But as I continued reading, I was won over by the writer’s insights, his ability to tell many stories under the umbrella of one story, and his deployment of sociological statistics. It’s clear to me that the movie will not be able to cover the expanse of St. John’s documentation and the precision of his research. For instance, studies by British researcher Steven Vertovec and separate studies by American sociologist Lyn Lofland support St. John’s point that we may learn to get along with those different from us by initially ignoring rather than appreciating diversity. This happens when, for example, an American embraces those categories that show how he or she may be like someone (single parent, cancer victim, scientist) who at first may seem very different (a refugee from Africa or Central America, a Southerner?).

The above thought about categorization, a footnote to the book’s big story about the soccer teams and their coach, as well as many other important “small points,” adds to the book’s pleasures and insights. Another little side story is St. John’s depiction of the piranha-like frenzy with which telemarketers go after refugees, citizens who do not understand English well and, coming from authoritarian governments, are less likely than most citizens to distinguish what’s fair from what’s unethical. Refugees often end up with bills they don’t understand but think they must pay the telemarketing scumbags (speaking of categorization).

The star of the book is Luma Mufleh, the soccer coach. Her background story, and background stories of her players, are spellbinding, astounding, sad, and frightening. The Fugees’ team manager, Tracy Ediger, when asked what people most misunderstood about Mufleh and the Fugees program—after they were famous—cited the tendency of people to ascribe mystery or some saintly qualities to the simple work they do.

After all, if only saints can do the kind of work the coach does, the rest of us are off the hook. St. John tells us that the community and team successes portrayed in Outcasts United are “powered by simple but enduring ideas: a sense of fairness, love, forgiveness and most of all, a willingness to work—to engage in the process of turning these simple notions into actions that could affect others.”

This book is uplifting. It makes you want to work for those less fortunate, so far, than you.