Other books that might interest you

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  Straw - Finding My Way

  John Strausbaugh, Darryl Strawberry

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  “Darryl has written a profound book on the meaning of celebrity, sports and manhood . . . a riveting and memorable account.” —David Cone 
   
  Former New York Met and Yankee slugger Darryl Strawberry has subtitled his autobiography Straw, “Finding My Way”—and his path was never easy. A National League Rookie of the Year, eight-time MLB All Star, and four-time World Series Champion, Strawberry’s baseball achievements were often overshadowed by his struggles off the field. In Straw, he tells it all: his boyhood in Crenshaw, Los Angeles; his rise to baseball superstardom; the high life and low life; his brushes with the law; his triumphant battle over cancer; his religious awakening, and his marriage to the love of his life. 
   
  “Straw is the story of a guy who had two strikes against him in the middle innings of life and hit one out of the park.” —Reggie Jackson 
   
   
   
  “Straw [has] the virtue of sincerity and of seeming profoundly felt. Its narrator emerges as a real and complex man: humble in the face of his failures, palpably hungry for redemption, and yet still capable of myopia and self-righteousness. You feel for him in a way you never did—at least I never did—when you were merely cheering and/or booing him at Shea.” —The New York Times 
   
  “If you’re looking for an interesting book about a chaotically interesting life, Straw makes for good reading.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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  You Are an Ironman - How Six...

  Jacques Steinberg

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  As he did so masterfully in his New York Times bestseller The Gatekeepers, Jacques Steinberg creates a compelling portrait of people obsessed with reaching a life-defining goal. In this instance, the target is an Ironman triathlon-a 2.4-mile open-water swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, then finally a 26-mile marathon run, all of which must be completed in no more than seventeen hours.Steinberg focuses not on the professional who live off the prize money and sponsorships, but on a handful of triathletes who regard the sport as a hobby. Vividly capturing the grueling preparation, the suspense of completing each event of the triathlon, and the spectacular feats of human endurance, Steinberg plumbs the physical and emotional toll as well as the psychological payoff of the participants of the Ford Ironman Arizona 2009. His You Are an Ironman is both a riveting sports narrative and a fascinating, behind-the-scenes study of what makes these athletes keep going.

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  Rising - Becoming the First...

  Sharon Wood

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  In Rising, Wood reflects on the seventy days she spent on Everest and on the pivotal experiences and influences that brought her to that staggeringly beautiful and austere corner of the world. Beyond the physical hardships, she faced personal challenges as an outlier in the male bastion of Himalayan climbing. These were compounded by the vexing presence of her past mentor and lover with his new girlfriend on the American team climbing on the same side of the mountain. It didn't help that the media pitched the two women as rivals, both vying to become the first North American woman to reach the summit of the highest mountain in the world. Wood rose to all these challenges, finding camaraderie and inspiration among her teammates.Rising is both a gripping, adrenalin-filled mountain story and a reflective memoir that reaches beyond the summit to explore a life lived in Everest's long shadow: unexpected acclaim, outrageous expectations, and personal struggles. As Wood tells her story today, her perspective is steeped in six decades of life experience rich with adventure, change, growth, and humility. It is a tale that feels poignantly relevant—a testament to the strength of the human spirit to overcome all obstacles, whether mountain peaks, social expectations, or self-imposed barriers.

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  The Enlightened Cyclist -...

  NYC Bike Snob

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  The author of Bike Snob helps bike commuters transcend common obstacles and handle cars, pedestrians, and other cyclists with grace. 
   
  The joys of commuting by bike attract scores of new converts every year. But as fresh-faced cyclists fill the roads, they also encounter their share of frustrations—careless drivers, wide-flung car doors, zoned-out pedestrians, and aggressive fellow cyclists, to name a few.  
   
  In this follow-up to Bike Snob, BikeSnobNYC takes on the trials and triumphs of bike commuting with snark, humor, and enthusiasm. He asks the question: If we become better commuters, will that make us better people? From the deadly sins of biking to tactics for dealing with cars, pedestrians, and other cyclists, this primer on bike travel is a must-read for cyclists new and seasoned alike.

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  The History of Gaelic Football -...

  Eoghan Corrigan

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  Gaelic football has grown into a massive modern entertainment industry, celebrated on summer Sundays at Europe's third largest sports stadium. Yet it has retained a unique relationship with the often small local communities which sustain it.
  
  Gaelic footballers and their followers receive no payment, have no transfer system and remain loyal to their home counties as players and supporters. This is more than a sport – it is a subculture of its own, with songs, stories and ceremonies that are unique in the sporting world.
  
  In this fascinating book, Eoghan Corry charts the emergence of great Gaelic football teams, players and rivalries whose tactics brought success and whose innovations changed the sport itself. The History of Gaelic Football also outlines how the game became entangled in the political life of Ireland, tracing its course as it weaved and bobbed through political controversy, civil war and Ireland's rapidly-changing society over the course of the twentieth century.
  
  It recounts hilarious incidents from the history of Gaelic football, from invading crowds to crazy goals, detailing the rough, the tough and the bizarre that characterise the sport. Above all, it celebrates the players who bring entertainment, excitement and excellence, and who enrich the lives of ordinary people across Ireland and the world.
  The History of Gaelic Football: Table of Contents
  Author's Note
  Introduction
  
  - 1873–1903: The Battle of the Balls
  - 1903–27: A Popular Game
  - 1927–47: Hand Across the Atlantic
  - 1948–74: Strong and Forthright Men
  - 1987–2000: Inside the Mind of the Champion
  - More Matches, More Watchers

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  Death of the Territories -...

  Tim Hornbaker

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  For decades, distinct professional wrestling territories thrived across North America. Each regionally based promotion operated individually and offered a brand of localized wrestling that greatly appealed to area fans. Promoters routinely coordinated with associates in surrounding regions, and the cooperation displayed by members of the National Wrestling Alliance made it easy for wrestlers to traverse the landscape with the utmost freedom. 
  		 
  Dozens of territories flourished between the 1950s and late ’70s. But by the early 1980s, the growth of cable television had put new outside pressures on promoters. An enterprising third-generation entrepreneur who believed cable was his opportunity to take his promotion national soon capitalized on the situation. 
  		 
  A host of novel ideas and the will to take chances gave Vincent Kennedy McMahon an incredible advantage. McMahon waged war on the territories and raided the NWA and AWA of their top talent. By creating WrestleMania, jumping into the pay-per-view field, and expanding across North America, McMahon changed professional wrestling forever. 
  		 
  Providing never-before-revealed information, Death of the Territories is a must-read for fans yearning to understand how McMahon outlasted his rivals and established the industry’s first national promotion. At the same time, it offers a comprehensive look at the promoters who opposed McMahon, focusing on their noteworthy power plays and embarrassing mistakes.

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