Golf Science

When Andrew Shanley realized that his sons, aged 10 and 13, were lacking the integrity and honesty he expected of them, he was shocked. He had believed they shared his values; now he struggled to find a way to teach them ethics before it was too late. Being a golfer with an enduring love of the game, Shanley decided that by teaching his sons golf, he could effectively instruct them in what really matters - how to be men.

This book adopts some of the basic rules of golf as a metaphor for life and argues that life is a game that can be played successfully. The work then enumerates some basic rules of life (21 in total) and shows how others have followed and violated these rules to their ultimate victory or defeat. Many references are culled from popular culture both here in North America and abroad. There are autobiographical snippets along the way to add authenticity to the project.

Perhaps the best golfer ever, Tiger Woods rocketed to the top of a once whites-only sport. Endorsements made him a global brand and the world’s richest athlete. The child of a multiracial marriage, Woods and his blond, blue-eyed wife, Elin Nordegren, seemed to represent a new postracial America. Then, in late 2009, Woods became embroiled in a sex scandal that made headlines worldwide.

Tommy and the Magical 7 Iron invites listeners into a world where adventure begins in the most unexpected places. Seven-year-old Tommy, with his boundless imagination, stumbles upon an old 7-iron golf club at a neighborhood garage sale. But this isn’t any ordinary club—it’s imbued with magic, ready to guide Tommy on an extraordinary journey.

Here is one of twelve magnificent stories, originally part of The John Cheever Audio Collection, in which John Cheever celebrates—with unequaled grace and tenderness—the deepest feelings we have. As Cheever writes in his preface, ""These stories seem at times to be stories of a long-lost...