Bøker av Ben Kaplan

The untold story of the $131-billion Canadian cannabis blow out.Canopy Growth founder Bruce Linton didn't invent marijuana, but he figured out how to turn a Canadian start-up selling the stuff into a $22-billion international buzz. Catch s Fire goes behind the scenes of Justin Trudeau's legalization gambit and the stoned pioneering lawyers who helped make weed gummies more valuable than US Steel. From the dope dealers of the 1960s to the never-before-told bribery accusations during Covid-19, cannabis historian Ben Kaplan speaks with the dealers, stealers, and renegade freaks who made and then lost money with the combined chutzpah of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Sam Bankman-Fried.This is the definitive history of a massive societal change - and a great boom and bust.

"The Clapping Club" traces a remarkable journey of family discovery that begins with a collection of faded envelopes containing letters written by my father, Paul. They are communications to his parents during the early stages of World War II. These letters provide rare insights into his youth in Vienna as the Nazis rose to power, and the times just before the tragedy of the Final Solution. They also highlight his close bond with three cousins - Max, Raphael, and Felix and their subsequent split because of their scramble out of Nazi-Europe.As the letters unveil intriguing revelations, they also raise new questions about my father and grandparent's experiences during the war, particularly their vastly different experiences during the Holocaust.Fueled by a deep need to uncover what exactly happened to them, I took a break from my career as an Australian academic in medical research to embark on a profound journey into all of my family history from that time.The book delves into my father's early days in Vienna and his departure from Austria to emerging Israel with Aliyah Shaliachs. At the tender age of fifteen, Paul is given no choice but to leave his home and parents behind for strange lands. The story unfolds into what was a perilous and clandestine journey into Israel, as well as their lives on the earliest kibbutzim during the tumultuous years before, during and after the War of Independence.My research extended to the other two cousins. Felix, the youngest escapes the Nazis and finds refuge in Switzerland, the UK, and Argentina, where he builds a new life and marries a Polish immigrant with an intriguing past; and Max, who narrowly evades the Nazi occupation with his girlfriend Judith, find sanctuary in Switzerland, France, Portugal, and eventually the Dominican Republic. There, among fifty individuals, they establish a Jewish community called Sosua, complete with houses, communal spaces, playing fields, farms, factories, and a synagogue. Their lives, struggles, and the ultimate success of their newfound village come to light.The story then takes a personal turn as I embark on a quest to find a long-lost brother who has taken a different path in the United States and Israel. After years of separation, our reunion marks the beginning of a shared journey, exploring significant landmarks in the biblical land such as Caesarea and the Golan Heights, while reflecting on personal memories tied to being a tank commander in the Yom Kippur War of 1973.Diving deeper into the archives, harrowing tales of my grandparent's experiences in the Minsk Ghetto emerge, where countless lives were lost among those transported from Austria. However, the story doesn't conclude there. Did they manage to survive the ghetto? This biographical novel goes beyond presenting historical facts; it offers a vivid account of the lives and adventures of the characters involved. Spanning four continents and multiple countries, it introduces real individuals who not only survived the Holocaust but also endured the tumultuous years that followed."The Clapping Club" stands as a testament to the resilience of three brothers and a cousin who navigated diverse circumstances against all odds, unaware that each of them had managed to stay alive in different parts of the world. Will they ever reunite? This is their extraordinary story.

Jeff Van Gundy. Brad Stevens. Frank Vogel. Mike Budenholzer. Tom Thibodeau. Sam Presti. Leon Rose. Before you knew his name, before he drafted your favorite player, before he guided your team to a championship, he had a playing career of his own at an NCAA Division III college. He didn't play for fortune -- the NBA was out of reach, and his school didn't even give athletic scholarships. He didn't play for fame -- his games weren't televised, and the stands were rarely full. Whatever the motivation, he simply couldn't give up the game of basketball. And that didn't change after graduation, when it was time to pick a career path. For the first time in league history, NBA coaches and general managers are just as likely to have played Division III basketball as they are to have played in the NBA. While the number of former D3 players working in the NBA is higher than ever, small college alums have served in leadership positions since the league's founding. They shaped the NBA into what it is today, playing integral roles in the Lakers' initial success in Los Angeles, the inception of several expansion franchises, the creation of the popular All-Star Weekend dunk contest, the globalization of the league, and more. Their improbable and inspiring journeys tell a bigger story - the history of small college athletics, the evolution of coaching and management in the NBA, and the hiring practices in the most competitive fields. Their alma maters were small, but their impact on the game, and the implications of their success, loom large.

Make your educational dreams come true!Worried about how to pay for college? Afraid of drowning in a sea of student debt? Sure, Ben Kaplan once felt that way too. But that was before he discovered that there are billions of scholarship dollars out there for students with all types of interests, skills, and backgrounds. After winning enough college cash to cover virtually the entire cost of his dream school, he's written an indispensable guide that shows you how to stake your own scholarship claim.Now in this fully revised and updated edition, Ben distills his proven step-by-step game plan that positions you to win big money for college -- regardless of your age, GPA, financial situation, or family background. With humor and insight, he reveals insider secrets for successfully finding, applying for, and winning lucrative scholarship awards -- empowering you with the information, inspiration, and know-how to afford the college of your choice and realize your educational dreams.Special Note: As a valued reader of this book, you also receive access to the Coach's Locker Room at Ben Kaplan's ScholarshipCoach.com website. The Coach's Locker Room provides a wealth of bonus material, updates to information contained in How to Go to College Almost for Free, question and answer postings, and other helpful resources.