-
The New Cool
- A Visionary Teacher, His FIRST Robotics Team, and the Ultimate Battle of Smarts
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
That Monday afternoon, in high-school gyms across America, kids were battling for the only glory American culture seems to want to dispense to the young these days: sports glory. But at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California, in a gear-cluttered classroom, a different type of “cool” was brewing. A physics teacher with a dream - the first public high-school teacher ever to win a MacArthur Genius Award - had rounded up a band of high-IQ students who wanted to put their technical know-how to work. If you asked these brainiacs what the stakes were that first week of their project, they’d have told you it was all about winning a robotics competition – building the ultimate robot and prevailing in a machine-to-machine contest in front of 25,000 screaming fans at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.
But for their mentor, Amir Abo-Shaeer, much more hung in the balance.
The fact was, Amir had in mind a different vision for education, one based not on rote learning - on absorbing facts and figures - but on active creation. In his mind’s eye, he saw an even more robust academy within Dos Pueblos that would make science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) cool again, and he knew he was poised on the edge of making that dream a reality. All he needed to get the necessary funding was one flashy win - a triumph that would firmly put his Engineering Academy at Dos Pueblos on the map. He imagined that one day there would be a nation filled with such academies, and a new popular veneration for STEM - a “new cool” - that would return America to its former innovative glory.
It was a dream shared by Dean Kamen, a modern-day inventing wizard - often-called “the Edison of his time” - who’d concocted the very same FIRST Robotics Competition that had lured the kids at Dos Pueblos. Kamen had created FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) nearly twenty years prior. And now, with a participant alumni base approaching a million strong, he felt that awareness was about to hit critical mass.
In The New Cool, Neal Bascomb manages to make even those who know little about - or are vaguely suspicious of - technology care passionately about a team of kids questing after a different kind of glory. In these kids’ heartaches and headaches - and yes, high-five triumphs - we glimpse the path not just to a new way of educating our youth but of honoring the crucial skills a society needs to prosper. A new cool.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Wool
- The Silo Saga, Book 1
- By: Hugh Howey
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 15 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world outside has grown toxic, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. The remnants of humanity live underground in a single silo. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they want: They are allowed to go outside.
-
-
THIS is a strong female character
- By Alex on 03-23-23
By: Hugh Howey
-
The Boys of Winter
- The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
- By: Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once upon a time, they taught us to believe. They were the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered perhaps the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. Their "Miracle on Ice" has become a national fairy tale, but the real Cinderella story is even more remarkable. It is a legacy of hope, hard work, and homegrown triumph. It is a chronicle of everyday heroes who just wanted to play hockey happily ever after.
-
-
Great, but...
- By S. B. G. on 02-13-18
By: Wayne Coffey
-
Spaceman
- An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe
- By: Mike Massimino
- Narrated by: Mike Massimino
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to find yourself strapped to a giant rocket that's about to go from zero to 17,500 miles per hour? Or to look back on Earth from outer space and see the surprisingly precise line between day and night? Or to stand in front of the Hubble Space Telescope, wondering if the emergency repair you're about to make will inadvertently ruin humankind's chance to unlock the universe's secrets? Mike Massimino has been there, and in Spaceman he puts you inside the suit.
-
-
Likable guy, great storyteller
- By Joy Woller on 10-09-16
By: Mike Massimino
-
Spare Parts
- Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream
- By: Joshua Davis
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2004, four Latino teenagers arrived at the Marine Advanced Technology Education Robotics Competition at the University of California, Santa Barbara. They were born in Mexico but raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where they attended an underfunded public high school. No one had ever suggested to Oscar, Cristian, Luis, or Lorenzo that they might amount to much—but two inspiring science teachers had convinced these impoverished, undocumented kids from the desert who had never even seen the ocean that they should try to build an underwater robot.
-
-
American Dream
- By Joselo on 02-25-16
By: Joshua Davis
-
Open
- An Autobiography
- By: Andre Agassi
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
-
-
Just an Incredible Story!
- By Patrick on 12-13-09
By: Andre Agassi
-
Walk On
- From Pee Wee Dropout to the NFL Sidelines - My Unlikely Story of Football, Purpose, and Following an Amazing God
- By: Ben Malcolmson, Patti McCord - with
- Narrated by: Scott Pollak
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Had anyone told Ben Malcolmson that he'd someday be a wide receiver on the national champion USC football team - after not playing football since an unfortunate fifth-grade Pop Warner experience - he would have called them crazy. As a reporter for The Daily Trojan, in the spirit of George Plimpton, he participated in walk-on tryouts for the team and was dumbfounded to find himself listed on the roster. His position on the team never amounted to much in a game-time contribution, but Ben felt strongly that his faith was inextricably linked to his purpose.
