Best of
Sports

2011

The Running Dream


Wendelin Van Draanen - 2011
    She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award

Iron War: Dave Scott, Mark Allen, & the Greatest Race Ever Run


Matt Fitzgerald - 2011
    In a spectacular duel that become known as the Iron War, the world's two strongest athletes raced side by side at world-record pace for a grueling 139 miles. Driven by one of the fiercest rivalries in triathlon, Dave Scott and Mark Allen raced shoulder to shoulder through the Ironman 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and 26.2-mile marathon. After 8 punishing hours, both men would demolish the previous record—and cross the finish line just 58 seconds apart. The race would redefine the limits of human endurance and the role of mental toughness in sports. In his new book Iron War, sports journalist Matt Fitzgerald writes a riveting epic about how Allen and Scott drove themselves and each other through the most awe-inspiring race in sports history. Iron War goes beyond the pulse-pounding race story to offer a fascinating exploration of the lives of the world's two toughest men and their unquenchable desire to succeed. Weaving an examination of mental resolve into a gripping tale of athletic adventure, Iron War is a soaring narrative of two champions and the paths that led to their stunning final showdown.

A Shot At History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold


Abhinav Bindra - 2011
    Abhinav Bindras journey to becoming the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold, and the first Indian to win a world championship gold. It is a triumph born of a tragedy. Having driven himself to become a great shooter, he was poised to win gold at the Athens Olympics in 2004. But defeated by a freak occurrence, he changed as a shooter: from a boy who loved shooting, he became an athlete bent on redemption, becoming a scientist who would try anything, including mapping his own brain, to win in Beijing. His victory was a triumph of hard work, of ingenuity, of stubborness and a quest for perfection. His story is about one mans search for excellence and his refusal to demand anything less than the best of himself. It is also the story of managing great success, about learning to lose and about trying to win again. About the Author: Abhinav Bindra, Rohit Brijnath Abhinav Bindra is Indias first and only individual Olympic gold medalist and also the first Indian to win a world championship gold. He has won seventy-eight international medals in the last fifteen years. Rohit Brijnath has written on sport for twentyfive years for publications like Sportsworld, India Today, The Hindu, The Mint, BBC-South Asia website and The Age. He is currently a senior correspondent with The Straits Times in Singapore. This is his first book. Reviews: One of the finest books on sport published in India ? Read it if you love sport. Read it even if you dont.- Suresh Menon, Tehelka

The Sacred Acre: The Ed Thomas Story


Mark A. Tabb - 2011
    While working with a group of football and volleyball players early one morning, one of Ed’s former students walked in and gunned him down point blank. Ed Thomas was 58.The murder of this hometown hero spread across national news headlines. Ed’s community and family reeled from shock.Yet the story doesn’t end here.What happened next proves that even a double tragedy is no match for faith, love … and the power of forgiveness.

Slaying the Badger: LeMond, Hinault and the Greatest Ever Tour de France


Richard Moore - 2011
    The first non-European to win the Yellow Jersey, he broke the Old World stranglehold and changed the face of the competition.But LeMond's victory was hard won. It was seemingly snatched from the jaws of the man ominously dubbed 'The Badger'. Frenchman Bernard 'Le Blaireau' Hinault was five times winner of the Tour and as tough as boots. After winning the 1985 Tour, in which LeMond came a close second, Hinault vowed to return for one final Tour, and with a single purpose: to help LeMond win.But could Hinault be trusted? As the race circled France, he repeatedly attacked LeMond. Hinault claimed to the press that his apparent treachery was merely intended to make LeMond stronger. But LeMond, who didn't believe him, became increasingly fearful, anxious and paranoid.The Tour is renowned for its psychological complexity - but what played out in 1986 was unheard of. Why was Hinault putting his own teammate in jeopardy? Would LeMond crack under the pressure? Something sinister was going on but no one - not even LeMond -- knew quite what.Slaying the Badger relives the adrenaline, the agony, the camaraderie, the betrayals, and the pure exhilaration of the 1986 Tour. Richard Moore has interviewed all the key players including the story's two enigmatic, eccentric and fiercely different protagonists. As he delves behind the scenes, the biggest conundrum of Tour history is finally laid bare.

Racing Through the Dark


David Millar - 2011
    Now clean and reflective, David holds nothing back in this account of his dark years.Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2011.

Throw Like a Girl: How to Dream Big Believe in Yourself


Jennie Finch - 2011
    Both scientific studies and anecdotal evidence confirm that athletic girls not only grow up to be healthier; they learn teamwork, gain inner confidence, and grow into society's leaders. Sports help preteen and teenage girls make the right choices in a society that is sending them incredibly mixed messages about who they are supposed to be. Yet no one is speaking directly to these girls. Jennie fills the role of girlfriend, big sister, team captain, and mentor. A smart, credible, and accomplished voice from an athlete who is strong and feminine, fiercely competitive, and fashionably cool, Jennie is someone young women will listen to and take to heart. Jennie's message: Believe in yourself. Go for it, girls.

The Underdogs


Mike Lupica - 2011
    He may not be the biggest running back around, but no one can touch him when it comes to hitting the hole and finding the end zone. And no one can match his love of the game. When Will has a football in hand, he may as well be flying for real because life can't touch him - his dad isn't so defeated, his town isn't so poor, and everyone has something to cheer for. All of which does him no good if the football season is canceled. With no funding for things like uniforms and a cared-for playing field, with seemingly every other family moving to find jobs, there simply isn't enough money or players for a season. Unless one kid can rally an entire town and give everyone a reason to believe . . . For fans of his bestselling novels Travel Team and Million-Dollar Throw, Mike Lupica delivers a feel-good sports story that will have readers cheering where they sit. “There's plenty of action for sports fans, and readers will root for Will and his teammates till the very last page.” –School Library Journal   “[F]ootball fans will…respond to the detailed and exciting game action once the season gets rolling and find inspiration in Will and his teammates' tenacity.” –Publisher’s Weekly   “Will's ingenuity and loyalty are encouraging, causing readers to want to cheer him on as he makes his dream come true.” –VOYA

The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter


Ian O'Connor - 2011
    He walks in the footsteps of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, and someday his shadow will loom just as large. Yet he has never been the best player in baseball. In fact, he hasn’t always been the best player on his team. But his intangible grace and Jordanesque ability to play big in the biggest of postseason moments make him the face of the modern Yankee dynasty, and of America’s game.In The Captain, best-selling author Ian O’Connor draws on extensive reporting and unique access to Jeter that has spanned some fifteen years to reveal how a biracial kid from Michigan became New York’s most beloved sports figure and the enduring symbol of the steroid-free athlete. O’Connor takes us behind the scenes of a legendary baseball life and career, from Jeter’s early struggles in the minor leagues, when homesickness and errors in the field threatened a stillborn career, to his heady days as a Yankee superstar and prince of the city who squired some of the world’s most beautiful women, to his tense battles with former best friend A-Rod. We also witness Jeter struggling to come to terms with his declining skills and the declining favor of the only organization he ever wanted to play for, leading to a contentious contract negotiation with the Yankees that left people wondering if Jeter might end his career in a uniform without pinstripes.Derek Jeter’s march toward the Hall of Fame has been dignified and certain, but behind that leadership and hero’s grace there are hidden struggles and complexities that have never been explored, until now. As Jeter closes in on 3,000 hits, a number no Yankee has ever touched, The Captain offers an incisive, exhilarating, and revealing new look at one of the game’s greatest players in the gloaming of his career.

InSideOut Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives


Joe Ehrmann - 2011
    Perhaps second only to parents, coaches can impact young people as no one else can. But most coaches fail to do the teaching, mentoring, even life-saving intervention that their platform provides. Too many are transactional coaches; they focus solely on winning and meeting their personal needs. Some coaches, however, use their platform. They teach the Xs and Os, but also teach the Ys of life. They help young people grow into responsible adults; they leave a lasting legacy. These are the transformational coaches. These coaches change lives, and they also change society by helping to develop healthy men and women. InSideOut Coaching explains how to become a transformational coach. Coaches first have to “go inside” and articulate their reasons for coaching. Only those who have taken the InSideOut journey can become transformational. Joe Ehrmann provides examples of coaches in his life who took this journey and taught him how to find something bigger than himself in sports.He describes his own InSideOut experience, starting with the death of his beloved brother, which helped him understand how sports could transcend the playing field. He gives coaches the information and the tools they need to become transformational. Joe Ehrmann has taken his message about the extraordinary power of sports all over the country. It has been warmly endorsed by NFL head coaches, athletic directors at major universities, high school head coaches, even business groups and community organizations. Now any parent-coach or school or community coach can read Ehrmann’s message and learn how to make sports a life-changing experience.

The Limit: Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuit


Michael Cannell - 2011
    With the pacing and vivid description of a novel, THE LIMIT charts the journey that brought Hill from dusty California lots racing midget cars into the ranks of a singular breed of men, competing with daredevils for glory on Grand Prix tracks across Europe. Facing death at every turn, these men rounded circuits at well over 150 mph in an era before seat belts or roll bars-an era when drivers were "crushed, burned, and beheaded with unnerving regularity." From the stink of grease-smothered pits to the long anxious nights in lonely European hotels, from the tense camaraderie of teammates to the trembling suspense of photo finishes, THE LIMIT captures the 1961 season that would mark the high point of Hill's career. It brings readers up close to the remarkable men who surrounded Hill on the circuit-men like Hill's teammate and rival, the soigné and cool-headed German count Wolfgang Von Trips (nicknamed "Count Von Crash"), and Enzo Ferrari, the reclusive and monomaniacal padrone of the Ferrari racing empire. Race by race, THE LIMIT carries readers to its riveting and startling climax-the final contest that would decide it all, one of the deadliest in Grand Prix history.

