Sport: general Books

Book SynopsisArguably the greatest Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, with twenty-eight Olympic medals to his name, was asked if he would like his children to follow in his footsteps. His answer, ''Honestly, in a perfect world, I'd say no. Just because I don't want them to live in my footsteps. And I also know everything about it I know the ins and the outs, the good, the bad, and the ugly. So, you know, as a parent, it just it frightens me.' The truth is that the vast majority of the public don't understand this alarming answer from Phelps. The question as to why so many elite sportspeople fall off the edge of a cliff in life when they retire is often answered in either a too complicated or too simplistic way to give people a meaningful answer. This book changes that. Using brutally honest interviews with sport stars Matthew Hoggard, Paul Walsh, Gail Emms, Tom May, Johnny Nelson and Clare Shine, Luke Sutton breaks down why this happens for a reader in a way that hasn't been done yet. Anyone f

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Book SynopsisThis attractive overview answers the call for mainstream yoga publishing, presenting all the basics in a petite, giftable package for today's thriving yoga audience.

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Book Synopsis“The embrace of women’s sports sometimes feels almost like a political act...Molly Schiot’s Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History is so valuable.” —The Wall Street Journal “A thoughtful, exhaustively researched, and long-overdue tribute to the women who have paved the way for the likes of Serena Williams, Abby Wambach, Simone Biles, and more.” —espnW Based on the Instagram account @TheUnsungHeroines, a celebration of the pioneering, forgotten female athletes of the twentieth century that features rarely seen photos and new interviews with past and present game changers including Abby Wambach and Cari Champion.Two years ago, filmmaker Molly Schiot began the Instagram account @TheUnsungHeroines, posting a photo each day of a female athlete who had changed the face of sports around the globe in the pre-Title IX age. These women paved the way for

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Book SynopsisProof that everything you thought you knew about sports is wrong

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Book SynopsisA beautifully woven travel narrative describing the river adventures undertaken by Alan Kesselheim's family to recognize and celebrate the coming of age of each of his three children. The rivers paddled include the Kazan River in Nunavut, Canada, the Yellowstone River in Montana, and the Rio Grande in Texas and Mexico.

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Book SynopsisIn his reflective autobiography Gerry Roach takes us back to his roots to re-discover a life-long passion for climbing.

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Book SynopsisLatrell Sprewell. Allen Iverson. John McEnroe. Even Mohammed Ali and Mike Schmidt and Michael Jordan. These are characters of our national imagination, athletes who stand as symbols of our complex relationship with professional sport.In this erudite and captivating book, bestselling author Larry Platt takes us on a tour through American sports. Offering profiles of the athletes we love (and love to hate), Platt shows that sport, more than any other nationwide pastime, is the way we come to understand—and alter—race relations, gender, and, most profoundly, how we communicate with each other in ways that are often given too little credit in the minds of intellectuals.Thought-provoking and richly written, New Jack Jocks offers a textured picture of how athletes live their lives and how we live out and define American culture by the way we come to understand their lives in and out of the halls of play.Trade Review"Larry Platt's writing flies two places at once: inside America's sports heroes and high above them, gazing down on the strange dynamic between us and them. You won't be able to look at our athletes or our society the same after you've read Platt."—Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated"Larry Platt's view of the sports world reads like fiction—but it's fact! Writers of sitcoms and soap operas could use New Jack Jocks as a source of great content."—Pat Croce, part owner and former president, Philadelphia 76ers"Like the athletes he profiles, Larry Platt is a renegade in his own right. He has always known that the real stories are found outside the arenas and playing fields, and he tells them with insight and passion. Too bad he still can't go left...."—Gail Shister, Philadelphia Inquirer television columnist and former sportswriter"Larry Platt is a rarity among writers—a guy who understands the hip-hop lifestyle of today's athlete. Platt keeps it real; he explains where others judge."—John Lucas, NBA head coach, Cleveland Cavaliers"Few writers get the connection between sports and our public life as well as Larry Platt."—Ed Rendell, former mayor of Philadelphia"Larry Platt is one of the biggest pains in the ass I've had the misfortune of meeting. I can't stand the guy. Unfortunately this is a really good book."—Angelo Cataldi, WIP Radio (Philadelphia) talk show host"...written in a readable style for a variety of ages and audiences."—Kliatt"Platt tackles a wide range of subjects related to sports in his hometown Philadelphia in an attempt to analyze how fans and media construct and define athletic heroism at the turn of the twenty-first century. ...sports fans of all kinds should find the book to be an enjoyable read..."—American StudiesTable of ContentsIntroductionPart I: The New Jack Jock1. Spree's World2. Soul Members3. Pat and Allen's Tough Love AdventurePart II: The Anti-Hero4. Portrait of an Artist on the Court5. No Requiem Necessary6. In the Name of the Father7. The Unloved8. The Round Mound Bids FarewellPart III: Entrepreneurs9. The Graying of Dr. J10. Magic Johnson Builds an Empire11. The Business of Rebellion12. Even the Ball Is White13. Jelly MakerAcknowledgments

