On These Courts: A Miracle Season That Changed a City, a Once-Future Star, and a Team Forever

Former NBA star Anfernee Penny Hardaway grew up in Binghampton, one of the roughest sections of Memphis. Due in no small part to the self-discipline and strong values his grandmother instilled in him, plus his singular talent, Penny beat the incredible odds and made it to the NBA. He was such a special player that it seemed inevitable that he would win at least one championship and end up in the Hall of Fame. But dogged by injuries, Penny was never able to live up to his full basketball star potential.
After retirement Penny returned to Memphis and struggled with the question most professional athletes face when their bright-lights careers come to an end: What now? The unexpected answer came from Desmond Merriweather, one of Penny's oldest friends. Desmond had recently been diagnosed with colon cancer and needed someone to replace him as head coach of the Lester Middle School basketball team in the same dangerous neighborhood where Penny grew up. Without hesitating, Penny said, I'm all in.
"On These Courts "is the moving story of Coach Penny helping his young players navigate their way through impossible circumstances: failing grades, incarcerated fathers, gang pressures, and the crime-ridden streets of Memphis. But Penny never shied away. He selflessly provided on-the-court coaching, helped kids with homework, and became a positive role model who is committed to staying involved in their lives. But this is not just a story about Penny; the true stars are the kids on the Lester Lions team Robert Washington, Reggie Green, Kobe Freeman, and Desmond's own son Nick Merriweather who rewarded Penny with his first championship season, winning the state title by one point. A penny.
A story of hope and inspiration, struggle, and triumph, "On These Courts "reveals the importance and power of taking a stand in a community and learning what it truly means to give back.
A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to Penny's FastBreak Courts, part of Penny Hardaways ongoing efforts to help at-risk youth in the Memphis community

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Stumbling Towards the Finish Line: The Best of Ironman Columnist Lee Gruenfeld

Best-selling novelist and non-fiction writer Lee Gruenfeld has been entertaining the triathlon world with hilarious essays, in-depth profiles and insightful observations for more than a decade. Now his best writings have been collected into a single volume that will let long-time fans relive their favorite pieces while introducing new readers to his unique voice. Anyone who likes sports - any sports - and great writing will love this collection of amusing, penetrating, and often totally off the wall observations.

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Heart of a Tiger: Growing Up with My Grandfather, Ty Cobb

Herschel Cobb's moving account of his relationship with his legendary grandfather reveals a side of Ty Cobb that few people ever saw, that of loving nurturer. A baseball icon and arguably the best player who ever lived, Ty Cobb's infamously cold, competitive nature allowed him to excel on the ball field but undermined his relationship with his children. Devastated by the untimely death of two of his sons, Cobb relished the opportunity to reconnect the broken family ties when young Herschel and his siblings visited him during the summers. In the pages of this book, Herschel, whose cruel, abusive father and adulterous, alcoholic mother filled his childhood with turmoil, recounts how his grandfather provided the stability, love and guidance that Herschel desperately needed. Beautifully written and insightful, this memoir describes the healing bond between Cobb and his grandchildren, and constructs a wholly different legacy for the notoriously tough Cobb as gentle and affectionate "Granddaddy".

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Smoky Joe Wood: The Biography of a Baseball Legend

Though his pitching career lasted only a few seasons, Howard Ellsworth "Smoky Joe" Wood was one of the most dominating figures in baseball history--a man many consider the best baseball player who is "not" in the Hall of Fame. About his fastball, Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson once said: "Listen, mister, no man alive can throw harder than Smoky Joe Wood."
"Smoky Joe Wood" chronicles the singular life befitting such a baseball legend. Wood got his start impersonating a female on the National Bloomer Girls team. A natural athlete, he pitched for the Boston Red Sox at eighteen, won twenty-one games and threw a no-hitter at twenty-one, and had a 34-5 record plus three wins in the 1912 World Series, for a 1.91 ERA, when he was just twenty-two. Then in 1913 Wood suffered devastating injuries to his right hand and shoulder that forced him to pitch in pain for two more years. After sitting out the 1916 season, he came back as a converted outfielder and played another five years for the Cleveland Indians before retiring to coach the Yale University baseball team. Joe's final reward for courageously enduring the eccentricities of his father, his sister's polio, the 1926-27 baseball scandal, and the loss of his beloved wife and a son was an honorary doctorate in 1985 from Yale and its president, Bart Giamatti.
With details culled from interviews and family archives, this biography, the first of this rugged player of the Deadball Era, brings to life one of the genuine characters of baseball history.

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Death Grip: A Climber's Escape from Benzo Madness

"Death Grip "chronicles a top climber's near-fatal struggle with anxiety and depression, and his nightmarish journey through the dangerous world of prescription drugs. Matt Samet lived to climb, and craved the challenge, risk, and exhilaration of conquering sheer rock faces around the United States and internationally. But Samet's depression, compounded by the extreme diet and fitness practices of climbers, led him to seek professional help. He entered the murky, inescapable world of psychiatric medicine, where he developed a dangerous addiction to prescribed medications--primarily "benzos," or benzodiazepines--that landed him in institutions and nearly killed him.
With dramatic storytelling, persuasive research data, and searing honesty, Matt Samet reveals the hidden epidemic of benzo addiction, which some have suggested can be harder to quit than heroin. Millions of adults and teenagers are prescribed these drugs, but few understand how addictive they are--and how dangerous long-term usage can be, even when prescribed by doctors.
After a difficult struggle with addiction, Samet slowly makes his way to a life in recovery through perseverance and a deep love of rock climbing. Conveying both the exhilaration of climbing in the wilderness and the utter madness of addiction, "Death Grip" is a powerful and revelatory memoir.

