2 comments about Beyond the Norm: A Salute to Missouri's Norm Stewart.

1. This should win a Pulitzer this year. The content is tremendous, full of insightful garb about the most cantankerous coach to ever pace the hardwood sideline. Plus, one writer in particular really bolsters this literary masterpiece, James D. Horne. Buy this book while supplies last.



2. This is a very good view of the overall career of Norm Stewart at Mizzou. It is unique in it is a compilation of articles from the Columbia Tribune starting with a game in February, 1956 through his retirement this past April, 1999. For the avid Missouri basketball fan it will bring back alot of fond memories and things long forgotten. For the newer fan, it will point out just what kind of coach Norm Stewart was and bring out a side of him alot of people don't know about. For just the rabid basketball fan, it is an interesting look at some of the great upsets by Missouri basketball teams, such as over Notre Dame in 1980 in the NCAA and Louisville in 1982, along with the battles within the Big 8. It's an easy read with alot of good pictures.

5 comments about NBA's Greatest.

1. I recommend this book to basketball fans because it tells a lot about great former players. from wilt chamberlain's 100-point game to jerry west's 60 foot jumper to michael jordan's buzzer-beater vs cleveland in the 1989 playoffs. it also has duels like magic vs bird and iverson vs carter. this 180 paged book is filled with all those facts. RECOMMENDED!!!



2. If you are an avid professional basketball fan like me who appreciates the history of the game, you should know that there are so many captivating memories surviving to this day. This book focuses on the more prominent players and plays of the NBA's past and present; the buzzerbeaters that have won championships, the slam dunks that defied gravity, the amazing assists that made you wonder if he could see through his head. All these memories come alive again in NBA's Greatest. From James Naismith's invention of basketball to George Mikan, Bill Russell,'Houdini of the Hardwood' Bob Cousy and the early dominance of the Minneapolis Lakers and Boston Celtics, to the era of great swingman such as Dr. J, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, to the continuity of today's superstars, this book has them all.
   There are some feats in professional basketball that you simply never forget, such as Jerry West's last minute heave from sixty feet out, or Willis Reed's comeback in the 1970 NBA Finals, or when Michael Jordan executed a flying dunk from the free-throw line, or when Anthony 'Spud' Webb won the slam dunk contest standing at 5'7". This book reviews those highlights in great detail, plus extra statistics that summarize the changes that have taken place over a century.



3. An awesome basketball book. I just love it. Informs one about the best players ever in the NBA, from guys like Cousy, to Wilt, Jordan, to Ewing, and Duncan to Kidd. Also, shows the best NBA duels from Bird vs. Magic, to Iverson vs. Carter. Don't forget about the best teams ever assembled in the NBA like the 95'-96' Chicago Bulls. Then, read about the best guys to ever lead their team to glory . . . the coaches. Daly, Jackson, Auerbach, Wilekns, Riley . . . you can find them all here. And finally, catch up on the best momenets ever. Remember "Havlicek stole the ball" and the year Oscar Robertson AVERAGED a triple-double. Well, there all here in this book.
   
   Definitely a book that all basketball lovers should own.



4. I always enjoy reading what other Players have to say about Other Players through out time&also who they personally feel are the Greats of the game&all the details involved.this Book is a Must for any Hoops fan from start to finish it's very detailed.cool Photos&Moments that you will never forget if you follow the game like myself.



5. THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   NBA's Greatest
   by John Havlicek
   This book is about the greatest NBA players of all time. It is also about the greatest games. Also it tells about the best teams in the league.
   I think an interesting part is when Scotty Pippen told about Dirk Nowitski. Here are some words he said, `' He's definitely shown me a different dimension in the power forward game,'' said Pippen.''He's probably the only power forward that I've seen that can do the things he does being a 7 footer.''
   I think that people who like basketball would like to read this book. Also if someone just wants to read about certain players in basketball , and he's a legend, this would be the book for them. Finally if you want to find out about the greatest moments in basketball look at this book.
   I would give this book a 10 out of 10 because it is a good book to read. If you want to learn about the NBA's Greatest check here.

No comments about Good Knight/Knightmares: The Bright and Dark Sides of Bob Knight.

5 comments about Shooting from the Outside.

1. This is a fun and easy read for any fan of the women's game, centered around the pivotal 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning team, which in many ways marked a turning point in establishing the foundation upon which the modern game is built.
   
   But not only does this book offer a wonderful historical perspective, and some great stories and inside anecdotes on many top players past and present, it also provides insight into the mind of one of the college game's top coaches.
   
   Even for those close to Stanford basketball, Tara Vanderveer is a very private inividual. That's why I found this book especially helpful in providing a better understanding of her personal history, philosophy toward the game, how she feels it should be played, and how that all filters down to the teams she puts on the floor today.
   
