Death Comes to Happy Valley: Penn State and the Tragic Legacy of Joe Paterno


Jonathan Mahler - 2012
    The winningest coach ever in college football, crafter of The Grand Experiment that put honor and academics above all else, finished his days under the dark cloud of shame and unspeakable child abuse. How? Why? What mix of fandom, ego, and unfettered power brought Penn State and its beloved coach to this? Just days after Paterno’s death comes this insightful look at the rise of Penn State under the 46-year reign of the man affectionately known as Joe Pa. Acclaimed writer Jonathan Mahler, author of the bestseller "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Burning", has been immersed in reporting the Paterno saga since the scandal broke last fall. His penetrating narrative traces the arc of Paterno’s career from dogged Ivy League quarterback to visionary coach to unassailable icon. Over the years, as his fame and reputation grew, Happy Valley (as State College, Pennsylvania, was often called) morphed into the realm of Paterno; the chant “We Are Penn State” could just as easily have been “We Are Coach Paterno.” It was perhaps inevitable that what Mahler calls “a slow rot” began to pervade Joe Pa’s football program, culminating with the horrific scandal that rocked Penn State and forever altered the Paterno story. "As it all unraveled," Mahler writes, "he seemed to resemble less his hero Aeneas, building a new nation—Penn State Nation—in Happy Valley, than King Lear, clinging stubbornly to the throne when he no longer had the judgment required to remain in it, then succumbing to the grief and anguish that accompanied the collapse of everything he had so painstakingly built."Mahler’s admiring yet honest assessment shows what can happen when a school, and an entire community, falls under a cult of personality. Part eulogy, part post-mortem, part wise appraisal, "Death Comes to Happy Valley" is a thoughtful farewell to the larger-than-life man who was, in fact, merely mortal.***"An elegant book with a perfect ratio of reportage, biography and criticism. It gently pulls Joe Pa off the pedestal upon which he has long stood." — Dwight Garner, The New York Times***Jonathan Mahler is a contributing writer to the "New York Times Magazine" and the author of the bestselling "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City" (the basis for the ESPN mini-series “The Bronx Is Burning”) and "The Challenge: How a Maverick Navy Officer and a Young Law Professor Risked Their Careers to Defend the Constitution—and Won."

Kevin Durant


Jeff Savage - 2011
    The Oklahoma City Thunder forward has gone beyond those expectations. Kevin was named the 2007-2008 NBA Rookie of the Year, and he's only gotten better from there. In 2010 Kevin was named the Most Valuable Player at the FIBA World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey, where the United States won the gold medal. During his short time in pro basketball, Kevin has proven himself to be one of the best players in the world. Learn more about this amazing athlete's journey to the top.

Icons: My Inspiration. My Motivation. My Obsession.


Bradley Wiggins - 2018
    Among them is Sir Bradley Wiggins – a man uniquely placed to reflect on the history of this remarkable sport and its unforgettable titans.In Icons, Wiggins takes the reader on an extraordinarily intimate journey through the sport, presenting key pieces from his never-before-seen collection of memorabilia. Over the course of his illustrious career, he amassed hundreds of items – often gifts from its greatest and most controversial figures. Each reflects an icon, a race or a moment that fundamentally influenced Wiggins on both a personal and professional level.By exploring the lives and achievements of 21 of the sport’s key figures – among them Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Induráin and Tom Simpson – Wiggins sheds new light on what professional cycling demands of its best competitors. Icons lauds their triumphs, elucidates their demons and sheds light on the philosophy and psychology that comprise the unique mindset of a cycling champion.

Basketball Wives: Part 1


Solae Dehvine - 2012
     In a world where the superficial rules and nothing is what it seems, these trophy wives adapt to a lifestyle that many dream of and few obtain. While the money is rolling in the ball of drama bounces on their hoop dreams. These three friends learn that there is a scoreboard in the game of life, sometimes you win and sometimes you loose. And you don’t always live to play another game. (9,000 Words) Part 1 of 3

Soccer Smarts for Kids: 60 Skills, Strategies, and Secrets


Andrew Latham - 2016
    As a youth soccer coach for more than twenty years, Coach Andrew Latham sets kids up for success in Soccer Smarts for Kids with his no-fluff, easy-to-understand strategies and cover-to-cover tips—from goal setting and staying fit to pre-game prep and mental motivation. Coach Latham preps young players to be their best by sharing soccer secrets, exercises, and tricks for kids to develop their skills on the field, with: Basic to advanced techniques so kids can move at their own pace Player profiles highlighting six superstar soccer players (including Lionel Messi and Alex Morgan) Playbook essentials featuring color photos and custom diagrams Need-to-know terms to crack the code of fundamental soccer definitions Soccer fans will improve their game, play smarter, and have more fun with Soccer Smarts for Kids.

Get Up and Ride: A Humorous True Story of Two Friends Cycling the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal


Jim Shea - 2020
    

The Parachute And Its Pilot: The Ultimate Guide For The Ram-Air Aviator


Brian Germain - 2004
    Whether you’re a new jumper looking to further your education or an expert canopy pilot seeking tips on advancing your techniques, this book has something for you. The book is jam-packed with information compiled over twenty years of skydiving experience and offers technical, straightforward explanations of ram air parachute flight. Written by one of the industry's leading parachute designers, The Parachute and Its Pilot is a must-have handbook for every skydiver.

For the Captain


Jenny Redford - 2018
    But Jordan realizes the title carries with it a new-found sense of responsibility. He needs to be a leader if he wants the team to win it all this season, which means leaving behind his reputation as a partying ladies' man. Charlotte Stone is a best-selling author and Manhattan socialite who is sick of the city. She's determined to live somewhere different that doesn't include being a guest star on her mother's reality show. But places like London or Los Angeles would just be more of the same. Then she hears about a building renovation project in Detroit and decides a move to somewhere completely unexpected is exactly what she needs. What Charlotte doesn't need is another hockey player in her life. Two years ago, she dated the biggest pest in the league who ended up breaking her heart. So why is she trying to find excuses to see the all-star captain of the Pirates? And how did she become the only woman who could derail Jordan's plan to win it all?

