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Haaland: The incredible story behind the world’s greatest striker
by Lars SivertsenThe man who can't stop scoring goals for funIn his debut season with Manchester City, Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland has set the footballing world ablaze. The 23-year-old striker, known for his unique blend of speed and strength, has redefined the art of goal-scoring.Highly regarded football journalist Lars Sivertsen follows Haaland’s meteoric rise to stardom in this biography, a tale that begins in the small Norwegian town of Bryne where they both grew up. Born to former Manchester City player Alfie Haaland, Erling started his journey at hometown club Bryne FK in 2016 and later moved to Molde FK, Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund before Manchester City announced his arrival in the Premier League.In his first Premier League season with Manchester City, Haaland has shattered records and achieved his ultimate dream: winning the treble in his first season with the club. This accomplishment solidifies his status as one of the most exceptional talents in football history, and demonstrates that a boy from Bryne can indeed conquer the world of football.In Haaland, Sivertsen delves into Haaland's roots, providing insights from those close to him, and gets to the heart of what makes him tick.
Habit of Rivers: Reflections On Trout Streams And Fly Fishing
by Ted LeesonOriginally published in 1994, this book was a fly-fishing phenomenon in the way Howell Raines&’s Fly Fishing Through the Mid-Life Crisis was. Taking his fishing hobby to near metaphysical levels, Ted Leeson tells about his passions: rivers, trout, and fly fishing. With wry humor and rare insight, he explores questions that engage most fishermen: What is it about rivers that draws us so irresistibly, and why does fly fishing seem such an aptly suited response? Above all, The Habit of Rivers is about ways of seeing the wonderfully textured world that emanates from a river.
Habs 365: Daily Stories from the Ice (Hockey 365 #4)
by Mike CommitoNow you can cheer for the Habs every day of the year!The Montreal Canadiens are one of the most storied franchises in hockey. No club has won more Stanley Cups than the Canadiens, but they are about so much more than championships. For many French Canadians and fans around the world, the Habs are a source of pride and an inherent part of their identity. From Maurice Richard inspiring generations of French Canadians in La Belle Province to how the infamous “Richard Riot” may have helped spark a revolution in Quebec, the bleu, blanc, et rouge have been an important part of many people’s lives, on and off the ice. You can now relive some of the team’s rich history and memorable moments, such as the club’s origins in 1909, their first overall selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and the 24 Stanley Cups in between. You’ll even find some obscure incidents, like the time “the Gumper” got egged, and some of the more heartwarming moments, like when the Montreal faithful welcomed back captain Saku Koivu after his battle against cancer. Chances are, if you’re holding this book in your hands, you’re a Habs fan, and with every turn of the page you’ll fall in love with the team all over again.
Hack Yourself Healthy: Reclaim your health to boost your energy, clear your mind and live a long, vibrant life
by Julia BradburyJoin Julia Bradbury as she travels the world to uncover the ultimate health and wellness hacks to help you take charge of your health for good.The human body is a marvel of biological engineering that constantly renews itself, and we always seem to be on the hunt for ways to improve it, physically and emotionally. But with so many new health trends on the rise, how do we know what really works?In Hack Yourself Healthy, TV presenter and author Julia Bradbury cuts through the noise to embark on a rigorous journey to reclaim her health following her own breast cancer diagnosis. Her quest in this book is to discover whether she can go from a cancer diagnosis to being the fittest and healthiest she's ever been. Travelling across the world to explore different cultural approaches, from India to Antarctica, from Cornwall to Yorkshire, Julia talks with world-renowned experts as she volunteers as a 'Crash Test Mummy' to test the latest in biohacking, screening and testing. Follow her as she embraces Europe's coldest cryotherapy chamber and investigates the world's oldest medical system, Ayurveda, in the Himalayas.Drawing from research, interviews with global thought leaders and personal experiments, Julia offers practical tips and accessible science-based strategies to optimise every aspect of your health and wellbeing. She uncovers why saunas can be so beneficial, how sugar affects us on a cellular level, what types of exercise we should be doing every week (and how much of it), if drinking alcohol has benefits, which foods can help us live a more vibrant life, and why planetary health and human health are so intrinsically linked.You'll also discover how to hack your nutrition and hormonal health, utilise sleep science and why the future of medicine is an integrative whole-person approach. As a long time 'outdoor evangelist' Julia continues to explore the rejuvenating power of nature (and even how it can mimic science). Using this ultimate health blueprint, you can join Julia on her quest to 'make the best of the rest' and curate your own transformative health journey at home and in nature.Hack Yourself Healthy will show you that true happiness isn't just about living longer - it's about living better.
