Basketball is a totally American sport. It has grown from a simple game, invented by James Naismith in 1891, to an international sensation played on courts in huge arenas throughout the world. This easy-to-follow narrative provides readers with a history of the game and the thirteen original rules of basketball. Regulation play, player positions, techniques for shooting and running plays, and stretching exercises are also described. The handy volume includes informative sidebars on popular...

Albucasis was born near Córdoba in al-Andalus, the center of a flourishing culture of science and philosophy. There, the two disciplines often complimented one another as traditional Islamic theology and law were embraced alongside the secular sciences. Among the many Islamic physicians and scientists who advanced medical science in their lifetimes, Albucasis would codify the art of surgery in an encyclopedic work, al-Tasrif, that it is still read today. His story is intimately connected t...