On September 10, 1984, Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov appeared on the stage of the Hall of Columns in Moscow for the first game of their match for the World Chess Championship. The clash between the reigning champion and his brazen young challenger was highly anticipated, but no one could have foreseen what was in store. In the next six years they would play five matches for the highest title and create one of the fiercest rivalries in sports history. The matches lasted a staggering total of 14 months, and the ‘two K’s’ played 5540 moves in 144 games. The first match became front page news worldwide when after five months FIDE President Florencio Campomanes stepped in to stop the match citing exhaustion of both participants. A new match was staged and having learned valuable lessons, 22yearold Garry Kasparov became the youngest World Chess Champion in history. His win was not only hailed as a triumph of imaginative attacking chess, but also as a political victory. The representative of ‘perestroika’ had beaten the old champion, a symbol of Soviet stagnation. Kasparov defended his title in three more matches, all of them full of drama. Karpov remained a formidable opponent and the overall score was only 7371 in Kasparov’s favour. In The Longest Game Jan Timman returns to the KasparovKarpov matches. He chronicles the many twists and turns of this fascinating saga, including his behindthe scenes impressions, and takes a fresh look at the games.

In “a worthy companion to . . . Boys of Summer,” a Pulitzer prize winning journalist “exploits the power of memory and nostalgia with literary grace” (New York Times). From award-winning New York Times columnist Dan Barry comes the beautifully recounted story of the longest game in baseball history—a tale celebrating not only the robust intensity of baseball, but the aspirational ideal epitomized by the hard-fighting players of the minor leagues. On April 18, 1981, a ball game sprang eternal. For eight hours, the night seemed to suspend a town and two teams between their collective pasts and futures, between their collective sorrows and joys—the shivering fans; their wives at home; the umpires; the batboys approaching manhood; the ejected manager, peering through a hole in the backstop; the sportswriters and broadcasters; and the players themselves—two destined for the Hall of Fame (Cal Ripken and Wade Boggs), the few to play only briefly or forgettably in the big leagues, and the many stuck in minor-league purgatory, duty bound and loyal forever to the game. With Bottom of the 33rd, Barry delivers a lyrical meditation on small-town lives, minor-league dreams, and the elements of time and community that conspired one fateful night to produce a baseball game seemingly without end. An unforgettable portrait of ambition and endurance, Bottom of the 33rd is the rare sports book that changes the way we perceive America’s pastime—and America’s past. “Destined to take its place among the classics of baseball literature.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Bottom of the 33rd is chaw-chewing, sunflower-spitting, pine tar proof that too much baseball is never enough.” —Jane Leavy, author of The Last Boy and Sandy Koufax

De La Salle High School in Concord, California, is home to perhaps the greatest dynasty in sports history. At age 23, Coach Bob Ladouceur launched a legend, "The Streak," with no teaching or head-coaching experience, and with his teams amassed the highest winning percentage in all of football history with 138 consecutive victories. This book takes readers behind the scenes, closely following individual players, as Ladouceur guides his team through the most daunting schedule in school history, the 2002 season. Numerous interviews with major-league coaches such as Bill Walsh, Steve Mariucci, and John Gruden show the depth of respect accorded to Ladouceur and his methods and philosophies. Written with full cooperation from the coach and including dozens of photographs, this book is perfect for anyone interested in the factors behind phenomenal team success.

Do you want to win in the game of Risk? Have you always wanted to win against your cousin in the game of Risk? Do you feel frustrated when they gang up on you and you cannot do much about it? Or perhaps you made a reputation for yourself as the greatest Risk player ever, only to lose in the next game and the one after that! Read Total Diplomacy. This book aims to teach you how to beat them all in your own sweet way. But that's not all. Learn how to use diplomacy effectively to get what you want in life. There is a lot to learn from history and its great leaders. You will see how you can apply this knowledge to negotiate more successfully and be in control of people. You will learn the art if influence and persuasion and will be able to apply it immediately to your Risk games. Any complex system can be exploited by its users. This book is not just about Risk or use of strategy in games. It aims to enhance your personal skills too. * The best tactics and strategies to use in Risk* How to learn by example* How to understand a player's psychology* How to debate with people and influence them* When it is wise to break a deal or an alliance* How to control your emotions and exploit others' weaknesses* The best strategies to use if you are playing repeatedly against the same players* How to be deceptive and how to recognise deceptive behaviour* The best online strategies* How to negotiate successfully and make cunning deals

In 1957, when very few Mexican-Americans were familiar with the game of golf, and even less actually played it, a group of young caddies which had been recruited to form the San Felipe High School Golf Team by two men who loved the game, but who had limited access to it, competed against all-white schools for the Texas State High School Golf Championship. Despite having outdated and inferior equipment, no professional lessons or instructions, four young golfers with self-taught swings from the border city of Del Rio, captured the State title. Three of them took the gold, silver and bronze medals for best individual players. This book tells their story from their introduction to the game as caddies to eventually becoming champions.

