Skip to Main Content
logo

Library Services

Education Resource Guide

Databases of interest

New books

The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2026 : billions of dollars in scholarships, grants, and prizes

Information on 1.5 million scholarships, grants, and prizes is easily accessible in this revised directory with more than 300 new listings that feature awards indexed by career goal, major, academics, public service, talent, athletics, religion, ethnicity, and more.Each entry contains all the necessary information for students and parents to complete the application process, including eligibility requirements, how to obtain an application, how to get more information about each award, sponsor website listings, award amounts, and key deadlines. With scholarships for high school, college, graduate, and adult students, this guide also includes tips on how to conduct the most effective search, how to write a winning application, and how to avoid scams.

Slow Violence

A powerful exposé of the American public education system's indifference toward marginalized children and the "slow violence" that fashions schools into hostile work and learning environments. In 2017, sociologist Ranita Ray stepped inside a fourth-grade classroom in one of the nation's largest majority-minority districts in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was there to conduct research on the lack of resources and budget cuts that regularly face public schools. However, a few months into her immersion, a disturbed Ray recognized that that greatest impediment to students was the "slow violence" that preys on their minds, bodies, and spirits at the hands of teachers and administrators who are charged with their care. Slow Violence lays bare the routine indifference, racism, and verbal and emotional abuse and harassment that teachers and administrators perpetrate routinely against the most vulnerable children in our schools. We meet Nazli, a bright, funny Black girl, and math wiz, who loses her baby brother, and is told that "grit" will enable her to rise above her grief. Reggie is a devoted student and curious scholar, but his path to success is derailed when teachers fashion him as a predator after they find him looking at two inappropriate photos on his iPad. There's Nalin, a shy and determined Filipina who has just arrived in the US, but is ignored based on her educator's assumption that "Asians" are "good at math." Her entire journey through school is darkened by this stereotype. And there's Miguel, a sharp, distracted Latino boy who can't overcome his teachers' urge to incorrectly diagnose him with autism. Bolstered by an empathetic and passionate voice as well as the latest breaking research in the social sciences, Ray goes beyond timeworn discussions about the school-to-prison pipeline, funding, and achievement gaps to directly address what happens behind the closed doors of classrooms, introducing a compelling--and crucial--new perspective into the conversation about our education system. In the warm, luminous spirit of character-driven books like Invisible Child, Slow Violence allows us to see that the way we've tried to make a start in education reform is wrong. To forge new approaches that foster young minds and flourishing generations we have to start with how children experience the classroom. Unflinchingly, Slow Violence tells us--and shows us where to begin.

The Opposite of Cheating : teaching for integrity in the age of AI

In these days of an ever-expanding internet, generative AI, and term paper mills, students may find it too easy and tempting to cheat, and teachers may think they can't keep up. What's needed, and what Tricia Bertram Gallant and David A. Rettinger offer in this timely book, is a new approach--one that works with the realities of the twenty-first century, not just to protect academic integrity but also to maximize opportunities for students to learn. The Opposite of Cheating presents a positive, forward-looking, research-backed vision for what classroom integrity can look like in the GenAI era, both in cyberspace and on campus. Accordingly, the book outlines workable measures teachers can use to better understand why students cheat and to prevent cheating while aiming to enhance learning and integrity. Bertram Gallant and Rettinger provide practical suggestions to help faculty revise the conversation around integrity, refocus classes and students on learning, reconsider the structure and goals of assessment, and generally reframe our response to cheating. At the core of this strategy is a call for teachers, academic staff, institutional leaders, and administrators to rethink how we "show up" for students, and to reinforce and fully support quality teaching, learning, and assessment. With its evidentiary basis and its useful tips for instructors across disciplines, levels of experience, and modes of instruction, this book offers a much-needed chance to pause, rethink our purpose, and refocus on what matters--creating classes that center human interactions that foster the personal and professional growth of our students.  

