Designed with edgy skid marks and tire tracks cutting across pages, the Extreme Sports series busts out high-low introductions to high-octane sports that typically exist outside of the mainstream.

Ideally, for beginners, each book in this series begins with a basic one-page description of its extreme sport, followed by explanations of the different ways people have modified and personalized the sport for necessity, fun, or challenge. Each entry also focuses on the potential career opportunities in the sport and profiles legendary athletes who have made their marks. The utilitarian writing gets the job done, delivering the information with no frills or fireworks. It’s the action-packed photos that are the star of the show.