Other books that might interest you

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  The Longest Race - A Lifelong...

  Ed Ayres

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  “It soon becomes clear that this book isn’t just about an athletic race. It’s also about the human race” (Bloomberg Businessweek).   Having run in more than six hundred races over the span of fifty-five years, Ed Ayres is a legendary distance runner—and this book is his urgent exploration of the connection between individual endurance and a sustainable society.  The Longest Race begins in 2001 at the starting line of the JFK 50 Mile—the nation’s oldest and largest ultramarathon and, like other such races, it’s an epic test of human limits and aspiration. At age sixty, his sights set on breaking the age-division record, Ayres embarks on a course over the rocky ridge of the Appalachian Trail, along the headwind-buffeted towpath of the Potomac River, and past momentous Civil War sites such as Harpers Ferry and Antietam.   But even as Ayres focuses on an endurance runner’s familiar concerns—starting strong and setting the right pace, controlling his breathing, overcoming fatigue, and staying mindful of the course ahead—he finds himself as preoccupied with the future of our planet as with the finish line.   A veteran journalist and environmental editor, Ayres reveals how the skills and mindset necessary to complete an ultramarathon are also essential for grappling anew with the imperative to endure—not only as individuals, but as a society—and not just for fifty miles, but over the real long haul, in a unique meditation that “ought to be required reading even for people who have never run a step” (The Boston Globe).   “He seamlessly moves between discussing running to exploring larger life issues such as why we run, our impact on the environment, and the effects of the nation’s declining physical fitness . . . Thought provoking.” ―Booklist   “To read this book is to run alongside a seasoned athlete, a deep thinker, and a great storyteller. And Ayres doesn’t disappoint: He is the best kind of running companion, generously doling out hilarious stories and hard-won insights into performance conditioning and the human condition. His lifetime of ultra-running and environmental writing drive his exploration of what keeps us running long distances―and what it might take to keep the planet from being run into the ground.” ―Nature Conservancy magazine  

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  The Sinatra Club - My Life...

  Sal Polisi, Steve Dougherty

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  The Mob was the biggest, richest business in America . . . until it was destroyed from within by drugs, greed, and the decline of its traditional crime Family values. 
  And by guys like Sal Polisi. 
  As a member of New York's feared Colombo Family, Polisi ran The Sinatra Club, an illegal after-hours gambling den that was a magic kingdom of crime and a hangout for up-and-coming mobsters like John Gotti and the three wiseguys immortalized in Martin Scorsese's GoodFellas—Henry Hill, Jimmy Burke, and Tommy DeSimone. But the nonstop thrills of Polisi's criminal glory days abruptly ended when he was busted for drug trafficking. Already sickened by the bloodbath that engulfed the Mob as it teetered toward extinction, he flipped and became one of a breed he had loathed all his life—a rat. In this shocking, pulse-pounding, and, at times, darkly hilarious first-person chronicle, he paints a never-before-seen picture of a larger-than-life secret underworld that, thanks to guys like him, no longer exists.

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  Icebound In The Arctic - The...

  Michael Smith

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  Captain Francis Crozier was a major figure in 19th century Arctic and Antarctic exploration who led the doomed Franklin Expedition's battle to survive against the odds. It is a compelling story which refuses to be laid to rest and recent discovery of his lost ships above the Arctic Circle gives it a new urgency.  
  The ships may hold vital clues to how two navy vessels and 129 men disappeared 170 years ago and why Crozier, in command after Franklin's early death, left the only written clue to the biggest disaster in Polar history.
  Drawn from historic records and modern revelations, this is the only comprehensive account of Crozier's extraordinary life. It is a tale of a great explorer, a lost love affair and an enduring mystery.  
  Crozier's epic story began comfortably in Banbridge, Co Down and involved six gruelling expeditions on three of the 19th century's great endeavours – navigating the North West Passage, reaching the North Pole and mapping Antarctica. But it ended in disaster.

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  Liberace Extravaganza!

  Connie Furr Soloman, Jan Jewett

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  Known for his spectacular performances, the magnificent Wladziu Valentino Liberace was a world-renowned star in the entertainment industry for more than four decades, and his dazzling, often outrageous costumes are what made him most memorable. In Liberace Extravaganza! the entertainer's sequined, bejeweled, and rhinestone-studded outfits, as well as his extravagant collection of furs, feather capes, sparkling bow ties, and custom-made shoes are exhibited in book form for the very first time.These mesmerizing costumes grew from Liberace's humble beginnings when, as a young man, he would perform in his brother's hand-me-downs. From there, his suits, worth as much as twenty-four thousand dollars, featured layers of silk and satin ruffles, Swarovski crystal rhinestones, and fourteen-karat white-gold, diamond-encrusted buttons, culminating in his "electric" costumes with four thousand light bulbs weighing more than twenty-five pounds.Michael Travis, Liberace's principal designer, has written the foreword for this breathtaking volume. Jim Lapidus, another of Liberace's designers, furrier Anna Nateece, and Ray Arnett, his producer, have contributed original sketches used to design Liberace's costumes. The result is a book that is one of a kind: a celebration of the legendary performer and a visual feast of the most extraordinary costumes ever created.With more than 260 full-color photographs

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  One God Two Voices -...

  Sue Whited, Deidre Hester

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  An inspirational, faith-based guide to raising the next generation of leaders—based on the real-life experiences of two amazing educators.   Hailing from the hills of West Virginia and the ghettos of New York City, two teachers—one an older Caucasian and the other a younger African American—somehow find each other in the halls of a middle school in Hampton, VA. Becoming the best of friends, Deidre Hester and Sue Whited join together to educate their eighth-grade students in curriculum and life.  One God Two Voices comes from their hearts as they speak to teachers, parents, students, and the world at-large on diverse topics, such as the racial divide (from the O.J. Simpson trial to the tragic deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown), repeating history, “acting white,” and the reality of being a teacher while maintaining your integrity, sanity, and sense of humor.   From the tragic shooting death of a student who had sung Boyz II Men’s version of “It’s So Hard to Say Good-bye to Yesterday” in the eighth-grade talent show to the guidelines for setting a model of leadership in the classroom, One God Two Voices weaves together the authors’ unique and personal teaching experiences to create an inspirational tapestry of faith and education. In this updated version of their 2004 title For Such A Time As This . . . We Are But Small Voices, Hester and Whited make a difference for today—and the future.  

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  Ten Thousand Hours in Paradise:...

  Andrew M. Crusoe

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  Five months on the Big Island can change you forever. Visiting the fiery home of Madame Pele? Getting scared half-to-death by a UFO hovering over a lava field? And manifesting a blue feather out of thin air? That'll do it. 
  Yet Andrew’s most powerful transformation was still ahead. 
  A routine hitchhiking trip into town brings a new person into Andrew’s life that just might have the perfect opportunity for him. His new friend is a volunteer at a Vipassana meditation center. She invites him to join her on a 10-day silent meditation course and then live near the meditation center afterward, doing a very different kind of work-trade than he’s ever done. 
  Andrew accepts and plunges into an intense experience, delving deeper into his mind and body than ever before, unearthing trauma that he thought he had healed long ago. In the process, a profound realization hits him and propels him into a new chapter of his life. 
  Ten Thousand Hours in Paradise is a 3-volume true story about the consciousness shift that happens when you embrace Hawaii. In Volume 2: Tribulations, Andrew dives deep into a life-changing Vipassana meditation course, gains a new perspective on unrequited love, and is wished “Happy Birthday” from a man beyond the grave.

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