The definitive account of the life and tragic death of baseball legend Lou Gehrig.
Lou Gehrig was a baseball legend--the Iron Horse, the stoic New York Yankee who was the greatest first baseman in history, a man whose consecutive-games streak was ended by a horrible disease that now bears his name. But as this definitive new biography makes clear, Gehrig's life was more complicated--and, perhaps, even more heroic--than anyone really knew.
Drawing on new interviews and more than two hundred pages of previously unpublished letters to and from Gehrig, "Luckiest Man" gives us an intimate portrait of the man who became an American hero: his life as a shy and awkward youth growing up in New York City, his unlikely friendship with Babe Ruth (a friendship that allegedly ended over rumors that Ruth had had an affair with Gehrig's wife), and his stellar career with the Yankees, where his consecutive-games streak stood for more than half a century. What was not previously known, however, is that symptoms of Gehrig's affliction began appearing in 1938, earlier than is commonly acknowledged. Later, aware that he was dying, Gehrig exhibited a perseverance that was truly inspiring; he lived the last two years of his short life with the same grace and dignity with which he gave his now-famous "luckiest man" speech.
Meticulously researched and elegantly written, Jonathan Eig's "Luckiest Man" shows us one of the greatest baseball players of all time as we've never seen him before.

Excerpt: "We could get partly undressed-so that we had only such clothes as would be delicious to hug & squeeze in & then you could sit in my lap & we'd kiss & hug & squeeze & cuddle each other until we couldn't stand it any longer. . . ." Ronald A. Smith, a well-known sport historian and emeritus professor at Penn State University, has published several books in sport history, including an edited diary belonging to the subject of these love letters. "Big-Time Football at Harvard, 1905: The Diary of Coach Bill Reid" chronicles the most important year in college football, when the crisis in brutality led to the creation of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the legalization of the forward pass. Bill Reid had another side to his life, however-a passionate one in which he and his girlfriend, fianc, and wife exchanged intimate love letters for well over a decade. The passionate nature of Bill and Christine's letters during the late Victorian period and early twentieth century are rare and distinguish them from other collections. Bill and Christine wrote intimate love letters when they first met, through their engagement and a lengthy separation while Christine took an eight-month voyage with her parents to Europe, and especially after their marriage and the birth of their first three children. The explicit love letters of upper-middle and upper class individuals are an exceptional find, and they broach issues between couples that are almost universal, often appearing timeless. The love letters of Bill and Christine not only illuminate aspects of life in the early twentieth century, but also they make us reflect on our own lives.

