- Table View
- List View
Becky Lynch: Not Your Average Average Girl
by Rebecca QuinINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER This compelling and candid memoir from WWE superstar Rebecca Quin—a.k.a. The Man, a.k.a. Becky Lynch—delves into her earliest wrestling days, her scrappy beginnings, and her meteoric rise to fame. Raised in Dublin, Ireland, in a devoutly Catholic family, Rebecca Quin constantly invented new ways to make her mother worry—roughhousing with the neighborhood kids, hosting secret parties while her parents were away, enrolling in a warehouse wrestling school, nearly breaking her neck and almost kneecapping a WWE star before her own wrestling career even began—and she was always in search of a thrilling escape from the ordinary. Rebecca&’s childhood love of wrestling set her on an unlikely path. With few female wrestlers to look to for guidance, Rebecca pursued a wrestling career hoping to change the culture and move it away from the antiquated disrespect so often directed at the elite female athletes who grace the ring. Even as a teenager, she knew that she would stop at nothing to earn a space among the greatest wrestlers of our time and to pave a new path for female fighters. Culled from decades of journal entries, Rebecca&’s memoir offers a raw, exclusive, and honest depiction of the complex woman behind the character Rebecca Quin plays on TV.
The Believer: A Year in the Fly Fishing Life
by David CogginsThe author of the instant fishing classic The Optimist wades into deeper waters and shares new wisdom, humor, and experience in seven extraordinary fly-fishing expeditions that mark one year in his journey through the middle part of life when worldly demands increase even as fishing continues to beckon—and must be pursued.In David Coggins&’s previous book, The Optimist, he tackles the techniques of fly fishing and meditates on its virtues, recounting his triumphs and frustrations. Now, in The Believer, he deftly mixes travel, local cultures, further fishing challenges (some knee-buckling in their disappointment), and details his own experience as life and love crowd his time to fish. Self-consciously—and self-deprecatingly—Coggins embarks on seven far-flung fishing voyages, away from screens and social media, not answering his phone, reveling in humanity&’s undying yearning for a quest, for the rituals and rites of passage that mark transition. For David, these journeys not only showcase his skill as an angler—including to Norway, Scotland, Spain, Cuba, and Argentina, as well as road trips to Wyoming, Tennessee, and the Catskills—they also signal the end of his fly-fishing youth. But that doesn&’t mean that David will sell all his rods and hang up his hat; rather, that his relationship with his fly-fishing obsession will evolve. And he&’s okay with that—mostly, especially if he can catch an elusive salmon or a ferociously strong tarpon or the mysterious and almost invisible bonefish. The Believer is a humble, humorous call for the journey that is part of the destination, where the search for greater self-awareness leads to patience, observation, and endurance. And, since this is fly fishing, after all—there&’s always the possibility of abject failure and leaping, glorious reward. Wry, entertaining, thoughtful, and relatable, The Believer will hook both anglers and non-anglers alike.
Betting Against the Crowd: A Complex Systems Approach
by Yair NeumanCrowds are misleading, both in their simplicity and in their complexity. On the one hand, they behave according to expected trends; on the other, they present sudden shifts and frantic, unexpected behavior. Therefore, “betting against the crowd,” whether in politics, sports, or finance, requires a deep understanding of the crowd’s dynamics. In this book, Prof. Neuman addresses this challenge by delving into the complexity of crowds. The book involves foundational issues and novel ideas, such as why crowds behave unexpectedly, why betting against the crowd is possible only in short time frames, why is it important to be attentive to suspicious signs that are indicative of the crowd’s behavior, and why the long tail of fatalities in armed conflicts leaves us surprised by blitz attacks of violent mobs. The book combines scientific knowledge, experiments, and accessible, often humorous, exposition. It can be read by anyone with a basic science education who seeks to understand crowds and how one can act within and against them.
