Thisis the inside story of the geniuses,the cheats, the gurus and the hangers-on that make up the golf scene. "A joy to read. Not since Bill Bryson plotted a random route through small-town America has such a breezy idea for a book had a happier or funnier result" - Lynne Truss, The Times "Funny, beautifully observed and it tells you things about sport in general and golf in particular that nobody else had thought to pass on" - Patrick Collins, Mail on Sunday

    By the time I was ten I had discovered the pain of unbearable loss. I had felt joy and jealousy. Most important of all, I knew how to love and how to let myself be loved. All these things I learnt through animals. Horses and dogs were my family and my friends. This is their story as much as it is mine'Clare Balding grew up in a rather unusual household. Her father a champion trainer, she shared her life with more than 100 thoroughbred racehorses, mares, foals and ponies, as well as an ever-present pack of boxers and lurchers. As a toddler she would happily ride the legendary Mill Reef and take breakfast with the Queen.She and her younger brother came very low down the pecking order. Left to their own devices, they had to learn life's toughest lessons through the animals, and through their adventures in the stables and the idyllic Hampshire Downs. From the protective Candy to the pot-bellied Valkyrie and the frisky Hattie, each horse and each dog had their own character and their own special part to play.The running family joke was that "women ain't people". Clare had to prove them wrong, to make her voice heard - but first she had to make sure she had something to say.My Animals and Other Family is a funny, brave, tender story of self- discovery.

    He brings the meetings, practice sessions, recruiting calls and game day experience to light like never before. Fans who want to know what goes on behind the scenes will find out in this book.”–RON ZOOK, head football coach, the University of FloridaIn Every Week a Season, acclaimed sports reporter and author Brian Curtis takes readers on an unprecedented whirlwind tour of NCAA Division I football. It’s a world that breeds great drama, a world that millions watch but few understand. It is a multibillion-dollar business. It is an obsession.To get to the beating heart of college football, Curtis embarked on a breakneck itinerary that took him where all red-blooded college football fans long to be: behind the scenes at nine big-time programs. In nine weeks, Curtis visited Colorado State University, the University of Georgia, Boston College, the University of Tennessee, the University of Maryland, the University of Wisconsin, Louisiana State University, Florida State University, and Arizona State University. He braved the rain to watch Wisconsin pull off the upset of the year; he was at Neyland Stadium to see Tennessee manage a thrilling overtime victory; he was in Tallahassee to witness Florida State’s dramatic double overtime battle for the ACC title. As added bonuses, he was with Georgia when the team fought for the SEC Championship, and on the LSU sideline when the boys from Baton Rouge defeated Oklahoma to capture the BCS National Championship. At each stop, he brings us inside the game’s inner sanctum: in team meetings and scouting sessions; on the field and on the sidelines, during scrimmages, practices, and games; at pre-game traditions, meals, and religious services; in the locker room before the game and at half-time. Virtually nothing and no one was off-limits. Along with the players, Curtis got to know the coaches–from the young guns to the legends–spending time with them in their offices and on the road. We see firsthand the challenges of running a major college football program–when called on, coaches must serve as CEOs, PR gurus, lawyers, politicians, and policemen. We also learn of the sacrifices made by wives and children that enable coaches to keep the numerous young athletes under their supervision focused, secure, and happy. Brian Curtis gives a no-holds-barred insider’s account that will rank as one of the most honest and accurate books on big-time sports in America. Short of strapping on a helmet, you’ll never get closer to the game.From the Hardcover edition.

    When building a family, they complement the kids. But what happens when things get out of hand? For writer and house husband, Matt Whyman, it's a case of catastrophe management in coping with four children and all the ill-advised animals amassed by his career wife, Emma.

    You may have tried and failed in the past to make running stick, but never the less you are determined to master it. You may tell yourself that “running is hard”, or “I’m just not a runner”, but the truth is that anybody can learn to run if they have the right approach. You will likely have many questions; “how do I build up my running distance?”, “how do I stay motivated to run?”, “how do I warm up and cool down?”. All of these and more are covered off within the pages of this book along with a step by step guide to building up your running to 60 minutes. There is more to learning how to run than just going out and seeing how far you can go three days a week. Some people will undoubtedly have success with this method, but for most beginner runners it takes a little more guidance and support to truly master the art of running. More and more beginners are deciding to take their first steps and learn how to run. Races are popping up all over the place geared towards beginner runners and it remains one of the most accessible sports around. Learning how to run should be a fun and rewarding experience in itself, not just a means to achieve a goal. Beginner’s Luck is a complete program that teaches you everything you need to build your confidence as a runner. The program itself removes the pressure of having to stick rigidly to a set rate of progress, and instead allows you to progress at your own pace. If you are a beginner runner who would like to learn how to run for up to an hour AND surprise yourself as to how easy it really is, get Beginner’s Luck and start out on your journey today.

