Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface

by Michael Phelps

Eight Olympic medals, including six gold and two bronze in Athens in 2004, Michael Phelps is the current holder of six world records, and seven gold medals at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships. Phelps is well on his way to his ambitious goal of "changing the sport of swimming." But despite Michael's pre-eminence in the pool, his story is not a swimming diary but a tale of adversities overcome and redemption... (more)

The Amateurs: The Story of Four Young Men and Their Quest for an Olympic Gold Medal

The Amateurs: The Story of Four Young Men and Their Quest for an Olympic Gold Medal

by David Halberstam

"Astonishing . . . Moving . . . One of the best books ever written about a sport." *Walter Clemons Newsweek "A PENETRATING, FASCINATING AND REMARKABLY SUSPENSEFUL NARRATIVE." *David Guy Chicago Tribune In The Amateurs, David Halberstam once again displays the unique brand of reportage, both penetrating and supple, that distinguished his bestselling The Best and the Brightest and October 1964. This time he has... (more)

Golden Girl: How Natalie Coughlin Fought Back, Challenged Conventional Wisdom, and Became America's Olympic Champion

Golden Girl: How Natalie Coughlin Fought Back, Challenged Conventional Wisdom, and Became America's Olympic Champion

by Michael Silver

Five years ago, Natalie Coughlin+s promising swimming career was all but extinguished when a devastating shoulder injury ended her dreams for the 2000 Olympics. After becoming, at age 15, the first person ever to qualify for all 14 women+s events at the U.S. Nationals, she seemed destined to follow the path of so many other young swimming stars-devoured by an oppressive training schedule.In Golden Girl, Sports... (more)

Off the Deep End

by W. Hodding Carter

Hodding Carter dreamed of being an Olympian as a kid. He worshipped Mark Spitz, swam his heart out, and just missed qualifying for the Olympic trials in swimming as a college senior. Although he didn't qualify for the 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, or 2004 Olympics, he never stopped believing he could make it. And despite past failures and the passage of time, Carter began his quest once more at the age... (more)

No Finish LineMarla Runyan & Sally Jenkins

No Finish Line

by Marla Runyan & Sally Jenkins

Heroes in Our Midst: Top Canadian Athletes Share Personal Stories from Their Lives in Sport

Heroes in Our Midst: Top Canadian Athletes Share Personal Stories from Their Lives in Sport

by Robin; Thomas, Wendy (editors) (foreword by Wayne Gretzky) Mednick

Heroes in Our Midst is a collection of 110 personal stories from top Canadian athletes. Every contribution is a story, with something inspiring, heartbreaking, funny, or fascinating to say. Runner Ray Lewis remembers the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, where he was treated like a star and Hollywood legends like Gary Cooper wanted his autograph. When he returned to Canada, the medal-winning hero couldn’t find a job,... (more)

Mark Spitz: The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion

Mark Spitz: The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion

by Richard J. Foster

Documenting his legendary performances at the 1972 Olympics—winning seven gold medals while breaking seven world records—this is the first biography to chronicle the amazing life story of renowned athlete Mark Spitz. Every aspect of his roller-coaster career is recorded, from an age-group prodigy and four-medal "flop" at the 1968 Olympics to an outstanding collegiate career at Indiana University and a gold-medal... (more)

Gold in the Water: The True Story of Ordinary Men and Their Extraordinary Dream of Olympic Glory

Gold in the Water: The True Story of Ordinary Men and Their Extraordinary Dream of Olympic Glory

by P. H. Mullen

In California, a team of talented young men begin pursuing the most elusive dream in sports, the Olympic Games. The pressure steadily increases as two best friends (a mentor and his protégé) reach the top of the world rankings and unexpectedly find themselves direct competitors. Their teammates include an emerging star methodically plotting to retrace his father’s path to Olympic glory, as well as a... (more)

Black, White and Gold

by Kelly Holmes

When Kelly brought home double gold in the 2004 Olympics she became a national hero. She has dedicated a lifetime to honour and endurance, while at the same time remaining heartily loyal to her family. She has had to contend with a host of injuries that affected her athletic form, but never affected her hopes. She did Britain proud - twice. Now it is time to be honest about her life: what emotions boil behind the... (more)

Shannon Miller: My Child, My Hero

by Claudia Miller

Shannon Miller, multi-medal-winning gymnast at both the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympics, is the subject of this memoir written by her mother. While such a book could have become overbearing, Miller is instead gracious toward rivals, teammates, and the many who helped Shannon and temperate when discussing spats with coaches. In Kerri Strug's autobiography Landing on My Feet (LJ 11/1/97), readers came to... (more)