The baseball term, "snake jazz," refers to those squiggly pitches (curve, slider, screwball, etc.) that deviate from a direct path on their way to the catcher. This could also describe the strange and sometimes amusing twists in Dave Baldwin's progress on his way to the big leagues.
As a skinny, awkward kid in the 1940s, Dave learned to throw under the searing Arizona sun amidst cacti and snakes. Despite that modest beginning, his father convinced him that success would come with focused hard work. His dad's encouragement enabled him to become one of the most highly sought-after pitching prospects in the nation as a teenager. Scouts and sportswriters said he was a "natural," "another Bob Feller." He began to see his ability as a gift. Scouts had a favorite mantra - "We can teach a kid to throw a curve, but he has to be born with a fastball." Upon hearing this often from the "experts," Dave lost the idea of self-development his father had instilled. If baseball skill is genetic, there's nothing to be done. Either the kid has the genes or he doesn't.
This philosophy seemed to work well enough until one day during his sophomore year at the University of Arizona he threw a curveball that severely damaged his arm. All that "natural" ability went out the window.
This would have ended his career before it began except he couldn't see life continuing without baseball. Thus, he started a desperate eight year struggle that culminated in his transformation into an unorthodox but successful major league pitcher - the drastic changes in his throwing style inspired by insights gained from his study of ecological genetics and advice he received from Max Surkont, an aging pitcher in Dave's first spring training camp.
On Dave's baseball odyssey he found a roommate who sleepwalked swinging a bat, another who chewed Gillette double-edged razor blades, and still another who was working up to a stretch in prison. He eavesdropped on the witty repartee aboard a burning airplane and a death-defying bus trip, during epicurean brushes with the criminal underworld, and in that awkward moment right after a bullet had ripped through a taxi window. He got to dodge tornadoes, lightning, and baseball hobgoblins. He experienced the bonding effect of minor league pranks and comedy acts, and got a taste of what it was like playing baseball askew in the metaphysical whirl of Steppenwolf and the hippie generation. And he learned the irresistible attraction of Janis Joplin and the dry spitball.
The odd adventures didn't end once Dave made it to the major leagues. He spent a season busily tormenting Ted Williams, and once he unexpectedly found himself teaching the knuckleball to Seri Indians in a remote desert village in northern Mexico.
Snake Jazz includes a number of anecdotes reflecting the world around baseball during the 1960s and '70s, such as the beginnings of the Viet Nam war and the impact on baseball of racial bigotry during the Civil Rights Movement. One chapter recounts the peculiar and dangerous situation of American ballplayers in Havana shortly after Fidel Castro's rebels had gained control of Cuba.
Snake Jazz is more than a series of remarkable anecdotes, however. It is a demonstration of the importance of motivation and mindset in reaching objectives. Dave's dream of playing major league baseball and his stubborn determination drove him to overcome the notion that ability is inherent. If his dad was right, there must be some way to make it to the majors through hard work, even after inherent advantage had been lost. The big question was, "Work hard at what?" He needed a good pitching coach to give him that critical suggestion that would turn his career around. He rarely saw a pitching coach in the minor leagues, and those few that were available did more harm than good.
He continued to work hard to improve, but he was still practicing the same way

This brief but readable biography tells the story of the most recognized figure in baseball-Babe Ruth. Besides vividly describing the highlights of Ruth's career, author Wayne Stewart examines the unprecedented impact Ruth had on the nature and future of the game. Ruth's ability to hit the long ball and the flamboyance of his off-field persona infused the game with a new excitement that rescued baseball from the negative effects of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Making extensive use of interviews conducted by the author with members of Ruth's family and with players who knew Ruth, this biography is an engaging exploration of how Ruth helped shape modern baseball. Babe Ruth is the most recognized figure in baseball and a true American icon. In this brief but readable biography, author Wayne Stewart engagingly describes the highlights of Ruth's career and deftly examines the reasons for the unprecedented impact Ruth had on the game. Ruth's ability to hit the long ball and the flamboyance of his off-field persona infused the game with a new excitement that rescued baseball from the negative effects of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. The author draws new insights into Ruth's life and career through interviews he conducted with members of Ruth's family and with other baseball players who knew him. Readers are also provided with a quick reference chronology to Ruth's career, a bibliography of important print and non-print information resources on Ruth, a statistical appendix summarizing Ruth's on-field production by season, and a discussion of how Ruth has been depicted in books, movies, plays, and other media since his death. This biography will both explain and satisfy the continuing curiosity about Ruth among young basbeball fans who never had the opportunity to see him play.

Born in the segregated South in 1943, Ashe overcame racial prejudices and segregation to break into the world of tennis, which had traditionally been dominated by whites. He rose to the top of the sport, winning three Grand Slam trophies and playing on the Davis Cup team. His tennis career came to an abrupt end when he suffered a heart attack while in his thirties. Ashe began a post-tennis career that included speaking out on social issues that mattered most to him, including educational excellence for African American athletes, the injustice of the apartheid system in South Africa, and better health care for all Americans. After contracting the AIDS virus through a blood transfusion, he began to speak out on the subject of AIDS in order to help people understand the disease. After a brilliant career on the tennis court, Ashe devoted the remainder of his life to fighting for social justice at home and abroad and to fighting the illnesses that had struck him while he was still a young man. Steins tells the inspiring story of Arthur Ashe, a great tennis champion whose skills on the court as well as his exceptional and honorable personal characteristics made him stand out among all players of his generation. A timeline and other appendices highlight Ashe's career and life.

