---
product_id: 103136677
title: "Playing for Pizza"
price: "$581"
currency: MXN
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.mx/products/103136677-playing-for-pizza
store_origin: MX
region: Mexico
---

# Playing for Pizza

**Price:** $581
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Playing for Pizza
- **How much does it cost?** $581 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.mx](https://www.desertcart.mx/products/103136677-playing-for-pizza)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Playing for Pizza - Kindle edition by Grisham, John. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Playing for Pizza.

Review: Nice change in a book from John Grisham, an easy read. - Great book a fun read
Review: Italian Travelogue - This was clearly a departure for Grisham, much like Bleachers and Skipping Christmas, insofar as they departed from his usual lawyer-related books. Actually, he seems to enjoy the departure as these light-hearted books tend to be well written and enjoyable. In this case, Playing for Pizza is a light hearted romp through Italy using football as an excuse to settle on a topic. The story line is predictable as is the ending, so we’re left with a not-too-deep story of an ex-NFL quarterback and his PLAN B which is to play somewhere - anywhere. Somewhere in this case is Italy, mostly near Milan in the small town of Parma (where they make Parmesan cheese!). Rick Dockery is the ex-quarterback who reluctantly arrives in Parma and begins a transition from “ugly American” to a convert to life in a small Italian town. Along the way he meets Livvy, another ex-pat who wants to know everything there is to know about Italy. Rick (or Reek as the Italians pronounce it) walks a fine line between his first love (football) and his desire to please Livvy in her pursuits of Italian churches and castles. The interactions with the locals including his teammates is the basis for the story. And Grisham navigates the storyline in a comfortable manner. Reading this book is a relaxing departure from most of today’s books where excitement is needed in every chapter in order to create a sellable book. If you like football, if you like Italy (and, even better, if you’ve ever traveled there), and if you enjoy a laid back love story, you’ll probably enjoy Playing for Pizza. I marked the book down one star because, after all, it’s not Gone with the Wind.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | B003B02O00 |
| Accessibility  | Learn more |
| Best Sellers Rank | #43,343 in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #35 in Humorous American Literature #141 in Humorous Fiction #194 in Sports Fiction (Kindle Store) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (9,367) |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| Enhanced typesetting  | Enabled |
| File size  | 1.8 MB |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0307576118 |
| Language  | English |
| Page Flip  | Enabled |
| Print length  | 338 pages |
| Publication date  | March 9, 2010 |
| Publisher  | Vintage |
| Screen Reader  | Supported |
| Word Wise  | Enabled |
| X-Ray  | Enabled |

## Images

![Playing for Pizza - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Paw99VISL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nice change in a book from John Grisham, an easy read.
*by J***R on December 15, 2025*

Great book a fun read

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Italian Travelogue
*by J***H on December 12, 2020*

This was clearly a departure for Grisham, much like Bleachers and Skipping Christmas, insofar as they departed from his usual lawyer-related books. Actually, he seems to enjoy the departure as these light-hearted books tend to be well written and enjoyable. In this case, Playing for Pizza is a light hearted romp through Italy using football as an excuse to settle on a topic. The story line is predictable as is the ending, so we’re left with a not-too-deep story of an ex-NFL quarterback and his PLAN B which is to play somewhere - anywhere. Somewhere in this case is Italy, mostly near Milan in the small town of Parma (where they make Parmesan cheese!). Rick Dockery is the ex-quarterback who reluctantly arrives in Parma and begins a transition from “ugly American” to a convert to life in a small Italian town. Along the way he meets Livvy, another ex-pat who wants to know everything there is to know about Italy. Rick (or Reek as the Italians pronounce it) walks a fine line between his first love (football) and his desire to please Livvy in her pursuits of Italian churches and castles. The interactions with the locals including his teammates is the basis for the story. And Grisham navigates the storyline in a comfortable manner. Reading this book is a relaxing departure from most of today’s books where excitement is needed in every chapter in order to create a sellable book. If you like football, if you like Italy (and, even better, if you’ve ever traveled there), and if you enjoy a laid back love story, you’ll probably enjoy Playing for Pizza. I marked the book down one star because, after all, it’s not Gone with the Wind.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Playing For Pizza
*by J***R on August 12, 2012*

My wife and I were in Italy between 10 and 12 weeks in 2011. She arrived there earlier due to work assignment and I came 2 weeks later with our cat and a few items from home. Needless to say the entire book JG described, clearly captured the same culture we experienced in Italy. We were in Northern Italy in a town or small city called Ferrara. We experienced several issues which normally are kept out of US media. Such as protest demonstration issues from the main unions which blocked transportation for one day (which of course didn't affect us because weren't travelling at the time of the protest) to include the racial discrimination from immigrants from Sub-Sahara Africa seeking to stay and live in the Ferrara Region. I understood very well the survival techniques of the Africans but also the annoyances of the local residence "bugging harassment" of being annoyed to purchase things one doesn't want or need from them. Getting back to the book is: Italy is laid back and the 2 hour average lunches in 2011 were normal. The weather and atmosphere resembled Florida and California. However, what nerved me a bit was seeing a freaking McDonalds because I really get tired of seeing these burger joints in Europe. Sure they bring capital to the locals but I want to taste and experience a foreign country's cuisines, culture and what it has to offer me that I haven't and wont ever experience in the US. Like going into a restaurant with no menu cards and having to order something you're not aware of is quite challenging and rewarding especially not being able to speak the language. Driving out of our way to get a terribly expensive Original Balsamic Vinegar in Modena. Tasting a very old Prosciutto di Parma and how it's usage on Cantelopes makes one very weak to reisist or the god of cheeses, the Parmigiano Reggiano and the different sytles and techniques of eating it plain of dipped in Balsamic vinegar and etc.... My god, what a life I had living there. We visited Museums and the local tourist joints but really captured Italy and even more for us was having a local person to help integrate us within the local area and country. There was really one odd thing that we encountered which made us aware of hygienic issues while shopping for fruits and vegetable. The shopping of fresh fruits and vegetables MUST have plastic disposable gloves available so we can put on and it's the most hygienic thing we ever encountered there because the Italians are very picky and particular about getting any types of illness that they can easily avoided. Our contact person there just so happen to be from the Sicilian area but living in outskirts area of Ferrara. The family accepted us as their own and attending their open BBQ with friends was a delight and then later a home cooked meal just for the two of us and the family was incredible. Learning how to make a real pasta sauce and how much flavor we are missing by the typical standard of drowning out out pasta dishes with so much sauce. They even gave us a special invitation to attend a special Iraninan restaurant with dancers and etc.. Now, during our entire stay we cooked 80% at home and went out to eat in restaurants 9 times which were in different locations and only 3 x we ate local pizzas. The 6 restaurant all had their specialities, 2 restaurants we ate twice to get the different taste and cuisines they were offering and the the last one was strictly a raw seafood special which was served with shrimps, oysters and salmon. I couldn't see coming to the country without trying the local pizzas, the rest we were experimenting and tasting different cooking methods and taste from the area. This way when ever it's time to come back, we can always have a little Italiano at our creation. What we uncovered from the book was more than what was written, it was a life time and life changing experience. For anyone who would like the taste of Italy - from the view of an American Football Player - this book is highly informative, beautifully written with a loving heart for Italy.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.mx/products/103136677-playing-for-pizza](https://www.desertcart.mx/products/103136677-playing-for-pizza)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Mexico*
*Store origin: MX*
*Last updated: 2026-03-11*