A Most Beautiful Thing
The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team
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Narrated by:
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Adam Lazarre-White
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By:
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Arshay Cooper
About this listen
"Narrator Adam Lazarre-White conveys Cooper's youth and aspirations in a rich, steady voice that suggests emotional authenticity and humor." (AudioFile Magazine)
Now a documentary narrated by Common, produced by Grant Hill, Dwyane Wade, and 9th Wonder, from filmmaker Mary Mazzio
The moving true story of a group of young men growing up on Chicago's West side who form the first all-Black high school rowing team in the nation, and in doing so not only transform a sport, but their lives.
Growing up on Chicago’s Westside in the 90s, Arshay Cooper knows the harder side of life. The street corners are full of gangs, the hallways of his apartment complex are haunted by drug addicts he calls “zombies” with strung out arms, clutching at him as he passes by. His mother is a recovering addict, and his three siblings all sleep in a one room apartment, a small infantry against the war zone on the street below.
Arshay keeps to himself, preferring to write poetry about the girl he has a crush on, and spends his school days in the home-ec kitchen dreaming of becoming a chef. And then one day as he’s walking out of school he notices a boat in the school lunchroom, and a poster that reads “Join the Crew Team”.
Having no idea what the sport of crew is, Arshay decides to take a chance. This decision to join is one that will forever change his life, and those of his fellow teammates. As Arshay and his teammates begin to come together to learn how to row - many never having been in water before - the sport takes them from the mean streets of Chicago, to the hallowed halls of the Ivy League. But Arshay and his teammates face adversity at every turn, from racism, gang violence, and a sport that has never seen anyone like them before.
A Most Beautiful Thing is the inspiring true story about the most unlikely band of brothers that form a family, and forever change a sport and their lives for the better.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books
"I was immediately captivated. Arshay's writing evoked the emotional angst of teens growing up in the inner city of Chicago..I wholeheartedly recommend Arshay's book and look forward to his future projects." (Ron Stallworth, number-one New York Times best-selling author of Black Klansman)
"This is the story of rising from the ashes stronger, faster, and focused - not in spite of the circumstances of birth but because of them. Arshay’s refusal to let his life story be written for him is a testament to the resilience and beauty of the human spirit, and his eagerness to succeed, on the water and in life, is an inspiration." (Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic)
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Story
In this inspirational memoir, Derrick Coleman, Jr., the Seattle Seahawks fullback who won the 2014 Super Bowl with the Seahawks in his second year in the NFL, relates his inspirational story of hard work and determination in his own words. Showcasing his unlikely and challenging journey to become the first deaf athlete to play offense in the NFL, he talks about overcoming internal and external obstacles in the course of reaching your true potential.
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Inspirational & honest!
- By Kari Piazza on 04-24-17
By: Marcus Brotherton, and others
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Checked
- By: Cynthia Kadohata
- Narrated by: John Kroft
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Hockey is Conor's life. His whole life. He'll say it himself, he's a hockey beast. It's his dad's whole life too - and Conor is sure that's why his stepmom, Jenny, left. There are very few things Conor and his dad love more than the game, and one of those things is their Doberman, Sinbad. When Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer, Conor chooses to put his hockey lessons and practices on hold so they can pay for Sinbad's chemotherapy. But without hockey to distract him, Conor begins to notice more. Like his dad's crying bouts, and his friend's difficult family life.
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Best Book
- By Patrick Smith on 01-30-24
By: Cynthia Kadohata
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Shattered
- Struck Down, But Not Destroyed
- By: Frank Pastore, Ellen Vaughn
- Narrated by: Frank Pastore
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Shattered is part sports audio book, because you’ll go on road trips, enter clubhouses, and walk on the fields of professional baseball. It’s part romantic novel, because you’ll journey with two young kids who fall in love and eventually elope, evading not only her family, but the law as well - for she was only 16. It’s also a story of brokenness, betrayal, and burn-out. If you were raised in a dysfunctional family, if you’ve ever had your dreams fall apart, been betrayed by close friends, or hit the psychological “wall” in your professional career, this is your audio book too.