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey meets Dog Heaven in this profoundly beautiful book about the special relationship between kids and dogs, the importance of language, and finding the meaning of life even in its final days. Poignant, hopeful, and lovingly told, this dog's journey—told by the dog himself in his own unique words—proves that love abides beyond a lifetime, out of sight but never far away. As a dog and his little girl go on their final walk together, he experiences the sights, smells, and wonders of this world one last time before peacefully passing on. But for such a good boy (oh yes, he is!) and his foreverfriend, that doesn't mean it's the end. Offering a unique and noteworthy take on death, this book balances the somber topic with a dog's ever-optimistic viewpoint, all woven together with its unconventional yet fitting approach to language. Family members, librarians, art-lovers, and educators alike will use this book as an accessible and comforting introduction to the ever-difficult topic of death, discussed and related in a new way with hopeful, uplifting, innovative language. THE PERFECT BOOK TO TALK ABOUT LOSS: The perennial themes of grief, fear, and death are always relevant and classic discussion topics even in families not yet dealing with death. The perfect answer to kids' big questions about what happens when we die, this book will be a standard in every home library. CREATIVE USE OF LANGUAGE: The words in this book are incredibly special, with phrases that conjure how the dog sees the world. The enjoyable challenge of matching up "letsgoboy" to a walk or "pufftails" to rabbits will make for meaningful discussions on a parent's lap or in a classroom reading circle. TEACHES CHILDREN EMPATHY: Reading this story from the dog's perspective is the perfect way for young readers to understand that the way another character thinks and perceives the world is different from their own experience. A BEAUTIFUL DOG STORY: Ideal for readers who love dogs, want dogs, or are going through a grieving process for their family dog, this book celebrates all that is most magical about these animals who are always by our side. A COMFORTING MESSAGE: It's rare for a book about death to extend beyond the moment of dying. The continuation of the dog's story past this point makes it special and especially comforting. Perfect for: parents and caregivers, dog lovers, educators

The story of how Cal Ripken and the Orioles broke their losing streak of twenty-one consecutive games in 1988.

Flower and Spyke pillage and double-cross their way through another dungeon!

The Stories and the Games: Alekhine – Euwe – Botvinnik – Smyslov – Tal - Petrosian – Spassky – Fischer - Karpov – Kasparov For many years Jan Timman was one of the best chess players in the world. He combined his brilliant successes on the board with a passion for writing and meticulously analysing his own games and those of his rivals. Three times he was a World Championship Candidate and in 1993 he played in the final of the FIDE World Championship. In this fascinating book, Jan Timman portrays ten World Chess Champions that played an important role in his life and career. Alexander Alekhine (1892-1946) he never met, but the story of how in Lisbon he bought one of the last chess sets belonging to the fourth World Champion is one of many highlights in this book. Timman has a keen eye for detail and a fabulous memory, and he visibly enjoys sharing his insider views, including many revelations about the great champions. Timman’s Titans not only presents a personal view of these chess giants, but is also an evocation of countless fascinating episodes in chess history. Each portrait is completed by a rich selection of illustrative games, annotated in the author’s trademark lucid style. Always to the point, sharp and with crystal-clear explanations, Timman shows the highs and lows from the games of the champions, including the most memorable games he himself played against them.

"'Eating disorders.' Most of us instantly picture a teenaged or college aged girl when we see those words. After all, doesn't age immunize women from the body image, weight concerns and eating disorders that plague the younger years? Truth is that, over 15% women at midlife and beyond suffer from eating disorders, surpassing the number affected by breastt cancer! These are serious, life threatening and heartbreaking illnesses at any age. This story needs to be told and Betsy Brenner does just that. "The Longest Match: Rallying to Defeat an Eating Disorder in Midlife is a beautifully written and heartfelt memoir illustrating the trajectory from early childhood, through adolescence and early adulthood, to midlife when eating disorder thoughts and behaviors took over the author's life. Journal entries reveal occasional negative thoughts about her weight or food in younger years, but the stressors of midlife knocked this high functioning woman off her feet. "Like adolescence and young adulthood, midlife is full of tricky transitions. Unlike earlier in life, however, no one is there to catch you when you fall or to coach you back on your feet. Today women feel pressure to do it all and do it perfectly, constantly multitasking at home, and outside of home, taking care of their children and marriages, their extended families, ill and aging parents, all while trying to maintain an identity of their own. "Eating disorders can devour a woman at any age, but Betsy Brenner rallied, using every resource she had. Thank you, Betsy, for being painfully honest about your experiences and your pain, and for explaining the many factors that make a woman vulnerable to eating disorders during midlife. Thank you for finding the courage to access help, for trusting the treatment process and for inspiring other midlife women to believe in themselves. Thank you for telling your story so women struggling with an eating disorder at midlife will know they are not alone and will see a path to recovery. And, most of all, thank you for staying in the match-the 'longest match' ever-and winning." -Margo Maine, PhD, FAED, CEDS "I applaud Betsy Brenner for encouraging women of every age to reflect on their relationship with their parents. Through sharing her story, Betsy demonstrates how we can reframe our painful experiences with self-love and self-compassion. This book shows that, at every age, we can grow and find peace and fulfillment through bravely reaching out, connecting with like-minded others, and doing the hard work required to heal our childhood wounds. It's never too late to start. Thank you, Betsy, for showing us how to be free." -Dr. June Alexander, www.thediaryhealer.com "The Longest Match is an outstanding memoir. I have never seen a documented account of an individual who was first diagnosed with an eating disorder in mid-life. Brenner's description of the path that led to her illness and her route to recovery is remarkable. She eloquently describes her childhood, her family history, her personality traits, and her love of tennis, that all contributed to the development of her illness. She describes the process of her therapy with great clarity and allows us to see that full recovery is possible." -Beth Mayer, LICSW