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"Sport comes to us in boxes-the perimeter of our TV screen or the boundary lines of fields and courts. As much as I enjoy what goes on inside those boxes, I've always had the urge to bust out of them. I've always had the feeling that the most compelling and significant story was the one occurring beyond the game-before it, after it, above it, or under it, deep in the furnace of the psyche... ."-From the Preface Gary Smith's sportswriting stands among the best journalism being written today.

In the wake of the Tour de France's fallen heroes, the story of one of history's most legendary cyclists provides a much-needed antidote. In 1907 the world's most popular athlete was not Cy Young or Ty Cobb. Rather, he was a black bicycle racer named "Major" Taylor. In his day, Taylor became a spiritual and athletic idol. He was the fastest man in America and a champion who prevailed over unspeakable cruelty. The men who aided him were among the most colorful to emerge from the era.

Trail along on this 2,000-mile, bliss-and-blister adventure away from interstates and into backwoods America. Cross the Smokies, survive Virginia floods, buck New Jersey heat, walk the Presidentials of the White Mountains, and traverse a mile-long gorge. Then, 150 days later, stand victorious on the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. Appalachian Odyssey has everything-and then some-about the great hike. Inspiring for all ages whether you're a backpacker or an armchair hiker.

For a quarter century, the annual Best American Sports Writing has showcased the greatest sports journalism of the previous year. This year's guest editor, acclaimed author Howard Bryant, continues the tradition, seeking out writing that best captures the unpredictable journey of sports.

The definitive biography of an American icon, from a New York Times best-selling author with unique access to Ali's inner circle He was the wittiest, the prettiest, the strongest, the bravest, and, of course, the greatest (as he told us himself). Muhammad Ali was one of the twentieth century's most fantastic figures and arguably the most famous man on the planet. But until now, he has never been the subject of a complete, unauthorized biography.

When Melissa King, a transplanted southerner in search of connection, finds herself on the lean, mean streets of Chicago, she turns to her childhood passion for basketball. In her late twenties, King is at a crossroads in her life, and the randomness of the game as it is played on the streets suits her mood. The rules are unwritten, the teams a haphazard collection of players, and unlike anything else around her, the courts feel like home. So wherever there is a game, she gets her ball and goes.

An entertaining, unfiltered memoir by one of the game's greatest, most clutch sluggers and beloved personalities David "Big Papi" Ortiz is a baseball icon and one of the most popular figures ever to play the game.

How the Oakland A's of the 1970s-a revolutionary band of brawling Hall of Famers-won three straight championships and knocked baseball into the modern age The Oakland A's of the early 1970s were the most transformative team in baseball history. Never before had an entire organization so collectively traumatized baseball's establishment with its outlandish behavior and business decisions, let alone an indisputably winning record: five consecutive division titles and three straight championships.

The fascinating story of baseball's legendary "Ironmen," two players from different eras who each achieved the coveted and sometimes confounding record of most consecutive games played When Cal Ripken Jr. began his career with the Baltimore Orioles at age twenty-one, he had no idea he would someday beat the historic record of playing 2,130 games in a row, a record set forty-two years before by the fabled "Iron Horse" of the New York Yankees, Lou Gehrig. Ripken went on to surpass that record by 502 games, and the baseball world was floored.

In the most candid and compelling sports memoir since Andre Agassi's riveting bestseller Open, former San Francisco 49er, Super Bowl champion, NFL MVP, and Hall of Famer Steve Young gives readers an unprecedented and stunning inside look at what it takes to become a super-elite professional quarterback. Steve Young produced some of the most memorable moments in NFL history. "The Run" ' his electrifying 49-yard game-winning touchdown against Minnesota. "The Catch II" ' his last-second touchdown strike to Terrell Owens to beat Green Bay in the playoffs.