One of the Best

By Robert P. Schoch

One of the Best tells the story of a dedicated cyclist who is cut short from achieving his dreams when he has an encounter with God. The book explores life-priorities, and how life changing Divine revelation can be from a Christian perspective. Yet, rather than making him an unwilling prisoner in his faith, in One of the Best, the hero's faith in the end, works to his own good. Below is a preview of the book

Once my first lap around the track was completed, I heard the people in the speedway’s stands begin to roar and cheer out loud. I didn’t know what all the cheering and carrying on by them was all about until I looked at my official time for my first lap. When I saw what was on those speed-measuring instruments, I thought to myself, “Oh my God, could I really be doing this?” Even so, those instruments did not lie, for they reflected that I finished my first mile in 27.69 seconds, which was right at 130 miles per hour. Now, it did not appear to me that I was travelling that fast, but who was I to argue with the clocks? However, when it finally sunk into my head that I was actually capable of achieving this kind of speed, I continued to pedal my bicycle even more furiously. Even though I was pedaling as hard as I could, I did not feel tired, nor did I feel fatigued, and I felt as if I could ride like this forever.

My speeds varied from lap to lap as I rode, but no matter how many laps I completed, I consistantly maintained an extremely fast pace. Also, the amazing speeds that I was travelling at caused my audience to be worked up into frenzy, for they began to chant my first name every time I finished a lap. I must say that I rather enjoyed all this chanting that was going on for me, because the more they shouted, the more they fueled my fire to keep on pushing. Yeah, it was turning into a spectacular show, as the photographers kept on snapping my picture as I rode by, and the reporters that were there kept busy reporting my status to a live audience on television. Naturally, I was quite certain that all the people who were watching me on television were just as amazed and excited as everybody that was watching me at the speedway.

The course of my ride moved along rapidly, and I was soon left with only a handful of laps to go. Even so, I was sincerely getting into this ride of mine at this point, for the feeling that I was getting from zipping around the track at a high rate of speed was certainly awesome. I tell you what, to me the sides of the track were nothing but a blur at these speeds, and the only thing that I could really see was the track that was in front of me. However, I had now completed ninety-seven miles of my journey, which meant that I had three more miles or laps remaining. I was not feeling too awfully tired as I continued to ride on, but all good things have to come to an end. Therefore, with the few laps that I had left, it was time for my old “blood and guts” routine to take over until I reached the finish line. Of course, as this routine dictates, I began to stand up, tighten my grip, and push my pedals with everything that I had in me to offer. Now, when the people at the speedway saw me stand up and start pushing harder, they also stood up, continuing to root me on by shouting at the top of their lungs. Consequently, being that I was increasing my pace, the speed measuring devices that were there immediately reacted to my new pace, showing my speeds to start soaring higher and higher. The crowd at the speedway also reacted to my new speeds, for every time I increased in speed one notch, they all chanted out what the new speed was when it popped up on the clocks. Once again, the more the crowd shouted at me, the harder I continued to pedal. When the time arrived for me to pass through the finish line, I completed my final lap in twenty-four seconds flat, which was 150 miles per hour. I had reached speeds that most cars cannot reach, and the thought of this caused me to throw my hand up in the air in triumphant jubilation. Even so, when I crossed the finish line on my bicycle, I could instantly feel the forces of nature return, which appropriately assisted me in slowing down, as well as helping me to maintain control over my bike.

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The Wilderness Trail

By George Hunt

“The Wilderness Trail”, is the journey of George “Bubba” Hunt. He is the son of Frank Hunt, the Legendary Government Hunter and Trapper. It is a true story of a kid who grew up in the mountains of California. It is the story of the struggles and adventures of a wide-eyed kid who dreamed of far away mountains and places that he had never seen. It is a quest to find the “Pioneer Spirit” in a modern world of shopping malls and freeways. It is the trail of adventures that lead to the remote Alaskan outback, and the reality of his dreams. The story will lift your heart, challenge your imagination, and move your spirit. Below is an exerpt from the book.

I suppose that a lot of town folks don’t venture far out of town because they are afraid of what’s out there. I can’t even imagine living like that. Most folks live out their lives in what I call a “quiet desperation”. Every day is much the same as any other day. I believe that a “rut” is a grave with both ends kicked out. Why some people choose to live a life of boredom, is because they don’t know any better way to live. I have always felt that when my life is coming to an end, I didn’t want to wish that I could have done something differently.

