David Matthews' biography of humanitarian, and childhood friend, R. Stefan Templeton, Kicking Ass and Saving Souls: A True Story of a Life Over the Line, is a rousing true story of the Norwegian-American founder of the SPEAR Project. The biography chronicles Templeton's rough-and-tumble youth living with his African-American journalist father on Baltimore's decaying west side.
Matthews creatively portrays Templeton's wanderlust personality, detailing his momentous journeys throughout Europe and the Amazon and alongside Jacques Cousteau on his research vessel the Calypso. The ebb and flow of Templeton's life on the go in Kicking Ass and Saving Souls makes for a compelling, page-turning experience.
Matthews' Kicking Ass and Saving Souls is due to be released on July 21.
Previous recommendation: 'The Kid.'
Got ideas for The Root Recommends? Send them to recommendations@theroot.com.