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Soccer in a Football World: The Story of America's Forgotten Game
by David WangerinDavid Beckham’s arrival in Los Angeles represents the latest attempt to jump-start soccer in the United States where, David Wangerin says, it “remains a minority sport. ” With the rest of the globe so resolutely attached to the game, why is soccer still mostly dismissed by Americans? Calling himself “a soccer fan born in the wrong country at nearly the wrong time,” Wangerin writes with wit and passion about the sport’s struggle for acceptance in Soccer in a Football World. A Wisconsin native, he traces the fragile history of the game from its early capitulation to gridiron on college campuses to the United States’ impressive performance at the 2002 World Cup. Placing soccer in the context of American sport in general, he chronicles its enduring struggle alongside the country’s more familiar pursuits and recounts the shifting attitudes toward the “foreign” game. His story is one that will enrich the perspective of anyone whose heart beats for the sport, and is curious as to where the game has been in America-and where it might be headed.
Outside the Paint: When Basketball Ruled at the Chinese Playground
by Kathleen S. YepThis fascinating book reveals that Chinese Americans began "shooting hoops" nearly a century before Chinese superstar Yao Ming turned pro. Drawing on interviews with players and coaches, Outside the Paint takes readers back to San Francisco in the 1930s and 1940s, when young Chinese American men and women developed a new approach to the game--with fast breaks, intricate passing and aggressive defense--that was ahead of its time. Every chapter tells a surprising story: the Chinese Playground, the only public outdoor space in Chinatown; the Hong Wah Kues, a professional barnstorming men's basketball team; the Mei Wahs, a championship women's amateur team; Woo Wong, the first Chinese athlete to play in Madison Square Garden; and the extraordinarily talented Helen Wong, whom Kathleen Yep compares to Babe Didrikson. Outside the Paintchronicles the efforts of these highly accomplished athletes who developed a unique playing style that capitalized on their physical attributes, challenged the prevailing racial hierarchy, and enabled them, for a time, to leave the confines of their segregated world. They learned to dribble, shoot, and steal.
The Boxing Scene
by Thomas HauserThe Boxing Scene, Hauser's "provocative new anthology," contains all of his trademark insights and candor as he peels away layers of hypocrisy to reveal the men who make up the contemporary boxing landscape. Hauser exposes the inner workings of HBO Sports; examines the phenomenon of mixed martial arts as it relates to boxing; and records the amusing encounter between his 81-year-old mother and larger-than-life boxing impresario Don King. "The Boxing Scene" also updates Hauser's personal and professional thoughts on superstars like Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and Bernard Hopkins as well as fight promoter Bob Arum, announcer Bob Sheridan and a host of others.
The Revolution in Horsemanship and What It Means to Mankind
by Robert M. Miller Richard A. LambEquus caballus and Homo sapiens have been partners for a sizable fraction of humanity's time on Earth.
The Greatest Hunting Stories Ever Told: Twenty-Nine Unforgettable Tales
by Lamar UnderwoodHunting is a serious business-but it's also about camaraderie, achievements and failures, seeing new places, and revisiting cherished ones. The true stories here feature a variety of game, in locations that range from high Yukon Territory mountain peaks to lowland swamps off of Mobile Bay, Alabama. This is an indispensable volume for all lovers and students of the natural world. If your definition of home includes fields and marshes, creeks and river bottoms, plains and mountains, consider this required reading.
