86 Books Like The Ball in the Air

Bamberger is a terrific golf writer and what made me love this book is the fact that it’s a 30th-anniversary edition! Michael wrote this book in the early 1990s when golf—and the golf world—was in a far different place. Think about it: this was before Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

It is Michael’s own story and is one I found myself living through his words: giving up his job and his apartment, going on a European sojourn with his new wife to experience caddying, and meeting some of the world’s best players.

I had read this book before, and it enthralled me reading it once again.

In my own way, I lived this book. As a writer for Sports Illustrated, I chronicled the early beginnings of LIV Golf, the tension it brought to the PGA Tour, the defections of some of its top players to this upstart league that was paying huge sums and leading to disruption that still exists.

I appreciate the way Shipnuck handled this story. There is no agenda. He was critical of both sides, yet fair to both sides, trying to understand the motives. I appreciate this because the issue has been so toxic and so polarizing. It is a terrific read to understand where we are in the world of golf today.

Mark Frost is another favorite author, and he kills it in this book about Bobby Jones and the Grand Slam. I love golf and its history and to go back in time to when Jones ruled – as an amateur – is a true pleasure.

Frost’s reporting is exceptional, and he brings to life those days when Jones sought the Holy Grail – winning the Open and Amateur titles of Britain and the United States. To win the U.S. Open and British Open in 1930, he had to compete against the day’s top pros.

I particularly enjoyed the detail, the effort to recreate how it was, and the deep dive into Jones.

I have a recurring dream about living in St. Andrews. Sean Zak did so for a summer, and it was glorious.

To get to spend time at the Home of Golf is special, something I’ve done on several occasions. But always as part of work and never for an extended period of time. Zak lived there for months and brings to life all the things about the ancient town that are special beyond the golf.

I especially enjoyed the backstories, the people of the town, the explanation of links golf, all of it. He shows a nice curiosity, an American seeking answers in a foreign country that I felt particularly enlightening.

There was probably no man better at his sport than Tiger Woods was with golf. Sure there were others who dominated their sports too, but few like he did. And for so long. And yet again, we find that those that seem perfect, are actually far from it. This book looks at that dark side. I don’t know about you, but I am always more compelled and intrigued by learning the non-perfect side of people or things. Perfection is boring. Flaws are intriguing. And why not? I am full of flaws and that’s what makes me real. A book like this makes Tiger more realistic than just a tournament and majors-winning machine. Interestingly, Tiger said that Moe Norman was the best ball-striker ever.

American readers and news watchers are deeply segregated: those on the left reading and watching news produced by liberals, and those on the right consuming words and images from conservative authors and broadcasts. And then there is Washington Post columnist George Will, a conservative, who reads voraciously across the political spectrum and offers commentary that reasonable Americans must recognize as honest and insightful. American Happiness and Its Discontents is a collection of thoroughly researched, thought-provoking, exquisitely-written columns written by Will from 2008 to 2020. He offers insightful commentary on a wide range of political, social, and cultural topics and tackles subjects deemed taboo by the left such as the wave of nonsense that has flooded higher education. 

Far from being depressing, I found great perverse enjoyment in reading about the disasters that befell others. It is a treasure trove of well-written tales that I found hard to put down. I found the contents to be an absolute treasure-chest of absorbing, beautifully written stories.

If ever I was feeling down, this volume always lifted my spirits, knowing that my day could be a lot worse.

I saw my first raven near Mount Rainier. The bird looked me in the eye, hopped to the left, sized me up, and continued his business. The advancing Russian army drove Bernd Heinrich and his family into the forest near Hahnheide, Germany, where they lived in a small hut for five years.

There, he began his lifelong quest to connect with insects (especially bees), owls, trees, antelope (he runs ultramarathons), geese...and ravens. The mind of the Raven is a deep, scientific meditation on the intersection between being human and raven. It concludes that “ultimately [our differences are] less a matter of consciousness than of culture” (342).

I wonder how culture has dulled my imagination, a struggle Heinrich clearly has fought more successfully than I have.

Platinga is a sergeant with the San Francisco police department. I love his book because so many of the stories are similar to ones that I experienced as a cop. It brought back some good and some not-so-good memories.

You don’t have to be a cop or a former cop to love the read, though. It’s not only a great reference book for crime writers who want to learn and add authenticity to what they’re writing but also a wonderful read for those who want to take a wild ride inside a cop’s head during the course of their tour of duty.

Are you ready to change the way you see the world forever? Reading Peter Wohlleben’s three-book Mysteries of Nature series will do just that.

This second volume focuses on animal emotions and making connections with human behavior. Until fairly recently, most serious scientists focused only on observable behavior and didn’t try to imagine or determine what animals’ actions tell us about their feelings.

However, all animal lovers can benefit, as I did, from questioning our assumptions, better understanding our similarities, and becoming more aware of how much there is to learn about the inner life of animals. Get ready for some surprises!