Why I Didn't Say Anything


Sheldon Kennedy - 2006
    The media portrayed Kennedy as a hero for breaking the code of silence in professional hockey and bringing James to justice. The heroic myth intensified in 1998 when Kennedy announced that he was going to in-line skate from Newfoundland to British Columbia to raise awareness of sexual abuse. The skate raised over $1 million for Canadian Red Cross sexual abuse programs, and Kennedy settled in Calgary with his wife and young daughter. Anyone who has followed hockey in the last ten years is familiar with the story of ex-NHL player Sheldon Kennedy. As one of the most promising hockey talents to emerge from the Canadian minor leagues in the last two decades, Kennedy was destined for hockey greatness. But after he was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1988, he attracted more attention for his off-ice antics than for his contributions to the score sheet. Plagued by rumours of drug and alcohol abuse and a string of injuries, Kennedy drifted from team to team. The happy ending promised by the headlines never materialized. Still haunted by the demons of sexual abuse, Kennedy's life spiralled out of control. Now he has finally come forward to tell his story, and the story of coach Graham James, who is out of prison and currently coaching hockey in Europe.

Major Misconduct


Kelly Jamieson - 2015
    The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he's ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can't exactly say that he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl's no random puck bunny. She's Duncan's little sister, and she's moving in. Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc's chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what's going on inside his head: When he's not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows that the team's bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl's self-esteem, especially since she's finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides that he's worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc's heart, it's Lovey.Contains mature themes.

Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series for the Ages


David Ross - 2017
    In 2016 the Cubs snapped a 108-year curse, winning the World Series in a history-making, seven-game series against the Cleveland Indians. Of the many storylines to Chicago's fairytale season, one stood out: the late-career renaissance of David Ross, the 39-year-old catcher who had played back-up for 13 of his 15 pro seasons. Beyond Ross's remarkably strong play, he became the ultimate positive force in the Cubs locker room, mentoring and motivating his fellow players, some of them nearly twenty years his junior. Thanks to Cubs Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, "Grandpa Rossy" became a social media sensation. No one, however, could have predicted that Ross's home run in his final career at bat would help seal the Cubs championship. Now, in Teammate, Ross shares the inspiring story of his life in baseball, framed by the events of that unforgettable November night.

Backup Goalie (Jake Maddox Sports Stories)


Jake Maddox - 2008
    But when the goalie is injured, Jamie has to step in to play the unfamiliar position. With the state championship at stake, can Jamie help his team skate to victory or are they all on thin ice?

The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life


John "The Penguin" Bingham - 2013
    The miracle is that I had the courage to start."Take your first step toward fitness and a happier, healthier life.Has the idea of running crossed your mind, but you haven't acted on it because you don't think you have the body of a runner? Have you thought about running but quit before you started because you knew that you would be breathless at the end of your driveway? Well, put aside those fears because you can do it. John Bingham, author of the popular Runner's World column "The Penguin Chronicles," transformed himself from an overweight couch potato who smoked into a runner who has completed eleven marathons and hundreds of road races.Forget about the image of a perfect body in skintight clothes, and don't worry about how fast or how far you go. Bingham shows how anyone can embrace running as a life-enhancing activity -- rather than as a competition you will never win. In an entertaining blend of his own success story and practical advice, Bingham provides reasonable guidelines for establishing a program of achievable goals; offers tips on clothing, running shoes, and other equipment; and explains how anyone can prepare for and run distances ranging from a few miles to marathons.After all, in running and in life, the difference between success and failure sometimes comes down to a single step. Waddle on, friends.

Follow the Roar: Tailing Tiger for All 604 Holes of His Most Spectacular Season


Bob Smiley - 2008
    In Follow the Roar, Smiley reports from the gallery at every hole on every tournament course in a year that would turn out to be the most monumental so far in Tiger Wood’s already illustrious career. Including a new update on Tiger’s magnificent return to the game in 2009, Follow the Roar is exhilarating, funny, engaging, and inspiring—604 holes in the life of a golf legend.

Ice Dreams Part 2


Melissa Johns - 2014
    She’s ready to start living her life out of her parent’s shadows and having her all-star hockey boyfriend, Hunter Longo on her arm will only help. They fell in love during her vacation with her brother, Carter and his fiancée, Alicia. She got a taste of what freedom and being an adult was really like and she wasn’t ready to give it up. Carter convinced her to move south and start her college education. They found her a place to live and with the hockey playoffs in full swing, life was great or so she thought…. When the rumors started to spread that Hunter would be traded to the west coast, the strain on their relationship began. She had given him every part of herself and she wasn’t strong enough to watch everything that she wanted unravel. Between the rumors, Carter’s wedding and meeting her new sexy neighbor, Mike, she wasn’t sure if she had made the right decision…..Could she fight for their relationship or was the damage done? Ice Dreams Part 2 is the continuation of Madison and Hunter’s story….Ice Dreams Part 3 will be released winter 2014. Please check out these other books By: Melissa Johns FIRST LOVE (Now & Forever Series #1) EVERLASTING LOVE (Now & Forever Series #2) FOREVER LOVE (Now & Forever #3) TRUE LOVE (Now & Forever #4) ICE DREAMS PART ONE ICE DREAMS PART TWO SENIOR YEAR Her website is now up: http://www.melissa-johns.com Stop by her blog: http://firstlovethenovel.blogspot.com/ “Like” her facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/firstlovenovel