With wit and style, former Sports Illustrated
staffer Ballard (Hoops Nation
) profiles 10 people who found their life's work in highly unusual jobs. Although Ballard acknowledges that an engaging occupation doesn't guarantee happiness, he believes that having a calling brings meaning to life. And some of his subjects have achieved wealth and success through their work: Don LaFontaine, considered the master of voiceovers, has recorded trailers for over 3,500 films. Penny Halvorson, a 45-year-old grandmother, was the first woman to participate in lumberjack competitions; she has won four world championships. Doug Blevins has cerebral palsy and has never walked, yet he has become an outstanding football coach, working with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. Wisely, in Blevins's story, Ballard finds not sentimental inspiration but passion in pursuing a dream "because it is the one thing that can give... life meaning." The strength of this exploration lies in its offering not generalities or formulas for success but specific truths behind individual choices. And in a funny introduction, Ballard describes his own failure to become a vacuum cleaner salesman. (Apr. 18)
