New Releases by Tim Keown

Pedro Gomez of ESPN was a beloved figure in the world of baseball and his death from sudden cardiac arrest on Feb. 7, 2021, unleashed an outpouring of heartfelt tributes. He was 58, both a hard-nosed reporter and a smiling ambassador of the sport. These 62 personal essays soar beyond sports to delve into life lessons. Pedro, a proud Cuban American, was known for his dramatic reporting from Havana. Fully and fluidly bilingual, he did as much as anyone to bridge the wide gap that had existed between U.S.-born players and the Latin Americans now so important to the game''s vitality and future growth. He was also a family man who loved to talk about his three children, Sierra, Dante and Rio, a Boston Red Sox prospect.Pedro was universally known as a smiling presence who brought out the best in people. His humanity and generosity of spirit shaped countless lives, including one of his ESPN bosses, Rob King, who was so moved by Pedro''s advice to him--"Remember who you are"--that he printed up the words and posted them on the wall of his office in Bristol. King is one of a diverse collection of contributors whose personal essays turn Pedro''s shocking death into an occasion to reflect on the deeper truths of life we too often overlook. Part The Pride of Havana and part Tuesdays With Morrie, part The Tender Bar and part Ball Four, this is the rare essay collection that reads like a novel, full of achingly honest emotion and painful insights, a book about friendship, a book about standing for something, a book about joy and love. Former New York Times writer Jack Curry writes about Pedro''s passion for live music, and former Sports Illustrated writer Tim Kurkjian brings alive spring-training basketball games with executives like Sandy Anderson and Billy Beane and Pedro right in the mix. Detroit manager AJ Hinch and formers Texas manager Ron Washington both reveal that in their darkest hours Pedro gave them some of the best advice of their lives. Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley, Tony La Russa, Peter Gammons, Ross Newhan, Tracy Ringolsby and Dan Shaughnessy are among the contributors. So are likely future Hall of Famers Max Scherzer and Dusty Baker. Pulitzer-Prize-winning Washington Post war correspondent Steve Fainaru, award-winning writers from Howard Bryant and Mike Barnicle to Tim Keown, Ken Rosenthal and Dave Sheinin also contribute. Rounding out the mix are current and former ESPN stars including Rachel Nichols, Shelley M. Smith, Peter Gammons, Bob Ley and Keith Olbermann. This is a book to rekindle in any lapsed fan a love of going to the ballpark, but it''s also a wakeup call that transcends sports. To any journalist, worn down by the demands of a punishing job, to anyone anywhere, pummeled by pandemic times and the dark mood of the country in recent years, these essays will light a spark to seize every opportunity to make a difference, in your work and in the lives of people who matter to you.

“The California Kid,” Mixed Martial Arts pioneer and former featherweight champ in World Extreme Cagefighting, Urijah Faber offers an unconventional and enlightening guide to mental dominance and personal success. The Laws of the Ring combines the wisdom of Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power, the Eastern philosophy of the Sun Tzu classic The Art of War, and the humor of Got Fight? by Ultimate Fighting champion Forrest Griffin. The Laws of the Ring is, at once, a celebration of physical and mental toughness, a serious reflection on success and failure, a colorful account of Faber’s rise to greatness, and a fascinating look at life inside the cage.

Spanning more than five decades, here is a riveting true account of fighting America’s enemies around the world—told by the soldier/operative who was there I am not a hero. Billy Waugh has lurked in the shadows and on the periphery of many of the most significant events of the past half-century on active duty with U.S. Army Special Forces and the CIA fighting enemies of the United States. In Hunting the Jackal, this legendary warrior reveals the extraordinary events of his life and career, offering a point-by-point eyewitness account of the historical events in which he participated. Serving in Korea and Vietnam, Waugh was among the first Green Berets in 1963. He has helped train Libyan commandos in the Sahara Desert, while spying on Russian missile sites in Benghazi, and has worked against Caribbean drug runners. He was the first CIA operative to watch Osama Bin Laden in Khartoum “from a spot close enough to kill him had I been allowed,” and tracked him over the course of two years. In 1994 he found the notorious Carlos the Jackal in Sudan, and tailed him until he was captured—a story that until now has never been told. And, just last year, at age 72, Waugh was on the ground in Afghanistan with a joint SpecForces/CIA unit. This is his remarkable true story.

Josh Hamilton was the first player chosen in the first round of the 1999 baseball draft. He was destined to be one of those rare "high-character " superstars. But in 2001, working his way from the minors to the majors, all of the plans for Josh went off the rails in a moment of weakness. What followed was a 4-year nightmare of drugs and alcohol, estrangement from friends and family, and his eventual suspension from baseball. BEYOND BELIEF details the events that led up to the derailment. Josh explains how a young man destined for fame and wealth could allow his life to be taken over by drugs and alcohol. But it is also the memoir of a spiritual journey that breaks through pain and heartbreak and leads to the rebirth of his major-league career. Josh Hamilton makes no excuses and places no blame on anyone other than himself. He takes responsibility for his poor decisions and believes his story can help millions who battle the same demons. "I have been given a platform to tell my story" he says. "I pray every night I am a good messenger."

De levensloop van de bekende Amerikaanse profbasketbalspeler (1961- ).

Basketteur des "Chicago Bulls", bête de spectacle des plus délirantes, travesti à ses heures, "bad boy" de la NBA défiant ses dirigeants et se moquant d''être un modèle pour les jeunes, Dennis Rodman, en dépit de ses efforts de non-conformiste acharné, incarne bien malgré lui le "rêve américain". Parti de rien, il a gravi tous les échelons de la réussite, vécu une idylle avec Madonna, tenté sa chance à la télévision et au cinéma. Dans cette autobiographie sulfureuse - un grand best-seller aux Etats-Unis - il raconte son trajet, livre ses pensées intimes et surtout nous fait partager sa réelle passion pour ce sport par lequel tout est arrivé, le basket.

Autobiography from one of the most popular and eccentric basketballers currently playing in the US.

Keown tracks the ups and downs of a California "melting pot" high-school basketball team and their dedicated, idealistic rookie coach.