Jack McCallum - American Hiro

Jack McCallum has written a LOT of great books about basketball. However, this latest book about American legend Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki is sublime. Rocky was a man who succeeded in everything he pursued, from world-class wrestling, ballooning, underwater exploration, car and boat racing, and what many know him for, founding Benihana. He is the force behind a wave of Japanese cuisine and culture spreading across late-20th century America. With a foreword by Rocky's internationally famous son, Steve Aoki, and covering the family saga and ongoing influence of Rocky since his death in 2008,

Get American Hiro on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3LjbIQO

Rocky’s life was a wild American dream realized unlike any other. Running and expanding Benihana would be all-consuming for most people—not to mention battling the perception of otherness—but he would not be deterred. His determination for the business rivaled the drive he demonstrated in his other interests, some of which almost killed him.

Rocky also served the common good, acting as Commissioner on the Mayor’s Council on Youth and Physical Fitness in New York City, and campaigning for the advancement of youth everywhere. He was actively involved in promoting the cultural exchanges between Japan and the US and sponsored sporting and cultural events such as the first professional heavyweight boxing match in the Far East between Muhammad Ali and Mac Foster.

Who is Jack McCallum? We'll let the man speak for himself, "I could pretend that a third person wrote this, but who better to write “About the Author” than the author?

I’m currently in the middle of researching a new book about the NBA. I hate to be coy, but it’s in a premature stage, and we don’t have a title yet. It will cover two eras of the league through the prisms of two special teams. You’ll like it. I just have to write it now.

I’m probably best known—if I’m known at all—for Dream Team, a book about the 1992 U.S. Olympic team that made a take-no-prisoners-have-a-lot-of-laughs journey through the competition at Barcelona. It made it to No. 3 on the New York Times best-seller list, right behind Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken and Cheryl Strayed’s Wild. Both of them have been made into movies. People … I’m waiting …

Before Dream Team, I wrote Seven Seconds or Less, which has a long subtitle. (So did Dream Team. Publishers love long subtitles.) Many people have said nice things about it, so I’m not about to argue with them. I will say that it would be hard to find a more inside-the-locker-room sports book, considering the unfettered access I was given by coach Mike D’Antoni and the rest of the Phoenix Suns organization. I owe them a great debt.

In similar fashion, I followed the Boston Celtics over the course of the 1990-91 season that resulted in a book called Unfinished Business, which also has a long subtitle you don’t need to memorize. The book examined the legendary franchise from within, a precursor to Seven Seconds, and I was fortunate to be around Larry Bird in the twilight of his career.

I also co-wrote a 2005 novel, Foul Lines, with a Sports Illustrated colleague named L. Jon Wertheim. If you’re ever considering co-writing a book, find someone smarter than yourself to partner with, as I did with Jon."