"I've worked many soccer camps with Gibbo over the years and observed as he excites and empowers kids to reach their potential, my own included. His spirited passion for people translates to a great teacher and a great friend. This journal of his life gives us all occasion to absorb a bit more of his wisdom of the game and his philosophy of life. Paul Gibbons is a world class coach."

Darryl Butt, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Boise State University

"Paul, in a quiet, caring, and gracious spirit, simply falls into step and puts into place the missing pieces of the puzzle to make the parts of the whole come together. His eyes give away his warm heart and we are most grateful for what he brings to Botswana every year. We look forward once again to hear the chants of "Gib-bo, Gib-bo-""

Lesley Boggs, Director,
Coaching for Conservation
Botswana, Africa

"Driven, dedicated, and as passionate as a soccer coach could possibly be. GIBBO- In My Life, finds Paul sharing the story of what made him that way, and in so doing, he presents an excellent blueprint, not just for soccer coaches, but for all teachers." Bill Meredith,
"Palm Beach Post," Florida

Do you wish you could make the outdoors a bigger part of your life? Liv Bolton, host of the chart-topping podcast The Outdoors Fix, presents an inspiring collection of stories about ordinary people who have done just that. By making time for their passions - from walking, running, climbing, swimming and paddleboarding to photography, filmmaking, cooking and conservation - they have found their daily lives transformed through immersion in nature and the countryside. The chapters include the stories of outdoor instructor Rehna Yaseen, mental-health campaigner Alex Staniforth, Black Girls Hike regional leader Oge Ejizu and coastal runner Elise Downing. Time outdoors can be hugely beneficial, and even small changes can make a big difference: improving happiness, enhancing work-life balance, introducing new friendships and boosting physical and mental health. Packed with stunning photographs and practical tips encompassing everything from after-work local adventures to spending a night out on the hills, The Outdoors Fix might just provide the inspiration you need to embrace the great outdoors and live more adventurously.

Often characterized as David facing Goliath on the tennis court, at 5'9" and 150 pounds Michael Chang is used to playing with the big hitters. What he lacks in stature, he makes up for in determination. A serious contender at any Grand Slam event, his bold statement of faith in God makes him a role model we can all look up to. "What's nice," Michael says, "is that, as long as my priorities are straight, I'm able to go out with the mentality to really leave the winning and losing up to the Lord." In Holding Serve readers get a unique glimpse at Team Chang, Michael's powerful family unit that he credits with much of his success. Michael also shares the story of how he became a Christian and the central role his faith has played in his achievements.

As the saying goes, "When life deals you lemons, make lemonade." Having a handicap of his own, the author tells his story of finding his niche in life after retirement with the creation of a community baseball program for children with disabilities. Awakened to the opportunity quite by accident, and aided in funding by Green Bay Packer great Brett Favre and wife Deanna, along with local philanthropist Dick Resch, his mission included building a handicap-safe, rubber surface, baseball field. Touched by the lives of special children, he describes, in detail, the labor of love that went into the development of the program. Relationships develop with parents and their children. After a while it feels like family. Nothing, however, can prepare a person for the loss of someone's child.
With the field completed he could sit back and turn over the program to be run by others. But no, he teamed up with the mother whose child passed away and went on to raise funds to develop a handicap accessible playground to add to the venue. His hope is that others may replicate his experiences and develop the same Miracle of joy and happiness for children in their communities.

Mike Nicholson is a highly respected former rally co-driver who competed in UK and European rallies for over 35 years, reaching the very pinnacle of his sport. He partnered some of the most famous rally drivers of the time including Jimmy McRae, Tony Pond and Pentti Airikkala. In this book Mike takes the lid off the glamorous side of rallying as he recalls the highs and lows of his career from the 1970s through to his heydays winning the National Rally and British Open Rally Championships. Written with tongue firmly in cheek and peppered with wry observations, Listen To Me is sure to delight all rally enthusiasts who want to know what really goes on at the sharp end.