In the second quarter ended June 30, net sales at Amazon rose 10.1%, to $148 billion, and net income doubled to $13.5 billion. North America sales rose 9.1%, to $90 billion, while international sales rose 6.6%, to $31.7 billion. Sales at AWS, Amazon's cloud division, rose 18.7%, to $26.3 billion.

Excluding AWS, results were below analysts' expectations, leading to a drop in Amazon stock price in after-hours trading, almost 5%, to $175 a share.

The company predicts that third-quarter sales will grow 8%-11%, to between $154 billion and $158.5 billion, a range that many analysts also found disappointing.

Amazon president and CEO Andy Jassy commented: "We're continuing to make progress on a number of dimensions, but perhaps none more so than the continued reacceleration in AWS growth. As companies continue to modernize their infrastructure and move to the cloud, while also leveraging new Generative AI opportunities, AWS continues to be customers' top choice as we have much broader functionality, superior security and operational performance, a larger partner ecosystem, and AI capabilities."

In a conference call after the results were announced, Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said that current events, including the Olympics, the presidential election, and "the assassination attempt a couple weeks ago," have claimed people's attention and make the third quarter "tough" to forecast, according to the New York Times. Focusing on the news sometimes leads customers, who are tending to seek lower-cost products, to "skip purchases entirely."

And the Wall Street Journal observed, "Like many of the top companies in technology, Amazon has been ramping up its spending on the data centers, real estate and chips needed to meet the surging demand for computer power that has come with the rise of artificial intelligence. Amazon's purchases of property and equipment, a measurement of its capital spending, was $17.62 billion in the second quarter. That is more than 50% higher than the year-earlier level and the highest quarterly spending since 2021." This heavy spending will continue.

With Barnes & Noble's purchase of Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, Colo., Derek Holland has been named managing director, with overall responsibility for all Tattered Cover operations, and will be the senior store manager in the Colfax store. He has been a bookseller and store manager at Tattered Cover for nearly 35 years.

Katie Bierzychudek continues as store manager for Colfax; Scott Patnesky is store manager of Aspen Grove; and John Michael Wolter is store manager of Stanley Market Place.

Holland commented: "I am honored to take leadership of Tattered Cover as we set about to restore the bookstore to excellence. I know after 34 years working as a bookseller at Tattered Cover the extraordinary quality of which our stores are capable. I am grateful for the support of my fellow booksellers, and above all the tremendous loyalty of our cherished customers."

CEO Brad Dempsey and COO Jeremy Patlen have left the company. Tattered Cover said it is "very grateful for the skill with which Brad and Jeremy directed the company through the exceptionally difficult period of the bankruptcy and sale process. Everyone at Tattered Cover owes them a debt of gratitude and we wish them every success in their new ventures."

Dempsey said, "I am proud of the work we have accomplished over the past year and grateful for the opportunity to work with this iconic bookstore. I will be looking forward to seeing this revered group of stores thrive in the community for years to come."

Sophie Cottrell, who has been senior v-p, corporate communications, at Hachette Book Group for 16 years and has worked for a total of 22 years at HBG, is leaving the company at the end of August. In her place, Gabrielle Gambrell will join Hachette as the new senior v-p, communications, and be a member of the executive management board.

Gabrielle Gambrell

Gambrell, who starts August 19, comes to Hachette from Amazon, where she has been head of communications, inclusive experiences & technology, employee experience since 2021. Before that, she was chief marketing and brand officer at Barnard College and has held senior roles at CBS and NBCUniversal, and is an adjunct professor at New York University and Columbia. In a memo to staff, Hachette CEO David Shelley said Gambrell has "broad experience leading PR strategy, internal and external engagement, DEI initiatives, and executive communications."

Sophie Cottrell

Shelley also thanked Cottrell, saying that "Sophie's role as HBG navigated the pandemic, six company acquisitions, and many other significant developments, cannot be overstated. It's a high pressure job that is not for the faint of heart, and Sophie has brought energy, intelligence, and impact to the work. Sophie's discretion, unflappability, professionalism, and the respect and trust she has earned with HBG leadership, in our industry and with the media, are all to HBG's advantage, and key to our success.

