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The Backpacker's Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know
by Tamsin KingA big trip brings big questions, like how do I go about choosing and packing a bag, how should I handle money abroad, and what the hell do I do when my hostel dorm is filled with snorers? Luckily this handy guide is filled with essential tips, advice and hacks to make your adventures on the road truly unforgettable.
The Bad Boy (The Lost Millionaires)
by Leah ValeThe Only Payback He Wants Is RevengeFinding he's the heir to a business empire should be a dream come true. For Cooper Anders, though, it's about settling an old score. Soon the whole world will know how a high-and-mighty father disowned his son and forced him and his mother into a life of grinding poverty. Now nothing stands between bad-boy Cooper and satisfaction-unless it's the beautiful woman with a very different plan.Sara Barnes, vice president of Operations at McCoy Enterprises, has sworn to protect both the company and the family name. Yet the thrill she feels around Cooper-with his blue eyes, broad shoulders and troublemaking ways-says there's more at stake than just her career. Torn between loyalty to the McCoys and longing for the newest member of the clan, she's facing an impossible task-and terrified of what she might lose either way.
The Bad Boy and the Tomboy
by Nicole NwosuSome love stories begin in all the wrong ways.Always comfortable being one of the guys, Macy Anderson is laser focused on only three things: studies, soccer, and a scholarship. Romance is the last thing on Macy’s mind, until Cedric Cahill—the one boy she’s ever crushed on—asks her out on a date.Handsome and charismatic, Cedric’s everything Macy has ever wanted in a boyfriend. There’s just one problem: Cedric’s cousin Sam. Brazen and unapologetic with a bad-boy reputation to match, Sam has an annoying way of constantly showing up in Macy’s life. Something crackles beneath their “just friends” relationship, and soon Macy’s thinking about him in all the ways she shouldn’t—pushing things too far when she’s around him. As the tension between them escalates, Macy needs to decide if it’s worth risking both a friendship and a relationship to find out where her heart’s loyalties truly lie. Especially when the truth behind Sam’s bad-boy demeanor changes everything between them forever.
The Bad Guys Won
by Jeff PearlmanOnce upon a time, twenty-four grown men would play baseball together, eat together, carouse together, and brawl together. Alas, those hard-partying warriors have been replaced by GameBoy-obsessed, laptop-carrying, corporate soldiers who would rather punch a clock than a drinking buddy. But it wasn't always this way ... <P><P>In The Bad Guys Won, award-winning former Sports Illustrated baseball writer Jeff Pearlman returns to an innocent time when a city worshipped a man named Mookie and the Yankees were the second-best team in New York. <P><P>So it was in 1986, when the New York Mets -- the last of baseball's live-like-rock-star teams -- won the World Series and captured the hearts (and other select body parts) of fans everywhere.But their greatness on the field was nearly eclipsed by how bad they were off it. <P><P>Led by the indomitable Keith Hernandez and the young dynamic duo of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, along with the gallant Scum Bunch, the Amazin's won 108 regular-season games, while leaving a wide trail of wreckage in their wake -- hotel rooms, charter planes, a bar in Houston, and most famously Bill Buckner and the eternally cursed Boston Red Sox. <P><P>With an unforgettable cast of characters -- Doc, Straw, the Kid, Nails, Mex, and manager Davey Johnson (as well as innumerable groupies) -- The Bad Guys Won immortalizes baseball's last great wild bunch of explores what could have been, what should have been, and thanks to a tragic dismantling of the club, what never was.
The Badger: The Life of Bernard Hinault and the Legacy of French Cycling
by William FotheringhamThe thrilling life of France's finest cyclist Bernard Hinault is one of the greatest cyclists of all time. He is a five-time winner of the Tour de France and the only man to have won each of the Grand Tours on more than one occasion. Three decades after his retirement, Hinault remains the last Frenchman to win the Tour de France and his victory in 1985 marks the turning point for a nation who had dominated the first eight decades of the race they had invented. In this biography, bestselling author William Fotheringham details how Hinault, nicknamed the "Badger" for his combative style, was the last old-school champion: a larger-than-life personality from a working-class background, capable of winning on all terrains, in major tours, and one-day classics. A full portrait of this fascinating character, The Badger also explores the reasons why France, the nation that considers itself cycling's home, has found it so hard to produce another champion.