   Because Tara is often softspoken in public and not one to actively seek the limelight or TV cameras like some of the other big names in her profession, there may be a tendency by some to think she is more of a hands-off coach. And despite the occasional glare from the sideline, a calm and quiet presence. Nothing could be further from the truth. This book does a good job of uncovering the intensity that boils deep inside and her unbending desire to win.



2. Tara Vanderveer is the author of the inspiring autobiography Shooting form the Outside.  In this autobiography, Tara Vanderveer discusses the challenges and obstacles that she must overcome into to reach her goal of winning the gold medal.  The autobiography discusses the hardships, conflicts, and problems that the team faces throughout the year and shows how teamwork can overcome anything.
   This novel is pretty much an overview of the Women's Basketball team throughout their Olympic season.  The novel starts out with Tara Vanderveer talking about her child hood days and how she developed a love for the game.  She talks about how she use to be a mascot for the school, used to write down every new play she heard in a notebook, and how she went and watched the men's basketball team to learn any new play on offense or defense she could pick up.  The story then proceeds to Coach Vanderveer discussing her thoughts and concerns for the year that lay ahead of the eleven woman that have been selected as the national team.  She talks about her past failures like the 1994 World Games that have pushed her and motivated her to win the gold medal.  She promised that the embarrassment and disgrace that she felt from the World Games will never happen again.  One can easily feel the strong determination and motivation that Coach Vanderveer feels, and how she uses this as an ally and works the team harder than they have ever been worked before. 
   This book was undoubtedly worth reading from my point of view.  This book taught me information about Title IX that I had previously never even heard about.  The book showed me the true struggle that a woman must face and has taught me a sense of respect for woman who have succeeded in the past. 
   One issue the book brings up is that woman are not given enough opportunity to succeed in life.  A woman's determination and motivation can easily be destroyed or brought down by the cruelness and unfairness of discrimination towards woman.  Therefore, since woman can do all jobs just as productively as men, the book suggests that woman should be given fair and equal treatment and equal opportunities to men. 
   In conclusion, Shooting from the Outside is an excellent book that teachers lessons and values that should be known and followed by all of society.  The story teachers discrimination is pointless and by not allowing woman to perform to their full capacity we are truly ruining our own opportunities to further succeed in life.



3. This is a really inspirational book for those who care about womens' basketball. I had a really hard time putting it down. You feel as if you are part of the U.S. Olympic Team, and were there to witness the trials and tribulations of their road to Gold. Great book for those who play basketball or enjoy it. (Especially if you're female!!) I think I will start reading the book from the beginning again tomorrow. It also meant more to me then maybe someone else because I have been to Tara's Camps and been able to interact with Jennifer Azzi and Katy Steding, and other players as well. It is totally my favorite book ever!



4. I confess that I have been a fan of Tara Vanderveer for nearly 10 years. I think I understand that basketball is a very major part of her life. She likes Bob Knight, sheesh. This book was a very easy read even though you already know how it will end. When you finish the book you might feel like you want to see if the players saw everything the same way. Well, this is her point of view.



5. I thoroughly enjoyed this in-depth view of Tara's work with the Women's National (Olympic) team of 1996. The team was a masterpiece, and being able to see it thru the eyes of its coach was really something special. It gave me great insight into Tara and her drive and dedication to the sport and to the team. A great book!!

3 comments about John Wooden: An American Treasure.

1. The Book totally skips from 1948-1962. As successful as Wooden was, he did have some failures. The book failed to mention them. I am a huge UCLA and WOoden fan, but the book needs to shed some light also on his failures as coaching. He was not a perfect coach. Bisheff is writing pretty much a biased book. I think he did cover Wooden very well, but left out over 20 years.



2. This splendid biographical study details many obscurely known facets of John Wooden's public and private life such as that he was a schoolteacher at one time. It especially excels on describing Wooden's family life and his continuing friendship with his former players after he retired from coaching at U.C.L.A. in 1975. It also updates the reader on what activities have transpired in the lives of Coach Wooden's former players after their collegiate basketball playing days.
   This definitive biography would be more complete if the author had included a bibliography but for some mysterious reason this was omitted. John Wooden was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts as a player and a coach. He is generally considered to have been the greatest college basketball coach of all time. This book is also remiss in that it doesn't include numerous details of John's professional playing career for the Indianapolis Kautskys in the 1930's after John graduated from Purdue University having been an All-American for three years. The author mentions that John Wooden once sank at least one hundred consecutive free throws while playing for the Indianapolis Kautskys. However the author's citation of this incident is vaguely imprecise. In a personal communication with me John Wooden confided that he sank 134 consecutive free throws for the Indianapolis Kautskys. John stated to me that Frank Kautsky personally gave him a one hundred dollar bill after John had sunk his one hundredth free throw in a row. John's 134 consecutive free throws sunk in competitive league play is the all-time record on the professional, collegiate or high school level.
   I have always admired John Wooden's life-style values and coaching philosophy. He had to have been one of the most underpaid talents of all time since the highest salary he ever received in his lifetime at U.C.L.A. was in his retirement year in 1975 when he received an unbelievably low income of $32,500!
   It is a shame that a painting doesn't exist of John Wooden by the famed artist Norman Rockwell. John truly is a Rockwell "Americana" treasure. It has been my pleasure to have known this treasure.



