LeBron James is the shy son of a teenage mother, both wandering, constantly searching for a home and fighting to survive. When LeBron s immense talent is finally discovered, he seizes the opportunity and changes his life forever. This is the heartfelt story of a young boy s incredible rise to glory to become the world s best basketball player through the power of family, friendship and love.

Essential reading for soccer fans as the 2022 World Cup approaches, this lively and lyrical book is "an ideal guide to the world's most popular sport" (Simon Kuper, coauthor of Soccernomics). Soccer is not only the world's most popular game; it's also one of the most widely shared forms of global culture. The Language of the Game is a passionate and engaging introduction to soccer's history, tactics, and human drama. Profiling soccer's full cast of characters—goalies and position players, referees and managers, commentators and fans—historian and soccer scholar Laurent Dubois describes how the game's low scores, relentless motion, and spectacular individual performances combine to turn each match into a unique and unpredictable story. He also shows how soccer's global reach makes it an unparalleled theater for nationalism, international conflict, and human interconnectedness, with close attention to both men's and women's soccer. Filled with perceptive insights and stories both legendary and little known, The Language of the Game is a rewarding read for anyone seeking to understand soccer better—newcomers and passionate followers alike.

What does the world's favorite sport mean in the United States? Despite the common belief that it is only a women's sport, an immigrants' sport, a small kids' sport--or that hating soccer is very American, the new essays in this volume attest that soccer indeed is a very American and very popular sport, around since the 1940s. The all-new essays address issues concerning the business of the game, the meaning of men's and women's professional, national, high school and youth soccer, the community formed by the game, the media, the referees, the hooliganism and the treatment of the sport in academe.

Experience the sport of soccer like never before! More Than Goalswill take you inside each level of competition and development of the most successful U.S. men's soccer player ever. Coaches, teammates, and opponents recognize that Reyna's value on the field and to a squad extends far beyond the goal-scoring situations he creates. More Than Goals captures the consummate leader and captain's passion and knowledge for the game. You'll gain both an appreciation of what it takes to excel in the sport and insights on how to play it. Author Claudio Reyna has been a champion performer from youth club through professional levels. The following are among his accomplishments: -Two-time state champion and two-time Parade magazine High School Player of the Year at St. Benedict's Prep (New Jersey) -Three-time national champion and All-American, two-time Player of the Year, and College Player of the Century at the University of Virginia -Three-time World Cup competitor and World Cup all-star team selection in 2002 -Captain of teams in top professional leagues in Germany, Scotland, and England Reyna is currently with Manchester City of the English Premier League and is also the U.S. national team captain.

The Rough Guide to Cult Football is the ultimate companion to the beautiful game. The only football book of its kind, it goes beyond the usual back page material to uncover the most amazing stories and unlikeliest personalities on Planet Football. It reveals the stories behind the mavericks and cult figures that make up the real heroes of the game - from cultured midfielders to jailbirds, drinkers to hard men, local legends to international wanderers. The Rough Guide to Cult Football looks at everything from special clubs - like the New York Cosmos and Berwick Rangers - to managers and football rivalries - from 'El Clásico' to the Faroe Islands derby, via an unusual roll-call of talent that stretches from Ferenc Puskas to Stan Bowles, Eric Cantona to Jose Chilavert and Garrincha to Perry Groves. It also recalls extraordinary games, from 'The Battle of Highbury' to underdog fixtures where the likes of Northern Ireland, Wimbledon and Dynamo Kiev overcame the might of Spain, Liverpool and the Nazis. Post-match analyses of football culture, ephemera, science and some strange statistics, complete this ultimate fiesta of football fun.