Hack Yourself Healthy: Reclaim your health to boost your energy, clear your mind and live a long, vibrant life
by Julia BradburyJoin Julia Bradbury as she travels the world to uncover the ultimate health and wellness hacks to help you take charge of your health for good.The human body is a marvel of biological engineering that constantly renews itself, and we always seem to be on the hunt for ways to improve it, physically and emotionally. But with so many new health trends on the rise, how do we know what really works?In Hack Yourself Healthy, TV presenter and author Julia Bradbury cuts through the noise to embark on a rigorous journey to reclaim her health following her own breast cancer diagnosis. Her quest in this book is to discover whether she can go from a cancer diagnosis to being the fittest and healthiest she's ever been. Travelling across the world to explore different cultural approaches, from India to Antarctica, from Cornwall to Yorkshire, Julia talks with world-renowned experts as she volunteers as a 'Crash Test Mummy' to test the latest in biohacking, screening and testing. Follow her as she embraces Europe's coldest cryotherapy chamber and investigates the world's oldest medical system, Ayurveda, in the Himalayas.Drawing from research, interviews with global thought leaders and personal experiments, Julia offers practical tips and accessible science-based strategies to optimise every aspect of your health and wellbeing. She uncovers why saunas can be so beneficial, how sugar affects us on a cellular level, what types of exercise we should be doing every week (and how much of it), if drinking alcohol has benefits, which foods can help us live a more vibrant life, and why planetary health and human health are so intrinsically linked.You'll also discover how to hack your nutrition and hormonal health, utilise sleep science and why the future of medicine is an integrative whole-person approach. As a long time 'outdoor evangelist' Julia continues to explore the rejuvenating power of nature (and even how it can mimic science). Using this ultimate health blueprint, you can join Julia on her quest to 'make the best of the rest' and curate your own transformative health journey at home and in nature.Hack Yourself Healthy will show you that true happiness isn't just about living longer - it's about living better.
Hack's 191: Hack Wilson and His Incredible 1930 Season
by Bill ChastainHack Wilson’s record 191 RBIs in 1930 may well stand the test of time, and so may the record of his hard-drinking lifestyle. In Hack’s 191, Bill Chastain recreates the most productive offensive season in baseball history while giving readers unique insight into the life of one of baseball’s most fascinating, enigmatic, and yet neglected characters.Drunk or sober, Wilson lived large in Prohibition-era Chicago, where the entertainment and nightclub industries thrived, and Al Capone, a friend of Wilson, reigned as the most publicized gangster in America. Hack finished the 1929 season batting .345 with 39 home runs and 159 RBIs, giving him his fourth consecutive 100-plus RBI season before for misplaying two fly balls in the World Series. Despite losing the Series, the Cubs entered the 1930 season favored again to win the National League pennant. After a slow start and many bad breaks, the team was in first place by the end of August, with Hack Wilson leading the way. Chronicling the ups, downs, and record-setting accomplishments of Lewis R. “Hack” Wilson, this book returns arguably the most hard-living, hard-hitting ballplayer in history to the lineup of the game’s greats.