-
-
Fun!
- By Justin Erickson on 09-28-23
By: Ben Malcolmson, and others
-
Wool
- The Silo Saga, Book 1
- By: Hugh Howey
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 15 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world outside has grown toxic, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. The remnants of humanity live underground in a single silo. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they want: They are allowed to go outside.
-
-
THIS is a strong female character
- By Alex on 03-23-23
By: Hugh Howey
-
The Boys of Winter
- The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
- By: Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once upon a time, they taught us to believe. They were the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered perhaps the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. Their "Miracle on Ice" has become a national fairy tale, but the real Cinderella story is even more remarkable. It is a legacy of hope, hard work, and homegrown triumph. It is a chronicle of everyday heroes who just wanted to play hockey happily ever after.
-
-
Great, but...
- By S. B. G. on 02-13-18
By: Wayne Coffey
-
Spaceman
- An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe
- By: Mike Massimino
- Narrated by: Mike Massimino
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to find yourself strapped to a giant rocket that's about to go from zero to 17,500 miles per hour? Or to look back on Earth from outer space and see the surprisingly precise line between day and night? Or to stand in front of the Hubble Space Telescope, wondering if the emergency repair you're about to make will inadvertently ruin humankind's chance to unlock the universe's secrets? Mike Massimino has been there, and in Spaceman he puts you inside the suit.
-
-
Likable guy, great storyteller
- By Joy Woller on 10-09-16
By: Mike Massimino
-
Spare Parts
- Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream
- By: Joshua Davis
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2004, four Latino teenagers arrived at the Marine Advanced Technology Education Robotics Competition at the University of California, Santa Barbara. They were born in Mexico but raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where they attended an underfunded public high school. No one had ever suggested to Oscar, Cristian, Luis, or Lorenzo that they might amount to much—but two inspiring science teachers had convinced these impoverished, undocumented kids from the desert who had never even seen the ocean that they should try to build an underwater robot.
-
-
American Dream
- By Joselo on 02-25-16
By: Joshua Davis
-
Open
- An Autobiography
- By: Andre Agassi
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
-
-
Just an Incredible Story!
- By Patrick on 12-13-09
By: Andre Agassi
-
Walk On
- From Pee Wee Dropout to the NFL Sidelines - My Unlikely Story of Football, Purpose, and Following an Amazing God
- By: Ben Malcolmson, Patti McCord - with
- Narrated by: Scott Pollak
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Had anyone told Ben Malcolmson that he'd someday be a wide receiver on the national champion USC football team - after not playing football since an unfortunate fifth-grade Pop Warner experience - he would have called them crazy. As a reporter for The Daily Trojan, in the spirit of George Plimpton, he participated in walk-on tryouts for the team and was dumbfounded to find himself listed on the roster. His position on the team never amounted to much in a game-time contribution, but Ben felt strongly that his faith was inextricably linked to his purpose.
-
-
Fun!
- By Justin Erickson on 09-28-23
By: Ben Malcolmson, and others
-
The Keeper - Young Readers' Edition
- The Unguarded Story of Tim Howard
- By: Tim Howard
- Narrated by: William Harper
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this heartwarming and candid memoir, Tim Howard does something he would never do on a soccer field: he drops his guard. As fiercely protective about his privacy as he is guarding the goal for the US national team and for Everton in the English Premier League, Howard opens up for the first time about how a hyperactive kid from New Jersey with Tourette's syndrome defied the odds to become one of the world’s premier goalkeepers.
-
-
Don't judge a book by it's cover.
- By Anonymous User on 08-17-17
By: Tim Howard
-
Ungifted
- By: Gordon Korman
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross, Richard Poe, Erin Moon, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Teens and pre-teens flock to any new offering from New York Times best-selling author Gordon Korman. Told through multiple viewpoints, Ungifted follows Donovan Curtis through his year at a magnet school for gifted and talented kids. Thanks to an administrative foul-up, the decidedly mediocre student Donovan finds himself enrolled in the Academy of Scholastic Distinction. Out of place and out of luck, Donovan joins the robotics team. And while he learns a few lessons from his gifted classmates, he also teaches a few of his own.
