Inside Job

by Stephen Pizzo, Mary Fricker, Paul Muolo

2015 · Open Road Media

New York Times Bestseller: A history of the S&L scandal that caused a financial disaster for American taxpayers: "Hard to put down" ( Library Journal). For most of the 20th century, savings and loans were an invaluable thread of the American economy. But in the 1970s, Congress passed sweeping financial deregulation at the insistence of industry insiders that allowed these once quaint and useful institutions to spread their taxpayer-insured assets into new and risky investments. The looser regulations and reduced federal oversight also opened the industry to an army of shady characters, white-collar criminals, and organized crime groups. Less than 10 years later, half the nation's savings and loans were insolvent, leaving the American taxpayer on the hook for a large hunk of the nearly half a trillion dollars that had gone missing. The authors of Inside Job saw signs of danger long before the scandal hit nationwide. Decades after the savings and loan collapse, Inside Job remains a thrilling read and a sobering reminder that our financial institutions are more fragile than they appear.

For the Love of Darlo

by Paul Hodgson

2024 · Pitch Publishing Limited

For the Love of Darlo is the inspirational autobiography of multi-award-winning writer and Darlington FC devotee Paul Hodgson, who overcame severe disability to achieve his ambitions. When Paul was seven months old, he was struck down by meningitis and left severely disabled. On being sent to boarding school in 1973, he had almost no speech, had to be propped up and could neither dress nor feed himself. But by the time he left, he could sit up unaided and talk, albeit with a stammer, and also feed himself. Paul praises the staff who helped him, but sadly, there were bad experiences with other staff members, which Paul reveals in the book. Before he started at boarding school, Paul's mum surprised him by taking him to see Darlington FC. It was a watershed moment. He became a fan for life. As well as charting his 50 years as a Darlo fan, Paul's story offers a unique insight into what it was like to grow up in a 'special school' in the unenlightened 1970s. It's a tale of triumph over extreme adversity.

One Hundred of the Best

by Paul Hodgson

2022 · Pitch Publishing Limited

What were Darlington FC's most memorable matches of the last 50 years? Paul Hodgson is better placed than most to weigh in on the matter. He's been a regular presence at games for the past half-century. What's more, as a disabled fan attending games in a wheelchair, he offers a unique and fascinating perspective on the matchday experience. The story begins in the 1972/73 season when Paul's mother took him to his first game: Southport at home. The Quakers were soundly thrashed 7-0, yet the seven-year-old Paul was hooked. The book takes us through the 1970s when Darlington had to apply for re-election almost every season, on to the 1980s when their fortunes improved and through to the modern day. Paul hasn't just chosen the 100 best results - some were horrific defeats - but each match made an indelible impression on him. One Hundred of the Best is an interesting mix of match reports and Paul's experiences of not just the games, but his adventures of getting there in his wheelchair. The book is a 'must' for every Darlington fan.