Reddit mentions: The best regional us biographies

I'm mostly a basketball guy so...


You don't need to have ever seen a basketball game to appreciate these first two books.

Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam which it probably the best NBA book. It follows the 1978 Portland Trail Blazers and gets way more access than anyone could get now. Plus Halberstam was a great writer so he gets the most out of excellent material.

The Last Shot by Darcy Frey this is probably my favorite basketball book. It follows high school basketball players and it works as biography as well as an exploration of sports culture, race, class, and youth. The Hoop Dreams of books. Great journalism on a great subject.

Freedarko's The Undisputed Guide to Basketball History Captures the visceral and intellectual thrill of watching basketball better than any other book. Manages to capture big picture and little picture.

Seven Seconds or Less Lifelong basketball writer follows one of the funnest teams in NBA history for a year


Pistol Biography of Pistol Pete and his insanely driven father. Manages the rare feat for a sports biography of not slipping into hagiography.


Baseball

Moneyball How baseball teams were run a decade ago. Really well written and somehow manages to make baseball and business really entertaining. Great for fans and non-fans.

I have three.

The first that comes to mind is an older book, called "Storm." It inspired my dad to become a meteorology major (sadly, the U.S. Air Force put him to use as a navigator instead of weather forecaster). The hero / heroine of the fictional story is a massive El Niño / atmospheric river event that rocks California, told in part from the perspective of a young meteorologist. It's an older book (copyright 1941), but despite being short on contemporary weather science, it's solid on the fundamentals, and the major criticism of it is that it's too technical. As a record of a storm pattern that often afflicts the U.S. West Coast (and historically has been catastrophic at times) and is only now coming to be fully appreciated, it's still relevant, even though it's out of print, but Amazon offers it used.

"Isaac's Storm" is a national bestseller about the greatest natural disaster in U.S. history, the 1900 Galveston hurricane, which killed 6,000 people. It talks a lot about the weather that created it and how meteorologists of the time failed to anticipate it (and why). It's a gripping, well-written account of a storm that shocked the nation and devastated a city that might have otherwise become Texas' largest. It's written by Erik Larson, who is one of the great nonfiction writers of our time.

You are probably familiar with the movie "The Perfect Storm" but maybe not with the book that inspired it, also a national bestseller, titled "The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea" which dwells a lot more than the movie on the weather science behind the storm. In fact, the phrase "a perfect storm of" didn't exist before the book. If I recall correctly, it talks about how three separate weather events converged over the NW Atlantic to create a truly wicked storm that caught a number of mariners off guard with deadly consequences for some of them. The movie is pretty good (certainly better than that joke "Twister" that someone recommended), but it's a little short on weather geekery.

Sorry, no colorful pictures in any of these books, but the stories in them are plenty colorful. Congrats on your awesome study choice.

I'm glad we're getting interest from some Yankees! College football in the SEC (and in particular the University of Alabama) is second to none in all of sports. That includes all professional sports in the US and professional soccer in Europe.


I think the advice that has already been given is pretty accurate. For a major SEC opponent (LSU, UT, and maybe even Ole Miss this year) tickets will no doubt be more expensive but worth the experience. What's more important, IMO, are your plans for lodging. There are not a ton of hotels in the Tuscaloosa area and rooms usually sell out on game weekends at least 6 months in advance.


If you're coming with friends, look into renting an RV for the weekend and you'll have the time of your life with our RV family. (Read this book to prepare yourself for the experience.)


You can ALWAYS find a ticket from a scalper outside the stadium even if you come down without one. Have cash in hand close to kickoff and you'll find a pretty good deal. If you have some coin to spend, come down with a ticket so you can experience the pregame traditions inside the stadium. They're pretty incredible. Our pregame video is new every year and gets better every year. I can't wait to see this year's.


PM me when/if you decide to come and I can try to give you some more specific tips once I know what you're really looking for.


RMFT!

> It stated that hearing people were close minded and self involved.

This is true, but your teacher made the statement out of context.

With regard to deafness and Deaf issues, I would actually agree that the majority of hearing people are closed minded and self involved.

As an example: I'm starting a new job soon in the video relay industry. I recently sent a farewell letter to co-workers and in it I mentioned my new position. Later, I was approached by one of them who had been thinking about it and asked "Can't they just use SMS? That already works fine. " Even after explaining about English skills, native language, SMS being slow and error prone, etc he still didn't quite get why a deaf person would rather use sign language to communicate with someone instead of sending a text.

Obviously, hearing people aren't any more closed minded and self involved than any one else. However, people experience the world through our senses and our understanding of it is shaped by those experiences. Hearing people understand deafness (cannot hear) but cannot easily understand Deafness (experiencing the world without sound) and encounters such as I described above are the norm. This lack of understanding influences their behaviors and opinions towards deaf people.