The Baggy Green
by Michael FaheyThe story and history of The Baggy Green – Australia's premier sporting icon.The baggy green cap worn by Australian Test players is an icon. It's the pride of Australian cricket. With the face of the game everchanging, the wearing of the baggy green has always been the pinnacle for Australian players. The baggy green cap is revered by everyone with a connection to Australian cricket. The Baggy Green book charts its evolution with reflections from many past and present Test players. It explores the cap's history, mystique and worth, with insight from the sport's greatest figures, museums and leading auction houses.
The Balancing Act (The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts #2)
by Dominique Moceanu Alicia ThompsonNoelle qualifies for the Junior National Championships - is she up for the pressure?
The Bald Truth
by David FalkThe man who called the shots for some of the greatest heroes in the history of basketball reveals the innovative business secrets that catapulted him to the top of his game.Basketball Digest called superagent David Falk one of basketball's most influential people, second only to NBA commissioner David Stern. Falk has represented more NBA first-round draft selections, lottery picks, Rookies-of-the-Year, and All-Stars than anyone else in the business. Now, he shares the fascinating insider details of how he negotiated lucrative contracts for superstars like Michael Jordan and Alonzo Mourning (changing the NBA's entire salary structure in the process), learned from his mistakes, and branded and marketed some of the greatest basketball players in history as the fledgling team sport grew into a multibilliondollar business.hout the industry as an innovator, candidly unveils the business secrets that have fueled his extraordinary success. For the first time, he shares the fascinating insider details of how he negotiated lucrative contracts, learned from his mistakes, and branded and marketed not only the greatest basketball stars in history but also other elite athletes and coaches. Falk is blunt, he's fair, and he looks at the long run rather than the short-term gains. To make a great deal, he believes, both sides have to win. He adheres to steadfast principles, some of which he learned from the celebrated champion athletes and revered coaching legends -- like Georgetown's John Thompson and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski -- who have been long-standing clients and lifelong friends. Since Falk began representing athletes more than thirty-five years ago, basketball has grown from a fledgling team sport to a multibilliondollar business with celebrity players, powerful endorsement deals, salary caps, and ever-evolving free agency rules. He has made millions of dollars for himself and his clients, but today he remains in the business for one reason: love of the game -- on and off the court.
The Ball Is Round: A Global History of Soccer
by David GoldblattAt nearly 1000 pages, this global history of the sport of soccer is determined to be as comprehensive as possible. Goldblatt, an English writer who has previously published "World Football Yearbook", traces the history of soccer from its ritualistic past into its current incarnation as an international phenomenon. Combining statistics and development of this sport with dozens of witty anecdotes, this book should interest anyone who has ever kicked a black-and-white ball into a net.
