Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Competition
The Queen's Gambit
by Walter Tevis
A young prodigy's quest to become the best chess player in the world.
The Queen's Gambit traces chess prodigy Beth Harmon's life from her childhood in an orphanage through her struggles with tranquilizer and alcohol addiction to her triumphant rise through the ... (Wikipedia)
Chess Story
by Stefan Zweig
A chess master's attempt to regain his lost skill, and the psychological battle he faces.
The narrator opens the story on a passenger liner traveling from New York to Buenos Aires. Driven to mental anguish as the result of total isolation by the Nazis , Dr B, a securities expert hiding ... (Wikipedia)
Soccer in Sun and Shadow
by Eduardo Galeano
A poetic and passionate history of soccer, exploring its cultural and political significance around the world.
One of the greatest, magical, and most lyrical accounts of the beautiful game In this witty and rebellious history of world soccer, award-winning writer Eduardo Galeano searches for the styles of ... (Barnes & Noble)
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant
by W. Chan Kim
A guide to creating unique and profitable business strategies by surpassing competition.
The global phenomenon, embraced by business worldwide and now published in more than 40 languages. This international bestseller challenges everything you thought you knew about the requirements for ... (Goodreads)
Open
by Andre Agassi
Autobiographical account of a tennis star's career, struggles, and personal growth.
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi’s incredibly rigorous ... (Goodreads)
The View from Saturday
by E.L. Konigsburg
Four sixth graders and their teacher compete in a trivia contest, revealing their unique stories and bond.
How has Mrs. Olinski chosen her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? She had a number of answers. But were any of them true? How had she really chosen Noah and Nadia and Ethan and Julian? And why did they ... (Goodreads)
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind: How to Be Seen and Heard in the Overcrowded Marketplace
by Al Ries
A guide to using marketing strategies to stand out in today's competitive marketplace.
The first book to deal with the problems of communicating to a skeptical, media-blitzed public, Positioning describes a revolutionary approach to creating a "position" in a prospective customer's ... (Goodreads)
The Devil Wears Prada
by Lauren Weisberger
A young woman's quest for career success in the cutthroat world of fashion.
Andrea Sachs, a recent graduate of Brown University with a degree in English , moves to New York City with her best friend, Lily, a graduate student at Columbia . Andrea hopes to find a career in ... (Wikipedia)
Burn for Me
by Ilona Andrews
A young woman discovers her hidden powers and embarks on an action-packed quest to save her city from a powerful enemy.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews launches a brand-new Hidden Legacy series, in which one woman must place her trust in a seductive, dangerous man who sets off an even more dangerous ... (Barnes & Noble)
Prep
by Curtis Sittenfeld
A teenage girl's struggle to find her place and identity in an elite prep school.
Curtis Sittenfeld’s debut novel, Prep , is an insightful, achingly funny coming-of-age story as well as a brilliant dissection of class, race, and gender in a hothouse of adolescent angst and ... (Goodreads)
The Long Walk
by Richard Bachman
Fourteen boys face a grueling test of endurance and willpower as they compete in a life-or-death march.
One hundred teenage boys join an annual walking contest called "The Long Walk" or just "The Walk". Each contestant, called a "Walker", must maintain a speed of at least four miles per hour; if he ... (Wikipedia)
The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin
A mysterious game of wit and skill, with a fortune as the prize.
BE CLASSIC with, The Westing Game, introduced by, New York Times, bestselling author Mac Barnett. A highly inventive mystery begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of the very ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Prestige
by Christopher Priest
Two rival magicians use deception and misdirection to outwit each other in a dangerous game of one-upmanship.
The events of the past are related through the diaries of 19th century magicians Rupert Angier and Alfred Borden. The diaries are read by their great-grandchildren, Kate Angier and Andrew Westley ... (Wikipedia)
The 33 Strategies of War
by Robert Greene
A military-inspired guide to developing strategies for success in business and life.
Brilliant distillations of the strategies of war—and the subtle social game of everyday life—by the bestselling author of, The 48 Laws of Power, and, Mastery, Robert Greene’s groundbreaking guides, ... (Goodreads)
Ball Four
by Jim Bouton
A candid account of the life of a professional baseball player, exposing the realities of the sport.
Twentieth-anniversary edition of a baseball classic, with a new epilogue by Jim Bouton. When first published in 1970, Ball Four stunned the sports world. The commissioner, executives, and players ... (Goodreads)
The Sixth Man
by David Baldacci
A murder mystery set in the world of college basketball, as two brothers work to uncover the truth.
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called to help Edgar Roy, an alleged serial killer awaiting trial. Roy faces almost certain conviction. Roy’s attorney, Sean’s friend and mentor Ted Bergin, is set ... (Wikipedia)
Ride the River
by Louis L'Amour
A young woman sets out on a dangerous journey to claim her inheritance, facing challenges and enemies along the way.
In Ride the River , Louis L’Amour spins the tale of a young woman who has to protect her family fortune from a murderous thief and teach him what it means to be a Sackett. Sixteen-year-old Echo ... (Goodreads)
Glengarry Glen Ross
by David Mamet
Cutthroat competition in a real estate sales office, where survival of the fittest is the only way out.