BETWEEN LOVE AND LOATHING: a dark romance from the #1 bestselling author and Tiktok sensation (the Hardy Billionaires series) (The Hardy Billionaires Series)
by Shain RoseFake dating my enemy should be easy ... as long as I don't fall in love with him.Dominic Hardy might have a fancy engineering degree, but he doesn't know a thing about baking. He doesn't even like sugar.So when he inherits my stepfather's resort - with my bakery in the middle of it - neither of us are happy.But then Dominic gives me a proposal I can't refuse. I'll keep my bakery, with one condition:Fake date him for five months.Keep his ex away by pretending we're in love.Stare into his piercing green eyes.Maybe share a kiss.But I loathe him and his filthy mouth.Even when he's using it on me.There's a fine line between love and loathing, and I think I've made the mistake of blurring it.A HOT, DARK ROMANCE FROM THE TIKTOK SENSATION - SHAIN ROSE IS YOUR NEW OBSESSION
BETWEEN NEVER AND FOREVER: a dark romance from the Tiktok sensation and #1 bestselling author (Hardy Billionaires series) (The Hardy Billionaires Series)
by Shain Rose"His voice was deep, full of grit, and it sent shivers down my spine in a way it shouldn't. I forgot how intense the electric shock was between us, how the air shifted, how the world seemed to stop . . ."♥️A HOT, DARK ROMANCE FROM THE TIKTOK SENSATION - SHAIN ROSE IS YOUR NEW OBSESSION♥️My best friend's brother, Dex Hardy, was my downfall - older, forbidden, and completely irresistible.Our relationship was a secret - and he knew it had to stay one.But when Dex betrayed our privacy, I had to leave him - breaking both our hearts.Now, he's back in my life, as the owner of the casino where I work. He's become a cold, ruthless billionaire, and he wants revenge.When he finds out I'm engaged, he offers me a deal.Leave the man I'm with and be with him instead. Or else.Six months of calling Dex my finace... even as he stares at me with hardened eyes.Six months of ignoring his electrifying touches and pretending I don't love him... when I still do.The problem with faking this engagement is I'm starting to believe in forever. And neither of us can afford to.♥️BOOK FOUR COMING SEPTEMBER 2024♥️
Beyond Self-Defense: How to Say No, Set Boundaries, and Reclaim Your Agency--An empowering guide to s afety, risk assessment, and personal protection
by Shihan MichelleA feminist-forward guide to setting boundaries, assessing safety, and defusing violence by a six-time karate world champion—tools and skills to build confidence, fight back, and live life on your own terms.Disclaimer: this is not your average self-defense book. As educator, martial artist, movement analyst, somatic therapist, and rape crisis advocate Shihan Michelle explains, &“Self-defense doesn&’t work to prevent assault; it&’s too late, you&’re in a fight.&” Instead, Michelle champions self-offense, a preventative personal protection strategy invested in defusing trouble before violence becomes necessary.Beyond Self-Defense empowers you to prevent and de-escalate violence without resorting to physical contact. Including personal stories, interactive practices, and reflective prompts, this practical, accessible, and timely handbook teaches you how to craft your own unique protection protocols. Topics include how to:Use your body weight to fend off attacksRecognize the emotional triggers of others before they escalateUnlearn common biases about safety and vulnerabilityUse space and time to get the upper hand and control situations before they become unsafeChallenge patriarchal social standards and claim your voice—and your spaceThe founder and lead instructor of Self Offense Services, Michelle is a sixth degree black belt in Full Contact karate who gives workshops in assault prevention, boundaries, listening, de-escalation, and bullying prevention.
Beyond the Game: LeBron James (Beyond the Game: Athletes Change the World)
by Andrew MaranissBeyond the Game is a new nonfiction chapter book series about athletes who have stepped up beyond sports to make a difference in the world, from acclaimed author, Andrew Maraniss and illustrator DeAndra Hodge. This is the story of LeBron James and his social justice work.Before he became one of the most famous basketball players on the planet, before he began speaking out for justice, LeBron James was just a kid.In this chapter book biography by acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss, illustrated by DeAndra Hodge, readers learn more about the life and work of LeBron James—from growing up with a single mother in Akron, Ohio, to his journey to the NBA and ten NBA championships, to his social justice work creating I PROMISE and speaking up for Black Lives Matter.While known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, LeBron James has changed the world beyond sports.Complete with black-and-white illustrations throughout, statistics, resources, and ways for kids to make a difference on their own—BEYOND THE GAME is a giftable and inspirational series for every reader.
