Best Selling Books by Jeff Benedict

"The definitive inside story of the New England Patriots dynasty"--

#1 New York Times Bestseller * “A whirlwind of a biography that reads honest and true.” —The Wall Street Journal * “There is beauty and awe in this perfectly pitched biography.” —The New York Times * “Comprehensive, propulsive...and unsparing.” —The New Yorker Based on years of reporting and hundreds of interviews with people from every corner of Tiger Woods’s life this is “a searing biography of golf’s most blazing talent” (GOLF Magazine)—who has made one of the most remarkable comebacks of all time. In 2009, Tiger Woods was the most famous athlete on the planet, a transcendent star of almost unfathomable fame and fortune living what appeared to be the perfect life. But it turned out he had been living a double life for years—one that exploded in the aftermath of a Thanksgiving night crash that exposed his serial infidelity and sent his personal and professional lives over a cliff. In this “searing biography of golf’s most blazing talent” (GOLF magazine), Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian dig deep behind the headlines to produce a richly reported answer to the question that has mystified millions of sports fans for nearly a decade: who is Tiger Woods, really? Drawing on more than four hundred interviews with people from every corner of Woods’s life—many of whom have never spoken about him on the record before—Benedict and Keteyian construct a captivating psychological profile of a mixed race child programmed by an attention-grabbing father and the original Tiger Mom to be the “chosen one,” to change not just the game of golf, but the world as well. But at what cost? Benedict and Keteyian provide the starling answers in this definitive biography that is destined to linger in the minds of readers for years to come. “Irresistible…Immensely readable…Benedict and Keteyian bring us along for the ride in a whirlwind of a biography that reads honest and true” (The Wall Street Journal). Ultimately, Tiger Woods is “a big American story…exhilarating, depressing, tawdry, and moving in almost equal measure” (The New York Times).

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the #1 bestselling author of The Dynasty and Tiger Woods—the “definitive…fantastic” (Sports Illustrated) biography of basketball superstar LeBron James, based on three years of exhaustive research and more than 250 interviews. LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of the twenty-first century, and he’s in the conversation with Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time. The reigning king of the game and the first active NBA player to become a billionaire, LeBron wears the crown like he was born with it. Yet his ascent has been anything but effortless and predetermined—the truth is vastly more interesting than that. What makes LeBron’s story so compelling is how he won his destiny despite overwhelmingly long odds, in a drama worthy of a Dickens novel. As a child, he was a scared and lonely little boy living a nomadic existence in Akron, Ohio. His mother, who had LeBron when she was sixteen, would sometimes leave him on his own. Destitute and fatherless, he missed close to one hundred days of school in the fourth grade. Desperate, his mother placed him with a family that gave him stability and put a basketball in his hands. “An absorbing chronicle of talent, character, pluck, and luck” (Wall Street Journal) LeBron tells the full, riveting saga of how a child adrift found the will to become a titan. Jeff Benedict, the most celebrated sports biographer of our time, paints a vivid picture of LeBron’s epic origin story, showing the gradual rise of a star who, surrounded by a tight-knit group of teenage friends and adult mentors, accelerated into a speeding comet during high school. Today LeBron produces Hollywood films and television shows, has a social media presence that includes more than one hundred million followers, engages in political activism, takes outspoken stances on racism and social injustice, and transforms lives through his visionary philanthropy. He went from a lost boy in Akron to a beloved hero who uses his fortune to educate underprivileged children and lift up needy families—and brought home Cleveland’s first NBA championship. But LeBron is more than just the origin story of a GOAT or a recap of his multi-championship, multi-MVP, gold medal–decorated career on the court. Benedict delves into LeBron’s relationship with fame and power: how he has cultivated it, harnessed it, suffered from it, and leveraged it. In these pages, we watch his evolution from a player who avoided politics and was widely criticized for not joining his teammates in protesting China’s role in the Darfur genocide to becoming an athlete who partnered with President Obama; campaigned for Hillary Clinton; became an advocate against gun violence, racism, and voter suppression; and openly clashed with President Trump, empowering other athletes to speak out against social injustice. To capture LeBron’s extraordinary life, Benedict conducted hundreds of interviews with the people who were involved with LeBron at different stages of his life. He also obtained thousands of pages of primary source documents and mined hundreds of hours of video footage. Destined to be the authoritative account of LeBron’s life, LeBron is a “masterful…propulsive” (Los Angeles Times) and unprecedented portrait of one of the world’s most captivating figures.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "This book is gold."--Peter King "Intense."--San Francisco Chronicle "Steve Young is a hero of mine, and his story is a source of inspiration for me. His perseverance, intelligence, and, most of all, grace under pressure NFL-style, make this book a fascinating read. Thanks, Steve, for sharing your story with one of your biggest fans "--Tom Brady "Steve was extraordinary in every facet of life. I''ve never read a football book with more honesty and integrity--it''s typical Steve. What a quarterback What a man " --Jim Nantz, CBS Sports "All football fans know what a tremendously talented and successful quarterback Steve Young was in his NFL career. But what they don''t know about are the challenges and personal obstacles Steve had to overcome to make his dreams come true. This is a most exciting and compelling story."--Roger Staubach A stunningly candid look at what it takes to become a super-elite professional quarterback Steve Young produced some of the most memorable moments in NFL history. But his most impressive victories have been deeply personal ones that were won when no one was watching. His remarkably revealing memoir is the story of a Mormon boy with a 4.0 GPA, a photographic memory, and a severe case of separation anxiety. As an eighth-string quarterback at Brigham Young University, it was doubtful that he would ever see any playing time. But Young became an All-American, finished second in the Heisman voting, and was the top draft choice out of college. Then, after signing the largest contract in sports history, anxiety nearly drove him to walk away from football completely. In short, Young''s quest in life was always about grit. Now, he shares the experience of being inside his helmet while he faces down his toughest adversaries, both on and off the field.