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Book SynopsisLong before Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to a Brooklyn Dodger contract in 1945, Lester Rodney, the newly hired and first sports editor of the "Communist Daily Worker", launched the campaign that proved decisive in eventually breaking baseball's color line. But in the hostile anti-Communist climate of those years and for many years after, Rodney's story remained largely unknown. It therefore came as a surprise to many when Arnold Rampersad, in his authoritative 1997 biography of Jackie Robinson, wrote: "In the campaign to end Jim Crow in baseball, the most vigorous efforts came from the Communist press, most notably from Lester Rodney." Now "Press Box Red" tells the story of that remarkable 11-year campaign and of Rodney's unique career covering sports for the Daily Worker until he left the Communist Party in 1958." Press Box Red" is packed with first-hand accounts of Rodney's challenges to the high muck-a-mucks of professional and collegiate sports, and contains frank and frequently humorous encounters with owners, managers, and coaches like Branch Rickey, Larry MacPhail, Bill Veeck, Leo Durocher, Casey Stengel, Nat Holman, Clair Bee and numerous athletes including Robinson, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Satchel Paige, Peewee Reese, Joe Louis, Henry Armstrong, and many others. It's a story every fan will love. Author note: Irwin Silber is a self-employed writer who lives in the Bay Area of northern California. He is the author or editor of eight previous books, including "Socialism: What Went Wrong" and "The Vietnam Song Book" (with Barbara Dane).Trade Review"This book is a crisp reminder that the golden age of baseball and pro-sports in America in general was not nearly as simple as many would like to believe. Perhaps, more importantly, this book is a testimony that sport has always been a matter of deep social significance and that the never-ending battle for social justice can be successfully waged from the most unexpected of spaces." Left History "[Rodney and Silber] dispense wisdom coupled with wit, salient information paired with keen insight. In the process, they confer a human face on an ideological construct: American communism; Rodney's odyssey from a Republican household to CP affiliation to disaffected radical makes for fascinating reading, which the book captures, to borrow a Gershwin phrase, in fascinatin' rhythm." American Communist History "important ...a work that should be read and reread" Nine "This lively book is a welcome addition to the saga of 20th-Century American sports and sportswriting, especially in its telling of the little-known tale of Lester Rodney's role in the integration of baseball." --Robert Lipsyte "Lester Rodney was a Communist. Whether because of that or in spite of that, he was also one of the most independent and courageous sportswriters of his day. Press Box Red is a timely, much-needed reminder of the pivotal role he played in integrating baseball, and, therefore, in the history of this country." --David Margolick "Anyone interested in the New York sports scene in the era of Joe Louis and Joe DiMaggio is likely to derive much pleasure from these pages." --Choice "While the book is first and foremost a history of Rodney's efforts, parts of this book are of particular interest to revolutionary socialists...Press Box Red sheds light on this hidden history." --The Socialist Worker "This book is required reading for anyone who's interested in sports and politics and how the two can intersect." --The International Socialist Review "Besides its engaging account of an engaging man, the book offers a look into one of the odd corners of baseball history--the not-so-remote byway where baseball crossed paths with communism." --Elysian Fields Quarterly "The beauty of Press Box Red is not only the surprising (and surprisingly unknown) story of Lester Rodney, but also the ease with which Irwin Silber meshes his own historical notes and commentary with the voice of Rodney himself. Most of the book appears in the form of oral reminiscences from Rodney, who is every bit as elegant with the spoken word as the written one. It is always tempting for a biographer to place himself and his prose above the subject, but Silber never submits to this temptation, while remaining steadfast in his obvious admiration for the iconoclastic Rodney. Still, Silber offers important structure and background to Rodney's life story." Love My Team "Hearing Lester Rodney speak for himself and viewing facsimiles of the same pages he's discussing is the real