5 comments about The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr..

1. I haven't quite finished the book yet but I am impressed at how well the book is written. Martin Luther King,jr. is one of the most memorable historic figures in history and this book eloquently accomplishes portraying him as such.



2. THIS BOOK WILL INSPIRE YOU TO DO GOOD. ITS VERY INSPIRATIONAL. A GREAT MAN WHO DIED TO YOUNG LIKE SO MANY OTHERS. KING NEVER WAS ABLE TO WRITE HIS OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. THIS AUTHOR TOOK ALL THE INFO AVAILABLE TO HIM TO CREATE THIS PHENOMENAL BOOK. AFTER THIS BOOK I FELT I COULD DO ANYTHING. ITS JUST SO INSPIRING. I WOULD BUY IT IF I WERE YOU. SEE YA.



3. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very brave man, an unyielding pacifist---and a radical leftist who greatly damaged the United States. He literally argued that his own country carried out a racist and imperialist war against the Vietnamese. MLK believed in affirmative action programs and socialism. He pushed the myth that right-wing conservatives assassinated John F. Kennedy instead of the committed Communist, Lee Harvey Oswald (Camelot and the Cultural Revolution: How the Assassination of John F. Kennedy Shattered American Liberalism). And no, you don't have to take my word for it. Clayborne Carson has put together the hard evidence. King was also a plagiarist who didn't hesitate to steal other authors' writings. Nonetheless, we know for sure that these essays were at least approved by him. Many people who read MLK's approved texts for the first time will be appalled. This is especially true for those who reject the morally relativistic notion that a few lies on behalf of a noble cause can ever be justified.
   
   There is another book you should read. Theodore Pappas released his own meticulously researched Plagiarism and The Culture War : The Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Other Prominent Americans only a few months earlier than Carson's. It turns out that MLK's PhD was not earned. At best, he was a pseudointellectual. Hard core left-wingers like Stanley Levinson and Andrew Young took full advantage of his shallowness. Americans need to learn the truth about Rev. King. The fact that these two books were published roughly ten years ago is not relevant. You should put them on your must read list for 2008. Truth is always more valuable than even the most well meaning deceptions.



4. I really enjoyed reading this book. The style of prose used by Dr. King is very easy to follow and flows very well. The book is also an inspiring example of how civil disobedience can change the world.
   
   I also am glad that he did not sneeze. (If you read the book you will know the context of this statement).
   
   The only reason that I did not give the book a 5 star rating is I thought that the editor could have added an addendum or chapter on the end of the book concerning the assassination of Dr King and how this affected the rest of the Civil Rights movement and the rest of the country as a whole.
   
   But I would definetely recommend this book.



5. I was excited to receive this book for my birthday, as I'd admired Martin Luther King Jr for a few years, but had to admit I didn't know much about him, or exactly what sacrifices he made. Although famous all over the world, he is probably not the first thing on the mind of most white Australian twenty-something females!
   
   
   
   Basically, I knew of the 'I Have A Dream' speech and a few other wonderful quotes of his that I'd read on monuments dedicated to his journey that I photographed in Denver, Colorado. Other than this I felt a bit of a fraud for proclaiming to hero worship this man I knew so little about.
   
   
   
   This book outlined the dedication that MLK had to the cause, along with the 'intellectual underpinnings of his wisdom' as one reviewer put it. This deeply intellectual angle made it a struggle at times for me to get through, but much like the uphill battle against racism, it was a journey well worth taking.
   
   
   
   The last chapter was extremely sad and beautfully summed up the dedication to Christ and good that MLK worked tirelessly towards. This man was a true Christian in every sense of the word, tearing down at the cynicism I have built up towards Christianity over the years.
   
   
   
   Martin Luther King Jr is a wonderful example to even intend to follow, one of God's most loyal children, and someone that I truly admire and respect.
   
   
   
   Amen!

5 comments about The Majors: In Pursuit of Golf's Holy Grail.

1. Good read, especially good at giving an inside view of the golfers themselves, who they are, what they value, how they interact with each other and how they, individually and as a group, view the Majors. Very good read, especially about the golfers, how they they encourage and compete with one another--Lee Janzen's exchange with Scott Stricker is particularly memorable--and about how they approach and play the Majors. Readers may have a concern about this book being dated, and from a historical standpoint, it may be---But it is also like the old television series from long ago--"You Are There"--which effectively recreated great moments in history as if we, the viewers, were in deed there when it was happening. So it is with this book. Yes, we know who won the tournament, but when the final putts fall on these pages, there is still a sense of wonder, pride and accomplishment for the golfer. Feinstein has done his job well. Reading this book makes us feel like we are there when it happened, even though it happened several years ago. The "you are there" part is what makes this book a must read for golfers, for would-be golfers and for those who love and appreciate the game and those who play or try to play it.
   
   One thought: You might want to consider reading this book in parts, reading about the Masters before and during Masters Week, the U.S. Open before and during Open Week, and the same for "The" Open and for the PGA. That was my plan and it was a good play, but the book was so engrossing, I read is straight through...either way it is a book to be enjoyed and a book golfers should read. Don't hesitate. Go for it!



2. Feinstein's book chronicles the 1998 PGA Tour Season highlighting the Majors which are the Masters, the US Open, the British Open and the PGA.
   
   This book avoids becoming the run-of-the-mill 1998 PGA Tour Season review by providing us with information on the Major tournaments we cannot get in magazines [tidbits on the US Open "unfair" hole locations, champions' locker rooms(Masters), payment for trophy replicas etc...]
   
   Interesting backgrounders on major protagonists such as Mark O'Meara, Fred Couples, Vijay Singh, Tom Watson etc are provided as well as stories of golfers at the lower rung of the pecking order whose names we may never see again in the entry list.
   
