This is a compelling celebration of the life of Marco Simoncelli, the maverick motorcycle racer who lost his life in the 2011 Malaysian MotoGP race. Written by his parents, Rossella and Paolo, this book paints an intimate portrait of a rising star. Simoncelli’s final lap was as adrenaline-fuelled as the rest of his career, which was on the way up – the two races before his last were arguably two of his best. Marco’s eventful paddock life, signature ‘afro’ and close friendship with Valentino Rossi are all captured here by the words of his parents, and in 200 unique photographs of life on and off the track.

'The unmistakable voice of Moto GP' - Valentino Rossi As 'The Voice' of motorcycle racing for forty years, commentator Nick Harris became the biggest star not on two wheels in the paddock, and this is his mostly eye-witness, white-knuckle account of MotoGP's scorching seventy-year history. The story starts on the Isle of Man in 1949, when Geoff Duke, with his slicked-back hair and one-piece black leathers, became the nation's hero, defying the odds and winning the most dangerous race in the world on a British-built Norton. Just over a decade later at Mallory Park, another British champion and one of the greatest riders of all time Mike Hailwood screamed past a young Nick Harris on his 250cc Honda, and a life-long passion was born. Harris has been at the centre of the sport for decades, getting to know the riders as individuals, seeings feuds unfold, champions made, careers and sometimes lives ended. We'll see the biggest podium stars up close, from Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts to Valentino Rossi, and we'll meet the mechanics behind them, the manufacturers who poured millions into the teams, and the organisers who, in the early days, ruthlessly compromised rider safety for profits. The drama has often been as tense off the track as on it. This is the book the motorcycling world has been waiting for.

The bestselling autobiography of Casey Stoner, Australia's two-time MotoGP Champion. 'If you never give up, anything can happen' - Casey Stoner Showing anything is possible when determination meets talent, two-time World MotoGP champion Casey Stoner shares his inspirational journey from Queensland toddler, with an extraordinary ability on a motorbike, to his decision to retire at twenty-seven with nothing left to prove. For the first time, he tells of his early family life, the development of his riding skills and why his parents decided to sell everything and travel from Australia to Europe to chase the dream and support his aim to become World Champion when he was only fourteen years old. As fearless with his opinions as he is on the racetrack, Casey includes all the highs and lows of his life so far: the real reason he left for Europe so young, his thoughts on racing as it stands today, the riders' hierarchy, the politics of racing, the importance of family, his battle with illness and why he decided to turn his back on a multimillion-dollar contract when he was still winning. And he will let us in on some of the new goals he has set for himself. Pushing the Limits is a unique and remarkable account of self-sacrifice and determination to succeed against the odds, the inspiring story of a young Australian who took on the world on his terms, his way. . . and won.

​This book, published in cooperation with ESSKA, is an exceptionally comprehensive guide to arthroscopy that covers all major joints and all potential arthroscopic procedures. Sections on the knee, shoulder, elbow, hip, wrist, and ankle provide in-depth descriptions of each procedure, including indications, technique, complications, and results, as well as essential information on diagnostic work-up and classification systems/rating scales. The text is supported by a wealth of color illustrations, and clear treatment algorithms are included for most sports injuries. An introductory section describes the history of arthroscopy, explains general principles, and provides information on instrumentation, electronic equipment, anesthesia, pain control, and prevention of complications. A special chapter focuses on the operative report, with description of an electronic form that can be used by every surgeon to store operative records or participate in European multicenter ESSKA studies. The authors include the most renowned arthroscopic surgeons in Europe. Arthroscopy will be an invaluable textbook and reference for orthopaedic surgeons, general orthopaedic physicians, sports traumatologists, residents, and physical therapists.

Contributions by Lisa Doris Alexander, Sean Bell, Benn L. Bongang, Joel S. Franks, Silvana Vilodre Goellner, Annette R. Hofmann, Dong Jinxia, Cláudia Samuel Kessler, Jack Lule, Li Luyang, Mark Panek, Roberta J. Park, Gamage Harsha Perera, Joel Nathan Rosen, Viral Shah, Maureen M. Smith, Nancy E. Spencer, Dominic Standish, Tim B. Swartz, Dan Travis, Theresa Walton-Fisette, and Zhong Yijing Given the presumed dominance of American sport, many fans throughout the hemisphere find it difficult to envision the role of sport beyond the confines of their own continent. And yet, world sport consists of so much more than the games Americans play and so much more than the stereotype of cricket for the elite and football for the working class. As worldwide sport continues to gain in popularity, we also see parallels to many aspects visible in North American sport, particularly celebrity and all its trappings and pitfalls. The success of athletes from other countries in basketball and ice hockey, and the proliferation of stars imported and now exported to and from North America, provides some better examples of sport’s international power. It also creates a very new kind of sport celebrity, albeit one that often shows a rather limited reach beyond that star’s own country or continent. Thus, rather than focusing on the Western Hemisphere, this collection of some of world sport’s most heralded celebrities (including stars of Motocross, surfing, distance running, and more) serves as a sort of passport to many places that make up our global sporting environment.

 Examining the phenomenon of nationalism in the world of sport, this collection of new essays identifies moments when athletes became national symbols through their actions on and off the field. Since the break-up of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, and related global events of the 1980s and 1990s, scholars have explored how race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality shape and are shaped by nationalism and national participation. Topics include: race, golf and the struggle for social justice in South Africa; sport as a battleground within the Israel/Palestine conflict; multiculturalism and the Olympic Games; and white privilege in sport. These case studies explore the strength (and fragility) associated with national identity, and how athletes become icons for their nations.

The annual Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS) conference is the flagship meeting on neural computation and machine learning. This volume contains the papers presented at the December 2006 meeting, held in Vancouver.