Book excerpt: Winner of American Library Association award: Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: 2010 An illustrated guide to skateboarding skills and techniques. Skateboarding is more than a sport; it is a passion and way of life driven by those who love to push the limits of gravity and inertia while bending the notions of social acceptability. The Skateboarding Field Manual addresses both the intricacies of the sport and the intangibles of its culture. Skateboard enthusiast and journalist Ryan Stutt provides outstanding advice, which ranges from how to stand on your board and how to fall without causing injuries to how to perform grinds, slides and flips. This comprehensive reference is simply the very best manual on the sport of skateboarding. There are 33 maneuvers and tricks for beginners to intermediates, all illustrated with over 350 custom color photographs by skateboarding photographer Harry Gils. Other features include: A 12-page primer on skate culture, including history, deck art, skateboarding in the media and the importance of homemade skate videos and photos. A beginner's guide to parts, safety equipment and skatepark etiquette. Instructions on the basic techniques of pushing, turning, dropping-in, ollies and nollies. Advice on flips, grinds and slides for rails, ramps and ledges, including the varial flip, the nose grind and the board slide. The Skateboarding Field Manual is the essential guide for anyone looking to master the art of skateboarding and to understand its unique culture.