-
-
Ungifted: One of the best books I have ever read in my life
- By Kindle Customer on 03-16-17
By: Gordon Korman
-
The Blind Side
- Evolution of a Game
- By: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When we first meet the young man at the center of this extraordinary and moving story, he is one of 13 children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or any of the things a child might learn in school. And he has no serious experience playing organized football.
-
-
Another great book by Michael Lewis
- By Leland on 03-20-11
By: Michael Lewis
-
Ingenious
- A True Story of Invention, Automotive Daring, and the Race to Revive America
- By: Jason Fagone
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2007, the X Prize Foundation announced that it would give $10 million to anyone who could build a safe, mass-producible car that could travel one hundred miles on the energy equivalent of a gallon of gas. The challenge attracted more than one hundred teams from all over the world, including dozens of amateurs. Many designed their cars entirely from scratch, rejecting decades of thinking about what a car should look like.
-
-
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels.
- By Shamu from New York on 12-07-13
By: Jason Fagone
-
Rocket Girl
- The Story of Mary Sherman Morgan, America's First Female Rocket Scientist
- By: George D. Morgan, Ashley Stroupe
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1938, a young German rocket enthusiast named Wernher von Braun had dreams of building a rocket that could fly him to the moon. In Ray, North Dakota, a young farm girl named Mary Sherman was attending high school. In an age when girls rarely dreamed of a career in science, Mary wanted to be a chemist. A decade later, the dreams of these two disparate individuals would coalesce in ways neither could have imagined.
-
-
Engaging and thought provoking
- By pbkrc39288 on 06-20-24
By: George D. Morgan, and others
-
QB
- My Life Behind the Spiral
- By: Steve Young, Jeff Benedict
- Narrated by: Steve Young, George Newbern
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the most candid and compelling sports memoir since Andre Agassi's riveting bestseller Open, former San Francisco 49er, Super Bowl champion, NFL MVP, and Hall of Famer Steve Young gives listeners an unprecedented and stunning inside look at what it takes to become a super-elite professional quarterback.
-
-
Uplifting and motivating
- By Andrew Miller on 11-19-16
By: Steve Young, and others
-
The Mechanic
- The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane
- By: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Narrated by: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Mechanic written and read by Marc 'Elvis' Priestley. In the high-octane atmosphere of the Formula One pit lane, the spotlight is most often on the superstar drivers. And yet, without the technical knowledge, competitive determination and outright obsession from his garage of mechanics, no driver could possibly hope to claim a spot on the podium.
-
-
Great insight.
- By Justin on 01-25-19
-
Play Their Hearts Out
- A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine
- By: George Dohrmann
- Narrated by: Emily Rose Speer
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The NBA has returned to prominence on the backs of phenoms like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett. The media promotes them, the shoe companies pay them, and America applauds. But how exactly do such players reach the pros? What do they give up to get there? And what happens to those who fall short?
-
-
Amazing book, fantastic narration.
- By Randy on 11-03-10
By: George Dohrmann
-
Call an Audible: Let My Pivot from Harvard Law to NFL Coach Inspire Your Transition
- By: Daron K. Roberts
- Narrated by: Daron K. Roberts
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 2006, author Daron K. Roberts was just one year away from earning a law degree from his dream school: Harvard. But that summer, in the throes of a clerkship at a Texas law firm, Roberts had a revelation - he wanted something different. Daron Roberts wanted to be an NFL football coach. After making the transition from Harvard Law student to NFL newbie, Roberts worked as a coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, West Virginia Mountaineers, and the Cleveland Browns. But he’s not forgotten how hard it was to take that first step in a new direction.
-
-
Great example of never giving up
- By Amazon Customer on 01-16-20
By: Daron K. Roberts
-
One Goal
- By: Amy Bass
- Narrated by: Will Collyer, Amy Bass
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When thousands of Somali refugees resettled in Lewiston, Maine, a struggling, overwhelmingly white town, longtime residents grew uneasy. Then the mayor wrote a letter asking Somalis to stop coming, which became a national story. While scandal threatened to subsume the town, its high school's soccer coach integrated Somali kids onto his team, and their passion began to heal old wounds.
-
-
An all around great listen that shows you the best of America.
