Sociology: sport and leisure Books

Book Synopsis''MASTERFUL'' Time Out''REVELATORY'' Scotland on Sunday''GLORIOUSLY READABLE'' Metro''FASCINATING'' Independent ''EXCELLENT'' Telegraph''ABSORBING'' GuardianWinner of the British Sports Book AwardsFootball Book of the YearThe fifteenth anniversary edition, fully revised and updated, of Jonathan Wilson''s modern classic.In the modern classic, Jonathan Wilson pulls apart the finer details of the world''s game, tracing the global history of tactics, from modern pioneers right back to the beginning, when chaos reigned. Along the way, he looks at the lives of great players and thinkers who shaped the sport, and probes why the English, in particular, have proved themselves unwilling to grapple with the abstract.Fully revised and updated, this fifteenth-anniversary edition analyses the evolution of modern international football, including the 2022 World Cup, charting the influence of the great Spanish, German and Portuguese tacticians of the last decade, whilst pondering the effects of football''s increased globalisation and commercialisation.Trade ReviewA masterful work, It's all deliciously nerdy - a cross between a coaching manual and a social history - and if its publication helps foster a flowering of interest in the tactical and analytical side of the game in this country, it could be the best thing to have happened to English football in years.**** * TIME OUT - book of the week *Facts and stats, plus anecdotes, interviews and Wilson's deft touch with football-speak, give colour to a subject that can be a little dry and all-too confusing for those watching (and often those picking the side). * CQ *For a detailed analysis of how a single striker became the norm throughout football, you had better read Jonathan Wilson's excellent new book about tactics. -- Patrick Barclay * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *[A] fascinating history of tactics, a book that is guaranteed to enhance your football watching; your team may still lose, but you'll have a far better idea why they did. * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *This must surely go down as one of the most revelatory sports books of the year, as well as one of the best, who would have thought that a book charting the history of football tactics and strategy, from the 1870s to the present day, could be so engrossing and entertaining. * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *Absorbing and informative * GUARDIAN ON LINE *A gloriously readable, eccentric and informative trawl through the changing tactical mindsets and formations that have helped shape the beautiful game. * METRO *You will never read a more entertaining or erudite history of tactics * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH-CHRISTMAS BOOKS *This is a masterful piece of research and lives up to the claim to be nothing less than "a history of football tactics"... Facinating * SCOTSMAN -Books of the Year *a fascinating analysis of the way the game has evolved tactically from the 1970s until the last season... as a summary of the first 140 years of football tactical history, it is hard to imagine a more readable or thorough effort. * IRISH EXAMINER *

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Book Synopsis''I love Tifo'' Ian Wright ''Tifo are great'' Alan Shearer''Tifo have changed the game when it comes to football analysis'' Elis JamesRULE #1: DON''T WATCH THE BALLYes, football is about stars, goals and glory. But it''s also about the intense calculations and movements being made by the twenty-one other players on the pitch. It''s about the ticking clock, and the bellowing fans, and their impact on player psychology. It''s about the coach, the club owner, and the director of football, who are watching, scouting and scheming from the side-lines. It''s about money and data, about geopolitics and architecture, and even about climate change.Football is the most popular sport in the world, and Tifo Football is one of the world''s most popular football channels. In this short, illustrated guide, its creators share fifty-two simple ''rules'' for understanding and enjoying the beautiful game-both on and off the pitch.CTrade ReviewThis pocket-size guide is a must-have for anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of the game -- Goal.com - 'The Best Football Books to Read Right Now'I love Tifo. Their range is brilliant and the way they are able to simplify complex topics is great -- Ian WrightTifo are great. They cover everything from the basics on the pitch to the biggest questions facing football today -- Alan ShearerTifo have changed the game when it comes to discussing football. They have helped explain a sport I have been fascinated by for over thirty years and answered questions I have had for almost as long. They have set a new benchmark for football analysis -- Elis JamesBetter than any pundit * RedCafe.net *

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Book SynopsisEach new print copy includes Navigate 2 Advantage Access that unlocks a comprehensive and interactive eBook, student practice activities and assessments, a full suite of instructor resources, and learning analytics reporting tools. Reorganized and streamlined to enhance learning outcomes, the eleventh edition of Kraus' Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society provides a detailed introduction to the history, developments, and current trends in leisure studies. The Eleventh Edition focuses on the challenges and opportunities impacting the profession-including dramatic demographic changes, new technologies, and innovations in marketing-through an array of pedagogical features, including engaging sidebars and case studies addressing contemporary issues. Focusing on the ten different types of organizations-ranging from nonprofit community organizations and armed forces recreation to sports management and travel and tourism sponsors-the Eleventh Edition is an invaluable resource for stud

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2025LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDA New Statesman Book of the YearA Sunday Times Sports Book of the YearA hilarious examination of the football commentary language we all understand but don''t know why WHSBOTY 2024 Reading PanelThe long-awaited follow-up to Football Clichés, Adam Hurrey''s cult classic about the language of football.So enjoyable ... fascinating and deliciously nerdy. FourFourTwoAdam Hurrey is the best observer of football culture in the world. He has a knack for either encapsulating something that''s always nagged at you or nailing something you can''t believe you haven''t noticed before. Elis JamesThe funniest, smartest book on the language of football. It sends out a message, silences the doubters and lets its football do the talking ... a Rolls-Royce of a book. David Goldblatt***Does language evolve? Yes, it does.Will it ever be acceptable for a football commentator to call a shot that bounces before it goes in ''a screamer''? No, it will not.As the self-appointed world expert on the subject, Adam Hurrey sets off to define the definitive rules of the language of football.He will answer the big questions such as: is it acceptable to say a player is ''breaking their silence'' (it''s complicated), can headers can be ''lashed'' (anatomically impossible), whether a penalty shootout could ever be described as ''late drama'' (truly abhorrent), how many games constitute a ''bumper'' day of Premier League action (minimum of eight) and just how big a deficit constitutes ''a mountain to climb'' (certainly not Liverpool going 1-0 down at home to Wolves in the third minute, Sky Sports).Along the way, Hurrey examines some case studies of how the football media has reached saturation point - the transfer rumour mill, the futile art of big-match previewing, the rise of (and backlash against) football jargon - and how its language has evolved to keep the machine going.Have we let the football lexicon spiral out of control? In finding out, this book will be exactly as gloriously pedantic as it sounds.

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Book SynopsisSince its emergence in Italy in 1968, one model of football fandom has become the most dominant in the world: the ultras. Producing choreography, chants, banners and pyrotechnics, ultras represent a highly organised style of fandom that has an increasing global reach and visibility. Over the last fifty years, ultras fandom has spread from Southern Europe across North Africa to Northern and Eastern Europe, South East Asia and North America. Their collective performance not only distinguishes ultras from other football fans, but from many other forms of group behaviour. Focusing on their common form of expression, this book shows how members build an emotional attachment to their club that valorises the insignia of that team while mobilising members against opponents. As a collective with a shared, coherent sense of identity based on an act of consumption, ultras represent an important site of enquiry into masculinity and nationalism in contemporary society.Trade Review'Ultras The passion and performance of contemporary football fandom by Mark Doidge, Radoslaw Kossakowski & Svenja Mintert sheds light on the very complex subculture of ultras, which makes it a highly welcome addition to the existing sociological studies on ultras and football fandom. 'idrotts forum -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 The ultras' performance2 It’s only a game? Centralising emotions in football fandom 3 The formation of the ultras 4 Social media as a space of continuous performance5 Ultras and the performance of gender 6 Violence and the world of the ultras7 Ultras and politicsThe ultras: a conclusionReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisA Plague on All Our Sports is the story of what happened when Covid-19 and sport collided, examining the impact of the pandemic through a unique lens. The book's two authors have each spent many years in sport: Mark Saggers as a radio and TV sports journalist, Bill Ribbans as a doctor and orthopaedic surgeon. Like most people, their professional lives were turned upside down by the pandemic, and both were intimately involved with the endeavours needed to help the sporting phoenix rise from the ashes. The book analyses the way Covid-19 brought global sport to its knees. It charts sports' response to lockdowns, recovery planning, the obstacles faced and the modifications required to re-emerge. What was the psychological effect of periods of padlocked gyms, domestic detention and banishment from football terraces? What were the long-term effects on mental health for professional athletes confined to 'bubbles'? Were the early promises of changing sport for the better followed through on?

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Book SynopsisUnraveling the stereotype that men’s friendships are unemotional and shallow, this book provides the first detailed account of the bromance that exists among young men. Drawing on one year of ethnography and 20 in-depth interviews among a university sport team, the authors show that these men reject traditional masculine boundaries, instead prioritizing an emotional and tactile form of friendship. Chapters detail the cultural shift in society’s views on bromances, showing that bromances exists as an elevated, more emotional and intimate form of friendship, existing as a further positive consequence of decreasing cultural homophobia. By focusing on sport—which has traditionally been seen as a homophobic environment with toxic constructions of manhood—the authors show that even in the most traditionally masculine of settings, young men are rethinking what male friendship looks like, what it means to be a man, and the positive impact this can have on their mental health. This book will be relevant to a number of audiences including scholars and students in masculinity studies, queer studies, and friendship studies; LGBTQ+ activists and allies with interest in straight men’s friendships and sports cultures; and men’s mental health advocates.Table of Contents1.Introduction.- 2. Friendship.- 3. Homosociality.- 4. Theorizing Masculinity.- 5. Illustrating the Bromance.- 6. Building the Bromance.- 7. Cuddling and Spooning.- 8. Kissing.- 9. Developing Popularity in a Bromantic Culture.- 10. Bromances and Gay Men.- 11. Sexuality.- 12. Privileging the Bromance.- 13. Discussing the Bromance.

