In any sport, whenever an official takes the field, court, ice, ring, or pitch, they do so with a bright red bull's-eye on their backs. For even with their great accuracy and passion for the game, they do make errors--occasionally, great big fat ones--that change the tide of sports history.

In The Worst Call Ever, keepers of truth and enlightenment, sportswriters Kyle Garlett and Patrick O'Neal, expose the most injurious mistakes and desecrations, document their lasting damage--which to some wronged parties has evolved into a condition akin to post-traumatic stress disorder--and hopefully become the soothing balm of reconciliation.

Each piece details the play in question and examines the players and stakes involved, the scope of the injustice, and the path of change that was often its result. Garlett and O'Neal cover mishaps in all sports, from the four Major Leagues to golf and auto racing to even curling, in this fascinating look at the worst calls in sports history.

From the late 1950s to the 1980s, baseball's American League mismanaged integration and expansion, allowing the National League to forge ahead in attendance and prestige. While both leagues had executive structures that presented few barriers to individual team owners acting purely in their own interests, it was the American League that succumbed to infighting-which ultimately led to its disappearance into what we now call Major League Baseball. Stumbling around the Bases is the story of how the American League fell into such a disastrous state, struggling for decades to escape its nadir and, when it finally righted itself, losing its independence. The American League's trip to the bottom involved bad decisions by both individual teams and their owners. The key elements were a glacial approach to integration, the choice of underfinanced or disruptive new owners, and a consistent inability to choose the better markets among cities that were available for expansion. The American League wound up with less-attractive teams in the smaller markets compared to the National League-and thus fewer consumers of tickets, parking, beer, hot dogs, scorecards, and replica jerseys. The errors of the American League owners were rooted in missed cultural and demographic shifts and exacerbated by reactive decisions that hurt as much as helped their interests. Though the owners were men who were notably successful in their non-baseball business ventures, success in insurance, pizza, food processing, and real estate development, didn't necessarily translate into running a flourishing baseball league. In the end the National League was simply better at recognizing its collective interests, screening its owners, and recognizing the markets that had long-term potential.

Eurosport's legendary commentator Carlton Kirby takes us all on a tour of the professional cycling race year. A companion title to his bestselling Magic Spanner, this witty, affectionately written book takes fans into cycling's less familiar, often wonderfully bizarre corners. A true cycling nut would be hard pushed to name all 36 races in just a 'normal' UCI World Tour. But there are so many more: 375 on the European Tour alone and many more on the America Tour (80), the Asia Tour (65), and the Africa Tour (45). It's a year-long schedule, most of it unfamiliar. They may be amazing, they may be odd, but all have their place in the Sticky Bottle calendar. Big races and small ones find a place in Sticky Bottle as well as the relatively unknown. Here are personal and historical tales of cycling wonder and woe, plus a healthy smattering of the bizarre. From the early season Comunitat Valenciana event that is full of crashes because riders are so rusty, via the Tour of Croatia with its bullet holes and potholes, Sticky Bottle is a fun yet informative guide to the cycling year. A mix of personal anecdotes and racing history, it will entertain and enlighten in equal measure. As with his bestselling debut book Magic Spanner, TV's 'Mr Cycling' gives us a witty behind-the-scenes view, one that the average fan rarely gets to see or hear about. Welcome to the cycling year! 'A genuine one-off with a ready wit and a killer anecdote to hand at all times' - Rouleur

A paradigm-shifting book from an acclaimed Harvard Medical School scientist and one of Time’s most influential people.

It’s a seemingly undeniable truth that aging is inevitable. But what if everything we’ve been taught to believe about aging is wrong? What if we could choose our lifespan? In this groundbreaking book, Dr. David Sinclair, leading world authority on genetics and longevity, reveals a bold new theory for why we age. As he writes: “Aging is a disease, and that disease is treatable.”

This eye-opening and provocative work takes us to the frontlines of research that is pushing the boundaries on our perceived scientific limitations, revealing incredible breakthroughs—many from Dr. David Sinclair’s own lab at Harvard—that demonstrate how we can slow down, or even reverse, aging. The key is activating newly discovered vitality genes, the descendants of an ancient genetic survival circuit that is both the cause of aging and the key to reversing it. Recent experiments in genetic reprogramming suggest that in the near future we may not just be able to feel younger, but actually become younger.

