This is the moving story of God's redeeming and restoring grace to one who wrote the following epitaph for himself: John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our lord and saviour, Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long laboured to destroy. This biography contains much first-hand material from Newton himself. Considerable use is made of his Diary and Letters. His pre-conversion days, his call to the ministry and his time at Olney and St Mary Woolnoth are all covered.
The Addison Collection provides thoughts and observations designed to encourage us to think about philosophical, social, and political issues of interest. “It’s a Buck” describes a teenage boy’s thoughts and feeling while experiencing the initial frustrations and then unexpected rewards of being a first-time, successful deer hunter. “Retreats of Stones and Mosses” is a short story about a population of tiny minnows that find and experience a temporary utopia in their country stream. It illustrates how an absence of daily challenges, which are found in a mainstream environment, can lead to apathy and prolonged despair. “Space Visitors” involves aliens who arrive on Earth and provide insight on our perception of time and space travel. They state that the emphasis we place on an ideal life in the hereafter shouldn’t cause us to overlook the importance and beauty of contemporary life. The treatise, “Our Model Nation,” suggests that the basic values and character of America serve as a forerunner to how the world of the future will be structured. It addresses issues specific to crime and punishment, threats of aggression, natural vs. institutional government, and social destiny. The reader should find this collection interesting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking.
In the bestselling tradition of Freakonomics and Scorecasting comes a clever and accessible look at the big ideas underlying the science of football. Did you hear the one about the MacArthur genius physicist and the NFL coach? It’s not a joke. It’s actually an innovative way to understand chaos theory, and the remarkable complexity of modern professional football. In Newton’s Football, journalist and New York Times bestselling author Allen St. John and TED Speaker and former Yale professor Ainissa Ramirez explore the unexpected science behind America’s Game. Whether it’s Jerry Rice finding the common ground between quantum physics and the West Coast offense or an Ivy League biologist explaining—at a granular level—exactly how a Big Mac morphs into an outside linebacker, Newton’s Football illuminates football—and science—through funny, insightful stories told by some of the world’s sharpest minds. With a clear-eyed empirical approach—and an exuberant affection for the game—St. John and Ramirez address topics that have long beguiled scientists and football fans alike, including: • the unlikely evolution of the football (or, as they put it, “The Divinely Random Bounce of the Prolate Spheroid”) • what Vince Lombardi has in common with Isaac Newton • how the hardwired behavior of monkeys can explain a head coach’s reluctance to go for it on fourth-down • why a gruesome elevator accident jump-started the evolution of placekicking • how Teddy Roosevelt saved football using the same behavioral science concept that Dreamworks would use to save Shrek • why woodpeckers don’t get concussions • how better helmets actually made the game more dangerous Every Sunday the NFL shares a secret with only its savviest fans: The game isn’t just a clash of bodies, it’s a clash of ideas. The greatest minds in football have always possessed an instinctual grasp of science, understanding the big ideas and gritty realities that inform the game’s rich past, as well as its increasingly uncertain future. Blending smart reporting, counterintuitive creativity, and compelling narrative, Newton’s Football takes gridiron analysis to the next level, giving fans a book that entertains, enlightens, and explains the game anew. Praise for Newton’s Football “It was with great interest that I read Newton’s Football. I’m a fan of applying of science to sport and Newton’s Football truly delivers. The stories are as engaging as they are informative. This is a great read for all football fans.”—Mark Cuban “A delightfully improbable book putting science nerds and sports fans on the same page.”—Booklist “This breezily-written but informative book should pique the interest of any serious football fan in the twenty-first century.”—The American Spectator “The authors have done a worthy job of combining popular science and sports into a work that features enough expertise on each topic to satisfy nerds and jocks alike. . . . The writers succeed in their task thanks to in-depth scientific knowledge, a wonderful grasp of football’s past and present, interviews with a wide array of experts, and witty prose. . . . [Newton’s Football is] fun and thought-provoking, proving that football is a mind game as much as it is a ball game.”—Publishers Weekly
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