A Band of Misfits: Tales of the 2010 San Francisco Giants


Andrew Baggarly - 2011
    The anticipation, memories, and celebrated relief of the season when it finally came together are captured in this chronicle of the World Series season of the Giants. Written in entertaining prose, the book is as much an enjoyable story to be reread through the years as it is a factual account of the events that brought the elusive title to the Giants.

Coach Wooden: The 7 Principles That Shaped His Life and Will Change Yours


Pat Williams - 2011
    Through powerful stories and pithy advice, this book shares the wisdom that made Wooden happy and successful. This inspirational and conversational book will encourage, challenge, and motivate readers to build these principles into their own lives.

The Locker Room


Amy Lane - 2011
    His two obsessions have served him well. He and Chris beat the odds and stayed together through high school, college, and right on to the NBA.But life under fame’s microscope isn’t easy, especially when two men are pretending to be frat-buddies so the world doesn’t know they’re the next best thing to married. Their relationship survives the sacrifices they make and the lies they tell to stay together, but when their secret is exposed, the fallout might destroy them when nothing else could.Chris and basketball are the two things holding Xander together. Now the world is asking Xander to make a choice. Is there an option that includes a future with the man he loves?

Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football


John U. Bacon - 2011
    Bacon unrestricted access to Michigan’s program.  Bacon saw it all, from the meals and the meetings, to the practices and the games, to the sidelines and the locker rooms.  Nothing and no one was off limits.  John U. Bacon’s Three and Out is the definitive account of a football marriage seemingly made in heaven that broke up after just three years, and lifts the lid on the best and the worst of college football.

I'm Not Really Here


Paul Lake - 2011
    His soccer talent was spotted at a young age and, in 1985, he signed with City. Just three years later he was handed the team captaincy, becoming the youngest ever City captain. An international career soon beckoned and, after trying out for the England under–21 team, he was called up to the England training camp for Italia ’90. Despite missing out on a place in the final squad he suitably impressed the management, with Bobby Robson marking him as an England captain in the making. As a rising star Paul became a target for top clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs, and Liverpool, but he always stayed loyal to his beloved club, deeming Maine Road the spiritual home at which his destiny lay. But then, in September 1990, disaster struck. Paul ruptured his crucial ligament and so began his nightmare. Neglected, ignored, and misunderstood by his club after a career–saving operation was irreversibly botched, Paul’s career began to fall apart. Watching from the sidelines as similarly injured players regained their fitness, he spiraled into a prolonged bout of severe depression. With a forced retirement from the game he adored, the death of his father, and the collapse of his marriage, Paul was left a broken man. Set against the backdrop of one of the world’s wealthiest football clubs at the end of their era at Maine Road, I'm Not Really Here is the powerful story of love, loss, and the cruel, irreparable damage of injury. It is a story of determination, spirit, resilience, and broken dreams.

Flip Flop Fly Ball: An Infographic Baseball Adventure


Craig Robinson - 2011
    Baseball, almost from the first moment Robinson saw it, was more than a sport. It was history, a nearly infinite ocean of information that begged to be organized. He realized that understanding the game, which he fell in love with as an adult, would never be possible just through watching games and reading articles. He turned his obsession into a dizzyingly entertaining collection of graphics that turned into an Internet sensation. Out of Robinson's Web site, www.flipflopflyball.com, grew this book, full of all-new, never-before-seen graphics. Flip Flop Fly Ball dives into the game's history, its rivalries and absurdities, its cities and ballparks, and brings them to life through 120 full-color graphics. Statistics-the sport's lingua franca-have never been more fun. (By the way, the answers: about 26,000 miles, at least if the team in question is the 2008 Kansas City Royals; 3,178 miles; they were the artists atop the Billboard Hot 100 when Ryan first and last appeared in MLB games.) Craig Robinson is, among other things, an Englishman and a New York Yankees fan with a soft spot for the Colorado Rockies and a man-crush on Ichiro. Last season he played outfield for the Prenzlauer Berg Piranhas in the Berlin Mixed Softball League (.452/.548/.575). His previous books include Atlas, Schmatlas: A Superior Atlas of the World and Fun Fun Fun.

Swing Your Sword: Leading the Charge in Football and Life


Mike Leach - 2011
    A maverick who took an unlikely path to coaching through law school, Mike Leach talks about his unorthodox approach to coaching and the choices that have brought him success throughout his career. A lover of the game who started creating formations and drawing his own plays as a kid, Leach took his Texas Tech Red Raiders to numerous bowl games, achieving the #2 slot in national rankings and being voted 2008 Coach of the Year before being unceremoniously fired at the end of the 2009 season. The scandalous nature of his dismissal created a media frenzy and began a personal battle between Leach and his accusers that remains unresolved.

At the Fights: American Writers on Boxing


George Kimball - 2011
    From back-alley gyms and smoke-filled arenas to star-studded casinos and exotic locales, they have chronicled unforgettable stories about determination and dissipation, great champions and punch-drunk has-beens, colorful entourages and outrageous promoters, and, inevitably along the way, have written incisively about race, class, and spectacle in America. Like baseball, boxing has a vivid culture and language all its own, one that has proven irresistible to career sportswriters and literary essayists alike.This gritty and glittering anthology gathers a century of the very best writing about the fights. Here are Jack London on the immortal Jack Johnson; H. L. Mencken and Irvin S. Cobb on Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier, the first “Fight of the Century” that captivated the world in the 1920s; Richard Wright on Joe Louis’s historic first-round knockout of Max Schmeling; A. J. Liebling’s brilliantly comic portrait of a manager who really identifies with his fighter; Jimmy Cannon on Archie Moore, the greatest fighter of the 1950s; James Baldwin and Gay Talese on Floyd Patterson’s epic tilt with Sonny Liston; George Plimpton on Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X; Norman Mailer on the Rumble in the Jungle; Mark Kram on the Thrilla in Manila; Pete Hamill on legendary trainer and manager Cus D’Amato; Mark Kriegel on Oscar De la Hoya; and David Remnick and Joyce Carol Oates on Mike Tyson. National Book Award–winning novelist Colum McCann (Let the Great World Spin) offers a foreword.

Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You


Jonathan Wilson - 2011
    It was in the unforgiving world of post-war football where their identities and reputations were made - a world where, as Clough and Taylor's mentor Harry Storer once said, 'Nobody ever says thank you.'Nonetheless, Clough brought the gleam of silverware to the depressed East Midlands of the 1970s. Initial triumph at Derby was followed by a sudden departure and a traumatic 44 days at Leeds. By the end of a frazzled 1974, Clough was set up for life financially, but also hardened to the realities of football. By the time he was at Forest, Clough's mask was almost permanently donned: a persona based on brashness and conflict. Drink fuelled the controversies and the colourful character; it heightened the razor-sharp wit and was a salve for the highs of football that never lasted long enough, and for the lows that inevitably followed. Wilson's account is the definitive portrait of this complex and enduring man.

The Perfect Pistol Shot: By a Former U.S. Marine Corps Firearms Instructor


Albert H. League III - 2011
    But whether you want to shoot squirrels, punch holes in paper targets, or defend your home, there is only one path to achieving consistent accuracy with a handgun: mastering the fundamentals of marksmanship. Written by a former U.S. Marine Corps firearms instructor who has taught more than a thousand law enforcement, military, and security personnel, The Perfect Pistol Shot uses succinct lessons, uncommon exercises, and real-world stories to provide a fresh look at a vital topic for all gunmen. It includes: The single most important "trick" to perfecting handgun marksmanship A simple concept for learning how to shoot a gun twice as fast A series of unique "Prove It" exercises that allow you to test the concepts offered without the pressure of actual shooting An entertaining chapter on guns, gun magazines, and gun gurus that will help you make wiser choices about your training Knowing how to engage targets is valuable for the defensive shooter, but if "engaging" doesn't translate into "hitting," what's the point? You must have a solid foundation on which to build tactical skills. Your reward will be conversion from just another hapless shooter into an independent marksman.

Unconscious Putting: Dave Stockton's Guide to Unlocking Your Signature Stroke


Dave Stockton - 2011
    As a top coach, Stockton has taught a long list of pro players-including Annika Sorenstam, Yani Tseng (winner of four LPGA tournaments), Adam Scott (Texas Open champion), Hunter Mahan (Phoenix Open champion), and Morgan Pressel (World Ladies Championship of Japan winner)-the putting strategies that finessed their game.Stockton's breakthrough concept is that every player has their own Signature Stroke, which is unconscious. Good putting comes from the mind, Stockton says, not from a series of stiff mechanical positions. With visualization, the right frame of mind, an efficient pre-putt routine, and connection to the individual internal stroke signature, any player can make far more putts. Putting has always been taught as an offshoot to the full swing, when in reality it is far different- almost a different game. "Unconscious Putting" will help players get out of the rigid, mechanical, overthinking trap.In "Unconscious Putting," Stockton shows how players at every handicap level-from pros to weekend golfers-can putt effortlessly and with confidence by integrating a new mental approach with a few simple physical routines that will keep them locked on target. Readers will also gain invaluable advice on reading greens and equipment. Illustrated throughout and filled with anecdotes about how Stockton's lessons have helped today's leading players, "Unconscious Putting" is a must-have golf book and a category classic-in-the-making.