The Ball in the Air: A Golfing Adventure
by Michael BambergerAfter a lifetime of writing about the professional sport, Michael Bamberger, &“the poet laureate of golf&” (GOLF magazine), delivers an exhilarating love letter to the amateur game as it&’s played—and lived—by the rest of us.Over Michael Bamberger&’s celebrated writing career, he has written a handful of books and hundreds of Sports Illustrated stories about professional golf and those who play it—that is, the .001 percent. Now, Bamberger trains his eye on the rest of us. In his most personal book yet, Bamberger takes the lid off a game that is both quasi-religious and a nonstop party, posing an age-old question that is answered over its pages: Why does the game cast such a spell on us? Here is the story of modern golf that is not on TV. This is our story, we who pay to play, who can&’t wait to get another crack at the game, even when golf doesn&’t love us back. And just as every round is an adventure, every life in golf is, too. The golfers Michael Bamberger introduces will leave you inspired and moved. You&’ll meet Sam Reeves, a golf-loving US Army soldier who becomes captivated by a fellow soldier, Cliff Harrington, a gifted Black golfer who&’s cruelly robbed of the chance to show the world all he can do. You&’ll meet Ryan French, who plays on a college golf team out of Animal House. You&’ll get to know Pratima Sherpa, who grew up in a maintenance shed at the Royal Nepal Golf Club in Kathmandu and took up the game with a stick whittled by her father. The Ball in the Air is reported with Bamberger&’s you-are-there intimacy and captures the sweep of time. Pratima finds her way from Nepal to a university golf team in Southern California. Ryan and his father caddie in minor-league events while sleeping in tents, a preamble to Ryan&’s becoming the godfather of the popular Monday Qualifier Twitter feed. Sam Reeves, born in rural Georgia during the Depression, becomes a cotton king, the oldest amateur to make the cut at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and the ultimate man for all seasons. And there are Bamberger sightings, too, as he finds his own path in the game. You&’ll make joyful side trips with the author, who&’s spent more than forty years exploring golfers and golf, a way of life that captivates him down to his bones. You&’ll visit the golf course at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and compete with Bamberger and other purists at the National Hickory Championship in rural Pennsylvania. At St. Andrews, you&’ll get up close and personal with Lee Trevino, one of the few professionals in these pages, because Trevino, when you really get to the core of the man, is one of us. He can&’t get enough of it. The Ball in the Air is Bamberger&’s valentine to golf. The modern world, obsessed with fame and fortune, has infiltrated professional golf—but it hasn&’t infiltrated golf. Bamberger is here to highlight the distinction and to celebrate the game and all who play it.
The Ball is Round
by David GoldblattThe definitive book about soccer. With a new foreword for the American edition. There may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final. In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport-now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.
The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer
by David GoldblattThe definitive book about soccer. With a new foreword for the American edition. <P><P>There may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final. <P><P>In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport-now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. <P>Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.
The Ball: Discovering the Object of the Game
by John FoxAnthropologist John Fox sets off on a worldwide adventure to thefarthest reaches of the globe and the deepest recesses of our ancientpast to answer a question inspired by his sports-loving son: "Why do we play ball?"From Mexican jungles to the small-town gridirons of Ohio, frommedieval villages and royal courts to modern soccer pitches andbaseball parks, The Ball explores the little-known origins ofour favorite sports across the centuries, and traces how a simpleinvention like the ball has come to stake an unrivaled claim on ourpassions, our money, and our lives. Equal parts history and travelogue,The Ball removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today'ssports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaimour universal connection to the games we love.
The Bambino and Me
by Zachary HymanA picture book that perfectly conjures 1920s New York for fans of baseball and Babe Ruth. This is baseball's The Hockey Sweater (by Roch Carrier) for the US market. George Henry Alexander is a huge fan of baseball. His favorite team is the New York Yankees and his favorite player is Babe Ruth. George plays baseball during his free time and he listens to the games on the radio with his dad. Everywhere he goes, he carries his Babe Ruth baseball card. On his birthday, George's parents surprise him with two tickets to watch the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees--his first real game! But his presents don't stop there. Uncle Alvin has sent him a baseball jersey and cap, but it's for the Boston Red Sox! Filled with horror, George tosses them aside, but his mother will not have any of that. He will wear them to the baseball game with his dad! What will happen at the game? Will George get to meet Babe Ruth while wearing the opposing team's jersey?
The Barbary Pirates (Sterling Point Bks.)
by C. S. ForesterC.S. Forester, creator of the beloved Horatio Hornblower series, takes young readers on an exciting adventure to the shores of Tripoli in North Africa. That’s where, more than 200 years ago, the United States was threatened by “pirates” who snatched American merchant ships and imprisoned sailors—and the country’s young, untested navy took on the task of fighting the pirates in their home waters.This true tale features thrilling ocean battles, hand-to-hand combat, and the first landing on foreign soil by the U.S. Marines, and it’s as fresh and relevant today as when it was first published (1953).