   In short, this book tells us of life in the PGA Tour in the context of the 1998 season. I'm reading this in 2004 and still found it to be quite a good read.
   
   And oh, Colin Montgomerie does have a sense of humor.



3. The year was 1998 and the winners were Mark O'Meara (The Masters at Augusta National and The British Open at Royal Birkdale), Lee Janzen (The U.S. Open at the Olympic Club), and Vijay Singh (The P.G.A. Championship at Sahalee Country Club). Although all four Majors are conducted under the collaborative supervision of the U.S.G.A. and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club organizations, each has its own terms and conditions for participation as well as stages of qualification to compete with those who, for various reasons, are automatically eligible. For me, one of this book's most fascinating subjects is the qualifying process to which many are called but few are eventually chosen. Perhaps only the annual process to earn a P.G.A card creates greater tension and frustration for those involved.

   To the extent that space allows, Feinstein examines wannabes as well as perennial and promising contenders for each of the championships in 1998. He includes hundreds of vignettes and anecdotes about them, thus giving human significance to the names on the scoreboard. I also appreciate having historical information which creates a context for each Major, three of which have a different course location each year. Only the Masters has a permanent site.

   P.G.A. golf competition is unique among professional sports in that players are essentially self-regulated, personally assume all costs of participation (travel, accommodations, caddy, etc.), and earn nothing if they fail to make the 36-hole cut. It is not uncommon for one player to prevent another from inadvertently breaking a rule as Tom Kite once did near the end of the final round when he was in contention. Later, Kite was astonished that anyone was surprised by his initiative which probably denied him victory in that tournament. (The player he assisted won it.) Feinstein skillfully captures the flavor and nuances of what can be ferocious competition but also the fact that it is (with rare exceptions) conducted with dignity, style, and grace as well as with exceptional skill.

   For those who love the game of golf and especially for golfers who are eager to know what it is like to compete in the Majors, this is the book to read. It reads more like a novel than an almanac. It reveals "the joy of victory" for some and the "agony of defeat for others" while celebrating certain values which seem to have become less common each day...except on a golf course. For whatever it may be worth, over the years I have played probably 500 rounds of golf on several dozen different golf courses (both public and private) and do not remember a single "ugly" encounter with another player. Having said that, I feel obliged to point out that "golf" is "flog" spelled backwards. On numerous occasions, it really has been for me "a good walk spoiled" but my passion for the game and my respect for those who play it so well remain undiminished.

   Beginning in 1960, Theodore H. White wrote several "The Making of the President" accounts. I was reminded of that as I read this book, wishing that Feinstein or another author of comparable talent would write an annual volume in (let's call it) "The Making of Majors' Champions" series. This would enable avid golfers such as I to return in time to memorable moments during past Majors competition. End-of-year DVDs featuring such moments plus commentaries among special features would also be much appreciated. Meanwhile, we have Feinstein's lively as well as informative book which recreates (to the extent a text can) stirring triumphs by O'Meara, Janzen, and Singh as well as dozens of other human subplots associated with those victories eight years ago.




4. John Feinstein reports the stories of the 1998 major golf championships through the lives of several players who were contending for one or more of them that year. The Majors are, of course, The Masters, The US Open, The Open Championship (British Open), and the PGA Championship. Saying that Mark O'Meara won The Masters and the British Open, Lee Janzen the US Open, and Vijay Singh the PGA Championship says almost nothing about the character, history, and the dynamic nature of life and competition on the PGA tour.

   Mr. Feinstein helps us get to know some of these players as people. We learn some things about their health, how the got to the PGA tour, how qualifying for the various majors is done (and other tournaments, for that matter). Of course, the author reports actual competitions and how the leaders changed position and finally emerged victorious.

   All of this is told in a rather meandering and leisurely style. If you want crisp, concise, and beginning to end reporting this book really isn't for you. However, if love golfing anecdotes and enjoy reading about golfing events, I think you will enjoy this book as much as I did. I learned about players I didn't know and learned more about some that I did know. Certainly, I learned more about these events we call the Majors and my enjoyment of them has been enhanced because I have read this book. Thanks to Mr. Feinstein for that favor.




5. Is a book a book because an author says it is? Or is it a book because it is about something?

   John Feinstein seems to take the former "I write therefore it is" approach. As a result, I never quite got what "The Majors" was about. My fault? I don't think so. I not only "got" the point of Feinstein's previous golf book, "A Good Walk Spoiled," but enjoyed it. That book belongs on any sports lover's shelf, and is worth any novice's time as well.

   "A Good Walk Spoiled" is about the lives and trials of the pro golfer. "The Majors," despite the title, is about much the same thing, not so much the four events that make up the biggest trophies in pro golf but the elite PGA Tour pros who compete for these titles.

   Frankly, if you aren't hot for golf, you aren't going to relate to these millionaires and their quest to buck the dread acronym BPNTHWAM (best player never to have won a major) the way you will to the fringe folk and dewsweepers that made up the cast of "A Good Walk Spoiled," for whom making the cut was the difference between survival and doom.

   There are some decent profiles here, like that of Mark O'Meara, who won two of the four majors in 1998, the year of Feinstein's narrative. O'Meara seems affable, but I got no sense of hunger from the guy. Brad Faxon offers some revealing insights, but since he didn't contend for any majors, he seemed a waste of time in the ultimate scheme of the book. A lot of golfers Feinstein profiles are like that. Meanwhile, players who did contend in 1998 majors are skimmed over, like PGA Championship winner Vijay Singh, British Open runner-up Brian Watts, and most crucially, Tiger Woods. Feinstein probably couldn't get the same level of access to these guys he could to those he dotes on, but that shouldn't be the reader's problem, should it?

