Finally, towards the end, part autobiography focuses on post-retirement activities which include working closely with the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF using the platform to raise awareness of global issues of children around the world. Also continuing to serve as the ambassador of the sport itself both domestically and internationally through various initiatives campaigns events etc… All together gives readers great insight into the man who not only became arguably the best ever to play the game, but someone who used fame to betterment society whole long afterward too! StoryShot #1: A Look into the Early Life and Career of the Football Legend

Speaking after meeting the legendary player, Guinness World Records' Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday said: “In 1970 Pelé made his first appearance in the Guinness World Records book, and has been a fixture in every book since." The greatest player of all time, the athlete of the century, the greatest scorer (1380 goals) of all time, the three times World Cup champion was born in a hut. He learned to play soccer with a ball made of cloth, rigorously barefooted. (His family couldn’t even afford to buy a pair of shoes).

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For any fan of Pelé, this is a must read. These are the words directly from the man himself, told the way he would as if speaking to him face-to-face. Pelé: His Life and Times Another controversy is Pele's club footballing achievements. The way he lists his 1000 odd goals and includes all sorts of friendlies and exhibitions has never sat well with me as no other player in history includes these stars. However, in reading this book, you come to realise just how many of these matches Pele actually had to play with Santos touring and how so many were more than friendlies in the way they were treated. Pelé's eventual retirement in 1977 didn't slow him down! He was a Goodwill Ambassador with UNICEF, a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment, and Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport. The setting of the book is mainly in Brazil, where Pele was born and raised. The author describes the poverty and challenges that Pele faced growing up, as well as the vibrant soccer culture that existed in Brazil at the time.

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." A Short Biography of Pelé Not to mention the severely dodgy elements of cheating and underaged women. Some parts about his son heading down a dark path doesn’t surprise me considering I can’t possibly see how you have the availability to care for all your children if they’re all in different places with different women and you travel all the time. Of course without good examples of behaviour and an unavailable father who practically mistreats his mother in the way he cheats on all of them despite claiming to be very into God and the bible, it’s almost hypocritical to read. If you are not a huge football fan, skip the book and watch the movie Pele: Birth of a Legend (2016) instead. Otherwise, be ready to read about countless games he played and goals he scored, which can be sometimes confusing.

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Pelé first came to international attention in the 1958 World Cup, when the 17 year old stunned the world with 3 goals in the semi-final and 2 goals in the finals, helping Brazil win the competition.

There is an investing dichotomy of Pele being humble and never losing sight of his origins and family but also having a massive ego about his ability. But maybe this is just honest appraisal of someone who was undoubtedly the best in the history of the game at this point rather than being disingenuous and unnecessarily humble. He also shares some valuable experience about managing his finances and being almost bankrupt a few times due to bad investment decisions and allowing a consultant to have full control over his assets. This is what professional athletes often face, being too busy earning money to learn how to manage it. Pelé remains one of the most beloved and iconic sports figures in history, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. His legacy lives on through his academy and his incredible feats on the pitch. He has written multiple books about his life and continues to be an inspiration to young footballers around the world. Final Summary and Review The most interesting sections of the book are about how Pele tried to deal with the adulation of his fans and how his finances differed as he became more famous. You would think that someone as lauded as Pele would be mega rich, but the book explores several flawed business plans. It is also interesting reading about his retirement and move to America. You get a real sense of how much Pele appreciated his fans and the opportunities he was given in life. I now wish I had done this earlier. This is a fantastically enjoyable autobiography, in which Pele really takes you inside how it felt to win the World Cup in Sweden in 1958 aged just 17. Unlike other similar books, this doesn't focus on the way the success was achieved at the expense of what it meant. Edson Arantes do Nascimento has an amazing ability to recall his emotions and really take you inside his head. What makes it more charming is that he was very humble and is open and honest about how much it meant to him (winning it for his dad after promising him as a 10 year old in 1950 following the Maracanazo).I cried a few times too, not for sadness but at the incredible beauty that many moments in his life brought to Pelé and anyone privileged to witness them: the 1958 Brazil World Cup victory, the first retirement where he took the ball midfield and saluted the crowd. Marco is used to me trying to read through tears, whether happy ones or sad ones. And I know Pelé would have understood, since he described himself as "a very sentimental person. More than that, I am a cry-baby." We laughed many times and loved the humble touches shared from Pelé's career, such as this story from the final chapter in which he spends a little time talking about some of the other footballers he had known and played against. Here he was talking about Bobby Moore from England. It is sweet to think of someone with as much talent as Pelé had being so excited to speak with another extremely talented player. Pele is known the world over… I know of Pele’s genius as a footballer, and I do not even follow the game. That is the cult status he has achieved… but what is intriguing is that he stands as an icon even today, decades after he played… no wonder then, that he is recognised as one of the earliest global superstars! New to StoryShots? Get the PDF, audiobook and animated versions of this summary of Pele: The Autobiography and hundreds of other bestselling nonfiction books in our free top-ranking app. It’s been featured by Apple, The Guardian, The UN, and Google as one of the world’s best reading and learning apps. Related Book Summaries