Kevin Durant


Jeff Savage - 2011
    The Oklahoma City Thunder forward has gone beyond those expectations. Kevin was named the 2007-2008 NBA Rookie of the Year, and he's only gotten better from there. In 2010 Kevin was named the Most Valuable Player at the FIBA World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey, where the United States won the gold medal. During his short time in pro basketball, Kevin has proven himself to be one of the best players in the world. Learn more about this amazing athlete's journey to the top.

Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton


Jeff Pearlman - 2011
    At five feet ten inches tall, running back Walter Peyton was not the largest player in the NFL, but he developed a larger-than-life reputation for his strength, speed, and grit. Nicknamed "Sweetness" during his college football days, he became the NFL's all-time leader in rushing and all-purpose yards, capturing the hearts of fans in his adopted Chicago.Crafted from interviews with more than 700 sources, acclaimed sportswriter Jeff Pearlman has produced the first definitive biography of Payton. Sweetness at last brings fans a detailed, scrupulously researched, all-encompassing account of the legend's rise to greatness. From Payton's childhood in segregated Mississippi, where he ended a racial war by becoming the star of his integrated high school's football team, to his college years and his twelve-year NFL career, Sweetness brims with stories of all-American heroism, and covers Payton's life off the field as well. Set against the backdrop of the tragic illness that cut his life short at just forty- six years of age, this is a stirring tribute to a singular icon and the lasting legacy he made.

Courage Beyond the Game: The Freddie Steinmark Story


Jim Dent - 2011
    Despite the pronouncement by many coaches that he was too small to play football at the college level, Freddie was a tenacious competitor who vowed to start every game as a varsity Longhorn.By the start of the 1969 season, Freddie was making his mark on the college gridiron and national stage as UT’s star safety, but he’d also developed a crippling pain in his thigh that worried his high school sweetheart, Linda. Despite the increasingly debilitating pain, Freddie continued to play throughout the season, helping the Longhorns to rip through opponents like pulpwood. His final game was for the national championship at the end of 1969, when the Longhorns rallied to beat Arkansas in a legendary game that has become known as “the Game of the Century.”            Tragically, bone cancer took Freddie off the field when nothing else could. But nothing could extinguish his irrepressible spirit or keep him away from the game. Although his struggle with cancer would be short-lived, Freddie’s fight would inspire the nation as well as thousands of cancer victims, earning him a special citation from President Richard Nixon. Today, a photo of Freddie hangs in the tunnel at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, where players touch it before games en route to the field. With this moving story, a Brian’s Song for college football, Jim Dent once again brings readers to cheers and tears with a truly American tale of resolution and bravery in the face of the worst odds.Praise for Courage Beyond the Game:“Dent (The Junction Boys, 2001) brings Steinmark to life through interviews with friends, teammates, and coaches, who confirm that he was every bit the All-American boy… Dent doesn’t oversell this inspirational story in the Brian’s Song mold. In the end, readers may feel they’ve met an extraordinary young man and, though it’s been 40 years since he died, mourn his passing.” --Booklist“Jim Dent, dadgum him, keeps writing books I wish I’d written. Like The Junction Boys and Twelve Mighty Orphans, to name two. Now here he comes with another terrific effort, Courage Beyond the Game, the story of the most courageous kid to ever pull on a football suit. If you pick it up, it’s guaranteed to pick you up.’’ --Dan Jenkins, author of Semi-Tough and Dead Solid Perfect“Jim Dent is a world class story teller, and in Freddie Steinmark’s courageous and triumphant fight to be a man of substance, he’s found a tale worthy of his ample talents.  Dent will bring tears to your eyes, and Steinmark’s example will make you want to be a better person.’’ --Joe Drape, New York Times bestselling author of Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen“You will cheer and you will weep as you read Jim Dent’s irresistible rendering of one of the great real-life dramas in college football history. Dent has brought plenty of tough guys to life in his other books, but little Freddie Steinmark surely ranks as the toughest. Dent has brilliantly re-cast a Longhorn legend. I could not put Courage Beyond the Game down.’’ --John Eisenberg, author of That First Season: How Vince Lombardi Took the Worst Team in the NFL and set it on the Path to Glory, and Cotton Bowl Days: Growing up with Dallas and the Cowboys in the 1960s''Freddie Steinmark's story will inspire you and make you cry, and Jim Dent has told it better than anyone in Courage Beyond the Game. Jim's eye for detail and gifted writing will take you back to another place and time, and a new generation of college football fans will learn why Freddie lives forever in the hearts of those he touched in his brief life.'' --Richard Justice, lead sports columnist for The Houston Chronicle“Courage Beyond the Game is a wonderful book whose protagonist, the doomed University of Texas safety Freddie Steinmark, delivers just what the title promises. Veteran sports author Jim Dent infuses a narrative whose ending we all know with depth, tenderness, and unexpected insights. His Steinmark could have easily been a cardboard saint. Instead the Steinmark we meet is intensely human, inspirational, funny and utterly unforgettable. This was a book I couldn’t put down.’’ --Bill Livingston, Cleveland Plain Dealer sports columnist“Jim Dent once again proves his mastery of the way football felt and sounded in the days of Texas and the Southwest Conference. His inspirational portrait of Freddie Steinmark takes us back to a purer time.’’ --Mark Whicker, Orange Country Register sports columnist“Freddie Steinmark defined college football with his unquenchable thirst for life, unbridled spirit through adversity, and rare passion for the game he lived to play. Jim Dent can tell a story life like few others and brought this must-read, must-be-told account back to life for all to relish with his riveting, gut-wrenching book, Courage Beyond the Game.’’ --Kirk Bohls, Austin American Statesman sports columnist

When the Garden Was Eden: Clyde, the Captain, Dollar Bill, and the Glory Days of the New York Knicks


Harvey Araton - 2011
    Perfect for readers of Jeff Pearlman’s The Bad Guys Won!, Peter Richmond’s Badasses, and Pat Williams’s Coach Wooden, Araton’s revealing story of the Knicks’ heyday is far more than a review of one of basketball’s greatest teams’ inspiring story—it is, at heart, a stirring recreation of a time and place when the NBA championships defined the national dream.

UFC Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Ultimate Fighting Championship


Thomas Gerbasi - 2011
    This full-color, 400-page compendium is filled with over 1,500 images and captures all facets of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, detailing the history of the organization from its beginnings in 1993. The encyclopedia includes unprecedented access to the most dynamic fighters in the world, through profile and action photos, detailed biographies, win/loss records, vital stats, and titles held in the organization.This book reveals: >The history of the UFC® from its inception >The most memorable submissions, knockouts, and fights >Fighter profiles, complete with biographies and vital stats >Results for every event, standout performances, rivalries, and influential matches >Breakdown of UFC® Champions from the first-crowned to present day >Season recaps of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV showUFC® Hall of Fame

In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything


Michael Waltrip - 2011
    Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were running one-two. Junior's legendary dad, the driver race fans called "The Intimidator," was close behind in third, blocking anyone who might try to pass. Waltrip couldn't stop thinking about all the times he'd struggled to stay ahead -- and the 462 NASCAR Cup races he'd lost without a single win. He'd been a race-car driver all his adult life, following in the footsteps of his brother Darrell, a three-time NASCAR champion. And his losing streak was getting more painful every race. But this day, he knew, could be different. He was driving for Dale Earnhardt now, racing as a team with his close friend and mentor. Yet as his car roared toward the finish line, ending that losing streak once and for all, Waltrip had no clue that the greatest triumph of his life could get mired in terrible tragedy. This is the story of that fateful afternoon in Daytona, a day whose echoes are still heard today. But the story begins years earlier in a small town in Kentucky, with a boy who dreamed of racing cars, a boy who was determined to go from go-karts to the highest levels of NASCAR. For the first time ever, Michael Waltrip tells the full, revealing story of how he got to Daytona, what happened there, and the huge impact it had on so many in the racing world. He reveals for the first time how his own life changed as he dealt with guilt, faced his grief, and searched for the fortitude to climb into a race car again. It's an inspiring and powerful story, told with Michael's trademark humor, honesty, and irreverence. It's a story of family, fulfillment, and redemption -- and well-earned victory in the end.

Mountain High


Daniel Friebe - 2011
    This work features Europe's 50 greatest cycling climbs specially selected as scenes of sporting heroism, marvels of nature, spiritual places of pilgrimage that every bike rider or fan wishes to one day visit and conquer.

Through My Eyes: A Quarterback's Journey, Young Reader's Edition


Tim Tebow - 2011
    Even from an early age, Tim has always had the drive to be the best player and person that he could be. Through his hard work and determination, he established himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of college football and as a fan favorite in the NFL. Now, in Through My Eyes: A Quarterback's Journey, he shares the behind-the-scenes details of his life, both on and off the football field. Tim writes about his life as he chooses to live it, revealing how his Christian faith, his family values, and his relentless will to succeed have molded him into the person and the athlete he is today.

Travel Team & the Big Field


Mike Lupica - 2011
    In The Big Field, the baseball league championship is on the line, but just how far is reluctant second-baseman Hutch willing to bend to be a good teammate?

