1. The physics of baseball (Robert Adair). Demystifies everything from why it's hard to go deep the other way to why the smaller softball they use in my work league when girls are up travel farther (it has to do with surface area, not weight). Also discusses which muscles transfer the most power, useful for structuring your workout regiment.

2. The sports gene: inside the science of extraordinary performance (David Epstein). A bit of an ironic misnomer since one message of the book is we haven't made any super useful genetic discoveries yet. But thorough and informative.

3. Spark: The new science of exercise and the brain (John Ratey). Recommended by Bronco, talks about how exercise cures so many things. Has useful illustrations such as the squirt, which eats its own brain after it's done moving. Also a good way to jump on the neuroscience bandwagon.