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Sports and recreation

  • Author:
    Haslett, John, Smith, Cameron M.
    Summary:

    Your one-stop guide to surviving and enjoying the Great Outdoors  Want to know how to stay alive in extreme situations? This practical, accurate guide gives you all the expert, field-tested tools and techniques you need to survive. Whether you find yourself lost in the woods, adrift on a life raft, bitten by a snake, or needing shelter in cold weather, this hands-on resource teaches you how to stay safe (and sane), find rescue, and live to tell the tale! * Know the basics of survival — perform life-saving first aid, make fire and shelter, and find water and food * Manage your emotions — cope with panic and anger, get the "survivor's attitude," and foster cooperation and hope with others * Increase your chances of rescue — signal for help and navigate using a compass or the sky * Practice expert survival methods — tie essential knots, craft your own weapons and tools, and make natural remedies * Gain wisdom for water emergencies — stay afloat when your ship or boat sinks, avoid dehydration and starvation, and make it to shore Open the book and find: * Common survival scenarios you may encounter * Tried-and-tested advice for individuals or groups * The items you need to stay alive * Basic orientation skills * Ways to keep warm or cool * The best methods for building a fire in any environment * What you can (and can't) eat and drink in the wild * True stories of survival

  • Author:
    Manning, Mick
    Summary:

    Develop self-sufficiency skills and explore nature with the activities in this book. Topics covered include: tracking skills; wildlife spotting; foraging for wild food and cooking outdoors; how to light a fire safely (with adult supervision); stargazing, including star maps; outdoor games; nature chase; how to mimic birdsong; how to make whistles and peashooters from elder stems; and much more!

  • Author:
    Tsui, Bonnie
    Summary:

    Humans, unlike other animals that are drawn to water, are not natural-born swimmers. We must be taught. Our evolutionary ancestors learned for survival; now in the 21st century, we swim in freezing Arctic waters and piranha-infested rivers to test our limits. Swimming is an introspective and silent sport in a chaotic and noisy age; it’s therapeutic for both the mind and body; and it's an adventurous way to get from point A to point B. It's also one route to that elusive, ecstatic state of flow. These reasons, among many others, make swimming one of the most popular activities in the world. Why We Swim is propelled by stories of Olympic champions, a Baghdad swim club that meets in Saddam Hussein's palace pool, modern-day Japanese samurai swimmers, and even an Icelandic fisherman who improbably survives a wintry six-hour swim after a shipwreck. New York Times contributor Bonnie Tsui, a swimmer herself, dives into the deep, from the San Francisco Bay to the South China Sea, investigating what it is about water - despite its dangers - that seduces us, tempting us to come back to it again and again.

  • Author:
    Buckley, James
    Summary:

    Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. won the world heavyweight championship at the age of 22, the same year he joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. He would go on to become the first and only three-time (in succession) World Heavyweight Champion. Nicknamed "The Greatest," Ali was as well known for his unique boxing style, consisting of the Ali Shuffle and the rope-a-dope, as he was for the catchphrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." He was an uncompromising athlete who brought beauty and grace to a very rough sport and became one of the world's most famous cultural icons. Read Who Is Muhammad Ali? and discover "The Greatest."

  • Author:
    Buckley, James
    Summary:

    At the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, track and field star Jesse Owens ran himself straight into international glory by winning four gold medals. But the life of Jesse Owens is much more than a sports story. Born in rural Alabama under the oppressive Jim Crow laws, Owens's family suffered many hardships. As a boy he worked several jobs like delivering groceries and working in a shoe repair shop to make ends meet. But Owens defied the odds to become a sensational student athlete, eventually running track for Ohio State. He was chosen to compete in the Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany where Adolf Hitler was promoting the idea of "Aryan superiority." Owens's winning streak at the games humiliated Hitler and crushed the myth of racial supremacy once and for all.

  • Author:
    Herman, Gail
    Summary:

    As a kid, Jackie Robinson loved sports. And why not? He was a natural at football, basketball, and, of course, baseball. But beyond athletic skill, it was his strength of character that secured his place in sports history. In 1947 Jackie joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the long-time color barrier in major league baseball. It was tough being first- not only did "fans" send hate mail but some of his own teammates refused to accept him.