Beyond the Game: Maya Moore (Beyond the Game: Athletes Change the World)
by Andrew MaranissBeyond the Game is a new nonfiction chapter book series about athletes who have stepped up beyond sports to make a difference in the world, from acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss and illustrator DeAndra Hodge. This is the story of WNBA star Maya Moore and her social justice work.Before she became one of the most famous basketball players on the planet, before she began speaking out for prison reform, Maya Moore was just a kid.In this chapter book biography by acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss, readers learn more about the life and work of Maya Moore—from growing up with a single mother in Jefferson City, Missouri, to her journey to becoming a star player at UCONN and the WNBA, to her social justice fighting for prison reform and speaking up for Black Lives Matter.While known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Maya Moore has changed the world beyond sports.Complete with black-and-white illustrations throughout, statistics, resources, and ways for kids to make a difference on their own—Beyond the Game is a giftable and inspirational series for every reader.
Big Cat: The Life of Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize
by Jerry GrilloJohnny Mize was one of the greatest hitters in baseball&’s golden age of great hitters. Born and raised in tiny Demorest, Georgia, in the northeast Georgia mountains, Mize emerged from the heart of Dixie as a Bunyonesque slugger, a quiet but sharp-witted man from a broken home who became a professional player at seventeen, embarking on an extended tour of the expansive St. Louis Cardinals Minor League system. Mize then spent fifteen seasons terrorizing Major League pitchers as a member of those Cardinals, the New York Giants of Mel Ott and Leo Durocher, and finally with the New York Yankees, who won a record five straight World Series with Mize as their ace in the hole—the best pinch hitter in the American League. Few hitters have combined such meticulous bat control with brute power the way Mize did. Mize was a line-drive hitter who rarely struck out and also hit for distance, to all fields, and usually for a high average. Nicknamed the Big Cat, &“nobody had a better, smoother, easier swing than John,&” said Cardinals teammate Don Gutteridge. &“It was picture perfect.&” Tabbed as a can&’t-miss Hall of Famer, then all but forgotten, Mize spent twenty-eight years waiting for the call from Cooperstown before he was finally inducted in 1981, delighting fans with his straightforward commentary and sly sense of humor during a memorable induction speech. From the backroads of the Minor Leagues to the sunny Caribbean, where he played alongside the best Black and Latin players as a twenty-one-year-old, and to the Major Leagues, where he became a ten-time All-Star, home run champion, and World Series hero, Mize forged a memorable trail along baseball&’s landscape. This is the first complete biography of the Big Cat.
Biking For Dummies
by Tyler BenedictExplore, travel, and get fit on two wheels Biking For Dummies will teach you the basics of riding your bike as a workout or as a mode of transportation. Great for people of all ages and fitness levels, this book shows you how to select the best bike for your needs, how to ride safely, and how to maintain your bicycle, so you can enjoy the many adventures that lie ahead. This entertaining Dummies guide answers all your questions about e-bikes, cycling etiquette, must-have gear and gadgets, and staying safe out there. Plus, you’ll find bicycle maintenance advice and tips that will help you get faster and ride farther, even if you’re starting from zero. Become a cyclist, the Dummies way. Choose the right bike for you and find places to ride it Use correct form, learn the rules of the road, and enjoy every ride Learn to keep your bike or e-bike in good shape for years to come Discover which equipment you need, and which you can live withoutBiking For Dummies is for beginners who want to start cycling, and for experienced riders looking for reliable info. Start with a quick ride around the block and branch out to long rides and exciting cycling vacations. There’s no limit to where two wheels can take you.
Black Cyclists: The Race for Inclusion (Sport and Society)
by Robert J. TurpinCycling emerged as a sport in the late 1870s, and from the beginning, Black Americans rode alongside and raced against white competitors. Robert J. Turpin sheds light on the contributions of Black cyclists from the sport’s early days through the cementing of Jim Crow laws during the Progressive Era. As Turpin shows, Black cyclists used the bicycle not only as a vehicle but as a means of social mobility--a mobility that attracted white ire. Prominent Black cyclists like Marshall “Major” Taylor and Kitty Knox fought for equality amidst racist and increasingly pervasive restrictions. But Turpin also tells the stories of lesser-known athletes like Melvin Dove, whose actions spoke volumes about his opposition to the color line, and Hardy Jackson, a skilled racer forced to turn to stunt riding in vaudeville after Taylor became the only non-white permitted to race professionally in the United States. Eye-opening and long overdue, Black Cyclists uses race, technology, and mobility to explore a forgotten chapter in cycling history.
