Chasing Perfect: The Will to Win in Basketball and Life

The inspiring story of the most famous high school basketball coach in America.
In 40 seasons as the head coach of St. Anthony High School, a private parochial school in Jersey City, New Jersey, Bob Hurley has established a standard of excellence and achievement without peer, and remarkably, he has done this at a high school with a total student body enrollment of about 230, with no gymnasium, and with an operating deficit that threatens to shut the place down each year. Hurley himself sweeps the floor before each home game. Despite the long odds against them, Hurley's teams have captured 26 state titles and four consensus national championships, all behind an astonishing career winning percentage of .905.
In "Chasing Perfect," Hurley opens up his tool box and shares some of the championship strategies he's developed to help lift his players up and out of Jersey City. The narrative centerpiece will be each of St. Anthony's seven undefeated seasons, with sketch profiles of some of the most memorable players, making some of the most memorable plays in St. Anthony history. Along the way, he'll offer empowering insights to help coaches and players to elevate their games, while empowering the rest of us to walk a more purposeful path. Part memoir, part coach's notebook and part reflection on the St. Anthony players it has been Hurley's privilege to coach, "Chasing Perfect" will stand as a compelling barometer of life in and around the hardscrabble streets of Jersey City, set against the backdrop of one of the most enduringly competitive high school basketball programs in the country.

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The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Created a Dynasty

Faith. Family. Ducks--in that order.
This book gives readers an up-close and personal, behind-the-scenes look at the family in the exploding A&E(R) show--
"Duck Dynasty"(R). This Louisiana bayou family operates Duck Commander, a booming family business that has made them millions. You'll hear all about the Robertson clan from Willie and what it was like growing up in the Robertson household. You'll sample some of Willie's favorite family recipes from Phil, Kay, and even some of his own concoctions; and you'll get to know the beautiful Robertson women. You'll hear from Korie about the joys and hardships of raising a family, running a business, and wrangling the Robertson men while staying fashionable and beautiful inside and out. Discover more about the family dynamics between brothers Willie, Jase, Jep, and parents Phil and Kay. You'll even meet a fourth brother who isn't in the show.
The popularity of "Duck Dynasty" is skyrocketing, garnering a Wednesday-night top two finish in all of cable.

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Man Versus Ball: One Ordinary Guy and His Extraordinary Sports Adventures

Jon Hart is not a professional athlete. His one major sports victory is a world championship in roller basketball, which is basketball on in-line skates. More than ten years ago, he started pursuing his own bucket list and embarked on a hilarious and insightful journey into the furthest reaches of the sports world."Man versus Ball" follows Hart s adventures around the country as he undertakes new missions, often with unexpected results. He becomes a pro wrestler, learning fake moves that all but land him in the hospital after a body slam went awry. He plays an entire season for a championship semipro football team, suits up as a U.S. Open ball boy for three years, and is an amateur caddie for a Professional Golfers Association tournament. After attending mascot school, he performs in a neon gorilla suit in front of several thousand fans at a minor league hockey game. He works as a vendor at several venues around the country, hawking concessions while fending off drunken fans. He even earns a bit of glory for himself, leading his roller basketball league in rebounds for two consecutive seasons. Feeling confident, he takes part in the World Cup of roller soccer, which is soccer on in-line skates. All this prepares him for his moment of truth: a race up the 1,576 stairs of the Empire State Building.A George Plimpton style excursion into the athletic unknown, "Man versus Ball" will delight and inspire readers who have secretly yearned to cross fun items off their life s to-do list.

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Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It

HERE, THERE BE DRAGONS.
Ancient red dragons with 527 hit points, +44 to attack, and a 20d10 breath weapon, to be specific. In the world of fantasy role-playing, those numbers describe a winged serpent with immense strength and the ability to spit fire. There are few beasts more powerful--just like there are few games more important than Dungeons & Dragons.
Even if you've never played Dungeons & Dragons, you probably know someone who has: the game has had a profound influence on our culture. Released in 1974--decades before the Internet and social media--Dungeons & Dragons inspired one of the original nerd subcultures, and is still revered by millions of fans around the world. Now the authoritative history and magic of the game are revealed by an award-winning journalist and lifelong D&D player.
In "Of Dice and Men," David Ewalt recounts the development of Dungeons & Dragons from the game's roots on the battlefields of ancient Europe, through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides, to its apotheosis as father of the modern video-game industry. As he chronicles the surprising history of the game's origins (a history largely unknown even to hardcore players) and examines D&D's profound impact, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences. An enticing blend of history, journalism, narrative, and memoir, "Of Dice and Men" sheds light on America's most popular (and widely misunderstood) form of collaborative entertainment.

