An intimate portrait of a tortured player, this memoir culls interviews, letters, and the personal account of baseball legend Willie Mays Aikens. Touted from a young age as the next Reggie Jackson, Aikens' promising career quickly turned disastrous when he fell into drug abuse and was ultimately sentenced to the longest prison time ever given to a professional athlete. Not only an exploration of baseball and culture in the 1980s, this book also delves into the United States justice and pen...

In this inspirational yet practical book, the man Parade called “the most important coach in America,” subject of the national bestseller Season of Life, Joe Ehrmann, describes his coaching philosophy and explains how sports can transform lives at every level of play, from the earliest years to professional sports.Coaches have a tremendous platform, says Joe Ehrmann, a former Syracuse University All-American and NFL star. Perhaps second only to pa...

Over the course of a forty-year career in the worlds of law, sports, business, and politics, Ron Shapiro has worked with and advised an incredible variety of people. What he’s found is that the secret ingredient for getting into the winner’s circle is simply the discipline of methodical preparation: that old-school, step-by-step way of having all your ducks in a row, whether you are an executive getting ready to do a deal or make a speech; a pitcher studying the traits of opposing hitters ...

Why have developers at places like Facebook and Twitter increasingly turned to graph databases to manage their highly connected big data? The short answer is that graphs offer superior speed and flexibility to get the job done.It’s time you added skills in graph databases to your toolkit. In Practical Neo4j, database expert Greg Jordan guides you through the background and basics of graph databases and gets you quickly up and running with Neo4j, the most prominent graph da...

The gripping, true story of a parish community set in one of the most violent places on earth: the Anapra barrio in Juarez, Mexico. Kevin Mullins, a rowdy Australian priest, and his housekeeper, Rayna Hernandez, risk everything to build a parish while dealing with murderous drug cartels, oppressive poverty, powerful cults, roving street gangs, and crooked government officials. The page-turning, thought-provoking narrative is told with unflinching honesty by author and journalist Greg Jorda...

During his forty-year career in the worlds of law, sports, business, and politics, Ron Shapiro has worked with a great variety of people. He’s found that the secret for getting into the winner’s circle is simply disciplined preparation.In Dare to Prepare, successful people such as wine guru Robert Parker, investment legend Bill Miller, pianist Leon Fleisher, Goldman Sachs partner Lisa Fontenelli, broadcaster Bob Costas, firefighter Ann Marie Tierney, New York Mets manager ...

Joe Ehrmann, a former NFL standout, is a dynamic motivational speaker and seminar leader, addressing audiences nationwide about the unparalleled platform, power, and position coaches have to transform their players' lives and impact families, schools, and communities. Recognized for his revolutionary concepts of teambuilding, mentoring, and coaching, he was named one of the "100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America" by the Institute for International Sport.Ehrmann's coachin...

“A Zen classic” (The Washington Post) about achieving the state of “relaxed concentration” that’s not only the key to peak performance in tennis but the secret to success in life itself—now in a 50th anniversary edition with an updated epilogue and a foreword by NFL coach Pete Carroll“The Inner Game of Tennis is not just a tennis book . . . because inner voices torture all of us—not just country-club tennis players.”—Michael Lewis, author ...

A modern adaptation of bestselling author Dale Carnegie’s timeless advice for the digital age.Dale Carnegie’s time-tested advice has carried millions upon millions of readers for more than seventy-five years up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. Now the first and best book of its kind has been rebooted to tame the complexities of modern times and will teach you how to communicate with diplomacy and tact, capitalize on a solid network, make ...

Even among the most elite performers, certain athletes stand out as a cut above the rest, able to outperform in clutch, game-deciding moments. These athletes prove that raw athletic ability doesn't necessarily translate to a superior on-field experience—its the mental game that matters most.Sports participation—from the recreational to the collegiate Division I level—is at an all-time high. While the caliber of their games may differ, athletes at every level have one thing in commo...

**After the smashing succes of The No Asshole Rule, in which he tackled corporate bullying, Dr. Bob Sutton now asks: how does one become a great boss ... and what do you do if you work for a lousy one?"This book is the personal coach that every boss deserves: warm, smart, and freakishly good at translating scientific reserach into practical tips that will help keep you at the top of your game." ―Chip & Dan Heath, authors of Switch: How to Change Things When Change is H...

The last lecture on leadership by the NFL's greatest coach will inspire, inform, and enlighten leaders in all professions.Bill Walsh was a towering figure in the history of the NFL. His advanced leadership transformed the San Francisco 49ers from the worst franchise in sports to a legendary dynasty. In the process, he changed the way football is played.Walsh taught that the requirements of successful leadership are the same whether you run an NFL franchise,...