strength of the book since these methods allow Silber's readers to reconstruct the consciousness of the Depression and World War II era." American JournalismTable of ContentsForeword Jules Tygiel Acknowledgments 1. The Daily Worker Starts a Sports Section 2. Growing Up in Brooklyn 3. A Communist in the Press Box? 4. "Jim Crow Must Go!" (Part 1): The Daily Worker's Campaign to Break the Color Line in Organized Baseball 5. "Jim Crow Must Go!" (Part 2): And the Walls Came (Slowly) Tumbling Down 6. The Impact of Baseball's Integration 7. The Ballplayers and the Communist 8. Boxing: The Brutal "Sport" and the Class Angle 9. Hoop Dreams and Scandals Postscript Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAs befits a game traditionally passed from one generation to the next, baseball has always had a special reverence for origins. Claims of being first with any element of the game are disputed with fervor and passion. When the octogenarian Fred Goldsmith died in 1939, a headline proclaimed, 'Goldsmith Dies Insisting He Invented Curve Ball'; Fred Goldsmith understood the secret of immortality. Yet while countless thousands of words have been spilled on the subject of baseball “firsts,” there has been no definitive source for the settlement of disputes. Peter Morris's endlessly fascinating A Game of Inches has now arrived to fill the void. Impeccably researched and engagingly written, this treasure trove will surprise, delight, and educate even the most knowledgeable fan by dispelling cherished myths and revealing the source of many of baseball's features that we now take for granted. The scope of A Game of Inches is encyclopedic, with nearly a thousand entries that illuminate the origins of items ranging from catchers' masks to hook slides to intentional walks to cork-center baseballs. But this is much more than just a reference guide. Award-winning author Peter Morris explains the context that led each new item to emerge when it did, and chronicles the often surprising responses to these innovations. Of few books can it genuinely be said that once you start reading, it's hard to put it down—but A Game of Inches is one of them. It belongs in the pantheon of great baseball books, and will give any reader a deeper appreciation of why baseball matters so much to Americans. (A companion volume, A Game of Inches: The Game Behind the Scenes, was published in the fall of 2006.)Trade ReviewI can't wait for the subsequent volumes. -- Keith Olbermann, News Anchor, Countdown on MSNBC; co-host, The Dan Patrick Show on ESPN RadioPeter Morris's A Game of Inches is the one that every serious baseball fan must have. -- Rob Neyer * ESPN the Magazine *A splendidly entertaining book. -- Donald HonigTruly amazing. -- Rob Neyer * The Griddle *Wonderful baseball anecdotes...a comprehensive volume of who-did-what-first adding a necessary human dimension to baseball facts and figures. * Philadelphia City Paper *Every season needs a browser’s delight of a baseball reference book. Morris’ remarkable volume may have set that standard. -- John Marshall * Seattle Post-Intelligencer *Absolutely fantastic.... There is no end to the historical detail, the delightful anecdotes, and the clear explanations. -- Dr. John D. Elgenauer, Super70s.com--BaseballOffering fascinating information on every page, this is a unique resource for baseball historians and serious fans. * CHOICE *Morris combines learning, precision, and devotion to produce this charming book...This is heaven for fans of the game.... * Library Journal *Morris' remarkable volume may have set [the] standard for this season and several to follow. -- John Marshall * Seattle Post-Intelligencer *It's an everything you ever wanted to know reference source for anyone who truly loves baseball. * Albany Times Union *Morris gives the scoop on three- and four-man umpiring crews, the history of bats, and more. -- Carol Herwig * USA Today *An encyclopedic effort....interesting observations. -- John Monaghan * Providence Journal *Clear some fresh space on your bookshelves. One of the all-time essential reference works for baseball has...arrived. -- Daniel Gabriel * Elysian Fields Quarterly *Majestic in their detail and exemplary in their dedication to scholarship, these books will leave the reader...exhilarated. * CHOICE *You could do no better than Peter Morris' A Game of Inches, an astonishingly well-researched history. -- Keith Olbermann * Msnbc *A great source for baseball history. * Daily News *Solid piece of near exhaustive research into...crucial aspects of the development of baseball. -- John P. Rossi, La Salle University * The Historian *