   Unlike "A Good Walk Spoiled," the writing feels tired. The humor is forced. He throws in some clunky metaphors. A caddy "studies the wind the way a political pollster studies trends." Tiger Woods' security entourage are "like the guys chasing Butch and Sundance: You could see them coming from miles away." This makes the rote approach to the subject all the more apparent, and enervating.

   Feinstein seemed to be trading in on the good will he engendered on the pro circuit with "A Good Walk Spoiled." That's great, if he gives the reader something for his new access. But whereas "Good Walk" was a candid and often blunt description of what went on inside the ropes, "The Majors" seems more an exercise in puffery and back-patting, never more egregious than with Fred Couples, a decent golfer and a good guy who Feinstein blows totally out of proportion in his narrative. Couples doesn't contend except at the Masters, but Feinstein can't let go of him for more than a chapter at a time.

   The biggest problem about this book is it isn't about the title subject. He doesn't give equal time to the four majors, doesn't really relate any of the day-to-day drama, and offers little insight as to the courses or the final-day fields. He reports the winners, and some key shots, but that's it. If you want majors excitement, read Herbert Warren Wind or "Massacre At Winged Foot."

   "The Majors" won't interest people who don't care much about golf, and though it has some interesting insights that made it more than a one-star read for me, it's not something that knowledgeable golf readers are going to find that illuminating.

5 comments about Between the Lines: Nine Principles to Live By.

1. Orel Hersheiser's book is excellent on giving advice for life.
   
   Unlike most athletes, Orel does not give a biography. Instead he picks nine principles he sees for a successful life, and then gives anecdotes, almost exclusively from his own life, to support those points.
   
   Orel does not come across as "Look at me! I have a Cy Young award, two league championship MVPs, and a World Series ring and MVP award, to go along with having the record for most consecutive scoreless innings." Instead, you have a normal person who managed to accomplish a lot, and a desire to encourage others to accomplish a lot in their lives.
   
   This book is very readable. In the introduction Orel paints the picture of the book being like a conversation in a diner. It is fun reading stories about Tommy LaSorda, especially when he is in the ear of his former pitcher before the 5th game of the '95 series.
   
   I would recommend for every parent to get this book for their son or daughter, and then read it with them so they can discuss the issues. One, this will help your child apply the lessons, and two, we oldies can use the advice as well.



2. I had always been amazed by Orel Hershiser's record
   of pitching 59 consecutive scoreless innings in
   1988 . . . even typing that number now, I find it
   hard to believe that a pitcher could manage to
   keep opposing batters from scoring for so long.
   
   Thus when I had the chance to listen to
   his book, BETWEEN THE LINES (written
   with Robert Wogemuth), I was interested to see
   if he would talk about how he was able to accomplish
   this goal . . . he did, sprinkling in interesting tidbits
   about his personal philosophy toward both the game and life.
   
   This is not a tell-all book . . . Hershiser rarely
   speaks bad about any player, coach, manager,
   or even umpire . . . in fact, he even points out
   that he rarely ever argued about any ball or strike call.
   
   What he does well is emphasize the claim he
   makes in the book's subtitle: NINE THINGS BASEBALL
   TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE.
   
   There's nothing breathtakingly new here, but it still
   is the perfect book for any athlete at virtually any
   stage of his or her career . . . non-players will
   like it too.
   
   And anybody who reads it will come across convinced
   that it is the little things in life that can really make
   a difference . . . for example, Hershiser rarely varied from
   his everyday routine--no matter what was happening around him.
   
   He also seems to be one of the rare professional
   athletes who always placed his family over even
   his baseball career.



3. Orel Hershiser might seem to be one of those people who "had it all given to him" but after reading the struggles he had to overcome you'll discover that perception is wrong. He had to work hard and overcome numerous obstacles before reaching the top of his profession. The principles that led to success in his arena apply in all areas of live as he points out so clearly in this excellent book (with Robert Wolgemuth).
   
   One theme is to focus on what you can control and don't expend energy on the rest. He emphasizes how important the preparation process is because it's all about focus. That is what one can control. If one continually prepares, success is inevitable. He talks about building a mind-set where everyday counted. Excellence mattered to him. He wasn't trying to please his coaches, he was seeking excellence for its own reward.
   
   As a Christian he talks about how he came to know the Lord Jesus. I bought the book because I knew he was a Bowling Green man. It turns out he's a class act all the way around. His advice is solid.



4. Orel Hershiser was one of the most dominant pitchers during the 1980's and 1990's. He won over 200 games, he posted season ERAs of 2.66. 2.03, 2.26, and 2.31, he has 13 double-digit victory seasons and he helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in 1988. During that magical season he won the CY Young Award, the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP. So it is safe to say that he is qualified to write a book on how to be successful in life.
   In his second book Between the Lines: The Nine Things Baseball Taught Me About Life, co-authored by Robert Wolgemuth, Hershiser writes about how his experiences in baseball taught him about perseverance in life. Although Hershiser stared in the Majors, his rise was not an easy one. He had to overcome many obstacles early on in his career. He was stuck in the minor leagues for four years and he had to come back from serious shoulder surgery in the prime of his career. Hershiser also talks about personal miseries with him dropping out of college after getting cut from the baseball team and then later in life dealing with the death of his good friend and agent Robert Fraley. The book was an easy read and Hershiser offers some very good advice about life or at least on how he became successful. The book is not organized chronologically but instead Hershiser and Wolgemuth headline each chapter with his principles of life. Readers looking for play by play analysis of his career will be disappointed with Between the Lines because Hershiser takes a more personal account of his life in and out of baseball. But overall the book taught me things about life and inspired me to strife for my goals not only in sports but in life.