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Beyond Winning: Smart Parenting in a Toxic Sports Environment

These days it seems everyone has a youth sports horror story--whether it's about a tyrant coach obsessed with his team record that only plays the best kids on the team, or a parent who publicly berates his kid for not making a goal. But should it really only be all about winning? What about having fun, learning a sport, and developing athletic skills? "Beyond Winning with Whole Child Sports" offers an alternative approach to teaching sports to kids. It deemphasizes short-term goals like winning and youth championships and discourages the introduction of adult-oriented, league-structured competition. Instead it emphasizes training techniques and coaching strategies aimed at improving core strength, balance, and creativity in aspiring athletes, using an age-appropriate four-stage timeline, based on a child's physical, psychological, and neurological development. "Beyond Winning with Whole Child Sports" provides frustrated parents with help in the form of advice and concrete solutions to common questions, and step-by-step instructions for helping young children develop athletic ability in an environment that's less structured while encouraging athletic and personal growth. It also reveals how to avoid bullying, trash talk, and elitism.

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Nailed!: The Improbable Rise and Spectacular Fall of Lenny Dykstra

"Nailed! "is a dramatic biography of Lenny Dykstra--the heroic center fielder for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the '80s and '90s whose gritty play earned him the nickname "Nails." Dykstra's unlikely post-baseball rise in the business world is a success story that is only matched by the sordid tale of his ultimate downfall.
From famously receiving financial guru Jim Cramer's ringing endorsement as "one of the best" stock prognosticators, to hanging out with Charlie Sheen and numerous prostitutes, to holding court in his $15 million California home, Dykstra lived a highflying lifestyle. He was the toast of the business world before his litany of crimes were detected and his empire began to unravel in 2009, leading to a conviction and prison sentence in 2012 with more charges pending.
Through compelling storytelling supported by extensive research and documentation--including interviews with many of Dykstra's friends, family, and business associates--"Nailed! "Peels back the layers to reveal that the criminal charges of grand theft auto, identity theft, vandalism, lewd behavior, sexual assault, are just the tip of the iceberg. This is an engaging read of a sports and business hero gone bad.

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The Best Tree House Ever: How to Build a Backyard Tree House the Whole World Will Talk about

When his two young grandsons clamored for a hideout in the trees, what could Maurice Barkley, a sixty-something retiree, do but grab some wooden beams and a level? Now, more than ten years, seven tiny houses, and a spiral staircase later, Barkley s grandkids can truly say they have the best tree house ever. With a backyard that has become a tourist destination and the delighted cries of children playing pretend sounding in his ears, Barkley shares his pro building tips, floor plans, and how-tos in an easy-to-use guide anyone with a hankering for nature and a set of basic carpenter s tools can follow.The Best Tree House Everrecords the creation and growth of a child-sized village built high above the ground and documents the wonderful, unexpected consequences the visitors, the excitement, and the hundreds of friendships made that occurred along the way. Filled with plans and construction details of Barkley s entire tree house village, The Best Tree House Ever leads adventurers of every age to explore the magical worlds hidden amongst the foliage.

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Attacking Soccer: Mastering the Modern Game

Soccer fans around the world adore the offensive style of play based on fast passing combinations, spectacular dribbling, and the art of beautifully shot goals. The question regarding this style of game is how to coach your team to embrace fast attacking soccer. How do you shape your training to cover all the technical and tactical basics? Peter Schreiner and Norbert Elgert, renowned German coaches, give the right answers, including systematical approaches.
Each coach can easily shape his training programs with easy to use exercises, which are richly illustrated.

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The Kids Got It Right: How the Texas All-Stars Kicked Down Racial Walls

Jim Dent, "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Junction Boys," pens the story of Texas high school football integration, and the three men who put together a championship teamJim Dent takes readers to the heart of the Texas gridiron with the incredible story of the state's high school football intergration. In the summer of 1964, a high school all-star team lost the most significant football game in Texas' proud history to the Pennsylvania Big 33 squad. Three months later, Coach Bobby Layne met with the governor, determined to prevent another loss. His important request: authorization to recruit black all-stars for his new squad.
It was an ambitious plan: Texas high school football, launched in 1910, was dominated by white players, even though the state was flush with great black stars, some of whom would become the most notable players in the history of the NFL. And Layne's scheme never would have worked without two very special young men --happy-go-lucky quarterback Bill Bradley, and his Big 33 roommate, Jerry "the Jet" Le Vias, a speedy receiver who was also the first black athlete to sign to a letter-of-intent with a Southwest Conference school, SMU. Bradley looked out for Le Vias--one of only three black players chosen for the team--uniting the integrated team. Together--and with Layne's indomitable will to win--the two led their team to triumphant victory in Hershey park. With this moving story, reminiscent of Remember The Titans, Jim Dent once again brings readers to cheers and tears with a truly American tale of leadership, brotherhood, and good old Friday Night Lights style football.

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The Bicycle Commuter's Handbook

As sensible as it may seem in an era when fuel prices are skyrocketing in tandem with environmental consciousness, a switch to bicycle commuting doesn't necessarily happen overnight. Certain questions arise: Do I really need that $1,500 bike? Are Lycra shorts necessary? What about traffic rules? What to do when a tire blows? In "The Bicycle Commuter's Handbook," veteran cyclist, bike commuter, professional messenger, and author Robert Hurst gives you all the answers you need for worry-free riding.

The ultimate, practical miniguide to tips, tricks, technique, and gear Compact and user-friendly For riding to work, to the grocery store, or just around town Color photos and illustrations  Check Catalog