Through a page-turning narrative, Dr. Sinclair invites you into the process of scientific discovery and reveals the emerging technologies and simple lifestyle changes—such as intermittent fasting, cold exposure, exercising with the right intensity, and eating less meat—that have been shown to help us live younger and healthier for longer. At once a roadmap for taking charge of our own health destiny and a bold new vision for the future of humankind, Lifespan will forever change the way we think about why we age and what we can do about it.

Smarter than your old history teacher, funnier than the Founding Fathers and more American than Betty Crocker cradling an apple pie

Do you still think of Honest Abe as a heroic defender of liberty? That the late '60s were a groovy time of peace and love? That the United States has always been dependent on foreign oil? Well, you shouldn't! In this delightful tour through America's knotty past, mental_floss offers something new: a refreshingly honest history that's guaranteed to set things straight.

Peppered with trivia, charts, timelines, and, yes, plenty of history, "The mental_floss History of the United States" includes the juiciest tales of political intrigue, serial killers, mobsters, Puritans, rum, witches, potato chips, and more. Here at last is the true American Dream: an insightful, accurate, and wholly entertaining history that's 100 percent made in the U. S. of A.

'A rollicking read and a mighty achievement' - Donald McRae, The Guardian 'Magnificent' - Owen Slot, The Times The 1997 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa is one of the most iconic in rugby history. Written off at home and abroad, Martin Johnson's men were given no hope of success against the world champion Springboks in their own backyard. But a combination of brilliant coaching, astute selections and outstanding players laid the foundations for the touring side's outstanding attacking mindset and brutal stonewall defence. On the other side was a team expected to stamp their authority on the tourists and confirm their place as the best side on the planet. But with political, racial and economic scandals swirling around the Springbok camp, plus a rookie coach parachuted into office just before the tour began, the hosts were under huge pressure. In a Test series that will go down in legend as one of the most compelling of all time, the sides could barely be separated. This is the inside story from both camps as they battle for supremacy, lifting the lid like never before as a huge cast of characters look back on those extraordinary weeks and the impact it had on their lives and careers thereafter. Hilarious, insightful and spine-chilling, Tom English and Peter Burns provide the perfect read for all Lions fans.

The essential guide that allows both sides to be heard Rabbi Professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok presents the Israeli perspective, while Dr Dawoud El-Alami presents the Palestinian perspective Updated to cover the most recent events, including the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the May 2021 fighting in Gaza, this bestselling introduction explores the history, motivations and people behind the Palestine-Israel conflict - and assesses the prospects for peace after almost eighty years.

Here is a unique and important volume that pays tribute to the contributions of the National Mental Health Association to the field of prevention.For more than 80 years, the National Mental Health Association has been a major force in the advancement of the field of prevention. It has pursued an impressive three-pronged mission of promoting health, preventing mental illness, and improving the care and treatment of persons with mental illnesses through advocacy at all levels of state and national government and the development of prevention programs.The National Mental Health Association: Eighty Years of Involvement in the Field of Prevention traces the history of the association's involvement in prevention back to the first decade of the century. Mental health professionals from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas, South Carolina, New York, and Illinois describe some of the diverse activities relating to prevention in which local associations are involved, such as public education, direct intervention, and legislative advocacy. In addition, a large part of the volume is devoted to in-depth descriptions of seven programs of sufficient distinction and merit to have received the association's prestigious Lela Rowland Prevention Award, which recognizes outstanding prevention programs in the area of mental health.This volume should be read by the hundreds of thousands of Mental Health Association members, as well as community psychologists, social workers, and professionals in mental health centers and state mental health departments.

England On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the national side's rollercoaster past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Lions diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the first ever international match in 1872 to the Premier League era, England's faithful fans have witnessed decades of world domination and tragicomic failures, grudge matches, World Cup heroics, bizarre goals, fouls and metatarsals - all featured here. Timeless greats such as Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Paul Gascoigne, Steve Bloomer, David Beckham and Stanley Matthews all loom larger than life. Revisit 12 May 1971, when England beat Malta 5-0 and Gordon Banks only got four touches - all backpasses! 1 September 2001: Germany 1-5 England! Or 12 July 1966, when the England team took a morale-boosting trip to the set of You Only Live Twice...