    This book celebrates the Japanese grand masters who effectively defined the modern sport, examining the Samurai history that has shaped judo's unique sensibility.

    He founded the National Football League and created its storied franchise, the Chicago Bears. He is considered the father of pro football, as he grabbed an outlaw sport by its throat, shook it, led it into respectability, and made it into the richest and most popular spectator sport on the earth. As owner of the Bears from 1920-1983, he also coached the team for 40 seasons and won 8 NFL titles. with 324 victories as head coach, and his name graces the trophies awarded each year to to both the NFC champion and the league's defensive player of the year. And his family still owns the Bears. Halas remains, nearly 20 years after his death, one of the towering figures of professional sports--a man whose very name is synonymous with the league and team he founded. He was every bit as important a figure (if not more so) as legendary Packers' coach Vince Lombardi, the subject of David Maraniss' best-selling biography When Pride Still Mattered. His story is one of those great American success stories, yet ironically, there has never been a full-fledged, thoroughly researched, balanced, authoritative, biography written about the man. draws on exclusive interviews with formerly reticent members of the Halas family, his closest friends, his former players and assistant coaches, his business associates, and others. This material, as well as other archival materials Davis has unearthed has never before been published in any of the previous, no-frills works published on Papa Bear Halas, the last of which was published in 1986. This is the first biography to tell the whole story of the great Halas, from all possible angles, and it's also the first to tell the story of Halas' legacy, all the way through the recent renovation and rededication of Chicago's Soldier Field in 2003, where a bronze statue of Halas now stands.

    In the legendary manager's very first book, and in his own images and captions, Jose Mourinho charts the peaks and troughs of the opening fifteen years of what has been a stellar rise to the summit of the global game.Through more than 120 personally selected images (some of which are exclusive to the book), fans will relish an intimate and unmissable opportunity to understand and further appreciate this giant of the sport.

    Featuring updates on breeds, boarding, nutrition, equipment, training, and riding, as well as new information on various equine conditions, this resource shows you how to keep your horse happy - and take your riding skills to the next level. Discover how to * Select the right horse for you * Feed, groom, and handle your horse * Recognize common horse ailments * Have fun in the saddle * Get involved in equestrian competitions

    In Drive, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, daughter of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and sister to Dale Jr., opens up about growing up in the world of NASCAR, sharing the lessons she learned about being a successful business leader and what she discovered, often the hard way, about winning in life.Kelley never felt she was winning at anything until she began to deal with the thoughts and feelings that were driving her decisions and taking her in the wrong direction. Her journey of transformation is what empowered her to run the family business in an entirely different way than she had previously and to lead people not only with her head but also with her heart.Drive offers nine important lessons learned about winning in business and in life, given not as a formula for greatness but as insight from a fellow traveler on a journey that is sometimes difficult, painful, unexpected, or confusing and sometimes exhilarating and joyful:Be Authentic and ApproachableManage Your EmotionsSucceed Using StrengthsLet Go to Move ForwardCustomize Your CommunicationKnow How to Make DecisionsAim for the Win-WinShow KindnessLive a Balanced LifeBecome a stronger person and a more effective leader by facing the truth about your own life in a healthy way and then drive to the win!

    A quotation for every picture is also included taken from Virgil, Shakespeare, Herman Melville, D.H. Lawrence, Eugene Delacroix and others.

    But Dan Patch was more than a sports star; he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was nearly euthanized. For a while, he pulled the grocer's wagon in his hometown of Oxford, Indiana. But when he was entered in a race at the county fair, he won -- and he kept on winning. Harness racing was the top sport in America at the time, and Dan, a pacer, set the world record for the mile. He eventually lowered the mark by four seconds, an unheard-of achievement that would not be surpassed for decades.America loved Dan Patch, who, though kind and gentle, seemed to understand that he was a superstar: he acknowledged applause from the grandstands with a nod or two of his majestic head and stopped as if to pose when he saw a camera. He became the first celebrity sports endorser; his name appeared on breakfast cereals, washing machines, cigars, razors, and sleds. At a time when the highest-paid baseball player, Ty Cobb, was making $12,000 a year, Dan Patch was earning over a million dollars.But even then horse racing attracted hustlers, cheats, and touts. Drivers and owners bet heavily on races, which were often fixed; horses were drugged with whiskey or cocaine, or switched off with "ringers." Although Dan never lost a race, some of his races were rigged so that large sums of money could change hands. Dan's original owner was intimidated into selling him, and America's favorite horse spent the second half of his career touring the country in a plush private railroad car and putting on speed shows for crowds that sometimes exceeded 100,000 people. But the automobile cooled America's romance with the horse, and by the time he died in 1916, Dan was all but forgotten. His last owner, a Minnesota entrepreneur gone bankrupt, buried him in an unmarked grave. His achievements have faded, but throughout the years, a faithful few kept alive the legend of Dan Patch, and in "Crazy Good," Charles Leerhsen travels through their world to bring back to life this fascinating story of triumph and treachery in small-town America and big-city racetracks.

