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List Price: $22.95 | | Publisher: Paul Dry Books
Salesrank: 423474
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| Our Price: $5.99 |
| Used Price: $0.02 |
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
"Two extraordinarily talented journalists, Michael Vitez and Tom Gralish, have captured this uniquely American phenomenon with whimsy, poignancy, and utter charm." --John Grogan, author of Marley & Me
Pulitzer Prize-winners Michael Vitez and Tom Gralish of the Philadelphia Inquirer spent a year visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art to capture the stories of "Rocky runners," who come from all over the world to run up America's most famous steps--just as Sylvester Stallone did in Rocky. People make the pilgrimage to mark a new beginning, to seek inspiration, to celebrate an accomplishment, to find the perfect backdrop for romance, or simply because they love the movie. As one runner says, "It gives you the feeling that anything is possible."
The authors have uncovered an enduring cultural phenomenon, one that centers on Philadelphia, and yet, as Michael Vitez writes in his introduction, is a true American, and even international, rite of passage.
The book includes fifty-two profiles and one hundred color photographs, together with a foreword by Sylvester Stallone, and interviews with Rocky's Academy Award-winning director John G. Avildsen, composer Bill Conti, and cameraman Garrett Brown.
In his foreword, Sylvester Stallone sums up his thoughts on the phenomenon: "You can't borrow Superman's cape. You can't use the Jedi laser sword. But the steps are there. The steps are accessible. And standing up there, you kind of have a piece of the Rocky pie."
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Praise for Rocky Stories:
"[C]harming photo essay of people who retraced Rocky's steps and felt their own exhilaration doing it."--San Francisco Chronicle
"The extent to which the Rocky myth--that of the perennial loser who proves he's 'not just another bum from the neighborhood'--has resonated is documented in this winning book."--Sports Illustrated
"I've only skimmed it, and already I'm in love with the book Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps. (It had me at the title.)...It may sound like a movie tie-in, but it's not. It's just a fascinating testament to how the words 'Rocky' and 'underdog' are still interchangeable 30 years after the film's release."--Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch column
"Rocky Stories captures the sprawling complexity of life. It's a delight." --Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down and Guests of the Ayatollah
"A book that is an absolute joy and an absolute blast and quintessentially American in its hopes and dreams and sweetness." --Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights and A Prayer for the City
"The Rocky steps have become a special place for tourists and Philadelphians alike. Virtually everyone who lives here or comes here wants to say that they ran up the Rocky steps and saw the incredible view down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. When I was Mayor, the city planned 24 hours of millennium celebrations, one each hour. Of course we had to kick it off at the Rocky steps and we did so with 2,000 people all dressed like Rocky running up the steps at the same time. It was awesome." --Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell
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A sampling of the people profiled in Rocky Stories:
Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps Reviews:
A great read, and a great gift 
2009-12-25 - Rocky Stories is a great read. The way the author came about writing the book is very unique and provides many intriguing stories that are definitely worth the low price. A must buy.
Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps
2007-03-18 - Each story in the book is inspiring. Excellent writing and wonderful photography. Very enjoyable reading.
Very Inspirational
2007-03-09 - Love this clever book. If you love the Rocky film and the inspirational "pull yourself up by the book strings" ideals of the films then you're not alone - and this book proves it. Being a Philly native and a fellow alumni of LaSalle University this book and the stories it shares have a special place within me. Highly recommend it.
Stories of inspiration 
2007-01-17 - my family and i had recently gone to philly for a family wedding. one of the main things that my elderly father wanted to see, before any of the more traditional things like the liberty bell, was the "rocky statue"! therefore, i bought this book for him for christmas to remind him of the day. of course i read some of it before gifting it, and found the stories to be very inspirational.. also, i was unable to find the book here in california, so was very thankful for the ease of ordering it through amazon.
Good Philly Publicity for once!
2006-12-31 - I have always loved the Rocky Movies even though some people think they insult our intelligence. It is more than just a movie it is an inspiration and after reading this book it makes me proud to be a Philadelphian even though Philly gets a bad rap. I have ran up those steps many times and I think that Rocky has put Philly on the map in a good way. Something we need badly here. The photos are wonderful, so inspirational and the stories are so heartful. Read this book! You won't regret it.