Play Your Best Golf Now: Discover VISION54's 8 Essential Playing Skills


Lynn Marriott - 2011
     "The VISION54 approach is far more than just pure golf technique, it allows an individual to unlock their true potential by opening their mind and believing anything is possible to achieve." - David Leadbetter, David Leadbetter Golf Academy Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott are Complete Game Coaches, leaders of a new kind of golf instruction that focuses on more than just the grip, the stance, and the swing. Their VISION54 method targets the complete golfer-the whole person-not just the technical aspects of the game. Their coaching philosophy focuses on possibilities, not limitations, with an end goal of MY54-the idea that any golfer can reach their own personalized version of peak performance, scoring nothing but birdies on a par-72 course. Building on the core concepts introduced in Every Shot Must Have a Purpose and the strategic thinking in The Game Within the Game, Play Your Best Golf Now takes the mystery out of the soft skills of golf and shows golfers how to add these skills to their game for peak performance. Players learn to master the 8 Essential Playing Skills: 1. LEAVE YOUR MIND BEHIND and enter the Play Box 2. DECIDE AND COMMIT to your shots 3. FIND YOUR BALANCE both physically and mentally 4. FEEL YOUR TEMPO on the course and dance to its rhythm 5. TAME TENSION to improve your swing 6. BUILD EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE 7. STORE MEMORIES and learn from the past to make a better present 8. DROWN SELF-TALK IN USEFUL THOUGHTS And the 2 Essential Practice Skills: 1. SIMULATE GOLF on the practice range to maximize your time and effort 2. INTEGRATE SKILLS and practice with a plan These Essentials complement the technical anchors of the game-the grip, the stance, the swing-and give players a foundation for achieving their peak performance. MY54 is the vision, and these are the building blocks for achieving a higher level of play.

Basketball Junkie


Chris Herren - 2011
    When the EMTs found me, there was a needle in my arm and a packet of heroin in the front seat.At basketball-crazy Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, junior guard Chris Herren carried his family's and the city's dreams on his skinny frame. His grandfather, father, and older brother had created their own sports legends in a declining city; he was the last, best hope for a career beyond the shuttered mills and factories. Herren was heavily recruited by major universities, chosen as a McDonald's All-American, featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and at just seventeen years old became the central figure in Fall River Dreams, an acclaimed book about the 1994 Durfee team's quest for the state championship.Leaving Fall River for college, Herren starred on Jerry Tarkanian's Fresno State Bulldogs team of talented misfits, which included future NBA players as well as future convicted felons. His gritty, tattooed, hip-hop persona drew the ire of rival fans and more national attention: Rolling Stone profiled him, 60 Minutes interviewed him, and the Denver Nuggets drafted him. When the Boston Celtics acquired his contract, he lived the dream of every Massachusetts kid—but off the court Herren was secretly crumbling, as his alcohol and drug use escalated and his life spiraled out of control.Twenty years later, Chris Herren was married to his high-school sweetheart, the father of three young children, and a heroin junkie. His basketball career was over, consumed by addictions; he had no job, no skills, and was a sadly familiar figure to those in Fall River who remembered him as a boy, now prowling the streets he once ruled, looking for a fix. One day, for a time he cannot remember, he would die.In his own words, Chris Herren tells how he nearly lost everything and everyone he loved, and how he found a way back to life. Powerful, honest, and dramatic, Basketball Junkie is a remarkable memoir, harrowing in its descent, and heartening in its return.

From the Beginning: The Original Story


Mignon Mykel - 2011
    It has since been updated and revamped, and can be found here.Before the Prescott name became big in the hockey world, there was just Noah Prescott, fighting for a spot on an NHL roster. Never did he imagine a simple note from a shy fan would speed up his world. Ryleigh Scott had an issue talking to men, but she knew she couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk to Noah -- potentially negative labels, be damned. Never did she imagine a simple note would start what could only be described as the beginning of the rest of her life. This is Noah and Ryleigh -- before the NHL contract, before the kids, before going back home. This is Noah and Ryleigh from the beginning.

Baseball Prospectus 2011


Baseball Prospectus - 2011
    Baseball Prospectus 2011 brings together an elite group of analysts to provide the definitive look at the upcoming season in critical essays and commentary on the thirty teams, their managers, and more than sixty players and prospects from each team.Contains critical essays on each of the thirty teams and player comments for some sixty players for each of those teamsProjects each player's stats for the coming season using the groundbreaking PECOTA projection system, which has been called "perhaps the game's most accurate projection model" (Sports Illustrated)From Baseball Prospectus, America's leading provider of statistical analysis for baseballNow in its sixteenth edition, this New York Times bestselling insider's guide remains hands down the most authoritative and entertaining book of its kind.

Backpacking Washington: Overnight and Multiday Routes


Craig Romano - 2011
    Backpacking Washington details 70 routes, from the lush Hoh River Glacier Meadows to the open ridges of the Columbia Highlands and beyond. With an emphasis on weekend trips, routes range from overnight to weeklong treks and often include options for extending trips or choosing camp spots. Features: detailed route descriptions and trail maps mileage logs with campgrounds, water, and other trail elements icons for choosing family- and dog-friendly trips recommended nearby day hikes info on the state's three long-distance trails: Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, and Wonderland Trail**Mountaineers Books designates 1 percent of the sales of select guidebooks toward volunteer trail maintenance. For this book, our 1 percent of sales is going to Washington Trails Association (WTA). WTA hosts more than 750 work parties throughout Washington's Cascades and Olympics each year, with volunteers clearing downed logs after spring snowmelt, cutting away brush, retreading worn stretches of trail, and building bridges and turnpikes. Their efforts are essential to the land managers who maintain thousands of acres on shoestring budgets.

Stuff Good Players Should Know


Dick DeVenzio - 2011
    It is conversational and easy to understand, yet filled with subtle insights into the game of basketball. STUFF is page after page of creative concepts, common sense, and special tips that cannot be found anywhere else.

32 Programmes


Dave Roberts - 2011
    Packing his collection of football programmes (1,134 of them -- football fans are sticklers for statistics), Dave is aghast to be informed that the programmes do not fall into that category. He must whittle down his treasured archive to only what will fit inside a Tupperware container the size of a Dan Brown hardback. 32 Programmes tells the story of how Dave made the selection of his most important programmes, and how the process brought back a flood of nostalgia for simpler times. As the sights, sounds and smells of those 1,134 football matches return, the choices Dave makes reflect the twists and turns that life takes. Finally, with just hours to go before the flight, the container is full to the brim. One more programme will be added to the collection - one that Dave never thought he would see and which means more to him than any other. 32 Programmes is the story of youthful football obsession, crushes on disinterested girls, rubbish jobs and trying to impress skinheads. But most of all, it is the story of a man's life and loves, of family, friends and football.

So Paddy Got Up: An Arsenal Anthology


Andrew Mangan - 2011
    Edited by Andrew Mangan, founder of Arseblog, it features bloggers, writers and journalists reminiscing, eulogising, analysing and waxing lyrical about everything from the club’s humble origins to where it finds itself now, from great players to great managers, from tactics to fans to stadia to kits, amongst many other things.Contributors include Amy Lawrence, Paolo Bandini, Philippe Auclair, Gunnerblog, Goonerholic, East Lower, Michael Cox and many more.It’s by far the greatest Arsenal anthology the world has ever seen.

Rock Climbing: Essential Skills & Techniques: The Official Handbook of the Mountaineer Instructor, Single Pitch, Climbing Wall and Climbing Wall Leading Award Schemes


Libby Peter - 2011
    It also covers the climbing environment, its history and development.

Beyond the Phog: Untold stories from Kansas Basketball's Most Dominant Decade


Jason King - 2011
    Winning the 2008 national championship was certainly the highlight, but the most dominant era in school history also includes a national-best 300 wins, three Final Fours and nine Big 12 titles since 2001.The consistency was unmatched.As a sportswriter covering the Jayhawks, first for The Kansas City Star and then for Yahoo! Sports, Jason King was there to chronicle it all. From Roy Williams' stunning departure to Mario's Miracle against Memphis to Kansas' 69-game winning streak at Allen Fieldhouse, King witnessed all the highlights - and lowlights - from 2000 and beyond. In short, he was the ultimate insider.Now you will be, too.With "Beyond the Phog," King provides Kansas fans with an unprecedented glimpse into one of the most memorable eras in the program's rich history. Extensive interviews with nearly 40 players from the last decade, as well as both head coaches, reveal fascinating details about the inner-workings of a true college basketball dynasty.You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be riveted - and, at times, shocked. Whatever the case, even the most ardent Kansas supporters will be exposed to candid, behind the scenes stories and anecdotes that, until now, had been confined to the Jayhawks' locker room.Here's a sample of what's inside:• Did Drew Gooden's shoes cost Kansas the 2002 NCAA title?• Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich lament their final game against Syracuse• Roy Williams provides details about his final few weeks at Kansas and his relationship with Al Bohl• Why did Wayne Simien almost quit basketball?• Jeff Graves comes clean about violating a sacred locker room rule• Russell Robinson describes why he tried to fight his own coach• J.R. Giddens gives his version of the Moon Bar stabbing• Darrell Arthur explains why he's been hesitant to return to campus since winning the 2008 title• Mario Chalmers provides a step-by-step account of his heroic shot against Memphis• Tyshawn Taylor discusses the aftermath of the Jayhawks' 2011 loss to VCU• Josh Selby talks about his decision to enter the NBA draft• And hundreds of other stories from favorites such as Sherron Collins, Keith Langford, Jeff Boschee, Aaron Miles, Michael Lee, Eric Chenowith, Xavier Henry, Luke Axtell, Sasha Kaun, Tyrel Reed, Jeff Hawkins, Brady Morningstar, Darnell Jackson and others.Time has clearly loosened lips in Lawrence. "Beyond the Phog" is an honest, candid look at what really happened during a magical - and often controversial - period in Kansas basketball history.

