Sports & Adventure on Audio
Inspiring and motivating true stories of sports legends, true adventures and the lives of sports heroes.
The Punch: One Night, Two Lives and the Fight that Changed Basketball Forever by John Feinstein (796.323 FEINS)
Legendary sportswriter John Feinstein covers the infamous one-punch assault by NBA player Kermit Washington on Rudy Tomjanovich in 1977, showing how one moment of savage anger led to irrevocable change in the careers and lives of two men. Once again, Feinstein shines an illuminating light behind the scenes of an indelible sports moment.
Leading With the Heart by Mike Krzyzewski (796.323 KRZYZ)
Coach K reveals his personal principles for leadership, from dealing with adversity in life or on the basketball court, to taking responsibility for your actions, to learning how to trust your heartfelt instincts in times of trouble. The result is a book that shows how you can be successful in any leadership challenges you face.
The Carolina Way: Leadership Lessons from a Life in Coaching by Dean Smith (796.323 SMITH)
For 40 years, Dean Smith coached the University of North Carolina basketball team with unsurpassed success. Now, in The Carolina Way, he explains his coaching philosophy and shows readers how to apply it to the leadership and team-building challenges they face in their own lives. In his wry, sensible, wise way, Coach Smith takes us through every aspect of his program, illustrating his insights with vivid stories.
Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season by Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King (796.357 O’NAN)
Early in 2004, two writers and Red Sox fans, Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King, decided to chronicle the upcoming season, one of the most hotly anticipated in baseball history. They would sit together at Fenway. They would exchange e-mails. They would write about the games. And, as it happened, they would witness the greatest comeback ever in sports, and the first Red Sox championship in 86 years.
The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It by Neal Bascomb (796.42 BASCO)
There was a time when running the mile in four minutes was believed to be beyond the limits of human foot speed, and in all of sport it was the elusive holy grail. In 1952, after suffering defeat at the Helsinki Olympics, three world-class runners each set out to break this barrier.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (796.5 KRAKAUER)
A childhood dream of someday ascending Mount Everest, a lifelong love of climbing, and an expense account all propelled writer Jon Krakauer to the top of the Himalayas last May. His powerful, cautionary tale of an adventure gone horribly wrong is a must-read.
A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein (796.973 FEINSTEIN)
Feinstein chronicles the time he spent on the 1993 and 1994 PGA tour, walking the links with the likes of Greg Norman, Tom Watson and Tom Kite. The result is stunning revelation of all that goes into the game at its highest levels. Written with insight, authority and humor, A Good Walk Spoiled is a masterful account that will enthrall everyone who loves the impossible game of golf.
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand (798.4 HILLE)
Seabiscuit was an unlikely champion: a roughhewn, undersized horse with a sad little tail and knees that wouldn't straighten all the way. But, thanks to the efforts of three men, Seabiscuit became one of the most spectacular performers in sports history. The rags-to-riches horse emerged as an American cultural icon, drawing an immense following and becoming the single biggest newsmaker of 1938 – receiving more coverage than FDR or Hitler.
A Walk in the Woods by Bil Bryson (917.4 BRYSON)
For reasons even he didn't understand, Bill Bryson decided in 1996 to walk the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail. Winding from Georgia to Maine, this uninterrupted 'hiker's highway' sweeps through the heart of some of America's most beautiful and treacherous terrain. Accompanied by his infamous crony, Stephen Katz, Bryson risks snake bite and hantavirus to trudge up unforgiving mountains, plod through swollen rivers, and yearn for cream sodas and hot showers. Fresh, illuminating and uproariously funny, A Walk in the Woods showcases Bill Bryson at his very best.
Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans who Discovered Hitler’s Lost Sub by Robert Kurzon (940.54 KURZO)
Kurson descends to the depths of the ocean to tell the story of two courageous divers who made a stunning discovery. Six years in the making, the book unravels so much more than just a diving experience, for in exploring this historical moment, the author reveals the high-seas rivalries, the bitter feuds, and the cost of "membership in a culture of immensely brave men."
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger (974.4 JUNGER)
It was the storm of the century – a tempest created by so rare a combination of factors that meteorologists deemed it "the perfect storm." When it struck in October 1991, there was virtually no warning. "She's comin' on, boys, and she's comin' on strong," radioed Captain Billy Tyne of the Andrea Gail from off the coast of Nova Scotia. Soon afterward, the boat and its crew of six disappeared without a trace. Also try Fire.
Every Second Counts by Lance Armstrong (B ARMSTRONG)
Continuing the inspiring story begun in his first book, Every Second Counts captures the mindset of a man who has beaten incredible odds and considers each day an opportunity for excellence. His new book addresses the equally daunting challenge of living in the aftermath of this experience and making the most of every breath of life.
The Education of a Coach by David Halberstam (B BELICHICK)
Bill Belichick is the only head coach in NFL history to win three Super Bowl championships during a four-year span. The success of the New England Patriots' head honcho fascinates Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Halberstam, but what captivates him even more is Belichick's total lack of charisma: "He seemed so uncoachlike." The Education of a Coach explores the extraordinary career of a gridiron genius who has consistently avoided celebrity.
Namath: a Biography by Mark Kriegel (B NAMATH)
New York Jets star Joe Namath was not just a supremely gifted quarterback; he was a genuine hero whose celebrity (and right arm) forever changed the game. Mark Kriegel's biography reveals both Namath's flamboyance ("I like my women blonde and my Johnny Walker Red") and his working-class insecurity.
Never Die Easy by Walter Payton (B PAYTON)
His legacy is towering. Walter Payton – the man they called Sweetness, for the way he ran – remains the most prolific running back in the history of the National Football League. Off the field, he was a devoted father whose charitable foundation benefited tens of thousands of children each year, and who – faced with terminal liver disease – refused to use his celebrity to gain a preferential position for organ donation. Walter Payton was not just a football hero; he was America's hero.
Pound for Pound: a Biography of Sugar Ray Robinson by Herb Boyd (B ROBINSON)
Hailed by Muhammad Ali as "the king, the master, my idol," Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest boxer America had seen since Joe Louis and is considered by many to be, pound for pound, the best boxer the sport has ever known. A world welterweight and five-time middleweight champion, he had a career that spanned three decades, and before he finally hung up his boxing gloves in 1965, at the age of 44, Sugar Ray Robinson won 125 consecutive fights.