5. Here's a book that in simple terms tells the reader about how overcoming the challenges in baseball are similar to those that average people encounter in life. I think that this would be a good book for young people who may be in team sports. It can help them see the greater benefit of playing sports rather than being caught up in winning and losing. Being from Los Angeles, I have a little more awe for Orel Hershier, who for a period of time was the best pitcher in the game of baseball. I hope that other mature athletes in football and basketball do books like this so that our youth can gain the full benefit of being in sports. I hope that parents buy this book for a Christmas present for the young athlete in the family.

5 comments about Jackie Robinson: A Biography.

1. After reading several excellent reviews of this book, I purchased it for
   my nepbew's birthday. I have not read the book myself since I lived through that period.



2. It was a year of Fire and also the year of Grace for Jackie Robinson!! It is an amazing book to read about a great person who changed history and loves baseball!! It is more than just baseball and it has so many things to show that shaped Jackie's life so much. It is also spiritual and emotional book that leaves you to become a stronger person to make a great difference in the world.



3. I really liked this book and normally I dont like reading. Ijust wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. I think Jackie Robinson is a vary good romodel because no matter what, you should never give up. Because Jackie never gave up he ended up being one of the best baseball players to ever play the game. But most of all he broke the color code for all professional sports.



4. This biography does an outstanding job of giving an overview of Robinson's life and times, from his early, awnry but talented years in Pasadena, through UCLA, then the military, and then the Brooklyn Dodgers and beyond. It paints a picture of a strong willed gentleman with enormous pride, dedicated to his family, and dedicated to the idea of racial integration and equality. The influences of his mother on his early, somewhat (understandably) confrontational character, that allowed him to ultimately be the individual who paired with Branch Rickey to integrate "America's Pastime" are clearly laid out.

   Some reviewers have faulted the author for not being more interpretive of Robinson's politics - specifically, that he was a Nixon supporter in 1960 and a Rockefeller supporter in 1968 (while also being a strong supporter of Civil Rights, active in almost every civil rights organization) and Humphrey supporter as well. I think the book lays out all the facts for the reader to see for themselves. Robinson's coming of age - in an era when a Dixiecrat from a Jim Crow state (LBJ) led the passage of the Civil Rights Act - was a time of a shifting political landscape that didn't settle out until near his death (he also broke badly with Nixon later in Nixon's career). The Republican party's mantra of self-reliance, and Robinson's determination to succeed in business in the same way he did in sports, made his attraction to the party not a big leap; the alienation of this country's African American establishment from big business was not a pre-ordained fact in the time Robinson lived.

   Finally, Robinson's own family struggles were also a reflection of the confusing and troubling times in which he lived.

   Robinson died too young for us all. This is a great book and I would highly recommend it..




5. i'm not particularly interested in baseball, but i am particularly interested in American history from the human perspective. i could have read a much more dry account of the turmoils that dominated American race relations throughout the middle of the 20th century, but instead i've read this fascinating account of those terrible, backward days from the perspective of a true pioneer, Mr. Jackie Robinson.

   of course he is looked back on now as a symbol, a mythological figure. i always knew peripherally of Jackie as the same thing most people do: the first black man to play major league baseball, a step forward & up in the painful struggle of the times. but this book presents him as a human being, a fallible man who lived most of his life not on the baseball field, but in a relentless pursuit of his ideals and desire for a better life for himself and everyone around him.

   the reviewer before me questions the biographer's lack of judgement of Robinson. i am curious as to why he feels Rampersad should insert his own analysis; the biography presents analyses of Robinson by many of Robinson's contemporaries, and then presents the recorded facts available to clarify incidents & statements. yes, this is an intensely personal biography, perhaps too personal in places. it is very much centered on Jackie's private correspondences. it is absolutely told from Robinson's persepctive, as best can be reconstructed from his widow Rachel & the papers he left behind, but it feels very honest, not at all like an airbrushed bit of hero-polishing. it is in places very blunt about Jackie's shortcomings as observed by his peers & contemporaries.

   before i stretch this out any longer, i'll just say that this is the most engrossing biography i can ever recall having read. it's an account of a fascinating life in an amazingly recent time, in an America that seems so long ago but is still discouragingly recent. readers will learn not just about Jackie Robinson, but about two American eras as well.

5 comments about Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train, Library Edition.

1. I have read most of the "greatest" baseball books and this is one of the best. This is obviously the writer's lifetime work, and he weaves Walter Johnson's life with his very personal belongings to create a masterpiece.
   
   If you want to get a feel for what baseball was like at the turn of the century, then this will answer your questions. This is one of the only hardbacks that I will keep forever.



2. The fact that Walter Johnson was the grandfather of the author does not disqualify this book as a legitimate biography. Since he didn't grow up around the "Big Train" Henry Thomas had to rely on meticulous research and perhaps his family connection gave him easier access to first-person accounts.
   
   Walter Johnson had a freakish right arm. With an easy-going sidearm delivery he threw fastballs with such great velocity that Ty Cobb reported he flinched the first time he stepped into the batter's box and Johnson's pitched "hissed with danger" as it blew by. The book is peppered with other anecdotes of players reporting that Johnson was so fast other players could hardly see, much less hit the ball. He probably wasn't faster than Nolan Ryan or Randy Johnson in their prime, but he was so much faster than his contemporaries his pitches seemed like bullets.
   
   Yet he was perhaps even more of a gentleman. He was modest,kind,loyal and honest. When Johnson's Washington team finally got into a pennant race in Walter's eighteenth season, there was so much support for him from OPPOSING crowds the cheers for him were repeatedly louder than for the home team, even at stadiums such as Boston's Fenway Park and Babe Ruth's Yankee Stadium.
   
   Johnson's lifetime statistics are amazing. Only Cy Young has more wins than his 417, and if not for his record number of one-run losses, including a record number of 1-0 losses (he also owns the record for 1-0 wins), he would have more wins.
   