"In addition to leading internal and external communications, Sophie has overseen HBG's sustainability efforts and our charitable giving. She has directed our corporate partnerships, and has been integrally involved in our DEI focused community partnerships. Sophie has played an important role in the relaunch of Hachette Speakers Bureau, has been HSB's proudest champion and helped guide its strategic growth. She formed the publicity-communications group and acts as a trusted sounding board for our publicity teams on major announcements as well as mitigating risk in complex PR issues."

Cottrell commented: "I've loved my time at HBG and the cherished friendships and industry relationships I've built over the years, and I'm very proud of the work we've accomplished together. After 35 years in publishing, I'm excited to take this opportunity to step back, experience life beyond the demands of work, and explore new possibilities for my future."

Oscar Almonte-Espinal

Oscar Almonte-Espinal of Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and Books in Philadelphia, Pa., won the 2024 New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association Joe Drabyak Spirit Handseller of the Year Award. 

"Oscar's passion about literature, literacy, and supporting writers doing new and exciting work means that every person coming to Uncle Bobbie's can get knowledgeable recommendations, personable and sincere assistance, and the latest debrief on the hottest releases," said colleague Eden Artigues. "In my time working at Uncle Bobbie's, I have never known someone to be so well read and able to offer considerations and critiques that never miss! Oscar's love for books is a part of the atmosphere at Uncle Bobbie's, and customers look forward to engaging with him whether irl or on his bookstagram."

"This is a huge honor! When I heard the news, my jaw dropped to the floor," Almonte-Espinal said. "Books are the center of my life. There is some real and true power in books. I knew I wanted to work with books the minute I found that power. It is an immense privilege putting books in the hands of others. Especially now, in this moment, where book banning has become a dark cloud hovering above us. Throughout my years working as a bookseller, I've learned that bookselling is how we resist those who are trying to keep books and understanding out of the hands of readers. I've never been so proud to identify as a bookseller. I cannot wait to continue resisting, sharing, recommending and working with books. I'm incredibly grateful for this recognition from my peers."

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Jason Rice is the 2024 Kristen Keith Sales Rep of the Year, recognized by booksellers across the NAIBA region for his work and dedication to the independent market. Rice began his career in publishing at Bantam Doubleday Dell in special markets sales. Since 2005, he has worked as a wholesale sales rep for Bookazine, Baker & Taylor, and now with Ingram. In these years, he has partnered with independent bookstores in the Mid-Atlantic and New England region, selling wholesale services, opening new stores and building relationships.    

"It's a great honor to be named Sales Rep of the Year," Rice said. "This is a relationship business and I'm very happy to have booksellers and bookstore owners recognize my efforts, especially since the spirit of the award means so much to me. Kristin Keith was one of the first people I met in the book business. She was both kind and generous, and her love of books was infectious. Kristin was a friend and in those first years as a sales rep, someone I looked up to."

Dr. Claire Van Den Broek, co-owner of Huxley and Hiro in Wilmington, Del., commented: "Jason Rice has been a pillar of support for our indie bookstore since we opened last year. When I didn't even know what a rep was or did, he reached out and offered to visit our bookstore in person. He walked through the store with us, explained so much about how to both expand and slim down inventory, and patiently spent hours answering our questions about all aspects of the industry. We especially value his honesty and integrity; we can trust that he has our best interest at heart and isn't just trying to sell his company to us. Now that our store is thriving, Jason remains our go-to for any questions or concerns we might have about the industry, not just Ingram. His knowledge and patience make him an invaluable asset to the community."

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Ellen Oh, author and a founding member, president, and CEO of We Need Diverse Books; and Dhonielle Clayton, author and COO of We Need Diverse Books, are the winners of this year's NAIBA Legacy Award.

The winners commented: "We are incredibly honored to receive the NAIBA Legacy Award and to be included with the likes of past winners like NK Jemisin, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Judy Blume. 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of We Need Diverse Books, and we couldn't have reached this milestone without the support of independent booksellers who continue to champion diverse voices to their patrons and in their communities. We thank NAIBA for this recognition, and we look forward to working together to build more empathy and connection in our world, one diverse book at a time."

