Closing The Gap by Willie Davis: I have taken an interest in the Vince Lombardi Packers teams of the sixties and Willie Davis was a huge part of their success. This book tells an amazing story that starts with Willie growing up in the segregated South as the son of a sharecropper. In regards to his childhood, Willie said "anyone who thought slavery was dead in the 1930's and 1940's hadn't heard of sharecropping". From there it takes you through his journey as a football player. First as a star at Grambling State, then becoming the first African-American captain of an NFL team to Hall of Famer and later in life as a successful businessman.
The book is filled with classic quotes from guys like Bart Starr, Vince Lombardi, and Eddie Robinson. Good read for anyone interested in the history of the National Football League and the Green Bay Packers.
The Big Short by Michael Lewis: This is the third book I've read by Michael Lewis and enjoyed every one of them. (I have little to no interest in stocks or finance so don't ask why I purchased this book in the first place)
The moral of the story is the adage "one man's liability is another man's asset". The story tells two sides: those who lost record sums of money and those who made record sums of money off the 2008 Stock Market crash. As individuals bought and sold stocks preceding the crash, nearly every major financial institution did not expect the market to bomb the way it did. The basis for their opinion: because it never happened before. On the flip side, a small handful of individuals were able to foresee the upcoming problem and purchased stocks that basically bet against the large institutions. They were ridiculed by just about every known "expert" that they met. In the end, we experienced the worst financial crisis in decades and we still haven't totally recovered. The books also poses the question: Why were the people in position to resolve the crisis, the same people who failed to foresee it?
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One interesting quote in the book was from Warren Buffet and he said: "to succeed in spectacular fashion you had to be spectacularly unusual". And believe me, when you read this book, these characters were 'spectacularly unusual' in more ways than one.
Live by Night by Dennis Lehane: I dont read much fiction but when I do, Dennis LeHane does not disappoint. His books Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River, Shutter Island and Prayers for Rain are some of my all-time favorites.
This book takes place during the Prohibition Era of the roaring twenties. The story begins telling the tale of the main character who begins his life as a petty thief and over the course of the book, he rises to power as a rum runner but his past life catches up to him. There are many twists and turns (just like all of his books) and would recommend this to anyone looking for a solid read.
Common Sense and Other Writings by Thomas Paine: A few years ago I bought a bunch of "classics" in the hopes of becoming 'enlightened'. Turns out that never happened and four years later I have only been able to get through about a third of them. With that being said, I recently made it a goal to finish every last one of them...at some point.
The introduction leaves you with some interesting tidbits. For one, Paine was like many who left Great Britain for America after a record of failures with frequent job switches, multiple bankruptcies, and two failed marriages. Thats quite the resume for a critical part of the American Revolution.
I will say I did find two interesting quotes: the first, "character is much easier kept than recovered" and second "nothing but Heaven is impregnable to vice". There are plenty of other interesting topics that still apply today. It is just not the easiest read.
Essentials of Strength and Conditioning: As I prepare myself to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, this 600+ page textbook has become a daunting task. I am trying to enjoy the process as much as I can but I find myself wishing I could recall everything that I have read so far. It is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in health and fitness. There is stuff in here supported by scientific evidence, not stuff you will find in the latest issue of Flex Magazine.
X&O Labs: The Quarters Study. This site is a tremendous resource for all football coaches or anyone interested in learning the nuances of the game of football.
Thanks for reading, hope you all enjoyed!
Chris Fluck
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