    One cool new sneaker. For a company like Nike, the combination can equal millions of dollars in profits. That's why the shoe companies are engaged in a frantic full-court press to find and sign the next generation of hoop stars -- before the competition does. The result: America's playgrounds, high schools, and junior high schools have become corporate battlegrounds for the hearts, minds, and feet of young athletes. This shocking expose shows how money is driving the amateur basketball world, even attempting to control coaches, teams, and whole universities -- and how young men and women with a little talent and a dream are being tempted to sacrifice their future for glittering promises and a new pair of shoes.

    Nigel is the first openly gay rugby personality. He came out in 2007 and has since won Sports Personality of the year by Stonewall, was the only Welsh referee at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and is respected as one of the best refs in the world. His autobiography tells of his tormented life as a teenager in a Welsh village and his attempted suicide in his 20s. Nigel also became a heavy user of steroids and suffered with bulimia. But this is a story of triumph as he overcame everything and became o highly respected referee, and is now a favorite personality in the rugby world rugby. He's also a Welsh language t.v. personality and comedian

    They owned virtually everything ever written or videoed by Monty Roberts, Clinton Anderson, and the Parellis and they were bouncing back and forth from one to the other testing what worked best with their horses. But Joe was longing for a compressed, congealed, shuffled together guide to the basics. Not just what works best but why. Now he has one. He wrote it. And now it's yours. A book of the good stuff crammed with everything Joe & Kathleen have learned about relationship and leadership. And why it all works. Including an entire chapter on fear. This book can change your relationship with your horse and teach you to trust yourself to trust yourself. With free Kindle apps, download this book to your computer, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, iPad, Kindle , or all of the above for one teeny little price of 99 cents! The stories you love and the information you need will always be with you. What Readers and Critics Are Saying About Joe Camp “Joe Camp is a master storyteller.” The New York Times “Joe Camp is a gifted storyteller and the results are magical. Joe entertains, educates and empowers, baring his own soul while articulating keystone principles of a modern revolution in horsemanship.” Rick Lamb, Author and TV/Radio host “The Horse Show” "This book is fantastic It has given me shivers, made me laugh and cry, and I just can't seem to put it down!" Cheryl Pannier, WHO Radio AM 1040 Des Moines “One cannot help but be touched by Camp’s love and sympathy for animals and by his eloquence on the subject.” Michae Korda The Washington Post “Joe Camp is a natural when it comes to understanding how animals tick and a genius at telling us their story. His books are must-reads for those who love animals of any species.” Monty Roberts, Author of New York Times Best-seller The Man Who Listens to Horses “Camp has become something of a master at telling us what can be learned from animals, in this case specifically horses, without making us realize we have been educated, and, that is, perhaps, the mark of a real teacher. The tightly written, simply designed, and powerfully drawn chapters often read like short stories that flow from the heart.” Jack L. Kennedy, The Joplin Independent “This book is absolutely fabulous! An amazing, amazing book. You’re going to love it.” Janet Parshall’s America "Joe speaks a clear and simple truth that grabs hold of your heart." Yvonne Welz, Editor, The Horses Hoof Magazine "I wish you could hear my excitement for Joe Camp's new book. It is unique, powerful, needed." Dr. Marty Becker, best-selling author of several Chicken Soup for the Soul books and popular veterinary contributor to ABC's Good Morning America “I got my book yesterday and hold Joe Camp responsible for my bloodshot eyes. I couldn't put it down and morning came early!!! Joe transports me into his words. I feel like I am right there sharing his experiences. And his love for not just horses, but all of God's critters pours out from every page.” Ruth Swander – Reader “I love this book! It is so hard to put it down. I don't want it to end! Every person who loves an animal must have this book.