A moving, funny, inventive parenting memoir, written in a surprising form: an encyclopedia of failure in sportsWhat can a new father learn about parenthood from reading sports almanacs? For most dads, the answer to this question is: nothing. But to Josh Wilker, whose life and writing have been defined by sports fandom, all of the joy, helplessness, and absurdity of parenthood are present between the lines.After all, what better way to think about losing control than Eugenio Velez's forty-five consecutive at-bats without a hit? How better to understand ridiculous joy than the NFL career of Walter Achiu, whose nickname was “Sneeze”? In the stories of sports figures large and small, Wilker finds the pathos in success and the humor in losing.As the terrified father of a one-day-old, Wilker recalls the 1986 World Series, when the moment was too big for the Red Sox. When he finds himself stealing away for an hour of alone time, Wilker thinks of boxer Roberto Duran, so beaten by Sugar Ray Leonard that he finally gave up. And yet, even as the frustrations and anxieties build, Wilker remembers Mets pitcher Anthony Young, who broke the baseball record for most consecutive losses—and never stopped showing up.Finding the richness of life in obscure wrestling maneuvers and pop-ups lost in the sun, Benchwarmer is a book of unique humanity and surprising wisdom.

Product Description: The 1970s was a decade marked by Vietnam, Watergate, counterculture, sexual liberation, and stadium rock. For author Josh Wilker, it was a time spent navigating a challenging childhood in which only his prized baseball card collection could give him unfailing faith that a winning season would one day present itself...read more

Product Description: Cardboard Gods is the memoir of Josh Wilker, a brilliant writer who has marked the stages of his life through the baseball cards he collected as a child. It also captures the experience of growing up obsessed with baseball cards and explores what it means to be a fan of the game...read more

Each book in this series brings readers behind the scenes with key people in one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, introducing the drivers, crews, owners, and legends of motorsports.

A biography of the famous race car driver A.J. Foyt

Describes the various types of sports gambling, explains why it is impossible to win in the long run, and discusses the signs of a gambling problem and how to treat it. (view table of contents)

Documents the basketball wizards' seventy-year history, traces the team's development from a barnstorming semi-pro team to comic performers known throughout the world, and looks at the lives of the men who made it happen

A biography of the Chinese teacher and sage whose teachings influenced all aspects of Chinese life for many centuries after his death (view table of contents)

Recounts the history of organized crime from the Cosa Nostra to Al Capone to recent global criminal organizations

Uses literature and case studies to chronicle the historic shift in the philosophy of punishing wrongdoers and examines the continuing tension between the desire for personal vengeance and public interest in lawfulness.

Discusses the coaching careers of some notable personalities from the National Basketball Association, including Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, and Lenny Wilkens (view table of contents)

An account of the famous Edmonton Oiler and his ability that shattered every major single season scoring mark in the NHL record book

Discusses some of the ways swindlers can take an honest person's money, describing various scams, con games, and hoaxes that have been perpetrated in the past (view table of contents)

A biography of the famous race car driver A.J. Foyt

Profiles the New York Nets' former leading player, describing his early career struggles and his amazing feats on the court for sixteen seasons

Examines the history, culture, and future prospects of the Lenape (also known as Delaware) Indians (view table of contents)