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Book SynopsisThis little book will teach you all you need to know about the most frustrating yet entertaining pitch in baseball: the knuckleball. It makes batters look foolish when it works; it embarrasses pitchers when it doesn't...or if it works too well. It humiliates catchers and umpires. It confounds spectators. Dave Clark has spent most of a lifetime studying the knuckleball, talking to the major league pitchers who have thrown it, and throwing a few of his own. His book explains the strange workings of the pitch and how it's used, no matter what your interest—whether you're a pitcher, batter, catcher, umpire, coach, spectator, or parent of any of the above. Everything Mr. Clark demonstrates in The Knucklebook is carefully illustrated with line drawings, so if you're an average high school pitcher who can throw strikes, you'll be able to throw a knuckleball exactly like a legendary Hall of Famer. You'll find appropriate and hilarious comments from those who have experienced the game of baseball as it's been affected by the wandering floater. Like those who throw the knuckler, all this information was scattered to far-flung corners of the baseball world until Mr. Clark gathered and compiled it. Reading his little book, you'll end up less mystified and more enlightened about this antic pitch. Or, like the pitch itself, you can just ride the breezes and enjoy the dancing flight from beginning to end. With 51 black-and-white line drawings.Trade ReviewA comprehensive look inside the world of the fluttering and frustrating—for hitters anyway—pitch. -- Todd Piken * Metro Daily News *It's nicely written, well organized, well illustrated and imbued with an engaging sense of whimsy. * Booklist *A guide to every aspect of baseball's most elusive pitch....explaining how and why the pitch is used. * Forecast *Like the knucklebook itself, The Knucklebook frustrates and delights.... Mr. Clark is terrific....Colorful and interesting stuff. -- Jonathan Eig, author of Get Capone/ ALI * The Wall Street Journal *A little gem.... After reading it, I am confident I can not only teach the knuckler but also throw a decent one myself. -- John Curtis * The San Diego Union-Tribune *The world's greatest collector of knuckleball lore. -- Ron Berthel * Scranton Sunday Times *There’s no pitch as magical as the knuckleball. Dave Clark is showing off the magician’s tricks but instead of breaking the illusion, he opens new doors. The knuckleball is given new life here, dancing through our minds as it dances through the air. Clark masterfully breaks down the pitch, the mindset, and could save the pitch from extinction with this important work. -- Will CarrollIf there is anyone alive who knows more about this ever-baffling, fluttering pitch than Dave Clark, he is either retired from, headed to, or currently in the Major Leagues on the strength of his knuckles. And even then, my money’s on Dave. -- Ben McGrath * The New Yorker *Nicely written, well organized, well illustrated...and imbued with an engaging sense of whimsy. -- Wes Lukowsky * Booklist *They say that '40 is the new 30.' If that's true, then I figure I've still got a shot at becoming the next Hoyt Wilhelm. Step 1? Memorizing every single page of Dave Clark's The Knucklebook. -- Rob Neyer * ESPN the Magazine *Dave Clark delivers a resounding strike with his in-depth coverage of baseball's most baffling pitch. -- John Kuenster * Baseball Digest *Quirky to say the least. -- Melissa McKeon * The Community Journal *

