Most Popular Books by Brian CURTIS

The beloved sportscaster recounts how he maintained a positive outlook on life in the face of battling leukemia in this moving and inspiring memoir. A New York Times Bestseller “Time is something that cannot be bought, it cannot be wagered with God, and it is not in endless supply. Time is simply how you live your life.” —Craig Sager Thanks to an eccentric wardrobe filled with brightly colored suits and a love of sports that knows no bounds, Craig Sager is one of the most beloved and recognizable broadcasters on television. So when the sports world learned that he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) there was an outpouring of love and support from everyone who was inspired by his colorful life and his fearless decision to continue doing the job he loved—despite being told that he would have only three-to-six months to live. Sager has undergone three stem cell transplants—with his son as the donor for two of them—and more than twenty chemotherapy cycles since his diagnosis. In Living Out Loud, Craig Sager shares incredible stories from his remarkable career and chronicles his heroic battle. Whether he’s sprinting across Wrigley Field mid-game as a college student with cops in pursuit, chasing down Hank Aaron on the field for an interview after Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record, running with the bulls in Pamplona, or hunkering down to face the daunting physical challenges of fighting leukemia, Craig Sager is always ready to defy expectations, embrace life, and live it to the fullest. Including a foreword by Charles Barkley and with unique insight from his son Craig Sager II, this entertaining, honest, and introspective account of a life lived in sports reveals the enduring lessons Sager has learned throughout his career and reminds you that no matter what life throws at you, to always look at the bright side.

He guided LSU to its first football championship in forty-five years. He turned down countless offers from professional teams to stay with the job he loves. Now Nick Saban reveals the secrets that will help you lead and succeed at work and in life. Excellence doesn’t happen overnight. It comes from hard work, consistency, the drive to be the best, and a passion for what you do. Few understand this better than Nick Saban, the hottest college football coach in the game. Now, in How Good Do You Want to Be?, Saban shares his winning philosophy for creating and inspiring success. In more than three decades as a player and coach, Saban has learned much about life and leadership, both on the field and off. Working alongside some of the game’s legends, including Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick and coaching legend Jerry Glanville, he saw firsthand how great leaders encourage greatness in others. In this candid, insightful guide, he shares such acquired wisdom as • Organization, Organization, Organization Create an environment where everybody knows his or her responsibilities–and each is responsible to the entire group. • Motivate to Dominate Understand the psychology of teams and individuals, and use that knowledge to breed success. • No Other Way than Right Practice ethics and values–and demand the same from your team. • Look in the Mirror Maintain an understanding of who you are by knowing your strengths and your weaknesses. How Good Do You Want to Be? is more than the story of how Nick Saban motivates his staff and players to excel–it is also the memoir of one of America’s most successful coaches. Filled with instructive anecdotes and illuminated by never-before-told stories of his life and career, this is a book that challenges and inspires us all to be our best.

This groundbreaking work of sports journalism takes college football fans inside the locker rooms of nine of the sport''s biggest teams to reveal what happens behind the closed doors of America''s top programs.

What Pisses Me Off About The Good Ol’ USA is a topical review of current affairs and national issues that represents the views of most Americans. This book represents those Americans who do not have the ability to speak out or who are afraid to speak out due to political correctness. This book dives into many issues that have destroyed the fabric of our society that our fore fathers fought so hard to provide for future generations under the US Constitution and the Bill Of Rights. The title reflects what is wrong with our society and country and tells it in a straight-forward manner. Brian Curtis discusses issues affecting our national security, our financial well-being, our moral and ethical compass, our faith, our misguided political behavior, equality, unlawful behavior, and lastly our inability to reduce the size of government that has turned our country into a nanny state and a co-dependent country. This title reflects years of frustration over the inability of our countrymen to rise up and put a stop to political correctness forever. This book reveals the frustrations, the bold-face lies and deceit, and the weakness of our countrymen to stand up and correct the direction this country is heading. This topical review clearly brings many issues to the forefront that need to be discussed, analyzed, broken down and corrected to save ourselves from the juggernaut of a society that is lost, confused, and misguided. This book is a wake up call to step up to the plate, swing the bat, and run the bases full speed with no interference. Read on my friends and enjoy the ride.