A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year NCAA football is big business. Every Saturday millions of people file into massive stadiums or tune in on television as "athlete-students" give everything they''ve got to make their team a success. Billions of dollars now flow into the game. But what is the true cost? The players have no share in the oceans of money. And once the lights go down, the glitter doesn''t shine so brightly. Filled with mind-blowing details of major NCAA football scandals, with stops at Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Missouri, BYU, LSU, Texas A&M and many more, The System explores and exposes the complex, and perhaps broken, machine that churns behind the glamour of college football. With a New Afterword

NOW A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY From Jeff Benedict, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tiger Woods and The Dynasty, Poisoned chronicles the events surrounding the worst food-poisoning epidemic in US history: the deadly Jack in the Box E. coli infections in 1993. On December 24, 1992, six-year-old Lauren Rudolph was hospitalized with excruciating stomach pain. Less than a week later she was dead. Doctors were baffled: How could a healthy child become so sick so quickly? After a frenzied investigation, public-health officials announced that the cause was E. coli O157:H7, and the source was hamburger meat served at a Jack in the Box restaurant. During this unprecedented crisis, four children died and over seven hundred others became gravely ill. In Poisoned, award-winning investigative journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeff Benedict delivers a jarringly candid narrative of the fast-moving disaster, drawing on access to confidential documents and exclusive interviews with the real-life characters at the center of the drama—the families whose children were infected, the Jack in the Box executives forced to answer for the tragedy, the physicians and scientists who identified E. coli as the culprit, and the legal teams on both sides of the historic lawsuits that ensued. Fast Food Nation meets A Civil Action in this riveting account of how we learned the hard way to truly watch what we eat.

In Little Pink House, award-winning investigative journalist Jeff Benedict takes us behind the scenes of this case—indeed, Suzette Kelo speaks for the first time about all the details of this inspirational true story as one woman led the charge to take on corporate America to save her home. Suzette Kelo was just trying to rebuild her life when she purchased a falling down Victorian house perched on the waterfront in New London, CT. The house wasn''t particularly fancy, but with lots of hard work Suzette was able to turn it into a home that was important to her, a home that represented her new found independence. Little did she know that the City of New London, desperate to revive its flailing economy, wanted to raze her house and the others like it that sat along the waterfront in order to win a lucrative Pfizer pharmaceutical contract that would bring new business into the city. Kelo and fourteen neighbors flat out refused to sell, so the city decided to exercise its power of eminent domain to condemn their homes, launching one of the most extraordinary legal cases of our time, a case that ultimately reached the United States Supreme Court. "Passionate...a page-turner with conscience." —Publishers Weekly "Catherine Keener nails the combination of anger, grace, and attitude that made Susette Kelo a nationally known crusader." —Deadline Hollywood

An unprecedented look at how the Mormon faith has shaped some of today’s most successful CEOs and businessmen. The Founder of JetBlue.The CEO of Dell Computers. The CEO of Deloitte & Touche. The Dean of the Harvard Business School. They all have one thing in common. They are devout Mormons who spend their Sundays exclusively with their families, never work long hours, and always put their spouses and children first. How do they do it? Now, critically acclaimed author and investigative journalist Jeff Benedict (a Mormon himself) examines these highly successful business execs and discovers how their beliefs have influenced them, and enabled them to achieve incredible success. With original interviews and unparalleled access, Benedict shares what truly drives these individuals, and the invaluable life lessons from which anyone can benefit.

