Extreme Motorsports (Paperback)

The captivating, fast-paced world of motorsports gets an in-depth view in this resource that covers everything from motocross to speedboat racing to aerial acrobatics. Vivid photographs illustrate each offshoot of motorsports, including a brief history of the sport, important people who helped shape the sport, and details about some of the fastest and most high-endurance competitions. For those interested in getting started in any of these sports, the book includes resources about the type of equipment needed, the importance of getting proper training, and how to find local motorsport racing associations and local competitions.

Gr 5-8-These overviews offer action shots and interesting facts, including a look at each sport's history. Readers will discover that surfing is tied to ancient Polynesian and Hawaiian cultures and that kiteboarding's origins date to kites in ancient China. Skydiving introduces innovator Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick, whose daring feats in the 1920s helped convince the U.S. military to use parachutes. A sidebar in Extreme Biking notes the contributions of a unit of African American Buffalo Soldiers, who in the 1890s demonstrated possible uses of military bicycles through long-distance treks, including one totaling 1,900 miles. Motorsports notes that modified race karts open this sport to wheelchair-bound participants. Straightforward prose is employed in most of the offerings, though wordy technical explanations in Kiteboarding and dense prose in Parkour make these two titles marginal purchases. VERDICT With the exceptions of Kiteboarding and Parkour, solid options.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.