Shooting Pool - Tapa dura

Today, the classic smoke-filled halls are vanishing, and fashionable upscale establishments are popping up across the country to accommodate the more than 30 million Americans who are playing the game. The professional circuit, covered nightly by ESPN-TV, is attracting richer purses and bigger crowds than ever. Even pool paraphernalia is hot: Cue sticks have become prized collectibles and pool table sales are soaring.

Shooting Pool is an evocative, admiring photographic record of this fascinating game. In atmospheric black-and-white and color photographs, sports photographer George Bennett and pool expert Mike Shamos profile the infamous hustlers at the fringes of the game, the new crop of captivating stars on the men's tour, and the magnetic women players who dominate today's scene. Here are some of the best players in the world, from glamorous Jeanette Lee (aka the "Black Widow") to Earl Strickland and Steve Mizerak, who helped usher in pool's renaissance. Master instructors such as Fran Crimi share their secrets, and the artisans and entrepreneurs who are taking the sport to the next level are captured in sharp detail.

It's the story of pool today, and it's brilliantly told in Shooting Pool.