With compelling detail, Without Reservation tells the stunning story of the rise of the richest Indian tribe in history. In 1973, an old American Indian woman dies with nothing left of her tribe but a 214-acre tract of abandoned forest. It seems to be the end of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe. But it is just the beginning. Over the next three decades, the reservation grows to nearly 2,000 acres, home to more than 600 people claiming to be tribal members. It has also become home to Foxwoods, the largest casino in the world, grossing more than $1 billion a year. Without Reservation reveals the mysterious roots of today''s Pequot tribe, the racial tension that divides its members, and the Machiavellian internal power struggle over who will control the tribe''s funds. Author Jeff Benedict brings to us the deal makers, the courtroom machinations, the trusts and betrayals. Now, with remarkable new information, the paperback brings us up-to-date on these revelations, which lead to state and federal investigations and calls for congressional hearings.

Tito Momen was raised to observe the strict and radical teachings of Islam but later he was introduced to Christianity and baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a decision which lead to estrangement from his family and imprisonment.

Out of Bounds: Inside the NBA''s Culture of Rape, Violence, and Crime is a searing indictment of professional basketball players who live in a world where criminal laws and social norms don''t exist, a world where they are given license to act above the law. On the court, they dazzle us with their spectacular physical feats. They generate millions of dollars of revenue for the NBA and their teams. They inspire adulation. But underneath all the glitz, the money, and alley-oops is a seamy underbelly, a rash of lawlessness that is gripping the NBA. Based on a first-of-its-kind investigation into the criminal histories of 177 NBA players from the 2001–2002 season, Out of Bounds shows that an alarming four out of every ten NBA players have a police record involving a serious crime. They are All-Stars and they are journeymen, involved in crimes ranging from armed robbery to domestic violence to gun possession to rape. Out of Bounds takes a hard look at shocking cases, with graphic accounts of physical and sexual violence and other outrageous conduct by players. In all, more than 250 people are named, including many prominent NBA players. It exposes the environment and culture that encourages such criminal behavior. It also explains the unique challenges these cases pose for law-enforcement agencies and prosecutors. And Out of Bounds takes readers inside the hidden yet critically vital role that lawyers, agents, and fame play in insulating criminally accused players from accountability. Author Jeff Benedict, an expert on athletes and crime, draws his conclusions from exhaustive research. In addition to his criminal-background checks, the author retrieved documents from law-enforcement agencies, courts, and private attorneys. He conducted more than 400 interviews with police officers, prosecutors, defense lawyers, players, agents, victims, witnesses, and coaches. What emerges is a disturbing and appalling picture of men who live above the law. A seminal and important work, Out of Bounds will forever change how we look at the NBA and its stars'' lives of excess and privilege.

A hard-hitting look at the darker side of sports and the all-too-infrequent prosecutions of famous athletes for crimes against women.

In an age of sports hero idolatry, it is essential to understand the relationship between male athletes and violence against women. Reports of well-known athletes, both professional and intercollegiate, who have been charged with crimes involving violence against women are prevalent in the media. Are these athletes more likely to gain the spotlight because of their status as star athletes? Or do their lifestyles make athletes more likely to engage in sexual assault, battering, or other forms of violence against women than nonathletes? Athletes and Acquaintance Rape unravels the controversy of this topic by focusing on three high-profile cases involving professional athletes who have been charged with sexual assault. Jeffrey R. Benedict provides a brief history on each athlete and traces the chronology of events leading up to the charges of sexual assault and the results of those charges. By examining specific aspects of the collegiate and professional athleteÆs life, Benedict reveals a climate predisposed to committing violence against women that provides star athletes with protection from punishment and conviction. Intriguing and thought-provoking, Athletes and Acquaintance Rape will prove useful for academics, practitioners, and students in several fields, including sociology, psychology, gender studies, law, sport management, educational administration, violence against women, and family violence. Written in an engaging style, the general reader will also find this book accessible and enlightening.

Discloses the names of the convicted criminals in the NFL, the stunning severity of their crimes, & why they''re still playing.

