Jimmy McAdoo was the swimming coach at Swarthmore College for more than thirty years. He was not a natural fit for that outstanding academic institution. He did not have a college degree, although he had the opportunity. He was a coach who "marched to his own beat" and did things his way. He brought a sense of humor to his job, he had the ability to teach from his life experiences, and I think that made him different from most of the faculty. I have learned from many of his former swimmers that what made Jimmy different was his unique ability to understand the needs of student athletes under intense academic pressure, and to provide the motivational environment for swimmers to exceed their own expectations. Jimmy's life was the world of swimming, yet he had a difficult time earning a living at the sport he loved. That reality created another life for Jimmy that few people knew about, even his family. I knew the other side of Jimmy, and I have chosen to share that side of his life.

A teenage girl's search for self takes her to England.

Riding in a helicopter with the Beatles ... Overhearing Jackie Kennedy's conversation with the priest who administered last rites to JFK ... Falling in love at first sight (in a Queens bar) with a woman he would marry ... Catching Joe McCarthy in a lie...Surviving a Brooklyn race riot ... Running for public office in New York City (on a ticket with Norman Mailer) ...These are among the moments that Jimmy Breslin recalls, movingly and hilariously, in his acclaimed memoir -- a book written with all the brashness, candor, and style that have distinguished Breslin's newspaper columns and made him one of the most admired and enjoyed journalists of our time.The starting point: the almost accidental discovery that Breslin required brain surgery. What then unfolds, as Breslin weighs his medical options, is the story of a life crowded with memorable moments and memorable characters -- not least of all, Breslin himself. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Once you look at the world through Jimmy's eyes, you'll never see it the same again. Jimmy's world is a place where a boy can grow to be a man, even if he's "special." Where angels hover, mostly unseen. Where danger can happen, and hearts can falter—but love is never wasted. From best-selling author Robert Whitlow comes a poignant tale of innocence and courage in the tradition of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill A Mockingbird.