The Barcelona Complex: Lionel Messi and the Making--and Unmaking--of the World's Greatest Soccer Club
by Simon KuperWith rare and unrivaled access, bestselling coauthor of Soccernomics and longtime Financial Times journalist Simon Kuper tells the story of how FC Barcelona became the most successful club in the world—and how that era is now endingFC Barcelona is not just the world&’s highest grossing sports club, it is simply one of the most influential organizations on the planet. At last count, it had approximately 214 million social media followers, more than any other sports club except Real Madrid CF—and by one earlier measure, more than all thirty-two NFL teams combined. It has more in common with multinational megacompanies like Netflix or small nation-states than it does with most soccer teams. No wonder its motto is &“More than a club.&” But it was not always so. In the past three decades, Barcelona went from a regional team to a global powerhouse, becoming a model of sustained excellence and beautiful soccer, and a consistent winner of championships. Simon Kuper unravels exactly how this transformation took place, paying special attention to the club&’s two biggest stars, Johan Cruyff and Lionel Messi, who is arguably the greatest soccer player of all time. Messi joined Barça at age thirteen and, more than anyone, has been the engine and standard-bearer of Barcelona&’s glory. But his era is coming to an end—and with it, a once-in-a-lifetime golden run. This book charts Barça&’s rise and fall. Like many world-beating organizations, FC Barcelona closely guards its secrets, granting few outsiders access to the Camp Nou, its legendary home stadium. But after decades of writing about the sport and the club, Kuper was given access to the inner sanctum and the people behind the scenes who strive daily to keep Barcelona at the top. Erudite, personal, and capturing all the latest upheavals, his portrait of this incredible institution goes beyond soccer to understand FC Barcelona as a unique social, cultural, and political phenomenon.
The Barcelona Inheritance: The Evolution of Winning Soccer Tactics from Cruyff to Guardiola
by Jonathan WilsonFrom Cruyff's "Total Football" to the epic rivalry between Guardiola and Mourinho, a gripping chronicle of the rise and fall of Barcelona's dominance in world soccer.Barcelona's style of play--pressing and possessing--is the single biggest influence on modern soccer. In The Barcelona Inheritance, Jonathan Wilson reveals how and why this came to pass, offering a deep analysis of the evolution of soccer tactics and style.In the late 1990s, Johan Cruyff's Dream Team was disintegrating and the revolutionary manager had departed, but his style gave birth to a new generation of thinkers, including Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho. Today, their teams are first and second in the Premier League, marking the latest installment in a rivalry that can be traced back twenty-five years.The Barcelona Inheritance is a book about the tactics, the personalities, the friendships, and, in one case, an apocalyptic falling-out that continue to shape the game today.
The Bare Bum Gang and the Football Face-Off (The Bare Bum Gang #1)
by Anthony McGowanJoin Ludo, Noah, Jamie and Phillip - the Bare Bum Gang - as they defend their gang headquarters with Smarties tube fart bombs and other ingenious traps. The gang's new (and unwanted!) name is bad enough, but things are about to get much worse. Their number 1 enemies have challenged them to a football match, and the prize at stake is the gang den. And guess what - they're all completely rubbish at football! How can they save the den? How can they get back their pride? Find out in the first Bare Bum Gang adventure!
The Barefoot Running Book: The Art and Science of Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Running
by Jason RobillardFor readers of Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, The Barefoot Running Book lends practical advice on the minimalist running phenomenon Ditch those cushiony running shoes-they’re holding you back and hurting your feet! You’ve heard about barefoot running and how it can reduce injury and allow for better form. Maybe you’ve even tried it and learned how shedding those heavy, overly- manufactured shoes can make running more enjoyable. Regardless of your expertise level, Jason Robillard-a leading expert on barefoot running education and director of the Barefoot Running University-synthesizes the latest research to ease you from barefoot walking to slow running to competitive and trail running vis-à-vis simple drills, training plans, and useful hints from fellow barefoot runners. Practical, easy-to-follow, and illustrated with black-and-white photographs throughout, The Barefoot Running Book shows how everyone can transition to barefoot and minimalist shoe running-safely and optimally. .