Letters to a Young Gymnast (Art of Mentoring)

Letters to a Young Gymnast (Art of Mentoring)

by Nadia Coma?neci

A unique glimpse into the remarkable life, and fascinating mindset, of the woman who broke records-and boundaries-for female athletes everywhere. If there were such a thing as an "elder" stateswoman in women's gymnastics today, Nadia Comaneci would win that title as readily as she once won gold medals. Olga Korbut came before her, and many other medalists would follow, but none has ever been as dominant in... (more)

By a Fraction of a Second

by Lois Ruskai Melina

Read about seven members (five medalists) on the U.S. Olympic team, including: Megan Quann, gold medalist, 100 breast, 400 medley relay, Kristy Kowal, silver medalist, 200 breast and Lindsay Benko, gold medalist, 4 x 200 relay, and three other Olympic Trials finalists and semi-finalists, including Kristine Quance-Julian and Keiko Price. Athletes at all levels and in all sports, as well as coaches, officials,... (more)

Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams

by Kerri Strug

Kerri Strug comes to life as the brave young gymnast who secured her place in the Olympic pantheon for her brilliant success under fire. The 88-pound, 4-foot 9-inch Strug seems larger than life as she follows her personal dream-from her home in Tucson, Arizona to years of tenacious training with several different coaches, and finally to her amazing vault at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Amazing Pace

by Paul McMullen

A vibrant portrait of American swimmer Michael Phelps—the dominant athlete at the 2004 Olympics—who has relentlessly pushed himself, promoted his sport, and appears poised to ultimately accumulate the most gold medals in Olympic history Before he was old enough to have a driver’s license, Michael Phelps had a world record. Before he ever took a college class or turned 20, he had earned distinction by winning 8... (more)

The Olympic Dream and Spirit Volume 1: Stories of courage, perseverance and dedication (Olympic Dream and Spirit)

The Olympic Dream and Spirit Volume 1: Stories of courage, perseverance and dedication (Olympic Dream and Spirit)

by Mary Lou Retton, Mary Joe Fernandez, Bela Karolyi, Dan O'Brien

35 Olympic athletes share their personal stories, including: Cliff Meidl, canoe/kayaking: Electrocuted and pronounced dead three times, came back to compete in Olympics despite losing functional use of his knees. Laura Wilkinson, diving: Three of the people closest to her died within a year, but she turned their memories into positive energy to accomplish her goals. Duncan Kennedy, luge: Overcame bleeding on... (more)

Shooting from the Outside

by Tara VanDerveer, Joan Ryan

Never mind Michael, Shaq and the rest, the U.S. Women's Basketball Team was the real "Dream Team" at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. After a remarkable undefeated season, Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo and their teammates brought home Olympic gold under the unparalleled leadership of three-time National Coachof the Year, Tara VanDerveer. Shooting from Outside is Tara's riveting, behind-the-scenes... (more)

Tales of Gold/an Oral History of the Summer Olympic Games Told by America's Gold Medal WinnersLewis H. Carlson, John J. Fogarty

Tales of Gold/an Oral History of the Summer Olympic Games Told by America's Gold Medal Winners

by Lewis H. Carlson, John J. Fogarty

These oral accounts of Olympic games from 1912 to 1984 are stirring, if only because so many of the gold medalists overcame adversity to gain their triumphs. Carlson, a professor at Western Michigan University, and Fogarty, a professor at Ferris State University, open with an interview with Abel Kiviat, age 96, the nation's oldest living Olympian, continue with other participants in the games in the years when the... (more)

Unspoken

by Dorothy Hamill

The dazzling smile, the signature haircut, the staple spin. "America's Sweetheart" Dorothy Hamill grew up on the ice, working toward the dream she was to accomplish by age nineteen: winning Olympic gold in figure skating. But life was not the picture of perfection it appeared to be. Dorothy faced a painful inner struggle from the time she was a young girl that followed her into adulthood -- though she would not... (more)

The 1984 OlympicsDick Schaap

The 1984 Olympics

by Dick Schaap

Venus to the Hoop: A Gold Medal Year in Women's Basketball

Venus to the Hoop: A Gold Medal Year in Women's Basketball

by Sara Corbett

They played for the gold. They played for the glory. And they played for the future of women athletes everywhere. Few of the millions of viewers who witnessed the joyous celebration of the victorious American women's basketball team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics could know the intense human drama, the sweat and anxieties, the hopes and the rivalries, that led up to that rapturous outpouring of emotion. Put down... (more)

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Tags: olympic sports