Likewise, deaf people, whose own understanding of the world is also shaped by their experiences understand what sound and hearing is (vibrations of air turned into electrical impulses and interpreted by the brain) but lack understanding of what it's like to experience the world with sound. And just like hearing people, this lack of understanding influences their behaviors and opinions towards hearing people.

So far so good right? This is mostly just what you'd expect to find with any two cultures with a language barrier - except that's not JUST a cultural and language barrier. Deaf people learn to read and write spoken languages and hearing people learn sign languages but still tensions exist.

In the case of hearing people, the historical approach towards the deaf has been "make them Hearing, like us!" because that's what they understand. Give them hearing aids and implants and make them speak like we do. "Fix them", etc.

This Deaf oppression, oralism and audism has left it's mark on Deaf culture. Like in many cultures, there is a strong cultural memory in the Deaf community. For some people they are drawn to the Deaf Power subculture and in even more extreme cases develop reverse audism and persecution complexes but that's a very small minority. I find it hard to believe that 50% of the Deaf people you've encountered believe born Deaf are superior people (which is the very definition of reverse audism.) Superior signers maybe, but not superior people.

More subtle issues derive from just plain, run of the mill assumptions, misunderstandings, and miscommunications. What might be considered perfectly normal behavior to one person is taken to be intentionally motivated by malice on the other person's part, and it goes both ways.

I started this response hours ago and since then have had lunch and left and come back, so I might have veered off track at some point. For sure I lost my original train of thought and I don't think I can catch it again. Train Go Sorry.

So I'll just stop here. I hope this response helped.

Thanks! I just wish I could say there were more good things on the list.

And thanks for the Patton recommendation, I'll check that out.

I do recommend anything by John McPhee in the strongest possible terms. It's all non-fiction, and always interesting and often very funny, and about a tremendous range of topics.

Like fishing? Read The Founding Fish, which is all about the American Shad, and I mentioned before.

Like boats? Looking For a Ship is about the merchant marine.

Planes, trains, and automobiles (and more boats)? Uncommon Carriers deals with all of them, and why almost all lobster eaten in the US comes from Kentucky.

Care for tales about why New Orleans is doomed, pissing on lava , and debris flows in LA? The Control of Nature covers those.

Fruit? How about Oranges?

Geology? The Annals of the Former World is a compilation of several shorter books more or less following I-80 across the US.

Sports? Tennis (and basketball to a lesser extent). He's also written about lacrosse in various magazines.

...And a ton of other stuff, ranging from bears to farmers markets to nuclear energy to lifting body airplanes to Switzerland.

In the Heart of the Sea tells the true story that inspired Moby Dick, and is a great read.

If you like non-fiction, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage and The Perfect Storm are also very good.

A little. It's a bit understudied because academics can be a bit finicky about cultural studies, but Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer is probably the best that has been written about Alabama. I'm not sure about Auburn material that isn't simply rhapsodic remembrances of great games or based around the unchallenged mythos of the Auburn family. As an academic, I hope to get a chance to write something like that some day, though.

Congratulations. You've scored a job I would adore!

My suggestions:

• Dewey: The small-town library cat who touched the world.
  
• Jack London's Call of the Wild.
  
• Warm Bodies: A novel.
  
• 13: Thirteen Stories That Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen.
  
• Romiette and Julio.
  
• Who Am I Without Him?
  
  Others have already mentioned my other choices (e.g. Of Mice and Men). And for a little non-fiction that might help them visualise some of life's big questions, try Stephen Law's "The Philosophy Files". I've gifted it to a number of teens in the past of all different abilities and have yet to hear criticism of it. "Philosophy Rocks" is another one of his that is also pretty good.

I read Walden in high school circa 1970, it impressed me deeply. I've read it about once a decade since, the latest being this spring. I also recommend Living the good life by the Nearings, an interesting book about the Amish called Plain and Simple by Sue Bender and the story of the Dickerson Sisters called The apples of the Mummy's eye. . Great philosophies on living simply and happily.

I really enjoyed Peter Sagal's (from NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me show) running memoir 'The Incomplete Book of Running.' Not a how to, but very engaging, funny and thoughtful. I got it as an audiobook since he reads it himself, and you know, he's a radio guy so he's got a good voice. Covers everything from the runners trots to the Boston marathon bombing.