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Book SynopsisThis book ranks the 50 greatest records in sports while also taking a personal look at some of these amazing feats and the athletes behind them. Take Joe DiMaggio, for example, whose consecutive 56-game hitting streak is one of many records to beat in baseball, but some may not know that getting a daily hit became more important to Joe than eating, drinking, or sleeping. Then there is Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina who has held the record for most Olympic medals (18) for 40 years and counting who managed to find time to have three children during her record-breaking quest. In Made To Be Broken, sports fanatics can relive the thrill of each record-breaking moment while getting an intimate look at each record holder and the specific stories behind their journey to make history and do something that’s never been done before. The book also includes an exclusive DVD highlighting some of the more memorable moments in sports history.

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Book SynopsisIn a single moment, an entire career reputation can be sealed and a franchise’s history cemented thanks to a last-second, game-winning finish, and this book chronicles 50 of the most memorable finishes in Boston sports. Vibrant four-color photos, statistics, quotes, and stories offer fresh details on some of the most famous events in Boston sports history, including Carlton Fisk’s Fenway Moment, “Havlicek Stole the Ball!,” Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary in Miami, and the Red Sox’s Greatest Comeback Ever. For those sports fans too young to have seen these famous moments or for those who wish to relive them over and over again, this encyclopedia of sporting greatness is a must-have for all passionate Boston fans.

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Book SynopsisLatrell Sprewell. Allen Iverson. John McEnroe. Even Mohammed Ali and Mike Schmidt and Michael Jordan. These are characters of our national imagination, athletes who stand as symbols of our complex relationship with professional sport.In this erudite and captivating book, bestselling author Larry Platt takes us on a tour through American sports. Offering profiles of the athletes we love (and love to hate), Platt shows that sport, more than any other nationwide pastime, is the way we come to understand—and alter—race relations, gender, and, most profoundly, how we communicate with each other in ways that are often given too little credit in the minds of intellectuals.Thought-provoking and richly written, New Jack Jocks offers a textured picture of how athletes live their lives and how we live out and define American culture by the way we come to understand their lives in and out of the halls of play.Trade Review"Larry Platt's writing flies two places at once: inside America's sports heroes and high above them, gazing down on the strange dynamic between us and them. You won't be able to look at our athletes or our society the same after you've read Platt."—Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated"Larry Platt's view of the sports world reads like fiction—but it's fact! Writers of sitcoms and soap operas could use New Jack Jocks as a source of great content."—Pat Croce, part owner and former president, Philadelphia 76ers"Like the athletes he profiles, Larry Platt is a renegade in his own right. He has always known that the real stories are found outside the arenas and playing fields, and he tells them with insight and passion. Too bad he still can't go left...."—Gail Shister, Philadelphia Inquirer television columnist and former sportswriter"Larry Platt is a rarity among writers—a guy who understands the hip-hop lifestyle of today's athlete. Platt keeps it real; he explains where others judge."—John Lucas, NBA head coach, Cleveland Cavaliers"Few writers get the connection between sports and our public life as well as Larry Platt."—Ed Rendell, former mayor of Philadelphia"Larry Platt is one of the biggest pains in the ass I've had the misfortune of meeting. I can't stand the guy. Unfortunately this is a really good book."—Angelo Cataldi, WIP Radio (Philadelphia) talk show host"...written in a readable style for a variety of ages and audiences."—Kliatt"Platt tackles a wide range of subjects related to sports in his hometown Philadelphia in an attempt to analyze how fans and media construct and define athletic heroism at the turn of the twenty-first century. ...sports fans of all kinds should find the book to be an enjoyable read..."—American StudiesTable of ContentsIntroductionPart I: The New Jack Jock1. Spree's World2. Soul Members3. Pat and Allen's Tough Love AdventurePart II: The Anti-Hero4. Portrait of an Artist on the Court5. No Requiem Necessary6. In the Name of the Father7. The Unloved8. The Round Mound Bids FarewellPart III: Entrepreneurs9. The Graying of Dr. J10. Magic Johnson Builds an Empire11. The Business of Rebellion12. Even the Ball Is White13. Jelly MakerAcknowledgments

