Mike Sielski traces the history of the slam dunk and its influence on basketball and American social change. He shows how the dunk helped shift the sport from white control to a Black man's game and became an expression of Black culture during the civil rights era. After a nearly decade-long college ban the dunk reemerged through stars from Julius Erving to Michael Jordan and helped grow the NBA into a global league.

This memoir offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a celebrated comedian, chronicling his journey from a young boy with a passion for magic and comedy to becoming a renowned stand-up performer. It delves into the challenges and triumphs he faced along the way, highlighting the dedication, creativity, and resilience required to succeed in the world of entertainment. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, the narrative captures the evolution of his unique comedic style and the eventual decision to step away from the stage at the height of his career, providing a heartfelt and humorous exploration of the art of comedy and the pursuit of one's dreams.

A ragged, larger-than-life cast of cowboys, showmen and carnival folk converge on an early-twentieth-century rodeo in the Pacific Northwest, where a legendary final contest becomes the occasion for tall tales, rough humor and bittersweet reflection; through vivid episodic scenes and colorful characters the story celebrates and questions American myth-making, masculinity, camaraderie and the slow fading of an age as aging performers and young riders grapple with glory, loss and the need to keep stories alive.