Joshua Davis

Tells the story of how, with the help of two inspiring science teachers, four undocumented Mexican immigrants in Arizona put together an underwater robot from scavenged parts and went on to win the National Underwater Robotics Competition at UC Santa Barbara.

Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream

Spare Parts

John McAfee's Last Stand

Joshua Davis dreams like most guys. He wants a fun career, exciting adventures, a happy wife who’s proud of him, and really big muscles that strangers can’t help but admire. Too bad he’s a 129-pound data entry clerk whose wife, Tara, has only three simple requests for their life together: direct sunlight, a dining room, and a bathtub. Since none of these exist in their 250-square-foot San Francisco apartment, Josh sets off on a quest to become the provider his wife wants him to be. The problem is that he does it in a way that most people in their right minds would never consider: he enters the most grueling and unusal contests in the world. In The Underdog, what begins as a means to get Tara her bathtub evolves into a charming story of courage, adventure, and just a little bit of insanity. On the heels of a fourth-place finish (out of four contestants) in the lightweight division of the U.S. National Armwrestling Championships, Josh gets a spot on Team USA and travels to Poland to face “The Russian Ripper” in the World Championships–and Tara finds herself wishing her husband would go back to data entry. Unfortunately for her, he’s just getting started. Over the next two years, Josh ventures to Spain to try his hand at bullfighting, sumo-wrestles 500-pound men, perfects his backward running in India and at the Golden Shrimp “retrorunning” race in Italy, and bonds with his family at the Sauna World Championships–because sometimes it takes a blistering 220-degree sauna to bring loved ones together. By turns hilarious, harrowing, and inspiring, The Underdog documents one man’s ballsy attempt to live the American dream to the extreme. From the Hardcover edition.

Seeking the Meaning of Life in the World's Most Outlandish Competitions

The Underdog

Joshua Davis had a dream. He dreamt of being the best. It didn't really matter what he was the best at, he just wanted to be number one, the big enchilada, to say that he had made it. This is how it began: Josh was driving through the Mojave Desert one day when he saw a sign for the American arm-wrestling championship - all comers welcome. He decided to enter. He came fourth, out of four, but this was enough to secure him a place on Team USA and the chance of a show-down with the 'Russian Ripper' at the world championships in Poland (that didn't end very well either). But Josh had tasted the dizzy rush of competition and wanted more. And more turned out to be the most outlandish contests in the world - from bull fighting in Spain and backward running in Italy, to sumo wrestling and the World Sauna Championship in Finland. Joshua's quest is by turns hilarious, harrowing and a little insane, but it is also inspiring - because, after all, every underdog deserves his day.

Luke Turner

Yugo Nakamura

Tomasz Jankowski

Claude Baumann

Manuel Jordan

Jim Paterson

Brendan Dawes

Irene Chan

Jayson Singe

Yasuto Suga

Vince Suriani

Andries Odendaal

Todd Purgason

Manuel Clement

Tony Ke

Olivier Besson

Ivo van der Grift

New Masters of Flash is both a global showcase and practical tutorial. Nineteen of the planet's most awe-inspiring Flash designers share their influences, ideas and objectives in individual introductory essays. They then take the reader through a step-by-step tutorial explaining in detail how to create in Flash 5 the interfaces, applications and effects that they have made famous. The author-designers are some of the most legendary Flash innovators currently working—from the U.S. to Japan, Europe to South Africa: Yugo Nakamura, Joshua Davis, Manuel Clement, Irene Chan and Tomato Interactive's Joel Baumann, together with 14 other leading Flash practitioners. These are the designers who are expanding the horizons of interactive interface design with Flash. Join them! With the book is a CD-ROM containing animated movie versions of the tutorials from the book, together with the finished interactive effects. If you're in a real hurry, you can download the source-code FLAs for many of the tutorials, in both Flash 5 and Flash 4 versions, from the CD-ROM New Masters folder. Also on the CD-ROM are video QuickTime interviews with the designers from the book.

New Masters of Flash

Bruno Tropeano

Joshua Davis and Bruno Tropeano, two guys right out of college, felt that something was amiss. People in Maine created some of the best of everything in the world — higher education, ships, television doctors, winter boots. But the gelato of which they dreamt could not be found here in Maine, or anywhere else in the United States. Josh and Bruno sensed both a responsibility and an opportunity and set off to rediscover the lost art. Imagining a long-forgotten Red Spoon Society of superior gelato artisans, they learned the techniques and practices of the old masters of gelato. They used those techniques as a foundation for creating an even better gelato experience: make lots of creative flavors for discerning guests, serve them in a way that invites discovery and delight, and never compromise on quality. In 2007, the doors to their first gelato store opened. Josh and Bruno named it Gelato Fiasco as a hedge against trend-pursuers, treasure hunters, and impostors, for only a true food lover, guided by his or her own sense of adventure, would dare enter a store with that name. And as they loved it, they would share with their families and friends, who would share with theirs. Gelato Fiasco is a book brimming with humor, Maine values, mouth-watering color photographs, and, most importantly, delicious recipes (out of 1500 in the “flavor vault” the book will include 100 or so) for making your own gelato at home, plus recipes sauces, cones, and other treats to enjoy with your gelato.

Recipes and Stories from America's Best Gelato Makers

Gelato Fiasco

Joshua Davis

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