   He was among the first five players inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame, won two MVP awards, and set the all-time record for batting average by a pitcher with .433 in 1925. He won 20 games 12 times, including a record ten in a row, and over 30 games twice. He had 110 career shutouts - no other pitcher has 100. In 1913 he won 36 games, lost 7, and gave up only 44 runs in 48 games. You need a microscope to see his career ERA of 2.13.
   
   He was also a devoted family man, married to a congressman's daughter until death did part them, with four children. He was so popular that in public appearances with his younger, more handsome available teammates, single young women swooned, even though it was well-known that he was married.
   
   Few American sports heroes have embodied the combination of ability, accomplishment and virtue that were all seen in Walter Johnson. This books stands up well next to the most well-known in the genre. I'd much rather see a film version of this than to have seen "Babe" or "Cobb." This is on the short list of "best baseball books."



3. I will just one particular reason why I like this book. It will seem trivial to some readers, and I will not be surprised if this review gets negative recommendations because of it. After all, the author did not deliberately intend for this "selling point" to occur, but it did. What is it? Well, Henry Thomas is a stickler for names. He insists on calling teams and places what they were called at the time instead of what we refer to them today. The Washington ballpark is not referred to as Griffith Stadium until the early 20's. References are made to the Cleveland Naps and the New York Highlanders. where am I going with this? In the third chapter, Thomas explains how the owners of the Washington American League team decide to officially change the name of team from "Senators" to "Nationals" for good luck. The name did not catch on with fans, who still preferred to call them "Senators", although "Nats" (short for both seNATorS and NATionalS) was a common nickname. Still, Thomas consistently refers to Johnson's team as the "Nationals" since that was the franchise's official name until 1956.
   
   This book was written in 1995. Although there were fans who dreamed major league baseball would eventually return to Washington, D.C., it still seemed like impossible for many people. But eventually, the Montr?al Expos WERE moved to Washington, and Thomas' choice of words proved prophetic. Commissioner Bud Selig wanted to rename the team the "Washington Senators" after the team he remembered in his youth. D.C. Mayor Tony Williams was adamantally opposed to "Senators" since D.C. had no voting representation in Congress---he wanted the team named "Washington Grays" after the champion Negro League team that used to play at Griffith Stadium. "Washington Nationals" was chosen as a compromise.
   
   The result is that if you are sitting in the stands at RFK Stadium watching a Nats game (perhaps the home opener, as I was doing today) and you turn to read Thomas' biography of Walter Johnson and his "Nationals", you realize that the current team is part of a long tradition of Washington baseball, and it is a proud tradition. The proudest part of the history of Washington baseball was the career of Walter Johnson. This book reminds finds why.



4. This is one of the all-time best reads! A fascinating real-life story about one of baseball's greatest pitchers, the author does a wonderful job of bringing history to life. The times and career of Walter Johnson are meticulously researched and presented, but not at the expense of the story. The drama builds to the 1924 World Series and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. It's great to read a biography that brings an era into focus as well as this one.



5. This book was written by Walter Johnson's grandson, for the sole purpose of refuting Bill James' stated opinion--absolutely standard among baseball history experts--that Lefty Grove is the greatest pitcher of all time. While James has since reluctantly changed his mind, very few of the rest of us have. Johnson "pitched" when a pitcher only had to bear down on about 15 or 20 pitches per game; Grove pitched when any pitch could be hit out of the park, and lobbing in all of your pitches was suicidal. Grove won 9 ERA titles, all of them while pitching in hitters' parks, including 4 as a southpaw in Fenway Park after his 35th birthday; Johnson won 5 in a pitcher's paradise.
   
   So the book's biased premise is not only flawed, but untenable. Poor writing, presented in support of a nepotistic agenda, makes for a poor read. Sorry, Grandsonny, but Grove was better, and both Pedro and Roger Clemens may prove to have been better yet, when they are done.
   
   Jim Fahey

5 comments about Knight: My Story.

1. Coach Bob Knight is a colorful figure who ranks among the all- time greats in college basketball. Known by many people all over the nation for his outspoken personality and occasional temper tantrums, Knight has taken advantage of his skill at playing, recruiting, and coaching to reach the apex of his profession at every level through and including college.
   
   When I first heard about this book a couple of years ago, I thought about what I had heard on the news about Bob Knight, what I read in the newspapers, and what different people at Indiana University had said about the legendary coach; including players, assistant coaches, and university personnel. As a natural skeptic when it comes to the media, I was very curious about Knight's perspective on the many controversies that surrounded him and his coaching style during his forty plus years in college basketball. What would Knight say about everything in his book? Would he rant and rave about how unfairly he has been criticized? Would he return the insults to those who have so vocally criticized his personality and style? Or would he take it all with a grain of salt and stick with the positives that he has brought to the game of basketball?
   
   Reading about Bob Knight, and hearing about the controversial events from Knight's own perspective, I have a newfound respect for the man from Bloomington. Not that I didn't have respect before. I did. But this book cements that respect and proves what I had always felt all along: that the media was wrong about many (if not all) of the accusations against Bob Knight and that his dismissal from the head coaching job at Indiana was purely political in nature. There was no good, solid reason(s) to fire Bob Knight. He was a victim of some overzealous individuals at IU who had it in for him and were on a mission to eliminate him from Indiana at any cost.
   
   I really enjoyed the last few chapters of this book, because this is where the controversy comes out. It's interesting to listen as Knight talks about the different accusations against him and how the media and others would over-sensationalize things to increase newspaper sales and/or to try to bring him down. In some instances, Knight admits his guilt. Such is the case in the best- known of all the Knight- related coaching controversies: the infamous "chair tossing" incident discussed in chapter eleven. Knight admits that this particular act was a stupid thing to do on his part. But he also points out that he didn't aim the chair at anyone and no one was hurt. He just let his emotions get the best from him and he overreacted.
   