For readers of Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit and Unbroken, the dramatic story of the American rowing team that stunned the world at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics

Daniel James Brown's robust book tells the story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936.

The emotional heart of the story lies with one rower, Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home. The crew is assembled by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but it is their trust in each other that makes them a victorious

The leaping Springbok on the green jersey of South Africa is one of the most iconic emblems in world rugby. At the same time, no symbol in world sport has ever done so much to divide - and then unite - a nation. Respected by opponents and supported passionately by South Africans, the Springboks have been a powerhouse rugby nation for over a century, yet the emblem that now sits alongside the Protea on the chests of the players was once a symbol of violent oppression in apartheid South Africa, the epitome of the white man's dominance over people of colour in the Republic. Told in the words of Springboks past and present, Our Blood is Green explores what it means to play for South Africa - from schoolboy dreams to the sacrifices required to make it to the very top - as well as the myriad difficulties the players have faced over the years, from the horrors of apartheid through to the emerging rainbow nation in the 1990s and the multi-cultural World Cup-winning team of today. It is a fascinating, powerful and poignant read that explores the unity of a brotherhood that fights to transcend race, culture and class while simultaneously striving to become the best team on the planet. Our Blood is Green examines what it truly means to be a Springbok and it is told the only way it can be - by the players themselves.

This is a well-researched and highly-illustrated biography of one of the most influential educational leaders of the 20th century. John Henry Brookes was a driving force in the development of education throughout the city of Oxford. Determined, kind and visionary, his ideas and energy profoundly affected many lives, and Oxford Brookes University was named in his honour. The book describes his early life, the influential thinkers that shaped his views, his arts and crafts career, and his long struggle that led to the Headington campus of what is now the highly-respected Oxford Brookes University. With photography dating form the early years of the 20th century, and beautiful colour reproductions of artwork produced by Brookes, the biography will provide a compelling insight into the life of a man who was determined to change education for young people in Oxford.

In February 2012, Rangers faced an uncertain future and fans feared for their club as a Scottish institution was plunged into crisis. Just months later, Rangers would start out on what those supporters christened 'The Journey' as they attempted to make their way back to the top of the game from the Third Division. The years that followed were amongst the most tumultuous and controversial in the club's illustrious history as financial results became as important and noteworthy as football ones. Through it all, Rangers supporters followed near and far. In May 2021, Rangers completed their journey as Steven Gerrard's side were crowned Premiership champions. Going for 55 tells the story of the campaign, giving insight and offering analysis into how Gerrard revolutionised the club and restored Rangers to their place at the top of Scottish football. With interviews from the money men who funded the rebuilding job, the staff and players that made the dream a reality and those in the press that saw history being made, this is a sporting tale like no other.

Lizzie Stark takes readers on a witty, revealing and delightful journey through the natural and cultural history of the egg, exploring its deep symbolism, innumerable uses and metabolic importance in twelve dazzling specimens. From Mali to Finland, Stark looks at cultures that find the world's origins in an egg. Decorated by Ukrainians, an oracle for Greeks, the impetus behind gang wars and flown into space, the egg-whether of chickens, murres or ostriches-has taken on mythic proportions, all the while serving as a humble ingredient in fancy dishes. Stark even writes Jacques Pepin's biography through the lens of the egg dishes he served. Egg is also about Stark's fascination with this delicate ovoid-both her myriad attempts to create a perfect omelette and her fraught relationship to the ova in her body. Filled with colourful characters and fascinating morsels, Egg is a playful, informative and surprising history that guarantees you'll never take the egg for granted again.

The encyclopaedia once shaped our understanding of the world. Created by thousands of scholars and the most obsessive of editors, adults cleared their shelves in the belief that wisdom was now effortlessly accessible in their living rooms. Contributions from Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Orville Wright, Alfred Hitchcock, Marie Curie and Indira Gandhi helped millions of children with their homework. But now these huge books gather dust and sell for almost nothing on eBay, and we derive our information from the internet, apparently for free. What have we lost in this transition? And how did we tell the progress of our lives in the past? All the Knowledge in the World is a history and celebration of those who created the most ground-breaking and remarkable publishing phenomenon of any age. It tracks the story from Ancient Greece to Wikipedia, from modest single-volumes to the 11,000-volume Chinese manuscript that was too big to print. It looks at how Encyclopaedia Britannica came to dominate the industry and how an army of ingenious door-to-door salesmen sold their wares to guilt-ridden parents. It explains how encyclopaedias have reflected our changing attitudes towards sexuality, race and technology, and exposes how these ultimate bastions of trust were often riddled with errors and prejudice. With his characteristic ability to tackle the broadest of subjects in an illuminating and highly entertaining way, Simon Garfield uncovers a fascinating and important part of our past, and wonders whether the promise of complete knowledge - that most human of ambitions - will forever be beyond our grasp.