I remember as a kid, I heard the old folks say that they wished that they could have done things differently, but now they were too old to do it. I made up my mind that I was going to get out there and “live” an adventure every day. I wasn’t going to get old and wish I had moved to Alaska and lived my dream. I wasn’t going to wait until I was too old to walk the mountains and follow my dreams up into the clouds. I have been lucky.

I have followed the dall rams into the clouds. I have hunted the grizzly with a bow and arrow. I have hung the big moose horns on my wall. I have built my dream log lodge overlooking the Kenai River. I was lucky and found a wife who shares these same dreams. I have found that a mountain kid can live in peace in this unsettled world. I have come to know that “happiness” is a result of pursuing your dreams.

It has been said that a person can live without much food or water. They can live without warm clothes or the basic comforts of a home, but they can’t live long without hope.

I look back on my life and see a little kid with a head full of dreams, and a heart full of hope. My dreams have been as big as I could imagine them, and the anticipation of adventures, have been beyond description. I have made mistakes as everyone has. I have struggled, and gone through lean times. I have battled long months with the pain of cancer and won, and I have suffered personal loss that cut my heart out.

I have seen the mountains beyond the mountains, and I know what’s there. I have the seen the wild creatures living in their pristine valleys. I have felt the warm rain drops on my face and had snow storms surround me with a soft, blanket of white. I have stood in the Alpenglow of an Arctic sunset, and I have bathed in the warm glow of the midnight sun.

I have seen the caribou herds that were scattered for miles across the arctic tundra, and watched a big bull moose through the fog, in an early morning lake. I have walked in the footsteps of the ancient Trappers and the Mountain Men, and I have hiked the unnamed trails of the Alaskan wilderness. I have reached up to touch the Northern Lights and in doing so, I touched the face of God.

Somehow, I managed to hang on to the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a kid. I have been lucky enough to live the adventure that most people can only dream about. The only thing I would have done differently is “bought a better pair of boots”.

I suppose that the average person would be satisfied sitting in their recliner and watching the outdoor channels on the television. They seem satisfied just looking out of the window at the rest of the world and wondering what is really going on out there. Then there are a few of us that would rather be “in” the adventure than just watching it go by. I like watching it snow, but I would much rather be out playing in it. I enjoy watching a good hunting movie, but I would much rather be out there doing it for myself. I never have been much of a “spectator”, when I could be in the game.

Just because I turned 61 this year, doesn’t mean that I have to slow down on my activities. I will slow down when they scatter my ashes in the Alaskan outback. Some of us will never be satisfied unless we are in the thick of it. I guess I’m a bit different than most folks. My priorities have been born in the mountains, my Soul belongs to my God, my Heart belongs to my Family, and my Spirit belongs to the Wind and the Wilderness.
George “Bubba” Hunt, walking the Wilderness Trail.

Go: An Airline Adventure

By Barbara Cassani and Kenny Kemp

The remarkable story behind the life of GO, the no-frills airline, by the businesswoman who created the company. Brilliantly readable, this is the definitive telling of the business story of the decade. An aspirational story of a businesswoman's success and one of the best insider start up books in the business.

Barbara Cassani set up the no-frills airline Go for British Airways. She was a rare breed - a female airline chief executive who believed in doing things differently. Her European low-cost operation was launched in May 1998 with #25 million backing and within three years she took it into profit. Riding high, she led a management buy-out from BA, supported by the venture capitalist outfit 3i. They paid #110 million for the airline. Yet, less than a year later the venture capital group - battered by a falling stock market - had a chance to cash in their chips. Go was sold to arch-rival easyJet for an astonishing #374 million.

At a time when the airline industry is in flux, this fast-paced read gives an insight into how to create a successful company with limited resources in such a short space of time. The Go story is filled with real characters overcoming the odds to achieve great things and shows the remarkable vision and talent of Barbara Cassani.

A Song flung up to Heaven

By Maya Angelou

It is 1964 and Maya Angelou is on her way back home, leaving behind her beloved - and now seriously teenaged - son Guy, to finish university in Ghana. America is pulsing with the challenge of change, the civil rights movement is in full swing and that's where Maya Angelou wants to be, working alongside her friends Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. In this final volume, Maya Angelou provides, with her customary wisdom, compassion and wit, a first-hand record of an extraordinarily exciting and tragic political period. She writes too of "Jimmy" Baldwin, Eldridge Cleaver, and of friends and family, and finishes with the beginnings of her career as one of America's most impressive memoir writers.