Boston Marathon Traditions & Lore (Sports)
by Paul C. ClericiFirst run in 1897 as America's second and the world's fourth, the Boston Marathon attracts thousands thanks to its long and unique history. What began as simple start and finish lines has grown to encompass a lavish colorful artistry. An athlete and cultural exchange program with the Ohme-Hochi 30K in Japan started with four-time winner Bill Rodgers in the 1970s. Artist Bobbi Gibb was the first female finisher of the race in 1966, and she was later asked to create her own statute along the route to commemorate the event. Author Paul C. Clerici explores the history and iconic traditions of America's most famous road race.
Boxing, Narrative and Culture: Critical Perspectives (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society)
by Sarah Crews P. Solomon LennoxBoxing, Narrative and Culture: Critical Perspectives is the first interdisciplinary response to the dominant boxing narratives that are produced, performed and circulated in commercial boxing culture. This collection includes global perspectives on boxing. It highlights the diverse range of bodies and communities that engage with boxing practices but are oftentimes overlooked and overwritten by popular narrative tropes and misconceptions of the sport. These interdisciplinary and global perspectives engage with boxing’s shared narrative resources, offering new readings and insights on how and what boxing performs and for whom. The contributors to this collection are academics, artists, amateur boxers, and/or coaches who provide a culture critique of boxing. The work shows how boxing practices are performed and channelled by individuals and communities who access and utilise boxing culture as a means of physical enquiry, political statement, and community building. These contributions challenge the notion that boxing is a sport reserved for masculine bodies adorned as heroes, warriors, or victims of the sport. Exploring key themes in socio-cultural studies including gender, race, community, media and performance, this book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in physical culture, sport studies, cultural studies, gender studies, cultural geography, critical race theory, labour studies, performance studies or media studies.
Breakaway: A Novel (Beyond the Play #2)
by Grace ReillyThe BookTok sensation: a spicy coach’s daughter college sports romance, second in the Beyond the Play series, with new exclusive content in this edition! A secret friends-with-benefits arrangement with the hockey coach’s daughter shouldn’t have a shot in the dark of leading to more…CooperAs a pro-bound college athlete with a good-time reputation, I usually have my pick of puck bunnies. But lately, I’ve been in a dry spell that feels more like a curse, and the stress is affecting my game—the one thing that can’t happen if I’m going to make team captain, and eventually the NHL.Enter Penny Ryder.She’s my coach’s daughter, but the moment she pulls me into that ice rink closet, she’s the one thing on my mind besides hockey. She has a sex bucket list, and each item on it confirms we’re kindred spirits in the bedroom. If I say yes, I’ll be relaxed on the ice again—but if her dad finds out, I’ll be forced to say goodbye to being captain and finally earning my own father’s approval.PennyThanks to the ex from hell, I’m a long way from being ready for a relationship—but it’s time to reclaim my agency, one long-sought-after experience in bed at a time.Enter Cooper Callahan.He’s my dad’s star defenseman; an arrangement with him will mean keeping yet another major secret from my father. But the agreement we strike is simple: secret friends-with-benefits until he makes captain…and I cross off everything on my list, so I can finally move on from the incident that ruined both my life and my figure skating career.Yet the longer our connection goes on, the more we trust each other, and the less I want to say goodbye. I know love leads to heartbreak, but what if it can also clear the ice for a breakaway?Filled with swoons, spice coaching, sports, and book nerds in love, Breakaway is a don’t-miss adult college sports romance.