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Book SynopsisA must-have introductory text of unrivalled coverage and depth focusing on events planning and management, the fourth edition of Events Management provides a complete A to Z of the principles and practices of planning, managing and staging events. The book offers a systematic guide to organising successful events, examining areas such as event design, logistics, marketing, human resource management, financial planning, risk management, impacts, evaluation and reporting. The fourth edition has been fully updated and revised to include content covering technology, including virtual and hybrid events, concepts such as social capital, soft power and events, social inclusion, equality, accessibility and diversity, and the latest industry reports, research and legal frameworks. The book is logically structured and features new case studies, showing real-life applications and highlighting issues with planning events of all types and scales in a range of geographical locatioTable of ContentsSection 1: Event Context 1. An Overview of the Event Field 2. Perspectives on Events 3. The Event Planning Context 4. Event Tourism Planning 5. Sustainable Event Management Section 2: Planning 6. Strategic Event Planning 7. Conceptualising the Event 8. Event Project Management 9. Event Financial Planning 10. Human Resource Management and Events 11. Marketing Planning for Events 12. Promotion: Integrated Marketing Communication for Events 13. Sponsorship of Events Section 3: Event Operations and Evaluation 14. Event Design and Production 15. Event Logistics 16. Legal Considerations in Event Planning and Management 17. Risk Management 18. Evaluation and Research

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Book SynopsisWhen the author found himself doing the same things week in, week out while living in England's capital, he decided to heed Johnson's words and seek out a thing to do each day in London to make him fall back in love with the city. In this book, he shares the fun, diverting and imaginative things that you can do to keep yourself amused in London.Trade ReviewOne thing to do every day that'll stop you getting tired of the big smoke. * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisGiving voice to players, managers, politicians and musicians, Two Tribes follows the remarkable twists and turns of a season and how Merseysiders took over London for one unforgettable day with deafening chants of ‘Merseyside! Merseyside!’ ringing around Wembley Stadium.Trade ReviewThe power of Tony Evans’s writing emerges from the juxtaposition of football passion and political insight. A writer who understands that the meaning and beauty of football emerges not from mere tactics and line-ups but from the social context. -- Matthew Syed, author of Black Box ThinkingPolitically charged, and flashing between scenes of gallows humour and improbable sporting achievement, Two Tribes is an uncompromising portrayal. Tony Evans brilliantly captures a city under fire through its rival footballers. -- Simon Hughes, author of Ring of Fire and Men in White SuitsHighly recommended– not just on Merseyside, but for all who remember that season fondly and for those who wish to recall or understand an era when English football and society existed on a knife-edge. -- Oliver Kay * The Times *Tony Evans is a brilliant writer who knows these teams, this subject, this era, this culture, these themes and this city better than anybody, and this enthralling book makes that so clear. -- Miguel Delaney * Independent *Thatcher, tumult, tunes. This is more than just a football book. -- Michael Calvin * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisYoung Arabs are too often reduced to the figures of the potential terrorist, the migrant or the exotic icon of the revolution. But the reality is much richer.Coming from both sides of the Mediterranean, the researchers in this book travel off the beaten track by exploring how young Arabs spend their free time. The case studies take in a wide range of countries, including Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and all manner of activities, from football to rap music, café culture to sex work. Drawn with sensitivity and humour, Arab youths presents an exceptional portrait of a generation that is much talked about but rarely listened to.This book gives a voice to young men and women who, as heirs of plural traditions, animated by new ideas and influenced by various cultural movements, are inventing the future of their societies in the midst of radical change.Table of ContentsPreface: Arab youth inside out – François BurgatGeneral introduction: deconstructing stereotypes: interwoven trajectories of young Arabs – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam CatussePart I: Living in the presentIntroduction: living in the present – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam Catusse1 ‘Go ahead, burn your tyres!’: the lust for life of Saudi joyriders– Pascal Ménoret2 ‘Just watching the time go by’: the ‘hittists’ of Algeria – Loïc Le Pape3 Coffee shops and youth sociability in Abu Dhabi– Laure Assaf4 From TV soaps to web dramas: a new platform for young Arabs – Yves Gonzalez-Quijano5 The Buyat: subverting gender norms in Saudi Arabia – Amélie Le Renard6 From Jihad to Sufi ecstasy: politico-religious trajectories in pre-revolutionary Syria – Thomas Pierret7 The Faculty of Education of Lab‘us: salafism as a student subculture in Yemen – Laurent Bonnefoy8 ‘A man, a real man!’: Halima, a woman rebel in Gafsa (Tunisia) – Amin Allal9 Long-distance supporters: Barca and Real fans in Palestine – Abaher El Sakka10 Commentary in Arabic... or in Tigrinya? Football fans and the search for free television broadcasting – Mahfoud Amara and Laurent BonnefoyPart II: Rooting the futureIntroduction: rooting the future – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam Catusse11 Drinking in Hamra: youthful nostalgia in Beirut? – Nicolas Dot-Pouillard12 The end of a world? Shifting seasons in Lejnan (Algeria) – Mohand Akli Hadibi13 Finding Baghdad: young people in search of ‘normality’ – Zahra Ali and Laurent Bonnefoy14 Two brothers: family and hospitality in Al-Karak (Jordan) – Christine Jungen15 In Massada Street’s coffee shops: the ambiguous social mix of the Palestinians of Israel in Haifa – Mariangela Gasparotto16 In the shade of the Khayma: cultural and political resistance of the young Sahrawis at Dakhla – Victoria Veguilla Del Moral17 Recreation, re-creation, resistance: what roles for dabké in Palestine? – Xavier Guignard18 Taranim and videos: the Egyptian Church stripped bare by its children? – Laure Guirguis19 ‘My identity is becoming clear like the sun’: theatre in the Shiite schools of Lebanon – Catherine Le ThomasPart III: Constructing oneselfIntroduction: constructing oneself – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam Catusse20 ‘A room of one’s own’: young people in search of privacy – Anne-Marie Filaire21 A different way of being a young woman? Self-defence in Cairo – Perrine Lachenal22 Chewing alone? The transformations of Qat consumption in Yemen – Marine Poirier23 Gulf holiday-goers in Europe: five-star family favourites – Claire Beaugrand24 In SOS Bab el Oued: rappers and rockers between integration and transgression – Layla Baamara25 Leaving the camp: the wanderings of young Palestinian refugees in Lebanon – Nicolas Puig26 ‘Rainbow Street’: the diversity, compartmentalization and assertion of Youth in Amman (Jordan) – Cyril Roussel27 Brahim: autopsy of a suicide in Kabylia – Kamel Chachoua28 “Bnat lycée dayrin sexy”: from fun to sex work in Tangier (Morocco) – Mériam CheikhPart IV: Speaking OutIntroduction: speaking out – Laurent Bonnefoy and Myriam Catusse29 ‘A bad day for Ammar’: when Tunisian bloggers took on internet censorship – Romain Lecomte30 A new social world? Young Syrian activists and online social networks – Enrico De Angelis31 Stand up: Saudi Youth take the floor... on YouTube! – Yves Gonzalez-Quijano32 The café in Jadu: a place for ‘revolutionary’ emancipation in Libya – Arthur Quesnay33 From consumerism to political engagement: young ‘Sunnis’ in Bahrain react in ‘defence of their country’ (2011–12) – Claire Beaugrand34 When walls speak: revolutionary street art in Yemen – Anahi Alviso-Marino35 Art under occupation: ‘The Young Artist of the Year’ (Palestine) – Marion Slitine36 ‘The instinct of rap’: Palestinian rap, political contents and artistic explorations – Nicolas Puig37 Rocking in Morocco: the new urban scene in Casablanca – Dominique Caubet and Catherine Miller38 Alexandrians in fusion: trajectories of Egyptian musicians from alternative milieux to the revolution – Youssef El ChazliIndex

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Book SynopsisEye-opening contributions from the stars of game make this a powerful, groundbreaking investigation into the mind of the professional golfer. The perfect gift for Father's Day.* SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS *Professional golf is the most remorseless of sports, unique in the complexity of its demands. Technical perfection must be produced in short, concentrated bursts of synchronised movement. Huge mental strength is required. Why, then, do we know so little about what it takes to succeed - even survive - at the highest level? What separates the good from the great? What are the rituals of preparation and execution? How does an elite team come together? In a truly groundbreaking exposé of professional golf, Michael Calvin and Thomas Bjorn - captain of the 2018 European Ryder Cup Team - capture the distinctive nature of the game, and the principles and philosophies of players who dominate the world rankings. With unprecedented access to the European Tour players, and in-depth interviews with the European Ryder Cup team, Calvin reveals a sport which operates entirely within the finest margins of excellence.Trade ReviewFascinating and beautifully written -- Donald McRaeI have heard it said that there has never been a book written which gets to the heart of golf and to the golfers themselves. I can tell you, there is now and that book is ‘Mind Game’. I have made it a must-read for all our staff to help them better understand the complexities of our players and just what it takes to succeed in our sport * Keith Pelley, European Tour Chief Executive *I have never read a Mike Calvin book I didn't like. And anyone who likes golf will absolutely love this brilliant book. I loved it. -- Barry GlendenningYou've got to get this book. This is for anyone who loves their sport and anyone who loves their golf. -- Jim White * TalkSport *Delves not only into that Ryder Cup victory, but into the demons tournament golfers face on a regular basis. Martin Kaymer, Robert Karlsson, Matt Wallace, Francesco Molinari, Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood and others give personal insights. -- Golf Week * Alistair Tait *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2025LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDA New Statesman Book of the YearA Sunday Times Sports Book of the YearA hilarious examination of the football commentary language we all understand but don''t know why WHSBOTY 2024 Reading PanelThe long-awaited follow-up to Football Clichés, Adam Hurrey''s cult classic about the language of football.So enjoyable ... fascinating and deliciously nerdy. FourFourTwoAdam Hurrey is the best observer of football culture in the world. He has a knack for either encapsulating something that''s always nagged at you or nailing something you can''t believe you haven''t noticed before. Elis JamesThe funniest, smartest book on the language of football. It sends out a message, silences the doubters and lets its football do the talking ... a Rolls-Royce of a book. David Goldblatt***Does language evolve? Yes, it does.Will it ever be acceptable for a football commentator to call a shot that bounces before it goes in ''a screamer''? No, it will not.As the self-appointed world expert on the subject, Adam Hurrey sets off to define the definitive rules of the language of football.He will answer the big questions such as: is it acceptable to say a player is ''breaking their silence'' (it''s complicated), can headers can be ''lashed'' (anatomically impossible), whether a penalty shootout could ever be described as ''late drama'' (truly abhorrent), how many games constitute a ''bumper'' day of Premier League action (minimum of eight) and just how big a deficit constitutes ''a mountain to climb'' (certainly not Liverpool going 1-0 down at home to Wolves in the third minute, Sky Sports).Along the way, Hurrey examines some case studies of how the football media has reached saturation point - the transfer rumour mill, the futile art of big-match previewing, the rise of (and backlash against) football jargon - and how its language has evolved to keep the machine going.Have we let the football lexicon spiral out of control? In finding out, this book will be exactly as gloriously pedantic as it sounds.

