• Audiobooks
  
• Baseball
  
• Basketball
  
• Biographies
  
• Coaching
  
• Extreme Sports
  
• Football (American)
  
• General
  
• General AAS
  
• Golf
  
• Hiking & Camping
  
• Hockey
  
• Hunting & Fishing
  
• Individual Sports
  
• Miscellaneous
  
• Mountaineering
  
• Other Team Sports
  
• Racket Sports
  
• Rodeos
  
• Soccer
  
• Softball
  
• Training
  
• Water Sports
  
• Winter Sports
  

List Price: $23.00
Price: $15.64
You Save: $7.36 (32%)

FreeDarko presents The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game

Authors: Bethlehem Shoals, Dr. Lawyer IndianChief, Silverbird 5000, Brown Recluse Esq.
ASIN : 1596915617
Sales Rank : 3326
Studio : Bloomsbury USA
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9781596915619
ISBN : 1596915617
Number Of Pages : 224
Publication Date : December 11, 2008
Release Date : December 11, 2008
Publisher : Bloomsbury USA
Manufacturer : Bloomsbury USA
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Bloomsbury USA

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best of the Month, December 2008: From its mouthful of a name, you might expect The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac to be one of the new breed of fantasy-friendly stathead sports guides in the vein of the Baseball Prospectus. Or, from its blogger pedigree (via the popular FreeDarko.com), you might assume it's one of those quickie blog-into-book projects that repurposes new-media content into an old-media package. But it's neither--not even close. Bucking the data-crunching trend, the Almanac's pseudonymous authors instead embrace the mythical side of pro sports, reminding us that the difference between, say, LeBron and AI lies not just in 0.2 ppg but in the rich drama of potential, style, and lore that each star represents. And the Almanac is no blog: it's every inch a book, freshly imagined and gorgeously designed, with colorful, smart graphics that give dimension to figures from Tim "Mechanical Gothic" Duncan to Stephon "Hategoat" Marbury. With a foreword, fittingly, by Gilbert Arenas, the NBA star whose kooky, self-concocted "Agent Zero" persona often overshadows his knee-hobbled game, the Almanac is the ideal midseason treat for the casual fan and the deep obsessive alike. --Tom Nissley

In the illustrations below, artists from the Free Darko collective give their unique take on two of basketball's "Master Builders"--Kobe Bryant, the perfectionist, and Tim Duncan, a methodical player of gothic proportions. (Click the images to enlarge)

List Price: $24.95
Price: $16.47
You Save: $8.48 (34%)

Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph

Authors: C. Vivian Stringer, Laura Tucker
ASIN : 0307406091
Sales Rank : 10319
Studio : Crown
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780307406095
ISBN : 0307406091
Number Of Pages : 304
Publication Date : December 04, 2008
Release Date : December 04, 2008
Publisher : Crown
Manufacturer : Crown
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Crown

Product Description

“Lots of people have dreams, but C. Vivian Stringer is the dream—a coalminer’s daughter who believed when her Poppa told her there was no obstacle she could not surmount. And she lives that dream, teaching others to rise up to meet challenges, turning underdogs into champions again and again—on and off the court. This is the quintessential American story, of a woman and of a family pulling together against the odds. Standing Tall offers an important message of hope to so many.”
—John Chaney, Hall of Fame college basketball coach


At a time when heroes are too rare, C. Vivian Stringer sets a shining example. She has time and again shown character, fortitude, and heart, both on and off the hardwood, and in the face of unbearable loss. In Standing Tall, she shares her remarkable life story, inspiring us to find this fortitude within ourselves.

“Work hard, and don’t look for excuses,” Stringer’s parents told her, “and you can achieve anything.” But her faith and perseverance would be tested many times. A gifted athlete, she had to fight for a place on an all-white cheerleading squad in the sixties. In 1981, just as her coaching career was taking off, her fourteen-month-old daughter, Nina, was stricken with spinal meningitis. Nina would never walk or talk again. Still grieving, Stringer brought a small, poor, historically black college to the national championships—a triumph hailed as “Hoosiers with an all-female cast.” In 1991, her husband, Bill—her staunchest supporter, the father of her children, and the love of her life—fell dead of a sudden heart attack, but that same year, she led yet another young team to the Final Four. Through these dark times and others—including her bout with cancer, shared here for the first time—Stringer has carried her burdens with grace. Given her history, it was no surprise that she led her team to respond to Don Imus’s slurs with dignity and courage.

Standing Tall is a story of quiet strength in the face of punishing odds. Above all, it is an extraordinary love story—love for the game, for the players she has coached, for her close-knit family, and for the husband she lost far too soon. It will resonate long after the last page.