Hagakure. El camino del samurái
by Yamamoto TsunetomoUn clásico de la cultura japonesa que ayuda a la introspección y la concentración en nuestro mundo cada vez más frenético. Considerado como una de las fuentes de inspiración de Fernando Alonso, el piloto lo cita frecuentemente en sus intervenciones públicas y redes sociales. «Cuando las cosas se hacen despacio,salen mal siete veces de cada diez.El guerrero hace las cosas deprisa.» Hagakure significa «a la sombra de las hojas» y es una obra literaria japonesa escrita por Yamamoto Tsunetomo en el siglo XVIII. Su intención era transmitir a las generaciones venideras las reglas del bushido, es decir, el código guerrero de los samuráis. Se trata de un breviario, un compendio de anécdotas y reflexiones de temática variada y sin un orden preestablecido, hecho con la intención de transmitir introspección y conocimiento filosófico al tiempo que promueve el espíritu del bushido. El texto solo iba dirigido a los guerreros y se mantuvo en secreto durante muchos años. Posteriormente llegó a convertirse en un clásico de la cultura japonesa. Con una esencia que se contrapone al materialismo imperante en nuestra sociedad, este texto ha alcanzado gran notoriedad en nuestros días y ha llegado a convertirse en libro de cabecera de personajes tan admirados como Fernando Alonso, que ha llegado a tatuarse un samurái en su espalda. «¿Yo, en una palabra?», respondía recientemente en una entrevista: «Guerrero. [El samurái] es una manera de recordarme quién soy, de dónde vengo y la fuerza que tengo que tener cada día.» Fernando Alonso ha dicho...«Cierro el libro, respiro 7 veces y me voy a dormir.»
Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
by Yamamoto Tsunetomo William Scott WilsonLiving and dying with bravery and honor is at the heart of Hagakure, a series of texts written by an eighteenth-century samurai, Yamamoto Tsunetomo. It is a window into the samurai mind, illuminating the concept of bushido (the Way of the Warrior), which dictated how samurai were expected to behave, conduct themselves, live, and die. While Hagakure was for many years a secret text known only to the warrior vassals of the Nabeshima clan to which the author belonged, it later came to be recognized as a classic exposition of samurai thought. The original Hagakure consists of over 1,300 short texts that Tsunetomo dictated to a younger samurai over a seven-year period. William Scott Wilson has selected and translated here three hundred of the most representative of those texts to create an accessible distillation of this guide for samurai. No other translator has so thoroughly and eruditely rendered this text into English. For this edition, Wilson has added a new introduction that casts Hagakure in a different light than ever before. Tsunetomo refers to bushido as "the Way of death," a description that has held a morbid fascination for readers over the years. But in Tsunetomo's time, bushido was a nuanced concept that related heavily to the Zen concept of muga, the "death" of the ego. Wilson's revised introduction gives the historical and philosophical background for that more metaphorical reading of Hagakure, and through this lens, the classic takes on a fresh and nuanced appeal.
Hagakure: The Code of the Samurai (The Manga Edition)
by Yamamoto TsunetomoBased on William Scott Wilson's definitive translation, adapted by scriptwriter and comic book/manga author Sean Wilson, and with lively drawings by well-known illustrator Chie Kutsuwada, this first-ever graphic treatment of what's considered the most influential of all samurai treatises is sure to delight manga fans, martial arts enthusiasts, and students of Japanese culture.Reminiscent of The Arabian Nights in structure, Hagakure is a collection of tales and anecdotes that offer instruction and insight into the philosophy and code of behavior that foster the true spirit of Bushido—the Way of the Warrior. A young, upcoming samurai seeks the advice of an older, seasoned warrior who has become a Zen monk. The ambitious young samurai humbly begs to learn from the old master, who consents. So begins a series of eventful meetings.At each sitting. the master tells his young student tales of samurai past. Tales of famous warriors are recited, as well as ignoble gaffs. With brutal, unrelenting samurai justice, wrongs are righted and judgment is enacted. With each incident, the young novice learns what it means to be a samurai. Learns what courage and right thought are. Learns the harsh realities and subtle wisdom of his age.Writer Sean Wilson and illustrator Chie Kutsuwada both bring ample experience in the genre to this project. And, as an added bonus, William Scott Wilson, the translator of the original Kodansha International version of the book, provides an illuminating Afterword.