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Book Synopsis''A powerful argument, and practical advice, on the importance of reclaiming your leisure time to live a happier and more fulfilling life'' - Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of Better Than Before and The Happiness ProjectEncroaching work demands - coupled with domestic chores, overbooked schedules, and the incessant pinging of our devices - have taken a toll on what used to be our free time: the weekend. With no space to tune out and recharge, every aspect of our lives is suffering: our health is deteriorating, our social networks (the face-to-face kind) are dissolving and our productivity is down. The notion of working less and living more has given way to the belief that you must be ''on'' 24/7.Tired of suffering from Sunday-night let down, award-winning journalist Katrina Onstad pushes back against this all-work-no-fun ethos. Onstad follows the trail of people, companies and countries vigilantly protecting their time oTrade ReviewToo often we race through the week, only to find our weekends packed with countless errands and never-ending to-do lists. Before we know it, we've lost sight of what really makes us happy. In The Weekend Effect, Katrina Onstad offers a powerful argument, and practical advice, on the importance of reclaiming your leisure time to live a happier and more fulfilling life -- Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of Better than Before and The Happiness ProjectThe Weekend Effect is a call to action - or even better - a call to inaction. It proves its case that by staking a claim to your weekend, your work and home life (and your health and wellbeing) benefit every day of the year. Take the time to read it like I did, over a weekend. It's a great way to start -- Kirstine Stewart, media and technology executive and author of Our TurnMasterfully researched and beautifully written, The Weekend Effect urgently makes the case that our hard won free time is essential to our survival, and needs to be reclaimed. Pick up this book, and get ready to rekindle your love of the weekend! Your emails can wait until Monday -- David Sax, author of The Revenge of AnalogToo often work and technology erode our ability to connect meaningfully face-to-face, intruding into the critical time we need to recharge ourselves. In Katrina Onstad's insightful and compelling book, THE WEEKEND EFFECT, she offers an urgent call to arms on the essential need to take back our weekends -- Dallas Hartwig, NY Times bestselling co-author of It Starts With FoodIn our frenetic era of total work devotion and breathless busyness, the idea of making time for leisure has become almost a sacrilege. But Katrina Onstad makes a compelling case in her terrific new book, The Weekend Effect, that true leisure - time for reflection, connection, play and joy - knits together the social fabric of community, soothes the weary soul and, at heart, is what makes life worth living. A welcome romp of a read -- Brigid Schulte, award-winning journalist and author of the New York Times bestselling Overwhelmed and director of The Better Life Lab at New AmericaThe Weekend Effect is a fastidiously researched book detailing how we collectively lost the art of weekending well... Onstad provides plenty for the stressed and time-poor to mull over -- Tanya Sweeney * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisThe idea of the sword-wielding samurai, beholden to a strict ethical code and trained in deadly martial arts, dominates popular conceptions of the samurai. As early as the late seventeenth century, they were heavily featured in literature, art, theater, and even comedy, from the Tale of the Heike to the kabuki retellings of the 47 Ronin. This legacy remains with us today in the legendary Akira Kurosawa films, the shoguns of HBO''s Westworld, and countless renditions of samurai history in anime, manga, and video games. Acknowledging these common depictions, this book gives readers access to the real samurai as they lived, fought, and served.Much as they capture the modern imagination, the samurai commanded influence over the politics, arts, philosophy and religion of their own time, and ultimately controlled Japan from the fourteenth century until their demise in the mid-nineteenth century. On and off the battlefield, whether charging an enemy on horseback or currying favor at the imperial court, their story is one of adventures and intrigues, heroics and misdeeds, unlikely victories and devastating defeats. This book traces the samurai throughout this history, exploring their roles in watershed events such as Japan''s invasions of Korea at the close of the sixteenth century and the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. Coming alive in these accounts are the samurai, both famed and ordinary, who shaped Japanese history.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: Becoming Those Who Served Chapter Two: Early Warrior Authority Chapter Three: War and Culture Chapter Four: Warriors in an Age of Peace Chapter Five: Samurai Invention and Decline References Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe Power of New Urban Tourism explores new forms of tourism in urban areas with their social, political, cultural, architectural and economic implications. By investigating various showcases of New Urban Tourism within its social and spatial frames, the book offers insights into power relations and connections between tourism and cityscapes in various socio-spatial settings around the world.Contributors to the volume show how urban space has become a battleground between local residents and visitors, with changing perceptions of tourists as co-users of public and private urban spaces and as influencers of the local economies. This includes different roles of digital platforms as resources for access to the city and touristic opportunities as well as ways to organise and express protest or shifting representations of urban space. With contemporary cases from a wide disciplinary spectrum, the contributors investigate the power of New Urban Tourism in Africa, Asia, theTable of Contents1. The Power of New Urban Tourism: An Introduction. Part I: Consuming the City: New Urban Tourism in Urban Centres and Metropolitan Peripheries. 2. Bohemia and the New Urban Tourism. 3. "Tourist Platformisation": New Urban Tourism in Milan. 4. Peer-to-Peer Tourist Accommodation and its Impact on the Local Housing Market in Berlin Neighbourhoods. 5. Redefining a Mature Destination as a Low-Cost Neighbourhood: Relations Between Socio-Spatial Segregation in Torremolinos and Urban Tourism in Malaga, Spain. 6. Tourism in a Peripheral Territory in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon: The Case of Almada. Part II: Protest and Frictions: Contesting New Urban Tourism. 7. Sustaining a Political System: New Urban Tourism in Cuba and Related Conflicts. 8. Embattled Consumptionscape of Tourism: Networked Urban Contention Against Inbound Tourist Shoppers in Hong Kong. 9. Between Political Protest and Tourism Gentrification: Impacts of New Urban Tourism in Hamburg’s Schanzenviertel. 10. The Empty Boxes of Venice: Overtourism—Conflicts, Politicisation and Activism. 11. Powerful Ways of (not) Knowing New Urban Tourism Conflicts: Thin Problematisation as Limitation for Tourism Governance in Berlin. Part III: Representations and Identities: Hopes and Challenges for New Urban Tourism. 12. Shock of the New: The Rhetoric of Global Urban Tourism in the Rebuild of Christchurch, New Zealand. 13. New Urban Tourism in the Post-Conflict City: Sharing Experiences of Violence and Peace in West Belfast. 14. The Race, Class and Gender of Websites: Marketing and Mythologising Urban Africa Online. 15. New Urban Tourism and the Right to Complain: Tourism as a Catchall for Urban Problems. 16. Science Driven Mobility as a Form of New Urban Tourism: Insights from Student and Research Internationalisation in Lund, Sweden. Part IV: Concluding Remarks. 17. So, what is new about New Urban Tourism?

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Book SynopsisIn Tell Me a Story I Don't Know, veteran sports reporter and broadcaster George Ofman shares his most fascinating conversations with some of the biggest names in sports media. Through these previously untold anecdotes and insights, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the events and moments that have shaped sports history, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how these moments are shared with the world. With wit, charm, and insight, Ofman's captivating interviews bring to life the voices and personalities that have made sports such an integral part of our culture.Featuring conversations with Bob Costas, Michael Wilbon, Doc Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Marv Albert, Sarah Kustok, Greg Gumbel, Terry Boers, Chris Chelios, and more.