List Price: $25.95
Price: $17.13
You Save: $8.82 (34%)

32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business

Author: Earvin Magic Johnson
ASIN : 0609608282
Sales Rank : 8590
Studio : Crown Business
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780609608289
ISBN : 0609608282
Number Of Pages : 320
Publication Date : December 18, 2008
Release Date : December 18, 2008
Publisher : Crown Business
Manufacturer : Crown Business
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Crown Business

Product Description

As a young man, Earvin “Magic” Johnson admired his father and other small-town entrepreneurs who created jobs and served as leaders in his Midwestern community. He worked for them, watched them, and his interest in building communities through economic development grew even while his basketball career flourished. His fame as an NBA star gave him access to some of the most successful business leaders in the country. It was Earvin’s own entrepreneurial spirit that inspired them to serve as his mentors.

Earvin made the transition from great athlete to greater entrepreneur through hard work and by avidly pursuing opportunities. He recognized that densely populated urban communities were ripe for commercial and residential development. He partnered with major brands like Starbucks, 24 Hour Fitness, and T.G.I. Friday’s to lead a major economic push in these communities. The success of his businesses proved that ethnically diverse urban residents would welcome and support major brands if given the opportunity. Earvin continues to be a leader of urban economic development that provides jobs, goods, and a new spirit of community.

32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business will inspire and enlighten readers who wish to make a similar impact with their careers and business endeavors.

List Price: $18.95
Price: $12.89
You Save: $6.06 (32%)

Wooden

Author: John Wooden
ASIN : 0809230410
Sales Rank : 7827
Studio : McGraw-Hill
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780809230419
ISBN : 0809230410
Number Of Pages : 201
Publication Date : December 01, 1997
Publisher : McGraw-Hill
Manufacturer : McGraw-Hill
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : McGraw-Hill

Product Description

Evoking days gone by when coaches were expected as much for their off-court performance as for their success on the court, this unique and intimate work presents the timeless wisdom of legendary basketball coach John Wooden.

In honest and telling passages about virtually every aspect of life, Wooden shares the important personal philosophies that helped make him the winningest coach of all time.

Amazon.com Review

Coach Wooden's remarkable 10 national basketball championships in 12 years at UCLA speak for themselves. In Wooden, the coach--quiet, thoughtful, and introspective throughout his distinguished career--finally speaks forhimself, and he's well worth hearing. Wooden is a modern chapbook of inspiration and good sense that reveals the hard-court philosopher behind it as a man of character, conviction, decency, and straightforwardness. There are no complex ideas, just little beams of light filtered through anecdotes that project the kinds of simple, immutable truths that in the end touch nothing but net.

List Price: $29.95
Price: $19.77
You Save: $10.18 (34%)

Sports Illustrated: The Basketball Book

Author: Editors of Sports Illustrated
ASIN : 1933821191
Sales Rank : 29097
Studio : Sports Illustrated
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9781933821191
ISBN : 1933821191
Number Of Pages : 294
Publication Date : December 23, 2007
Publisher : Sports Illustrated
Manufacturer : Sports Illustrated
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Sports Illustrated

Product Description

Continuing Sports Illustrated's tradition of producing best-selling coffee-table books for the holiday season, SI presents The Basketball Book, a lavish celebration of the athleticism and pageantry of both the college and professional game. With the same kind of unforgettable photographs and award-winning writing that propelled The Baseball Book, The Football Book and The Anniversary Book to The New York Times best-seller list over the past three years, this volume brings to life the legendary players, the classic action and the great rivalries of the court. In 294 oversized pages, The Basketball Book commemorates the epic teams and characters, the personalities and performances and artifacts that have created legions of passionate fans since Dr. James Naismith nailed up a peach basket and devised the Original 13 Rules of the game more than 100 years ago.

List Price: $24.95
Price: $16.47
You Save: $8.48 (34%)

Wooden on Leadership

Author: John Wooden
ASIN : 0071453393
Sales Rank : 4062
Studio : McGraw-Hill
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780071453394
ISBN : 0071453393
Number Of Pages : 256
Publication Date : December 05, 2005
Publisher : McGraw-Hill
Manufacturer : McGraw-Hill
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : McGraw-Hill

Product Description

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller

A compelling look inside the mind and powerful leadership methods of America’s coaching legend, John Wooden

"Team spirit, loyalty, enthusiasm, determination. . . . Acquire and keep these traits and success should follow."
--Coach John Wooden

John Wooden’s goal in 41 years of coaching never changed; namely, to get maximum effort and peak performance from each of his players in the manner that best served the team. Wooden on Leadership explains step-by-step how he pursued and accomplished this goal. Focusing on Wooden’s 12 Lessons in Leadership and his acclaimed Pyramid of Success, it outlines the mental, emotional, and physical qualities essential to building a winning organization, and shows you how to develop the skill, confidence, and competitive fire to “be at your best when your best is needed”--and teach your organization to do the same.