The Last Frontier: Incredible Tales of Survival, Exploration and Adventure from Alaska Magazine
by Jill Shepherd Alaska Magazine<p>Since 1935, Alaska magazine has charted the development of our biggest, most mysterious state. With compelling stories on such events as earthquakes, tidal waves, grizzly and polar bear attacks, the Russian influence, the Gold Rush, the Japanese invasion of the Aleutians during World War II, hunting and fishing, the lives of sourdoughs, village life, and much more, The Last Frontier truly captures the essence of our largest state. <p>Other chapters include the tale of the Eskimo commercial pilot, flying villagers across the Arctic. Or the one about the young woman who conducted the 1940 census in the Interior by dog team. Or the story about the family who placed their automobile on a raft, hooked paddles to the axles, and steered their home-built paddle-wheeler down the Yukon River to the first road-whereupon they removed the car from the barge, and drove home to Nebraska.Other stories you won't want to miss in this book include: Don Sheldon's floatplane rescue of eight men from white water; the mystery of Klutuk, the beast of the tundra; how Julie Collins's sled dog saved her life; the trials and tribulations of a nurse running a hospital on the arctic coast in 1921; an Athabascan writer interviews her grandmother, a medicine woman; newsworthy events across the state and much, much more.</p>
They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven: A Dream, A Team, and My Comeback Season
by Ken BakerKen Baker wanted nothing more than to play ice hockey with the pros--until a brain tumor cut his dreams short while in college. After surgery and several years of rehab, Baker, who in high school was a top prospect for the U.S. Olympic team, put his successful journalism career on hold to attempt the seemingly impossible: a comeback. He moved away from his family to become the third-string goalie for the Bakersfield Condors, an AA-level minor-league team in the dusty oil town of Bakersfield, California. At the age of thirty-one, Baker became the oldest rookie in all of pro-hockey, facing 1000-m.p.h. slap shots and long bus rides, hostile fans and cheap motel rooms, body bruises and battle-worn teammates.
Little House on a Small Planet: Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient Possibilities
by Shay SalomonCarpenter and construction manager Salomon presents readers with ideas for saving money, protecting the environment, and improving their livelihood by smart living in small spaces. The author profiles dozens of people around the world whose methods of scaling-down vary as widely as their locations--from single mothers in cooperative housing to homeowners converting to multi-use bathroom/lofts, adding home business spaces, or building from scratch. Floor plans; b&w and color images; and practical advice on legal matters, energy efficiency, creativity, and the importance of common spaces supplement the stories.
Tobacco Road: Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State, Wake Forest, and the History of the Most Intense Backyard Rivalries in Sports
by Alwyn FeatherstonAll college basketball fans will love this book, which details the history of four great basketball programs. Reading all the amazing descriptions of exciting games is almost as good as being there and will bring back memories. A perfect book to read to get over post NCAA tournament blues!!
American Shaolin: An Odyssey in the New China
by Matthew PollyAutobiographical account of the author, who was the target of the bullies at school. He wanted to become a strong fighter and so attended the Shaolin temple in China where the martial arts are taught.
Always by My Side: A Father's Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other
by Jim Nantz Eli SpielmanAutobiography by sportscaster Jim Nantz, who tells behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most dramatic moments in American sports, while paying tribute to his inspiration, his father.
The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption
by Jim GorantAn inspiring story of survival and our powerful bond with man's best friend, in the aftermath of the nation's most notorious case of animal cruelty. Animal lovers and sports fans were shocked when the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick's brutal dog fighting operation. But what became of the dozens of dogs who survived? As acclaimed writer Jim Gorant discovered, their story is the truly newsworthy aspect of this case. Expanding on Gorant's Sports Illustrated cover story, The Lost Dogs traces the effort to bring Vick to justice and turns the spotlight on these infamous pit bulls, which were saved from euthanasia by an outpouring of public appeals coupled with a court order that Vick pay nearly a million dollars in "restitution" to the dogs. As an ASPCA-led team evaluated each one, they found a few hardened fighters, but many more lovable, friendly creatures desperate for compassion. In The Lost Dogs, we meet these amazing animals, a number of which are now living in loving homes, while some even work in therapy programs: Johnny Justice participates in Paws for Tales, which lets kids get comfortable with reading aloud by reading to dogs; Leo spends three hours a week with cancer patients and troubled teens. At the heart of the stories are the rescue workers who transformed the pups from victims of animal cruelty into healing caregivers themselves, unleashing priceless hope.