  • Author:
    Gigliotti, Jim.
    Summary:

    Bruce Lee was a Chinese American action film star, martial arts instructor, filmmaker, and philosopher. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim. Through such films as Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon, Lee helped to change the way Asians were presented in American films and, in the process, he became an iconic figure known throughout the world. Although he died at the young age of 32, Bruce Lee is widely considered to be the one of the most influential martial artists of all time.

  • Author:
    Herman, Gail
    Summary:

    After breaking or tying more than sixty records in hockey, it's no wonder that Wayne Gretzky is known as "The Great One." Born in Brantford, Ontario, on January 26, 1961, in a nation obsessed with the sport, he threw himself into the game practically from the time he first laced up a pair of skates. When he retired from the NHL in 1999, he had led several teams to Stanley Cup victories, competed in the Olympics, and changed the way hockey was played forever. Known for his love for family and as a truly decent human being, Wayne Gretzky is revealed as more than a sports legend in this easy-to-read biography.

  • Author:
    Buckley, James
    Summary:

    The story of a poor boy from Brazil who became the greatest soccer player of all time and one of the most important athletes of the twentieth century! His parents may have named him Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but to the rest of the world, he is known as Pelé. The now-retired professional soccer forward stunned Brazil when he began playing for the Santos soccer club at age fifteen. He then went on to captivate the world when he joined his country's national soccer team and helped them win three World Cup championships. Although he's hailed as a national hero for his accomplishments in soccer, Pelé has been an influential person both on and off the pitch. His work with organizations like UNICEF has helped improve conditions for children around the world. Young readers can learn more about the man who connected soccer with the phrase "The Beautiful Game."

  • Author:
    Anderson, Kirsten
    Summary:

    Grab your Js and hit the court with this Who Was? biography about NBA superstar Michael Jordan. Meet the man who changed the game forever. Michael Jordan has always been competitive--even as a young boy, he fought for attention. His need to be the best made him a star player on his college basketball team and helped him become an NBA legend, both for his skills and his endorsements. His Nike contract for Air Jordan basketball shoes set an unmatched precedent for professional athletes. Author Kirsten Anderson takes readers through each exciting moment, detailing the iconic reverse lay-ups and jump shots of Michael Jordan's storied career.

  • Author:
    Labrecque, Ellen
    Summary:

    Whenever a young David Beckham was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he'd always answer with the same response: I want to be a footballer. This English native got his wish when he joined the Manchester United team in 1991. Since then, he has been crossing, bending, and free-kicking his way to stardom. In his twenty-year career as a professional soccer player, he has won nineteen major trophies, and appeared at three FIFA World Cup tournaments. David Beckham has become an international cultural icon for his soccer skills, his charity work, and his fashionable wife and family. Young soccer fans are in for a treat with this Who HQ book.

  • Author:
    Stabler, David
    Summary:

    Rev your engines and get ready for this exciting look at how Dale Earnhardt Jr. lived up to his family legacy and became one of the greatest professional stock car racing drivers in the world. No one was surpised when Dale Earnhardt Jr. began his racing career at age seventeen. His father and grandfather were professional racers, and he spent most of his childhood servicing cars at his dad's dealership. Now Dale was ready for his own turn in the driver's seat. He started out racing in the Street Stock division but would go on to win several NASCAR championships before retiring from driving fulltime in 2017. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s passion and dedication to the sport he loves is why he is considered the most popular professional driver in the world.

  • Author:
    Anthony, Carmelo
    Summary:

    From iconic NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony comes a raw and inspirational memoir about growing up in the housing projects of Red Hook and Baltimore-a brutal world Where Tomorrows Aren't Promised . For a long time, Carmelo Anthony's world wasn't any larger than the view of the hoopers and hustlers he watched from the side window of his family's first-floor project apartment in Red Hook, Brooklyn. He couldn't dream any bigger than emulating his big brothers and cousin, much less going on to become a basketball champion on the world stage. He faced palpable dangers growing up in the housing projects in Red Hook and West Baltimore's Murphy Homes (a.k.a. Murder Homes, subject of HBO's The Wire ). He navigated an education system that ignored, exploited, or ostracized him. He suffered the untimely deaths of his closely held loved ones. He struggled to survive physically and emotionally. But with the strength of family and the guidance of key mentors on the streets and on the court, he pushed past lethal odds to endure and thrive. By the time Carmelo found himself at the NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden in 2003 preparing to embark on his legendary career, he wondered: How did a kid who'd had so many hopes, dreams, and expectations beaten out of him by a world of violence, poverty, and racism make it here at all? Carmelo's story is one of perseverance and determination; of dribbling past players bigger and tougher than him, while also weaving around vial caps and needles strewn across the court; where dealers and junkies lined one side of the asphalt and kids playing jacks and Double Dutch lined the other; where rims had no nets, and you better not call a foul-a place Where Tomorrows Aren't Promised.