Making Algebra Meaningful : a visual approach to math literacy for all

Learn how to design algebra lessons that are responsive to all students' experiences. An essential understanding of the uses and practices of algebra remain out of reach for many students. In this book, award-winning researcher Dr. Nicole Fonger addresses the issue of how to support all learners to experience algebra as meaningful. In a highly visual approach, the book details four research-based lenses with examples from 9th-grade algebra classrooms: (1) students' algebraic reasoning and representing; (2) goal-directed classroom practices with technology; (3) culturally and historically responsive algebra literacy; and (4) teachers' journeys toward antiracism. The author makes connections among research in algebra education; teaching algebra; and leading ambitious, equitable, and antiracist visions for algebra education. By the end of this book, you will: Learn how to support students to fluently reason and represent expressions, equations, and functions. Learn how to design algebra lessons that are culturally and historically responsive to students' experiences and social justice issues. Learn to use sketchnotes to reflect on and communicate complex ideas in teaching and learning algebra. Have a set of tools for guiding the design of instruction to support meaningful algebra learning for all students.

African American Males and Video Games : how gaming technology can motivate and enhance learning

African American males are confronted with formidable barriers in their pursuit of quality education, resulting in stark disparities in academic performance, economic opportunities, and social outcomes. Despite numerous educational initiatives striving for parity, African American males persistently bear the brunt of the highest rates of suspensions, expulsions, and dropout rates, surpassing all other demographic groups. Educational environments often fail to acknowledge and integrate the cultural and social needs of Black males, viewing them as "problems" rather than recognizing their immense potential for academic and leadership success. The prevalence of negative stereotypes in media, particularly in video games, exacerbates societal biases, portraying African American males as inherently violent and criminal. These representations contribute to implicit biases that affect perceptions and treatment in real-life scenarios. The systemic issues within the education system, coupled with socioeconomic factors, result in African American males being underrepresented in advanced placement and gifted education programs. This underrepresentation limits their opportunities for higher education and professional advancement. Confronting these challenges necessitates a comprehensive approach that encompasses the creation of inclusive educational environments, the eradication of systemic racism, and the promotion of positive representations of African American males in media. By acknowledging and fostering the potential of Black males, society can strive to reduce disparities and cultivate a more equitable and just education system that recognizes and celebrates their academic and professional achievements. African American Males and Video Gamesexplores the perspectives of four African American male college students aged 18 to 21 on the impact of video games on their academic growth and development. The participants, all maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher, shared their experiences with teachers, video games, and coping mechanisms. This qualitative approach allowed for a rich understanding of the participant's experiences and the role of video games in their academic and mental well-being. Video games emerged as a significant coping tool for the participants, providing a mental escape from academic and social pressures. The games allowed them to engage in competitive and creative activities, fostering a sense of accomplishment and reducing stress. For example, games like NBA 2K21 and Forza Horizon 4 enabled them to explore alter egos and interests in a virtual space, offering entertainment and a sense of community. African American Males and Video Gamesis a critical text for exploring alternatives in providing a quality education experience for young African American males. It is vital reading for educators in all areas of higher education, and a valuable teaching tool in Colleges of Education. Perfect for courses such as: Educational Psychology; Sociology of Education; African American Studies; Media Studies; Game Design; Youth Development; Digital Literacy; Cultural Studies; Educational Technology; Social Psychology; Gender Studies

Perspectives on Academic Support : adult students with ADHD and mental health challenges

For years, Dr. Laura Hubbard listened to the stories of adult students with ADHD and co-occurring mental health issues who summoned the courage to enroll in college only to be met with roadblocks and disappointment in their pursuit of a college degree. With limited research on academic support deliberately designed for these specific students, she began a deep dive into the field of complex adult learners. Drawing from her own experiences as well as the experiences of students and fellow professors, she presents a highly specialized program to meet the needs of these adults.

In Perspectives on Academic Support: Adults with ADHD and Mental Health Challenges, Hubbard relates the struggles of adult students with ADHD and co-occurring mental health issues to help transform the landscape of higher education. Utilizing the perspective of students, and the professors who support them, Hubbard teaches students and professors how to meaningfully engage in transformative practices of support, offering students, families, and educators a path forward.

Executive Function Essentials in the Classroom : strategies to support learning and growth

What is executive functioning? How does it affect learning? Executive functions (EFs) are a group of complex mental processes and cognitive abilities required to organize thoughts and activities, prioritize tasks, manage time efficiently, make decisions and regulate our behaviour and emotions. They do not reach maturity until an individual is well into their 20s, and so teachers and educators have enormous potential to help pupils hone those skills so that they are better equipped for the process of learning. But what do you do if it's impaired? This guide includes a step-by-step approach to improving executive functioning within the classroom and beyond. It will provide effective strategies to use in daily life, and show teachers how to enhance awareness in the classroom, as well as giving students activities to do, to develop their own skills.