- By Vcasey on 03-21-18
By: Amy Bass
-
Idea Man
- A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft
- By: Paul Allen
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2007 and 2008, Time named Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft, one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since he made his fortune, his impact has been felt in science, technology, business, medicine, sports, music, and philanthropy. His passion, curiosity, and intellectual rigor - combined with the resources to launch and support new initiatives - have literally changed the world. With honesty, humor, and insight, Allen here tells the story of a life of ideas made real.
-
-
jesus h christ...
- By Alt8451 on 11-20-19
By: Paul Allen
-
Swagger
- By: Carl Deuker
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When high school senior Jonas moves to Seattle, he is glad to meet Levi, a nice, soft-spoken guy and fellow basketball player. Suspense builds like a slow drumbeat as listeners start to smell a rat in Ryan Hartwell, a charismatic basketball coach and sexual predator. When Levi reluctantly tells Jonas that Hartwell abused him, Jonas has to decide whether he should risk his future career to report the coach.
-
-
Boring
- By Mommy Banu on 09-30-23
By: Carl Deuker
Critic reviews
"Imagination, ambition and technology collide at an annual high-school robot-building competition…A nail-biting thrill ride for techies and armchair engineers." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Gripping... Bascomb gives us plenty of suspense and pathos... An inspiring homage to the spirit of invention and a genuine sports epic, to boot." (Publishers Weekly)
"I love this book. Neal Bascomb cuts through the arcane technical jargon of robotics to reveal an amazing world of smart high-schoolers with passions for math, science, engineering, and computers. The teacher who inspires them also inspires us. With kids like these, there is hope for the world after all." (Charles Petzold, author of CODE)
Related to this topic
-
Ingenious
- A True Story of Invention, Automotive Daring, and the Race to Revive America
- By: Jason Fagone
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2007, the X Prize Foundation announced that it would give $10 million to anyone who could build a safe, mass-producible car that could travel one hundred miles on the energy equivalent of a gallon of gas. The challenge attracted more than one hundred teams from all over the world, including dozens of amateurs. Many designed their cars entirely from scratch, rejecting decades of thinking about what a car should look like.
-
-
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels.
- By Shamu from New York on 12-07-13
By: Jason Fagone
-
Play Their Hearts Out
- A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine
- By: George Dohrmann
- Narrated by: Emily Rose Speer
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The NBA has returned to prominence on the backs of phenoms like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett. The media promotes them, the shoe companies pay them, and America applauds. But how exactly do such players reach the pros? What do they give up to get there? And what happens to those who fall short?
-
-
Amazing book, fantastic narration.
- By Randy on 11-03-10
By: George Dohrmann
-
The Boys of Winter
- The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
- By: Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once upon a time, they taught us to believe. They were the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered perhaps the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. Their "Miracle on Ice" has become a national fairy tale, but the real Cinderella story is even more remarkable. It is a legacy of hope, hard work, and homegrown triumph. It is a chronicle of everyday heroes who just wanted to play hockey happily ever after.
-
-
Great, but...
- By S. B. G. on 02-13-18
By: Wayne Coffey
-
The Great Nowitzki
- Basketball and the Meaning of Life
- By: Thomas Pletzinger, Shane Anderson - translator
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki is one of the great players in basketball history. With a devastating fadeaway and unexpected agility, the Dallas Mavericks superstar helped to pioneer the modern three-shooting game and became a global ambassador for the sport. Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger traveled with Nowitzki for more than seven years, seeking the secret of his success and longevity. In novelistic detail, Pletzinger tells the dramatic story of how a lanky kid from the German suburbs became a top-five all-time scorer and NBA champion.
-
-
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
- By Anonymous User on 08-22-24
By: Thomas Pletzinger, and others
-
Gym Candy
- By: Carl Deuker
- Narrated by: Kyle McCarley
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Running back Mick Johnson has dreams: dreams of cutting back, finding the hole, breaking in to the open, and running free with nothing but green grass ahead. He has dreams of winning and of being the best. But football is a cruel sport. It requires power, grace, speed, quickness, and knowledge of the game. It takes luck, too. One crazy bounce can turn a likely victory into sudden defeat. What elite athlete wouldn’t look for an edge? A way to make him bigger, stronger, faster?