Madden: A Biography


Bryan Burwell - 2011
    Longtime sports columnist Bryan Burwell has written the first comprehensive biography of this living legend, whose incredible football knowledge, down-home sensibilities, and tireless work ethic made him arguably the most popular sports analyst in any sport. As a coach, he has the highest winning percentage in history, and he led the Oakland Raiders to a 1979 Super Bowl Championship. He followed that up by becoming the most beloved and popular football announcer in the country, and in the third stage of his public life, the Hall of Fame coach became known to new generations of fans through his eponymous line of groundbreaking video games, which are among the bestselling titles of all time."

Grantland Quarterly: Vol 1


Bill Simmons - 2011
    It will feature the best sports writing from the website, delivered in a full-color book featuring original artwork and a host of print-exclusives—including original fiction, new writing from editor-in-chief Bill Simmons, posters and pull-out sections, old-school baseball cards and mini-booklets, and a cover that looks and feels like you're holding a basketball. Like its namesake website, Grantland Quarterly will regularly include some of the most exciting and form-pushing sports writers currently plying the trade, including Chuck Klosterman, Malcolm Gladwell, Tom Bissell, Harris Wittels, John Brandon, Anna Clark, Chris Jones, Colson Whitehead, and many more.

The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Zero


Jonathan Wilson - 2011
    Issue Zero contains 25 articles under 13 different headingsSt Pauli------------* The Conversion of St Pauli?, by Uli Hesse—Back in the Bundesliga, Europe's most noted counter-cultural club is having to balance its ethos with the desire for a secure financial futureInterview------------* Guus Hiddink — Philippe Auclair talks to Guus Hiddink about his latest challenge, as coach of TurkeyGoing Wrong-------------------* An African Parable, by Luke Alfred—For African teams, it's often after qualifying for the World Cup that the real challenge begins* The Dark Heart of Russian Football, by James Appell—Will winning the right to host the World Cup force Russia to confront the corruption that stains its domestic game?* Double Trouble, by Joel Richards—Argentina's short seasons are fun, but are they behind a culture of short-termism?* How Roy Race Ruined English Football, by Scott Murray—He may be Britain's most popular comic footballer, but Roy of the Rovers embodies everything wrong about the English gameEthics----------* Man and Superman, by Gabriele Marcotti—Why football has some questions to answer about the ethics of performance enhancementStony Ground---------------------* Matters of Blood, by Andy Brassell—The travails of Corsica's football clubs reflect the struggles of the island and its quest for autonomy"First Time Around", by Michael Orr—As Portland celebrates winning an MLS franchise, memories are stirred of the Timbers' debut season in the NASLTheory----------* The Dutch Style and the Dutch Nation, by Simon Kuper—How the Netherlands' move away from liberalism is reflected in its football* Xavi and the Square Pass, by Musa Okwonga—How going sideways became the future* The Search for Space, by Michael Cox—How a theory of political polling explains why New Labour was like Dennis BergkampBosnian Coaching---------------------------* The Professor of Mostar, by Saša Ibrulj—Sulejman Rebac never won a trophy as manager, but 35 years after his retirement, his influence continues to be felt * The Watchmaker of Travnik, by Vladimir Novak—After six decades in football, could Ćiro Blažević's odyssey be coming to an end in China?Verona-----------* Verona's Great Romance, by James Horncastle—Recalling the drama of Italy's unlikeliest championsSausages---------------* Bangers and Cash, by Philippe Auclair- How Uli Hoeness became a sausage magnate* Garrincha's Swedish Son, by Lars Sivertsen—When Garrincha toured Sweden with Botafogo, memories weren't all he left behindPolemics-------------* What's Good for the Goose..., by Paul Tomkins—Just because a manager has had success with one club does not mean his methods will transfer to another* Why The Away Goals Rule Must Be Abolished, by Ian Hawkey—The away goals rule is an archaism that is encouraging defensive play* Tradition and the Individual Talent, by Jacob Steinberg—There's more to judging players than goals and medals* How the Champions League is Selling European Football Short, by Ouriel Daskal—Could it be that the commercialisation of the Champions League has not gone far enough?* Dessert Comes at the End, by Raphael Honigstein—Football's administrators must beware killing the golden gooseFootball Manager-------------------------* The Heidenheim Chronicles, by Iain Macintosh—When somebody takes their game of Football Manager just a little too seriously...Greatest Games------------------------* Crvena Zvezda 2 Bayern Munich 2, by Jonathan Wilson—European Cup semi-final second leg, Marakana, Belgrade, 24 April 1991Eight Bells----------------* European Cup Upsets, by Rob Smyth—A selection of the European Cup's most unexpected results

Forever a Blackhawk


Stan Mikita - 2011
    One of the most popular players of his or any era, Mikita thrilled fans with his unique combination of speed, skill and grace. Forever a Blackhawk is amust-have keepsake for Blackhawk fans of all ages and a rare opportunity to celebrate the life of one of Chicago's favorite sons.

Uppity: My Untold Story About The Games People Play


Bill White - 2011
    And even fewer who are as well respected as Bill White.Bill White, who's now in his mid 70s, was an All-Star first baseman for many years with the New York Giants, St.Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies before launching a stellar broadcasting career with the New York Yankees for 18 years. He left the broadcast booth to become the President of the National League for five years. A true pioneer as an African-American athlete, sportscaster, and top baseball executive, White has written his long-awaited autobiography in which he will be candid, open, and as always, most forthcoming about his life in baseball. Along the way, White shares never-before-told stories about his long working relationship with Phil Rizzutto, insights on George Steinbrenner, Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Bob Gibson, Bart Giamatti, Fay Vincent, and scores of other top baseball names and Hall of Famers. Best of all, White built his career on being outspoken, and the years fortunately have not mellowed him. UPPITY is a baseball memoir that baseball fans everywhere will be buzzing about.

The Messiah Method


Michael A. Zigarelli - 2011
    Few programs were even close. Seventeen Final Fours between them during this time. Eleven national titles. Unbeaten streaks measured not only in games, but in seasons. How do they do it? What's their secret of success? They use what might be called "the Messiah method," seven disciplines that propelled these teams from decent to dynasty. They're seven disciplines that can supercharge your team, too. Whether you're leading a sports program or a business or a school or a church or any other organization, there's a proven method to achieve breakthrough performance-and to sustain it year after year. It's The Messiah Method. It's how excellence happens. Michael Zigarelli is a Professor of Leadership and Strategy at Messiah College and the author of several books. He's also a high school soccer coach and an avid student of the game. You can reach him at mzigarelli@messiah.edu

Don't Wobble on the Wakeboard!


Chris Kreie - 2011
    Josh tries wakeboarding, and he has his eyes set on landing a challenging flip. Should he go for it, or play it safe for the win?

Shaq Uncut: Tall Tales and Untold Stories


Shaquille O'Neal - 2011
    Diesel. The Big Aristotle. Shaq Fu. The Big Daddy. The Big Shaqtus. Wilt Chamberneezy. The Real Deal. The Big Shamrock. Shaq.You know him by any number of names, and chances are you know all about his legendary basketball career: Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal is a four-time NBA champion and a three-time NBA Finals MVP. After being an All-American at Louisiana State University, he was the overall number one draft pick in the NBA in 1992. In his 19-year career, Shaq racked up 28,596 career points (including 5,935 free throws!), 13,099 rebounds, 3,026 assists, 2,732 blocks, and 15 All-Star appearances.These are statistics that are almost as massive as the man himself. His presence-both physically and psychologically-made him a dominant force in the game for two decades.But if you follow the game, you also know that there's a lot more to Shaquille O'Neal than just basketball.Shaq is famous for his playful, and at times, provocative personality. He is, literally, outsize in both scale and persona. Whether rapping on any of his five albums, challenging celebrities on his hit television show "Shaq Vs.," studying for his PhD or serving as a reserve police officer, there's no question that Shaq has led a unique and multi-dimensional life. And in this rollicking new autobiography, Shaq discusses his remarkable journey, including his candid thoughts on teammates and coaches like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Phil Jackson, and Pat Riley.From growing up in difficult circumstances and getting cut from his high school basketball team to his larger-than-life basketball career, Shaq lays it all out in SHAQ UNCUT: MY STORY.

Mikazuki Jujitsu Manual: Learn Jujitsu


Kambiz Mostofizadeh - 2011
    But in today's environment where random violence is a certainty, the knowledge of jujitsu has empowered countless individuals with the art of the samurai for self defense. The book by Kambiz Mostofizadeh is a jujitsu manual explaining core jujitsu techniques, shares the principles and applications of ju or yielding, covers Jujitsu's Japanese origins, teaches methods for fighting against multiple attackers, includes techniques for defeating mixed martial artists, and divulges strategies for offensive and defensive maneuvers. The book features more than 20 handdrawn illustrations representing the various techniques used within jujitsu. Mikazuki Jujitsu Manual;Learn Jujitsu also features a glossary of jujitsu terms, annual jujitsu tournaments, and methods for defeating a boxer. The author said "I wrote this book as a guide for my students and any student of modern martial arts. I believe all people can benefit from the study of martial arts, because the need for personal safety and protection is essential to everyone"

America's Quarterback: Bart Starr and the Rise of the National Football League


Keith Dunnavant - 2011
    Set against the changing landscape of the last half of the 20th century, this biography traces Starr’s life from childhood in Alabama to stardom in Green Bay and beyond. Not a simple sports story, Dunnavant traces the story of one man reaching for the American dream while professional football emerged from the shadows to capture the nation’s imagination. It’s a story of the tension between a coach and a player as different as fire and ice, and how they came to trust and revere each other. It’s a story of triumph tempered by tragedy, and the world-class athlete who quietly, persistently, achieved a level of greatness unsurpassed by any quarterback since.A remarkable blend of personal memory and historical narrative, America’s Quarterback is a tribute to an American hero and the perfect companion to the classic When Pride Still Mattered.

