 The best book that I've read in the last few years is The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. This is the story of the University of Washington varsity crew who competed in the Olympics in Berlin in 1936. It's a fascinating story about nine working-class youth who overcame extreme obstacles to be successful in competition. It's a story about class, it's a story about geography, it's mostly a story about commitment, it's an amazing read, you won't be able to put it down when you start reading it. I strongly recommend it.