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Loved it
- By Jim Battle on 01-29-23
By: Frank Pastore, and others
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In the Water They Can't See You Cry
- A Memoir
- By: Amanda Beard, Rebecca Paley
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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At the tender age of 14, Amanda Beard walked onto the pool deck at the Atlanta Olympics carrying her teddy bear, Harold, and left with two silvers and a gold medal. She competed in three more Olympic games, winning a total of seven medals, and enjoyed a lucrative modeling career on the side. At one point, she was the most downloaded female athlete on the Internet. Yet despite her astonishing career and sex-symbol status, Amanda felt unworthy of all her success. Unaware that she was suffering from clinical depression, she hid the pain beneath a megawatt smile.
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I applaud Amanda - but her editor's were lame
- By Heather on 03-10-15
By: Amanda Beard, and others
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Dr. J Unabridged
- The Autobiography
- By: Julius Erving, Karl Taro Greenfeld
- Narrated by: Julius Erving
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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I may overrate it, but I’m a hoops junkie!
- By @JWTheBlueprint on 01-29-14
By: Julius Erving, and others
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Courage to Soar
- A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
- By: Simone Biles
- Narrated by: Imani Parks
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance against tremendous odds made her one of the top athletes and record-breaking gymnasts in the world - and how you too can overcome challenges in your life. In this audiobook, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story - one filled with the kinds of daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams.
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A little thin
- By Rachel2450 on 11-24-16
By: Simone Biles
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Purpose
- An Immigrant's Story
- By: Wyclef Jean, Anthony Bozza
- Narrated by: Sam Jean
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Wyclef Jean is one of the most influential voices in hip-hop. He rocketed to fame in the 1990s with the Fugees, whose multiplatinum album, The Score, would prove a landmark in music history, winning two Grammys and going on to become one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time. In Purpose, Wyclef recounts his path to fame from his impoverished childhood in "Baby Doc" Duvalier's Haiti and the mean streets of Brooklyn and Newark to the bright lights of the world stage.
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Great, great, great read!
- By Gbenga Ogunjimi on 04-10-24
By: Wyclef Jean, and others
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The Pursuit of Happyness (Abridged)
- By: Chris Gardner
- Narrated by: Andre Blake
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Abridged
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At the age of 20, Chris Gardner arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. However, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry-level position at a prestigious firm, Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him part of the city's working homeless with his toddler son.
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Very Good Story!
- By Lito Da Critic on 06-02-06
By: Chris Gardner
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Undocumented
- A Dominican Boy’s Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League
- By: Dan-el Padilla Peralta
- Narrated by: Dan-el Padilla Peralta
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Dan-el Padilla Peralta has lived the American dream. As a boy he came here legally with his family. Together they left Santo Domingo behind, but life in New York City was harder than they imagined. Their visas lapsed, and Dan-el's father returned home. But Dan-el's courageous mother was determined to make a better life for her bright sons. Undocumented is a classic story of the triumph of the human spirit. It also is the perfect cri de coeur for the debate on comprehensive immigration reform.
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A must read, but
- By Louise de Marillac on 10-10-15
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Basketball Junkie
- A Memoir
- By: Chris Herren, Bill Reynolds
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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At basketball-crazy Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, junior guard Chris Herren carried his family’s and the city’s dreams on his skinny frame. His grandfather, father, and older brother had created their own sports legends in a declining city; he was the last, best hope for a career beyond the shuttered mills and factories. Herren was heavily recruited by major universities, chosen as a McDonald’s All-American, featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and at just seventeen years old became the central figure in Fall River Dreams, an acclaimed book about the 1994 Durfee team’s quest for the state championship.
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most powerful recovery story I've ever heard
- By Brian Swasey on 03-23-22
By: Chris Herren, and others
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The Pact
- Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream
- By: Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
- Narrated by: Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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All too often, we hear about the dangers of male friendships in which peer pressure prevails over common sense. But for George Jenkins, Sampson Davis, and Rameck Hunt, strong and supportive male friendship was a powerful antidote to the temptations and pitfalls of street life. It led three boys to make a vow to be there for one another, to encourage one another every step of the way, until they overcame the odds and became doctors.
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Very Inspirational
- By Heather on 04-10-09
By: Drs. Sampson Davis, and others
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The Secret Side of Empty
- By: Maria E. Andreu
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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What's it like to be undocumented? High school senior M.T. knows all too well. With graduation and an uncertain future looming, she must figure out how to grow up in the only country she's ever called home... a country in which she's "illegal". M.T. was born in Argentina and brought to America as a baby without any official papers. And as questions of college, work, and the future arise, M.T. will have to decide what exactly she wants for herself, knowing someone she loves will unavoidably pay the price for it.
