This text takes a look at the forgotten world of bare-knuckle prize-fighting, from the heyday of pugilism in the 18th century, to its extinction at the end of the 19th, and its re-emergence this century in the form of illegal underground bouts.

Based on dozens of shocking interviews with some of the most influential names in sports, this is the urgent and revelatory examination of racial inequality in professional athletics America has been waiting for Commentators, coaches, and fans alike have long touted the diverse rosters of leagues like the NFL and MLB as sterling examples of a post-racial America. Yet decades after Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a display of Black power and pride, and years after Colin Kaepernick shocked the world by kneeling for the national anthem, the role black athletes and coaches are asked to perform--both on and off the field--still can be determined as much by stereotype and old-fashion ideology as ability and performance. Whether it's the pre-game moments of resistance, the lack of diversity among coaching and managerial staff, or the consistent undervaluation of black quarterbacks, racial politics impact every aspect of every sport being played. Yet, the gigantic salaries and glitzy lifestyles of pro athletes tend to disguise the ugly truths of how minorities are treated and discarded by their white bosses. Promising to finally expose the structural prejudices underpinning this pilar of modern society, John Feinstein has crisscrossed the country to not only get the stories none of us have heard but all of us should know but also constructed those harrowing tales into a larger narrative that will be the definitive book on race and sports for a generation to come. Seventy-five years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line, race is still a central and defining factor of America's professional sports leagues. With an encyclopedic knowledge of professional sports, and shrew cultural criticism, John Feinstein uncovers not just why, but how, pro sports continue to perpetuate racial inequality.

THE HEART AND THE FIST shares one man’s story of extraordinary leadership and service as both a humanitarian and a warrior. In a life lived at the raw edges of the human experience, Greitens has seen what can be accomplished when compassion and courage come together in meaningful service. As a Rhodes Scholar and Navy SEAL, Greitens worked alongside volunteers who taught art to street children in Bolivia and led US Marines who hunted terrorists in Iraq. He’s learned from nuns who fed the destitute in one of Mother Teresa’s homes for the dying in India, from aid workers who healed orphaned children in Rwanda, and from Navy SEALs who fought in Afghanistan. He excelled at the hardest military training in the world, and today he works with severely wounded and disabled veterans who are rebuilding their lives as community leaders at home. Greitens offers each of us a new way of thinking about living a meaningful life. We learn that to win any war, even those we wage against ourselves; to create and obtain lasting peace; to save a life; and even, simply to live with purpose requires us—every one of us—to be both good and strong.

Any Christian response to today s ever-growing problem of poverty around the globe must be firmly rooted in the teaching of the Bible. While books on various aspects of wealth and poverty in the Old and New Testaments have been published, so far there has been no thorough study of Old Testament law on the topic. David Baker argues here that an understanding of that law is not only fundamental for interpreting the entire Old Testament but is also assumed by the writers of the New Testament. Tight Fists or Open Hands? fills this gap in Old Testament scholarship and lays a foundation for considering the relevance of these laws to everyday life in the twenty-first century. / The heart of this book is a study of all the Old Testament concerned with wealth and poverty. Baker groups these laws together by topic, considering the similarities and differences between the Decalogue, Book of the Covenant, Holiness Code, and Deuteronomic Laws. He places these in the wider context of ancient Near Eastern law in order to make clear which attitudes are distinctively biblical. / Each section of Tight Fists or Open Hands? includes an extended conclusion that summarizes the main ideas, considers relationships with other biblical texts, and points to the significance of the laws for today s world. Baker s combination of thorough exegesis and modern application makes this book relevant to pastors, scholars, and students in a variety of courses.

"Harmonious Fist," is the epic tale of the Sobek clan, who was originally only known as the Subek Clan. It talks about their history and family martial art, "The Harmonious Fist". The book consists of three parts or books. Which are also available as their own titles on Amazon or Kindle. *****************************************************************************************The First Part: "Lei Tai," is about Felix Sobek, who comes out prison and is set on his dream of becoming the next champion of the Lei Tai. The Lei Tai is the ultimate martial arts competition where nations send their best martial artists to duel it out. However, a terrorist organisation known as the Separatist Movement, set on changing the world order seems to get in his way of achieving his dream.*****************************************************************************************Part Two: "The Duellist and The Emperor," continues with the event after the Lei Tai, where Felix manages to become the next champion. However, is arrested again because of the murder of his manager. The detective who heads the investigation is James Stockhorn, whose family comes from an ancient clan of people who once lived in the Dragon's Lair long before the arrival of Daoist sages.His investigation leads him to uncover the existence of a secret society known as the Brotherhood, a society the Separatist movement is set to reveal and destroy to the public. However, an ancient evil by the name of Fei Yue has come back with his intent on completing his ancient dream of world domination. *****************************************************************************************Part Three: "Sobek Legacy," here story begins with Charles "Chuck" Sobek, a member of the Sobek. He is a wandering vagabond, who spends his time getting into street brawls and is sometimes hired by certain elements of the underworld to do certain jobs. Few know of his family's illustrious history and its martial art, "The Harmonious Fist". However, ancient acts from the past, done by his forefathers do not only haunt him but the world as well.

‘Fists’, ‘Horses’ and ‘The Monkey’: three powerful coming-of-age stories about boys confronting reality, and fighting to stay alive in a man’s world. In ‘Fists’, a teenage amateur boxer steps into the ring for the first time, and finds himself in a face-off with Life in all its muscular force; in ‘Horses’, two brothers embark on their first forays into adulthood, each learning to play a man’s game in his own painful way; and in ‘The Monkey’, a young man realizes that in order to stay sane and survive in this world, we have to sacrifice our childhood dreams. Told in a spare and powerful voice reminiscent of Hemingway and Salinger, Grossi’s stories explore the rite of passage each of us faces in our youth – and what it means to be a man in our time.

A doctor tells his own behind-the-scenes story of the making of a medical man and the disintegration of an American myth