Though recreation and athletics may be a big part of your life (or even your livelihood), you're probably too busy to stop and think about why a soccer ball 'bends' in midair or why some batters struggle to check their swings. That's where a new book from the editors of Popular Mechanics comes in.

Why a Curveball Curves: The Incredible Science of Sports (Hearst Books, hardcover, $19.95) explains the biology, chemistry and physics behind hits, kicks, throws, strokes, dives, punches and slam dunks. A select group of athletes, coaches and sportwriters -- including former NFL kicker Matt Bahr, Olympics swimming coach Bob Bowman and Major League pitcher-turned-broadcaster Jim Kaat -- explore and explain everything from the G-force of a tackle to gene doping.

The book is loaded with illustrations, diagrams and lively text written for lay readers.