2012 Baseball Forecaster


Ron Shandler - 2011
    Rather than predicting batting average, for instance, this resource looks at the elements of skill that make up a given batter’s ability to distinguish between balls and strikes, his propensity to make contact with the ball, what happens when he makes contact and reverse engineer those skills back into batting average. The result is an unparalleled forecast of baseball skills and trends for the upcoming season and beyond.

Red Bull Racing F 1 Car: An Insight into the Technology, Engineering, Maintenance and Operation of the World Championship-Winning Red Bull Racing RB6


Steve Rendle - 2011
    His car, the Red Bull RB6, the work of a team led by legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey, was the envy of the paddock, proving to be consistently faster than its rivals over the season. In this fascinating book, the Red Bull RB6 receives the Haynes Manual treatment, providing an unprecedented insight into the design, technology and engineering of an F1 car as well as the inner workings of Red Bull Racing.

Wild Pitch (Sports Illustrated Kids Graphic Novels)


Eric Fein - 2011
    The pitch injured Kyle, forcing him to leave the game. His team lost, and Ryan got to celebrate the win while Kyle headed to the hospital. It took several months for Kyle's injury to heal, and he couldn't shake the suspicion that Ryan had intentionally threw at him. But Kyle has put all that out of his mind, because he's excited for a fresh start this year -- until he discovers that Ryan will be joining his team . . .

Killer B's: The Boston Bruins Capture Their First Stanley Cup in 39 Years


The Boston Globe - 2011
    With their thrilling victory still reverberating in hockey towns throughout North America, this must-have, keepsake book by Triumph Books and the Boston Globe celebrates this heroic event. The Bruins are a storied franchise in a city of storied franchises, and the Boston Globe has been there for every hit, miss, and goal along the way. Relive each colorful moment of the B's latest eventful season and incredible playoff run with this special commemorative book—128 pages of vivid storytelling, photography, game summaries, and statistics. Plus, look back on the glory days of previous championships and near-misses with a bonus Stanley Cup retrospective section that makes this the perfect souvenir or gift for any fan.

Rush to Glory: Formula 1 Racing's Greatest Rivalry


Tom Rubython - 2011
    James Hunt, without a drive until Emerson Fittipaldi broke his McLaren contract, grabbed the McLaren drive with both hands and the help of friend John Hogan and Marlboro cigarettes. The result? Two drivers in an epic sixteen-race battle across the globe for the '76 title, ultimately decided by a single point.Fame, wealth, drugs, sex, and the rest of globetrotting 1970s Formula 1 racing are encompassed in the Lauda vs. Hunt duel. At the '76 German Grand Prix, Lauda nearly died in a fiery crash, only to emerge six weeks later, severe burns on his face and head, to pursue his rivalry with Hunt. It all came down to the last race, a rain-soaked affair in Japan, where Hunt won the championship by the slimmest possible margin.The book is a study in contrasts during an era of Brut aftershave and disco sex parties. James Hunt, legendary philanderer and Formula 1 rock star, versus supernatural racer Niki Lauda, who in '75 set the first sub-seven minute lap around the Ring.

This Year is Different: How the Mavs Won It All--The Official Story


Bob Sturm - 2011
    Through extensive interviews and covering the Mavericks as a passionate journalist, Sturm illuminates what exactly brought the Mavericks together as a team—a team that won 57 regular season games and compiled playoff series victories over Portland, Los Angeles, and Oklahoma City before taking the home the Larry O’Brien Trophy from the Finals by convincingly defeating the Miami Heat.THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT covers all the important details of the Dallas Mavericks' 2011 championship season, including:The transformation of the Dallas Mavericks franchise from perennial loser to NBA powerhouse.Dirk Nowitzki's career-long battle to cement his dynasty with an NBA championship, including a bitter loss in the 2006 Finals to Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat.Tracing the ups and downs of the 2011 campaign, as the Mavs soared to the top of the standings, only to suffer critical injuries mid-season and a string of losses which threatened their playoff hopes.A game-by-game recap of the Mavericks' 2011 playoff run, as they battled through the quarter-, semi-, and Western Conference Finals for a chance to compete for the NBA championship.

Promised Land: A Northern Love Story


Anthony Clavane - 2011
    It's about unconditional love for a club, even when it doesn't always seem to love you back. But it is also a book about much more than that.Anthony Clavane loves Leeds - certainly the football club, but also the city, and the tribes that make it. Now that he is an exile in the South, his frequent pilgrimages to the stadium speak for themselves. But he no less loves the rarely-glimpsed back-streets of his youth; and even has a feel for the long-gone slums where his ancestors once settled. Leeds is his promised land; idealised and unreachable, yet still it defines him. 'Sports writing at its very best' Daily Telegraph

Goal Line


Tiki Barber - 2011
    At the start of ninth grade, they’re not only wiser and more mature, but they’re also taller and stronger—with bigger muscles and bigger hands to grab and hold the ball. Factor in the return of their beloved Coach Wheeler, and the boys couldn’t be more ready for football season. But when Tiki wins a school-wide essay contest and gives an inspirational speech in front of the whole school, he becomes sought after for guidance and advice. The school paper even wants him to do a Dear Tiki column! However, Tiki would prefer make his mark on the field—and with the Eagles starting 4-0 and a perfect season in sight, he’ll have to put a lid on his advice column and concentrate on football.Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 8/30/2011 Pages: 176 Reading Level: Age 8 and Up

Growing Up Colt: A Father, a Son, a Life in Football


Colt McCoy - 2011
    Now meet Colt McCoy up-close and personal! Growing Up Colt—A Father, a Son, a Life in Football is a unique biography by both the Cleveland Browns quarterback and his father, Brad, a highly-respected football coach in his native Texas. Get a behind-the-scenes view of the formative events of Colt’s football experience and the foundational principles of his family and faith life. Growing Up Colt promises an inspiring read for football fans of all ages—and don’t miss the exciting full-color photo section!

The Mind in Body Building


Frank Zane - 2011
    It contains many personal growth techniques: how to meditate, different ways to evoke the Relaxation Response, selecting and using positive affirmations, dream work, visualization to enhance body image and behavioral change, high tech mind building entrainment methods such as light sound machines, dichotic audio recordings, acoustic vibration, pulsed magnetic field therapy, brain hemisphere balancing, developing peripheral vision, motivation, peak performance and stress management techniques and much more. Metaphors for growth instill the desire and motivation for self improvement at a subconscious level. The drawings of Christine Zane accompanying the text should be contemplated, for they convey a special meaning and bring home the self improvement message. The Mind in Body Building could be the missing ingredient in your training.In his two prior publications, the Zane Body Training Manual and High Def Handbook, Frank spells out the details of exercise programs and nutrition. But body building is about more than lifting weights and eating right. It all starts with the mind. This fascinating work completes the ultimate body building trilogy.

Hiking Waterfalls in North Carolina: A Guide to the State's Best Waterfall Hikes


Melissa Watson - 2011
    A beautiful, full-color guidebook to more than 150 of the best waterfall hikes in North Carolina.

John Robertson: Super Tramp


John Robertson - 2011
    Winning the European Cup in 1979 and 1980 were the remarkable highlights of that era in the club's history. And the player at the heart of those Forest glories was winger John Robertson, who fashioned the goal that conquered Europe a first time and then scored the match-winner as Clough's side retained the trophy. His unkempt and unshaven appearance made him the most unlikely of footballers but his artistry and vision made him the creative on-the-field force behind a Forest side that swept all before them. After retiring from playing, Robertson went on to strike up a wonderfully successful managerial partnership with Martin O'Neill at Leicester, Celtic and Aston Villa. Yet, amid his years of football fame, Robertson has known moments of deep personal tragedy, with the death of his daughter, who had cerebral palsy, at the age of 13 and the loss of his elder brother in a car crash. In John Robertson: Super Tramp, the footballing legend reveals all in a humorous and touching memoir that switches engagingly between footballing glory and personal heartache.

Rules of the Game


A.C. Arthur - 2011
    Nobody told Zoya Daniels what the rules to the game were for basketball wives, but she's always been a fast learner. Now Zoya's in a world where sex, money and power make you a key player and she's learning how far others will go to come out on top.

Full 60+ to History: The Inside Story of the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins


John Bishop - 2011
    The stories, vignettes, and behind-the-scenes photos come directly from Bruins players, management, and staffers who were on the ground in Belfast, Prague, throughout North America, and most importantly, Vancouver."

Bird at the Buzzer: UConn, Notre Dame, and a Women's Basketball Classic


Jeff Goldberg - 2011
    When UConn’s Sue Bird hit a twelve-foot pull-up jumper at the buzzer over national player of the year Ruth Riley in the Big East Tournament championship game, it marked the end of an epic contest that featured five future Olympians and eight first-round WNBA selections.  Bird at the Buzzer re-creates this unique season with a detailed account of the games that led up to—and beyond—the tournament finale; profiles of the two coaches, UConn’s Geno Auriemma and Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw; close-ups of the players who made the year so memorable; and, finally, an in-depth recap of the game worthy of being designated ESPN’s first-ever women’s basketball “Instant Classic.” Author Jeff Goldberg shows us the drama on the court and behind the scenes as the big game pitted Riley and the upstarts from Notre Dame against what many believed was the most talented team in UConn history, under Hall of Fame coach Auriemma. A see-saw affair in which neither team led by more than eight points, the 2001 Big East championship game encapsulates the quintessential inside story of the individual talents and skills, team spirit and smarts, and the moment-by-moment realities of college athletics that made this season a snapshot of sports at its finest.