Jerry Rice has been called the best pro football player ever. In spite of Rice’s legendary gridiron skills, or even his ability to transform himself into an instant ballroom-dance prodigy on ABC’s hit TV series Dancing with the Stars, the surprising fact is, a guy like Jerry Rice is made and not just born. In Go Long! Rice shares the inspirational lessons and empowering practices that have helped him attain success, both on the football field and off. Through the ups and downs of Rice’s life and incomparable career, we discover how self-motivation, determination, and humility are the keys to achievement and true fulfillment. It’s been a long journey for Jerry Rice, from his childhood in Starkville, Mississippi, to a certain berth in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a kid, he was always working toward something, even if he wasn’t sure what it was. Rice honed his hand-eye coordination by catching airborne bricks tossed by his siblings while on the job with their bricklayer father, and he ran–everywhere. From these humble beginnings, Rice blazed a path to greatness in college and the NFL–a trip that was fueled by tireless effort and belief in a few simple principles, among them that achievement is a voyage, not a destination; that modesty and perseverance, not talent, are what determine how far you will go; and that everyone should strive to be a role model. Rice even demonstrates these rules in action, breaking down the greatest games from his stellar career. Go Long! is an inspiring book by a living sports legend. More than that, however, it is the story of how Jerry Rice awakened the champion within, illustration how we can unlock the greatness within ourselves.

A riveting story of football, wartime, and boys becoming men—from facing off in the 1942 Rose Bowl to serving together in WWII. In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the 1942 Rose Bowl was moved from Pasadena to Durham, North Carolina, out of fear of Japanese attacks on the West Coast. Duke University faced off against underdog Oregon State College, with both teams preparing for a grueling fight on the football field while their thoughts drifted to the battlefields they would soon encounter. On New Year’s Day, the teams played one of the most unforgettable games in history. Shortly afterward, many of the players and coaches entered the military and would quickly become brothers on the battlefield. Scattered around the globe, the lives of Rose Bowl participants would intersect in surprising ways, as they served in Iwo Jima and Normandy, Guadalcanal and the Battle of the Bulge. In one powerful encounter, OSC’s Frank Parker saved the life of Duke’s Charles Haynes in Italy. And one OSC player, Jack Yoshihara, a Japanese-American, never had the chance to play in the game or serve his country, as he was sent to an internment camp in Idaho. In Fields of Battle, Brian Curtis sheds light on a little-known slice of American history with an intimate account of the teamwork, grit, and determination that took these men onto the gridiron and into combat.

This book takes a one of a kind look at what it means, and what it takes to be a head coach in the college arena of the new millennium.

Perceptual drawing, in which one renders the physical world as it appears to an observer, is the focus of this new text for the introductory drawing course. Drawing from Observation offers a balanced mix of hands-on technique and perceptual theory while making a compelling argument for the long-term value of studying perception-based drawing.

MACHINE AGE: THE ROBOT GRAVEYARD is a futuristic thriller for middle-grade readers, set in a dark and dangerous Washington DC in the year 2028. Twelve-year-old Jane and her parents are just trying to get by in an age where robot workers have taken over so many jobs that normal people struggle every day just to survive... and where the rich and the poor alike live in constant fear of a vicious gang of subhumans known as insombians. Although insombians normally prey on kids Jane''s age, the Walsh family is torn apart when Jane''s mother disappears in an apparent insombian attack. Jane hates to let any puzzle go unsolved, especially one that''s so important, so her first instinct is to find out herself what happened to her mom. But Jane''s dad has other ideas. His only concern is to keep Jane safe. That''s why he comes home one day with a secondhand robotic nanny that he found on the black market. Jane''s nanny robot is called MARY, and when the nannybot starts acting suspiciously, Jane suddenly finds herself with a new puzzle to solve. MACHINE AGE: THE ROBOT GRAVEYARD is the first in a three-part series that follows the adventures of Jane and her best friend Robbie as they try to unravel the mystery of Jane''s enigmatic new nannybot. Along the way, they experience the trials and joys of their final year at Rice Underschool: giving bullies their comeuppance, competing on the varsity crossword team against their rich Overschool rivals, studying Early 21st Century History... even trying to figure out the difference between friendship and love. But these struggles and triumphs all happen under the shadow of a sinister conspiracy that is unfolding all around them. As Jane and Robbie discover more about MARY''s mysterious past, they are pulled deeper into a web of secrets involving insombians, the US president, and what really happened to Jane''s mom. And as they get closer to the truth, the puzzle becomes trickier, and the solution more dangerous.

Measures the effects of school funding, classroom size, and teacher quality on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), controlling for socioeconomic and race factors.