Breathing Underwater
by Abbey Lee NashWith one word, Tess&’s world could be completely undone: Epilepsy.Tess lives for swimming: the feel of the pool's rough edge on her toes, the snap of cold water on her skin, and the push of her limbs ever forward. In the water, she&’s truly alive. Until tragedy strikes. And Tess is left navigating a summer of doctor visits, missed swim practices, a newly distant best friend, and a job stuck behind a counter—not sitting high in the lifeguard chair like every season before.Instead, her spot goes to new guy Charlie. Although his messy hair and laid-back demeanor catch Tess&’s attention, this isn&’t really the time. She&’s got to focus on getting back in the pool—and on getting back to herself.Lyrically and sensitively written, Breathing Underwater is a slice-of-life story with depth, exploring topics like epilepsy, inclusivity in student athletics, changing friendships, and the power of love and community. With warmth and wit, Abbey Lee Nash has crafted a moving portrait of a teen girl&’s journey to self-acceptance and life on her own terms.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Brief Flashings in the Phenomenal World
by Katie ArnoldA Zen study wrapped in a memoir of destruction and healing written by an elite ultrarunner as she struggles to make it to the other side of a life-shattering injury with her sanity, and her marriage, intactAfter flipping her raft days away from help on a trip down the remote Salmon River, Katie Arnold&’s shattered leg tests both her spirit and her marriage for years to come. It also reignites her meditation practice and motivates her to dive into Zen in search of healing. Before the accident, Katie was an elite ultrarunner with a simmering but adequate marriage who avoided being indoors whenever possible. But who is she afterwards?In the midst of hardship, Katie turns for support to the Zen practice she had long dabbled in. Brief Flashings in the Phenomenal World is a Zen study wrapped in a memoir that tells the story of a search for stillness by a woman born for wildness. Spanning roughly two years, from shortly before the accident through the long, uncertain healing of both leg and marriage, it is a personal narrative of that tumultuous time nested inside meditations on Zen. Having gone from a reluctant spiritualist to a Zen practitioner over the course of a decade, Katie Arnold offers unique company for those seeking nature&’s exquisite highs as well as for creatives, spiritualists, and sensualists who want to slow down and examine the possibilities of a well-lived life. As the late Japanese master Shunryu Suzuki wrote, &“Sometimes a flashing will come through the dark sky.&” These brief flashings are enlightenment—moments when we suddenly feel as if we&’re part of everything, and everything&’s part of us. This book is about how to experience the flashings when they come, and about what they mean for how we live our lives.
Building the WNBA: From "Dunking Divas" to Political Leaders (New Femininities in Digital, Physical and Sporting Cultures)
by Georgia Munro-CookThis book provides the first comprehensive analysis of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), exploring the role of gender, race, and sexuality in the continuing growth of the league. As the longest running and most successful professional women’s sporting league in the United States, the WNBA has evolved into a politically important force both inside and outside the sporting world. Drawing on a variety of research methods, including ethnography, media and literary analysis, and archival research, the book argues that it is its players’ dedication and commitment to ensuring a sustainable league that has enabled the WNBA to survive in spite of an American sporting landscape that is otherwise hostile to women. As such, It will be of interest to academics and students working or studying in the fields of sports sociology, sports management, feminist theory, sports history, and gender studies.
California's Best Nature Walks: 32 Easy Ways to Explore the Golden State's Ecology
by Charles HoodExplore some of California&’s most exquisite landscapes with this accessible hiking guidebook featuring descriptions of the flora, fauna, and ecology hikers will discover along the trail. See the oldest trees in the world—and the tallest. Meet earthquake-loving fish, lively island foxes, and endemic birds. Visit the saltwater homes to sea otters and a desert basin where the water is even saltier. In California&’s Best Nature Walks, Charles Hood reveals the golden state&’s unique ecosystems, guiding you through 32 spectacular natural areas, with advice on deciphering the terrain. All are within easy walking distance of the road. This is an essential companion for road-trippers, outdoor enthusiasts, and day hikers—no cleated boots or trekking poles necessary. Locations include the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Olmsted Point at Yosemite National Park, Fossil Falls, Camp Roberts Rest Area along Highway 101, Scorpion Anchorage at Channel Islands National Park, Vasquez Rocks Natural Area, and more!
