In the November 2001 Venice Cup final, Germany trailed France by 47 IMPs starting the last set. In this book, world champion Sabine Auken tells the thrilling inside story of their comeback world title win, every bid and every card. She also uses each of the sixteen deals from that final session as a starting point for discussion, and distills from each of them general principles and advice that will help anyone looking to improve their own game. Among the topics covered here are the rationale for her own system agreements (the pros and cons of mini-notrump openings, multi-purpose two-bids, the merits of forcing club systems, etc.) and carding methods, as well as team chemistry, table presence and even dressing for success!

The long-awaited autobiography of Patrice Evra, former captain of Manchester United and France

Take a college baseball coach and have chosen for you an assistant with no baseball experience. Now, combine them with a Japanese contingent of players who speak no English. Add beautiful Rhonda, a streetwise stickball player; some skydiving; a baseball schedule that includes an elementary school, a local prison; a cross-dressing athletic director; and a wise-cracking announcer, and watch them fumble their way through a baseball season. An Internal Affairs detective and a Benton County police officer, will help put private detective E.J. Cord onto the trial of his friend's killer. He will have to cross the U.S. and in doing so, will run into a host of misadventures. Kidnapping, drugs, and murder, will be on his menu. Will he ever be able to quiet the guilt that constantly haunts his dreams...that he was the cause of her murder? Her murdered friends only transgression, was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The 'time and place' was ever having known E.J. Cord.

"Kirby Puckett's incredible catch above the center field fence and his eleventh-inning home run in Game Six of the 1991 World Series turned that championship series around - and ignited a nationwide fandom for the smiling center fielder of the Minnesota Twins. His stunning statistics, which include a career batting average ranked third among all active players, five Gold Glove awards, two World Series rings, and a perennial spot on the All-Star team, have all been accomplished by a guy with a chunky, fireplug build who admits he can't even touch his toes. Kirby Puckett's sunny disposition, his huge talent, and his obvious love for the game have won him the respect and affection of fans and ballplayers everywhere, and in this marvelous, personal account, Puckett tells us how he became the player and the person we admire today." "Puckett movingly describes his journey from a childhood spent playing ball on concrete "fields" between apartment buildings on Chicago's tough south side to a spectacular career anchoring a major league franchise. The youngest of nine children, Puckett played ball wherever and whenever he could, but few baseball scouts ventured into the housing project where his family lived." "His break came when he was discovered by a scout who had come to watch his own son play in an Illinois collegiate summer league. After a mere two years in their minor league system, the Twins gambled on a still unseasoned Puckett, calling him up to replace an ailing outfielder. He went four-for-five in his major league debut. The rest is history." "Nine years and two World Series later, Puckett continues to thrill fans with his hardnosed approach to the game, his bold batting style and refusal to play cat-and-mouse with pitchers, and his homer-stealing catches at the center field wall. He gives us an insider's look at some of the exciting moments and great players he's encountered on the field, as well as telling the real story of his cliffhanging negotiations with the Twins after the '92 season, which resulted in a hard-won five-year contract - much to the relief of virtually the entire population of Minnesota!" "He takes us inside the locker room to experience the genuine camaraderie and team unity that keep up the "Twins mystique." Minnesota has a reputation as an always-bustling team propelled by a solid work ethic, and Puckett is a driving force behind that reputation. He introduces Tom Kelly, the highly regarded and lively team manager, and fellow Twin superstars past and present, including Frank Viola, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Tom Brunansky, and many more." "Unswervingly upbeat, Kirby Puckett will charm readers as naturally as he charges up his teammates on and off the field with his thoroughly engaging tale of life playing the game he loves with the team he loves."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

It's Valentine's Day, and for Peppa, it's all about love. It's February 14, and Peppa Pig's family is playing the I Love You game! Peppa loves many things: her goldfish, her birthday, cookies, books, going to school, and so much more. George mostly loves dinosaurs. Mummy and Daddy Pig have their favorites to add to the list, and so do Granny and Grandpa Pig. But what does Peppa love most of all?

Eve is used to being the odd woman out. As the only girl on her school's baseball team, she knows exactly how to put sweaty, macho baseball players in their place, and she's learned to focus on one thing and one thing only--being the best pitcher she can be. But when a freak accident forces her school to be absorbed by the neighboring town, Eve has to contend with a new group of guys who aren't used to having a woman on their team. And the new team's star pitcher, Jamie, has no interest in being ousted from his throne. He can't afford to give up his starting slot to a new pitcher--especially to a girl. As the competition between Jamie and Eve starts to heat up, so does their attraction to each other. Can they keep their heads in the game, or will they end up getting played? -- netgalley.

What does love have to do with gaming? As games have grown in complexity, they have increasingly included narratives that seek to engage players with love in a variety of ways. While media attention often focuses on violent emotions and behavior in gaming, love has always been central to the experience. We love to play games, we have titles that we love, and sometimes we love too much or love terrible games for their shortcomings. Love in gaming is rather like love in life--often complicated and frustrating but also exciting and gratifying. This collection of fresh essays explores the meaning and role of love in gaming, describing a number of ways--from coding to cosplay--in which love can be expressed in, for and around games. Investigating how gaming involves love is also key to understanding the growing importance of games and gamers as cultural markers.