Hail Cesar
by Billy McNeillFrom 1958-75 Billy McNeill was at the heart of everything Celtic did. An uncompromising but fair centre half, he captained the club for twelve hugely successful years. Later in his life he returned for two more periods as Celtic manager, winning the undying support of the club's legion of fans for his complete commitment to the cause. In this remarkable autobiography, he recalls the glory days of the Lisbon Lions alongside Bobby Lennox and Jimmy Johnstone; playing for Scotland with Billy Bremner and Denis Law; coming to England as a manager; and reveals just how good a babysitter Kenny Dalglish was. Told with great humour and intelligence, this is a fascinating story from one of Scotland's greatest heroes.
Hail Cesar
by Billy McNeillFrom 1958-75 Billy McNeill was at the heart of everything Celtic did. An uncompromising but fair centre half, he captained the club for twelve hugely successful years. Later in his life he returned for two more periods as Celtic manager, winning the undying support of the club's legion of fans for his complete commitment to the cause. In this remarkable autobiography, he recalls the glory days of the Lisbon Lions alongside Bobby Lennox and Jimmy Johnstone; playing for Scotland with Billy Bremner and Denis Law; coming to England as a manager; and reveals just how good a babysitter Kenny Dalglish was. Told with great humour and intelligence, this is a fascinating story from one of Scotland's greatest heroes.
Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women's Football League
by Britni de la Cretaz Lyndsey D'ArcangeloThe groundbreaking story of the National Women&’s Football League, and the players whose spirit, rivalries, and tenacity changed the legacy of women&’s sports foreverIn 1967, a Cleveland promoter recruited a group of women to compete as a traveling football troupe. It was conceived as a gimmick—in the vein of the Harlem Globetrotters—but the women who signed up really wanted to play. And they were determined to win.Hail Mary chronicles the highs and lows of the National Women&’s Football League, which took root in nineteen cities across the US over the course of two decades. Drawing on new interviews with former players from the Detroit Demons, the Toledo Troopers, the LA Dandelions, and more, Hail Mary brings us into the stadiums where they broke records, the small-town lesbian bars where they were recruited, and the backrooms where the league was formed, championed, and eventually shuttered. In an era of vibrant second wave feminism and Title IX activism, the athletes of the National Women&’s Football League were boisterous pioneers on and off the field: you&’ll be rooting for them from start to finish.
Hail to the Redskins: Gibbs, the Diesel, the Hogs, and the Glory Days of D.C.'s Football Dynasty
by Adam LazarusAt last, the definitive account of the Washington Football Team's championship decade. A must-read for any fan, Hail to the Redskins is full of interviews with key inside sources to vividly re-create the plays, the players, the fans, and the opponents that shaped this unforgettable football dynasty.Based on more than ninety original interviews, here is the rollicking chronicle of the famed Washington Football Teams of the Joe Gibbs years—one of the most remarkable and unique runs in NFL history. From 1981 to 1992, Gibbs coached the franchise to three Super Bowl victories, making the team the toast of the nation’s capital, from the political elite to the inner city, and helping to define one of the sport’s legendary eras.Veteran sportswriter Adam Lazarus masterfully charts the Washington Football Team's rise from mediocrity (the franchise had never won a Super Bowl and Gibbs’s first year as head coach started with a five-game losing streak that almost cost him his job) to its stretch of four championship games in ten years. What makes their sustained success all the more remarkable, in retrospect, is that unlike the storied championship wins of Joe Montana’s 49ers and Tom Brady’s Patriots, the Washington Football Team's Super Bowl victories each featured a different starting quarterback: Joe Theismann in 1983, the franchise’s surprising first championship run; Doug Williams in 1988, a win full of meaning for a majority African American city during a tumultuous era; and Mark Rypien in 1992, capping one of the greatest seasons of all time, one that stands as Gibbs’s masterpiece.Hail to the Redskins features an epic roster of saints and sinners: hard-drinking fullback John Riggins; the dominant, blue-collar offensive linemen known as “the Hogs,” who became a cultural phenomenon; quarterbacks Williams, the first African American QB to win a Super Bowl, and Theisman, a model-handsome pitchman whose leg was brutally broken by Lawrence Taylor on Monday Night Football; gregarious defensive end Dexter Manley, who would be banned from the league for cocaine abuse; and others including the legendary speedster Darrell Green, record-breaking receiver Art Monk, rags-to-riches QB Rypien, expert general managers and talent evaluators Bobby Beathard and Charley Casserly, aristocratic owner Jack Kent Cooke, and, of course, Gibbs himself, a devout Christian who was also a ruthless competitor and one of the sport’s most adaptable and creative coaching minds.
Hail! Hail!: Classic Celtic Old Firm Clashes
by Martin HannanSome football derbies around the world might have bigger crowds and feature more fanatical fans, but no fixture has as long and passionate a history as the Old Firm derby. For more than 120 years, Glasgow has been divided between the green of Celtic and the blue of Rangers. The first official match ever played by Celtic was a 5-2 win over Rangers in 1888. Since then, the Old Firm derby has grown in stature to be acknowledged as one of the great clashes of football.Concentrating on the twenty greatest Old Firm matches from the perspective of Celtic Football Club, renowned sportswriter Martin Hannan puts these games in context, showing how the two clubs became such massive rivals and why the Old Firm derby became and remains by far the biggest match in Scottish club football.With exclusive reflections from a number of Celtic managers and players past and present, Hail! Hail! covers all of the magical matches, such as the titanic, league-winning 4-2 match in 1979, the amazing 6-2 win in 2000 and, of course, the famous 7-1 victory in the 1957 League Cup final, which remains the Parkhead club's biggest win over Rangers.Highly entertaining and informative, Hail! Hail! is a must-read for supporters of Celtic, football fans in general and anyone who wonders what all the fuss over the Old Firm is about.
Hairs vs. Squares: The Mustache Gang, the Big Red Machine, and the Tumultuous Summer of '72
by Ed GruverHairs vs. Squares is an ode to an unforgettable season that began with the first major players’ strike in the history of North American sports and ended with a record-setting World Series played by two of the game’s greatest and most colorful dynasties. In a sign of the times it was Hippies vs. Hardhats, a clash of cultures with the hirsute, mod Mustache Gang colliding with the clean-cut, conservative Big Red Machine on the game’s grandest stage. <p><p> When the Oakland A’s met the Cincinnati Reds in the 1972 Fall Classic, more than a championship was at stake. The more than two dozen interviews bring to life a time when controversy was commonplace, both inside and outside the national pastime. In baseball, Willie Mays was traded, Hank Aaron was chasing down Babe Ruth’s home run record, and Dick Allen was helping to save the Chicago White Sox franchise while winning the American League’s Most Valuable Player award. Outside the American pastime the war in Vietnam was raging, campus protests spread throughout the country, and Watergate and the Munich Olympics headlined the tumultuous year. <p> The 1972 Major League Baseball season was marked by the rapid rise of rookies and young stars, the fall of established teams and veterans, courageous comebacks, and personal redemptions. Along with the many unforgettable and outrageous characters inside baseball, Hairs vs. Squares emphasizes the dramatic changes that took place on and off the field in the 1970s. Owners’ lockouts, on-field fights, maverick managers, controversial trades, artificial fields, the first full five-game League Championship Series, and the closest, most competitive World Series ever, combined to make the 1972 season as complex as the social and political unrest that marked the era.
Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning: Training for an Ultramarathon, from 50K to 100 Miles and Beyond
by Hal KoernerUltramarathons don&’t leave much room for mistakes. Don&’t learn the hard way: get a jump on training for an ultramarathon with Hal Koerner&’s Field Guide to Ultrarunning, a comprehensive handbook to running 30 to 100 miles and beyond, written by one of the most experienced and recognized athletes in the sport. Hal Koerner is among America&’s best ultrarunners with podium results in more than 90 ultramarathons. In his smart, down-to-earth handbook, Koerner shares hard-earned wisdom, field-tested habits, and insider tips to help you prepare for your ultra. You&’ll find guidance on exactly what you need to know to prepare for ultramarathon, including: best gear for ultrarunning fueling and hydration guidelines choosing an ultra trail-running technique first-aid advice beating altitude, storms, and heat race-day game plans crew and pacer tips mental strategies to get you to the finish line The guide offers three detailed training plans to prepare for 50K, 50-mile to 100K, and 100-mile ultramarathons. Start your ultra with confidence and finish it strong with Hal Koerner&’s Field Guide to Ultrarunning!
Half Man, Half Bike: The Life of Eddy Merckx, Cycling's Greatest Champion
by William FotheringhamLeading cycling writer William Fotheringham presents the biography of the greatest cyclist in history, Eddy Merckx--the extraordinary man who is to cycling what Muhammad Ali is to boxing. This definitive history chronicles his life, examining both the ups and the downs. Throughout his professional career Merckx amassed an astonishing 445 victories and exhibited a remorseless sense of domination that created his legend. But his triumphs only tell half of a story that includes horrific injury, a doping controversy, and tragedy. To discover the background of the Belgian cyclist's former invincibility, the author spoke with those who were there at the time and those who knew Merckx best. This is the singular tale of a man whose fear of failure would drive him to reach the highest pinnacles before ultimately destroying himself.
Half Moon Summer
by Elaine VickersTwo seventh graders discover it takes more than grit and a good pair of shoes to run 13.1 miles. You&’ve got to have a partner who refuses to let you quit.Drew was never much of a runner. Until his dad&’s unexpected diagnosis. Mia has nothing better to do. Until she realizes entering Half Moon Bay&’s half-marathon could solve her family&’s housing problems.And just like that they decide to spend their entire summer training to run 13.1 miles. Drew and Mia have very different reasons for running, but these two twelve year olds have one crucial thing in common (besides sharing a birthday): Hope. For the future. For their families. And for each other.
Half-Court Trap (Lorimer Sports Stories)
by Kevin heronJonesThe issues of male body image and rivalry come together in Half-Court Trap. Thirteen-year-old Nigel is teased and belittled at home because of his weight so when an opposing player's trash talk enrages him, he vows revenge. When his enemy becomes a teammate, Nigel plots to make him look bad and get him off the team. As Nigel finds out more about his rival, he not only learns empathy but comes to a new perspective on himself and acceptance of his body shape. Distributed in the U.S by Lerner Publishing Group.
Half-Pipe Panic (Jake Maddox Graphic Novels)
by Jake MaddoxPayton Park is a snowboarding artist. He's wowed many crowds with his incredible half-pipe stunts. But during a major competition, he falls hard while trying to pull off his biggest trick yet. Unfortunately, his main rival recorded his wipeout and put it on the Internet for all to see. Now the embarrassing moment keeps replaying in his mind. It's messing with his concentration and he can't seem to land any of his tricks. Can Park shake off his fears in time to nail his special move at the next big event? Combining a high-stakes sports story with a dynamic full-color comic format, this Jake Maddox Graphic Novel is sure to be a win for young athletes and struggling readers alike.
