A Tribute to Ping-Pong
Ping pong or Table Tennis for you highbrow types triggers memories for different people (Bangkok’s “ping-pong shows” not withstanding). Famous fans of the sport include everyone from Fidel Castro, Sasha and Malia Obama, to Henry Miller, and anyone who can recall a middle school history class should remember the term “ping-pong politics”. For the authors [...]
"Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering." - T. R.
Colonel Roosevelt ($20) is the last and final installment of a trilogy of biographies written by Edmund Morris detailing the life of one of America’s greatest presidents and men. If you haven’t read the other titles which include the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex, we would encourage you to start [...]
If His Albums Were the Blueprint, Consider this the Drafting Table
Hip-hop may not be for everyone, but that hasn’t stopped Jay-Z from becoming a household name. Though his rise to fame stems through rapping, Mr. “I’m not a business-man. I’m a business…man” has earned praise from plenty of those outside the game, including Warren Buffet. So when a mind like that puts its attention towards [...]
Because Jack Sparrow Isn't Always a Reliable Source
Few people on the planet have ever epitomized rock and roll like Keith Richards. That’s one of the reasons why his long-awaited memoir Life ($16) is a must read. Filled with Keith’s surprisingly crystal clear recollections about the genesis of classics like “Ruby Tuesday” and “Gimme Shelter”, consider it a rare look into the special [...]
Operation Red Wings and the Life of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, US Navy Seal
Though the expression is cliché, the freedom that we enjoy in America has always come at a high price. Gary William’s biography of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, and Purple Heart, is a meditation on the sacrifice and dedication exhibited by those who have served [...]
Because It's No Longer Just a Past Time
Whether you’re aware of it or not, there’s a growing debate in the U.S. over food. Led by writers like Michael Pollan, the so-called “Food Movement” questions America’s dietary habits and the production practices we’ve adopted to sustain them. In a similar vein, the New York Times seafood writer (yes they actually have one on [...]
The world of high stake, high-profile theft has been glamorized by Hollywood for decades. But what is it actually like? Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures ($15) is a look back on the career of Robert K. Wittman who is the founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team and has [...]
53 Years of Adventures & Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman
Paul Newman left his mark on the planet in countless ways. He was a man’s man of an actor, a national championship winning race car driver, and an incredibly generous philanthropist. He was also a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving in a variety of capacities including bomber turret gunner, and the father of three [...]
Extraordinary Interviews Exposing the World of Crime – Real and Imagined Admit it… you’ve thought about it: the allure and grandeur of a criminal lifestyle. It’s perfectly natural. Crime goes the extra mile picking the brains of bank robbers and killers, as well as the directors and actors who portray such personalities and events. Alix [...]
Are you just another AFC (“average frustrated chump”) trying to meet an HB (“hot babe”)? How would you like to “full-close” with a Penthouse Pet of the Year? The answers, my friend, are in Neil Strauss’s entertaining book The Game. Strauss was a self-described chick repellant–complete with large, bumpy nose, small, beady eyes, glasses, balding [...]