-
-
Great message, great story
- By C. Murphy on 07-14-21
By: Carl Deuker
-
The Keeper
- A Life of Saving Goals and Achieving Them
- By: Ali Benjamin, Tim Howard
- Narrated by: J.D. Jackson
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 2014, Tim Howard became an overnight sensation after more than 10 years as one of America's leading professional soccer players. His record-breaking 15 saves for the United States national team against Belgium in the World Cup electrified a nation that had only recently woken up to the Beautiful Game after decades of hibernation. In this inspiring and candid memoir, the beloved US and Everton goalkeeper finally allows himself to do something that he would never do on the field: He drops his guard.
-
-
Tim Howard Saves more then Goals!
- By Ron on 12-16-14
By: Ali Benjamin, and others
-
Ingenious
- A True Story of Invention, Automotive Daring, and the Race to Revive America
- By: Jason Fagone
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2007, the X Prize Foundation announced that it would give $10 million to anyone who could build a safe, mass-producible car that could travel one hundred miles on the energy equivalent of a gallon of gas. The challenge attracted more than one hundred teams from all over the world, including dozens of amateurs. Many designed their cars entirely from scratch, rejecting decades of thinking about what a car should look like.
-
-
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels.
- By Shamu from New York on 12-07-13
By: Jason Fagone
-
Play Their Hearts Out
- A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine
- By: George Dohrmann
- Narrated by: Emily Rose Speer
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The NBA has returned to prominence on the backs of phenoms like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett. The media promotes them, the shoe companies pay them, and America applauds. But how exactly do such players reach the pros? What do they give up to get there? And what happens to those who fall short?
-
-
Amazing book, fantastic narration.
- By Randy on 11-03-10
By: George Dohrmann
-
The Boys of Winter
- The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
- By: Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once upon a time, they taught us to believe. They were the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered perhaps the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. Their "Miracle on Ice" has become a national fairy tale, but the real Cinderella story is even more remarkable. It is a legacy of hope, hard work, and homegrown triumph. It is a chronicle of everyday heroes who just wanted to play hockey happily ever after.
-
-
Great, but...
- By S. B. G. on 02-13-18
By: Wayne Coffey
-
The Great Nowitzki
- Basketball and the Meaning of Life
- By: Thomas Pletzinger, Shane Anderson - translator
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki is one of the great players in basketball history. With a devastating fadeaway and unexpected agility, the Dallas Mavericks superstar helped to pioneer the modern three-shooting game and became a global ambassador for the sport. Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger traveled with Nowitzki for more than seven years, seeking the secret of his success and longevity. In novelistic detail, Pletzinger tells the dramatic story of how a lanky kid from the German suburbs became a top-five all-time scorer and NBA champion.
-
-
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
- By Anonymous User on 08-22-24
By: Thomas Pletzinger, and others
-
Gym Candy
- By: Carl Deuker
- Narrated by: Kyle McCarley
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Running back Mick Johnson has dreams: dreams of cutting back, finding the hole, breaking in to the open, and running free with nothing but green grass ahead. He has dreams of winning and of being the best. But football is a cruel sport. It requires power, grace, speed, quickness, and knowledge of the game. It takes luck, too. One crazy bounce can turn a likely victory into sudden defeat. What elite athlete wouldn’t look for an edge? A way to make him bigger, stronger, faster?
-
-
Great message, great story
- By C. Murphy on 07-14-21
By: Carl Deuker
-
The Keeper
- A Life of Saving Goals and Achieving Them
- By: Ali Benjamin, Tim Howard
- Narrated by: J.D. Jackson
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 2014, Tim Howard became an overnight sensation after more than 10 years as one of America's leading professional soccer players. His record-breaking 15 saves for the United States national team against Belgium in the World Cup electrified a nation that had only recently woken up to the Beautiful Game after decades of hibernation. In this inspiring and candid memoir, the beloved US and Everton goalkeeper finally allows himself to do something that he would never do on the field: He drops his guard.
-
-
Tim Howard Saves more then Goals!
- By Ron on 12-16-14
By: Ali Benjamin, and others
-
The Keeper - Young Readers' Edition
- The Unguarded Story of Tim Howard
- By: Tim Howard
- Narrated by: William Harper
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this heartwarming and candid memoir, Tim Howard does something he would never do on a soccer field: he drops his guard. As fiercely protective about his privacy as he is guarding the goal for the US national team and for Everton in the English Premier League, Howard opens up for the first time about how a hyperactive kid from New Jersey with Tourette's syndrome defied the odds to become one of the world’s premier goalkeepers.
-
-
Don't judge a book by it's cover.