This handbook is a unique and major resource on modern educators of Asia and their contribution to Asian educational development through the 19th and 20th centuries when modernization started in Asia. In one comprehensive volume, this handbook covers a selection of modern educators from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia - and their contributions to the development of modern education, practically and theoretically. The diversity of cultures and religion as well as the multilinguistic and ethnic context have made Asian modernization unique and complex. Educational modernization in Asia reflected this historical context in many ways and resulted in the diverse forms of learning, teaching, institutions, and administration. Modern Asian educators compiled in this handbook represent various fields of Asian society: not only educational but cultural and social fields like academia, politics, economics, religion, literature, theatre, fine arts, and civic genres including the media. Through this Handbook, readers may discover the individual modern educators, male and female, and their contributions to Asian educational modernization. All of them were committed to the cause of education for children, youth, adults and in particular women. In addition, this volume has an extraordinarily rich subject index which can be an excellent guide and introduction to information touching divergent dynamics of educational developments in modern Asia. This insightful volume is perfect for students and researchers working on history of education, comparative education and educational development, particularly for those interested in Asian contexts.

Boatbuilding has been a traditional skill in Cornwall for many hundreds of years. In the more sheltered waters of Carrick Roads, on the leeward side of the Lizard peninsula, this tradition has flourished almost since the dawn of time to the present day. Pasco's Boatyard at St Just in Roseland has been in the forefront of this tradition of boatbuilding, repairing, mooring and storing boats for well over a quarter of a millennium. So much so that it is part of the fabric of the south-west area of Cornwall. As a strong commercial fishing area, Carrick Roads has led the way in providing good quality seafood for the area and the wider nation as a whole. Then as the move to larger mechanised fishing methods gathered pace, the skills of the craftsmen at St Just were turned towards the ever growing leisure and sporting section of the sailing and boating community. Thanks to these skills and the enthusiasm of the craftsmen at Pasco's, this tradition looks set to continue for many decades to come.

Originally published in 1981 to mark the twentieth anniversary of the birth of the Pre-school Playgroups Association, Parents and Playgroups brings together three wide-ranging reports which examine the role of the playgroup movement, its underlying philosophy and the contribution made by both playgroups and Mother and Toddler groups to the lives of thousands of mothers and children throughout Britain at the time. Formed following a letter to the Guardian in 1961, the PPA together with its sister organization the Scottish PPA had a membership of approaching 16,000 playgroups, serving nearly half a million children. Yet there had been very little research into the workings of the movement until 1975, when Barclays Bank funded a major research project which resulted in the three reports Parental Involvement in Playgroups, Mother and Toddler Groups and Patterns of Oversight published in this volume. The many questions explored and debated include: How should the playgroup movement develop in the 1980s and after? What do parents contribute to playgroups - and what do playgroups and Mother and Toddler groups offer in return? Should Social Service Departments take over the running of playgroups and Mother and Toddler groups? Do local authorities give playgroups enough support? Or does statutory 'oversight' inhibit flexibility and imaginative development? Are playgroups and Mother and Toddler groups too middle-class oriented - and do they work equally well in different kinds of neighbourhood? How do playgroups compare with nursery schools? As Lady Plowden writes in her Foreword, 'the three studies will serve as an introduction to the developed thinking of the association, and point to further areas of research. They describe something increasingly vital in our present society, which is so often rootless and purposeless, as the group studying parental involvement says "one of the greatest strengths of the playgroup movement is that overall it is a positive force in a largely negative society."' In the words of Max Patterson, President of the Scottish PPA: 'This is a valuable set of studies... There is a challenge in the material to those with power to effect change. The experience and hard-earned knowledge of the Playgroups Association raises important questions for all whose interest is family and pre-school child.'