You Are Not a Kinesthetic Learner : the troubled history of the learning style idea

A compelling history of the learning style concept and how it was shaped by shifting ideas in psychology, anthropology, and education.   The widely embraced notion that we all process information in one of three distinct modes--visual, auditory, or kinesthetic--has informed educational practices for decades. In recent years, however, numerous studies have questioned the effectiveness of aligning instruction with the alleged learning styles of individual students. So, why is it still commonplace in the literature on beneficial teaching at all levels of education? In You Are Not a Kinesthetic Learner: The Troubled History of a Dangerous Idea, historian Thomas Fallace traces the origins, evolution, and history of the learning style idea, demonstrating its relationship to a legacy of unequal education for children of color. Fallace argues that the research supporting the learning style idea was problematic from its inception in the 1910s and that it was used to label and justify a diminished curriculum for many Black and Latine students, whose cultural differences were perceived as weaknesses. In recent years, numerous empirical studies have not found the approach to be effective. This fascinating history clearly shows the danger of sorting and labeling students with permanent style identities and makes a strong case for removing learning styles as the basis for any educators' instructional toolkit. The first book-length history of learning styles, You Are Not a Kinesthetic Learner encourages us all to consider the research, be open to future developments and updates, and question even our most intuitive assumptions.  

Personalized Learning : approaches, methods and practices

This self-contained monograph reports the recent approaches, methods and practices of technology-enabled personalized learning. It serves to provide some useful references for researchers and practitioners in the field in conceptualizing and deploying personalized learning.

Why College Matters to God, 3rd Edition : an introduction to Christian learning

"Why College Matters to God is a brief, easy-to-read introduction to the unique purpose of a Christian college education. It has been widely used by Christian colleges and universities over the past decade because of its unsurpassed ability to be substantive yet accessible. The book draws on the insights of a wide range of Christian philosophers, theologians, historians, and scientists, but communicates key concepts in straightforward language that connects with a general audience. Brief enough to be paired with other texts, Why College Matters to God is an ideal introduction to the why and how of Christian learning for students, faculty, staff, and parents. The third edition preserves the qualities of the previous editions along with updated illustrations and new material on important topics such as: Christian learning and the challenges of technology, Christian vocation, career preparation, and the liberal arts, Diversity and civility on campus, and The habits of the highly effective college student.

Sunk Cost : who's to blame for the nation's broken student loan system and how to fix it

Exposes the forgotten origins of the student loan system, how politicians have attempted to fix it, and the life-altering damage borrowers face.   Student-loan horror stories are a dime a dozen. But students today are faced with a seemingly insurmountable paradox: Research consistently shows that the clearest viable option to financial stability is a college degree. But if and when Americans decide to pursue diplomas, student loan payments quickly follow, and even after securing full-time employment, many borrowers struggle to make ends meet for years. In Sunk Cost, journalist Jillian Berman explores how the nation's student loan program went from a well-intentioned initiative aimed at helping low- and middle-income students afford college to one that traps borrowers in long-term debt.   Berman interviewed dozens of borrowers and policymakers and dug into the archives to unearth the true causes of the student loan problem. A couple of generations ago, policy makers generously subsidized Americans' college educations because they knew it would be advantageous for the entire country: a more educated population meant better quality of life for all. But today, higher education is viewed as an individual goal, so students and their families are expected to be on the hook for it themselves. Berman explains how this enormous shift happened, which industries benefit from it, and what it means for college-going Americans today. She shares real-life stories of college graduates who are being crushed under some of the harshest consequences of the student loan system. These borrowers pursued higher education in hopes of a better life and yet some have been trapped in debt for decades, making it difficult to put food on the table, much less imagine a life beyond debt.   By connecting personal accounts to the policy history of student loans, Berman makes clear that if American society continues to push students toward higher education, but fails to truly subsidize it, the financial strain will become unbearable for all but the most privileged. The current system is broken, but Berman proposes that significant changes are possible, and will require political will from state lawmakers and Congress, along with a philosophical shift, to tackle one of the largest consumer finance challenges of our time.  

