Books
Out Here
A memoir by Bob Hill
Coming in 2024!
Out Here is a mix of autobiography and old award-winning newspaper columns written by Bob Hill in his 33 years with the Louisville Times and Courier-Journal.
It begins with a 1964 Rice University graduate who had no idea what he wanted to do for a living and spent the next five years proving it.
His journalism career began at his hometown bi-weekly newspaper in Sycamore, Illinois with no journalism experience writing with a pencil. Surviving on instinct, serendipity, and patient editors he moved on to Rockford, Illinois and then Louisville.
Once there he traveled Kentucky writing of old mules and Loretta Lynn, went to Washington DC to cover a U.S. Supreme Court case and then to Ghana to write of Louisville doctors volunteering their time in Africa. Hill was awarded the Ernie Pyle Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists for his work.
Always Moving Forward
A memoir of friends, family, and building Humana
by David A. Jones with Bob Hill
The story of friends, family, hometown values – and an entrepreneur who changed American health care
In 1961, David A. Jones and another young lawyer borrowed $1,000 each to build a nursing home. That modest investment turned into Humana: first the largest nursing home company in the U.S., then the largest hospital corporation, and today one of the nation’s largest health insurance and integrated care companies.
Always Moving Forward is Jones’ account of how a poor kid from Louisville, Kentucky was able to succeed on that scale. With humor, he talks about his optimism, his love of books, his “competitive mindset and willingness to throw a solid punch when necessary” – and of having one very important quality at the start: “the confidence of total ignorance.”
Along the way, Jones championed for-profit health care, played a role in such cutting-edge medical advances as the artificial heart, rose to a Presidential challenge to help newly independent Romania rebuild its antiquated health care system, and lived through the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. After Jones retired, he and one of his sons also built one of the largest metropolitan parks completed in this century.
But in the end, Jones tells us it was all about family, friends and the people he met along the way. This is their story, as well as his.
Out Here
a mix of autobiography and old award-winning newspaper columns written by Bob Hill in his 33 years with the Louisville Times and Courier-Journal.
David A. Jones – Always Moving Forward
the very full life story of David A. Jones and the founding of Humana.
A Landscape and It’s Legacy – The Parklands of Floyds Fork
Many of the stories Bob had written about the people and places along the fork were incorporated in this book – along with hundreds of photos – as compiled and edited by Dianne Aprile.
150 Years – The YMCA of Greater Louisville
a history of local YMCA facilities.
Centre College Our Standard Sure – Centre Since 1819
a book on the history of Centre College done with photographer Tom Hardin
50th Anniversary of the WHAS Crusade
A book about the history of the WHAS Crusade for Children
Crack of the Bat
a history of the Louisville Slugger bat and Hillerich company.
Legendary Lady – The Story of the Belle of Louisville
a history of the Belle of Louisville.
Stone Walls and River Music
a second compilation of more than 100 newspaper columns.
Louisville – a River Serenade
a photographic look at Louisville done with photographer Dan Dry.
Survivors – five stories of depression and manic-depression.
This was a book done with Louisville resident Frank Marx and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance that includes five real-life stories of mental health issues.
Double Jeopardy
a William Morrow book with national distribution and publicity about a Louisville man, Mel Ignatow, who got away with murder. It sold about 20,000 copies in hard cover and paperback and got Bob a gig on Geraldo.
Old Friends
a 200-page compilation of more than 100 newspaper columns.
The Fred Wiche Lawn and Garden Almanac
Two editions of a garden book done with WHAS Garden Guru Fred Wiche that sold a total of 40,000 copies.
The Amazing Basketball Book
a fun book of basketball history done with Randy Baron of Louisville, who specializes in books on bridge. COULD EASILY BE UPDATED.