Our Blog

Kid Olympians: Summer

Triumphant, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of international athletes who have captured the world’s attention at the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, like Simone Biles, Jesse Owens, Naomi Osaka, Tatyana McFadden, and 12 other incredible olympians.

Athletes throughout history have dreamed of competing in the Olympics—and some were kids themselves when those dreams and plans began! In Kid Olympians: Summer, discover the childhood stories of legends such as:

  • Usain Bolt, who used to skip practices to go to the arcade and play video games.
  • Serena Williams, who sometimes hit her tennis ball over the fence on purpose!
  • Tatyana McFadden, who had to fight to be allowed on her school’s track team

Featuring kid-friendly text and full-color illustrations, you’ll be inspired to dream bigger, faster, and higher than ever before!

The diverse and inspiring group also includes Michael Phelps, Yusra Mardini, Dick Fosbury, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Gertrude Ederle, Nadia Comaneci, Ellie Simmonds, Tommie Smith, Wilma Rudolph, and Megan Rapinoe.

Posted by Kim Ismael

Gladstone’s Games To Go

No cards, no dice, no spinners-no board! Join the fun as you learn to play more than 50 of the best word games, puzzle games, coin games, and more. Gladstone’s Games to Go can be enjoyed with just a pencil, paper, and some commonly found objects (coins usually do the trick). Old classics like Battleship and Connect Four have been updated for more challenging play, while newer games like Doublet Racing and Initialist will test the skills of even the most experienced gamers.

Whether you’re on a transcontinental plane ride, waiting for a movie to start, lounging on a beach, or sitting with friends in the coffeehouse, you’re guaranteed to find the cure for boredom in these pages. Start playing today!

JIM GLADSTONE is the author of the award-winning novel The Big Book of Misunderstanding. His writing has also appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Billboard, and the Chicago Tribune. He lives in Philadelphia. Visit him on the Web at gogladstone.com.

Posted by impart

Commuter Waiting Games

According to efficiency experts, average commuters spend 25 minutes every day waiting for trains, sitting in traffic, or hoofing it to their place of employment. By the time you take the A train to meet the big guy in the sky, you’ll have spent a full year of your life traveling to and from your workplace.

Now, at last, there’s an activity book to help frazzled commuters and travelers make the most of their time. Commuter Waiting Games is a witty, illustrated collection of more than 50 how-to projects, puzzles, games, and activities. You’ll discover exciting new sports (Airline Safety Card Volleyracket), amazing weight-loss techniques (Commuter Train Calisthenics), guidelines for tapping your inner muse (Traffic-Sign Haiku), and hilarious group participation events (Airport Check-In Limbo).

You’ll also learn how to:

• Design a Newspaper Bridal Gown
• Practice Trainscendental Meditation
• Honk a Morse Code Message
• Relax with Commuter Headrest Shiatsu
. . . and much, much more!

HAL BOWMAN is the celebrated author of Computer Waiting Games. He honed these activities after three years of commuting by car, train, and shoe leather.

Posted by impart

Ultimate Sports Handbook

How does Serena Williams deliver such crushing serves? How does Michael Jordan slam dunk? How can Dale Earnhardt Jr. survive hairpin turns at 200 miles an hour?

The Ultimate Sports Handbook unveils how today’s biggest sports stars play to win-complete with hands-on advice and training tips from celebrated athletes like Tiger Woods, Andy Roddick, Charles Barkley, Jerry Rice, Joe Frazier, and countless others. You’ll discover how to:

• Sack the Quarterback
• Throw a Knuckleball
• Ski Jump
• Pole Vault
• Throw a Left Hook
• Hole Out from the Sand
• Do a Motocross Backflip
• and much, much more

Complete with step-by-step instructions and practical illustrations, The Ultimate Sports Handbook offers the play-by-play on how to perform 35 wildly impressive athletic feats-from pro games and Olympic events to the latest in extreme sports. It’s the one guide that answers every sports fan’s first question: “Hey, how do they do that?”

RICHARD O’BRIEN is a senior editor at Sports Illustrated.

Posted by impart

Undercover Golf

Are your family and job interfering with your golf game? Do you need more time to perfect your stance, swing, aim, and putt? Undercover Golf shows how to practice essential golf skills while appearing to perform genuinely useful household or work-related tasks.

You’ll learn how to read the green-while vacuuming a carpet. You’ll practice adjusting your grip pressure-while shoveling snow. You’ll even learn how to assess your body and ball lines-while washing your hands!

Each of these essential skills is presented with detailed instructions and helpful illustrations. With Undercover Golf, shopping for groceries and walking the dog will no longer interfere with your golf game-in fact, they’ll help you perfect it!

JOE BORGENICHT has coauthored The Action Hero’s Handbook, The Action Heroine’s Handbook, and The Baby Owner’s Manual. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

R. D. ROBINSON has worked in the golf industry for more than forty years. He is a Class A member of the PGA and a sought-after instructor, both in the United States and abroad. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Posted by impart

The Golf Guru

Why do golfers yell “fore”? Is it ever acceptable for a player to use a purple golf ball? Am I entitled to a free drop if dog poop interferes with my swing?

Since 1999, readers of Golf Digest have submitted their most puzzling and perplexing golf questions to the Golf Guru, a.k.a. Editor-in-Chief John Barton, whose monthly column answers these imponderables with authority and good humor. This illustrated golfer’s miscellany compiles more than 250 of his most compelling Q&As, tackling everything from history and physics to fashion, etiquette, and beyond.

  • Why do golf courses have 18 holes?
  • Why do golf balls have dimples?
  • If Tiger Woods wears white socks with black shoes, why can’t I?

Whatever the question, The Golf Guru has the answer!

John Barton is Editor-in-Chief of Golf Digest International. His Golf Guru column reaches 6 million readers via all 26 international editions of Golf Digest. He lives in London.

Posted by impart