   With other controversial events, however, Knight isn't so quick to accept responsibility. One event that he is particularly disgusted over is the supposed "choking" of one of his players, Neil Reed. This is most significant because it was this event that led ultimately to his firing. Reed came forward in 1999 and claimed that Knight had physically choked him and this story made headlines all across the United States. If this was true, it would have been justification for some kind of reprimand against the coach. But the truth is, it was total bull. Reed had been voted off of the team by his own teammates (not by Bob Knight) in 1997. He made up this allegation, apparently, to get even. The other players said that there was no choking and a tape that was made when this event supposedly took place showed no evidence of choking at all. This should have brought an end to the controversy, but it did not. It was obvious that Reed, and those in control of the athletic department at IU, made up the whole story to bring him down. The media jumped all over this story, making it sound like Knight really did commit the crime, even though there wasn't the slightest grain of evidence that he did. And even when it was shown to be a bogus charge, the media said nothing about it. They exploited the accusation, but they said nothing about the truth when it came out later- that this story was a total fabrication by a disgruntled player and a tenacious IU athletic department that would stop at nothing to get Knight thrown out of Bloomington.
   
   It was at this point that IU instituted its "zero- tolerance" policy (or as I like to refer to this type of proposal, a "zero intelligence" policy) against coach Knight, warning him that any further problems would lead to his termination. Again, this was obviously a move to get Knight fired. I can remember when this decision was made public. I knew that it was only a matter of time before something happened that would get Knight terminated. Knight also saw it coming, but he was so attached to Indiana University, his players, and the fans, that he decided to ride it out. He was still hopeful that he could continue coaching at this school. But it was only a matter of time until something happened that would bring an end to his coaching career. And it did, a short time later, when a young guy referred to Bob Knight by his last name, prompting Knight to turn and ask him to please refer to him as Mr. Knight or coach Knight. That was all it took to get Knight fired. The young man went directly to the athletic department at IU and told what had happened (the book doesn't make any direct accusations, but it appears there is a good chance that this man planned the whole event, just to get Knight in trouble). After thirty years and three championships, Bob Knight was no longer the coach at IU.
   
   Along with these controversial moments, the remaining sections of the book are also very good. Knight describes his early years and his friendships with other coaches, sports people, and political figures with passion and admiration. He has met and is friends with many sports icons, like Ted Williams, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Bench, and others. He has also been a frequent guest at the White House and has met and formed friendships with many U.S. presidents, like Gerald Ford and George Bush. Knight describes these and other friendships with great feeling and deep trust. This might come as a surprise to those who always assumed that Bob Knight was difficult to get along with. Quite to the contrary, Knight speaks positively about most all of the people who have influenced his life, and they speak positively about him also. On only a few occasions in the book (with people like college basketball referee Ted Valentine) does Knight turn pessimistic and he only does so when someone continuously gets on his case, unprovoked, and won't back down.
   
   I really enjoyed reading about Knight's early days and his influences in the game of basketball. Shaped by these important people, it isn't difficult to understand why Knight got where he has in life and why he is so competitive when it comes to the game of basketball. His family and friends mean the world to Knight, and they have had an unmistakable impact on his life decisions and on his love of the game. It's also interesting to read and discover, in Knight's own words, how differently he is, as a person, on and off the court. While he still tends to be outspoken no matter where he might be, his mannerisms and personal conduct are far more reserved and friendly when he isn't involved in basketball. He comes across as a very down to earth, likable guy who loves to hunt and fish and who is fairly easy to get along with.
   
   Controversy has always surrounded coach Knight. He admits that, at times, his competitive nature and his fired- up emotions did get the best of him. He is not proud of everything he has done on the court, but he has no real regrets either. And regardless of all of the controversy, Knight is a proven winner and he commands (and deserves) a certain amount of respect. He has allowed his love of the game and his relentless desire to win to result in a few misjudgments in his career. But through it all, Bob Knight has been a winner. He has won NCAA championships as both a player and as a coach, reaching levels of success that are the envy of basketball coaches and other sports leaders all over the U.S. and the world. Enthusiasm, sportsmanship, discipline, and other factors are all important elements of the game. But the bottom- line goal is to achieve an honest and well- fought victory.
   
   And winning, as Bob Knight and other successful college basketball coaches know, is the name of the game.



2. With Coach Knight's long-time antipathy toward writers, often commenting how simple their job is compared to coaching, he left himself wide-open for criticism with his autobiography. Unfortunately, it reminds me of waking up a hibernating bear and jotting down his every yawn and gripe. A few moments of insight amid the tedium.



3. I truly believe there is only one way to judge a college basketball coach. League titles, NCAA appearances, total wins, Final Fours and National Championships are the norm in measuring success. And, of course, prowess in these areas will secure the legacy of anyone. However, the way I quantify coaching greatness is much more important than wins and losses. It's something you can't tangibly gauge. Simply stated, it's the relationships he or she cultivates with players. And the loyalty they show after they graduate.
   
   Even his staunchest critics can not deny that Bob Knight is a Hall of Famer in this category.
   
   In "Knight: My Story" Bob Knight writes about the relationships he has developed throughout the years with his former players. One needs to look no further than Landon Turner to realize why the ones he coached are tenacious Bob Knight supporters.
   
   Landon Turner played on Knight's 1981 championship team. Tragically, shortly after, Turner was paralyzed for life in a vehicle accident. Through the efforts of Knight, Red Auerbach selected Landon Turner in the late rounds of the NBA draft. A simple gesture which, Turner says, meant the world to him.
   
   The book is a window into the philosophies of a man who through the yelling, screaming, so called intimidation, language, and perceived sour demeanor, somehow has found the greatest allies in his former players.
   