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Book SynopsisA revolution on the roads is approaching. Is it time for drivers to Give Way? Guardian news correspondent, Peter Walker, takes us on a journey around the world, exploring the varying attitudes to cycling on our highways. Visit the shining examples of Amsterdam and Copenhagen, where cycling culture is an intrinsic part of the approach of politicians and officials. How have these cities made provision for cyclists and what are the extraordinary benefits?And then take to the less welcoming roads of Britain, USA and Australia, where cycling can still be a terrifying experience. What are the tragic mistakes being made when planning and developing cities, and how do these mistakes lead to aggression towards the cycling community?Millions of us find ourselves frustrated by the motor mentality and fighting for our rights to ride. This brilliant, shocking investigation will prepare you with all you need to know to confidently claim your place on the road.Trade ReviewPeter Walker has written the book I wanted to write. It should be compulsory reading for anyone in a decision making role. This might seem a sweeping statement but when you see the diverse and positive impact more cycling could have on our lives - cyclist or not - you’ll understand. * Chris Boardman *Stacked with stats and filled with stories, this book is as exhilarating as a clear stretch of highway. If we are at a turning point for cycling in big cities, this book is it. * Jeremy Vine *Where cycling is considered normal, and where it's done by 25 percent of more of the population, people are healthier, happier and richer, demonstrates Bike Nation. -- Carlton Reid * Bike Biz *Peter Walker may just have written the most convincing argument ever seen for 'how cycling can save the world’… Walker provides invaluable information on every discussion that you are likely to encounter when making the case for cycling… This book should be sufficient to convince rational people that we would all benefit from a society that is less centred on motor vehicles and more open to the benefits of cycling -- Richard Peploe * Road.cc *It’s the sort of book best read with a highlighter pen as there lots of different quotes, facts and interviews that you’ll want to refer back to again and again… If you’re involved in cycle campaigning, this book is an excellent introduction to new members of your group to help get them up to speed. It’s also a powerful read for transport planners, councillors, MPs, council officers and local influencers. Anyone with even a semi-open mind in making the town they live in work better for everyone (including drivers) will find this an illuminating read. I highly recommend this book * Girodilento *

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Book SynopsisBut the benefits of tourism also have their drawbacks not least for the local residents who do not participate in tourism but are affected by traffic, high prices in restaurants and housing.

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Book SynopsisThis innovative collection convincingly argues that modern sport can be characterized by unequal and problematic power relations that are inextricably linked to issues of violence, harm, deviance, and punishment.On the one hand, sport is a mainstay of community building, an expression of solidarity, and a means to mental and social health. On the other, there is the star player who commits sexual violence, the trans athlete whose achievements are dismissed as fraudulent, or the racist and abusive nationalism of the impassioned sports fan. From drawing connections between head trauma and athletic violence to exploring the social meanings of sport in prison, contributors to this volume reimagine sport as an important unit of analysis for critical criminologists.Messages about crime, violence, and punishment in sport mirror broader relations of power that exist off the field. Situated at the intersections of sport, sporting culture, and crime, Power Played blows

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive review of the relationship between sport and crime explains how the experience of sport can lead to behaviour thatâs harmful to others and is sometimes self-destructive. It challenges the conventional idea of sport as wholesome and beneficial, arguing that sport is often a trigger for crime, in both history and contemporary life.The book explores how murder, violence, bribery, sexual assault, matchfixing, corporate corruption, crowd disorder, hate crimes, drug offences, alcohol-induced transgressions and cyber-crimes are often caused or accelerated by sport, and it speculates on sports-related crimes of the future. The bookâs narrative is driven by hundreds of case studies, and each chapter has summary points. There are also eight descriptive timelines that enable the reader to see at a glance how sport has, over the decades and centuries, been a catalyst for crime.This is an essential text for any course on sport and crime and invaluable reading for

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2020 GENERAL OUTSTANDING SPORTS WRITING''A fascinating book about the psychology of elite sport Mind Games explores compelling territory.'' - Don McRae, the Guardian''An amazing book that I very much enjoyed.'' - Simon Mundie, Don''t Tell Me the Score (BBC Podcast)''...a fascinating book'' - Daily MailIt's well known that to reach the top in elite sport, you need to have spent years honing and perfecting your physical ability. However this is only part of the template required to win the other half is about mind games. Throughout her career as one of the world's top athletes, Annie Vernon struggled with existential questions about the purpose of sport in our comfortable, first-world society: Why do we do it? What is it in our psyche that makes us push ourselves to the limit? What allows us to mentally overcome the physical pain? Now retired from competition, OlympiTrade ReviewAn amazing book that I very much enjoyed. -- Simon Mundie * Don’t Tell Me the Score (BBC Podcast) *A tour de force of elite sport, nerves, expectation and pressure from all perspectives. -- Matthew PinsentA fascinating book about the psychology of elite sport… Mind Games explores compelling territory. It asks searching questions about the mentality required to succeed at sport’s highest level while mining themes of self-doubt, determination, competitiveness and why “talent needs trauma” to blossom. -- Don McRae * the Guardian *There is no better person to shed light on the fascinating subject of sports psychology than two-timed World Champion, Olympian and talented sports journalist, Annie Vernon -- Chrissie Wellington OBELoved it… I would recommend it to all of you. -- Jazmin Sawyers * BBC 5 Live *I played professional rugby for 13 years and it was amazing to read in Mind Games that the doubts and challenges I felt during that time weren't mine alone – they were shared by my peers across different disciplines. I wish I’d had Mind Games as a reference book during my career as I’m sure it would have made me much stronger to know I wasn't alone in my thinking. -- Chris Bentley, former professional rugby playerAs engaging as it is broad-ranging… After reading and thoroughly enjoying Mind Games, I'll look at lots of sports in a quite different way... I highly recommend adding it to your own collection. -- Peter CossinsTable of ContentsIntroduction: Science, Magic or Voodoo 1. Chickens or Pigs 2. The Penny's Got to Drop 3. Coming to Violence Over Trivial Pursuits 4. Choosing training over Turkey 5. Personalty 6. The Confidence Wand 7. How to be Tarzan, How to be Jane 8. Race Day, the Moment of Truth 9. Becoming a Carrot Farmer 10. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisChronicles the long and tortured history of the NCAA's attempt to maintain the myth of amateurism and the student-athlete, along with the attendant fiction that the players' academic achievement is the top priority of Division-I athletic programs.

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Book SynopsisVideogames are a unique artistic form, and to analyse and understand them an equally unique language is required. Cremin turns to Deleuze and Guattari's non-representational philosophy to develop a conceptual toolkit for thinking anew about videogames and our relationship to them. Rather than approach videogames through a language suited to other media forms, Cremin invites us to think in terms of a videogame plane and the compositions of developers and players who bring them to life. According to Cremin, we are not simply playing videogames, we are creating them. We exceed our own bodily limitations by assembling forces with the elements they are made up of. The book develops a critical methodology that can explain what every videogame, irrespective of genre or technology, has in common and proceeds on this basis to analyse their differences. Drawing from a wide range of examples spanning the history of the medium, Cremin discerns the qualities inherent to those regarded as classicTrade ReviewThis book makes the bold prophecy that the 21st century will be the century of videogames. It then offers a dynamic toolkit of concepts drawn from the work of Deleuze and Guattari to think in new ways about videogames. Importantly, Cremin debunks the idea that videogames are virtual, meaning confined to the depths of their digital origins. Instead he shows us that they consist of actual processes of becoming that reach out from the console into every corner of life. This is an exciting and necessary book. - Ian Buchanan, University of Wollongong, AustraliaTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Videogame Plane 2. The Smooth and Striated 3. Rhizome-Play 4. Ludo-Diagram 5. Artist and Apprentice 6. Molecular Mario 7. Major / Minor