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Heavy topics handled well but just fell short 4 me
- By AudioBookHoe on 07-30-17
By: Maria E. Andreu
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Rebound
- By: Kwame Alexander
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to Newbery Medal winner The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as listeners get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshiping basketball star his sons look up to. A novel in verse with all the impact and rhythm listeners have come to expect from Kwame Alexander, Rebound will go back in time to visit the childhood of Chuck "Da Man" Bell during one pivotal summer when young Charlie is sent to stay with his grandparents, where he discovers basketball and learns more about his family's past.
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Book
- By Cookie crumbs on 07-09-19
By: Kwame Alexander
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GIMP
- When Life Deals You a Crappy Hand, You Can Fold or You Can Play
- By: Mark Zupan
- Narrated by: Mark Zupan
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Abridged
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Mark Zupan, a quadriplegic, was facing life in a wheelchair and only limited use of all four limbs. Always a winner and a fighter, Mark refused to accept that his injury doomed him to a lifetime of passive acceptance. He fought to regain as much mobility as possible, and his indomitable spirit has helped him create a life that's truly exceptional.
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Same story
- By Salish54 on 12-16-21
By: Mark Zupan
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Tyrell
- By: Coe Booth
- Narrated by: Barrie Buckner
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Tyrell is a young African-American teen who can't get a break. He's living (for now) with his spaced-out mother and little brother in a homeless shelter. His father's in jail. His girlfriend supports him, but he doesn't feel good enough for her - and seems to be always on the verge of doing the wrong thing around her. There's another girl at the homeless shelter who is also after him, although the desires there are complicated. Tyrell feels he needs to score some money to make things better. Will he end up following in his father's footsteps?
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Great book for Teenagers
- By Anonymous User on 10-10-22
By: Coe Booth
What listeners say about A Most Beautiful Thing
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- kenneth vaccaro
- 09-08-20
Inspirational story
I found this book very inspiring and would highly recommend it. It has an important message in our current troubled times.
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- Bettye Evans Vint
- 07-27-20
How to get out of the Hood without knowing it!
I loved, loved the author describing his negative high school experiences growing up in the Chicago hood. How trying something different forever changed his life and prospective on the way he looked at things/ life and his connection to his peer group and surrounding environment ‼️
The book is so great that I did not want it to end‼️
Kudos to his success and his fell friends ‼️
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- Ross Shanken
- 02-12-22
Incredible story
Just read it - amazing in so many ways. Inspiring, thought provoking, enriching, and so much more. Thank you Arshay Cooper for sharing your story with the world!
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- KathrynVB
- 12-31-20
Wonderful book, great story.
Watch the documentary after you've read the book. Not before. It's a lovely way to get more of the story.
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- MJK1
- 07-27-20
A Most Perfect Story
As a former college rower, this book was incredible all the way around. The descriptions of rowing completely match may memories of learning to row. The strength and insight of the author, and the personal hurdles he had to overcome, are truly inspiring. He captures the true brotherhood he felt with his teammates, something I felt with mine. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, even non-rowers.
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- Michael J. Blumfield
- 04-28-21
Inspirational, sobering, insightful
This is a compelling story about how the right influences, support and guidance can make all the difference for young people, particularly those that face bleak prospects otherwise. It's about race in America as much as it is about rowing. Highly recommended, especially for younger audiences seeking motivation.
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- Susan S.
- 02-28-22
Wonderful and Inspiring
I love true stories about average humans rising above incredible hardship to succeed and help others. Arshay is an amazing human. I wish him all the best that life has to offer. It seems he has gotten them already. May he continue to be blessed for all his life's choices and the sharing of his wisdom with others.
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- CCLS IT
- 03-21-23
Rowing coaches and young rowers- READ THIS
Entertaining, informative, inspiring, touching. The narrator does a great job. This could serve as a rowing coach manual for how to inspire and teach.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-15-23
Great inspirational story!
Great inspirational story that will inspire many young underrepresented young men and women. Great read.
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- K Whitmore
- 10-02-23
Loved. Better than the movie
I saw the movie, but this book is way better. I started rowing at 42 and this books describes the energy, challenges, and intense pull to the sport once you start. More importantly, it captures the realties and constant uphill battles Black and Brown kids face in cities like Chicago. A great listen.
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