The Rider
by Tim Krabbé
A thrilling account of a 150-kilometer bike race, told from the perspective of the protagonist.
A literary sports classic, finally available in the U.S. Originally published in the Netherlands in 1978, The Rider became an instant cult classic, selling over 100,000 copies. Brilliantly conceived ... (Goodreads)
Dragon Teeth
by Michael Crichton
A thrilling tale of fossil hunters in the Wild West, competing to discover the secrets of long-lost dinosaurs.
Michael Crichton, the number one New York Times best-selling author of Jurassic Park, returns to the world of palaeontology in this recently discovered novel - a thrilling adventure set in the Wild ... (Goodreads)
The Last Days of Night
by Graham Moore
In 19th century New York City, a lawyer battles a powerful inventor in a fight over patents and the future of electricity.
NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • ,“A world of invention and skulduggery, populated by the likes of Edison, Westinghouse, and Tesla.”—Erik Larson, , ,“A model of superior historical fiction . . . an ... (Barnes & Noble)
Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics
by Jonathan Wilson
A comprehensive history of football tactics, from the earliest formations to modern-day strategies.
"An outstanding work ... the [soccer] book of the decade." -Sunday Business Post,, Inverting the Pyramid, is a pioneering soccer book that chronicles the evolution of soccer tactics and the lives of ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Damned Utd
by David Peace
A fictionalized account of Brian Clough's tumultuous 44-day tenure as manager of Leeds United in 1974.
Told from Clough's point of view, the novel is written as his stream of consciousness as he tries and fails to impose his will on a team he inherited from his bitter rival, Don Revie , and whose ... (Wikipedia)
Once a Runner
by John L. Parker Jr.
An elite runner's obsessive journey to become the fastest runner in the world.
The novel opens with a physically fit young man standing on a track, watching as "the night joggers" toil around him. He begins to walk toward the starting post and thinks that now that the Olympic ... (Wikipedia)
Playing for Pizza
by John Grisham
A former NFL quarterback's winding journey of rediscovery, finding a sense of belonging in a foreign land.
Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC Championship game against Denver, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually got into the game. ... (Goodreads)
Quidditch Through the Ages
by J.K. Rowling
A detailed guide to the magical sport of Quidditch, its history and its rules.
The most checked-out book in the Hogwarts Library, and a volume no Quidditch player or Harry Potter fan should be without! If you have ever asked yourself where the Golden Snitch came from, how the ... (Goodreads)
Marathon Man
by William Goldman
A young man's race against time to save his family from a deadly conspiracy.
Tom "Babe" Levy is a runner in every sense: racing tirelessly toward his goals of athletic and academic excellence–and endlessly away from the specter of his famous father's scandal-driven suicide. ... (Goodreads)
The Lemonade War
by Jacqueline Davies
Siblings Evan and Jessie compete to see who can make the most money selling lemonade during summer break.
For a full hour, he poured lemonade. The world is a thirsty place, he thought as he nearly emptied his fourth pitcher of the day. And I am the Lemonade King. Fourth-grader Evan Treski is ... (Goodreads)
Fudge-a-Mania
by Judy Blume
A humorous take on family dynamics as siblings battle for their parents' attention.
Peter Hatcher is horrified to learn of his family's plans to spend summer in a vacation home alongside the Tubmans, the family of his archrival, Sheila Tubman, located in Southwest Harbor, Maine . On ... (Wikipedia)
Business Adventures
by John Brooks
Classic stories of the inner workings of some of America's most influential companies.
This business classic written by longtime New Yorker contributor John Brooks is an insightful and engaging look into corporate and financial life in America. What do the $350 million Ford Motor ... (Goodreads)
The Most Dangerous Game
by Richard Connell
A hunter's game of survival and strategy, as he pursues and is pursued by his prey.
Big-game hunter Sanger Rainsford and his friend, Whitney, are traveling to the Amazon rainforest for a jaguar hunt. After a discussion about how they are "the hunters" instead of "the hunted," ... (Wikipedia)
Killer Instinct
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A teenage girl with a talent for profiling becomes involved in solving a murder case. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes.
Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy
by Bill Simmons
A deep dive into the history and culture of the NBA, from the perspectives of a lifelong basketball fan.
There is only one writer on the planet who possesses enough basketball knowledge and passion to write the definitive book on the NBA.* Bill Simmons, the from-the-womb hoops addict known to millions ... (Goodreads)
Heat
by Mike Lupica
A young basketball player discovers his passion and potential as he navigates the world of competitive sports.
Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat along with aspirations of leading his team all the way to the Little League World Series. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat ... (Goodreads)
Free: The Future of a Radical Price
by Chris Anderson
Examination of the power of free products and services in the modern economy.
Reveals how to run an online business profitably in spite of the Internet's inherently free culture, disseminating the principles of a ''priceless economy'' in six categories that pertain to ... (Goodreads)
The Deal
by Elle Kennedy
A romantic comedy about a businesswoman and a professional hockey player who make a pact to have a no strings attached relationship.
