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."

Looks at the life and accomplishments of the outfielder for the Texas Rangers and discusses the injuries and addiction that derailed his career in 2001.

The photographer Josh Lehrer's up-close-and-personal document of the evolution, and revolution, that is Hamilton: An American Musical. Only the second official book, Hamilton: Portraits of the Revolution invites Hamilfans to experience the award-winning show in a brand-new and intimate way through more than 100 portraits of the cast, including Lin-Manuel Miranda (Alexander Hamilton), Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr), Daveed Diggs (Lafayette), Phillipa Soo (Eliza Schuyler Hamilton), and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler), along with personal commentary by the cast about Hamilton, their experiences, and the show's impact on them and the world. It includes contributions by creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and director Thomas Kail, as well as a curated collection of ephemera and original writings from the historical figures who served as the inspiration for their stage characters. With book, music, and lyrics by Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton is the story of an immigrant who became George Washington's right-hand man and the new nation's first treasury secretary. Now, with Hamilton streaming on Disney+ starting on July 3rd, the fan base for this musical smash hit will only continue to grow. From "Broadway Babies" to history buffs to anyone who appreciates photography, this is the perfect book for the millions who have been moved by, and want to reexperience, the extraordinary theatrical and musical experience.

BLOOPER: BALL SQUIRTS THROUGH BILLY BUCKNER'S LEGS. BLUNDER: BILLY BUCKNER'S MANAGER LEFT HIM IN THE GAME. Baseball bloopers are fun; they're funny, even. A pitcher slips on the mound and his pitch sails over the backstop. An infielder camps under a pop-up...and the ball lands ten feet away. An outfielder tosses a souvenir to a fan...but that was just the second out, and runners are circling the bases (and laughing). Without these moments, the highlight reels wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. Baseball blunders, however, can be tragic, and they will leave diehard fans asking why...why...why? Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders does its best to answer all those whys, exploring the worst decisions and stupidest moments of managers, general managers, owners, and even commissioners. As he did in his Big Book of Baseball Lineups, Rob Neyer provides readers with a fascinating examination of baseball's rich history, this time through the lens of the game's sometimes hilarious, often depressing, and always perplexing blunders. · Which ill-fated move cost the Chicago White Sox a great hitter and the 1919 World Series? · What was Babe Ruth thinking when he became the first (and still the only) player to end a World Series by getting caught trying to steal? · Did playing one-armed Pete Gray in 1945 cost the Browns a pennant? · How did winning a coin toss lead to the Dodgers losing the National League pennant on Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'round the World"? · How damaging was the Frank Robinson-for-Milt Pappas deal, really? · Which of Red Sox manager Don Zimmer's mistakes in 1978 was the worst? · Which Yankees trade was even worse than swapping Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps? · What non-move cost Buck Showalter a job and gave Joe Torre the opportunity of a lifetime? · Game 7, 2003 ALCS: Pedro winds up to throw his 123rd pitch...what were you thinking? These are just a few of the legendary (and not-so-legendary) blunders that Neyer analyzes, always with an eye on what happened, why it happened, and how it changed the fickle course of history. And in separate chapters, Neyer also reviews some of the game's worst trades and draft picks and closely examines all the teams that fell just short of first place. Another in the series of Neyer's Big Books of baseball history, Baseball Blunders should win a place in every devoted fan's library.

Unstoppable Me, written by New York Times bestselling author and champion surfer Bethany Hamilton with husband, Adam Dirks, tells the story of Makana the lion, who loves to surf but loses her nerve when she wipes out. When her friend encourages her to go back out again, Makana summons up the courage and discovers the success that comes from believing in yourself and never giving up. As seen in the feature film Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, this playful book will have little ones cheering for Makana and inspire them to stay strong and keep trying, no matter what challenges might come their way.

A tattoo can tell a lot about a person. Some reflect a rebellious season, like the demons that cover Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers. Some express religious ties, like actor Mark Wahlberg’s once tattooed rosary. Some are symbols of love and loyalty; Some serve as remembrances, like rapper Lil Wayne’s teardrops, representing deaths of loved ones. Inked by Janet E. Kusiak and Kimberly D. Goad uses the language of tattoos to explore the question: what has marked your life? Is it a deep well of pain? Is it emotional baggage? Is it depression? In spite of events that are so deeply etched into our hearts, we have the power to change the marks that life makes on us. An estimated quarter of Americans ages 18-50 have a tattoo. What better way to show how one of the most polarizing of cultural icons can, in fact, be a metaphor for what people have in common? Using stories and slang from tattoo culture, the authors look at the new way Christ desires that we be inked by Him, as the authors explore the marks that have been made on our hearts.

Josh only wanted to be normal. He didn't want his classmates to laugh, or stare at him because he used a voice output device or was unable to talk. What would it take for them to understand that he was NORMAL just like them. Little did Josh know, this school year would be totally different than the others.

Josh Hamilton has struggled with addiction, but with perseverance he has found both sobriety and career triumph with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This book traces Hamilton’s life from his high-school days through his years in the minor leagues, to his Major League career ups and downs. Chapters also explore his life outside of baseball, including his charity work and family life.

In 1937, at the age of nineteen, Ralph Hall, suicidal, revealed his sexual orientation to his grandmother, knowing she would comfort him. He was out for three years afterwards, until an indiscretion sent him back into the closet. At twenty-four, while in the army, he met and married Irene. The couple made their home on the San Francisco Peninsula and had four children. Ralph was an attentive husband and father—albeit with an intense interest in interior design, flower arranging, and fine objects—and a diligent worker who rose to payroll accountant at Standard Oil. It wasn't until 1975 that Ralph came out to his middle daughter, Laura, telling her that he had once considered his sexuality an aberration, an affliction. She was shocked, as the possibility her father might be gay had never crossed her mind. Irene had known Ralph’s secret for eighteen years, but the two remained married until she died. It was only then that this charismatic man and devoted father, by now in his eighties, could freely express his authentic, gay self. Here, Laura paints a vivid and honest portrait of her beloved father and the effect his secret had on her own life.