Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented by Man

by Pasquale Anthony Leonardo, Cade Beaulieu (Illustrator)

  Some say that Ultimate is the most misunderstood team flying disc field running sport on the planet. Most people think it’s Frisbee football played barefoot and without boundaries. Those people are wrong. Ultimate is a sport played by 824,000 people a year in North America—more than korfball, lawn darts, lacrosse, and curling combined. Ultimate is so popular that it even has rules that are sometimes followed. This book will provide you with complete and total knowledge of the Ultimate game. THIS BOOK -- The Eight Ultimate Player Types -- The 42 Most Common Nicknames -- 28 Near-Useless Throws on the Field -- How to Name Your Ultimate Team -- Where to Play Ultimate Without Being Mocked -- How to Score at an Ultimate Party -- Useful Playing Tips from Experts of the Game  
HOW TO PLAY ULTIMATE IN EIGHT EASY STEPS – AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE -- Can I play Ultimate with a mustache? -- Where do Ultimate babies come from? -- How can I become an Ultimate champion without practicing? -- What is “throwing Fire”? -- How can I survive a shark attack?     About the Pasquale Anthony Leonardo IV has covered numerous championship Ultimate tournaments since 1997 and was the Media Director for the 2006 World Junior Ultimate Championships. In 2005 he co-wrote The First Four Decades , which was reviewed in Sports Illustrated and featured on ESPN’s live talk show "Cold Pizza." He also writes screenplays. He lives in Brooklyn, New York and/or somewhere out West.      

Genres: Humor, Sports, Nonfiction

148 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jake Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious. The whole thing is one long in-joke for those in the ultimate community.

[James Howald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure about this cult your friend belongs to that devotes itself to a 170g piece of plastic? Just catch yourself asking, "it's 170g?" This may be the book to read.

It does a great job of highlighting the things that make this sport the "Greatest Sport Ever Invented by Man." It also does a good job laughing at some of the things that make the sports participants worth laughing at. As if that wasn't good enough, it also gives you an overview of the game across the world, how it's communities are different or the same and how to enjoy the sport wherever you travel.

So there it is, a must read for both followers of the sport and those that love us.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a fundamental problem here. I think anyone would agree that this book borders on nonsense to a non-ultimate player. Still, this is not necessarily a problem, as there is a fine tradition of niche writing. However, if you are an ultimate player, then you've heard all of this shit before and you're sick of it. Well, I am anyway. The writing is smarmy college-writing, intended to be witty and ironic. If you ever want to know what it's like to stand on the sidelines at an Ultimate tournament talking to an incredibly self-interested ultimate player, then read this book.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much the greatest book ever written on Ultimate, including truth and entertainment and so much more. If you want a good feel for Ultimate Frisbee and its adherents, read this book. If you already play, this book is double dogged for you for sure. Counter-culture sport, go!

Disclaimer: I play Ultimate as a rec-leaguer/engineer.

[dusty.rhodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very fun in small doses over a long period of time.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny book!! A good read if you're an Ultimate player.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and informative- every aspiring or seasoned ultimate player should read this little guide to the greatest sport ever invented by man.

[Rachel Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented By Man for a friend who is quite the Ultimate Frisbee aficionado, hoping that, as an amateur player himself, he would be able to find some humor in this book beyond the basic rules and concepts of the game. Through him, I am also inundated with Ultimate terms and stories, and although I don't play the sport myself, I was not disappointed by Pasquale Anthony Leonardo's snarky and vibrant take on Ultimate Frisbee. A nice balance between basic rules and codes of the game for potential newbies and esoteric inside jokes or cultural notes for long-time players, the book was a quick and entertaining read that I felt was perfect for the Ultimate player who is very well inundated with Ultimate culture. Sometimes I felt the official rules or guidelines for the sport were a bit much, and I preferred the more humorous sections of the book, but overall it was a good mix of both without either side seeming forced.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ultimate the Greatest Sport Ever Invented by Man written by Pasquale Anthony Leonardo with art by Cade Beaulieu presents the many aspects of our sport — its athleticism, inclusiveness, sense of community, base silliness, notorious soirees and, most importantly, its spirit. The book progresses over a series of short chapters, covering topics like “What is Ultimate?”, “Cheers: How to Tell the World Your Weird”, “Training: Can it Happen to You”, and is interspersed with profiles of “Player Types”, “Tips from the Experts” and Ultimate related quizzes. Fact and fiction blend together to offer innumerable inside jokes.

This is an excerpt from my full review on my blog, High Release Handler.

[Gaelen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of this book. It was entertaining enough, but it was a strange mix of informative and parody. One or the other would have been fine, but combination of the two put me off. That said, I liked it enough to read it all the way to the end.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit silly and tongue in cheek to be really good. But still, good for killing a boring evening.

Do not recommend unless you're an ultimate player or know anything about the sport, or it'll be entirely lost on you.

At least I now know what skying someone is.

[Dave Peticolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly humorous account of my favorite sport.

[Pasquale Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best or second-best book I have written. Two thumbs up!