- By Anonymous User on 08-17-17
By: Tim Howard
-
Skies to Conquer: A Year Inside the Air Force Academy
- By: Diana Jean Schemo
- Narrated by: Donna Postel
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Diana Jean Schemo covered the Air Force Academy's sexual assault scandal in 2003, one of a series of academy embarrassments that have included drug use, rape complaints, and charges of evangelical officers pushing Christianity on cadets of all faiths. Today, the institution is in flux - a fascinating time to look at the changes being made and the experience of today's cadets. Schemo followed a handful of academy cadets through the school year. From the admissions process and basic training to graduation.
-
-
Hates the military
- By Brian Alofs on 01-10-24
-
Slow Getting Up
- A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile
- By: Nate Jackson
- Narrated by: Nate Jackson
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nate Jackson’s Slow Getting Up is an unvarnished and uncensored memoir of everyday life in the most popular sports league in America - and the most damaging to its players - the National Football League. After playing college ball at a tiny Division III school, Jackson, a receiver, signed as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers, before moving to the Denver Broncos. For six seasons in the NFL as a Bronco, he alternated between the practice squad and the active roster, eventually winning a starting spot - a short, tenuous career emblematic of the average pro player.
-
-
Almost unlistenable...AND I'M A DENVER DIEHARD!
- By JROD2133 on 07-02-14
By: Nate Jackson
-
Payback Time
- By: Carl Deuker
- Narrated by: Stafford Clark-Price
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through the eyes of a distinctly non-athletic protagonist - a fat high school journalist named Mitch - veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football player named Angel. When Angel shows up at Lincoln High, he seems to have no past - or at least not one he is willing to discuss. Though Mitch gets a glimpse of Angel's incredible talent off the field, Angel rarely allows himself to shine on the field. Is he an undercover cop, wonders Mitch? Or an ineligible player? In pursuit of a killer story, Mitch decides to find out just who this player is.
-
-
Best book ever
- By Lannon on 05-19-21
By: Carl Deuker
-
Dr. J Unabridged
- The Autobiography
- By: Julius Erving, Karl Taro Greenfeld
- Narrated by: Julius Erving
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his flights of improvisation around the basket and his towering afro, Julius Erving became one of the most charismatic (and revolutionary) players basketball has ever known. But while the public has long revered this cultural icon, few have ever known of the double life of Julius Erving. Dr. J traces the inner lives of the nearly perfect player and the imperfect man - and how he has come to terms with both.
-
-
I may overrate it, but I’m a hoops junkie!
- By @JWTheBlueprint on 01-29-14
By: Julius Erving, and others
-
Open
- An Autobiography
- By: Andre Agassi
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
-
-
Just an Incredible Story!
- By Patrick on 12-13-09
By: Andre Agassi
-
One Shot at Forever
- A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season
- By: Chris Ballard
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1971, a small-town high school baseball team from rural Illinois playing with hand-me-down uniforms and peace signs on their hats defied convention and the odds. Led by an English teacher with no coaching experience, the Macon Ironmen emerged from a field of 370 teams to become the smallest school in Illinois history to make the state final, a distinction that still stands. There, sporting long hair, and warming up to "Jesus Christ Superstar", the Ironmen would play a dramatic game that would change their lives forever.
-
-
Outstanding.
- By Cartman18 on 08-02-13
By: Chris Ballard
-
Chasing Space
- An Astronaut's Story of Grit, Grace, and Second Chances
- By: Leland Melvin
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leland Melvin is the only person in human history to catch a pass in the National Football League and in space. Though his path from the gridiron to the heavens was riddled with setbacks and injury, Leland persevered to reach the stars. While training with NASA, Melvin suffered a severe injury that left him deaf. Leland was relegated to earthbound assignments but chose to remain and support his astronaut family. His loyalty paid off. Recovering partial hearing, he earned his eligibility for space travel.
-
-
A Must Listen to for any Space Enthusiast!
- By B.A. Lopez on 01-11-20
By: Leland Melvin
-
Walk On
- From Pee Wee Dropout to the NFL Sidelines - My Unlikely Story of Football, Purpose, and Following an Amazing God
- By: Ben Malcolmson, Patti McCord - with
- Narrated by: Scott Pollak
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Had anyone told Ben Malcolmson that he'd someday be a wide receiver on the national champion USC football team - after not playing football since an unfortunate fifth-grade Pop Warner experience - he would have called them crazy. As a reporter for The Daily Trojan, in the spirit of George Plimpton, he participated in walk-on tryouts for the team and was dumbfounded to find himself listed on the roster. His position on the team never amounted to much in a game-time contribution, but Ben felt strongly that his faith was inextricably linked to his purpose.