The Barefoot Sisters Southbound (Adventures On The Appalachian Trail)
by Lucy Letcher Susan LetcherAt the ages of twenty-five and twenty-one, Lucy and Susan Letcher set out to accomplish what thousands of people attempt each year: thru-hike the entire 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The difference between them and the others? They decided to hike the trail barefoot. Quickly earning themselves the moniker of the Barefoot Sisters, the two begin their journey at Mount Katahdin and spend eight months making their way to Springer Mountain in Georgia. As they hike, they write about their adventures through the 100-mile Wilderness, the rocky terrain of Pennsylvania, and snowfall in the Great Smoky Mountains--a story filled with humor and determination. It's as close as one can get to hiking the Appalachian Trail without strapping on a pack.
The Baron and the Bear: Rupp's Runts, Haskins's Miners, and the Season That Changed Basketball Forever
by David Kingsley Snell Nolan RichardsonIn the 1966 NCAA basketball championship game, an all-white University of Kentucky team was beaten by a team from Texas Western College (now UTEP) that fielded only black players. The game, played in the middle of the racially turbulent 1960s—part David and Goliath in short pants, part emancipation proclamation of college basketball—helped destroy stereotypes about black athletes. Filled with revealing anecdotes, The Baron and the Bear is the story of two intensely passionate coaches and the teams they led through the ups and downs of a college basketball season. In the twilight of his legendary career, Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp (“The Baron of the Bluegrass”) was seeking his fifth NCAA championship. Texas Western’s Don Haskins (“The Bear” to his players) had been coaching at a small West Texas high school just five years before the championship. After this history-making game, conventional wisdom that black players lacked the discipline to win without a white player to lead began to dissolve. Northern schools began to abandon unwritten quotas limiting the number of blacks on the court at one time. Southern schools, where athletics had always been a whites-only activity, began a gradual move toward integration. David Kingsley Snell brings the season to life, offering fresh insights on the teams, the coaches, and the impact of the game on race relations in America.
The Baseball 100
by Joe PosnanskiA magnum opus from acclaimed baseball writer Joe Posnanski that is already being hailed as “an instant sports classic” (New York Post). The Baseball 100 is an audacious, singular, and masterly book that took a lifetime to write. The entire story of baseball rings through a countdown of the 100 greatest players in history, with a foreword by George Will. <p><p> Longer than Moby-Dick and nearly as ambitious,The Baseball 100 is a one-of-a-kind work by award-winning sportswriter and lifelong student of the game Joe Posnanski that tells the story of the sport through the remarkable lives of its 100 greatest players. In the book’s introduction, Pulitzer Prize–winning commentator George F. Will marvels, “Posnanski must already have lived more than 200 years. How else could he have acquired such a stock of illuminating facts and entertaining stories about the rich history of this endlessly fascinating sport?” <p><p> Baseball’s legends come alive in these pages, which are not merely rankings but vibrant profiles of the game’s all-time greats. Posnanski dives into the biographies of iconic Hall of Famers, unfairly forgotten All-Stars, talents of today, and more. He doesn’t rely just on records and statistics—he lovingly retraces players&’ origins, illuminates their characters, and places their accomplishments in the context of baseball’s past and present. <p><p> Just how good a pitcher is Clayton Kershaw in the twenty-first- century game compared to Greg Maddux dueling with the juiced hitters of the nineties? How do the career and influence of Hank Aaron compare to Babe Ruth’s? Which player in the top ten most deserves to be resurrected from history? No compendium of baseball’s legendary geniuses could be complete without the players of the segregated Negro Leagues, men whose extraordinary careers were largely overlooked by sportswriters at the time and unjustly lost to history. <p><p> Posnanski writes about the efforts of former Negro Leaguers to restore sidelined Black athletes to their due honor, and draws upon the deep troves of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and extensive interviews with the likes of Buck O’Neil to illuminate the accomplishments of players such as pitchers Satchel Paige and Smokey Joe Williams; outfielders Oscar Charleston, Monte Irvin, and Cool Papa Bell; first baseman Buck Leonard; shortstop Pop Lloyd; catcher Josh Gibson; and many, many more. The Baseball 100 treats readers to the whole rich pageant of baseball history in a single volume. Chapter by chapter, Posnanski invites readers to examine common lore with brand-new eyes and learn stories that have long gone unheard. <p><p> The epic and often emotional reading experience mirrors Posnanski’s personal odyssey to capture the history and glory of baseball like no one else, fueled by his boundless love for the sport. Engrossing, surprising, and heartfelt, The Baseball 100 is a magisterial tribute to the game of baseball and the stars who have played it.
