Synopses & Reviews
Sports. They get our blood pumping and our hearts racing. Fans scream and cheer as their favorite athletes run, throw, pedal, dive, or swing their way to victory. But what makes an athlete successful? Why do some players excel when others fall behind?
In Why a Curveball Curves, the experts at Popular Mechanics, along with top athletes, coaches, and sports journalists, explore the science behind sports. Fluid dynamics, biomechanics, and technology determine everything from speed in cycling to protection in football to performance measurement in all sports. This book is designed for both the player and the fan, helping athletes become better-prepared and giving enthusiasts a more complete understanding and appreciation of competition. The issues discussed range from Tigerand#8217;s swing to Lanceand#8217;s legs, from gene doping to the physics of why a seemingly straight kick curves drastically just before its targetand#151;in other words, how to bend it like Beckhamand#151;plus so much more.and#160;
and#160;
Review
and#8220; . . . enjoyabl[e] . . . fun.and#8221;and#8212;Sports Illustrated
and#8220;This book is quite possibly every sports nerdand#8217;s dream . . . . Read this book and youand#8217;ll feel smarter and better informed about the sports you watch or play.and#8221;and#8212;Pete Hausler, WSJ.com
Review
“ . . . enjoyabl[e] . . . fun.”—Sports Illustrated
Synopsis
An absorbing and enlightening inside look at sports secretsand#8212;now in an updated and expanded edition! What makes an athlete successful? Why do some players excel? In this new, expanded edition, the experts at Popular Mechanics, along with top athletes, coaches, and sports journalists, explore the science behind everything from the perfect curveball and Phelps's kick to gene doping.
About the Author
Frank Vizard is a sports and technology writer who has worked for Scientific American, Popular Science, and Popular Mechanics, where he wrote many of the magazine's science of sports articles. He lives in Dobbs Ferry, NY.and#160;Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs, and influences nine million curious minds that read the magazine every month. The magazine features breakthroughs in the latest innovations in science and technology.