Brad Johnson, owner of East Bay Booksellers, which was destroyed by a fire Tuesday, has posted an update to the GoFundMe page where more than $145,000 has been raised toward the $200,000 goal to help the bookstore on its road to recovery.

"I cannot express in words how much I appreciate your support over the last few days. Between the donations here, the wonderfully endless words of encouragement I see all over the place online, we feel the love," Johnson wrote. "Let's get together, shall we? Our event with the great poet Daniel Borzutzky, Rachel Galvin (special guest, Tongo Eisen-Martin(!!)) on Monday, August 12th at Gilman Street Brewing Company in Berkeley (7pm) has a heightened poignance in the wake of the fire. Daniel asked me the other day if I wanted to cancel, and I told him that was out of the question. I--and maybe WE--need this. Please swing by."

Brad Johnson

Johnson noted that Point Reyes Books and City Lights Books have donated the books, so all purchases at the event will be donations. Pizza and beer will be served. "It was going to be a great event in the absence of this, but now... I think it will be truly special," he added.

Many indie bookstores have been posting appeals to their social media followers on behalf of East Bay Booksellers, including Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, N.Y., which described the news as "devastating. It’s such a crazy time but it would mean the world to us if you joined Books Are Magic in getting East Bay Booksellers back on their feet. A fire destroyed their store on Tuesday morning. Anything helps!"

Alibi Bookshop, Vallejo, Calif., posted on Instagram: "The world can't afford to lose any more bookstores, especially a gem like this one. If you can spare it, please help them rebuild by donating to their GoFundMe.... We are so sorry this happened, and we are sending our love and support... And we're looking forward to a grand reopening." And Chaucer's Bookstore, Santa Barbara, wrote: "This is a devastating loss for the store and their community. If you’re able, you can join us in supporting their recovery effort by donating to their Go Fund Me."

The California Independent Booksellers Alliance noted: "If you are in a position to give, there is a GoFundMe linked in our highlights (called East Bay Booksellers) to help the store get back on its feet. CALIBA will share any other ways the community can help East Bay Booksellers here and in our newsletter as the situation develops. Thank you!"

Shelf Awareness for Readers, our weekly consumer-facing publication featuring adult and children's book reviews, author interviews, backlist recommendations, and fun news items, is being published today. Starred review highlights include Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow by Damilare Kuku, the "sharply insightful, bitingly funny, wondrously poignant" story of a woman's search for true love and acceptance through cosmetic surgery; Beep by Bill Roorbach, the madcap adventure of a Costa Rican squirrel monkey determined to save the planet from environmental collapse; and the "mischief-rich, briskly rhyming fairy tale" picture book Into the Goblin Market, which presents a quick-thinking farm girl contending with enchanted adversaries. Also, Philip Witte and Rex Hesner offer their savvy analysis of New Yorker-style gag cartoons in Funny Stuff. In The Writer's Life, It's Elementary author Elise Bryant remembers playing Little Women with her classmates, and the YA novel that prompted her to begin writing her own. Plus, rediscover late Irish author Edna O'Brien, whose work "played an important role in transforming the status of women across Irish society."

Today's issue of Shelf Awareness for Readers is going to more than 690,000 customers of 251 independent bookstores. Stores interested in learning more can contact our partnership program team via e-mail. To see today's issue, click here.

"Let's start a little Monday tradition, a pairing if you will of a local business and a book that matches them," Monarch Books, Arroyo Grande, Calif., posted on Facebook. "First up, the lovely @neighborsgeneralstore with proprietress Alex. This little gem of a shop has everything you need to not only play host/hostess but to make your guests feel truly welcome. From candles, and unique dinnerware to tablecloths and tomato sauce, it has everything you need for your gathering. Alex is also a staunch supporter of human rights and embracing all into our community. 

"So, the perfect book for Neighbors, in my opinion is Babette's Feast by Isak Dinesen. Babette leaving France during its great Revolution goes to stay with two spinster sisters in Denmark. To repay them for their kindness she prepares the ultimate sumptuous feast and it unravels the people invited. If you haven't already, please visit both: Neighbors General Store and Babette's Feast. Leave a star in the comments if you've been to Neighbors or read Babette's Feast and you'll be entered in a drawing for a free audiobook!"