1st and 10: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Football


Gary Gramling - 2011
    Presented in the format of Top 10 lists, this book is a comprehensive yet fun look at the greatest aspects of the game. From the top Super Bowl moments to the best-looking uniforms, SI Kids ranks 50 different topics from the gridiron. Readers are guaranteed to love the big, exciting action photos from the Sports Illustrated collection and the insider knowledge of SI Kids. Filled with trivia and information, this dynamic book will be the definitive kids book on football. Top 10 Rankings include: Greatest rushersImpressive two-sport athletesStrangest playsStrongest armsBiggest comebacksLovable losers

Boulder Britain: The Essential Guide to British Bouldering


Niall Grimes - 2011
    It is beautifully illustrated, clearly laid out and deeply researched and will become an essential reference for anyone who loves to climb in the UK.

LeBron James


Dan Osier - 2011
    Today he is widely acknowledged to be among the best basketball players of all time. Kids will love learning about the player who was named the NBA's MVP in 2009 and 2010. Action-packed photographs complement fun facts and important biographical information.

Driving on the Edge: The Art and Science of Race Driving


Michael Krumm - 2011
    Essential reading for beginner and experienced driver alike, it will also interest race team engineers and car enthusiasts who want to peek behind the scenes to learn more about the challenging world of the racing driver.

Play Big: Mental Toughness Secrets That Take Baseball Players To The Next Level


Tom Hanson - 2011
    and on the verge of choking away a dream... when a mysterious man appears and offers coaching beyond the player s wildest imagination. As the drama unfolds you ll discover... How to make total confidence as easy as ABC The hidden Law right now governing your success in everything How to eliminate negative thoughts and feelings in 5 minutes or less What really causes you to under-perform... and how to fix it 5 simple steps to breaking through to the next level Dr. Tom Hanson is on the leading edge of sports psychology. His knowledge goes way beyond the conventional and traditional. His teachings have been extremely helpful, not only in my career, but in my life in general. Carlos Pena, First Baseman, Chicago Cubs

Inky Johnson: An Amazing Story of Faith and Perseverance


Inky Johnson - 2011
    

Worth the Wait


Brian Murphy - 2011
    From Spring Training to the stretch run through the playoffs and the World Series, all capped off by the epic ticker tape parade, this treasury of exclusive photos and stories transports Giants fans inside the action and behind the scenes, including on the team plane with the World Series champions and their covered trophy on the jubilant flight home.

Double Coverage (wt)


Tiki Barber - 2011
    At the start of ninth grade, they’re not only wiser and more mature, but they’re also taller and stronger—with bigger muscles and bigger hands to grab and hold the ball. Factor in the return of their beloved Coach Wheeler, and the boys couldn’t be more ready for football season. But when Tiki wins a school-wide essay contest and gives an inspirational speech in front of the whole school, he becomes sought after for guidance and advice. The school paper even wants him to do a Dear Tiki column! However, Tiki would prefer make his mark on the field—and with the Eagles starting 4-0 and a perfect season in sight, he’ll have to put a lid on his advice column and concentrate on football.

Aaron Rodgers: Leader of the Pack: An Intimate Portrait of a Super Bowl MVP


Rob Reischel - 2011
    Relive this journey to greatness—highlighted by leading the Packers to a record 13th NFL championship. Written by award-winning journalist Rob Reischel and richly illustrated with exclusive color photographs, this book tells Packers fans everything they need to know about the leader of their favorite team. From his days as an undersized freshman at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California, to being named Super Bowl MVP, Rodgers' story is sure to both inspire and entertain.

Above All Else: A World Champion Skydiver's Story of Survival and What It Taught Him About Fear, Adversity, and Success


Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld - 2011
    Dan survived a plane crash from which sixteen of the twenty-two people on board were killed. He was left critically injured and woke up from a six-week-long coma with a broken neck, broken skull, severe head trauma, a collapsed lung, and other serious internal injuries. Against all odds, Dan recovered and went on to become one of the greatest competitive skydiver in the world. With the love and support of friends and family, Dan was able not only to resurrect his life but return to skydiving to achieve greater heights than he could have ever imagined. His techniques and methods for excelling are applicable to all people, no matter their goals. Dan uses his experiences to teach the lessons he’s learned—as a competitor, coach, business owner, father, and husband—to help others achieve their dreams, overcome obstacles, and reach their peak performance.

My Life


Brett Lee - 2011
    Intimidating while charming, decent yet ferocious, he is known for his quick–one liners as much as his gutsy bottom–order batting.  He has been recorded bowling at speeds of over 100 mph leaving batsmen with only a fraction of a second to react once the ball leaves his hand. He had his first official game of cricket at the age of nine. He quickly developed into a very talented player and progressed through the cricket ranks to be in a position where he gained selection for his state at the age of 21 and his country at 24. Brett has one of the best strike–rates in the world for this form of the game. His pace bowling combined with his ability as a hard hitting and determined tail end batsman make him a crowd favorite throughout Australia and the world.

Finding the Game: Three Years, Twenty-five Countries, and the Search for Pickup Soccer


Gwendolyn Oxenham - 2011
    At twenty, she graduated, the women’s professional soccer league folded, and her career was over. In Finding the Game, Oxenham, along with her boyfriend and two friends, chases the part of the game that outlasts a career. They bribe their way into a Bolivian prison, bet shillings on a game with moonshine brewers in Kenya, play with women in hijab on a court in Tehran—and discover what the world looks like when you wander down side streets, holding on to a ball. An entertaining, heartfelt look at the soul of a sport, this book is proof that on the field and in life, some things need no translation.

Gamecock Glory: The University of South Carolina Baseball Team's Journey to the 2010 NCAA Championship


Travis Haney - 2011
    The 2010 Gamecock baseball team won six consecutive games over eight summer nights to take the College World Series and lay claim to the school's first major national championship. From dancing around in a dark locker room to singing "Silent Night"? on the team bus after every victory in Omaha, these Gamecocks were as fun-loving as they were talented. And they did it all in the name of one special boy, seven-year-old Bayler Teal. Bayler passed away before he could see his beloved Gamecocks triumph, but the team's victory is a tribute to their number one fan. Join the Post and Courier's Travis Haney as he recounts this incredible team's historic season.

On Your Farts, Get Set, Go!. by Mitchell Symons


Mitchell Symons - 2011
    It lets you find out: which striker's shorts fell down when he took a penalty; when some ducklings interrupted a rowing race; who played in the longest tennis match ever; and, more. Full description

Who Wants to Play Just for Kicks?


Chris Kreie - 2011
    Josh isn't catching on to the sport, and he starts wondering, "Who wants to play just for kicks?" Will Josh learn that sometimes it's fun to play just for fun?

25 Principles of Martial Arts


Kambiz Mostofizadeh - 2011
    These strategies are applicable in martial arts, in business, or in your personal relationships. EXCERPT - "Large amount of resources and more individuals in your organization do not necessarily equate to victory over your opponent if you have lost the advantage of formlessness. This is because your opponent will prepare and ready themselves with defenses which may counterbalance your attack, essentially nullifying your actions. The silence of your actions hide your form and confuse your opponents." WHAT YOU WILL LEARN: The Principle of Fast Loss, Quick Win The Principle of Minimal Exertion The Principle of Timing The Principle of Shifting Power The Principle of Apprenticeship The Principle of Alliances The Principle of Formlessness The Principle of Circling LEARN THE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

Surf Survival: The Surfer's Health Handbook


Andrew Nathanson - 2011
    With a slick waterproof cover and a handy travel-size format, Surf Survival explains everything from what to do about a jellyfish sting to what to eat for maximum energy out on the water. Also included are lists of common surfing hazards by region and wave science warm-ups, as well as detailed checklists of what to have on hand in case of an emergency. Be prepared for anything, whether you’re surfing a crowded beach in California or a remote island in Indonesia. Written and compiled by three expert surfers and sports medicine doctors, this full-color guide is a handy must-have reference tool for every surfer.

Lineup for Yesterday


Ogden Nash - 2011
    Using an alphabetical approach, the famous wordsmith paid entertaining tribute to 24 legends of the diamond, encapsulating each in just 4 clever lines. Creative Editions is proud to present this masterpiece to a new generation of fans, reintroducing icons from the formative years of professional baseball. The masterful mixed-media illustrations of C. F. Payne portray these heroes of summer in their athletic primes in this, the first-ever picture book publication of Nash s classic.

The Darkness Below


Rod MacDonald - 2011
    A gripping and exhilarating voyage into the silent darkness of the depths at the cutting edge of technical diving.

