On April 23, 1943, the seventy-man crew of the USS Grenadier scrambled to save their submarine—and themselves—after a Japanese aerial torpedo sent it crashing to the ocean floor. Miraculously, the men were able to bring the sub back to the surface, only to be captured by the Japanese. No Ordinary Joes tells the harrowing story of four of the Grenadier’s crew: Bob Palmer of Medford, Oregon; Chuck Vervalin of Dundee, New York; Tim McCoy of Dallas, Texas; and Gordy Cox of Yakima, Washington. All were enlistees from families that struggled through the Great Depression. The lure of service and duty to country were not their primary motivations—they were more compelled by the promise of a job that provided “three hots and a cot” and a steady paycheck. On the day they were captured, all four were still teenagers. Together, the men faced unimaginable brutality at the hands of their captors in a prisoner of war camp. With no training in how to respond in the face of relentless interrogations and with less than a cup of rice per day for sustenance, each man created his own strategy for survival. When the liberation finally came, all four anticipated a triumphant homecoming to waiting families, loved ones, and wives, but instead were forced to find a new kind of strength as they struggled to resume their lives in a world that had given them up for dead, and with the aftershocks of an experience that haunted and colored the rest of their days. Author Larry Colton brings the lives of these four “ordinary” heroes into brilliant focus. Theirs is a story of tragedy and courage, romance and war, loss and endurance, failure and redemption. With a scope both panoramic and disarmingly intimate, No Ordinary Joes is a powerful look at the atrocities of war, the reality of its aftermath, and the restorative power of love.

Documents the stories of four World War II prisoners of war who were tortured by their Japanese captors, describing the events that led to their imprisonment, the brutal conditions that forged their deep bond and their considerable struggles to re-acclimate to civilian life.

Nothing could stop small-town gal Reily Eckardt from heading to Nashville and living the dream, until her car and cash savings were stolen en route. Now she was high and dry in Paradise, Colorado, population 1,632, relying on the kindness of strangers, in particular, bar and grill owner Joe Miller. But why did the single dad have to be so gruff, and cute, while he was being kind? Her mission: save up and split before getting sidetracked by this sexy enigma. Sure, Joe could offer Reily a job at his bar. Renting her his garage apartment, no problem. But giving her a place in his heart, no way! Poor Joe, it wasn't long before the country crooner had him singing a different tune.

“What is happening to my life?” Have you ever honestly asked yourself that question? As young boys, we dreamed of being pilots, firefighters, doctors, and cowboys. Now we’re older, with a wonderful wife and kids, as well as a mortgage, a minivan, and a fulfilling but not-so-glamorous job. What happened? All the dreams that once inspired us have evaporated into traffic jams, computer screens, bills, and deadlines. Why is life so ordinary? If you think your life is nothing special, take a look at it through God’s eyes. The revealing truth is that God chooses “ordinary,” faithful men to do His most important work—regular guys like Peter the fisherman, David the shepherd, Stephen the waiter, Gideon the farmer, Paul the tentmaker, and even Jesus the carpenter. In this engaging book, Troy Meeder blends stories about biblical characters and contemporary men to show that an “average-Joe” life, an “ordinary” existence, shapes a man’s integrity, moral stability, resolve, and strength. The world desperately needs an army of “average Joes.” Like you. “Troy Meeder’s heart-felt accounts from both his own personal experience and those of friends and family touch a raw nerve in your soul…. Average Joe reminds us that living a life focused on faith, family, and friends is what makes a man exceptional.” —Rick Wiggers, average Joe and account manager Includes a study guide for use by men’s groups.

"... more than just a sports story or a portrait of youth. It is a sobering expose of a part of our society long since cut out of the American dream."--Dust jacket.

A celebration of the nuttiness and obsessives in all of us, RecordSetter is the new world record– setting phenomenon, a website that believes everyone can be the world’s best at something—and where 80,000 people a month come to prove it, or just enjoy watching. Corey Henderson and Dan Rollman, the creators of RecordSetter, are two entrepreneurs obsessed by world records who appear regularly on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and host events in cities around the country. The RecordSetter Book of World Records captures all the exuberance, energy, and quirky good humor of the records and record-setters. Here are more than 300 of the longest, loudest, slowest, weirdest, coolest, and most-difficult-to-break world records. There are Food & Drink Records. Sports & Games Records. Records set by (not-so) average Joes, and records set by celebrities (Most Bunnies Snuggled in a Hammock by Cameron Diaz).

Most Unlikely to Succeed No one who charted Bruce Halle's early years would predict that the poor kid from New Hampshire might achieve greatness as an adult. Challenged in school and growing up in a struggling family, Halle looked like every other kid who would leave high school in the 1940s and disappear into a factory. Instead, Halle created one of America's most respected companies, rose to join the Forbes magazine list of the four hundred richest Americans and serve as the role model for the ordinary Joes who seek out success at Discount Tire Company. Six Tires, No Plan maps Halle's journey out of poverty and failure and reveals the deceptively simple values that drive success for him, his company and thousands of employees. Key among those principles is Halle's commitment to passing on his good fortune to the thousands of employees who serve his customers every day. This is Halle's true passion, and paying it forward to the ordinary guy is a cornerstone of Discount Tire's ongoing success. Avoiding the spotlight, crediting his employees for the success of the company, Halle demonstrates the incredible power of perseverance and fundamental values to create long-term success. His journey offers a roadmap worth following in both career and life.