Wybraniec. Ikona. G.O.A.T. Kompletna biografia LeBrona Jamesa, najlepszego koszykarza XXI wieku i jednego z najwybitniejszych sportowców w historii. James nosi koronę, jakby się z nią urodził, prawda jest jednak zupełnie inna. To absorbująca opowieść o talencie, charakterze, walce, szczęściu i długowieczności. Jeszcze zanim oddał pierwszy rzut na parkietach NBA, zarobił 100 milionów dolarów. Fortuna go jednak nie zmieniła i wciąż otacza się najlepszymi przyjaciółmi z dzieciństwa. By przedstawić niesamowitą historię LeBrona, Jeff Benedict przeprowadził setki rozmów z osobami, które towarzyszyły mu podczas podróży na koszykarski olimp. Na stronach tej książki widać jego przemianę z przestraszonego i samotnego chłopca, który wychowywał się bez ojca i tułał od domu do domu, w człowieka, z którego zdaniem liczy się cały świat. LeBron jest dziś nie tylko czynnym zawodnikiem, ale i producentem filmów oraz programów telewizyjnych. Dzięki temu jako pierwszy aktywny koszykarz w historii został miliarderem. Ta książka to coś więcej niż opowieść o czterech mistrzostwach, dwóch złotach olimpijskich i wielu statuetkach MVP. Jeff Benedict zagłębia się w relacje LeBrona ze sławą i władzą: jak je kultywował i wykorzystywał, ale i często cierpiał z ich powodu. Amerykanin na zawsze zmienił to, jak postrzega się współczesne ikony sportu. Jego wieloletni przydomek „King” jest w pełni zasłużony.

《紐約時報》暢銷書 《美聯社》、《華爾街日報》、《運動畫刊》強力推薦 《紐約時報》暢銷冠軍《老虎伍茲》（Tiger Woods）作者傑夫．班尼迪克最新力作 在勒布朗剛進聯盟時，耐吉（Nike）為他設計了廣告標語： 「我們都是見證者。」（We Are All Witnesses.） 20年來，我們果然見證了勒布朗創造的一切，而且還在持續。 這本書讓我們知道：勒布朗．詹姆斯（LeBron James），不只是運動員。 他是NBA洛杉磯湖人隊當家球星， 曾效力克里夫蘭騎士和邁阿密熱火， 擁有4座NBA總冠軍、4次NBA最有價值球員、兩枚奧運金牌， 他是歷史上第一位率領3支不同球隊奪冠，且都拿下總決賽MVP的球員。 這些是大家都看到的勒布朗，但多數人不知道： ◎ 他18歲時，就可以背出當年NBA 29支球隊的先發陣容，並說出自己在各隊中最適合的位置。 ◎ 因為勒布朗，NBA從球隊老闆、總經理、總教練當家，演變為「超巨」球員紛紛「參與」球隊經營，簽誰、用誰、誰走、乃至於戰術決策。 ◎ 因為勒布朗介入，NBA球員待遇大幅提升，暴增了許多球隊的市值：他提升了收視率，他為此爭取調薪，促使轉播權利金額曝光。 ◎ 你知道嗎？勒布朗的故事，也是四個在低收入社區長大、甚至大多沒念過大學的年輕人，結成班底、共闖事業，彼此提攜，終於個個獲得巨大成功的故事。當中，有人成為運動巨星、有人成為最成功體育經紀人、有人在洛杉磯晉身電影電視製作人、有人成為NBA球團高階主管。 本書作者為《運動畫刊》體育作家傑夫．班尼迪克（Jeff Benedict），繼暢銷書《老虎伍茲》（Tiger Woods）、《新英格蘭愛國者王朝》（The Dynasty）後，歷時3年、超過250次專訪，深刻剖析這位繼喬丹之後最偉大的籃球員：如何把「自己」經營成一門偉大的生意——玩轉於金錢、權力、名譽之間。 ◎「把團隊成功置於個人之上」，是球迷對他的最大「批評」 對勒布朗來說，把球權跟獲勝功勞分享出去，是很自然的事。比起自己拿100分，他更渴望用100次助攻幫隊友得分。 正如曾代表耐吉簽下喬丹的傳奇業務員，桑尼．瓦卡羅所言：「勒布朗正在做的事是教不來的。」 因為他的無私球風，源自兒時啟蒙教練的一句話：「只要你把球傳出去，每個人都會想跟你打球。」 ◎ 股神巴菲特形容：「如果勒布朗是一家上市公司，我會買進。」 勒布朗就像一間企業，他把對籃球的熱愛轉化為商業帝國。 不只透過代言獲得報酬，更設法跟企業合夥取得股權，沒有運動員像他這樣做。 這些選擇，使勒布朗不只成為最有錢的運動員，而是最有錢的少數人。 ◎ 整個生涯，勒布朗始終以正確的方式代表NBA 「為了冠軍戒指成了一個自私的傭兵」、「用可恥的方式示範何為背叛」， 為了轉隊的選擇，勒布朗一度成為家鄉克里夫蘭球迷眼中，沒心沒肺的反派， 但他總是保持風度回應一切，因為「我還得給許多孩子當榜樣」。 有人說他是組隊狂人？家鄉背叛者？英雄？史上最富有的籃球員？ 其實，勒布朗在做的只有一件事： 讓自己足夠強大，強大得足以照料每個人。 這就是勒布朗（LeBron James）成為詹皇（King James）的過程。 本書特色 歷時3年、超過250次專訪，深刻剖析這位繼喬丹之後最偉大的籃球員： 如何把「自己」經營成一門偉大的生意——玩轉於金錢、權力、名譽之間。 名人推薦 「勒布朗的權威傳記……當談到勒布朗是如何改變世界對運動員的看法時，作者提供的觀點絕對值得參考。」──《美聯社》 「鼓舞人心……這是本天賦、性格、勇氣和運氣的歷史，引人入勝！」──《華爾街日報》 「極具權威性，夢幻般的傳記，其中細節如此豐富。」──《運動畫刊》 「這本書太棒了。請務必將其加入你的閱讀清單。」──瓊．邦．喬飛 「細緻入微的細節呈現了運動員的生活，即使是最忠實的勒布朗粉絲，也能透過本書對這位超級巨星有更深入的了解。」──《出版人週刊》 暢銷書《曼巴精神》、《麥可喬丹傳》譯者／蔡世偉 NBA籃球YouTuber／10N 籃球發源地：美國春田學院運動管理系助理教授／周汶昊 人氣體育粉專「我只想寫寫體育」／飛鳥 知名NBA YouTuber／庫奇 體育主播／張立群 運動視界主編／楊東遠