New York Times, bestseller Elle Kennedy brings you a sexy new standalone novel!, She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy…, Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But ... (Barnes & Noble)
How to Eat Fried Worms
by Thomas Rockwell
A young boy takes a dare that leads to a comedic story of courage and friendship.
Alan challenges Billy to eat a worm a day for 15 days. The winner gets $50. Tom prepares the worms in a variety of ways to make them more appetizing, using condiments such as ketchup , mustard , ... (Wikipedia)
The King's Men
by Nora Sakavic
A college student's journey to uncover the secrets of a mysterious society of men.
Neil Josten is out of time. He knew when he came to PSU he wouldn't survive the year, but with his death right around the corner he's got more reasons than ever to live. Befriending the Foxes was ... (Goodreads)
The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of One Turbulent Season with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls
by Sam Smith
An inside look at the Chicago Bulls' 1990-1991 season, including the team's struggles and Michael Jordan's leadership style.
Sam Smith’s seminal,, New York Times, bestselling “eye-opener” (,The San Diego Union-Tribune,) on Michael Jordan and the 1990-1991 Chicago Bulls team—perfect for fans of ESPN’s hit documentary ... (Goodreads)
Gold
by Chris Cleave
Two elite cyclists and best friends compete for Olympic gold while dealing with personal struggles and a shared secret.
Gold follows two friends and professional cycling rivals, Kate Meadows and Zoe Castle, through their lives until the London Olympics. Meeting at the age of nineteen at a cycling challenge, Kate ... (Wikipedia)
Contest
by Matthew Reilly
A group of elite soldiers compete in a deadly contest on an isolated island, fighting for their lives and a mysterious prize.
The New York Public Library. A silent sanctuary of knowledge; a 100-year-old labyrinth of towering bookcases, narrow aisles and long marble hallways. For Doctor Stephen Swain and his daughter, Holly, ... (Goodreads)
Old School
by Tobias Wolff
An aspiring writer's journey of self-discovery, competing against his peers for the attention of a prestigious school's faculty.
The book is narrated by a school senior ("sixth former" in prep-school vernacular) at an unnamed elite boarding school in the northeastern United States in 1960–61. The unnamed protagonist is a ... (Wikipedia)
The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs
by Tyler Hamilton
An expose of doping, cover-ups and unethical practices in the world of professional cycling.
The Secret Race is a definitive look at the world of professional cycling—and the doping issue surrounding this sport and its most iconic rider, Lance Armstrong—by former Olympic gold medalist Tyler ... (Goodreads)
Rafa
by Rafael Nadal
Autobiography of Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, detailing his journey to success and the challenges he faced.
What makes a champion? What does it take to be the best in the world at your sport? Rafael Nadal has the answers. In his memoir, written with award-winning journalist John Carlin, he reveals the ... (Goodreads)
Winning
by Jack Welch
A guide to business success, revealing strategies to gain a competitive edge.
A champion manager of people, Jack Welch shares the hard-earned wisdom of a storied career in what will become the ultimate business bible With Winning, Jack Welch delivers a wide-ranging, in-depth, ... (Goodreads)
Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
by Jack McCallum
A behind-the-scenes look at the 1992 US Olympic basketball team, exploring their journey to gold and impact on the sport.
They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers. In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 ... (Goodreads)
The Cardturner: A Novel about a King, a Queen, and a Joker
by Louis Sachar
Alton's summer job is to be his blind, rich uncle's cardturner. He learns about life, love, and bridge.
The protagonist is a teenager named Alton Richards. He is seventeen years old, nearing the end of the academic year. He is best friends with Cliff, who recently started dating Alton's ex-girlfriend, ... (Wikipedia)
The Tournament
by Matthew Reilly
A global chess tournament turns deadly as contestants are forced to solve puzzles and riddles to survive. Fast-paced action and suspense.
The year is 1546. Europe lives in fear of the powerful Islamic empire to the East. Under its charismatic Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, it is an empire on the rise. It has defeated Christian ... (Goodreads)
Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation
by Blake J. Harris
The story of the intense rivalry between Sega and Nintendo during the 1990s, and how it shaped the video game industry.
Following the success of The Accidental Billionaires and Moneyball comes Console Wars—a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led ... (Goodreads)
Secretariat: The Making of a Champion
by William Nack
The story of Secretariat, the greatest racehorse of all time, and his journey to becoming a champion.
In 1973, Secretariat, the greatest thoroughbred in horse-racing history, won the Triple Crown. The only horse to ever break the two-minute mark in winning the Kentucky Derby until recent winner ... (Goodreads)
Michael Jordan: The Life
by Roland Lazenby
A comprehensive biography of Michael Jordan, exploring his life on and off the court, and his impact on basketball and popular culture.
The definitive biography of a legendary athlete. The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. Michael Jordan is responsible for sublime moments so ingrained in sports history that they have their own names. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Graduation Day
by Joelle Charbonneau
The final test to become a leader turns deadly, as students must fight for survival. Who will make it out alive?
She wants to put an end to the Testing,, In a scarred and brutal future, The United Commonwealth teeters on the brink of all-out civil war. The rebel resistance plots against a government that rules ... (Barnes & Noble)
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