   Some of Knight's pundits clearly know absolutely nothing about how to coach a basketball team; how to lead young men through a season of intense pressure and adversity. And, they are obviously not bright enough to understand that basketball is a metaphor for life. Knight is preparing boys for manhood. Do you think anyone of them (who gets it) make excuses when their boss asks them do accomplish a task? I think not.
   
   Knight is not a coach of basketball, he's a teacher of life.
   
   You need to look no further than his "eight greatest words", which appear in the first sentence of his book, "America, America, God shed His grace on thee", to realize how deep his character flows.
   
   I've been anticipating book since I was 15 years old. It was worth the wait.



4. 
   Whether you love him, hate him, or are neutral toward him (I'm in the last category), Bob Knight's book is a fascinating glimpse at his personality, his Indiana basketball teams, and college basketball in general. For Indiana basketball fans (I'm an ACC fan) and college basketball fans in general (a category I fit into), this is a must read. Knight gives a lot of detail about his Indiana teams, especially those that won national championships, and discusses his point of view on the state of college basketball today.
   
   There are really two main topics that run throughout the book - and that is Indiana basketball and the controversies that have surrounded Knight - mostly because of his volatile temper. From a basketball standpoint this is really a great inside look at the college game and the Hoosiers. Knight's detestation of losing and lack of effort are part of what gets him into trouble because he is clearly a disciplinarian and expects a lot from his players and others involved in the program. On the other hand that is also why his teams traditionally have been over achievers. In my opinion, his success in college basketball has been mostly because of his coaching talent and getting his teams to play like a team instead of selfishly.
   
   Even though in some ways Knight claims, and I think in a lot ways rightfully so, that a lot of controversies about his temper and clashes with players, officials, or others is a result of his reputation and are undeserved. Frankly, I do believe him on this account. And he does seem contrite about some incidents that are clearly his own fault where he's lost his temper. Some may argue that he is not apologetic enough or doesn't face his own faults in some of the controversies and I can't disagree with that either. On these issues the reader will have to decide what to believe.
   
   But either way, this is highly readable and very interesting.



5. What a book. It is filled with info I never really knew. Never an Indiana basketball fam, I was always a Bobby Kight fan. I finished the book in one reading. I could not put it down. His love for fishing and hunting is explained in his book.

5 comments about I Never Had It Made (Wild Bears!).

1. A very positive role model for our youth (and adults!) Jackie Robinson was courageous man. I learned about the barriers and obstacles he faced as well as all African-Americans faced during this era. And still face today.



2. I read this book when I did a research paper on Jackie Robinson in 11th grade English class back in 2003. It was a great autobiography and I couldn't put the book down. Not only tells the story of the man as a baseball player, but it tells how he struggled being a "black man in a white world." If you are interested in baseball, civil rights, or even just want to read a good book and learn more about the time, I highly recommend this book.



3. This was just dynamite. Jackie holds nothing back. I've read a lot of baseball books, and I've read a lot of autobiographies. This was hands-down the best, period! If you only want to read about his baseball accomplishments, go elsewhere. He covers his entire life, and there was a lot more than just baseball. The incidents from other episodes of his life serve to quantify what an advocate he was, and how difficult it was to take the abuse heaped upon him in his first two seasons with the Dodgers without responding. Bravo to a well-lived life, Jackie!



4. The autobiography of Jackie Robinsons Life "I never had it made" was an inspiring book to not stop trying. I enjoyed this book as a learner of the old ages and as a young fan of baseball. Jackie inspired millions of African Americans to do what they always have dreamed of doing. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because I thought they talked too much about his life after he retired from baseball. The book talks about the hardships Jackie went through and the journey he made to become such a phenomenal athlete and role model. Some of the people that Jackie worked with were greats known as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. After retirement Jackie opens up his own charities and organizations to help the not so fortunate African Americans of today's society. I recommend this book to anyone that has trouble with their self-confidence because this book makes you appreciate your life more. Unfortunately Jackie will be remembered just because of his baseball accomplishments and not what he did off the field.



5. They say to whom much is given, much is expected. In Jackie's case he didn't ask to take on this feat- but nonetheless he accepted the mission and gave it his all- and succeeded- perhaps at the expense of his own personal life and serenity. This man had a huge task and he never shirked when it seemed to be insurmountable...the crux of the challenge was that jackie was told that he would be up against jeering crowds, small minds, hostile people that would do their best to get his goat- and that it was imperative that jackie did not resist and defend- and he upheld his end of the bargain.Jackie shows us all the high road.I am no sports fan but I did love this book- because it is about focus, strength and grace in the face of opposition, and a trailblazer personality that lit the way for many many people.

5 comments about Where White Men Fear to Thread: The Autobiography of Russell Means.

1. This is a thorough and long book by Russell Means about his life as an American Indian. He has a lot of hatred toward the white race, which is understandable, but it makes his book hard to read at times because his hatred comes through the pages. He is also obviously biased at points, but that is to be expected because it is an autobiography. However, this man has been through a lot and has done a lot for AIM (american indian movement) so this is a good read to find out about that. If you can get past the hatred in this book, it's worth the read.



2. This book is a must read for anyone who wishes to know the true struggles of our native peoples today. This book covers it all and thumbs up.



3. THE AMERICAN INDIAN EXPERIENCE ---I found Russell Means portrayal of his life incredibly moving. Already having knowledge of Native American struggles, I immediately found myself floating through time and experiencing emotional identity with Mr. Means. I have shared this book many times with people I know so they can truly understand the importance the American Indian Movement has been in this country. I beg everyone to read this book. - S. Holmes, Chicago, IL



4. I found Russell Means portrayal of his life incredibly moving. Already having knowledge of Native American struggles, I immediately found myself floating through time and experiencing emotional identity with Mr. Means. I have shared this book many times with people I know so they can truly understand the importance the American Indian Movement has been in this country. I beg everyone to read this book. S. HOLMES, CHICAGO.