Praise for Wooden on Leadership:

“What an all-encompassing Pyramid of Success for leadership! Coach Wooden’s moral authority and brilliant definition of success encompass all of life. How I admire his life’s work and concept of what it really means to win!”
--Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People and The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

“Wooden On Leadership offers valuable lessons no matter what your endeavor. 'Competitive Greatness' is our goal and that of any successful organization. Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is where it all starts.”
--Jim Sinegal, president & CEO, Costco

List Price: $25.00
Price: $16.50
You Save: $8.5 (34%)

Top of the World: The Inside Story of the Boston Celtics' Amazing One-Year Turnaround to Become NBA Champions

Author: Peter May
ASIN : 0306818108
Sales Rank : 171847
Studio : Da Capo Press
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780306818103
ISBN : 0306818108
Number Of Pages : 256
Publication Date : December 27, 2008
Publisher : Da Capo Press
Manufacturer : Da Capo Press
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Da Capo Press

Product Description

List Price: $16.95
Price: $11.53
You Save: $5.42 (32%)

Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

Authors: Gary Mack, David Casstevens
ASIN : 0071395970
Sales Rank : 10972
Studio : McGraw-Hill
Binding : Paperback
EAN : 9780071395977
ISBN : 0071395970
UPC : 639785401445
Number Of Pages : 240
Publication Date : December 03, 2002
Publisher : McGraw-Hill
Manufacturer : McGraw-Hill
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : McGraw-Hill

Product Description

Drawing on his work with some of the top teams in professional sports, noted sport psychology consultant Gary Mack shares with you the same techniques and exercises he uses to help elite athletes build mental "muscle." These 40 accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes will help you gain the "head edge" over the competition.

List Price: $24.95
Price: $19.56
You Save: $5.39 (22%)

BILL SELF: At Home in the Phog

Authors: Bill Self, with John Rohde
ASIN : 0981716636
Sales Rank : 51474
Studio : Ascend Media
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780981716633
ISBN : 0981716636
Number Of Pages : 240
Publication Date : December 10, 2008
Publisher : Ascend Media
Manufacturer : Ascend Media
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Ascend Media

Product Description

The 2007-2008 Kansas Jayhawks capped off one of the program's most storied seasons by winning its fifth national championship, and first in 20 years. The Jayhawks success in 2007-2008 has been credited to total team effort and the inspiring leadership of head coach Bill Self. During his relatively short head coaching career, Self has established himself as one of college basketball's best by leading Oral Roberts to new frontiers, guiding Tulsa to its best season in school history, turning Illinois into a Big Ten powerhouse and now taking Kansas from a perennially great program to the best in the nation. In Bill Self's first authorized book: BILL SELF: At Home in the Phog, Self and those who know him best offer an inside look at his journey into becoming one of the game's most respected and most sought-after coaches. Self explains how he is living a dream - not only is he a head coach, but he was selected to be the steward of what James Naismith and Phog Allen created. He describes the excitement of reaching the pinnacle - leading the Jayhawks to a national title. He gives minute-by-minute details of the contest that sent KU to the national title game. Self has achieved his dream of becoming a head coach. That much is evident. Even though he never dreamed of being the head coach at the University of Kansas, he did aspire to lead a college basketball team to greatness, which is exactly what he is doing. Self's journey proves that even though dreams may change, they can come true.

List Price: $25.95
Price: $17.13
You Save: $8.82 (34%)

Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0

Authors: Rick Pitino, Pat Forde
ASIN : 0061626635
Sales Rank : 20217
Studio : Collins
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780061626630
ISBN : 0061626635
Number Of Pages : 240
Publication Date : December 01, 2008
Release Date : December 30, 2008
Publisher : Collins
Manufacturer : Collins
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Collins

Product Description

Rick Pitino is a basketball icon: the only coach in college history to lead three different schools to the Final Four, the winner of the 1996 NCAA championship, the owner of a sparkling career record, a bestselling author, and a lock for the College Basketball Hall of Fame. Yet Pitino's journey has not been without life-altering adversity: He's experienced profound personal and professional losses. In 2001, after three losing seasons as coach and president of the Boston Celtics, Pitino resigned, walking away from the $23 million left in his contract. And while recovering from the only breakdown in his extraordinary basketball career, Pitino—who had previously suffered the devastating loss of his infant son, Daniel—endured additional tragedies: His brother-in-law and best friend Billy Minardi, a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, perished in the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11, less than a year after another brother-in-law had been fatally struck by a taxi. Pitino writes, "From that point on, my life changed forever. Nothing will ever be the same."

This realization gave Pitino a new perspective. With it, the innovative leader felt the freedom to act even more dynamically than he ever had in the past. Returning to college basketball, he has rebuilt and revitalized the storied program at Louisville, guiding the Cardinals to a history-making Final Four appearance in 2005 that stamped him the only coach in history to take three schools that far. And in 2008, he rallied an injury-plagued Louisville team from a disappointing start and led it to the Elite Eight, setting the stage for greater success to come.

The failures and tragedies he recounts make this book unique. More than just a recitation of what works and why, it's about how to succeed after you've failed; how to pick yourself up after being knocked down; and how to reframe yourself and see the world in a new light. This is a comeback story, a manual for overcoming life's difficulties. Pitino has experienced success as an author with his tremendously popular books Success Is a Choice and Lead to Succeed, but in Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0, he's crafted a book that's more deeply personal, more inspiring, more practical, and more powerful than any he's written before.