Half-Pipe Panic (Jake Maddox Graphic Novels)
by Jake MaddoxPayton Park is a snowboarding artist. He's wowed many crowds with his incredible half-pipe stunts. But during a major competition, he falls hard while trying to pull off his biggest trick yet. Unfortunately, his main rival recorded his wipeout and put it on the Internet for all to see. Now the embarrassing moment keeps replaying in his mind. It's messing with his concentration and he can't seem to land any of his tricks. Can Park shake off his fears in time to nail his special move at the next big event? Combining a high-stakes sports story with a dynamic full-color comic format, this Jake Maddox Graphic Novel is sure to be a win for young athletes and struggling readers alike.
Halfback Attack
by Matt ChristopherWhen Freddie Chase is removed from the lineup because of his fear of tackling other players, it's up to him to win his way back as a member of the starting team.
Halford on the Dry Fly (Fly Fishing Classics)
by Paul SchulleryThe champion of the dry-fly ethic developed on British chalkstreams in the late 1800sNow acknowledged as the symbolic father of modern dry-fly fishing, Frederic M. Halford was known during his remarkable fishing career as the "high priest of the art," the man whose milestone books codified the entire world of the dry-fly angler more than a century ago. Halford on the Dry Fly excerpts the core wisdoms from the original Halford book that launched the "dry-fly revolution" --and has influenced every generation of serious fly fishers since--Dry-Fly Fishing in Theory and Practice. Halford on the Dry Fly shows a first-rate angling mind at work, a gifted naturalist who witnessed an historic moment in the development of fly fishing. "No place else in the literature of fly fishing have the original basics been so clearly laid out," writes Paul Schullery.
Halfway to Heaven: My White-knuckled--and Knuckleheaded--Quest for the Rocky Mountain High
by Mark ObmascikFat, forty-four, father of three sons, and facing a vasectomy, Mark Obmascik would never have guessed that his next move would be up a 14,000-foot mountain. But when his twelve-year-old son gets bitten by the climbing bug at summer camp, Obmascik can't resist the opportunity for some high-altitude father-son bonding by hiking a peak together. After their first joint climb, addled by the thin air, Obmascik decides to keep his head in the clouds and try scaling all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot mountains, known as the Fourteeners -- and to do them in less than one year. The result is Halfway to Heaven, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Obmascik's rollicking, witty, sometimes harrowing, often poignant chronicle of an outrageous midlife adventure that is no walk in the park, although sometimes it's A Walk in the Woods -- but with more sweat and less oxygen. Half a million people try climbing a Colorado Fourteener every year, but only twelve hundred have reported summiting them all. Can an overweight, stay-at-home dad become No. 1,201? With his ebullient personality and sparkling prose, Obmascik brings us inside the quirky, colorful subculture of mountaineering obsessives who summit these mountains year after year. Honoring his concerned wife's orders not to climb alone, Obmascik drags old friends up the slopes, some of them lifelong flatlanders tasting thin air for the first time, and lures seasoned Rockies junkies into taking on a huffing, puffing newbie by bribing them with free beer, lunches, and car washes. Among the new friends he makes are an ex-drag racer trying to perform a headstand on every summit, the lead oboe player in a Hebrew salsa band, and a climber with the counterproductive pre-climb ritual of gulping down four beers and a burrito. Along the way, Obmascik experiences the raw, rowdy, and rarely seen intimacy of male friendship, braced by the double intoxicants of adrenaline and altitude. Though danger is always present -- the Colorado Fourteeners have killed more climbers than Mount Everest -- Mark knows his aging scalp can't afford the hair-raising adventures of Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, and his quest becomes a story of family, friendship, and fraternity. In Obmascik's summer of climbing, he loses fifteen pounds, finds a few dozen man-dates, and gains respect for the history of these storied mountains (home to cannibalism, gold rushes, shoot-outs, and one of the nation's most famed religious shrines). As much about midlife and male bonding as it is about mountains, Halfway to Heaven tells how weekend warriors can survive them all as they reach for those most distant things -- the summits of mountains and a teenage son. And as one man exceeds the physical achievements of his youth, he discovers that age -- like summit height -- is just a number.