"Happy 100 years to James Baldwin! Born August 2, 1924," TidePool Bookshop, Worcester, Mass., posted on Facebook, along with a pic of the shop's display table. 

In the Harper Group hardcover marketing department:

Katie O'Callaghan, who works on Harper, Harper Influence, and Broadside Books, has been promoted to executive director of marketing. She has been with the company 13 years.

Amanda Pritzker has been promoted to executive director of marketing. In her two years at HarperCollins, she has overseen the marketing efforts for Harper Business and, previously, Harper Wave. She will continue to oversee Harper Business while working on Harper, Harper Influence, and Broadside Books.

Tom Hopke, who works on Harper, Harper Influence, and Broadside Books, has been promoted to director of marketing. He has been with the company 18 years.

Jessica Gilo, who works on all hardcover imprints in the Harper Group, has been promoted to director of marketing. She has been with the company for two years.

Becca Putman, who works on Harper, Harper Influence, and Broadside Books, has been promoted to director of marketing. She has been with the company nearly five years.

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At Macmillan:

Cristina Cushing has been promoted to associate director, sales, on the sales team.

Christine Jaeger has been promoted to v-p, merch & distribution, on the sales team.

Kylie Thalheimer has joined the company as assistant, sales.

Hallie Young has joined the company as assistant, academic & library marketing.

The DBT Workbook for Narcissistic Abuse and Gaslighting: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Stay Emotionally Centered, Overcome Self-Doubt, and Reclaim Your Self-Worth by Katelyn Baxter-Musser (New Harbinger).

Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher, "described as part memoir, part history, chronicling tech's most powerful players, is in the works for the small screen," Deadline reported, adding that the book has been optioned for development as a TV series by Tomorrow Studios (Snowpiercer, Physical).

Swisher made the announcement on her Pivot podcast Tuesday with co-host Scott Galloway. The project is in very early development as either a limited or regular series, a studio spokesperson told Deadline. Swisher has covered the business of the Internet since 1994. 

Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright (published in the U.S. by New Directions) has won the A$60,000 (US$39,000) 2024 Miles Franklin Literary Award, Australia's most prestigious literary prize. This marks Wright's second time winning the award; she won in 2007 for her novel Carpentaria.

Judges called Praiseworthy "an astonishing feat of storytelling and sovereign imagination. It is a capacious work in which Alexis Wright takes on the role of creative custodian, singing the songs of unceded lands. She bears witness to the catastrophic transformations wrought by white fantasies, against which Indigenous ingenuity still stands, its connection to Country unbroken. Wright's literary technique is a superb mash-up of different languages, ancient and modern, and displays an exceptional mastery of craft. The novel is imbued with astonishing emotional range, deploying Wright's signature humour despite its powerful sense of the tragic. Through its sheer ambition, astringency and audacity, Praiseworthy redraws the map of Australian literature and expands the possibilities of fiction."

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The longlist has been selected for the $75,000 2024 Cundill History Prize, which honors "the best history writing in English" and is administered by McGill University. The shortlist will be announced September 5. To see the 13-title longlist, click here.

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The longlist has been selected for the $15,000 2024 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. The shortlist will be announced in September, and the winner in December. To see the 25-title longlist, click here.

photo: Luke Fontana

John Fram is the author of the supernatural thriller The Bright Lands and No Road Home (Atria Books, July 23, 2024), a whodunit that's equal parts closed-room murder mystery and gothic horror. His work has appeared in the Atlantic, the New York Times, and elsewhere. He lives in Texas with too many plants.

Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:

A young father must solve a murder to protect his queer son from a TV preacher's dangerous family and the ghosts that haunt them.

On your nightstand now:

Red Gold by Alan Furst, The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes, and Personal: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child.

Favorite book when you were a child:

The Old Testament and Stephen King's Bag of Bones.

Your top five authors:

Lee Child, Stephen King, Hilary Mantel, Kate Atkinson, and Alice Munro.

Book you've faked reading:

If you have to fake a book to be someone's friend, they're not a friend worth faking for.

Book you're an evangelist for:

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. The closest I've come as an adult to the joy of being lost in a novel the way I once felt for Harry Potter (and with far less retroactive ick).

