They Called Me Boston took me fifty-three years of living an adventurous, courageous, dangerous, reckless, and faith-filled life. From sin to forgiveness, self-will run riot to Thine will be done, this story does not just involve a solo mission of living a full life; it is a testimony that God unconditionally loves his children. As a child of God, I had to learn the hard way that God knows the best way to live and love life. Through God's unconditional love, extreme guidance, and permitting me to suffer for the sake of his son's name, Jesus the Christ, I give testimony that heaven is accessible here on earth. Only through forgiveness is freedom granted. By surrendering my will and offering my limited self to God, an unlimited and abundant amount of blessings are granted one day at a time. The resilient nature of our physical bodies allows for an earthly resurrection of our divine spirit. Nerves may be severed, but God can restore balance. Medical interventions and the love from nurses may enhance daily life, but true love from Jesus will grant eternal life; therefore, I trust my allotted days in Jesus's hands. A bucket list is limited to human self-desires, when you allow God's desires to plan your earthly pilgrimage, his kingdom benefits; your family, friends, and neighbors will be more grateful for the life that you lived. May They Called Me Boston inspire you to live a life full of God's blessings, and may those blessings be eternal. Gratefully alive, Patrick John Shanahan.

For more than 50 years, from 1929 into the 1980s, Jock Semple was the heart and soul of the Boston Marathon. He was a top runner (nine times he finished in the top ten in 30s and 40s,) a trainer of marathon champions, including John J. Kelley, Bill Rodgers, Patti Catalano, and co-director of the race. "Just Call Me Jock" captures the color and passion of Jock's love for the Boston Marathon, including his side of the Kathrine Switzer "Great Chase," when in 1967 Jock sought to retrieve the official Boston Marathon number he had assigned Kathrine "by mistake," in an era when women were not permitted by the rules to compete. Jock pursued Kathrine down the road, as the legion of press photographers clicked away, and in turn he made himself "infamous," while making Kathrine "famous." The book tells how Jock made up with Kathrine and became a avid supporter of women's running. Published again for a new generation of runners and readers on the 50th anniversary of the "Great Chase," the book is designed to support the Barb's Beer Foundation (a 501c3) dedicated to finding a cure for lung cancer in the name of Barb Murphy, a Boston Marathon runner and late wife of the book's co-author, Tom Murphy. See more about the book and the lung cancer campaign at barbsbeer.org.

"The autobiography of ex-major league pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd"--

In this captivating memoir, Jakob, a Welsh-born Australian, takes readers on a remarkable journey that begins with a troubled youth and a life-changing decision. After running into legal trouble as a teenager, his family sends him off to sea on Scandinavian ships, where Jakob finds himself working out of Brooklyn, New York, joining ships engaged in global trade. It’s the era of rock and roll, with an atmosphere of freedom, free-spiritedness, and indulgence. However, tired of the endless partying and constant financial struggle, Jakob sets his sights on a new path. He travels to England, enrolls in a navigational school, and earns his license as a ship’s deck officer. But his thirst for adventure and reinvention leads him to an unexpected destination - Israel. Jakob’s love for the kibbutz lifestyle and a young woman on the kibbutz captures his heart. However, as war disrupts the region, their relationship crumbles, and Jakob finds solace in a hippie commune on the sunny shores of Eilat. Through ups and downs, Jakob’s journey takes him across continents, from the Canadian Arctic to Thailand and beyond. His tale is one of resilience, self-discovery, and the pursuit of a meaningful life amidst the challenges and uncertainties of a rapidly changing world.

This is the life story of Jackson Wallace, a Homeless man living on the streets of New York City. Follow him as he tells the story of his trials and tribulations.

An intimate, humorous look at Brian Kilrea's 60-year career in junior hockey With more wins than any coach in junior hockey history, and a personality as large as his winning record, Brian Kilrea is more than a hockey legend, he's one of the most beloved figures in the game. With veteran sportswriter, James Duthie, Kilrea gives fans a rink-side view of his twenty-nine plus seasons as head coach and now general manager of the Ottawa 67s. With stories and comments from famous NHLers who played for Killer, readers will get a taste of Kilrea's hardnosed coaching style, the gritty often humorous reality of his life as a coach, riding on buses and in the locker room, as well as the knowledge and dedication that has made him last so long. They Call Me Killer sheds light on Kilrea's early life as a centre for the Red Wings, what it was like to score the first-ever goal in the history of the L.A. Kings, and his two years with the New York Islanders. Loaded with anecdotes from a true hockey insider, the book offers fans an unvarnished look at the world of junior hockey—as it's played and lived, including its brutal practices, broken curfews, trades, and tirades. Details Kilrea's role as a coach for the Ottawa 67s, how they won the Memorial Cup twice, and how he's been a mentor to young stars of the future Includes anecdotes and interviews from coaches, trainers, and general managers, and NHLers like Bryan Trottier, Dennis Potvin, Mike Peca, Gary Roberts, Doug Wilson, Brian Campbell, Darren Pang, and many others Brian Kilrea was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 James Duthie is best known for his work on TSN's The NHL on TSN and his coverage of the World Junior Championships With a Foreword by lifelong friend, Don Cherry, They Call Me Killer is a fascinating, unforgettable look at the world of junior hockey and the man known as the most successful coach in junior hockey history.

Black. Gay. Lost. They Called Me Faggot is both an unflinching, uncomfortable, and unapologetic honest account of life and a young black man's frank (and sometimes poetic) recounting of what occurred. Written over the span of five years, the work boldly asks questions of life and patiently waits for answers. Readers will experience a fascinatingly turbulent ride through the lens of a man who finds, or loses, a morsel of himself on every single page.They Called Me Faggot is ensconced in interconnected realms of blackness, queerness, and the arts. GQ Jackson makes his idiosyncratic debut as an author and an artist. They Called Me Faggot is his story.

Abdi Nor Iftin first fell in love with America from afar. As a child, he learned English by listening to American pop and watching action films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. When U.S. marines landed in Mogadishu to take on the warlords, Abdi cheered the arrival of these Americans, who seemed as heroic as those of the movies. Sporting American clothes and dance moves, he became known around Mogadishu as Abdi American, but when the radical Islamist group al-Shabaab rose to power in 2006, it became dangerous to celebrate Western culture. Desperate to make a living, Abdi used his language skills to post secret dispatches, which found an audience of worldwide listeners. Eventually, though, Abdi was forced to flee to Kenya. In an amazing stroke of luck, Abdi won entrance to the U.S. in the annual visa lottery, though his route to America did not come easily. Parts of his story were first heard on the BBC World Service and This American Life. Now a proud resident of Maine, on the path to citizenship, Abdi Nor Iftin's dramatic, deeply stirring memoir is truly a story for our time: a vivid reminder of why America still beckons to those looking to make a better life.

Speaking candidly to veteran sportswriter Mike Shalin for the first time about his often tumultuous career in Major League Baseball, Dennis &“Oil Can&” Boyd recounts a life that began in the Deep South of Mississippi, and the events that led him toward great heights atop the pitcher's mound at Fenway Park. As part of a stellar rotation alongside Bruce Hurst and a young Roger Clemens, Boyd served a dazzling array of pitches to opposing batters, most notably during the Boston Red Sox ill-fated 1986 World Series run against the New York Mets; and while he was at once brilliant and focused on the mound, off the field—as he affectingly reveals here—Boyd was unraveled by the personal battles he waged with substance abuse and destructive mood swings. As one of the few African American starting pitchers in the history of baseball, Boyd offers a candid, insightful, and often funny portrait of an athlete with boundless passion for the game, his teammates, and the Boston Red Sox.