Now in paperback with a new afterword, the New York Times bestseller by college football's most colorful, endearing, and successful pioneer, Steve Spurrier, in which he shares his story of a life in football--from growing up in Tennessee to winning the Heisman Trophy to playing and coaching in the pros to leading the Florida Gators to six SEC Championships and a National Championship to elevating the South Carolina program to new heights--and coaching like nobody else. He's been called brash, cocky, arrogant, pompous, egotistical, and hilarious, but mostly he's known as the Head Ball Coach, a self-ordained term introduced to the lexicon of football by none other than the man himself, Steve Spurrier. He is the only coach who can claim to be the winningest coach at two different SEC schools and the only person who has won both the Heisman Trophy as a player and a National Championship as a coach. Or who has won a Heisman and coached a Heisman winner. From the beginning, Spurrier didn't want to sound like other coaches, dress like other coaches, and, especially, coach like other coaches. As a controversial football pioneer, he ushered in a different style of leadership and play. Spurrier's press conferences were glorious--he refused to lapse into coachspeak and was always entertaining, although he took his football very seriously. He was known for his fierce competitiveness, roaming up and down the sidelines, often throwing his signature visor to the ground in disgust. In his memoir, Spurrier talks for the first time about the circumstances under which he unexpectedly became a coach and why he resigned at South Carolina. He explains his unique style, the difference between winners and losers, his relationship with the media, why he follows the wisdom of ancient philosophers and warriors, his affinity for everything taught by John Wooden, and the reasons behind his relaxed regimen for living well. Spurrier, as always, speaks candidly, bringing together his thoughts about his words, actions, and achievements, while telling countless wonderful anecdotes.

"So real it hurts."—David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland. A summer of basketball, first love, and the friends who've got your back when life gets crazy, set in a trailer park in small town America. Travis never gives up. Not when his mom takes off. Not when he gets suspended from basketball. Not when he cracks four ribs jumping off a bridge to impress a girl. Not when he and his best friend Creature get into trouble deeper than they know how to handle. From acclaimed author Peter Brown Hoffmeister comes a painfully-funny, sometimes-crushing story of growing up, making mistakes, and pressing on, against the odds. "In my mind the best storytellers walk that high tight wire between tragedy and comedy. This Is the Part Where You Laugh is exactly the part where you laugh. And ache. This is a really good book!"—Chris Crutcher "A courageous novel. Incandescent and unflinching." —Jeff Zentner, author of The Serpent King "A raw offbeat novel with an abundance of honesty and heart." —Publishers Weekly, starred review "Hoffmeister crushes it. There is blood and truth on every page." —Estelle Laure, author of This Raging Light

laughter is the best medicine with no side effects, though there are a few sidesplitting categories. Medicines can be administered in several ways—the injection being the least preferred, as one has to roll-up tight sleeves or go embarrassedly behind a skimpy curtain, to bare the behind to a matronly nurse. Syrups, sprays, drops, gels, ointments and the like are bitter, smelly and/or messy affairs which are more bothersome than the ailment itself. But tablets! They are handy stuff. Convenient to pop in. Nevertheless, not all tablets that are purchased are swallowed—and not all that are swallowed act—like sleeping tablets for example! A few sleepless souls remain wide awake even after taking a few. Yet some sleep peacefully with one pill, like a baby or a log or an Hon'ble Member of Parliament when the House is transacting business noisily. The problem need not necessarily lie with the tablets. The Laughing Tablets are no different!

"The inspirational story of the most talented high-school basketball team ever and the dedicated coach who gave his players a lifetime opportunity by insisting on success"--

"Who's Laughing Now?" In 1972 Private Martelli arrived home from the Vietnam War where he was a POW. Al moved in with his mother Rose) who resided in Ocean View Florida. Al suffers from flashbacks filled with torture and mayhem. A 180 miles away in Orlando was a ten-year-old boy named Joseph Columbo. Joey was blind in one eye from a bow and arrow-accident. It's an emotional carnage which is made worse when he is brutally teased. Meantime his father(Victor) is consumed with making millions while his mother(Nikki) is busy sexually pleasing her husband. So there was Joey feeling abandoned. Soon Joey would travel to Ocean View to attend a special school. He would live with Grandmother and Uncle. At first Al and Joey despised each other. However over the course of time these two battered souls would come together and heal. Their common dominator was their love for the game of baseball. The summer of 1973 would be a time Al and Joey would reflect back upon as the turning point in their lives.