Book you've bought for the cover:

For a while it seemed like I had multiple copies of just about every Jane Austen novel because publishers pull out all the stops for her.

Book you hid from your parents:

Out by Natsuo Kirino. I'd never encountered anything so unflinchingly brutal.

Book that changed your life:

Njál's Saga. An old, old Icelandic saga that succeeds on just about every level, even compared to the other excellent Icelandic sagas. It's violent, it's tragic, it's hilarious, it's a vertiginous blend of fact and fantasy all told in the same steady voice, like if Gabriel García Márquez still worshipped the old gods.

Favorite line from a book:

"I choose Less," from Andrew Sean Greer's Less.

Five books you'll never part with:

I was extremely broke for most of my 20s, so moving and losing and rebuying books was just a fact of life, and I don't get too attached to them anymore. I have some untyped manuscripts in my office closet I'd be pretty scared to lose though.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

The World Undone by G.J. Meyer. Not just a one-volume history of World War I, but one of the most moving books I've ever read about futility, heroism, and a cataclysm we still don't fully understand. See also: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.

If Tana French and Stephen King had a gay son, would he write a book a lot like No Road Home?

Yes.

Short story writer and novelist Kay Chronister (Desert Creatures) spins a terrifically creepy Appalachian fairy tale-turned-horror story in The Bog Wife. The five Haddesley siblings--Eda, Charlie, Wenna, Percy, and Nora--grew up under the thumb of their strict patriarch on bogland in West Virginia. Based on their father's word, they all believe--albeit some more worshipfully than others--that they are part of an ancestral supernatural covenant: the bog will sustain their survival, if they sacrifice their patriarch to it in exchange for a bog-wife who will bear the successor's child.

But at the end of their father's life, once they lower him into the bog to his death, the children are disturbed when no bog-wife appears. Blaming Charlie, the older brother he perceives to be inadequate, Percy goes about trying to conjure his own bog-wife, while eldest Eda leaves the bog for the first time to find another way of reproducing. Wenna grapples with whether she should stay to support her siblings or return to the life she has built without them, while Nora, fearing nothing more than loneliness, does whatever it takes to keep her siblings together. Finally, dejected Charlie looks for answers in the local community, only to discover their family's long-held secrets, the ones the patriarchs before him sacrificed themselves to keep buried in the bog.

Like the rest of Chronister's oeuvre, The Bog Wife offers a lavishly imaginative world that is equal parts grotesque and beautiful, dying and yet full of life. But unlike Desert Creatures, which stares into the raw sun of wastelands, The Bog Wife luxuriates in the wet peat and lush vegetation of an environment that may be fast disappearing, yet is nonetheless still seeping, sucking, and blooming. Chronister's attention to this particular setting's detail opens the novel up to generative eco-critical readings. Rather than coming off as sanctimonious, however, The Bog Wife embraces the uneasy moral and aesthetic landscape of the gothic haunted house trope.

But who must stay and who can escape the haunted house that is the bog? While the bog world is expansive, Chronister still leaves room to dig deep into each of her five protagonists, a rare feat. As the siblings navigate this mutable and dangerous landscape, readers are left to contemplate the nature of covenants and the legacies they impose on future generations. --Alice Martin, freelance writer and editor

Shelf Talker: Kay Chronister's The Bog Wife, as atmospheric as it is thoughtful, will delight fans of Karen Russell and Angela Carter alike in its marriage of eco-speculative fiction and gothic horror.

Pop quiz: Who won the Olympic gold medal for Mixed Literature at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris? 

Give up? Well, Géo-Charles (France) took gold for Jeux Olympiques, while the silver medal was shared between Margaret Stuart (Great Britain) for Sword Songs and Charles Gonnet (France) for Vers le Dieu d'Olympie. Bronze medals went to Josef Petersen (Denmark) for Euryale and Oliver St. John Gogarty (Ireland) for Ode pour les Jeux de Tailteann. Belated congratulations to the medalists.

From 1912 to 1948, Olympic medals were awarded for artistic creations inspired by sport. Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, had envisioned the games as a celebration of both physical and intellectual pursuits. Beginning with the Stockholm, Sweden games in 1912, medals were awarded in five categories: architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture. Later the categories were expanded to be more specific, as in mixed literature, as well as dramatic, lyric & speculative, and epic works.