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Book SynopsisIntroduction to Recreation and Leisure, Fourth Edition With HKPropel Access, presents a comprehensive view of the multifaceted, expansive field of recreation and leisure. This full-color text grounds students in the historical, philosophical, and social aspects of the industry. Community parks and recreation departments, nonprofit organizations, and commercial recreation and ecotourism enterprises are thoroughly explored. Students learn about various enriching educational programs and services for people of all ages. The contributing authors are more than 40 professors and professionals from across the globe—including the United States, Canada, Europe, Brazil, China, and Nigeria—who offer international perspectives on the recreation and leisure industries. The text illustrates the wide breadth of opportunities within this diverse profession and explores current issues in the world that have an impact on the field. The fourth edition offers the following new features: Related online learning materials delivered through HKPropel that offer opportunities to engage with and better understand the content Content that reflects the global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has changed recreation and leisure experiences Updated content on environmental sustainability, health and wellness, social equity, and quality of life An expanded look at esports The book is organized into three parts. Part I provides the foundation of the industry, including an introduction, history, and philosophical concepts. Part II introduces various sectors and areas of the field. Part III presents the different types of programming found in recreation and leisure services. These interest areas include sport management; esports; health, wellness, and quality of life; outdoor and adventure recreation; and culture and the arts. Each chapter includes learning objectives that display the chapter’s important concepts. Also included in each chapter is an Outstanding Graduates sidebar that highlights a former student who has gone on to a successful career in the field, sharing insights and advice for those just starting out. A glossary is provided at the end of the text. Related online learning materials within HKPropel include chapter overviews, flash cards, On the Job learning activities, research prompts, and links to websites to explore. Chapter quizzes, which are automatically graded, may also be assigned to test comprehension of critical concepts.Introduction to Recreation and Leisure prepares students for success in the field. With insights and perspectives from top professionals and professors from around the globe, the text presents foundational concepts, delivery systems, and programming services that can spur future professionals to make a positive impact on society through recreation and leisure. Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with this ebook.Table of ContentsPart I. Foundations of Recreation and LeisureChapter 1. Parks, Recreation, and Leisure: A Notable History and Promising FutureEllen O’Sullivan Welcome to the World of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Adapted Evolution: From Public Good to Personal Consumption And Then, Along Came COVID-19 Welcome to the Postpandemic Era: Essential, Blended, and Economic Significant Issues of the Postpandemic Era Less Visible Conditions With Serious Consequences Emerging Professional Roles for the Postpandemic Era The Vitality and Vibrancy of the Future of Parks, Recreation, and LeisureChapter 2. History of RecreationTristan Hopper, Jill Sturts, Douglas Kennedy, and Jerome F. Singleton Tracing the Roots of Leisure Development of Recreation in the United States Development of Recreation in Canada Current Trends Affecting Recreation and Leisure Similarities Between Canada and the United States SummaryChapter 3. Philosophy and LeisureDonald J. McLean and Mary Sara Wells Why Does Philosophy Matter? Metaphysics and Leisure Epistemology and Leisure Logic and Leisure Aesthetics and Leisure Ethics and Leisure Contemporary Philosophy of Leisure Solving Ethical Dilemmas in Leisure Services SummaryChapter 4. Leisure and Recreation for Individuals in SocietyJuan Tortosa Martínez, Daniel G. Yoder, and Mary Sara Wells Leisure as a Complex Social Phenomenon Similarity and Diversity in Recreation and Leisure Gender and Sexual Orientation Ethnicity and Race Religion Socioeconomic Status Benefits and Constraints of Leisure Good and Bad Leisure and Recreation Implications for Professionals SummaryPart II. Leisure and Recreation as a Multifaceted Delivery SystemChapter 5. Leisure Service Delivery SystemsDavid N. Emanuelson and Mary Sara Wells Private Sector Private-Sector Leisure Service Delivery Systems Nonprofit Sector Nonprofit-Sector Leisure Service Delivery Systems Public Sector Municipal Public-Sector Leisure Service Delivery Systems Professional Preparation for Leisure Service Delivery Professional Accreditation SummaryChapter 6. Parks and Protected Areas in Canada and the United StatesPaul F.J. Eagles and Jeffrey C. Hallo History of Parks in Canada Park Systems of Canada History of Parks in the United States Park Systems of the United States International Treaties and Protected Area Designations and Parks Comparing Canada and the United States Career Opportunities Challenges and Trends for the 21st Century SummaryChapter 7. Public Recreation Public Parks and Recreation in the United States and CanadaMary Sara Wells Historical Overview of Public Recreation in the United States Historical Overview of Public Recreation in Canada Delivery Systems in Public Recreation Partnerships: Connections to the Community Faces of Public Recreation Chameleon Profession: Ever-Changing Societal Issues and Needs Political Realities: No Pain, No Gain Benefits of Recreation Summary Inclusive RecreationTerry Long Building Blocks of Inclusion Defining Inclusion Specialized Programs SummaryChapter 8. Nonprofit SectorRobert F. Ashcraft Nonprofit Sector in the United States and Canada Types of National and Community-Based Nonprofit Recreation Organizations Professionals in Nonprofit Organizations Challenges and Opportunities for the Future SummaryChapter 9. For-Profit Sector: Recreation, Event, and Tourism EnterprisesRobert E. Pfister and Patrick T. Tierney Attributes of For-Profit Services RET Industry Model Considering an RET Career Trends and Challenges SummaryChapter 10. Therapeutic RecreationFrances Stavola Daly and Robin Kunstler Defining Therapeutic Recreation History of Therapeutic Recreation Therapeutic Recreation Settings and Services Therapeutic Recreation Practice Models Therapeutic Recreation Process Professionalism Your Future in Therapeutic Recreation Trends for the 21st Century SummaryChapter 11. Unique Groups Campus RecreationNicole Green History of Campus Recreation Organizational Structures Benefits Career Opportunities Trends in Campus Recreation Summary EsportsAugustus W. Hallmon History Esports in Parks and Recreation Are Eports Really Sports? Future of Esports Summary Faith-Based RecreationJohn Byl and David Kahan Differences Within Faith Traditions Differences Among Faith Traditions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and the National Recreation and Park Association Pillars Employment in Faith-Based Recreation Summary Worksite Recreation and Health PromotionMary Parr Corporate Wellness and Health Promotion History of Worksite Wellness Community Health, Population Health, and Individual Health Benefits of Corporate Wellness and Health Promotion Programs Wellness and Health Promotion Program Planning and Operation Wellness and Health Promotion: Other Program Types Impacts of Recent Legislation Career Preparation Summary Recreation in the Armed ForcesYating “Tina” Liang History Military Versus Civilian Recreation U.S. Armed Forces Canadian Armed Forces Military Recreation Program Areas Employment Opportunities COVID-19’s Impact on MWR SummaryChapter 12. Leisure and Recreation Across the Life SpanMary Sara Wells and Tyler Tapps Leisure Functions Across the Life Span Infancy Childhood Adolescence Adulthood Generation Effect SummaryPart III. Delivering Recreation and Leisure ServicesChapter 13. Program Delivery SystemDiane C. Blankenship and Rachel Kollasch Program Delivery History Mission and Outcomes Leadership Within the Program Delivery System Program Classification Program Formats SummaryChapter 14. Recreational Sport ManagementH. Joey Gray, Robert J. Barcelona, and Kelsie N. Roberts Examining Sport Management From a Recreational Perspective Defining Recreational Sport Five Programming Areas of Recreational Sport Management Scope of Participation in Recreational Sport Trends in Recreational Sport Management International Participation in Recreational Sport Career Opportunities SummaryChapter 15. Health, Wellness, and Quality of LifeRhonda Cross Beemer, Matthew Symonds, and Terrance Robertson Personal Health The Wellness Perspective Quality of Life, Health, and Healthy Communities History in the Making: Healthy Communities Career Opportunities SummaryChapter 16. Outdoor and Adventure RecreationBruce Martin, Garrett Hutson, and Marni Goldenberg Definition of Outdoor and Adventure Recreation History of Outdoor and Adventure Recreation in Canada and the United States Settings and Delivery Systems Contemporary Trends and Issues in Outdoor and Adventure Recreation SummaryChapter 17. Arts and CultureJulie Voelker-Morris and Kim Lyddane Types of Arts and Cultural Experiences in Recreation and Leisure Types of Organizations and Roles Available Participation in Arts and Cultural Activities Benefits of Arts and Cultural Recreation Opportunities Contemporary Trends for Recreation Professionals Who Implement Arts and Cultural Activities SummaryChapter 18. The Nature and Future of Recreation and Leisure as a ProfessionTracy L. Mainieri Characteristics of the Recreation and Leisure Services Profession Recreation and Leisure Services as a Human Services Profession How to Position for a Recreation and Leisure Career . . . Now! Changes in the Field: Responding to an Ever-Changing World SummaryChapter 19. International Perspectives on Recreation and Leisure International Perspectives: Sustainability and EcotourismKevin J. Fink and Michael J. Bradley Sustainability Worldwide Impact of COVID-19 on Recreation, Tourism, and Leisure International Job Market in Recreation and Tourism International Overview International Organizations Ecotourism and Nature Travel Recreation, Tourism, and Leisure Development and Advocacy Physical Activity, Green-Space Use, and COVID-19 Summary Recreation and Leisure in BrazilArianne C. Reis and Alcyane Marinho Historical Development of Recreation and Leisure in Brazil Types of Sectors, Segments, and Services COVID-19 Impacts and Trends Summary Recreation and Leisure in ChinaJinyang Deng, Huimei Liu, and Jian Li A Brief History of China’s Leisure Development Recreation Opportunities in China Challenges and Trends for the Future Summary Recreation in NigeriaFranz U. Atare Historical Development of Recreation and Leisure in Nigeria Settings, Organization, and Structures Diverse Populations and Their Interests Challenges, Issues, and Trends COVID-19 and Leisure Activity Summary

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Book SynopsisEx-England cricket captain Mike Brearley examines the 'Spirit of Cricket' and how the notion of a 'good spirit' can be applied more broadly than simply in cricket or sport.Trade Review[Brearley is] a thoughtful, engaging and eclectic thinker . . . There is something intrinsically fair-minded about Mike Brearley, open to exploring ideas wherever they come from, seeking out common ground, but at the same time anxious to avoid giving offence by reaching too-easy conclusions. That is the process that is at play in the pages of Spirit of Cricket.This is no ordinary sporting hero's memoir, though it does include plenty of stories from his glory days -- Peter Stanford * The Tablet *Mike Brearley is a thoughtful and meticulous author. He regularly displayed similar traits when captaining England (he did so on 31 occasions, losing only four Tests) and he applies them again in Spirit of Cricket, a book he was born towrite. Brearley is an intelligent guide, well-qualified to lead readers through cricket's occasionally byzantine moral maze * Birmingham Post *One of my favourites of 2020 . . . a generous book -- Jon Hotten * Wisden Cricket Monthly *Time after time, Brearley takes familiar cricketing dilemmas - balltampering, Mankading, sledging, etc. - and with elegant prose and courteous intelligence sheds fresh light on them, including areas on which he has changed his mind over time.This delightful book would make a great gift for any cricket-lover who also has a brain, or even a soul. * Church Times *

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Book SynopsisNige Tassell writes about sport and music, and his work has appeared in the pages of FourFourTwo, the Guardian, The Sunday Times, Esquire, New Statesman, Q and The Word. He is also the author of The Bottom Corner: Hope, Glory and Non-League Football. He lives in the hill country of Somerset with his wife and two prospective future non-league players.Trade ReviewWarm and celebratory but also sharp and insightful, The Bottom Corner is a love letter to non-league football that is also a vivid snapshot of its place in our national life -- Stuart MaconieNot since The Football Man has a book so captured the passion of the game. The Bottom Corner is a wonderful journey through life in the lower reaches of the football pyramid. A fascinating tale of a very different world of football from that of the overpaid stars of the television age. -- Barry DaviesExtraordinary -- Danny BakerExcellent -- Andrew Collins (Classic FM, UKTV, Radio Times)An entertaining exploration of the quirks, commitment and romance of football away from the pumped-up bluster of the top flight. -- Ed Wilson * When Saturday Comes *