Death to the BCS: The Definitive Case Against the Bowl Championship Series
by Dan Wetzel Josh Peter Jeff PassanA team of award-winning sports reporters takes down the Great Satan of college sports: the Bowl Championship Series. -- Every college sport picks its champion by a postseason tournament, except for one: Division I-A football. Instead of a tournament, fans are subjected to the Bowl Championship Series, an arcane mix of polling and mathematical rankings that results in just two teams playing for the championship. It is, without a doubt, the most hated institution in all of sports. A recent Sports Illustrated poll found that more than 90 percent of sports fans oppose the BCS, yet this system has remained in place for more than a decade. Built upon top-notch investigative reporting, Death to the BCS at last reveals the truth about this monstrous entity and offers a simple solution for fixing it. Death to the BCS includes findings from interviews with power players, as well as research into federal tax records, Congressional testimony, and private contracts, revealing: *The truth behind the "Cartel"--the anonymous suits who run the BCS and who profit handsomely by protecting it *The flawed math and corruption that determine which teams participate in the national championship *How the system hurts competition by perpetuating "cupcake" schedules *How "mid-major" teams are systematically denied a chance to play for the championship *How a comprehensive sixteen-team playoff plan can solve the problem while enhancing profitability. The first book to lay out the unseemly inner workings of the BCS in full detail, Death to the BCS is a rousing manifesto for bringing fairness back to one of our most beloved sports.
I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness, To The Blind Side And Beyond
by Don Yaeger Michael OherThe football star made famous in the hit film The Blind Sidereflects on how far he has come from the circumstances of his youth. Michael Oher is the young man at the center of the true story depicted in The Blind Sidemovie (and book) that swept up awards and accolades. Though the odds were heavily stacked against him, Michael had a burning desire deep within his soul to break out of the Memphis inner-city ghetto and into a world of opportunity. While many people are now familiar with Oher's amazing journey, this is the first time he shares his account of his story in his own words, revealing his thoughts and feelings with details that only he knows, and offering his point of view on how anyone can achieve a better life. Looking back on how he went from being a homeless child in Memphis to playing in the NFL, Michael talks about the goals he had for himself in order to break out of the cycle of poverty, addiction, and hopelessness that trapped his family for so long. He recounts poignant stories growing up in the projects and running from child services and foster care over and over again in search of some familiarity. Eventually he grasped onto football as his ticket out of the madness and worked hard to make his dream into a reality. But Oher also knew he would not be successful alone. With his adoptive family, the Touhys, and other influential people in mind, he describes the absolute necessity of seeking out positive role models and good friends who share the same values to achieve one's dreams. Sharing untold stories of heartache, determination, courage, and love, I Beat the Odds is an incredibly rousing tale of one young man's quest to achieve the American dream.
Shaolin Quan
by Qingjie ZhouShaolin martial arts are gaining popularity in China and are based on the teachings of the once-mysterious Shaolin monks.
Qi Gong: The 10-Minute Primer
by Qingjie ZhouQi Gong requires the utmost concentration to attain an almost meditative state.
The Pacific Division (Above The Rim)
by James KelleyYou might call the NBAs Pacific Division the Wild, Wild West. All five of the teams have, in recent seasons, been among the league's most high-scoring and exciting to watch. The Golden State Warriors caught everyone's eye with a great playoff win in 2007. The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the NBAs up-and-coming teams. The Los Angeles Lakers have the league's top scorer and a history of 18 NBA titles. The Phoenix Suns thrill fans with high-scoring games and Steve Nash's all-around skills. And the Sacramento Kings play in a small town, but they have succeeded in a big way. The word "pacific" actually means peaceful. Opponents of these teams quickly find out that they're in for something other than a peaceful night at the gym! Read on to see how these teams grew to become today's Pacific Division.
Sailing Alone Around the World
by Joshua Slocum Dennis A. BertholdFull of astounding adventures, "Sailing Alone around the World " is the true story of the first man ever to circle the globe alone entirely by sea. In a little over three years, Captain Joshua Slocum completed the feat many experts believed couldn't be done--and he has the stories to prove it. During his historic voyage, Slocum was chased by pirates in Gibraltar, soaked by a "rain of blood" in Australia, and battered by perilous storms in the open ocean. He also met many famous--and infamous--people along the way, from Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson in Samoa, to Black Pedro, "the worst murderer in Tierra del Fuego." This absorbing tale, written with humor and poetic eloquence, was first published in 1900 and has remained in print ever since.
