How Basketball Works

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

Chock full of interesting tidbits and trivia, this book provides a good
overview of the game of basketball. Its seven chapters describe in
detail the ball, the court, game wear, the athletes, the moves, the
statistics, and the offensive and defensive plays. The chapters also
provide a history and timeline, explain the science or research behind
everything, feature a “Legends of the Game” section (which discusses
the impact of a particular person or invention on the game), and include
tips to help those interested in playing the game themselves. There are
also commentaries, such as the one on whether it is worth it to pay the
big bucks for shoes endorsed by NBA athletes, “try it yourself”
suggestions to illustrate the science behind basketball, and “Star”
sections, which give little snippets about some of the big stars of the
game. The book finishes off with an explanation of the rules, a useful
glossary of terms, and a weak index.

While this book contains excellent and thorough information on
basketball, probably most appropriate for preteens, the childish
picture-book-style format may lead the intended audience to overlook it.
Meanwhile, younger children may become bewildered by the advanced
information and large amounts of text. Recommended with reservations.