Extreme Ironing – Phil Shaw

This is for Lynn, devotee of the sport. For those of you unaware of EI, it began in Leicester just over a decade ago. Ironists combine “the thrills of outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt... in dangerous or unusual locations,” and Extreme Ironing describes how it came about, how it took off, and where EI is going from here.
The book is divided into four sections, starting with an introduction, which includes how EI began, how to get started, and technical questions about iron and fabric selection and the importance of a good board.
Part two describes variations of the sport, along with ratings of popularity and difficulty level - my favourites are the water-styles, from under water and rapids ironing to under ice, but other options include forest, urban, under ground, rocky and free styles. The third section is essentially a photo gallery of prominent ironists in this fledgling sport, categorised by nationality (I’m glad to see Australia relatively well represented), before concluding with coverage of the world championships (up to 2003). Illustrated with photos of ironists in a variety of locations, it’s everything the interested newcomer could want. – Alex