  • Author:
    Kain, Conrad
    Summary:

    He brought glamour and imagination into the sport of mountaineering as few guides have done before him. Recalling his personality and amusing stories one should not forget that his approach to mountains was first and foremost an aesthetic one; he saw a peak first as something beautiful—the technical problem was always secondary — and nothing counted beside that vision. Of all the mountain guides who came to Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Conrad Kain is probably the most respected and well known. In this internationally anticipated reissue of Where the Clouds Can Go-first published in 1935, with subsequent editions in 1954 and 1979-Rocky Mountain Books has accentuated the original text with an expanded selection of over 50 archival images that celebrate the accomplishments of Conrad Kain in the diverse mountain landscapes of North America, Europe and New Zealand. The new foreword by acclaimed mountaineer and filmmaker Pat Morrow puts Kain's mountaineering adventures, numerous explorations and devout appreciation of nature into a contemporary context, ensuring that the exploits of this remarkable individual will remain part of international mountain culture for years to come. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Kain's arrival in Canada, the Conrad Kain Centennial Society was formed in 2008 to celebrate his many achievements and to develop legacy projects in his memory. This expanded edition of Kain's book will help carry his passion for mountaineering to a new generation of readers and adventurers.

  • Author:
    Krakauer, Jon.
    Summary:

    The bestselling author of Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, and Under the Banner of Heaven delivers a stunning, eloquent account of a remarkable young man's haunting journey. Like the men whose epic stories Jon Krakauer has told in his previous bestsellers, Pat Tillman was an irrepressible individualist and iconoclast. In May 2002, Tillman walked away from his $3.6 million NFL contract to enlist in the United States Army. He was deeply troubled by 9/11, and he felt a strong moral obligation to join the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Two years later, he died on a desolate hillside in southeastern Afghanistan. Though obvious to most of the two dozen soldiers on the scene that a ranger in Tillman's own platoon had fired the fatal shots, the Army aggressively maneuvered to keep this information from Tillman's wife, other family members, and the American public for five weeks following his death. During this time, President Bush repeatedly invoked Tillman's name to promote his administration's foreign policy. Long after Tillman's nationally televised memorial service, the Army grudgingly notified his closest relatives that he had "probably" been killed by friendly fire while it continued to dissemble about the details of his death and who was responsible. In Where Men Win Glory, Jon Krakauer draws on Tillman's journals and letters, interviews with his wife and friends, conversations with the soldiers who served alongside him, and extensive research on the ground in Afghanistan to render an intricate mosaic of this driven, complex, and uncommonly compelling figure as well as the definitive account of the events and actions that led to his death. Before he enlisted in the army, Tillman was familiar to sports aficionados as an undersized, overachieving Arizona Cardinals safety whose virtuosity in the defensive backfield was spellbinding. With his shoulder-length hair, outspoken views, and boundless intellectual curiosity, Tillman was considered a maverick. America was fascinated when he traded the bright lights and riches of the NFL for boot camp and a buzz cut. Sent first to Iraq?a war he would openly declare was "illegal as hell"?and eventually to Afghanistan, Tillman was driven by complicated, emotionally charged, sometimes contradictory notions of duty, honor, justice, patriotism, and masculine pride, and he was determined to serve his entire three-year commitment. But on April 22, 2004, his life would end in a barrage of bullets fired by his fellow soldiers. Krakauer chronicles Tillman's riveting, tragic odyssey in engrossing detail highlighting his remarkable character and personality while closely examining the murky, heartbreaking circumstances of his death. Infused with the power and authenticity readers have come to expect from Krakauer's storytelling, Where Men Win Glory exposes shattering truths about men and war.

