The Hidden Mathematics of Sport takes a novel and intriguing look at sport, by exploring the mathematics behind the action. Discover the best tactics for taking a penalty, the pros and cons of being a consistent golfer, the surprising link between boxing and figure skating, the unusual location of England's earliest 'football' game (in a parish church), and the formula for always winning a game of tennis. Whatever your sporting interests, you will find plenty to absorb and amuse you in this entertaining and unique book – and maybe you will even find some new strategies for beating the odds.
An all-encompassing look at the penalty kick, soccer’s all-or-nothing play—its legendary moments and the secrets to its success No stretch of grass has been the site of more glory or heartbreak in the world of sports than the few dozen paces between goalkeeper and penalty kicker in soccer. In theory, it’s simple: place the ball beyond a single defender and secure a place in history. But once the chosen players make the lonely march from their respective sides of the pitch, everything changes, all bets are off, and anything can happen. Drawing from the hard-won lessons of legendary games, in-depth statistical analysis, expert opinion, and the firsthand experience of coaches and players from around the world, journalist Ben Lyttleton offers insight into the diverse attitudes, tactics, and techniques that separate success from failure in one of the highest-pressure situations sports has to offer.
From the award-winning author of TAMAR, a time-shifting thriller about a vanishing soccer star, occult secrets, and the dark history of slavery. As the city of San Juan pulses to summer’s sluggish beat, its teenage soccer prodigy, El Brujito, the Little Magician, vanishes without a trace -- right after he misses a penalty kick and loses a big game for his team. Paul Faustino, South America’s top sports reporter, is reluctantly drawn into the mystery of the athlete’s disappearance. As a story of corruption and murder unfolds, Faustino is forced to confront the bitter history of slavery and the power of the occult. A deftly woven mystery flush with soccer and suspense, this gripping novel is a thrilling read not to be missed.
Ken Bray reveals the secret science behind the beautiful game, from international team formations to the psychology of the pitch and the changing rooms. He also touches on big scientific themes, including aerodynamics, computer simulations and game analysis.
The first book to use the world's most popular sport to test economic theories and document novel human behavior A wealth of research in recent decades has seen the economic approach to human behavior extended over many areas previously considered to belong to sociology, political science, law, and other fields. Research has also shown that economics can provide insight into many aspects of sports, including soccer. Beautiful Game Theory is the first book that uses soccer to test economic theories and document novel human behavior. In this brilliant and entertaining book, Ignacio Palacios-Huerta illuminates economics through the world's most popular sport. He offers unique and often startling insights into game theory and microeconomics, covering topics such as mixed strategies, discrimination, incentives, and human preferences. He also looks at finance, experimental economics, behavioral economics, and neuroeconomics. Soccer provides rich data sets and environments that shed light on universal economic principles in interesting and useful ways. Essential reading for students, researchers, and sports enthusiasts, Beautiful Game Theory is the first book to show what soccer can do for economics.
Willow Figure skating was supposed to be my whole world. One unlucky injury and I’m down...but I’m definitely not out. I just need to rehab—a boatload of it. But who’d have thought I could do it on the boys’ hockey team? Of course, the infuriatingly hot captain of the team seems to think I’m nothing but sequins and twirls. Now the only thing a girl can do is put him in his place. Game on. Brodie Hockey is my whole world. I’ve worked my tail off getting my team in a position to win the championships—and impress major college scouts. So what’s a guy to do when a figure skater ends up as our new goalie? Of course, the distractingly sexy skater thinks I’m a testosterone-laced bro with a competitive streak. But I’m almost certain she’s just biding her time to heal, then she’s gone. Game over.
Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner single-handedly showed the world that applying counter-intuitive approaches to everyday problems can bear surprising results. Think Like a Freak will take readers further inside this special thought process, revealing a new way of approaching the decisions we make, the plans we create and the morals we choose. It answers the question on the lips of everyone who’s read the previous books: How can I apply these ideas to my life? How do I make smarter, harder and better decisions? How can I truly think like a freak? With short, highly entertaining insights running the gamut from “The Upside of Quitting” to “How to Succeed with No Talent,” Think Like a Freak is poised to radically alter the way we think about all aspects of life on this planet.
The fun and easy way to get into the swing of things and take strokes off your game fast Whether you're a total beginner or you've clocked a few hours on the links, Golf For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the only guide you need. Packed with expert tips and techniques for everything from mastering your grip, stance and swing to shaping up with golf-specific exercises, this updated and expanded edition of the international bestseller features new, step-by-step photos, tips for women players, seniors and lefties, and loads of fun golf history facts. Learn your ABCs master the basics, from golf lingo and choosing your clubs, to who to play with and where Watch your step get the lowdown on golf rules, how to keep score, and take a crash-course on gamesmanship and the do's and taboos of golf-course etiquette Get into the swing delve into the art and science of the golf swing, including how to blast your way out of bunkers and how to develop an effective putting stroke Tackle the tough shots finesse difficult shots like a pro and deal with bad weather and bad luck with grace and skill Fine-tune your play zero in on common faults and bad habits and learn time-tested techniques for easily fixing them once and for all To school or not to school decide whether formal lessons are right for you and find out how to select a great teacher 'If you've ever wanted to know more about golf or improve your game then this is your guide' The Fairway, from a review of the 1st edition 'Does exactly what it says on the tin!' Today's Golfer, from a review of the 1st edition Open the book and find: Tips on choosing golf balls and clubs Exercises for getting and staying in golf shape How to develop your own swing Putting, chipping and pitching Mastering grip, stance and swing Simple fixes for common faults Golf rules and etiquette Advice on taking advantage of high-tech equipment Where to play in the UK and Europe Learn to: Master your grip, stance and swing Improve your game with tips from the pros Overcome the game's mental challenges with tricks and exercises
Since 1996, death sentences in America have declined by more than 60 percent, reversing a generation-long trend toward greater acceptance of capital punishment. In theory, most Americans continue to support the death penalty. But it is no longer seen as a theoretical matter. Prosecutors, judges, and juries across the country have moved in large numbers to give much greater credence to the possibility of mistakes - mistakes that in this arena are potentially fatal. The discovery of innocence, documented in this book through painstaking analyses of media coverage and with newly developed methods, has led to historic shifts in public opinion and to a sharp decline in use of the death penalty by juries across the country. A social cascade, starting with legal clinics and innocence projects, has snowballed into a national phenomenon that may spell the end of the death penalty in America.
