James Naismith: The Man Who Invented Basketball »

Rob Rains is the author or co-author of 25 books. He is a former beat writer for USA Today Baseball Weekly and is now a freelance writer based in St. Louis.

It seems unlikely that James Naismith, who grew up playing "Duck on the Rock" in the rural community of Almonte, Canada, would invent one of America's most popular sports. But Rob Rains and Hellen Carpenter's fascinating, in-depth biography James Naismith: The Man Who Invented Basketball shows how this young man-who wanted to be a medical doctor, or if not that, a minister (in fact, he was both)-came to create a game that has endured for over a century.

James Naismith reveals how Naismith invented basketball in part to find an indoor activity to occupy students in the winter months. When he realized that the key to his game was that men could not run with the ball, and that throwing and jumping would eliminate the roughness of force, he was on to something. And while Naismith thought that other sports provided better exercise, he was pleased to create a game that "anyone could play."

With unprecedented access to the Naismith archives and documents, Rains and Carpenter chronicle how Naismith developed the original rules of basketball, coached the game at the University of Kansas-establishing college basketball in the process-and was honored for his work at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin.

Library Journal

Rains (formerly, USA Today) and Carpenter, granddaughter of Naismith (1861–1939), offer readers a sound biography—and heartwarming study—of the man who invented one of our most popular games. Carpenter's introduction connects readers with her family's history, drawing them in and making them want to know more about the Canadian Naismith (he became a U.S. citizen in 1925), a dropout who later returned to graduate from high school when he was 21 (he graduated from college and later acquired a medical degree) who, in teaching physical education in Springfield, MA, devised a new indoor game for the cold winters, one that would keep athletes in shape while not requiring rough play and would develop strong skills in its players. Rains covers all aspects of Naismith's life, not simply the story of basketball, and this results in a straightforward yet in-depth look at Naismith, who vowed "not [to] let anybody work harder today than I do," a mantra that many readers will find inspirational. VERDICT In addition to its broad appeal to basketball aficionados, this would be an excellent addition to all local libraries seeking to enhance their biography section as well as their sports collection. It will certainly have appeal to YA readers as well.—Rachel Winchel, Louisiana Tech Univ. Lib., Ruston

Foreword by Roy Williams 
Introduction by Hellen Naismith Dodd Carpenter 
1. Growing Up 
2. The College Years 
3. The Springfi eld Challenge—and a New Game 
4. The Game Is Born 
5. A New Frontier 
6. KU Bound 
7. The Student Arrives 
8. A Revolution Calls 
9. A Raging War 
10. Happy Homecoming 
11. Becoming a Mentor 
12. Olympic Pride 
13. The Changing Game 
14. Death of a Legend 
15. A Great Game 
16. The Man, More Than Basketball 
Index