The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls - The Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime
by Jason Turbow Michael DucaEveryone knows that baseball is a game of intricate regulations, but it turns out to be even more complicated than we realize. What truly governs the Major League game is a set of unwritten rules, some of which are openly discussed (don't steal a base with a big lead late in the game), and some of which only a minority of players are even aware of (don't cross between the catcher and the pitcher on the way to the batter's box). In The Baseball Codes, old-timers and all-time greats share their insights into the game's most hallowed-and least known-traditions. For the learned and the casual baseball fan alike, the result is illuminating and thoroughly entertaining. At the heart of this book are incredible and often hilarious stories involving national heroes (like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays) and notorious headhunters (like Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale) in a century-long series of confrontations over respect, honor, and the soul of the game. With The Baseball Codes, we see for the first time the game as it's actually played, through the eyes of the players on the field. With rollicking stories from the past and new perspectives on baseball's informal rulebook, The Baseball Codes is a must for every fan.
The Baseball ECONOMIST
by Bradbury J. C.Freakonomics meets Moneyball in this provocative exposé of baseball?s most fiercely debated controversies and some of its oldest, most dearly held myths Providing far more than a mere collection of numbers, economics professor and popular blogger J. C. Bradbury, shines the light of his economic thinking on baseball, exposing the power of tradeoffs, competition, and incentives. Utilizing his own ?sabernomic? approach, Bradbury dissects baseball topics such as: ? Did steroids have nothing to do with the recent homerun records? Incredibly, Bradbury?s research reveals steroids probably had little impact. ? Which players are ridiculously overvalued? Bradbury lists all players by team with their revenue value to the team listed in dollars?including a dishonor role of those players with negative values?updated in paperback to include the 2007 season. ? Does it help to lobby for balls and strikes? Statistics alone aren?t enough anymore. This is a refreshing, lucid, and powerful read for fans, fantasy buffs, and players?as well as coaches at all levels?who want to know what is really happening on the field. .
The Baseball Fan's Bucket List: 162 Things You Must Do, See, Get, and Experience Before You Die
by Robert Santelli Jenna SantelliNo sports fans are more in touch with the history and ephemera of their game than baseball fans. Hitting the sweet spot of our national pastime, The Baseball Fans Bucket List presents a list of 162 absolute must things to do, see, get, and experience before you kick the bucket. Entries range from visiting Elysian Fields in Hoboken, NJ (site of the first pro baseball game), to starting a baseball card collection; experiencing Opening Day; attending your favorite teams Fantasy Camp; reading classic books like Ball Four, and much more! Each entry includes interesting facts, entertaining trivia, and practical information about the activity, item, or travel destination. Also included is a complete checklist so the reader can keep a running tally of their Bucket-List achievements. With todays tabloid stories of steroid abuse and off-the-field shenanigans encroaching on baseballs idyllic charm, this unique guidebook encourages readers to celebrate all thats good about being a fan.