THE SECRETS OF SUPERHUMAN PERFORMANCE Never have the best sportspeople seemed so far removed from the rest of us, their prowess so unfathomable. So how are these extraordinary athletes made? THE BEST reveals how the most incredible sportspeople in the world get to the top and stay there. It is a unique look at the path to sporting greatness; a story of origins, practice, genetics and psychology. Packed with gripping personal stories and interviews with top athletes including Elena Delle Donne, Pete Sampras, Joey Votto, Steph Curry, Kurt Warner and Premier League superstars Marcus Rashford and Jamie Carragher, it explains how the best athletes develop the extraordinary skills that allow them to perform remarkable feats under extreme pressure. THE BEST uncovers startling truths of athletic greatness-including why younger siblings have more chance of becoming elite, which towns produce the most superstars, the role of informal play and the best time to be born in the school year. It goes inside the minds of champions to understand what makes them perform during high-octane competition, how to hit a baseball or tennis ball in under 0.5 seconds, the secrets of how the best train and what makes a great leader. The book appeals to all lovers of sport, anyone with an interest in psychology and excellence, the parents of budding athletes, and fans of books like Freakonomics, Outliers and Range. It is a deconstruction of what it takes to be the best-and how we can all improve in sport and beyond.

The inspirational story of Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia—a giant talent in a small package—who defied his critics to become one of the greatest players in the game today. Dustin Pedroia, at five feet seven inches and 170 pounds, is not the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest player in the game of baseball, but in just two years of major-league play he was named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and helped the Boston Red Sox win a World Championship. At a time when steroid scandals dominate media coverage of America’s beloved pastime, Pedroia has proven to the world that a good baseball player is more than size and statistics. His success comes from the heart. In Born to Play, Pedroia shares the story of his difficult and uplifting journey to prove himself at every turn. More than anything, his love of the game and desire to win, not just for himself but for his teammates, defines Pedroia as an athlete—but his dedication, his perseverance, and of course, his monster swing have made him a beloved new symbol of baseball and offer hope for the future of America’s favorite game.

A chess match seems as solitary an endeavor as there is in sports: two minds, on their own, in fierce opposition. In contrast, Gary Alan Fine argues that chess is a social duet: two players in silent dialogue who always take each other into account in their play. Surrounding that one-on-one contest is a community life that can be nearly as dramatic and intense as the across-the-board confrontation. Fine has spent years immersed in the communities of amateur and professional chess players, and with Players and Pawns he takes readers deep inside them, revealing a complex, brilliant, feisty world of commitment and conflict. Within their community, chess players find both support and challenges, all amid a shared interest in and love of the long-standing traditions of the game, traditions that help chess players build a communal identity. Full of idiosyncratic characters and dramatic gameplay, Players and Pawns is a celebration of the fascinating world of serious chess.

This edited collection brings together the latest research into the range of sports known as football. With contributions by a large number of the leading international researchers in the field, the book aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice in football, and to raise the awareness of the value of a scientific approach to the various football codes. The book contains nearly seventy papers, examining aspects ranging from match analysis and medical aspects of football to metabolism and nutrition, psychology and behaviour, and management and organization. Containing a wealth of research data, and a huge range of examples of how science can be applied; this book represents an invaluable reference for coaches, trainers, managers, medical staff, and all those involved in supporting performers in the many football codes.

In less than 120 years an activity invented by one man to alleviate winter boredom for a college gym class has evolved into a worldwide multi-billion dollar enterprise. It is impossible for Dr. James Naismith, basketball's inventor, to have envisioned the extent to which his simple game would reach. Without major changes to his original 13 rules, basketball is now played in more than 200 countries by people of all ages. Thanks to basketball, players like Michael Jordan, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal have become some of the most famous people in the world. The Historical Dictionary of Basketball is a comprehensive account of all forms of basketball_amateur, professional, men's, women's, Olympic, domestic, and international_from its invention in 1891 through the present day. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries on the people, places, teams, and terminology of the game.

Find out what's going on any day of the year, anywhere across the globe! The world’s datebook, Chase's is the definitive day-by-day resource of what America and the wider world are celebrating and commemorating. Founded in 1957 on a reputation for accuracy and comprehensiveness, this annual publication has become the must-have reference used by experts and professionals for more than fifty years. From celebrity birthdays to historical anniversaries, from astronomical phenomena to national awareness days, from award ceremonies and sporting events to religious festivals and carnivals, Chase's is the one-stop shop for everything that is happening now or is worth remembering from the past. The 2017 Edition of Chase's Calendar of Events brings you information about: The 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses The 150th anniversary of the Dominion of Canada The 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution The 100th anniversary of splitting the atom The 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love Frank Lloyd Wright's 150th birth anniversary and much more!

Ryder Cup Revealed: Tales of the Unexpected is the previously-untold, behind-the-scenes story of golf's most iconic team contest. The book reports on the commercial mysteries of the money and business; the political games and social mischief-making; the controversial actions and conflicting viewpoints; the ever-changing, sensitive relationship between the players, captains and teams. Using new interviews, fresh insights, unique research and an alternative perspective, author Ross Biddiscombe debates and contextualises all nine decades of the Ryder Cup's history. Plus, he provides dramatic forecasts on the future of the matches that have grown from being financial liability to one of the most successful stories in the whole of sport.