Sports Culture

Suzanna and her father, Peter, head to Andros Island, a diving paradise in the Caribbean. There, she learns the basics of scuba diving and eventually swims with fifteen reef sharks in this lively true underwater adventure.

It was July 2002 and Scott Langley had just graduated from the Japanese Instructors’ Course in Tokyo. He returned to Europe with a mandate to build a strong karate group in the UK and Ireland. In a decade that witnessed the implosion of most groups, he built up one of the largest organizations in Europe: but his success at home set him on a collision course with his seniors back in Japan. Karate Clever chronicles how, through diplomacy and cooperation, he managed to find a new way to steer one of the most successful karate organizations active today. This is the true story of one man’s ...

This entertaining history blends anecdote, incident, and analysis as it chronicles the story of our national pastime. Alexander covers the advent of the first professional baseball leagues, the game’s surge in the early 20th century, the Golden 20s and the Gray 30s, the breaking of the color line in the late 40s, and the game’s expansion to its current status as a premier team sport. He describes changing playing styles and outstanding teams and personalities, but also demonstrates the many connections to society.

In From Sandlots to the Super Bowl, Craig R. Coenen recounts the NFL's ascension from a cash-strapped laughingstock to a perennial autumn obsession for millions of sports fans. It offers an in-depth summary of the NFL's early years and its struggles to build an identity. This book approaches the history of the National Football League not only with stats and scores but with what happened beyond the gridiron.

Eager to celebrate its history, and display its athletic potential, the United States hosted the nation’s first Olympic games in 1904 St. Louis. But within a few years, the publication of Coubertin’s memoirs turned the praised Olympics into the failed Olympics. America’s First Olympics corrects common misconceptions that began with Coubertin’s memoirs, and presents a fresh view of the 1904 games, which featured first-time African American Olympians, an eccentric and controversial marathon, and documentation by pioneering photojournalist Jessie Tarbox Beals.

Americans have always loved guns. This special bond was forged during the American Revolution and sanctified by the Second Amendment. It is because of this exceptional relationship that American civilians are more heavily armed than the citizens of any other nation. Or so we're told. In The Gunning of America, historian Pamela Haag overturns this conventional wisdom. American gun culture, she argues, developed not because the gun was exceptional but precisely because it was not.

A perfect gift to surprise and delight anyone! Did you know that in some tribal communities, temple monkeys steal tourists’ glasses and valuables, then return them only if “bribed” with food? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wear a Victorian-era hat with a built-in water tank designed to mist your face on the hottest days? Can you imagine bridges made from living roots that grow stronger over time instead of weaker, as if nature itself were an ingenious engineer? Did you know that the platypus—part mammal, part duck-billed oddity with a venomous spur—actually lays ...

The Pickleball Leadership Playbook for Educators: How Pickleball Builds Resilient, Connected Educators Discover how the game of pickleball can revolutionize your approach to educational leadership. In The Pickleball Leadership Playbook for Educators, Dr. Kaliym A. Islam—a seasoned leadership expert and educator—combines research-backed insights, relatable stories, and practical strategies to empower teachers at all levels. This book bridges the worlds of pickleball and education, offering actionable tools to help you: Build trust and collaboration in your classroom. Develop quick-...

Who works in a stadium? Where do the players get ready for the big game? Who makes all those hot dogs? Go on a guided tour of a stadium to find out! Meet a baseball manager and see how thousands of people can gather, have fun, and cheer their team at a stadium.

Take a rollicking tour through the sports world of 1996, when debuts, comebacks, movies, and pop culture crossover changed the sports landscape forever. From college to the Olympics to the pros; from the NBA to golf, tennis, and boxing, 1996 was home to athletes and teams who were among the best marketed, most beloved, colorful, and greatest in history. Sportswriter and author Jon Finkel uncovers the stories behind the stories while interviewing a who's who of '96ers to reveal in thrilling detail how their collective influence on sports and pop culture still resonates to this day.

Ready to be blown away? Welcome to a book full of fun facts, incredible anecdotes, and things so strange you'll wonder if they're real (but they are!). There’s no boring theory or tests here—just a collection of fascinating facts that will make you laugh, marvel, and want to share them with everyone. Did you know that the human body glows in the dark, even if we can’t see it? Or that octopuses have 3 hearts and 9 brains? Or that in some cities it’s actually illegal to die? And that there are countries where you can be fined for carrying chickens in your pockets? Yes, you read that ...

Margot Fairchild is a woman with a plan. She’s ready to take over the family beauty empire JOLIE until her dad informs her that she needs to prove her ability to follow-through before taking the helm. She must commit to something – anything – for 21 days, the time it takes to form a habit, to earn her chance. She has every confidence she can rise to the occasion until she finds out she must date someone her friends choose for her. The man in question is a complete departure from her usual “type”; the handsome and injured Luke Devereaux. ♥ Luke Devereaux is a professional hockey...

Immerse yourself in the compelling world of fantasy sports with Fair Play. This essential guide skillfully ties together the knots between sportsmanship, ethics, and respectful communication in online sports leagues. Dive into Chapter 1 and soon, you'll grasp the captivating spirit of fantasy sports and the importance of respect and sportsmanship in these dynamic realms. As you delve further in Chapter 2, the significance of ethical play reveals itself, enlightening you on the subtle balance between competitiveness and fair play. Fair Play proceeds to underscore the vitality of respectful ...

In Fantasy Life, Berry celebrates every aspect of the fantasy sports world. Brilliant trash talk. Unbelievable trophies. Insane draft day locations. Shake-your-head-in-disbelief punishments. Ingenious attempts at cheating. And surprisingly uplifting stories that remind us why we play these games in the first place.

Take your equally horrible pick as you debate and decide between survival strategies. Will you make it out alive? Fun facts will keep kids listening, interested - and strategizing!

Today, we primarily use these tiny computers called cellphones that fit in our pockets to help us navigate. It's never been easier to know exactly where you are and find a route to where you want to go. Still, these fancy computers can have their fair share of problems. Batteries run out of charge, GPS lose signal outside of cities, and they can run out of data. This is where this fantastic yet simple tool comes in handy.

Pro basketball player Rasheed Wallace often exclaimed the pragmatic truth "Ball don't lie!" during a game. It is a protest against a referee's bad calls. But the slogan, which originated in pickup games, brings the reality of a racialized urban playground into mainstream American popular culture.

We vs Me: The Culture Shift Changing Sports By James Louis Roden Jr. Team used to mean everything. Today, it competes with everything. What happened to the game we once knew? There was a time when team-first values were the foundation of every great locker room. When athletes wore their jersey with pride, fought for their brothers, respected the coach, and lived by a code that said the name on the front mattered more than the name on the back. Coaches led with conviction, players bought into the process, and culture wasn’t just a buzzword—it was the playbook. Now we’re watching ...

For the past 10 years, leading Canadian journalist and cultural critic John Doyle has been traveling the globe to observe World Cup and other soccer matches played at the highest level. The result is a Bill Bryson-esque narrative full of wit and insight, concluding with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In between his encounters with the delirious fans, the crazed taxi drivers, the leprechauns and the lederhosen, Doyle examines the evolution of soccer as a global phenomenon.

The heart-pounding story of an unlikely band of ragtags who took on Hitler's Grand Prix driver.