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Book SynopsisHow has the way we spend our time changed over the last fifty years?Are we really working more, sleeping less and addicted to our phones?What does this mean for our health, wealth and happiness?Everything we do happens in time and it feels like our lives are busier than ever before. Yet a detailed look at our daily activities reveals some surprising truths about the social and economic structure of the world we live in. This book delves into the unrivalled data collection and expertise of the Centre for Time Use Research to explore fifty-five years of change and what it means for us today.Trade ReviewSurprising truths about modern life . . . a fascinating analysis * The Guardian *This book is brilliant at busting myths about how we spend our time . . . its insight into what we do is illuminating . . . it's impossible not to see your life - and those of your parents and children - reflected in the data . . . And that makes reading it an excellent use of time. * Literary Review *Fascinating data, revealing much about our lives in the 21st century * iNews *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"On the whole, Catalonia's Human Towers is a marvelous ethnography, reliant on fine-grained insights gained from thorough fieldwork. Her prose is highly accessible, and her text is alive to contemporary concerns within anthropology, performance studies, nationalist studies, and allied disciplines."—Jeremy MacClancy, author of Anthropology in the Public Arena: Historical and Contemporary Contexts"Mariann Vaczi takes us inside the complex embodied collaboration that generates Catalonia's human towers. Celebrated as allegories of national striving, raised literally to new heights by the incorporation of women and girls, transitioning from festival into sport, these ephemeral constructions also anchor support networks and mediate social inclusion. Tracing the practice through the European economic crisis, the Catalan independence referendum, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Vaczi elegantly captures the force of endlessly renewed collective effort against the eternal threat of collapse."—Dorothy Noyes, author of Fire in the Plaça: Catalan Festival Politics After Franco, and Humble Theory: Folklore's Grasp on Social Life."At the intersection of effervescent regional separatism, cultural habits of competition and death-defying risk, multiple activisms, gender tensions, and intergenerational solidarity lies an unusual form of bodily confluence: the Catalan human tower. Mariann Vaczi weaves her vivid ethnographic account, as structured and as intricate as the towers of living bodies she describes, to show us how social actors physically debate the dilemmas of identity in daring, defiant, and demonstrative displays. Through her intensely observed account of the enduring tug-of-war between the sensual and the sensible, Vaczi brings immersive fieldwork and political history into a lively and engaging synergy."—Michael Herzfeld, Harvard University"This lovely book is as intriguing and illuminating as the incredible ten story human towers it describes. Vaczi takes us on a journey into the world of the castells and their Catalan makers in a brilliant exploration of solidarity and complexity at possibility's tottering edge."—Orin Starn, author of The Passion of Tiger Woods: An Anthropologist Reports on Golf, Race, and Celebrity Scandal."Catalonia's Human Towers demonstrates how close attention to a visually spectacular sporting event can enhance our understanding of local politics, ethnic relations, and social organization and identity. Mariann Vaczi has produced a magnificent, beautifully written and illustrated contribution to the ethnography of contemporary Iberia and the Mediterranean world. It is a literary and social scientific treasure"—Stanley Brandes, University of California, Berkeley.Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: The Sisyphean AscentVisual Glossary1. From "People of Farts and Burps" to Crowning the Olympic Games2. The Politics, Erotics, and Social Class of Touch and the Body3. Risking the Fall4. Rivalry, Antagonism, and Identity Among the Boys of Valls5. Bones Have No Gender6. The Grace in Every Child7. At the Height of DeathEpilogue: Rebuilding Towers in Messianic Times and the Global PandemicBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThrough the prism of sports and from a range of scholarly perspectives, this anthology offers insight into the varied and shifting experiences of African athletes, fans, communities, and postcolonial states.Trade Review“An extraordinary volume…. Not only is the writing empirically driven, but, more importantly, the theoretic content is grounded in prose that is fresh, vibrant, and something not always associated with what is a university textbook, fascinating. Cleveland, Kaur, and Akindes are to be congratulated for putting together a team that explores complex identities and the dynamic nature of African sport…. Hats off to the Ohio University Press for not only supporting the venture but publishing a book that looks like, and reads like, a classic.” * Journal of Sport History *“A long-overdue project by scholars committed to building African sports studies as a humanities subject. It presents close studies of sports like cycling, surfing, track and field, ultra-marathoning, and weightlifting, which are often neglected in favor of bigger and more popular sports such as soccer, rugby, and cricket. Scholars of social history, nationalism, popular culture, social anthropology, media, and cultural studies will appreciate this book.”“The Sport in Africa collective, active since 2004, has helped kick-start a movement. Here it adds seventeen more topics to the growing corpus of works on African sports history—from surfers in Transkei and women in Nigeria to Kenyan athletes and the football migrations to Europe (happening alongside desperate refugee journeys in the Mediterranean)—showing what a rich field of study sport is becoming.”“Sports in Africa heralds the arrival in sports studies of an empirically rich, theoretically informed, methodologically rigorous, and incisive African-focused genre. The volume demonstrates the centrality and complexity of sport in the daily rhythms and social fabric of life on the continent, across time, and in the formal and informal economies. It challenges longstanding racial, ethnic and cultural stereotypes pertaining to Africans, and dispenses with any notion of fixed and prescribed social and cultural identities.”“This collection of essays opens up the debate on the influences of social history, subaltern studies, and postmodernism in stimulating new research and pedagogical approaches to sport studies in Africa. It offers exemplary studies of mainstream sports (athletics, cricket, football, and rugby) and those on the margins (cycling, surfing, and wrestling) and reflects on the contributions and trajectories of those sporting pasts and their present impacts and meanings across the African continent. A go-to volume for those seeking a solid introduction to the politics, poetics and practices of the fascinating life-worlds of sports in Africa.”

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Book SynopsisFifty years after the passage of Title IX, the institutions that govern college sports undermine initiatives for advancing gender equality. Sex-based segregation, androcentric organizational cultures, and overbearing market incentives prevent policy change. These institutional barriers can sideline any marginalized group from achieving equality.Table of Contents1. Gender equality in college athletics: assessing 50 years of Title IX; 2. Using survey data to study policy support; 3. Student-athlete contact and policy support; 4. Organizational culture and policy support; 5. The public, fans, and policy support; 6. Gender equality in college sports and beyond.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book to offer a comprehensive overview of the history and development of sport from the ancient to the contemporary era in China. It addresses the gap between the vibrant academic scholarship within China and the limited understanding of Chinese sport outside of the country. It opens different perspectives on Chinese sport and addresses a wide range of issues central to the development of sport in the context of Chinese culture, politics, economy, and society. It explores a diverse set of topics including the history of Chinese traditional sport, the rise of modern sport and the Olympic movement, sport and nationhood, sport and politics and international relations, sport and physical education, sport and economy and commerce, sport and social stratification and diversity, and sport leisure and tourism. It offers critical insights into the multifaceted world of China, past and presentâa contribution to our collective knowledge and understanding of Chinese sport and Table of ContentsPart I Sports History and Tradition in Ancient China1. The Bodily Practice, Thoughts and Beliefs in Pre-Qin Period (before 221 BC)2. Sports Transformation in Qin and Han Dynasties and Three Kingdoms Period3. Sports in the Two Jin and the Southern and Northern Dynasties4. Sport, Physical Activity, and Health in Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (581-979)5. Sports Development in Song and Yuan Dynasties (960-1368)6. The Transformation of Traditional Sports in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1840)Part II The Rise of Modern Sports and Olympics7. The Early Diffusion of Modern Western Sport to China8. Physical Liberation and Feminism: Women’s Sports in the Republic of China9. Christianity and the Transformation of Physical Education and Sport in China10. Sporting Events and Competitions in Modern China11. Going Global: China’s Participation in the Olympics During the Republic of China12. China and the Far Eastern Championship GamesPart III Sports, Politics, Diplomacy, and International Relations13. International Sporting Bids, China, and the Relations with Its Neighbours14. Sport Diplomacy and International Relations of ChinaPart IV Sports Policy, Law, and Governance15. Professional Football in China: The Past, Present, and Future16. The Systemic and Political Governance of Chinese Sports17. Mass Sports and Its Role In Economic Development18. School Sport and University Sports Club Development in China19. Chinese Sports Lottery: Development and Regulations20. Sports Law in ChinaPart V Sports and Physical Education in Schools 21. The Influence of Gender Identities and Development on Sports and Physical Education in China22. A Comparative Study on the Policies and Practices of Physical Education in Schools at the Compulsory Education Stage Between China and Japan23. Preschool Children’s Sports Policy Development and Health Since the Reform and Opening Up in China24. From the ‘Cooperation of Sports and Education’ to the ‘Integration of Sports and Education’: The Road of Training Elite Sport Talents in China25. A Critical Assessment of Physical Education Systems in SchoolsPart VI Sports and Physical Fitness for the Community and Society26. Sports and Physical Fitness of Senior Citizens27. Sports and Social Stratification in Contemporary China: Migrant Workers, Citizenship, and Sport Rights28. Sports Participation of Ethnic Minorities29. Sports Policy and Development for the Masses: A Historical Overview30. China’s Selection System for Disabled Athletes and its Advantages31. Gender Politics and Women’s Sports Participation in the People’s Republic of China32. Sports Participation Among Children and AdolescentsPart VII Elite Sports Development, Chinese Character, and Nationalism33. China at the Asian Games: Progress and Prospects34. Athletes' Development in China: The Success and Challenge35. Flying the Flag at the Olympics: Representing Nation Through Elite Sports Space36. The Commercialisation and Professionalisation of High-Performance Sports37. The Effects of Hosting the Olympic Games in China: From Host and Non-Host Cities’ Perspectives38. Social Media Marketing in China39. The Naturalization of Athletes in Mainland China40. Inheritance and Enrichment: The Cultural Heritage of Beijing Olympic GamesPart VIII Sports Economy, Commerce, and Management41. Sport Commerce and Event Management in the Global Commodity Chains42. The Promotion of Rural Revitalization in China through Grassroots Sports Social Organisations43. Sport Economy and Urban Development44. Leisure Sports in China: Policy and Practice45. Generation Z Consumers and New Trends in the Chinese Sports Industry46. "An Art of Regrets": Creativity and Constraints in Olympic Documentary Making in ChinaPart IX Sports in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan47. A Review of Taiwan Sports48. Sport and Hong Kong’s Identity in Transition Since 1997 - Sport Played as a Binder or Not?49. The Development of Sports-for-All Culture in Post-Colonial Hong Kong50. The Development Of Sporting Culture In Hong Kong: Hong Kong Gay Games 202351. The Collaborative Innovation of Taekwondo Halls in the Cross-Straits under the Background of Chinese Mainland's Taiwan Policy52. Olympic Model: Consensus on Cross-Strait Sports Communicate Since the Reform and Opening Up of the People’s Republic of China53. The Transition of Hong Kong Elite Sports Policy Before and After 1997Part X Research Structure, Funding, and Management: Institutes, Projects, Journals, Publications on Sports, PE, and Leisure54. A Review of Major Publications on Chinese Sport within Western Scholarship in the Twenty-First Century55. Management of Chinese Sports Science Research: Sport Science Institutes, Societies, and Organizations56. A Review of Chinese Journals, Conference Proceedings, and Publications in Sports Social Science57. A Bibliometric Review on the Publications of Exercise and Sport Science in the Major Chinese Sports-Related Journals in the Last Decade58. Evaluation of Public Finance of Sports Science Research Projects in China——Taking the Sports Project of National Social Science Funds as an Example

