Books:
Ender's Game, Songmaster, The Alchemist, and Cryptominicon
Heroes:
RFK, Paul Wellstone, Sir Roger Bannister, Alberto Salazar, Lance Armstrong, Raymond Aron, Chiune Sugihara, The 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Hank Gathers and the 1989-1990 Loyola Marymount Lions (and if you don't know who they are, look them up)