I Can See Clearly Now: Ryne Duren talks from the heart about life, baseball, and alcohol
by Ryne Duren Tom SabellicoRyne Duren terrified major league batters, pitching 100 mph while squinting through thick, dark sunglasses. <P><P> For effect, a warm-up pitch would go sailing back to the screen. <P><P>Meanwhile, it was Ryne who was in fear and his drinking that was out of control, turning the All-Star and World Series hero into a chronic alcoholic, who attempted suicide several times to stop the pain. <P><P> In 1968, after suffering more than 25 years, Duren overcame his addiction, and turned his competitive spirit to helping others. <P><P>Now as he completes his 35th year of sobriety, Duren shares his reflections on alcohol, baseball, and life.
Mia
by Laurence Yep Tamara England Robert PappMia St. Clair is a ten-year-old girl living in upstate New York. She has grown up playing ice hockey wit her three older brothers on the pond behind their house. Mia's got the skills and the scrappiness it takes to be a star hockey player, but she's tired of skating in her brothers' shadows and has decided to follow her heart and pursue figure skating instead. Does she have what it takes to grow and compete as a figure skaters? When a new coach arrives, Mia finds herself gently pushed by the coach at the same time that she's pulled by her brothers. Can she stay true to her heart and follow her own path? Can she hold her own in a world of competitive skating?
Bravo, Mia!
by Laurence Yep Tamara England Robert PappMia St. Clair can't wait for Regionals. Or can she? Mia has been training all year to master the moves she needs to compete at the Regional Figure Skating Competition. It's her first time competing at that level, and Mia is eager for and worried about Regionals all at the same time. Is she a good enough skater? Does she have what it takes to survive in the world of competitive figure skating--and still be a good sport? When a family crisis threatens Mia's chances of going to Regionals, Mia is heartbroken. But she knows that being a good sport means accepting challenges--even big losses--with determination and grace.
Winning
by Bryce ChristensenIn the small town of Dilthon, Wyoming, high-school football is religion and the local football coach, Brad Porter, is god. But Coach Porter is a cruel and unforgiving deity, so fiercely determined to win that it frightens an aging uncle and aunt who were once his surrogate parents. After the death of his aunt snaps the last restraints, Coach Porter drives his vulnerable place kicker, Alasdair Pittman, to suicide. Yet when his recklessness costs his own son his life, Coach Porter plunges into turmoil that no gridiron victory can resolve. Groping his way towards a new life, Coach Porter turns to his war-scarred uncle for guidance--and redirects his energies to a sport devoid of glamour: cross-country running. However, neither Coach Porter nor anyone else in Dilthon ever expected the new sport to attract Alasdair Pittman's brother, Anson, an athlete needing help with far more than his stride. Who will win in this unexpected new contest? And what will winning mean?
Down and Derby: The Insider's Guide to Roller Derby
by Jennifer Barbee Alex CohenWhen most Americans hear the words "roller derby" today, they think of the kitschy sport once popular on weekend television during the seventies and eighties. Originally an endurance competition where skaters traveled the equivalent of a trip between Los Angeles and New York, derby gradually evolved into a violent contact sport often involving fake fighting. But after nearly dying out in the nineties, derby has been making a comeback. From a mere handful of leagues in the United States just a few years ago, there are now more than 17,000 skaters in more than 400 leagues around the world, with hundreds of thousands of die-hard fans. Down and Derby will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the sport. Written by veteran skaters as both a history and a how-to, Down and Derby is a brassy celebration of every aspect of the sport, from its origins in the late 1800s, to the rules of a modern bout, to the science of picking an alias, to the many ways you can get involved off skates.Informative, entertaining, and executed with the same tough, sassy, DIY attitude - leavened with plenty of humor - that the sport is known for, Down and Derby is the first and last book on derby you'll ever need.