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The Top Ten Guide to Fly Fishing

One of the most accessible guide books on the market, this guide not only provides all the information beginning and intermediate anglers need in order to start catching trout, the information is also presented in a quick and easy, highly-browsable format of top-ten lists.Curious how to tie and use the ten best knots and rigging techniques? Ever thought about the ten most essential things to look for when selecting a new fly rod? What are the top dry flies for trout? What mistakes do most new anglers make when learning to cast?A fun conversation starter and a set of streamside tips rolled into one, this lighthearted look at a serious sport will give beginners the value of solid instruction while more seasoned fly-fishers will enjoy quibbling with the author's rankings and choices.

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Swinging '73: Baseball's Wildest Season

In 1973, new rules changed baseball, and three legendary teams thrived by playing by their own rules.
Interest and attendance were dropping, and football was ascending. Stuck in a rut, baseball was sinking. Then George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees, a second-division relic with wife-swapping pitchers, leaving the House That Ruth Built not with a slam but a simper. He vowed not to interfere--and then did just that. Across town, Tom Seaver led the Mets' stellar pitching line-up, and iconic outfielder Willie Mays was preparing to say goodbye. But for months, Yogi Berra's boys couldn't get it right. Meanwhile, across the country, maverick owner Charlie O. Finley was fighting to keep the hirsute A's underpaid.
But beyond the muttonchops and mayhem lay another world. Elvis commanded a larger audience than the Apollo landings. A Dodge Dart cost $2,800, and gas 38 cents per gallon. Vietnam had ended, the vice president resigned, Watergate had taken over, and a fiscal crisis loomed. It was one of the most exciting years in baseball history, the first with the designated hitter and the last before arbitration and free agency. The two World Series opponents went head-to-head above the baby steps of a juggernaut that soon dwarfed both league champions. It was a turbulent time for the country and the game, neither of which would ever be the same again.

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AMC's Best Day Hikes in Vermont: Four-Season Guide to 60 of the Best Trails in the Green Mountain State

With hundreds of miles of hiking trails stretching from the shores of Lake Champlain, to the peaks of the spectacular Green Mountains, to the woodlands of the state's southern region, the picturesque state of Vermont seems to have been made for hikers. This guide from the outdoor experts at the Appalachian Mountain Club features sixty of the best day hikes Vermont has to offer, for all experience levels. An at-a-glance trip planner accompanies the detailed trip descriptions, highlighting the best trail options with kids and dogs, as well as for winter snowshoeing and skiing. Whether you're looking to explore high summits like Camel's Hump or Mount Mansfield, hike along the Long Trail or the Appalachian Trail, or take a day trip to the fertile valleys, rivers, and ponds, this must-have resource is a great addition to your pack.

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Walking Distance: Extraordinary Hikes for Ordinary People

"Long-distance walking is good for you and good for the earth... But most of all, walking is a joyful celebration of life and the diverse, beautiful, and curious world in which we live." --from the Introduction
Walking is simple, but it can also be profound. In an increasingly complex and frantic world, walking can simplify our lives. It encourages intimate contact with places and people, promotes health, and is one of the most sustainable forms of recreation. Robert and Martha Manning invite readers to explore the pleasures of long-distance walking in their inspiring new book, Walking Distance.
At the heart of "Walking Distance" are firsthand descriptions of thirty of the world's great long-distance hikes, spanning six continents and ranging from inn-to-inn to backpacking trips. Each entry--from Turkey's Lycian Way to Vermont's Long Trail--features personal anecdotes, natural and cultural history, and useful tips, including suggestions for preparing for hikes and for additional reading. Each trail narrative is richly illustrated with color photographs and maps. The Walks
Alta Via 1 (Italy)
C&O Canal (Maryland, U.S.)
Camino de Santiago (Spain)
Cape Winelands Walk (South Africa)
Chilkoot Trail (Alaska, U.S. and B.C., Canada)
Cinque Terre (Italy)
Coast to Coast Trail (England)
Colorado Trail (Colorado, U.S.)
Cotswold Way (England)
Great Ocean Walk (Australia)
Inca Trail (Peru)
John Muir Trail (California, U.S.)
Kaibab Trail (Arizona, U.S.)
Kalalua Trail (Hawaii, U.S.)
King Ludwig's Way (Germany)
Kungsleden (Sweden)
Long Trail (Vermont, U.S.)
Lost Coast Trail (California, U.S.)
Lycian Way (Turkey)
Milford Track (New Zealand)
Ocala Trail (Florida, U.S.)
Overland Track (Australia)
Paria River Canyon (Utah and Arizona, U.S.)
South Downs Way (England)
Superior Hiking Trail (Minnesota, U.S.)
Tahoe Rim Trail (California and Nevada, U.S.)
Tour du Mont Blanc (France, Italy, Switzerland)
Walker's Haute Route (France, Switzerland)
West Coast Trail (B.C., Canada)
West Highland Way (Scotland)

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Building Your Own Climbing Wall: Illustrated Instructions and Plans for Indoor and Outdoor Walls

If you want to get a total body work out, climbing is the way to do it, and building your own climbing wall allows you to train and have fun any time you want, rather than having to drive to a climbing gym during open hours."Building Your Own Climbing Wall" provides the essential information you need to plan and construct your own indoor or outdoor climbing wall. This highly illustrated guide includes step-by-step instructions, climbing wall construction examples, equipment and tool lists, plus information on how to make your own holds, maintain your wall, create a safe environment, and set routes that target specific types of training. Also detailed are seven design ideas for walls that make maximum use of the space you have.

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