My mom and dad were from Mingo County, West Virginia. I am not sure you can get more Appalachia than that. They came to Columbus in 1965 to escape. My dad was part of a much larger movement of people leaving behind coal mines for greater economic opportunities. At the time my dad left, there were still plenty of jobs in his region, but almost everything revolved around working in or in support of coal mines. Everyone knew people receiving payments from insurance for black lung and on permanent disability before they reached the age of 60. It just seemed like the smart thing to do to find work that did not kill you or give you a permanent health problem. In the mid-60s, Ohio had plenty of factories, and Columbus offered both blue and white collar jobs. The smart hillbillies left town. My uncle who moved from the same region up to Cleveland around the same time that my parents moved to Columbus told me just a few years ago that the reason that part of West Virginia looks so bad compared to the rest of the country is that anyone with motivation left. Those left behind for the most part (there are exceptions) had the least initiative. The older generation that felt too old to move continued to try to preserve what was good about the area, but after they died, the next generation refused to pick up their civic responsibilities. This probably seems like a harsh assessment, but I have sympathy for the region. I spent a lot of time as a kid in western West Virginia and eastern Kentucky visiting family. I am sympathetic to those who feel left behind or trapped there; I don't have much sympathy for those who refuse to help themselves.

If anyone is looking to read a good book on the region, here is one that is a bit expensive: Growing Up in Bloody Mingo.

A good friend of mine got me a first edition copy of Brendan Behan’s New York for my birthday last year. It offers an immigrant’s perspective on the city and has a bunch of lovely illustrations that capture what the city was like in the 1960s. Another fantastic book that I picked up that I think every New Yorker interested in history should read is Springs and Wells of Manhattan and the Bronx by James Reuel Smith. Smith went up Manhattan and found old wells and springs to document before they were destroyed. Given the inordinate impact that the old watercourses still have on the city (they often flood old buildings and cause troubles during construction), it’s an invaluable resource.

That's a great thing! You guys band together to take care of each other ok? You just made me think of a guy named Joe Loya who was a bank robber. One of the things that set him off when he was young was his dad who was very violent towards him and his younger brother. He has a book called The Man Who Outgrew His Prison Cell. He's a controversial character but I say take inspiration from wherever you can get it. Your library might have a copy you can borrow for free. Anyway, I hope some of this discussion helps.

https://www.amazon.com/Bootleggers-Boy-Barry-Switzer/dp/0688093841

It doesn't look like it's in print any more, but it's a fun read. He tells the story you just related in there. That's not the fun part, to say the least.

Thank you for sharing. That's a great story.

It's not an uncommon style, and one I'm fond of.

If you liked that, you'll also like Ship of Gold in a Deep Blue Sea, The Perfect Storm and Blackhawk Down. The books, not the movies.

Also wrote a great book about basketball on native american reservations. Kareem is an awesome guy, I wish he got more recognition from newer generations of fans.

https://www.amazon.com/Season-Reservation-Soujourn-Mountain-Apaches/dp/0688170773

There's probably going to be a BiblioFriday post later on, but...

After reading the I lost my NFL team today post in the mothersub, I figured I should do some actual reading on CFB and traditions in this long offseason. I'm not a non-fiction reader at all, but I have enough interest that I can probably make it through a few of these.

Anyone of have any recommendations? I don't especially care what school the book's on (since I don't really have an FBS team to cheer for).

ETA: I did already add Running for my Life by Warrick Dunn on my wish list.

Edit 2: Running list:

• Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer
  
• The Backyard Brawl
  
• The Junction Boys

https://www.amazon.com/Wooden-Lifetime-Observations-Reflections-Court-ebook/dp/B003TO4TKQ?ie=UTF8&btkr=1&redirect=true&ref_=dp-kindle-redirect

This right here. It gives you a lot of wisdom from a coach who demanded that his players do things the right way. It includes his pyramid of excellence, and is a very influential book for the way to approach the game.

EDIT:
https://www.amazon.com/Pistol-Biography-Maravich-Mark-Kriegel-ebook/dp/B000NY12PK/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1463447103&sr=1-3&keywords=pistol

https://www.amazon.com/Rivalry-Russell-Chamberlain-Golden-Basketball-ebook/dp/B000FCKGSY?ie=UTF8&btkr=1&redirect=true&ref_=dp-kindle-redirect

Also these two books.

Black Mass is literally about Bulger & the FBI. Might as well start with that since that's the movie Depp is filming in town. If you're into that stuff, Rat Bastards. is supposed to be great, though I didn't read, my old man loved it.

There's a great book on her, which was turned into a documentary - Youtube link. I'd recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the story - The Woman Who Wasn't There (Amazon UK link). Absolutely fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

David James Duncan, author of The Brothers K, The River Why, God Laughs & Plays, and My Story as Told by Water. Honorable mention to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, although not from around here, important TO the northwest.

