Rio 2016: Olympic Myths and Hard Realities

Although the games were held without major incident, the economic, environmental, political, and social outcomes for Brazil ranged from disappointing to devastating. A clear-eyed, critical examination of the social, political, and economic costs of hosting the 2016 summer OlympicsThe selection of Rio de Janeiro as the site of the summer 2016 Olympic Games set off jubilant celebrations in Braziland created enormous expectations for economic development and the advancement of Brazil as a major player on the world stage. Hosting the games ultimately cost Brazil $20 billion, with little positive to show for the investment.Rio 2016 assembles the views of leading experts on Brazil and the Olympics into a clear-eyed assessment of the impact of the games on Brazil in general and on the lives of Cariocas, as Rio's residents are known. Edited by sports economist Andrew Zimbalist, the other contributors include Juliana Barbassa, Jules Boykoff, Jamil Chade, Stephen Essex, Renata Latuf, and Theresa Wil

About the AuthorAndrew Zimbalist is the Robert A. Woods Professor of Economics at Smith College and a noted sports economist and sports industry consultant. He has published 26 books, most recently Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup and Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It (with Gerald Gurney and Donna Lopiano.)

Andrew Zimbalist is the Robert A. He has published 26 books, most recently Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup and Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It (with Gerald Gurney and Donna Lopiano.). Woods Professor of Economics at Smith College and a noted sports economist and sports industry consultant