Our favorite books of 2007: by Andrea Lewis.

• Author: Lewis, Andrea

Dave Zirin shook up the world of sports journalism with his first book, What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States , published in 2005. The title and cover (featuring a young, energetic Muhammad Mi) announced that this collection of essays wasn't a typical cheerleading sports book, but one with biting wit and a strong race, class, and gender analysis.

In 2007, Zirin hit bookshelves with a one-two combination. First came the Muhammad Ali Handbook , a beautifully produced addition to the MQ Publications' biographical series that includes titles on Robert Crumb and Che, as well as the Fidel Castro Handbook , written by the British MP and vocal Bush Administration critic George Galloway.

In the Ali Handbook , Zirin spells out Ali's greatness without attempting to turn him into either a demon or a godlike figure. Although clearly a fan of All, Zirin isn't afraid to tackle some of Ali's more controversial actions--like his decision to accept an award from George Bush at a White House gathering in 2005 during the height of the Iraq War.

Zirin covers wider ground in his second book of 2007, Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports . The collection of essays takes its title from a Public Enemy song of the same name, and features a foreword by hip hop legend (and All fan) Chuck D. In the book's introduction, "The March of Domes," Zirin cogently takes on Hurricane Katrina, the priorities of the Bush...