Savage Inequalities : children in America's schools

In 1988, Jonathan Kozol set off to spend time with children in the American public education system. For two years, he visited schools in neighborhoods across the country, from Illinois to Washington, D.C., and from New York to San Antonio. He spoke with teachers, principals, superintendents, and, most important, children. What he found was devastating. Not only were schools for rich and poor blatantly unequal, the gulf between the two extremes was widening--and it has widened since. The urban schools he visited were overcrowded and understaffed, and lacked the basic elements of learning--including books and, all too often, classrooms for the students.   In Savage Inequalities, Kozol delivers a searing examination of the extremes of wealth and poverty and calls into question the reality of equal opportunity in our nation's schools.  

Resonant Minds : the transformative power of music, one note at a time

Resonant Minds: The Transformative Power of Music, One Note at a Time invites readers to reimagine music as a dynamic, interactive force that reshapes how we live, learn, and connect. By blending personal stories-recalling childhood car rides where "Ode to Joy" was joyfully reinvented with animal noises and made-up words-with cutting-edge research and practical insights, the father/daughter writing team, Sara Leila Sherman and Mort Sherman, PhD, help us understand how to use music intentionally. Featuring a distinct approach, this book includes interactive QR codes that bring the music to life. This immersive journey reveals how integrating mindful listening action-whether breathing with Bach or shaking it off with Taylor Swift-can reduce stress, boost creativity, and strengthen communities. With a foreword by Goldie Hawn and praise from thought leaders like Doris Kearns Goodwin and Bena Kallick, Resonant Minds is a call to transform our everyday musical experiences into a source of joyful, life-changing action, one note at a time.

Powerful Teaching : unleash the science of learning

Unleash powerful teaching and the science of learning in your classroom Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning empowers educators to harness rigorous research on how students learn and unleash it in their classrooms. In this book, cognitive scientist Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D., and veteran K-12 teacher Patrice M. Bain, Ed.S., decipher cognitive science research and illustrate ways to successfully apply the science of learning in classrooms settings. This practical resource is filled with evidence-based strategies that are easily implemented in less than a minute--without additional prepping, grading, or funding! Research demonstrates that these powerful strategies raise student achievement by a letter grade or more; boost learning for diverse students, grade levels, and subject areas; and enhance students' higher order learning and transfer of knowledge beyond the classroom. Drawing on a fifteen-year scientist-teacher collaboration, more than 100 years of research on learning, and rich experiences from educators in K-12 and higher education, the authors present highly accessible step-by-step guidance on how to transform teaching with four essential strategies: Retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and feedback-driven metacognition.  With Powerful Teaching, you will: Develop a deep understanding of powerful teaching strategies based on the science of learning Gain insight from real-world examples of how evidence-based strategies are being implemented in a variety of academic settings Think critically about your current teaching practices from a research-based perspective Develop tools to share the science of learning with students and parents, ensuring success inside and outside the classroom Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning is an indispensable resource for educators who want to take their instruction to the next level. Equipped with scientific knowledge and evidence-based tools, turn your teaching into powerful teaching and unleash student learning in your classroom.

The Magnitude of Us : an educator's guide to creating culturally responsive classrooms

Use this user-friendly guide to build collaborative and equitable classrooms (7th grade-college). This teaching guidebook will help educators navigate emerging best practices to center historically marginalized voices and perspectives in middle, high school, and postsecondary learning spaces. The author provides an accessible blueprint for utilizing histories, culturally responsive teaching, and community responsive pedagogy to build collaborative and equitable classrooms. Inspired by research steeped in oral histories, Bunch brings forth lessons from educators, merged with voices of students, to share impactful classroom practices. The un/HUSH framework asks us to unlearn the "hush" often associated with marginalized histories and stories. The framework considers the following guiding principles: (H) using histories not told to inform teaching practices, (U) unlearning behaviors and practices that do not empower marginalized voices, (S) creating classrooms and spaces that allow for stories to be shared, and (H) encouraging healing to occur from connection, collaboration, and relationships. Part narrative, part guidebook, The Magnitude of Us harnesses the collective power of us to improve outcomes for students. Book Features: Guidance for novice and veteran teachers, with elements specifically designed for preservice educators. The use of histories and student voices to inform best practices for creating lessons and activities for middle, high school, and college classrooms. A teaching framework for amplifying student voices through perspective sharing and cultural responsiveness. An abundance of user-friendly scaffolding, graphics, lesson plans, and resources for implementation. A foreword by Dr. Joyce Ladner, civil rights activist, educator, and sociologist. Poetry by renowned poets Ashley M. Jones, Emily Pettit, Claudia Rankine, Mary Ruefle, Evie Shockley, Jordan Stempleman, Cole Swensen, and others.