-
-
Fun!
- By Justin Erickson on 09-28-23
By: Ben Malcolmson, and others
-
The Mechanic
- The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane
- By: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Narrated by: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Mechanic written and read by Marc 'Elvis' Priestley. In the high-octane atmosphere of the Formula One pit lane, the spotlight is most often on the superstar drivers. And yet, without the technical knowledge, competitive determination and outright obsession from his garage of mechanics, no driver could possibly hope to claim a spot on the podium.
-
-
Great insight.
- By Justin on 01-25-19
-
Backfield Boys
- A Football Mystery in Black and White
- By: John Feinstein
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Freshman footballers Jason Roddin and Tom Jefferson are a perfect pair: Jason is a blazing-fast wide-receiver, while his best friend Tom has all the skills a standout quarterback needs. After summer football camp at an elite sports-focused boarding school, the boys are thrilled to be invited back with full-ride scholarships. But on day one of practice, they're shocked when the team's coaching staff makes Tom, a black kid, a receiver and Jason, a white kid, a quarterback.
By: John Feinstein
-
When the Game Stands Tall
- The Story of the De La Salle Spartans and Football's Longest Winning Streak
- By: Neil Hayes
- Narrated by: J. P. Linton
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By 2002, The Streak - a historic 13-year run of consecutive wins by the Spartans, a high-school football team from Concord, California, that couldn't be beat - was still going strong. In this revised edition of When the Game Stands Tall, author Neil Hayes, who had unrestricted access to the De La Salle team, writes from the inside about the games, the players, and their visionary coach, Bob Ladouceur, who managed to amass the highest winning percentage in football history (.995) through standing for something greater than winning.
-
-
Great story and message but PAINFULLY detailed
- By AudioAddict on 03-21-15
By: Neil Hayes
What listeners say about The New Cool
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 12-02-23
Inspiring and emotional story!
I had no idea how much I would laugh out loud and actually have tears in my eyes when I started this audiobook. What an incredible and inspiring story!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Wade T. Brooks
- 06-25-12
Inspirational. A fantastic can't put it down read.
Inspirational. A fantastic can't put it down read. I read this book in one sitting.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dave Nelson
- 03-27-13
So Very Cool
Over the last few years I have been getting into electronics, micro-controlers, and robotics and in 2010 my wife and I were able to catch the very end of the FIRST championship at the Georgia Dome. We didn’t really get to see much and what I saw didn’t make a lot of sense to me, after listening to this book it does now.
This book is the story of a school in California and its FIRST robotics team made up of rookie high-school seniors competing in the annual FIRST competition. If you don’t know about FIRST check it out
I really like the mission statement of FIRST found on the web site:
"Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership."
I hope that stories like the ones told in this book are being repeated all over the country and that by reading this book will encourage more people to get involved. I hope that I can work in time to volunteer for some FIRST activities this year even if it is just a couple hours taking pictures or helping to setup.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Betsy
- 03-29-11
Great fun!
What a fun and inspiring story. Makes me want to go back and be a robot-making cool dude. And, by the way Goleta is go - lee - tah (not go - let - a).
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joe
- 08-06-16
Inspirational-Makes you feel like part of the team
I truly enjoyed this book. One of the best stories I've read in a long time ... and it's all true. From the announcement of the 2009 challenge through the climax of the season, you are with team 1717 every step of the way. You share all of the victories, defeats, mistakes, and breakthroughs. I don't know if FIRST will ever displace high school football and basketball, but with energy like this, it could make as place of its own in our schools.
The book is fast paced and engaging, and the narration captures the excitement and enthusiasm unique to high school students.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Greg Burnham
- 02-15-23
An accurate depiction of a Great FIRST season
The story gives the reader an idea of what a FIRST season can look like and the hard work that goes in to creating a competition robot, as well as, the teamwork dynamics that have to occur. The reader was a little dry but did a good job overall.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mr.
- 02-12-12
High school drama...too much
The first half of the book was tedious, too much high school drama on the nuts and bolts of building the robot. The second half of the book dealt with the actual competitions. I would rate this an average read. High school kids or those dealing with this age group will enjoy this book, others not so much.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful