FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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HAWORTH SHOOTS AND SCORES WITH NEW RELEASE: "BASKETBALL IN AMERICA"

TAMPA, May 25, 2005 - Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond is much more than a book about the game of basketball. It is a pioneering analysis of its cultural impact from the 1970s to today. It will entertain and inform anyone who treasures basketball and the role the game plays in the American consciousness.

The popularity of basketball is undeniable, and the subject allows for such a broad range of interpretations in popular culture, cutting across economic, racial, and social boundaries, and its major stars cross over into other forms of popular entertainment more than any other professional sport. This book examines the entire scope of modern basketball history, from the playgrounds, where people first learn the fundamentals, to the college and professional levels.

Bob Batchelor, editor of the collection, and noted contributors study the influence of basketball on American culture from the 1970s to the present day. This analysis of the game is the first of its kind to delve into the importance of the impact of basketball on the American way of life.

"Fascinating...must reading for anyone interested in the interconnection between basketball and popular culture," said David K. Wiggins, Professor and Director, School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University. The book, "describes how basketball has been woven into American society and establishes a connection with hip-hop, black style, and celebrity culture."

Robert Bradley, President of the Association for Professional Basketball Research said, "This book not only contains fine writing by some of America's best basketball writers and historians, but it also takes a poignant look at basketball's effect on America's youth."

Basketball has come a long way since the days of peach baskets at the YMCA. The game impacts just about every American, whether or not an avid sports fan. NBA stars have become cultural icons, appearing everywhere from lunchboxes to major motion pictures. Basketball players have become heroes, trendsetters, and national figures. Many people across the globe, who may have never even seen a single minute of professional basketball, still know the names and faces of stars like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal.

The contributors to Basketball in America are a diverse mix of writers, former players, journalists, coaches, scholars, and sports enthusiasts who all share an affinity for the game of basketball.

The book is available in hardbound at $44.95 (ISBN: 0-7890-1612-5) and softbound at $29.95 (ISBN: 0-7890-1613-3).

About Haworth

Haworth Press has been a publisher of scholarly and professional journals since 1975. Haworth publishes over 200 journals and over 80 original books per year. Haworth Press has received six prestigious "Outstanding Academic Title" designations from Choice Magazine!

About Bob Batchelor

An award-winning business writer and historian, Bob Batchelor is a Public Relations Instructor in the School of Mass Communications at the University of South Florida. He is the author of The 1900s and co-author (with Thomas Heinrich, Baruch College/CUNY) of Kleenex, Kotex, and Huggies: Kimberly-Clark and the Consumer Revolution in American Business. Batchelor has published more than 350 articles and essays in magazines, Web sites, and reference works, including The American Prospect Online, Dictionary of American History, and History News Network. Trained at the University of Pittsburgh and Kent State University, he has taught history and writing at Cleveland State University and Neumann College. As a historical consultant, Batchelor has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies, including BellSouth, International Paper, Kimberly-Clark, and Accenture. For more information about the editor, see www.bobbatchelor.com.