International Students at US Community Colleges : opportunities, challenges, and successes

This volume documents the experiences of international students and recent international initiatives at US community colleges to better understand how to support and nurture students' potential. Offering a range of case studies, empirical and conceptual chapters, the collection showcases the unique curricula and diverse opportunities for career development that colleges can offer international students. International Students at US Community Colleges addresses issues of student access, enrollment barriers, college choice, and challenges relating to integration in academic and professional networks. Ultimately, the book unpacks institutional factors which inhibit or promote the success of international students at US community colleges to inform faculty, student affairs, administration, and institutional policy. With international students' declining enrollment, this book considers the measures being taken by community college officials to bring continued access and equity to international students. Offering insights from a range of international scholars as well as on-the-ground case studies, this text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in multicultural education, international and comparative education, and higher education management. Those specifically interested in educational policy and the sociology of education will also benefit from this book.

There Is Life after College: what parents and students should know about navigating school to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow

From the bestselling author of College Unbound comes a hopeful, inspiring blueprint to help alleviate parents' anxiety and prepare their college-educated child to successfully land a good job after graduation. Saddled with thousands of dollars of debt, today's college students are graduating into an uncertain job market that is leaving them financially dependent on their parents for years to come--a reality that has left moms and dads wondering: What did I pay all that money for? There Is Life After College offers students, parents, and even recent graduates the practical advice and insight they need to jumpstart their careers. Education expert Jeffrey Selingo answers key questions--Why is the transition to post-college life so difficult for many recent graduates? How can graduates market themselves to employers that are reluctant to provide on-the-job training? What can institutions and individuals do to end the current educational and economic stalemate?--and offers a practical step-by-step plan every young professional can follow. From the end of high school through college graduation, he lays out exactly what students need to do to acquire the skills companies want. Full of tips, advice, and insight, this wise, practical guide will help every student, no matter their major or degree, find real employment--and give their parents some peace of mind.

Life After High School: a teen guide to career planning

For most teens, graduating from high school feels like a finish line. But choosing which path to take next can be overwhelming. It helps to become informed about the options and know how to narrow them down to fit your personal goals. Filled with practical advice about preparing for the future now, deciding whether or not to pursue post-high school education, paying for college or career training, and setting goals along the way to make the journey easier, this book covers career planning, the cost of education, and how to approach the future with a mindset that will set you on the right path.

Jobs If You Like Sports

There are many career options for people who like sports. This book explores what it's like to be a sportscaster, athletic director, exercise physiologist, and someone working in public relations for the sports industry. Job descriptions, training required, tips for getting started, and future directions of each career are included.

Hacking College: why the major doesn't matter -- and what really does

How college faculty and staff can help students "hack" their college experience through a proactive, personalized approach to success. College is a complex, high-stakes game, according to authors Ned Scott Laff and Scott Carlson, but students can learn how to win it. Hacking College offers college advisors, faculty, and staff in student and academic affairs a groundbreaking guide to rethinking higher education so that students can succeed in an increasingly complex world. Drawing from extensive research and real student experiences, this essential book exposes the hidden challenges and bureaucratic traps that undermine student success, from convoluted transfer processes to a single-minded emphasis on majors. Each chapter provides actionable strategies to help advisors lead students to tailor their education to their aspirations. Through vivid case studies, Laff and Carlson advocate for a proactive approach to education--encouraging students to "hack" their college experience by crafting a personalized field of study. This method challenges the traditional focus on declaring a major and empowers students to link their personal interests with academic pursuits so that their education aligns with future career and life goals. Enriched with insights on how to find underutilized institutional resources and foster meaningful mentor relationships, Hacking College encourages students, educators, and institutions to transform passive educational experiences into dynamic journeys of discovery and self-fulfillment.

