Baseballs, Basketballs and Matzah Balls offers a sweeping exploration of sports: of contests and heroes, of triumph and adversity, and how they relate to the festivals that Jews have celebrated for thousands of years. Among the chapters: Remembering Simpler Times: What central message of Sukkot is enthusiastically espoused by winning college coaches? Kindling the Light of Confidence: What Hanukkah teaches us about the kind of confidence that builds champions? A Purim Perspective on Competitive Anger: Why so many athletes lose their cool, just like the villainous Haman did, becoming their own worst enemies? Coach K and the Meaning of Passover: How Mike Krzyzewski's success explains the Exodus? "A compelling, entertaining, illuminating work that will stir the hearts and intellect of Jews and non-Jews alike." - Seth Davis, Sports Illustrated/CBS Sports "Rabbi Mitch Smith has written a book that gives all sports fans occasion to think about the meaning of sacrifice, teamwork, leadership and other virtues in a different light. - Bud Selig, Commissioner, Major League Baseball "This book is a great read It offers all of us a roadmap to becoming more fulfilled human beings - Lenny Krayzelburg, 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist "Informative, insightful, inspirational... Mitch Smith scores on every level with this tonic for the soul." - Tim Green, former defensive end, Atlanta Falcons, Fox Sports NFL analyst "A MUST-READ Mitch Smith brings age-old texts to life, and conveys how concepts like team work, resilience, and refusing to succumb to defeat -- mainstays in sports -- not only allowed the Jewish people to weather history's storms, but to constantly engage in self-renewal. To paraphrase the old Levy's Rye Bread ad, you don't have to be Jewish to love this book." - Dr. Richard Lapchick, Director, Institute for Diversityand Ethics in Sport

This wide-ranging analysis of the key themes and developments in sports history provides an accessible introduction to the topic. The book examines sports history on a global scale, exploring the relationship between sports history and topics such as modernisation, globalisation, identity, gender and the media.

Contemporary life in the United States would be difficult to understand withouth examining the pivotal role sports have played in it. "Controversies of the Sports World" is designed to take readers of all ages into the heart of the tensions and conflicts that arise from the wide-ranging enterprise that now dominates the lives of millions of people. The controversies explored include such issues in sports as recruitment procedures, steroid and other drug use, discrimination against women, discrimination against African Americans, and violence.

Each of sixteen chapters analyzes the background and current status of a specific controversy illuminating how the games we play and watch affect, and are affected by, the world beyond the playing fields. Putnam presents opposing arguments on the sources and nature of each controversy, providing readers with an understanding of the causes and effects of sports controversies. He also presents a picture of how the people who inhabit the sports world--athletes, coaches, parents, agents, fans, team owners, corporate sponsors, and public officials--pursue their often clashing agendas in a manner that makes conflict inevitable and ongoing. References and Resources sections at the end of each chapter provide readers with annotated cites that will lead them to the sources they need to further explore particular aspects of each topic. The detailed index includes names, places, and teams, as well as concepts which students, teachers, and interested readers can use and explore.

Porter has produced a well-conceived, informative reference book that effectively combines breadth and depth of coverage. Recommended for academic and public libraries. "Choice"

The second of four volumes devoted to American sports, this volume presents comprehensive information on college and professional football players, coaches, club executives, league administrators, rule developers, and promoters active in the sport since 1869. Consisting of more than 500 alphabetically arranged biographical entries, it provides detailed profiles of the men who have shaped the game. Profiles describe those honored during their careers for high achievement and those whose contributions made a lasting impact on the history and development of the sport. All entries include a concise bibliography listing additional sources of information.

This early work is an absorbing read for any fishing enthusiast or historian, but also contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Illustrated with numerous text drawings and diagrams. Contents Include: Fundamentals of Fly Casting; Equipment and its Care; Bait; Methods of Fly Fishing; Tips on Fishing; Fresh Water Game Fish; The Sport of Fly Casting and Fishing; Index. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Commemoration of war is done through sport on Anzac Day to remember Australia's war dead. War, Sport and the Anzac Tradition traces the creation of this sporting tradition at Gallipoli in 1915, and how it has evolved from late Victorian and Edwardian ideas of masculinity extolling prowess on the sports field as fostering prowess on the battlefield.