I recommend Roll Tide/War Eagle on ESPN or SEC Network if you have it. This short, funny book is also excellent.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0609807137/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_bgfJBbXDTZZ8G

Daniel Mauser hit me particularly hard, especially when I learned he was a friend/acquaintance of Devon Adams and he was affectionately called "Moose" by the members of the debate club. It was easy to tell just how loved he was in his family, particularly where his father is concerned.

Also, I'm not sure if you're looking for specific Columbine documentaries/material (e.g. about the victims, etc), but I've personally read and enjoyed No Easy Answers by Brooks Brown, A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold, and Columbine: A True Crime Story by Jeff Kass. I haven't read any of the books about the victims written by their families, but I know there's two about Cassie and Rachel. Whatever you do, just don't read Columbine by Dave Cullen.

I've only read bits and pieces of the 11k, so I can't say for sure, but I haven't encountered much of Kelly Fleming at all in the reports. She was probably referenced by library witnesses and by police officers describing where she was shot, where her body was found, in what position, etc, but I can't imagine they'd include much else, since it's not really relevant.

I always find it hard to judge how well known a book is, but here are some I loved that I hardly ever see get any mention on Reddit:

• The River Why - David James Duncan
  
• The Snow Leopard - Peter Mathiessen
  
• Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
  
• Travels with Herodotus - Ryszard Kapuscinski
  
• Replay - Ken Grimwood

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

He didn't play very long because of knee issues, I believe. He may have played 1 year in the 80s, but his career ended rather abruptly considering that he was an all star from 77-79. I find that not many people that I talk basketball with know much about 70s basketball anyway, so I'm not too surprised. If you've never read Pistol:The Life of Pete Maravich, you should, it reads pretty well for a sports biography.

AL.com is largely clickbait, and leaves you forced to read Kevin Scarbinsky. Roll Bama Roll is an excellent choice, and their EIC, Erik, is a Bama law grad. He tends to keep them from posting stupid stuff.
Read Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer if you can get your hands on a copy. Warren St. John comes off as a bit of a "Yankee by adoption" (which I find regrettable), but the book is a window into what the fanbase looked like pre-Saban, proving we're not just a bunch of bandwagon crazies.
I get a lot of my info from Twitter though, so hit me up if you want some suggestions of good follows.

This looks like a great place to tell people about Dewey.

St. John is a great writer. He wrote Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer too which is a great intro to how fucking crazy Bama fans are

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Road Trip into the Heart of Fan Mania

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0609807137?pc_redir=1406968942&robot_redir=1

The Perfect Storm

It was written very well. Even if you've seen the movie, this is worth reading.

Bootlegger's Boy. Autobiography by Barry Switzer, pretty interesting.

Pretty sure you're thinking of RANDOM FAMILY by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc.

http://www.amazon.com/Random-Family-Drugs-Trouble-Coming/dp/0684863871

From the guy that wrote Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer (which is an awesome book)

My wife is the manager of a GED program for 17-24 year olds in Chicago. I've heard many stories similar to Dukie's (and the rest of the child characters for that matter)...parents stealing from their kids, blatant neglect, nowhere to go, living on friends\family's couches, on the street, gang members who want out with nowhere to go. It's quite disturbing just how many kids out there start so far in the hole. These kids I hear about (and met) are also very street smart, but don't have essential skills to be successful beyond a minimum wage job indicative of failed institutions and social neglect that plague our inner city. Season 4 was so hard for me to watch because of these parallels.

If anyone is interested into getting a further glimpse of the inner-city life, there is a great book my wife had me read called "Random Family". While it is considered a work of fiction, it is written by a social worker who gathered her insight from working in the Bronx for about 11 years and most of the characters are based on real people. I had read it before watching The Wire and gave more context to the kid’s environment.

I know the woman who wrote the book about this The Woman Who Wasn't There
She's a great author! Support her!

Looking for a ship is a good read for research. A bit dated, but things are the same in many regards today.

I'll try and give feedback on your writing when I have time later.

Here's the link.

Bootlegger's Boy the Barry Switzer autobiography

I've read Pistol Pete's biography. They mention this fact somewhere around the beginning

Pistol the Life of Pete Maravich

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Dewey-Small-Town-Library-Touched-World/dp/B005GNJ8ZY

Here you go:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393337014/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_JFfSAb07P7J0J

Pistol Pete - A boy pushed at incredible lengths to achieve what his father never could, becomes a basketball phenom, or "basketball android" in his own terms, becomes one of the first 'great white hopes' in the game, begins breaking down, abusing alcohol, searches for some kind of spiritual release from the pressure he's faced his whole life, mends fences with his dad, dies too young.

There is already a film called Pistol about PP, but I recall it not being very good.