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Pennsylvania Boxing : Living the American Dream
Further Reading

Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of America. Phoenix, AZ: Simon Publications, 2001.

This is a republication of the work in which the author first coined the term "American Dream."

Cullen, Jim. The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2004.

The author explores the original definition of the phrase "The American Dream" and the founding American documents which shaped it. He goes on to uncover the shifting and remaking of its meaning at different times in American history.

Gardner, John W. Living, Leading, and the American Dream. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2003.

In his essays and speeches, the author shares his personal views on community, civic responsibilities, leadership, and the importance of liberty in shaping the American Dream. Gardner recognizes the role that we have in creating or recreating the American Dream in which we wish to live.

Gattuso, John, ed.. Shadow Boxers: Sweat, Sacrifice and the Will to Survive in American Boxing Gyms. Milford, NJ: Stone Creek Publications, 2005.

This combination of photographs and essays communicates the role of the boxing gym in American society. In the middle of rough city neighborhoods, these gritty boxing rings offer democracy, discipline, and a sense of hard-earned dignity. The foreward is written by Joe Frazier and the essays by well-known boxing writers: Katherine Dunn, Carlo Rotella, Kate Sekules, Lucius Shepard, Robert Anasi, Ralph Wiley, F.X. Toole, Joe Rein, Loic Wacquant, and Mark Kram.

Sammons, Jeffrey T. Beyond the Ring: The Role of Boxing in American Society. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1990.

Sammons looks at racial, economic, and political themes in the sport of boxing. His opening chapter, "Crime or Sport?", gives interesting historical information about the early anti-boxing sentiment in the colonies, the consequential outlawing of the sport, and the survival of boxing despite these laws.

Silverman, Jeff, ed.. The Greatest Boxing Stories Ever Told: Thirty-Six Incredible Tales from the Ring. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press, 2004.

A balanced and representative assortment of good boxing stories.


Web Sites

American Dream Coalition http://www.americandreamcoalition.org/

This coalition seeks to support citizens and organizations that promote the American Dream of freedom, mobility, and affordable homeownership. Experts on transportation and land-use are available for speaking fees, and the coalition expresses clear concerns about the government program of "Smart-Growth Planning".

Bernard Hopkins http://www.bernardhopkins.net/

The official website for "The Executioner", Bernard Hopkins, is full of statistics, personal and professional information, and images of one of the greatest fighters to come out of Philadelphia.

Declaration of Independence: Primary Documents in American History http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/DeclarInd.html

This Library of Congress site provides virtual access to various drafts of the Declaration of Independence.

IBO-International Boxing Organization http://www.iboboxing.com/

This is the International Boxing Organization's official site. This site allows access to current champions by weight class, gives results for recent fights, and provides rankings. The site also allows visitors to check the United States rankings and offers other boxing links.

International Boxing Hall of Fame http://www.ibhof.com/

The official site of the International Boxing Hall of Fame includes short biographies of all the inductees, feature articles about the sport, a solid bibliography, and lots of statistical data.

Joe Palooka-Don Markstein's Toonapedia http://www.toonopedia.com/palooka.htm

A vast repository of cartoon knowledge, this website gives information about creation and life of Joe Palooka as a comic strip.

MLK Papers Project Sermon "The American Dream" http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/sermons/650704_The_American_Dream.h...

This site provides an audio excerpt of an inspirational sermon Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, on 4 July 1965. This is an excerpt from the book A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

Philly Boxing History http://www.phillyboxinghistory.com

Rocky http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky

This site gives summary information about the cast, plot, and production of the original Rocky.

The Gettysburg Address Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/gadd/gadrft.html

Discussion of the various drafts of the Gettysburg Address. Also displays the only known photograph of Lincoln delivering the speech.

What is the American Dream? http://international.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/thedream.html

In this background essay for a Library of Congress lesson plan, a variety of interpretations of "the American Dream" are explored.


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