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Book SynopsisThis book introduces the fundamentals of sport sociology and social issues in sport for students of physical education (PE) and coaching. It provides an accessible, jargon-free foundation for understanding the relationships between sport, education, and wider society that puts into context the reader''s applied studies in PE and coaching.Drawing on cutting-edge research, this book examines core topics in the study of sport and society, including the origins of sport, sport education, sport as business, commodification, globalisation, sport and health, sport and the media, gender, migration, and Indigenous people in sport. Throughout this book, in-depth commentary' pieces look closely at particular pieces of research that illustrate the sociological themes being examined, from the impact of sport media on school children to the effects of hegemonic masculinity in rugby.This book is invaluable reading for any course on sport and society, physical education, sports coachiTable of Contents1 The origins of sport 2 Sport sociology 3 Sport as education vs Sport as business COMMENTARY 1Professionalism vs Amateurism in New Zealand Club Rugby 4 The commodification of sport 5 The globalisation of sport COMMENTARY 2Indigenous Australians’ transitioning into the NRL and AFL 6 Sport, health, and sponsorship 7 Media–Sport COMMENTARY 3The influence of media–sport on Australianchildren 8 Sport and gender COMMENTARY 4Disrupting hegemonic masculinity in high-school rugby 9 The anti-social foundations of lifestyle sports Nick MaitlandCOMMENTARY 5Waves for wellbeing and surfing in middle age With Nick Maitland10 Transnational athlete migration

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Book SynopsisThe last two decades have witnessed a proliferation of qualitative research in sport and exercise. The Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise is the first book to offer an in-depth survey of established and emerging qualitative methods, from conceptual first principles to practice and process.Written and edited by a team of world-leading researchers, and some of the best emerging talents, the book introduces a range of research traditions within which qualitative researchers work. It explores the different methods used to collect and analyse data, offering rationales for why each method might be chosen and guidance on how to employ each technique successfully. It also introduces important contemporary debates and goes further than any other book in exploring new methods, concepts, and future directions, such as sensory research, digital research, visual methods and how qualitative research can generate impact. Cutting-edge, timely and comprehensive, the Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise is an essential reference for any student or scholar using qualitative methods in sport and exercise-related research.Trade Review"With the ever-expanding field of qualitative research in sport and exercise, the Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise is timely and extremely useful. It is extensive and covers many elements related to qualitative research in the sport and exercise sciences from conceptual underpinnings to processes to future directions."Mark Brooke, Centre for English Language Communication, National University of SingaporeTable of Contents1. Introduction: An invitation to qualitative research (Brett Smith and Andrew C. Sparkes) PART I: Traditions of Qualitative Research 2. Breathing in life: Phenomenological perspectives on sport and exercise (Jacquelyn Allen-Collinson) 3. Doing grounded theory in sport and exercise (Nicholas L. Holt) 4. Narrative Inquiry: From cardinal to marginal…and back? (Anthony Papathomas) 5. Ethnography (Michael Atkinson) 6. Case studies (Ken Hodge and Lee-Ann Sharp) 7. Feminisms (Cheryl Cooky) 8. Embarking on community-based participatory action research: A methodology that emerges from (and in) communities (Robert J. Schinke and Amy T. Blodgett) PART II: Collecting Qualitative Data 9. Interviews: Qualitative interviewing in the sport and exercise sciences (Brett Smith and Andrew C. Sparkes) 10. Conducting observations in sport and exercise settings (Holly Thorpe and Rebecca Olive) 11. Visual research methods (Cassandra Phoenix and Emma Rich) 12. Media research: From text to context (Brad Millington and Brian Wilson) 13. Using material objects and artifacts in research (Kerry Chamberlain and Antonia C. Lyons) 14. Documents of life - from diaries to autobiographies to biographical objects (Melissa Day) PART III: Analyzing Qualitative Data 15. Using thematic analysis in sport and exercise research (Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke and Paul Weate) 16. Phenomenological analysis in sport and exercise (Susanne Ravn) 17. Interpretative phenomenological analysis in sport and exercise: Getting at experience (Jonathan A. Smith) 18. Critical discourse analysis in sport and exercise: What, why and how (Kerry R. McGannon) 19. Conversational analysis is sport and exercise (Amanda LeCouteur and Suzanne Cosh) 20. Narrative analysis in sport and exercise: How can it be done? (Brett Smith) 21. Synthesizing qualitative research: Meta-synthesis in sport and exercise (Toni L. Williams and Rachel L. Shaw) PART IV: Representation, Evaluation and Ethics 22. In defense of realist tales (Samantha King) 23. Creative analytical practices (Jenny McMahon) 24. Ethics in sport and exercise research: From research ethics committees to ethics in the field (Catherine Palmer) 25. Rethinking ‘validity’ and ‘trustworthiness’ in qualitative inquiry: How might we judge the quality of qualitative research in sport and exercise sciences? (Shaunna Burke) PART V: Opening Up Qualitative Research Practices in Sport and Exercise 26. Researching the senses in sport and exercise (Andrew C. Sparkes) 27. The Web and digital qualitative methods: Researching online and researching the online in sport and exercise studies (Andrea Bundon) 28. Pluralistic data analysis: Theory and practice (Nicola J. Clarke, Nick Caddick and Nollaig Frost) 29. Mixed methods research in sport and exercise: Integrating qualitative research (Kass Gibson) 30. The role of theory, interpretation and critical thought within qualitative sport and exercise research (Tania Cassidy) 31. Teaching qualitative research (Camilla J. Knight) 32. Knowledge, not numbers: Qualitative research and impact in sport, exercise and health (Tess Kay) 33. Moving between worldviews: Indigenous physical cultures through Indigenous eyes (Moss E. Norman and Michael A. Hart) PART VI: Future Visions 34. Thinking about the future: Challenges and opportunities (Tara-Leigh McHugh) 35. A look at the future of qualitative methodology through the prism of athlete career research (Natalia B. Stambulova) 36. Qualitative research in search of ‘truth’ and agency: Challenges and opportunities for qualitative research (Cora Burnett) 37. Challenges and opportunities for qualitative research: Future directions (Michael D. Giardina) 38. Embracing the messiness of qualitative research: Challenges and opportunities for qualitative researchers in sport and exercise (Vikki Krane)

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Book SynopsisIn Implementing Student-Athlete Programming, scholar-practitioners provide an approachable and comprehensive overview of how to design, implement, and sustain best practices in the growing area of student-athlete development. Exploring research approaches and critical frames for thinking about student-athlete programming while covering topics such as the current context, challenges, programmatic approaches to support, and trends for the future, this resource also highlights programs that are effective in supporting students to success. This book provides higher education practitioners with the tools they need to effectively work with student-athletes to not only transition to college, but to develop meaningful personal, social, career, and leadership development experiences as they prepare for the transition to life after sport.Table of ContentsPrefaceChapter 1: Introduction, Context, and Chapter OverviewsChapter 2: Contemporary Context of Athletics in Higher EducationChapter 3: The Student-Athlete Experience: Opportunities and ChallengesChapter 4: Programs That Support Student-AthletesChapter 5: Program Models across Divisions: Cases at Divisions I, II, and IIIChapter 6: Assessment and Data-Driven Practices in Intercollegiate AthleticsChapter 7: Cross-Program Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships: Evolving Models of Strategic Partnership and Inter-Program Collaboration in AthleticsChapter 8: The Future of Student-Athlete Development

