Reason We Play - by Marc Bona (Hardcover)

About the Book

More than just a collection of biographical portraits of famous athletes, this book also inspires middle school and high school students through the athletes' stories of their favorite books, what motivates them, and what obstacles they have overcome.

Book Synopsis

More than just a collection of biographical portraits of famous athletes, this book also inspires middle school and high school students through the athletes' stories of their favorite books, what motivates them, and what obstacles they have overcome.

Review Quotes

Bona personally corresponded with and/or interviewed each subject to gather his material. Each profile includes an illustration of the luminary, a biographical synopsis, some quoted "words of wisdom" from the subject, and a brief list of the person's favorite books. Bona does a fine job of highlighting the hard work that these people have put into achieving their ultimate accomplishments. Because the book is aimed at young adults, in the course of his narrative, Bona deftly offers textual elucidation...about people (e.g., Nelson Mandela), places (e.g., China's Forbidden City), and concepts (e.g., stigma) with which readers may not be familiar. These athlete profiles would make good introductions to the distinguished careers of people who are not now typically prominent in the news. Because some of Bona's subjects have published autobiographies, engaging with this book could encourage additional reading. Recommended. General readers.

Marc Bona goes beyond the performances and careers of iconic figures in sports to uncover the person and their purpose in The Reason We Play. Written with revealing detail and expertly researched, Marc brings sporting greats into focus with a storyteller's touch that highlights why they inspire us -- then and now.

Marc Bona is a detailed and thoughtful reporter and writer and all of his experience is on display in this book. The array of athletes, personalities and power brokers presents a kaleidoscope of the sports world that any fan will both learn from and enjoy.

This nonfiction title is more than a collection of athletes' biographies: it also inspires the reader with in-depth stories, obstacles, and motivations of each story.

About the Author

Marc Bona is a journalist with more than 30 years' experience in newspapers, the last eight as a features writer for cleveland.com, the digital arm of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland's daily paper. He has roots in sports writing, having edited and covered a variety of sports. He is the author of The Game Changer (2018) and has assisted other authors on several nonfiction sports titles.