On his elementary school playground, Thad Cox was bullied because of his stutter. Counseled by an older brother, he challenged his chief tormentor to a boxing match at the Boys' Club, went the distance (three rounds), and gained some confidence. Growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the 1940s and 50s, Cox did what many children who stutter do-he coped with difficult situations and, little by little, gained confidence. In middle school he met Peggy,...