Brett Lee - My Life


Brett Lee - 2011
    Intimidating while charming, decent yet ferocious, he is known for his quick-one liners as much as his gutsy bottom-order batting. He has been recorded bowling at speeds of over 160km/h leaving batsmen with only a fraction of a second to react once the ball leaves his hand. Brett was born and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales where he grew up with his family and their shared love of sports. Brett tried his hand at many sports but cricket proved to be the one that he excelled in. He had his first official game of cricket at the age of nine. He quickly developed into a very talented player and progressed through the cricket ranks to be in a position where he gained selection for his state at the age of 21 and his country at 24. Brett made his debut for Australia in the Boxing Day Test against India 1999. He finished his first match for his country with figures of 5/47. He has now picked up 310 wickets from 76 Tests, joining the elite 300 Test wicket club before retiring from Test cricket earlier this year to concentrate on the shorter forms of the game. He also has a formidable limited-overs record - with 324 wickets from 186 ODIs. Brett has one of the best strike-rates in the world for this form of the game. His pace bowling combined with his ability as a hard hitting and determined tail end batsman make him a crowd favourite throughout Australia and the world. Brett was awarded Man of the Series for the 2007/2008 Test series against India and the 2007 Alan McGilvray Medal by ABC radio. Then in February he 2008 won the 2008 Test Player of the Year and the prestigious Allan Border Medal 2008 for cricketer of the year. Brett is an enthusiastic and motivated sportsman who is grateful for all of the opportunities that have come his way. He remains a grounded person who is generous with his time in and out of cricket.

There's No Crying in Baseball


Anita Yasuda - 2011
    It is a big event to celebrate school spirit. But before game day arrives, Tyler sprains his ankle. Since he can't play, Tyler wants to skip the game altogether. Will he learn that there's no crying in baseball?

Hit by Pitch: Ray Chapman, Carl Mays and the Fatal Fastball


Molly Lawless - 2011
    Chapman died the next morning. Hit by Pitch is a nonfiction graphic novel about these men, their lives and legacies, and the event that linked them forever. Born the same year (1891), both in Kentucky, they had similar beginnings but opposing personalities. This wonderfully drawn work brings the two men and their era back to life.

No Bad Waves: Talking Story with Mickey Munoz


Mickey Munoz - 2011
    Mentored by the Malibu greats of the ’40s, and an influence on generations of surfers since, Mickey weaves the story of a California waterman using his own life and that of his friends.

Return to Titletown: The Remarkable Story of the 2010 Green Bay Packers


Chuck Carlson - 2011
    Lost to injury early in the game were veterans Donald Driver and Charles Woodson. Yet the Packers, a team that placed 15 players on injured reserve during the 2010 season, once again overcame adversity and outlasted a formidable opponent. This is a team that was the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs, topping the New York Giants and Chicago Bears in the last two games of the regular season to clinch a wild-card berth before storming through the playoffs with road wins at Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago to earn a trip to Dallas. Packed with stunning action photography, stories, and analysis, Return to Titletown takes fans through Green Bay's amazing journey, from their season-opening win over Michael Vick and the Eagles to B.J. Raji's dash to the Soldier Field end zone to clinch the NFC title to Aaron Rodgers' Super Bowl MVP performance. This official Packers commemorative edition also includes in-depth profiles of quarterback Rodgers, head coach Mike McCarthy, cornerback Woodson, general manager Ted Thompson, and the Packers'talented receiving corps.

Football Outsiders Almanac 2011: The Essential Guide to the 2011 NFL and College Football Seasons


Ben AlamarSean McCormick - 2011
    Includes comprehensive coverage of all 32 NFL teams, analysis of offseason personnel changes, over 500 KUBIAK fantasy football projections, and breakdowns of every team from the six BCS conferences plus the top independent and mid-major college football teams. The 2011 book is fully updated with all post-lockout trades and free-agent signings, the most up-to-date preseason annual on the market.

Snowboard Standoff (Sports Illustrated Kids Graphic Novels)


Scott Ciencin - 2011
    He's efficient, calculating, and believes there's a best way to do every trick in the book. Kai Palakiko, on the other hand, is an open-minded former surfer who believes adaptability is key to snowboarding success. But on Isaac's team, you either fall in line, or you fall by the wayside.

Bike Art: Bicycles in Art Around the World


Kiriakos Iosifides - 2011
    A love affair of sorts develops between rider and bike, with all the constituent parts: obsession, devotion and longing. In extreme cases, hospitalization is required - among the more restrained, bicycle becomes muse, inspiring great works of art in a variety of media, all in an attempt to capture the spirit of the infatuation. Bike Art pays homage to our two-wheeled friend, presenting works created on walls, canvases, paper, pedestals, bikeframes, skin and clothing by an international team of artists including TALIAH LEMPERT, JANET BIKE GIRL, MONA CARON, BORIS INDRIKOV, DZINE, MATT W. MOORE, ANDY SINGER, MIKE GIANT, DAVID GERSTEIN, MARK GRIEVE & ILANA SPECTOR, BIKE 2.0, AZOR, I BIKE, KEVIN CYR, OLEK, DUANE FLATMO and more. In addition, the bicycle receives a complete makeover as designers compete to create the most original ride, whether re-envisioning the age-old form in its entirety or creating custom pieces for private consumption. A voyeuristic showcase of the lesser-known aspects of the culture including festivals, performing arts and good works - rounds out this must-have volume.

Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella


Neil Lanctot - 2011
    Born to a father of Italian descent and an African- American mother, Campanella wanted to be a ballplayer from childhood but was barred by color from the major leagues. He dropped out of school to play professional ball with the Negro Leagues’ Washington (later Baltimore) Elite Giants, where he honed his skills under Hall of Fame catcher Biz Mackey. Campy played eight years in the Negro Leagues until the major leagues integrated. Ironically, he and not Jackie Robinson might have been the player to integrate baseball, as Lanctot reveals. An early recruit to Branch Rickey’s “Great Experiment” with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Campy became the first African-American catcher in the twentieth century in the major leagues. As Lanctot discloses, Campanella and Robinson, pioneers of integration, had a contentious relationship, largely as a result of a dispute over postseason barnstorming.Campanella was a mainstay of the great Dodger teams that consistently contended for pennants in the late 1940s and 1950s. He was a three-time MVP, an outstanding defensive catcher, and a powerful offensive threat. But on a rainy January night in 1958, all that changed. On his way home from his liquor store in Harlem, Campy lost control of his car, hit a utility pole, and was paralyzed below the neck. Lanctot reveals how Campanella’s complicated personal life (he would marry three times) played a role in the accident. Campanella would now become another sort of pioneer, learning new techniques of physical therapy under the celebrated Dr. Howard Rusk at his Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. As he gradually recovered some limited motion, Campanella inspired other athletes and physically handicapped people everywhere.Based on interviews with dozens of people who knew Roy Campanella and diligent research into contemporary sources, Campy offers a three-dimensional portrait of this gifted athlete and remarkable man whose second life after baseball would prove as illustrious and courageous as his first.

Hockey Animals


Christopher Jordan - 2011
    What better way to introduce your child to the entertaining, action-packed world of hockey than through a new series of books aimed at the youngest of hockey fans? Published through the combined efforts of the NHL, the NHLPA and Fenn/Tundra, My First NHL Books introduce preschool readers to the essential early concepts of learning through the fun and entertaining themes of hockey. Count players, sticks and Stanley cups, explore the colours of the rainbow through team logos and sweaters; look for familiar shapes amongst pucks, scoreboards and nets, and work your way through an alphabet that includes everything from A is for Arena to Z is for Zamboni, and everything hockey in between.

The NEW Search for the Perfect Golf Club


Tom Wishon - 2011
    * Women's clubs are designed for women? Fine, but the problem is... NONE OF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE Tom Wishon, one of the world's leading club designers, takes you on a guided tour of the golf club, explaining in lay language how and why golf clubs work the way they do. Perhaps of even greater importance, he explains what to look for-and what to look out for-when you buy your next club. "...the average golfer knows little more about golf clubs than what he or she reads in advertising or sees in Golf Channel infomercials. This lack of golf equipment knowledge results in millions of golfers attempting to play an already difficult game with equipment that not only won't, but CAN'T POSSIBLY allow them to play to the best of their ability." It turns out the latest cutting-edge frontier in golf... is plain old-fashioned custom club fitting. Do you think: * That clubheads made from harder metal will hit the ball farther? * The faster you swing, the stiffer your shaft should be? * That your clubs are "just like the ones the pros use?" Find out WHY those things are not true and learn the things they do NOT tell you in the golf club ads!

The Season Never Ends: Wins, Losses, and the Wisdom of the Court


Don Shelby - 2011
    Off camera, he has been involved in organized basketball as a player, coach, and advocate since 1960. Inducted into Indiana's Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003, Shelby has been compiling stories of pivotal basketball games--those he has played, and those that have inspired him--for over twenty years.Written with the same humor and compassion that have made Shelby a broadcasting legend, "The Season Never Ends" proves once and for all that the fundamental principles of basketball are the fundamental principles of life.

Great Giants Stories Every Young Fan Should Know


Julie Jackson - 2011
    Going back to the early days in New York, this book covers all the greatest Giants heroes, from old-timers like John McGraw and Christy Mathewson to the mighty Mays, McCovey, and Marichal, all the way through the wild cast of characters who won the World Series in 2010 and 2012. Readers get to experience the thrills (and the occasional heartbreaks) as they relive some of the team’s most memorable moments.

Hook Shot Hero: A Nothin' But Net Sequel


Matt Christopher - 2011
    Plus, he's got a bully on his hands, and he's got to find a way to inspire his campers. Good thing NCAA pro Dick Dunbar is there to help Tim with a super-cool shot that gives him the confidence to make his mark at camp.Packed with on the court action and useful lessons about the game, this is story that gets to the heart of what team sports are all about--and because it comes from Matt Christopher, young readers know they're getting the best sports writing on the shelf.

John Cena: World Wrestling Champ


Tracy Brown - 2011
    Readers will learn many interesting facts about Cenas life before his rise to fame. Fans of action-packed wrestling will love the exciting full-color photographs accompanied by accessible language.