  • Author:
    Horrow, Rick, Bloom, Larry
    Summary:

    A fascinating insider's look at the people, politics, and power plays behind the mega sports deals. In When the Game Is on the Line, Rick Horrow reveals the real stories behind the biggest sports deals of the past twenty years, over 100 of which he has brokered. Since early battles with infamous Dolphins owner Joe Robbie and a backstabbing Miami City Commission, Horrow has tangled with colorful figures in sports and government, including NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, and Miami Heat owner Ted Arison. The results have included new stadiums across America, league expansions, elite teams such as the Miami Heat—and the bragging rights to go with them. For anyone interested in the high-octane world where sports, business, and politics meet, "When the Game Is on the Line" is a must-read.

  • Author:
    Robinson, Roger
    Summary:

    Robinson takes readers on a globe-trotting tour that combines a historian's in­sight with vivid personal memories going back to just after World War II. From experiencing the 1948 "Austerity Olympics" in London as a young spectator to working as a journalist in the Boston Marathon media center at the moment of the 2013 bombings, Robinson offers a fascinating first-person account of the tragic and triumphant moments that impacted the world and shaped the modern sport. He chronicles the beginnings of the American running boom, the emergence of women's running, the end of the old amateur rules, and the redefinition of aging for athletes and amateurs. With an intimate perspective and insightful reporting, Robinson captures major historical events through the lens of running. He recounts running in Berlin at the time of German reunification in 1990, organizing a replacement track meet in New Zealand after the disastrous 2011 earthquake, and the tri­umph of Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. As an avid runner, journalist, and fan, Robinson brings these global events to life and reveals the intimate and powerful ways in which running has intersected with recent history.

  • Author:
    Lloyd, Carli
    Summary:

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the celebrated star of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, an inspiring, uplifting, and candid memoir of how she got there"If a player trains when nobody is watching, she might be able to do superhuman things when the entire world is watching. Like scoring a hat trick in the first sixteen minutes of a World Cup final, an eventual 5-2 victory over Japan. Or topping off that hat trick with an astonishing fifty-yard strike from midfield, the greatest goal in U.S. soccer history, a shot so audacious that it's surprising to learn that Lloyd had actually practiced it for years with [James] Galanis on an empty field in New Jersey, far from any crowds." - Grant Wahl, Sports IllustratedIn 2015, the U.S .Women's National Soccer Team won its first FIFA championship in sixteen years, culminating in an epic final game that electrified soccer fans around the world. It featured a gutsy, brilliant performance by team captain and midfielder Carli Lloyd, who made history that day, scoring a hat trick'three goals in one game'during the first sixteen minutes. But there was a time when Carli almost quit the sport. In 2003 she was struggling, her soccer career at a crossroads. Then she found a trusted trainer, James Galanis, who saw in Carli a player with raw talent, skill, and a great dedication to the game. What Carli lacked were fitness, mental toughness, and character. Together they set to work, training day and night, fighting, grinding it out. No one worked harder than Carli. And no one believed in her more than James. Despite all the naysayers, the times she was benched, moments when her self-confidence took a nosedive, she succeeded in becoming one of the best players in the world. This candid reflection on a remarkable turnaround will take readers inside the women's national team and inside the head of an athlete who willed herself to perform at the highest levels of competition.

  • Author:
    McMurchy-Barber, Gina
    Summary:

    An orphaned girl in a Ugandan refugee camp. A former child soldier in the Sudan. When survival is the priority, something as simple and normal as play seems to be a luxury that these children can do without. But Right to Play is changing that perception. Founded in 2000 by Norwegian Olympic medalist Johann Olav Koss, Right to Play begins at the grassroots community level, using sports and games to teach at-risk and underprivileged children around the world important values like self-esteem, empathy, and peace. Award winning author Gina McMurchy-Barber presents the history of this organization as well as the people who are involved in it - from the children, to their community leaders, to the celebrity athlete ambassadors who support them.

  • Author:
    Murakami, Haruki
    Summary:

    This rich and revelatory memoir offers a cornucopia of memories and insights about writing and running and the integral impact both have made on the author's life as he prepares for the 2005 New York City Marathon.

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