5. I am an African-American male,product of the struggles for humanity in the 60's. I started Russel Means book with great anticipationand finished it with unbridled digust. Where do i begin,Means lies when he says aim started the community patrols before anyone,incliding the Guardian Angesl and the Nation of Islam.Fact:The patrols were started by the Black Panther party when Means was still dealing drugs,and being an all the way live drunk. He talks of rhe confration at the BiA building and uses it to propogate his anti-black racist venom ,throught the book most African-Americans are depcited as reactionaries and/or fools. Means goes on to lie,how Indians would marry slaves and prefer to go into slavery than suffer the injustices of being Indian. Fact:Means trivalizes the holocaust my people suffered. In Dennis Banks book he cites the support the African-American community provided during the liberation of the BIA building. Means gets his cookies off villifying an dinsulting and denigrating people who,because of our shared oprresion in this country,should be his natural allies, While excusing blatant racists like Mcgovern and Janklow,and allowing himself to turn tricks for Larry Flynt. See Russell whore for 30 pieces and all the butt he can kiss. When one reads this book you get the impression there would be no Aim without Russell Means,every good idea is his,the people are lost sheep without him,Talk about mendacious meglomania. Even white supremacists group are given a greater degree of emmpathy then the African community,live a black person in America,and see how great life is,this short sighted fool cannot recognize people who have a common oppressor because of his reactionary racist tendacies. He condemns the black cops,and Ithis is the one thing er agree on,who did the oppressors biding during th biia liberation,asking how could they allow thenselves to be used to harm another disenfranchised people,yet he cannot see the simalarties with those of the Indians mecanaries who served in Vietnam and participated in the murder of a people who were fighting for their own destiny. This myopic egomaniac,see nothing wrong in murdering vietnamese for U.S. imperialiasm,not one indaian was killed by those D.C. cops. To reiterate Means neglects to mention How during the Bia liberation,the African American community provided food and spiritaul support,at yellow thunder camp,it is course a black man lacking character. Which leads one to conclude M eans is the worst type of anti-black racist,the racist who comes from the wretchded of the earth. In conclusion depsite Means facade at heart he is still a macintosh,a red and green apple(since this parasite will seel his soul for white money,despite his declarations to the contrary),but white to the core.

2 comments about Black Elk's Prayer & Vision.

1. How to describe what ONE needs to hear? EagleMan's voice speakstruth and tells a story that each two-legged needs to be aware of. Thesinging and drumming create openings for Spirit to Move us. With the hearing of Black Elks songs-we can return the gift by repeating these songs. Blue Man, it is a good day to die!!Hokahey!!!!!



2. My desire to understand and commune withthe Great Spirit of the Native AmericanWays satisfies my sacred spirit in everygood manner when Ed McGaa speaks about Black Elk and the Vision.Joseph Campbell, the great Mythologist,called Black Elk's Vision the greatest example of imagery and spirituality.This inner locus of control to find our sacred spirit and commune within GreatSpirit with all good people seems to methe essence of our spiritual quest.During the last century, perhaps 1872, Black Elk had a Near Death Experience atage nine years. My NDE happened in 1945 at age seven years. My NDE, and many others, will be presented in a new book called "Children of the New Millenium" in early 1999 by PMH Atwater.The patterns of life that emerge in thelives of such children amazes me! Black Elk kept his fascination with life and all good people, from the enchanting description of his encounter in Londonwith Queen Victoria, called Grandmother England, to his own survival of the massacre at Wounded Knee!"In a Sacred manner I have made them walk..." sings Black Elk about his role as a healer among his people

5 comments about A Severe Mercy.

1. I have to be honest, I'm kind of a book snob. I buy a lot of books, read a lot of books, and dislike a lot of books. Rarely does a book catch my heart and my mind as quickly and as totally as this did. Many times when my husband and I were dating and even in our earliest days and weeks of marriage we talked about protecting our little delicate love and we set up ground rules in order to help our love endure. This book puts into words what we felt as we were trying to set our "no plan B" marriage into motion. This love story is love found on many levels and I plan on picking it up again and again in years to come...
   If you want a honest and beautiful and well-written story of love and marriage, buy this book today.



2. Breathtaking... Read the ideal dream of love, read your deepest fears, wear your most passionate tears.
   
   A true story, an autobiography of a Love, written by the husband after his wife's untimely death. The wife's death was the destiny of a jealosy the husband felt for his wife's love for God that arose from their unity in pursuit of beauty. It was a severe mercy for God to take her, to save their love for eternity.
   
   This book is ripe with poetry fruiting from the Tree of Love. This book is truly the miracle concealed in the years of their marriage, their child. This book is the banner of romance, to war the apathy that complacent love dies from so frequently.
   
   I raised my teacup and said, "If it's half as good as the half we've known..." and she said "Here's 'Hail!' to the rest of the road." We drank to that in Darjeeling.
   
   Many will read this book because of the letters from C.S.Lewis. Some will read it because of the story of their conversion from "pagan lovers" to Christians. But, I pray you read it for the Adventure of Love.



3. It offers a rare and by far in my experience, the best insight into what love between a man and a woman could be in its most glorious state. Be prepared to be moved to the very depths of your being.



4. This is the rarest, greatest, most memorable of ALL love stories. I'm not aware of a movie from this book--but there should be! It shows just how close a man and woman can get to becoming "one"--but can it become too extreme? really healthy? and, could it affect your relationship with God? I'll never forget this!



5. This is a fantastic book. It's well written, an amazing/heartbreaking story, and a powerful depiction of true love. Though the letters from C.S. Lewis add a nice feature to the book, it easily stands on its own without them. I highly recommend it.