Randolph Marcy wrote this guide for fellow travelers wanting to brave the wilderness of North America, at a time when the western reaches of the continent were barely settled. A captain in the U.S. military, Marcy wrote this guide partly to allay the many myths and fears of the Western frontier, and partly to offer guidance to the dangers which were actually manifest. The information within takes readers across two popular trails - northerly, ending in Oregon, and southerly, ending in Santa Fe. Written in 1859, this book is both a guidebook and an authentic history of the Wild West era. Various anecdotes are interspersed through the text - Marcy is careful to differentiate between friendly Indian tribes such as the Delawares and Shawnees, whom he admires. The Plains Indians however are considered to have hostile tendencies; Marcy instructs on how to sign, and gives a detailed account of how to safely sleep with a gun cocked and loaded.

Here is the first reference guide to the major sources for the study of recreational vehicles, boats, and aircraft in the context of American history and popular culture. It provides brief histories of the various types of vehicles and bibliographic essays on published and unpublished sources for further study. Reference works, histories, fiction, and specialized journals relating to the topic of recreational travel are described and analyzed. Appendixes list numerous museums, trade associations, and specialized organizations concerned with leisure travel, as well as films and video tapes.

What event most electrifies a small college town? Is it the U.S presidential elections? No. Is it an earthquake? No. Is it the election of a new mayor? No. Is it the firing and hiring of a football coach? Yes..

This is the story of just such an event. This is a fictionalized version of real stories and real people who lived long ago. The undefeated football season summarized here actually once took place at Rutgers University.. Other events actually took place primarily at St Lawrence University. Yes there was an outstanding season. Yes there actually was the horny sociologist. Yes, there actually was a beautiful woman we have called "yes." Yes, the sex in the chapel and the ridiculous faculty smoker actually happened; And the coach is the hero, or is he? And there has to be a villain, but who is the villain in our story? And who is the heroine?

Originally published in 1854 this early work on Fish and Fishing in the Lone Glens of Scotland is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. This is a fascinating illustrated read for any angler. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original artwork and text.

Why sports? What is their function in society, how are they organized, and why do people participate? This groundbreaking volume is filled with descriptive data relating to these questions and many others, and it does what none has done previously, by bringing together an edited collection of essays that describe and compare sport in twelve Asian and African nations from a social science perspective. Written by an international team of anthropologists, sociologists, political scientists, and physical educators, these chapters are not accounts by scholars viewing sport from afar; each writer is either a native of the country or has spent extensive time there teaching and/or conducting research. For ease of comparison, each chapter adheres to a common format, beginning with an historical overview of the development of sport in that country that focuses on indigenous traditional sports, the development of modern sports, and the place of contemporary sports. A description of the way sports are organized follows and includes discussions of the role of schools and government involvement. Next, where data were available, the authors evaluated levels of sports participation, including such variables as age, gender, social class, and urban or rural residence. An account is also presented of the nature of participation and success of the country in international sports competitions. Each chapter closes with an insightful appraisal of the future of sport in that country.

Seven figures and more than 25 tables facilitate comparisons, as does the editor's introductory essay that provides an overview of the following chapters. In the second introductory essay, Ruud Stokvis examines the process of international diffusion of sport, arguing that changes in sport participation patterns in countries over time reflect changes both in the world system and in the class structure of modernizing societies. Sport in Asia and Africa makes its substantial contribution to social science literature by enhancing cross-cultural understanding of sport as a vital social institution, and its voluminous descriptive data will surely be a catalyst in the evolution of further theories about the interrelationship of sport and society. A source of up-to-date sociological data, Wagner's superb reference will be an important resource for libraries, international studies programs, programs dealing with Asia and Africa, and physical education and sociology courses that examine sport in a comparative perspective.

