These thorough histories of the biggest brands in sports apparel have niche appeal. The lifelong rivalry between brothers Rudi and Adi Dassler makes an appearance in both Puma and Adidas, sharing how their family shoe business was split forever over a misunderstanding. The giants often find themselves vying for the bigger share of the sponsorship markets not only among themselves, but with newer brands like Under Armour. Lululemon and Patagonia’s revolutionary marketing approaches allowed them to grow organically without the big-name sponsorships of other athletic wear companies. There is quite a bit of repetition in the books, which doesn’t make them very appealing for pleasure reading, but the abundance of information and source notes give them value for researchers. The writing is solid and age appropriate, if a bit dry. VERDICT An additional purchase with limited use for most collections.