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Book SynopsisFeisty essays from the nation's top sports economistTrade Review"The advantage of this book is that it allows the reader to see how one of the foremost professors in sports and business analyzed each event virtually as it happened. So this book will take you back over the past decade and consistently teach you something new about professional and college sports." Wordpress website "Very few academics treat sport as seriously as it deserves. And precious few of them keep their subject interesting. Andrew Zimbalist is royalty in this small kingdom."--Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization "The bottom line on The Bottom Line? Definitely worth the money and time, even though it reprints work previously published. The author of several excellent books on baseball economics, Zimbalist is an indefatigable, seemingly ubiquitous commentator on the business of sports in the print and broadcast media...Readers will be informed by most of these opinion pieces and infuriated by others. But Zimbalist should not be ignored. Highly recommended." - CHOICE "The Bottom Line brings together some of the best articles that [Zimbalist] has written during the past 15 years. Like readers who find that their favorite novelist is also an expert short-story writer, those familiar with Zimbalist's books but not his op-ed pieces will see the same trenchant analysis and quick with in these essays...It is a collection worth reading and rereading." The Journal of Sports Economics "Andrew Zimbalist pulls no punches, writing in a deliberately provocative style that will no doubt have some cheering with every jab and upper cut and others screaming about blows below the belt... The articles provide an efficient, accessible and at the time they were written, timely survey of much of the Sports Economics landscape as viewed by Professor Zimbalist...He provides a quick comprehensive overview of the subject." The Journal of Economic LiteratureTable of ContentsPart I: Team Management, Finances, and Value; Part II: League Structure, Design and Performance; Part III: Stadiums: Financing, Mega-Events and Economic Development; Part IV: Antitrust and Labor Relations; Part V: College Sports and Gender Equity; Part VI: Media and the Regulation of Steroids

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Book SynopsisMen’s Journal’s “Ultimate Football Reading List” “First-rate” sports writing on American football from an all-star line-up that includes Red Smith, Jimmy Breslin, Michael Lewis, and more (Wall Street Journal) Since football’s meteoric rise in the mid-twentieth century, the standout writers on the sport have gone behind and beyond the spectacle to reveal the complexity, the contradictions, and the deeper humanity at the heart of the game. In a landmark collection, The Library of America brings together the very best of their work: gems of deadline reportage, incisive longform profiles of football’s storied figures, and autobiographical accounts by players and others close to the game. Celebrating the sport without shying away from its sometimes devastating personal and social costs, the forty-four pieces gathered here testify to football’s boundless capacity to generate outsized characters and memorable tales.

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Book SynopsisOffering an exclusive look into the inner workings of the Michigan Wolverines under famed coach Bo Schembechler, this a book takes readers into the huddle and locker room and onto the sidelines of this historic college football program. With unrestricted access into the private world of the players, coaches, and decision makers, I Remember Bo captures the spirit of the beloved Hall of Fame coach, including details on the real reason why he turned down the multimillion dollar offer from Texas A&M and remained at Michigan in 1982, and the origin of his famous battle cry to his team every time it left a hotel for the game: Do I have 11? All I need is 11! Providing a front row seat for the many memories and great stories from the history of Michigan's football program under the consummate coach's coach, this unique book is an ideal keepsake for any Wolverine fan.

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Book SynopsisCalm, reasoned, and well-modulated tones are not the order of business in discussing Chicago sports, and when it comes to talking Chicago sports, Mike North is in a class by himself. He led the sports-talk-radio industry out of its formative stages and became the city's most recognized voice. With his in-your-face style, North has all the answers and doesn't shortchange the reader when it comes to opinions. Why do the Bears carry the city? What's the basic difference between Sox and Cubs fans? Will the Bulls ever return to glory? Can the Blackhawks recapture their stature as one of the top teams in the NHL?

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Book SynopsisFrom Rookie of the Year to two-time Manager of the Year, with three World Series rings in between, Lou Piniella's story is as compelling as the man himself. From a boyhood in Tampa that shaped, in every way, the athlete and person he would become; to his years with the Kansas City Royals, an experience that would teach him about the business of baseball; to his wild years in New York that would give him his first two World Series rings and thrust him into George Steinbrenner's infamous revolving door; his many varied experiences all set him on course to finding his true calling. Sweet Lou brings the story of one of the most intriguing managers in the game to life, relives history with those who were there, and probes the man himself: his great loves, his great losses, and his greatest successes. Author Melissa Isaacson explores Piniella's background, his parents, his friends, and his roots in Tampa that explain not only his hot-headedness but also reveal a very down-to-earth family man. Along the way, she charts his ascension to become the beloved skipper of the Cubs, setting his sights on his sixth pennant and the possibility of leading the Cubs to their first world championship in over 100 years. This is a riveting portrayal of a consummate and controversial larger-than-life baseball personality whose full impact on the game has yet to be measured.

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