Short-listed for the North American Society for Sport History Book Award 2003Alcohol is never far from sporting events. Although popular thinking on the effects of drinking has changed considerably over time, throughout history sport and alcohol have been intimately linked. The Victorians, for example, believed that beer helped to build stamina, whereas today any serious athlete must abstain from the 'demon drink'. Yet despite current prohibitions and the widespread acceptance of alcohol's deleterious effects, the uneasy alliance of sport with alcohol remains culturally entrenched. It is common for sporting celebrities to struggle with alcoholism, and teams are often encouraged to 'bond' by drinking together. Indeed, many of today's major sporting sponsors are breweries and manufacturers of alcoholic drinks.From hooliganism to commerce, from advertising and sponsorship to health and fitness, if there is one thing that brings athletes, fans and financial backers together it must be beer. This cultural history of drinking and sport examines the roles masculinity, class and regional identity play in alcohol consumption at a broad range of matches, races, courses and competitions. Offering a fresh perspective on the culture and commerce of sporting events, this book will be essential reading for cultural historians, anthropologists and sociologists, and anyone interested in sport.

Pilates benefits every body - including yours! Are you looking for the ideal home workout that anyone can do? Try Pilates and discover how to strengthen your core, become more flexible, improve your posture and even relieve back pain! This Pilates for beginners book is for everyone, regardless of age, race, size, gender, or physical ability. Discover how you can take advantage of all Pilates has to offer. This exercise book includes: - A complete workout plan allowing you to find your comfort zone and test your abilities without judgement - all from the comfort of your own home - 50 Pilates exercises with at least three variations/modifications for different body types - 15 sequences that combine the exercises - Expert advice and tips on Pilates and how to add the exercises to your life Pilates instructor and wellness coach, Micki Havard, will show you a wide range of Pilates exercises to discover this practice's physical and mental benefits. Step-by-step photography and a diverse group of models demonstrate each exercise with its possible variations, so you can find the best way that suits you, and your physical abilities. Once you've found the movements that suit you, you'll begin to notice the positive changes in your body as you become stronger and more confident. Other physical activities will become more manageable, and you will have renewed confidence in your everyday capabilities! If you enjoyed Pilates for Everyone, be sure to check out the other title in this series - Yoga for Everyone. So forget what you've heard. Exercise isn't just for the privileged few. It's meant to be enjoyed by everybody. Yes, you can do it - and this series will show you how!

This charming magazine is an absorbing read for any sportsman or historian. Its diverse articles are a wealth of information and anecdote extensively illustrated with text photographs. Contents Include: Secondary Education in Golf, A Winter in Sweden, Sport for a Prince, Trouting in North Devon, The Englishman's Bet, Hind Shooting in Winter, Winter Bicycling, Stalking in the Pamirs, The Goalkeeper, Reminiscences of Sport in Aberdeenshire, Prize Competition and Notes. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

This edition was originally published in 1898. The well illustrated contents include detailed chapters on: - The Shotgun - Choice and Fit - Handling the Gun - Chokes - Loads and Loading - Shooting Positions - Game Shooting - Pigeons and Trap Shooting - Rifles of Past and Present - The Sporting Rifle and All About It - Rifle Shooting - Long Shots - Bores etc. Many of the earliest shooting books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwor

This book, the first study of its kind, examines the economics behind motorsports, in particular Formula One. Chapters discuss the costs involved in Formula racing and how they are borne by teams, promoters and racers. The book also looks at how society, the public and the private sectors stand to benefit economically from the motorsport industry. Other issues like the economics of TV rights, sponsorship and sustainability are also addressed, again for the first time in an economics book. Moving beyond the economics of what happens off the track, the book also undertakes a serious examination of what goes in to making a winning team and what having a winning racer can do for a team's fortunes. Mourao's highly relevant and contemporary book also looks at how motorsport teams confront the challenges of the modern sporting world, including the changing dynamics of sports media and considers the future of Formula 1 as motorsports evolve.

This early work on dancing is a fascinating read for any dance enthusiast or historian, and contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Extensively illustrated with 51 diagrams and drawings forming a complete how-to guide. The A.B.C. of Ballroom dancing from the Square Dances to the Swing Waltz. Contents Include: Section I. The Waltz; Section II. The Foxtrot; Section III. The Tango; Section IV. Round Dances; Section V. The Quadrilles; Section VI. Etiquette. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.