Despite skateboarding's fairly inauspicious start as crude, homemade toys made from thin board and roller skate wheels, the first commercially manufactured skateboard in 1959 kicked off the spread of this sport and culture. It was not long after its birth that skateboarding became the target of many ordinances and occasionally citywide bans, imprinting on the culture a long-held association with rebelliousness and challenging authority. It can be said that it shares this reputation with philosophy, a discipline whose spirit of rebellion and scuffles with authority extend back to Socrates, put to death for corrupting the minds of the youth.

This collection of 19 essays is about all things skating and philosophy. Written by skaters and skating enthusiasts, the volume covers a wide range of topics including the culture, politics, history, art, and sport that is skateboarding. If you're a skater (or someone who simply appreciates skateboarding), and you want to think a bit more carefully--a bit more deeply--about skating, this book was put together to help you do just that.