Five sports books that need to be on your shelf

Powells.com invited David Zirin to "[r]ecommend five or more books on a single subject of personal interest or expertise."

He recommended:

Five Sports Books That Need to Be on Your Shelf

Sportsworld: An American Dreamland by Robert Lipsyte

Nike is a Goddess: The History of Women in Sports by Lissa Smith

Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete by William C. Rhoden

Out of Their League by Dave Meggyesy

Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties by Mike Marqusee

Read the interview in which this list appears.

David Zirin is the author of three books, including What's My Name, Fool? and Welcome to the Terrordome. He writes the popular weekly online sports column, "The Edge of Sports," and is a regular contributor to the Nation, SLAM, and the Los Angeles Times.

--Marshal Zeringue