Other books that might interest you

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  Walk With You

  Spencer McKay

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  Fit or fresh off the couch, spiritual or searching, outgoing or shy, retired or young and crazy, grieving or joyful, confident or just willing to try - one thing is for damn sure: the Appalachian Trail does not care what shape you are in, but will undoubtedly shape who you will become. 
  Thousands of people attempt to hike the rugged footpath, America’s oldest long-distance trail, each year. Few succeed yet all are changed. After the loss of a dear friend, three young men set out to hike the Appalachian Trail in his honor in 2007. It was a dream - a mission, really- that they all hoped to share. This is their story.

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  Passion Plays - How Religion...

  Randall Balmer

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  Randall Balmer was a late convert to sports talk radio, but he quickly became addicted, just like millions of other devoted American sports fans. As a historian of religion, the more he listened, Balmer couldn’t help but wonder how the fervor he heard related to religious practice. Houses of worship once railed against Sabbath-busting sports events, but today most willingly accommodate Super Bowl Sunday. On the other hand, basketball’s inventor, James Naismith, was an ardent follower of Muscular Christianity and believed the game would help develop religious character. But today those religious roots are largely forgotten. 
   
  Here one of our most insightful writers on American religion trains his focus on that other great passion—team sports—to reveal their surprising connections. From baseball to basketball and football to ice hockey, Balmer explores the origins and histories of big-time sports from the late nineteenth century to the present, with entertaining anecdotes and fresh insights into their ties to religious life. Referring to Notre Dame football, the Catholic Sun called its fandom “a kind of sacramental.” Legions of sports fans reading Passion Plays will recognize exactly what that means.

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  Inshallah United: A story of...

  Nooruddean Choudry

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  Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Awards 2023 
  Nooruddean Choudry was born in 1979 — the year Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, Sid Vicious died of a heroin overdose, Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the last Shah of Iran, and Tim Martin opened his first Wetherspoons. Also that year, a local football club lost the Cup Final to Arsenal courtesy of a man named Sunderland. That club would become an all-consuming obsession for young Nooruddean, who would one day become a small brown man and, vitally, also a Red. 
  Inshallah United is the story of the first British-born son of a Pakistani family living in England’s second city. And geography is important, because if it wasn't for his mum and dad settling in Manchester rather than anywhere else in the world, so much of what makes up Nooruddean's identity could have been so different. As it was, he grew up as a Muslim, Manchester United supporting, Morrissey-loving, Maggie-hating, working-class Manc. 
  Inshallah United is about growing up as a strictly halal Stretford Ender; a devout Muslim and diehard Red. It’s about praying five times a day that United would sign Alan Shearer and knock the Scousers off their perch. And it’s a deeply personal account of life as a Muslim Asian Mancunian kid in the late 80s and 90s, bookmarked by the most successful period in Manchester United's history. 
  Inshallah United, the latest memoir by Nooruddean Choudry, is a top-rated autobiography that offers a humorous and heartfelt exploration of his life as a devout Muslim and diehard Red. This biography is a must-read for those interested in the topic of cultural identity and recreation. 
  For fans of Chris Blackhurst (The World's Biggest Cash Machine), Wayne Barton (The Last Busby Babe), Jonathan Wilson (Kick and Run), Andy Spinoza (Manchester unspun), and Rob Carless (Here, There & Everywhere). 
  HarperCollins 2023

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  Boston Bound - A 7-Year Journey...

  Elizabeth Clor

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  Have you ever wanted something so badly that your own mind became your biggest obstacle? 
  Elizabeth Clor wanted nothing more than to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon. Dead set on achieving this goal, she found herself bound up in a vicious cycle of perfectionism and anxiety that thwarted her at every turn, despite making significant gains in her physical abilities over seven years. Boston Bound is the story of how Elizabeth discovered that her own brain was the culprit, and explains the steps she took to completely overhaul her mindset about her running and her life. 
  For anyone experiencing mental roadblocks in the pursuit of an achievement, athletic or otherwise, this story offers a practical framework for removing these obstacles and realizing one's full potential.

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  Inner Trek - A Reluctant Pilgrim...

  Mohan Ranga Rao

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  A memoir of a road less traveled and a true story of self-discovery at 18,000 feet. 
  After being threatened by a Bangalore mob boss, retired Indian businessman Mohan Ranga Rao makes a vow: if he somehow gets out of the situation, he will thank the gods by going on Kailash Mansarovar—a holy mountain pilgrimage in Tibet. What starts out as merely a challenging high-altitude trek soon becomes a life-changing adventure. With a blend of humor, honesty, and keen insight, Mohan journeys toward a deeper understanding of himself and the world around him.

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  The Rules in Practice 2025-2028...

  Bryan Willis

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  Every four years the Racing Rules of Sailing are updated following the Olympics. To help the sailor, World Sailing labels important changes with marginal markings. For the new rules coming into force on 1st January 2025 there are quite a lot of marginal markings: - A third of the Definitions are marked, including Sail the Course, Mark-Room, Obstruction and Continuing Obstruction; - Nearly a third of the rules in Part 2 (When Boats Meet) are marked, including Avoiding Contact, Mark-Room, Room to Pass an Obstruction; - All of the rules in Part 5 (Protests, Redress, Hearings, Misconduct and Appeals) are marked. That's quite a lot of changes! You need a new set of rules and, to understand the implications of the changes, you need a guide to them. Rules in Practice has been the best-selling guide to the racing rules of sailing for the last 40 years. Now, in its 11th edition, it has been updated for (and contains in full) the 2025-2028 Racing Rules of Sailing. To begin, Rules in Practice describes the latest rule changes and their implications for sailors. The book then covers the fundamental rules that always apply to sailors along with a detailed look at the rules around luffing and keeping clear – which were an eye-opener to many sailors when they were first published in the last edition. As always, throughout the book, the emphasis is on the practical impact on you as a sailor, rather than a theoretical discussion of the rules themselves. This is brought to life in the rest of the book, which takes you around the racecourse, from start to finish, through the key situations that frequently occur showing, from the point of view of each boat in turn, what you may, must or must not do. (Other rules guides take you through the rules in order which is just not how you come across them on the racecourse.) You don't have to know all the rules off by heart, but you do need to know your rights and obligations on the water – the rules can be looked up afterwards. This knowledge will build your confidence while racing and enable you to make the most of opportunities when they arise. Colour diagrams throughout ensure concepts are easily understood.  If you are going to buy one rule book – make it this one!

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