I really enjoyed this book because it is about more than football. This book chronicles the pursuit and the failures of the American Dream. The lessons learned from Friday Night Lights will stay with me and I appreciated that. It's the first book I have read in a long time which makes me reflect on our society today.

I love how Bissinger provides insight into the lives and dreams of people in Odessa. The stories of the people and the town were completely heartbreaking, but it is related to what is occurring with to society today. The town, once promising in its oil production and wealth, was destroyed when oil prices plummeted. Millionaires found themselves bankrupt and opportunity and jobs were all but gone. Images of the oil fields and equipment left to rot stuck with me as remnants of someone's dream.

This book was sad and troubling at the same time. It warns against reliance on sports over academics-an issue that is common in many schools today. It was interesting to see how in the 1980"s, people had the same concerns about education, though today, it is much improved. I was angered by the teachers who were providing their students with answer keys and dumbing down education. It is no surprise those students ended up in prison or in poverty when football ended and they had no skills to go onto college. I think these issues are still relevant, though not quite as extreme today. The real sadness also came from the fact that when high school ended, these kids had no real dreams or goals. Their dream is completely in the past which creates a community who desires the past.

This book brought about many social issues and I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the book.