In 1949 the International Olympic Committee decided that since almost all contestants in the art competitions were professionals, this didn't reflect the amateur status of the Olympics (at the time, though as we know times have changed). The IOC attempted to revive art competitions at Helsinki, Finland in 1952, but the idea was rejected by the hosts. 

Before the 2024 Olympic Games, booksellers turned out to be the surprising early upset winners when Les Bouquiniustes won the first competition of the games after French President Emmanuel Macron intervened in a controversial battle to remove the legendary Parisian booksellers from the banks of the river Seine due to security reasons involving the opening ceremonies. A new ruling finally allowed hundreds of Bouquinistes, who operate from dark green boxes by the river, to stay at their historic locations. Could the original decision to remove them have been an overreaction?

In anticipation of the craziness in the host city during the games, legendary Paris bookseller Shakespeare & Co. issued this cautionary note to customers due to its location near the center of the action: "Planning on visiting us between 27 July and 11 August? While we expect to be open as usual during this period, the Olympic Games may have an impact on the access to our shop and our hours. To be sure you come when we're open, keep checking this post or our website for updates. We'll post all information here as soon as we have it. Thanks for your understanding."

On this side of the pond, booksellers have been engaging in their own Olympic moments of glory. 

The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, Scottsdale, Ariz., shared a special photo on Facebook: "From April of 2022 and a visit to the site to be developed for the 2024 Olympics surfing in Tahiti. It was a fair drive from Papeete with little info structure yet available. The bridge sports the Olympic rings promising amazing things to come."

Last week Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, Mass., featured a dramatic video preview: "Coming this summer.... Let the games begin! Celebrate Paris 2024 with your favorite landmark indie as the booksellers compete to see who's the best of the best..... And for our first event: the Receipt Paper Toss! Standing by the register and aiming for the trash can behind Info, how many baskets can you make in 60 seconds?"

At Athena Books

"We've got Olympic fever, do you??" asked Athena Books, Old Greenwich, Conn., which shared a photo of the shop's sidewalk chalkboard promoting in-store "Reading Olympics" events like the couch slouch, the high shelf reach, competitive stacking, one-sitting finish, and spring for the last page. 

Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, Wash., offered coverage of the Bookseller Olympics, including the always exciting window washing event, while Chapter One Bookstore & More, Mendham, N.J., has been "hosting the BOOK OLYMPICS! Vote on our story for which books you want to advance to the next round! Whichever book takes home the gold will be 15% off for a week!" Here are the finalists.

Love's Sweet Arrow, Tinley Park, Ill., posted: "As a former competitive gymnast, today is so exciting and rewarding to see. Not just for the US women's gymnastics, but for all of the gymnasts. There was so much artistry, strength, and talent on display and so much overcoming adversity and perseverance!"

Old Town Books, Alexandria, Va., offered a list of "bookish things that aren't in the Olympics but should be," including listening to an audiobook at 1.5x speed, having a TBR with 10-plus books, reading multiple books at a time, finishing a long book just before book club, and supporting your local indie bookstore."

At Books on the Square

Book displays have been a popular, and logical, option. "Do you have a future Olympian in your household?" asked Books on the Square, Providence, R.I.. "Our booksellers are so excited for the Olympics and we have a great selection of books for you to enjoy!"

In videos, Curious Iguana, Frederick, Md., highlighted "books to read if you love watching the Olympics" and Third Place Books, with three stores in the Seattle, Wash., area, suggested "what to read after watching the Olympics."

Other bookshops promoting Olympic-themed titles online include 2 Dandelions Bookshop, Brighton, Mich.; Skylark Books, Columbia, Md. ("Apparently there are some sporty-type things going on somewhere."); and Poppy Books & Gifts, Spanish Fork, Utah. ("Who else is as hyped about the Olympics as we are?? Here's a book recommendation based on your favorite sport.").

Capturing the true bookish Olympic spirit, the Book & Cover, Chattanooga, Tenn., posted: "If reading was an Olympic sport, you'd all medal. Read books. Think athlete."