Boston is a sports town. It has been at the forefront of sports development and innovation from the earliest days. Neither the opposition of the clergy nor the strictness of the laws could keep all of the Puritans away from the seventeenth century tavern games all of the time. The Boston Book of Sports is a comprehensive survey of sports and recreational activity in and around Boston from 1630 to 1980. In the mid 17th century the local authorities frowned on sports for many reasons including that it gave people pleasure and reduced work efficiency. But the influence of the Mother country, successive waves of immigrants, and many other domestic social/cultural themes changed all that. In the rules and regulations (1642) of Harvard College, the only exercise allowed was to “read the scriptures twice a day.” New England and Puritan asceticism, economic scarcity, and religious devotion combined to overwhelm any possibility of formal sports programs and growth. But the allure of sports is compelling and even in a hostile environment its pleasures were pursued. Toward the end of the 17th century, considerations, circumstances, and attitudes began to change rapidly. Once it changed, sports history was in the making and Boston became the cradle of sports in America. This book is about the people, places, and events of Boston sports history. It indicates the pattern of sports development in Boston from 1630 to the present, recalls the people and events that were important to that development, describes many ways in which that development and the city interacted, and explains why what happened in Boston was important regionally, nationally, and internationally. An acceptance of dancing as a recreation helped make other kinds of pleasure acceptable. As life became less arduous, Sabbath restrictions were relaxed and sports began to be perceived as a method for combating ill health. Harvard College, its students, and its alumni had a major impact on the growth local sports forms, rules, and structures as well as their diffusion to all levels and to other areas. America’s first YMCA was established in Boston in 1851, followed by a YWCA where “working girls of the city were especially invited.” The YMCA movement itself provided the setting for the creation of the uniquely American sports of basketball and volleyball. The 1852 intercollegiate rowing race between Harvard and Yale marked the formal beginning of sports competitions among educational institutions in this country; football, golf, baseball, yachting and gymnastics as part of the school curriculum all got their start in Boston. This book includes information about the background of boxing, road sports and harness racing in Boston. It recounts the beginning of the Boston Athletic Association, and even describes ‘sand parks’ which led to the organized play movement in the U.S and later extended to adolescent playgrounds where sports and recreation were taught and encouraged. Boston might well be said to be the cradle of sports in America. It hosted America’s first World Series, its first marathon, its first Davis Cup match. Bicycling, figure skating, golf, squash, lacrosse, field and ice hockey, are just some of the sports popularized and propelled across the country by Boston teams, colleges, and clubs. This comprehensive review brings people, places, and events to life. The chapter headings illustrate the broad range of social and cultural forces that forged the development of sports and later were forged by it as it gained strength and following. Predominant attitudes toward sports are depicted in the chapter headings, which are titled according to historical periods as: • Sports as Sin: 1630-1710 • Sports as Recreation and Amusement: 1700-1810 • Sports of Health and Wealth: 1800-1860 • Sports of Campus and Clubs: 1850-1895 • Sports of Parks and Playgrounds: 1885-1920 • Sports for Amateurs and Spectators : 1910-1945 • Sport

Do “In God We Trust,” the Declaration of Independence, and other historical “evidence” prove that America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles? Are the Ten Commandments the basis for American law? A constitutional attorney dives into the debate about religion’s role in America’s founding. In today’s contentious political climate, understanding religion’s role in American government is more important than ever. Christian nationalists assert that our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and advocate an agenda based on this popular historical claim. But is this belief true? The Founding Myth answers the question once and for all. Andrew L. Seidel, a constitutional attorney at the Freedom from Religion Foundation, builds his case point by point, comparing the Ten Commandments to the Constitution and contrasting biblical doctrine with America’s founding philosophy, showing that the Bible contradicts the Declaration of Independence’s central tenets. Thoroughly researched, this persuasively argued and fascinating book proves that America was not built on the Bible and that Christian nationalism is, in fact, un-American.

In a prior book titled Honey and Poi Sgan had come across many stories about Jewish individuals, events, and organizations which have had an impact on their host Hawaiian culture. No institution, it seemed remained unaffected by the presence of Jews (less than 1 %) in Hawaii. In telling this story from his point of view, he will attempt to persuade the reader that although never large in terms of numbers, Jews, Judaism, and Israel played important and unrecognized roles in each stage of Hawaiian history from 1778 to the present. Further, this book seeks to persuade readers that such impact is based on admirable personal traits derived from Jewish traditions and heritage. Those traits, if examined, understood, and applied properly, foster constructive, responsible, and productive actions. They encourage Jews to work toward the improvement of the social conditions of the societies and communities in which Jews live.

This book continues to trace the beneficial crosscurrent’s that Jewish people brought to Hawaii arrival beginning in 1850 to the present. Such benefits were first chronicled in a prior book titled Torah & Taro. Unburdened by any need to proselytize or be in charge, Jews were free to be themselves and to provide their host community with needed services. Their faith's essence found in the Sh'ma (God is one) and the Decalogue and their historical experience as the ‘other’ in their countries of residence provided appropriate guidance. In some detail and in historical and cultural perspective Shaka and Shalom describes the many good deeds, advantages, and programs that people of Jewish heritage have brought to Hawaii. And how Hawaii in its spirit of Aloha accepted, encouraged, nurtured, and recognized such benefits.

Cited in BCL3, Sheehy, and Walford . Compiled from the 12 monthly issues of the ABPR, this edition of the annual cumulation lists by Dewey sequence some 41,700 titles for books published or distributed in the US. Entry information is derived from MARC II tapes and books submitted to R.R. Bowker, an

Since the earliest days of the silent era, American filmmakers have been drawn to the visual spectacle of sports and their compelling narratives of conflict, triumph, and individual achievement. In Contesting Identities Aaron Baker examines how these cinematic representations of sports and athletes have evolved over time--from The Pinch Hitter and Buster Keaton's College to White Men Can't Jump, Jerry Maguire, and Girlfight. He focuses on how identities have been constructed and transcended in American society since the early twentieth century. Whether depicting team or individual sports, these films return to that most American of themes, the master narrative of self-reliance. Baker shows that even as sports films tackle socially constructed identities like class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender, they ultimately underscore transcendence of these identities through self-reliance. Looking at films from almost every sporting genre--with a particular focus on movies about boxing, baseball, basketball, and football--Contesting Identities maps the complex cultural landscape depicted in American sports films and the ways in which stories about "subaltern" groups winning acceptance by the mainstream majority can serve to reinforce the values of that majority. In addition to discussing the genre's recurring dramatic tropes, from the populist prizefighter to the hot-headed rebel to the "manly" female athlete, Baker also looks at the social and cinematic impacts of real-life sports figures from Jackie Robinson and Babe Didrikson Zaharias to Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan.