relationship between sports and society. Combining the intellectual rigor of an academic with the dynamic reportage of a street activist, Boykoff has produced a remarkable book. There are many powerful actors who will hope this book does not command a wide audience. For all our sake, I hope their hopes are dashed." – Dave Zirin, author of Game Over: How Politics Have Turned the Sports World Upside Down.

"In Celebration Capitalism and the Olympic Games, Jules Boykoff builds an innovative theory upon a sturdy political-economic foundation. An economic system based on competition and greed distorts all our activities, often making them ugly shadows of what they could have been. Anyone who wants to understand how capitalism has sullied Olympic sports must read this book, written by a former Olympic athlete turned political science professor who loves sports but is willing to challenge what is being done to them." – Robin Hahnel, Professor of Economics at Portland State University, author Of the People, By the People: The Case for a Participatory Economy and The ABCs of Political Economy.

"Celebration Capitalism and the Olympic Games is one of the most provocative and important books on the modern Olympic Games to have been written this century. Jules Boykoff convincingly shows that the Olympics has become celebratory spectacle and profit for the few and compensatory spectacle and austerity for the many. Essential reading for anyone who cares about the continuing struggles for social justice, inside and outside of the global sports arena." – Ben Carrington, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, author of Race, Sport and Politics: The Sporting Black Diaspora.

"Boykoff (Pacific Univ.) argues that the Olympics have become a spectacle of "celebration capitalism," a "public-private partnership" in which the taxpayers assume the risk and wealthy capitalists reap the rewards. Boykoff focuses on the last four Olympics (Athens, Beijing, Vancouver, and London). A pattern emerges: Olympic bidders lowball the costs of the holding the games while emphasizing the benefits to the host cities. Summing Up: Recommended."– J. F. Kraus, Wagner College in CHOICE

"This short book demands reconsideration of our understanding of contemporary mega-events, including the Olympics, and poses major challenges to historians. Other readers will no doubt find other challenges; that you will do so is a sign of this book's importance, openness and richness - characteristics that allow it to open new areas of research and debate and attests to its significance in our field." - Malcolm Maclean, Sport in History