5 Questions for Any Text : critical reading in the age of disinformation

A framework for improving students' critical reading skills using five questions to ask any text.

Who Needs College Anymore? : imagining a future where degrees won't matter

An optimistic yet practical assessment of how postsecondary education can evolve to meet the needs of next-generation learners ​With keen insight, Kathleen deLaski reimagines what higher education might offer and whom it should serve in Who Needs College Anymore? In the wake of declining US university enrollment and widespread crises of confidence in the value of a college degree, deLaski urges a mindset shift regarding the learning routes and credentials that best prepare students for success after high school. The work draws on a decade of design-thinking research from the nonprofit Education Design Lab as well as 150 interviews of educational experts, college and career counselors, teachers, employers, and learners. DeLaski applies human-centered design to higher education reform, engaging the perspective of end users to search for better solutions. She highlights ten top principles based on user feedback and considers how well they are currently being enacted by colleges. In particular, she urges institutions to better attend to the needs of new-majority learners, often described as nontraditional students, including people from low- or moderate-income backgrounds, people of color, first-generation students, veterans, single mothers, rural students, part-time attendees, and neurodivergent students. She finds ample opportunity for colleges to support learners via alternative pathways to marketable knowledge, including bootcamps, skills-based learning, and apprenticeships, career training, and other types of workplace learning. This work suggests innovation as a means of evolution.

Commonsense Methods for Students with Special Needs and Disabilities

This fully revised ninth edition continues to offer teachers practical advice on new evidence-based approaches for teaching and managing students with a wide range of abilities, disabilities, and difficulties. Based on topical international research from the field, this new edition provides practical advice for teachers and tutors to enable them to adapt evidence-based methods when working in inclusive settings with students with special needs, including gifted and talented students. Throughout the text, approaches to teaching and classroom management have been clearly described. New methods, programmes, and interventions are reviewed, and there is increased coverage of digital technology and e-learning. Teachers will also find support and guidance for working with students with learning difficulties in literacy and numeracy, teaching students with physical, sensory and intellectual disability, fostering students' autonomy, social skills interventions, approaches to autism spectrum disorders, and much more. All new information in every chapter is fully supported with reference to the most recent writing and research. This continues to be an invaluable resource for practising and trainee teachers, tutors, teaching assistants, and other education professionals responsible for supporting students in inclusive schools.

Backyard Politics : a psychological understanding of today's political and social divide

A fresh understanding of today's political divide. Dr. Craig Wiener, a clinical psychologist for over forty years, approaches the current political divide from a desire to understand the differences between opposing political ideologies, and to create space for multiple points of view in highly charged political discussions. Utilizing an innovative way to conceptualize the two main viewpoints driving American politics, Dr. Wiener discusses how the people holding these perspectives may view, respond to, and interact with highly contentious political issues such as poverty, racism, the patriarchy, and family life. In assessing these issues, he proposes solutions for managing the interpersonal conflicts that occur within our tense political atmosphere. Backyard Politics is a must-read analysis of today's political landscape and a proposed way to overcome our intense differences.

Regulating Bodies: elite sport policies and their unintended consequences

How far are we willing to go in the name of "better sport"? Athletes have long sought to push the limits of human potential, but the advent and application of new knowledge, science, and technologies has taken elite sports into uncharted territory. It's no longer enough to break records, today's sport is about athletes surpassing their "natural" limits in the name of accomplishing the impossible. With highlights across the spectrum of professional athletics from ski jumping to horse racing, Regulating Bodies narrates the global scientization of the sports industry and the lasting influence of protective sports policies on international discourses around race, sex, identity, and impairment. While these classifications are designed to protect athletes' wellbeing in the spirit of fair play, protective policies can be shallow solutions to deeper problems, offering the appearance of care while failing to safeguard athletes from more pressing concerns. Regulating Bodies investigates the development of protective policies across topics such as gene doping and sex testing to show how current policies impede the progress of athletic development by engendering unethical and unhealthy practices at the expense of an athlete's individual rights. It offers a pathway forward beyond traditional sports categorization with alternative regulatory strategies to reflect the next generation of high-performance athletes. A scoping inquiry into the modern sports industry, Regulating Bodies asks us whether the unending quest for sporting excellence is worth the financial, social, and human toll it inevitably takes on participants at every level of elite sports.