One Shot at Forever

One Shot at Forever

Author: Chris Ballard

Publisher: Hachette Books

Published: 2012-05-15

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 140130432X

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"One Shot at Forever is powerful, inspirational. . . This isn't merely a book about baseball. It's a book about heart." -- Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Boys Will Be Boys and The Bad Guys Won 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 represent the smallest school in Illinois history to make the state final, a distinction that still stands. There the Ironmen would play against a Chicago powerhouse in a dramatic game that would change their lives forever. In this gripping, cinematic narrative, Chris Ballard tells the story of the team and its coach, Lynn Sweet: a hippie, dreamer, and intellectual who arrived in Macon in 1966, bringing progressive ideas to a town stuck in the Eisenhower era. Beloved by students but not administration, Sweet reluctantly took over the ragtag team, intent on teaching the boys as much about life as baseball. Together they embarked on an improbable postseason run that buoyed a small town in desperate need of something to celebrate. Engaging and poignant, One Shot at Forever is a testament to the power of high school sports to shape the lives of those who play them, and it reminds us that there are few bonds more sacred than that among a coach, a team, and a town. "Macon's run at the title reminds us why sports matter and why sportswriting has such great power to inspire. . . [It's] one hell of a good story, and Ballard has written one hell of a good book." -- Jonathan Eig, Chicago Tribune


Thousand-Year Statehouse

Thousand-Year Statehouse

Author: David L. Finnigan

Publisher:

Published: 2021-10-31

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 9780578711973

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Take an architectural tour of the extraordinary New Illinois Statehouse at Springfield. Inside you will find the architectural history and fascinating stories behind each major room in the New Statehouse, accompanied by over 120 full-page photos. The book begins with the story of the New Statehouse, its design and construction. Learn about the European and ancient Greek precedents which inspired its architecture. Then, embark on a personal tour of this magnificent building, from the basement tunnels to the top of the dome. Step inside grand halls and private rooms alike, breathtaking examples of Old World craftsmanship. Dozens of close-up photos bring intricate details to hand. Discover the stories of the sculptures, paintings, and ornamentation (and the artisans who made them) which make this building unique both in Illinois and across the nation.


The Almanac of American Education 2020

The Almanac of American Education 2020

Author: Hannah Anderson Krog

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2020-10-23

Total Pages: 529

ISBN-13: 164143418X

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This completely updated edition of TheAlmanac of American Education helps users understand and compare the quality of education at the national, state, and county levels. Compiled from official U.S. government sources, this book contains historical and current data, insightful analysis, and useful graphs that provide compelling insights into the state of education in America. The Almanac provides national coverage of school enrollment and educational attainment, looking at American education from a variety of different angles. It is organized into three sections: Part A—National Education Statistics; Part B—Region and State Education Statistics; and Part C—County Education Statistics. The Almanac’s contents and coverage allow users to answer—and ask—important questions about education, including: • What are the nationwide trends in earnings by educational attainment level? • Is the earnings gap between high school graduates and college graduates growing or shrinking? • What is the average cost to attend college? • Which states have the highest and lowest high school dropout rates? • How do unemployment rates differ by educational attainment? • What is the correlation between family income and kindergarten and preschool enrollment?


The Almanac of American Education 2022

The Almanac of American Education 2022

Author: Hannah Anderson Krog

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2022-07-29

Total Pages: 555

ISBN-13: 1636710670

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This completely updated edition of The Almanac of American Education helps users understand and compare the quality of education at the national, state, and county levels. Compiled from official U.S. government sources, this book contains historical and current data, insightful analysis, and useful graphs that provide compelling insights into the state of education in America. This edition of Almanac of American Education explores for the first time how the COVID-19 pandemic affected education in the United States. It contains new data on virtual schools and virtual school enrollment and characteristics of the twenty largest school districts in each state. The Almanac provides national coverage of school enrollment and educational attainment, looking at American education from a variety of different angles. It is organized into three sections: Part A—National Education Statistics; Part B—Region and State Education Statistics; and Part C—County Education Statistics. The Almanac’s contents and coverage allow users to answer—and ask—important questions about education, including: • What are the nationwide trends in earnings by educational attainment level? • Is the earnings gap between high school graduates and college graduates growing or shrinking? • What is the average cost to attend college? • Which states have the highest and lowest high school dropout rates? • How do unemployment rates differ by educational attainment? • What is the correlation between family income and kindergarten and preschool enrollment?