Author:Guido Mina di Sospiro
LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK AWARD 2013
To spin or not to spin? – that is the metaphysical question.
When a mortifying defeat to his teenage son rekindles his lifelong passion for table tennis, keen philosopher Guido Mina di Sospiro sets out to learn the game properly.
Guido’s love for spinning a feather-weight ball takes him from his local ping-pong club, populated by idiosyncratic players with extraordinary stories to tell, to training drills with a world-class coach. This seemingly harmless game also leads him into sticky situations in the CIA headquarters and the ganglands of Washington, D.C. Woven throughout his ping-pong epiphany are philosophical ruminations on Plato and Aristotle, metaphysicians and empiricists, Jung’s dark shadow, Sun Tzu’s war tactics, the I Ching, and much more.
As Guido’s journey takes him from Big Sur to a nail-biting showdown in China against a string of elite players, he finds ping-pong can teach us a surprising amount about life.
Like nothing I’ve ever read and all the more wonderful because of it, this is a non-fiction masterpiece which deserves a position on the sports writing podium
—— Ben Keenan , Press Association SyndicationFast-footed, inspiring book about winning the inner game of life in sport
—— Iain Finlayson , The TimesErudite, experimental and engaging, Mina di Sospiro has given us a work that breaks new ground in sports writing. Whether or not you ever pick up a paddle, The Metaphysics of Ping-Pong provides an initiation into a visionary life, igniting the fires of inspiration through an intriguing intimacy with the mysteries of daily life that is available nowhere else
—— David Metcalfe , Daily GrailAn enthralling guide to the mystery, mastery and practice of ping-pong
—— Eric IdleExcellent
—— Publishers WeeklyLove the title of this book… Surely a must-buy for that fellow whiff-whaff nut and intellectual Boris Johnson
—— Richard Brooks , Sunday Times[Cav is] special, the way he rides in the last metres. I don’t know exactly what it is, what makes him different, he’s just so fast
—— Eddy MerckxBritain's best ever Tour de France cyclist
—— Procycling MagazineYou read the wonderful Michael Simkins with a mixture of horror and delight
—— David HareOne of Britain's funniest writers
—— Daily MailExtremely funny - whether or not you know your bails from your balls
—— Daily MailOne of the funniest sporting memoirs ever
—— Sunday TelegraphAlmost painfully funny
—— ObserverCovers not only the highs of the last two seasons but the lows
—— London CyclistIn the course of telling the tale, his image as an everyday hero is absolutely confirmed with all the necessary detail and insight both cynics and fans would require
—— Mark Perryman , Morning StarConveys the most engaging personality of this almost comically unpretentious bloke, who never thought that Tour winners came from Kilburn
—— Geoffrey Wheatcroft , New StatesmanCompelling and often emotional account... Outspoken, honest, intelligent and fearless, Wiggins has been hailed as the people’s champion
—— Yorkshire PostA genuinely up-lifting read
—— Alan Pattullo , The ScotsmanEngaging
—— Malachy Clerkin , Irish TimesMy Time conveys the most engaging personality of this almost comically unpretentious bloke, who never thought that Tour de France winners came from Kilburn
—— Geoffrey Wheatcroft , New StatesmenThere is plenty of material for cycling aficionados … but his story is also of interest to the general reader
—— Lewis Jones , SpectatorWho could resist finding out more about the sideburned new superstar of British cycling
—— Daily TelegraphEuphoria does not last forever and so the race is always on to ensure that the books is read for those keen to know of to re-live the spine tingling moments of triumph. My Time is not at all the worst of this kind of output. Indeed, it might be among the best...there is plenty of fascinating detail
—— Alison Rudd , The TimesGive sports fans a glimpse into what it takes to win gold
—— CloserFascinating...it covers most levels of Wiggins existence – cyclist, team leader, husband, father, son – during the most important years of his life, with the candour that has become his trademark...co-written by Guardian sports writer, William Fotheringham, who helps to tell the story in the direct but eloquent tone that Wiggins watchers will recognise countless radio and television interviews. It is an absorbing read that covers Wiggins’ career from his departure from Garmin to his latest Olympic success. Cycling fans will relish the horse’s mouth accounts of the triumphs they have watched unfold this year, while newcomers to the sport, attracted by the man’s performances this year, both on and off the bike, should find more to enjoy
—— Timothy John , Road Cycling UKIf you love cycling, this makes a very welcome change from the rather saturated market of ‘cyclist doping confessions'
—— Cycling UKWhat makes the book special for me is the love of cycling that comes through. His passion for the sport, for its history, his awareness of where he stands in the pantheon of Lycra-clad heroes, and his inability to truly comprehend his achievements all come across in waves. And in typical Wiggins fashion, he doesn’t dodge the difficult bits. He talks openly about the latest drugs scandal and the unwelcome role of moral enforcer which has been forced onto him by his newfound standing as Tour winner
—— Freewheeling France (blog)A speedy guide to cycling success
—— The TimesLike the man, it’s engaging, modest and likeable, with the section on the Olympics especially fascinating
—— Simon Evans , Choice