Canadian Boyfriend
by Jenny HolidayFate brings together a ballet teacher and a hockey player in this big-hearted novel about second chances and taking risks by the bestselling author Entertainment Weekly calls the &“master of witty banter.&” Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can't go to prom. I'm going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn't like she was ever going to see him again... Years later, Aurora is teaching kids&’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders—souvenirs from her failed ballet career—when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter. Mike&’s honesty about his struggles with widowhood helps Aurora confront some of her own demons, and the two forge an unlikely friendship. There&’s just one problem: Mike is the boy she spent years pretending was her &“Canadian boyfriend.&” The longer she keeps her secret, the more she knows it will shatter the trust between them. But to have the life she wants, she needs to tackle the most important thing of all—believing in herself.
A Case-Solution Companion to Building Consulting Skills for Sport and Performance Psychology (Building Consulting Skills for Sport and Performance Psychology)
by Sarah L. Castillo Chelsea Butters Wooding Douglas A. Barba Stiliani “Ani” ChroniThis international compilation offers a range of potential solutions to case studies that cover pertinent issues within a variety of performance environments. Offering a companion text to Building Consulting Skills for Sport and Performance Psychology: An International Case Study Collection, this book provides three solutions for each of the case studies introduced. In so doing, it highlights that there is no "one-answer-fits-all" solution to the common issues with sport and performance psychology consulting and offers various suggestions for how an individual may wish to approach these and similar cases. Solutions address the CEDI principles (Case Conceptualization, Ethical Considerations, Diversity Awareness/Reflection, and Intervention Planning and Evaluation), as well as any case-specific questions. This clearly structured book serves as a useful resource for instructors looking to deepen discussion and offer alternatives to students’ ideas on how to approach certain cases. It will also be of interest to practitioners when approaching similar situations in their own work and looking for new pathways that they may not have considered.
Cast Catch Release: One woman’s search for peace and purpose by the water
by Marina Gibson'A very revealing book about life, salmon and angling. Marina's writing is as exquisite as her casting.' - PAUL WHITEHOUSE'A unique and very enjoyable story, filled with simple joys and more complex challenges.' - TRISTAN GOOLEY, author of How to Read a Tree___________An inspiring true story about the healing power of water from one of the world's best known female anglersIn her early twenties, drifting and directionless, Marina Gibson fled the city for the countryside, and picked up a fishing rod for the first time in years. She was returning to a childhood pursuit and a passion passed on by her mother.Fishing overtook Marina's life as she grew enraptured by the quiet magic of angling. Whiling away hours by a Highland river or a local chalk stream, with only the ritual of casting and the music of the water for company, Marina found an escape from a failing marriage and a connection to a tradition of female anglers stretching back generations.Alongside the twists and turns of her own story, Marina traces the epic migratory journey of the Atlantic salmon and its fight for survival against the odds. Cast Catch Release is a love letter to the water, and what it means to find peace and purpose in the great outdoors.
Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies
by Antwon BrinsonBecome a cast-iron chef, thanks to this friendly Dummies guide Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies will teach you everything you need to know to start using the classic cookware that chefs have loved for thousands of years. You’ll learn how to pick the right cast iron tools for your needs, maintain your cookware, and cook foods to perfection. This book is also packed with healthy, diverse, and delicious recipes for meat, fish, stir-fry, and beyond. Cast-iron cookware is versatile, hardy, economical, and great at retaining heat. Well-seasoned cast iron can reduce the need for cooking oil and even makes food taste better. This easy-to-use guide comes complete with color photos and a guide to the best brands. Select the right cast-iron cookware for your daily needs Learn to properly season and maintain your cast-iron Master cooking techniques using versatile, professional cookware Find great recipes that will taste even better when you cook them with cast-ironThis book is an excellent choice for home cooks, beginners, semi-pro cooks, professional cooks, campers, and outdoor cooks—basically anyone looking to cook with cast-iron!
Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball
by Keith O'BrienNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A captivating chronicle of the incredible story of one of America&’s most iconic, charismatic, and still polarizing figures—baseball immortal Pete Rose—and an exquisite cultural history of baseball and America in the second half of the twentieth century • "Comprehensive, compulsively readable and wholly terrific."—The Wall Street Journal"Long before the inquiry into Ohtani's ties to betting, there was Pete Rose....Charlie Hustle chronicles one of the most polarizing figures in sports."—NPR, All Things Considered&“Baseball biography at its best. With Charlie Hustle, Pete Rose finally gets the book he deserves, and baseball fans get the book we&’ve been craving, a hard-hitting, beautifully-written tale that will stand for years to come as the definitive account of one of the most fascinating figures in American sports history.&”—Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of King: A LifePete Rose is a legend. A baseball god. He compiled more hits than anyone in the history of baseball, a record he set decades ago that still stands today. He was a working-class white guy from Cincinnati who made it; less talented than tough, and rough around the edges. He was everything that America wanted and needed him to be, the American dream personified, until he wasn&’t.In the 1980s, Pete Rose came to be at the center of one of the biggest scandals in baseball history. He kept secrets, ran with bookies, took on massive gambling debts, and he was magnificently, publicly cast out for betting on baseball and lying about it. The revelations that followed ruined him, changed life in Cincinnati, and forever altered the game.Charlie Hustle tells the full story of one of America&’s most epic tragedies—the rise and fall of Pete Rose. Drawing on firsthand interviews with Rose himself and with his associates, as well as on investigators' reports, FBI and court records, archives, a mountain of press coverage, Keith O&’Brien chronicles how Rose fell so far from being America&’s &“great white hope.&” It is Pete Rose as we've never seen him before.This is no ordinary sport biography, but cultural history at its finest. What O&’Brien shows is that while Pete Rose didn&’t change, America and baseball did. This is the story of that change.
China, Football, and Development: Socialism and Soft Power (Routledge Research in Sport Politics and Policy)
by Emanuel Leite Junior Carlos RodriguesThis book uses football as a lens through which to examine China’s economic development, its political economy, and its political thought. Focusing on the Chinese Football Development Plan, the book opens up new perspectives on the concepts of hegemony, soft power, socialism with Chinese characteristics, and China’s rise to the position of geopolitical superpower. Presenting a critical Marxist analysis of ‘soft power’, and drawing on Gramsci’s conceptualisation of hegemony, the book argues that football can be seen as a resource for seduction and persuasion, and therefore as an instrument to be used in the ‘hegemonic clash’. Reflecting on the idea of soft power in relation to imperialism and ideology, and standing in contrast to prevailing Western orthodox analyses of Chinese development, this book shows how the ‘Chinese Football Dream’ is a significant component of the ‘Chinese Dream’ of ‘rejuvenation of the nation’, and shows how football can help us to better understand the role of the state as an inducer of development and creative destruction. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in sport policy, public policy, sport and society, football, development studies, political economy, or political thought.
Chipped: Writing from a Skateboarder's Lens
by José VadiA memoir-in-essays about how skateboarding re-defines space, curates culture, confronts mortality, and affords new perspectives on and off the boardChipping a board—where small pieces of deck and tape break off around the nose and tail—is a natural part of skateboarding. Novice or pro, you&’ll see folks riding chipped boards as symbols of their stubborn dedication toward a deck, a toy, and aging bodies that will also reach their inevitable end. In Chipped, José Vadi personalizes and expands upon this symbol. Written after finishing his debut collection Inter State: Essays From California, Vadi used these essays to explore his own empathy in aging, and to elaborate on the impact skateboarding has had on culture, power, and art. From tracing a critical mass skater takeover of San Francisco&’s streets, to an analysis of visceral &‘90s skate videos and soundtracks, to the solace found skating a parking lot during a global pandemic, Vadi expands our understanding of the ways skateboarding can alter one&’s life. Vadi acts as a &“ethnographer on a skateboard,&” writing, living, and animating an object, likening the board and skate ephemera to the fear of being discarded, wanting to be seen as useful, functional, living. These essays analyze the legacy of seminal texts like Thrasher Magazine, influential programming giants like MTV, and skateboard artists like Ed Templeton. They imagine jazz composer Sun Ra as a skateboarder to explore sonic connections between skateboarding and jazz, obsessively follow bands, chronicle tours, and discover the creative bermuda triangle Southern California suburbs have to offer. Chipped is an intimate, genre-pushing meditation on skateboarding and the reasons we continue to get up after every fall life throws our way.