LeBron James ist nicht nur der unbestrittene Superstar der US-Profiliga NBA, sondern auch erfolgreicher Unternehmer und Werbeikone. Er ist bekannt für sein politisches Engagement gegen Rassismus und soziale Ungerechtigkeit, ist eng mit Barack Obama befreundet und hat sich mehrfach öffentlich mit Donald Trump angelegt. In den sozialen Medien folgen ihm unfassbare 160 Millionen Menschen. James wuchs arm und ohne Vater in einer Sozialbausiedlung auf. Seine Mutter, die ihn mit 16 Jahren zur Welt brachte, verschwand immer wieder für mehrere Tage. Erst in der Highschool begann er, organisiert Basketball zu spielen. Im College gelang der Durchbruch, heute gilt er als der beste Spieler der Welt. Bestsellerautor Jeff Benedict hat unzählige Quellen durchforstet und Hunderte von Interviews mit LeBrons engsten Weggefährten geführt. Das Ergebnis ist ein einzigartiges Porträt eines der größten Sportler der Welt.

Seit 20 Jahren gehören die New England Patriots zu den erfolgreichsten Teams der American-Football-Liga NFL und zu den wertvollsten Sport-Franchises der Welt. Zehn Mal standen sie im Super Bowl, sechs Mal gewannen sie ihn. Dank Superstars wie Quarterback Tom Brady oder dem Deutschen Sebastian Vollmer sind sie auch hierzulande äußerst populär und eines der Teams, die im Herbst 2023 ein NFL-Spiel in Deutschland austragen werden. Bestsellerautor Jeff Benedict hat mit über zweihundert Insidern gesprochen, darunter Teammanager, Trainer, Spieler, ihre Frauen, Ärzte und Anwälte. Er führte Interviews mit den Schlüsselfiguren Tom Brady, Erfolgscoach Bill Belichick und Clubbesitzer Robert Kraft. Durch seine gründliche Recherche bietet Benedict eine Fülle neuer und überraschender Einblicke in eine Organisation, die für ihre Geheimhaltung berüchtigt ist. Das Ergebnis ist ein fesselndes und aufschlussreiches Porträt, gespickt mit menschlichen Dramen und Enthüllungen.

Explores the career of forensic anthropologist Doug Owsley and his battle against the Justice Department and Native American tribes to study Kennewick Man, an ancient skeleton that could transform views of America''s prehistory.

In this raw expos, Benedict reveals new and startling information about NBA players, the crimes they commit, the league''s tolerance and complacency, and how these matters are handled or disposed of in the justice system.