LibraryAware April 2025

Remembering John Feinstein

The Punch : One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever
by John Feinstein

When an on-court fight broke out between the Houston Rockets and the LA Lakers just before Christmas 1977, Rudy Tomjanovitch raced to break it up. He was met by Kermit Washington's fist. This is the story of how one punch changed two lives, the NBA and how we think about basketball, forever.

The Last Amateurs : Playing For Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball
by John Feinstein

John Feinstein went in search of college basketball played with the passion and integrity it once inspired, and found the Patriot League. As one of the NCAA's smallest leagues, none of the players on these teams leave college early to join the NBA and none of the coaches get national recognition or endorsement contracts. The young men on these teams are playing for the love of the sport, of competition and of their schools. Feinstein spent a season with these players, uncovering the drama of their daily lives and the passions that drive them to commit hundreds of hours to basketball even when there is no chance of a professional future.

A Civil War : Army vs. Navy : A Year Inside College Football's Purest Rivalry
by John Feinstein

Brings to life one of college football's oldest and most heated rivalries through the course of a season, explaining the struggles faced by each team, including player deaths, close games, and coach strategies.

A Good Walk Spoiled : Days and Nights on the PGA Tour
by John Feinstein

John Feinstein follows a particularly turbulent year on the professional golf circuit, offering close-up portraits of such top players as Nick Price, Tom Watson, and Greg Norman.

Next Man Up : A Year Behind the Lines in Today's NFL
by John Feinstein

A behind-the-scenes tour of the ups and downs of an NFL season focuses on the Baltimore Ravens and reveals the lesser-known aspects of the professional league, from the dangerous conditions under which athletes are expected to train to the unrelenting pressures faced by coaches and players.

One on One : Behind the Scenes with the Greats in the Game
by John Feinstein

John Feinstein describes his most interesting encounters with coaching greats and sports legends including Bob Knight, Joe Torre, Jack Nicklaus, Ivan Lendl and Mary Carillo.

New Books

I'm That Girl : Living the Power of My Dreams
by Jordan Chiles

This memoir from the two-time Olympian gymnast chronicles her journey to the awards podium while overcoming racism, childhood trauma and devastating setbacks, highlighting the importance of family support and the resilience of the human spirit.

What You're Made For : Powerful Life Lessons from My Career in Sports
by George Raveling

Orphaned at just thirteen in a still-segregated Washington, D.C., George Raveling was introduced to a relatively unpopular sport--basketball--in high school. The rest, as they say, is history. Raveling went on to become one of the winningest coaches of all time, a mentor to legendary athletes, and a confidant of the sport's greatest coaches, including Bob Knight and John Wooden. Here, Coach Raveling tells the story of his extraordinary ascent, sharing incredible behind-the-scenes stories of his days working with the best in the game.

Magic in the Air : The Myth, the Mystery, and the Soul of the Slam Dunk
by Mike Sielski

Drawing on deep reporting and dozens of interviews with players, coaches and other hoops experts, this book brings to life the tale of the dunk while balancing sharp socio-racial history and commentary with a romp through American sports and culture.

I Felt the Cheers : The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride
by Curtis Pride

On a September night in Montreal in 1993, Curtis Pride got his first Major League hit, prompting a long, emotional standing ovation from the crowd of 45,757 fans. Profoundly deaf since birth, Pride couldn't hear their thunderous applause. But as the cheers grew louder and more insistent, he realized he was feeling those vibrations within his chest. Far from it being a disadvantage, he came to see that his deafness could sometimes be a secret weapon, forcing him to use senses that other players take for granted. With candor, warmth, and humor, Pride writes from the heart in I Felt the Cheers.

Five Banners : Inside the Duke Basketball Dynasty
by John Feinstein

Five Banners tells the inside story of Duke University's five NCAA Men's Basketball championships, from the first against Kansas in 1991 through the most recent championship in 2015 against a formidable Wisconsin team. Bestselling author and Duke University alumnus John Feinstein explores a basketball legacy that begins with his days as a student reporter covering Coach Bill Foster and ends with John Scheyer succeeding Hall of Fame Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

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