Glenn "Doc" Rivers, alongside award-winning author Bruce Brooks, tells us about the game he loves in this insightful player autobiography. Glenn "Doc" Rivers plays basketball the way an artist writes: he practices endlessly to perfect his technique, he constantly thinks of the whole, the game, ahead of himself; and in those moments of inspiration when "the ball starts to move," that's when the real fun starts. Beginning with schoolyard contests in Chicago against Isiah Thomas and clashes with an older brother who was his toughest one-on-one challenge, he shows us the determination, the competitive fire, and the brains he needed to succeed. We find out about mentors like Johnny Davis and Moses Malone, infuriating opponents like Michael Jordan and Kevin McHale--and coaches like Hank Raymond and Pat Riley, whose techniques Doc later uses as a championship-winning head coach and leader. Doc has a good life in the NBA, but he looks directly at the racial problems sports hides, at the distortion that comes when a game turns into a highlight film, at the pressure on himself and his family that comes from being a too-often-absent dad, and at the day every athlete dreads: retirement. Looking back to his past accomplishments and ahead to his bright future, Doc Rivers guides us on a thought-provoking, memorable journey into the mind of one special ballplayer--one of Those Who Love the Game.

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.

In this “inventive and affecting” historical young adult novel, a black girl and a white boy are pawns in a magical game between Love and Death (Publishers Weekly). Flora and Henry were born a few blocks from each other, innocent of the forces that might keep a white boy and an African American girl apart; years later they meet again and their mutual love of music sparks an even more powerful connection. But what Flora and Henry don’t know is that they are pawns in a game played by the eternal adversaries Love and Death, here brilliantly reimagined as two extremely sympathetic and fascinating characters. Can their hearts and their wills overcome not only their earthly circumstances, but forces that have battled throughout history? In the rainy Seattle of the 1920’s, romance blooms among the jazz clubs, the mansions of the wealthy, and the shanty towns of the poor. But what is more powerful: love? Or death? “Race, class, fate and choice—they join Love and Death to play their parts in Brockenbrough’s haunting and masterfully orchestrated narrative.” —Kirkus Reviews

Middle school is full of new challenges for Jackson, Gig, Isaac, and Diego, four sports-loving friends who have always stuck together. Lockers that won't open, older (and bigger) kids, classes that are far apart, tons of homework—there's a lot to get used to. One thing the boys are looking forward to, however, is making the football team. Not every one will get what he wants, though, on the field and at home.

His challenge? Make her fall in love with him.Her challenge? Play the player.Until life changes the rules of the game.Maddie Stevens hated Braden Carter on sight. Arrogant, egotistical, and the playboy of the University of California, Berkeley, he's everything her brother Pearce has taught her to despise. So why, when the girls challenge her to play the player, doesn't she say no? She doesn't know either.Braden wanted fiery little Maddie the second he laid eyes on her - and he'd do anything to have her, hence why he's agreed to make her fall in love with him. After all, it's the only way he'll get what he wants. Sex.But, as Braden discovers, there's more to the girl from Brooklyn than he ever imagined - and he can't help but care about the broken girl behind those pretty green eyes.Maddie finds Braden isn't just a walking erection - he actually has feelings. He can be sweet, funny and his good looks don't exactly hurt. That means trouble - but when her brother Pearce turns up in Berkeley begging for her help, she realises Braden and Pearce aren't so alike anymore.And maybe, just maybe, they're exactly what each other needs.

EVERY WOMAN CAN PLAY GREAT GOLF Known in the world of golf as one of the game's greatest teachers, Harvey Penick worked with U.S. Open winners, great champions, and five out of the thirteen women who are members of the LPGA Hall of Fame. Mickey Wright, Sandra Palmer, Betsy Rawls, Kathy Whitworth, Judy Rankin, and Betty Jameson all had the privilege and honor of working with Penick. While he was proud of their success and achievements, Penick took just as much pleasure from the accomplishments of the countless women who came to him hoping only to be able to hit a ball in the air for the very first time. In For All Who Love the Game, Harvey shares the lessons he's learned from female golfers: techniques to help women gain greater physical and psychological power, advice on the perfect swing, and tips for developing areas of the game where women can and should outplay their male counterparts. Interwoven with Penick's ever-present blend of common sense and insight, For All Who Love the Game is a gift to every woman who wants to enjoy the game of golf to its fullest.

A century before Kirby Puckett led the Minnesota Twins to World Series championships, Minnesota was home to countless talented African American baseball players, yet few of them are known to fans today. During the many decades that Major League Baseball and its affiliates imposed a strict policy of segregation, black ballplayers in Minnesota were relegated to a haphazard array of semipro leagues, barnstorming clubs, and loose organizations of all-black teams—many of which are lost to history. They Played for the Love of the Game recovers that history by sharing stories of African American ballplayers in Minnesota, from the 1870s to the 1960s, through photos, artifacts, and spoken histories passed through the generations. Author Frank White’s own father was one of the top catchers in the Twin Cities in his day, a fact that White did not learn until late in life. While the stories tell of denial, hardship, and segregation, they are highlighted by athletes who persevered and were united by their love of the sport.