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Book SynopsisDefining Sport Communication is a comprehensive resource addressing core topics and issues, including humanistic, organizational, relational, and mediated approaches to the study of sport communication. It provides foundational work in sport communication for students and scholars, reflecting the abundance of research published in recent years and the ever-increasing interest in this area of study. Bringing together scholars from various epistemological viewpoints within communication, this volume provides a unique opportunity for defining the breadth and depth of sport communication research. It will serve as a seminal reference for existing scholarship while also providing an agenda for future research.Table of ContentsTable of Contents: Defining Sport CommunicationIntroduction. Andrew C. Billings, University of AlabamaUnit I. Humanistic Approaches to SportChapter 1. Sport as rhetorical artifact (Michael L. Butterworth, Ohio University)Chapter 2. Sport as critical/cultural studies (Daniel A. Grano, University of North Carolina-Charlotte)Chapter 3. Sports and the communication of ethics (Lawrence A. Wenner, Loyola Marymount University)Chapter 4. Sport and ethnography: An embodied practice meets an embodied method (Robert Krizek, St. Louis University)Chapter 5. Sport and political communication/Political communication and sport: Taking the flame (Davis W. Houck, Florida State University)Chapter 6. Sport as gender/feminist studies (Lindsey J. Meân, Arizona State University)Chapter 7. Sport and race: A disciplinary history and exhortation (Abraham I. Khan, Pennsylvania State University) Chapter 8. Sport and GLBTQ issues (Edward M. Kian, Oklahoma State University)Unit II. Organizational/Relational Approaches to SportChapter 9. Sport as organizational communication (Jeffrey W. Kassing, Arizona State University & Robyn Matthews, Arizona State University)Chapter 10. Sport as intergroup communication: Fans, rivalries, communities, and nations (Howard Giles, Univ. of California-Santa Barbara & Michael Stohl, Univ. of California-Santa Barbara)Chapter 11. Sport as interpersonal communication (Paul D. Turman, South Dakota Board of Regents)Chapter 12. Sport as family communication (Jon F. Nussbaum and Amber Worthington, Penn State University)Chapter 13. Sport as health communication: Intersections, theories, implications (Kimberly L. Bissell, University of Alabama)Unit III. Mediated Approaches to SportChapter 14. Sport as international communication (Simon Ličen, Washington State University)Chapter 15. Sport as journalistic lens (Steve Bien-Aime, Pennsylvania State University, Erin Whiteside, University of Tennessee, & Marie Hardin, Penn State University)Chapter 16. Sport as audience studies (Walter Gantz, Indiana University & Nicole Lewis, University of Miami)Chapter 17. Sport as entertainment studies (Arthur A. Raney, Florida State University)Chapter 18. Sport as broadcast studies (R. Glenn Cummins, Texas Tech University)Chapter 19. Sport as social media networking studies (Jimmy Sanderson, University of Arkansas)Chapter 20. Sport as gaming studies: Videogames as an arena for sport communication scholarship (Nicholas D. Bowman, West Virginia University & Andy Boyan, Albion College)Chapter 21. Sport and advertising (Michael B. Devlin, DePaul University)Chapter 22. Sport and public relations (Kenon A. Brown, University of Alabama & Thomas E. Isaacson, Northern Michigan University)

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Book SynopsisIntroduction: Young People, Risk and Leisure: An Overview; W.Mitchell , R.Bunton & E.Green PART ONE: DANGER, UNCERTAINTY AND PLEASURE: THE MANAGEMENT OF EVERYDAY RISKS Pleasure, Aggression and Fear: The Driving Experiences of Young Sydneysiders; D.Lupton Living in my Street: Young People's Perceptions of Health and Social Risk; K.Gillen , A.Guy & M.Banim Risky Identities: Young Women, Street Prostitution and 'Doing Motherhood'; E.Green The Labour Market Inclusion and Exclusion of Young People in Scottish Rural Labour Markets; F.Cartmel PART TWO: SPACE, PLACE AND LEISURE From Policy to Place: Theoretical Explorations of Gender-Leisure Relations in Everyday Life; C.Aitchison Youth, Leisure, Travel and Fear of Crime: An Australian Study; J.Tulloch Streetwise or Safe: Girls Negotiating Time and Space; T.Seabrook & E.Green Sites of Contention: Young People, Community and Leisure Space; A.Foreman PART THREE: LEISURE PURSUITS AND GENDERED IDENTITY Risk, Gender and Youthful Bodies; R.Bunton , Table of ContentsIntroduction: Young People, Risk and Leisure: An Overview; W.Mitchell , R.Bunton & E.Green PART ONE: DANGER, UNCERTAINTY AND PLEASURE: THE MANAGEMENT OF EVERYDAY RISKS Pleasure, Aggression and Fear: The Driving Experiences of Young Sydneysiders; D.Lupton Living in my Street: Young People's Perceptions of Health and Social Risk; K.Gillen , A.Guy & M.Banim Risky Identities: Young Women, Street Prostitution and 'Doing Motherhood'; E.Green The Labour Market Inclusion and Exclusion of Young People in Scottish Rural Labour Markets; F.Cartmel PART TWO: SPACE, PLACE AND LEISURE From Policy to Place: Theoretical Explorations of Gender-Leisure Relations in Everyday Life; C.Aitchison Youth, Leisure, Travel and Fear of Crime: An Australian Study; J.Tulloch Streetwise or Safe: Girls Negotiating Time and Space; T.Seabrook & E.Green Sites of Contention: Young People, Community and Leisure Space; A.Foreman PART THREE: LEISURE PURSUITS AND GENDERED IDENTITY Risk, Gender and Youthful Bodies; R.Bunton , P.Crawshaw & E.Green Risk, Motherhood and Children's Play Spaces: The Importance of Young Mothers' Experiences and Risk Management Strategies; W.Mitchell Risking It? Young Mothers' Experiences of Motherhood and Leisure; R.Watson The 'Logic of Practice' in the Risky Community: The Potential of the Work of Pierre Bourdieu for Theorising Young Men's Risk Taking; P.Crawshaw Every Good Boy Deserves Football; S.Pratt & E.Burn

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Book SynopsisIf someone were to say ''it''s not tennis'', or ''not football'' of shabby behaviour in any walk of life, he or she would not be understood. If they said ''it''s not cricket'', they probably would be (though less reliably than a century ago). Is there some special spirit of cricket? The laws of cricket, like the laws of the land, aim at a sort of justice or balancing between different factions. The purpose behind cricket''s laws, and behind changes in them, is often to calibrate the balance in the game between batsmen and bowlers, between attack and defence, between safety and risk. Cricketing lawmakers are interested in the overall appeal of the game to players and spectators alike.In Spirit of Cricket, Mike Brearley alternates between issues and examples within the game - from ''Mankading'' and the ''Sandpaper'' affair to sledging, mental disintegration and racism - as well as broader issues such as the spirit and letter of the law. BreaTrade Review[Brearley is] a thoughtful, engaging and eclectic thinker . . . There is something intrinsically fair-minded about Mike Brearley, open to exploring ideas wherever they come from, seeking out common ground, but at the same time anxious to avoid giving offence by reaching too-easy conclusions. That is the process that is at play in the pages of Spirit of Cricket.This is no ordinary sporting hero's memoir, though it does include plenty of stories from his glory days -- Peter Stanford * The Tablet *Mike Brearley is a thoughtful and meticulous author. He regularly displayed similar traits when captaining England (he did so on 31 occasions, losing only four Tests) and he applies them again in Spirit of Cricket, a book he was born towrite. Brearley is an intelligent guide, well-qualified to lead readers through cricket's occasionally byzantine moral maze * Birmingham Post *One of my favourites of 2020 . . . a generous book -- Jon Hotten * Wisden Cricket Monthly *Time after time, Brearley takes familiar cricketing dilemmas - balltampering, Mankading, sledging, etc. - and with elegant prose and courteous intelligence sheds fresh light on them, including areas on which he has changed his mind over time.This delightful book would make a great gift for any cricket-lover who also has a brain, or even a soul. * Church Times *

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Book Synopsis''A book as rich and complex as the extraordinary worlds of Turkish football it explores'' David Goldblatt''Captures the Turkish game with love, in all its beauty and darkness'' Simon KuperAsk a British football fan what they know about Turkish football, and they are unlikely to describe scenes of camaraderie, hospitality and humour. They are more likely to mention banners proclaiming ''Welcome to hell''. Or Leeds United supporters stabbed to death on an Istanbul street. Frustrated by the game''s distorted image back home, John McManus set out to show the Turkish football that he knew - the rich, funny, obsessive, fan culture that he had encountered on the terraces. But he hadn''t accounted for the politics. Travelling from the elite training facilities of Istanbul to dusty pitches on the Syrian border, taking in visits to far-flung clubs, encounters with characterful players and experiences at riotous matches along the way, Welcome to Hell?<Trade Review'McManus's triumph is to combine thorough research with readability. A fascinating history of Turkish football, and a model for other books of this type' -- Jonathan Wilson'A book as rich and complex as the extraordinary worlds of Turkish football it explores' -- David Goldblatt'John McManus is one of the very few writers in English who actually knows Turkey. This crucial but poorly understood country may be best interpreted through football - and he is perfectly placed to do it. McManus thinks like a good academic but writes like a good journalist. He captures the Turkish game with love, in all its beauty and darkness. For all the country's problems, in the midst of its current crisis, this book makes you want to get straight on a plane to catch a match there' -- Simon Kuper, author of Football Against the Enemy'I really enjoyed Welcome to Hell? By John McManus. A heartfelt look at Turkish football culture, which challenges some stereotypes about it, explains others, and smells a little bit of cordite . . . excellent' -- Rory Smith'Excellent' * Irish Sun *'McManus heads off in search of colour and character across the country. He serves up both in ample measure. Nationalist agitators, left-wing ultras, Kurdish fanatics and Syrian ex-professionals . . . all provide fascinating insight into the complex relationship between politics and football at all levels of the Turkish game' -- Rob Kemp * When Saturday Comes *'An engaging book about football and Turkish society' * Economist *'A perceptive and compelling account of how to understand football in Turkey through the eyes of someone who has lived there' * The Football Pink *'The book takes us on a tour of the beautiful game in Turkey, a window through which to examine society, history and contemporary politics. McManus is a sensitive and astute guide with an eye for the telling detail . . . Full of humor as well as insight . . . Welcome to Hell? is a terrific read' -- William Armstrong * Hurriyet Daily News *'Turkish football is a fascinating topic and generates very strong emotions, and this lively book from John McManus explains why' -- Andreas Beck, Besiktas, FC Stuttgart and German National Team player'McManus offers profound insight into modern Turkey through the vantage point of its football culture. Blending his deep knowledge of Turkish history, politics, sociology, and sports culture, McManus brings modern Turkey to life and does so with playfulness, great attention to detail, and a rare insiders' view' -- Soner Cagaptay, senior fellow at the Washington Institute of Near East Policy

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