3. This bio by Steve Bisheff of the OC Register is the best on Coach that I've read. I've read everything on Coach Wooden and couldn't put this one down. It took me back 40+ years when I first began to take notice of the Coach and his Bruins. What a great celebration of the career and life of the greatest coach and teacher there's ever been. Without painting him as perfect this bio highlights the character of a man who didn't just coach basketball players, but taught youing men about life. What's amazing is that 40-50 years later his boys are successful in life because of his influence and not afraid to proclaim their love for their Coach. This is a must read especially for Wooden/UCLA fans

5 comments about Yao: A Life in Two Worlds.

1. A good biography teaches you something not just about the subject of the book but about life itself. Yao Ming's book not only fails to do this but its narrative style is such that the reader is concurrently bored and frustrated whilst trying to reach the end of this rather dull tale.
   
   Yao wrote his autobiography at too early a stage in his career. True character is forged through adversity and at twenty five years of age, Yao simply hasn't had any opportunity to undergo the proverbial trial by fire. Yao omits to mention or only tangentially scratches upon many of the issues that I would consider interesting. How does he deal with the sudden influx of new "friends"? What discrimination, blatant or otherwise, does a 7"5' Chinese man face when stepping out from mainland China into one of the hubs of the Anglosphere? How does his relationship change with his childhood friends and the people that he has grown up with? Although it may appeal to avid basketball fans, my appraisal of the content of the book is that it lacks anything of real substance.
   
   Sadly the structure and narrative of the book fare no better. The book was co-authored with Ric Bucher, who endeavours to maintain as much of the authentic "Yao flavour" as possible. He succeeds in this venture too well and much of the books is written in simple, boring and pedestrian English presumably because this is the way that Yao himself speaks. The book is laced with commentary from key members of Team Yao and this is confusing because the reader has to constantly refer to the "Cast of Characters" in order to place a context around what is being said.
   
   I cannot recommend this book to anyone other than the most devoted Yao Ming acolyte and even then the reading would be for duty rather than for pleasure.



2. This book includes many interesting stories and facts that fans will definitely enjoy about the Chinese sports hero. It alludes to Yao's experiences back in China as it shows how he learned to adjust to a life as an NBA All-star. The book is informative and entertaining while it keeps one in constant exclamation over Yao's height, sizes, dreams, and experiences.
   
   The physical book itself provides a good read with its medium size and clear print. Yao's stardom also makes the book a worthwhile collector's item.
   
   If you are not much of a Yao Ming fan, however, you will probably not enjoy this book. It talks about him almost exclusively, and glimpses into Chinese basketball and cross-cultural struggles are given only from his perspective. Still, if you are collecting athlete biographies, this is not one to overlook.



3. The Houston Rockets spent the 2001 season's number one draft pick on Yao, a seven-foot, five-inch center from Shanghai, China. Yao's journey to the NBA has been chronicled in his autobiography, "Yao Ming: A Life In Two Worlds". He has proven to be a marketing goldmine for the profit-driven NBA. Yao appeared in a nationally televised Apple Macintosh Computer commercial (alongside the ubiquitous Verne Troyer, "Mini-Me" from Austin Powers) and being billed alternatively as the "Ming Dynasty" or the "Ming Emperor." Ticket sales and merchandising increase dramatically for Houston, trends that began before Yao had ever played a minute in the NBA. On the court, as well, he has made a huge contribution to his franchise. Ed Derse in a January 16, 2003 radio broadcast for American public media stated that "The Rockets, who finished in 2001 near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, now contend for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive west."
   
   Yao's commercial success and basketball skills signal the dawn of a new era in the NBA game. While the league has historically had some international flavor (Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon, Lithuanian Arvydas Sabonis, and Sudanese Manute Bol being members of the old guard of international competitors in the NBA), the American game is now reaching new heights of global exposure and global presence. Truly, these trends are complimentary in nature. As the NBA acquires more international talent, global citizens from regions that nurtured this new NBA talent become ardent fans and supporters of a specific NBA franchise or simply of the NBA in general. Jon L. Wertheim wrote in a piece for "Sports Illustrated" that these fans buy merchandise, tickets, and a portion of American culture all at the same time." They often go to great lengths to show support for their hometown heroes. The NBA reaches new heights in the era of radio, television, and Internet exposure. "Yao Ming: A Life In Two Worlds" is a first hand account of the ongoing globalization of the NBA.



4. Great book to know more about the history of Yao and his roots. Highly recommend.



5. Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down until I was done .

1 comments about The Inside Game: Race, Power, and Politics in the NBA (Ohio History and Culture).

1. I just finished this book tonight, and it's one of the best sports autobiographies I've read in ages, and I read most of them. Wayne Embry is a pioneer, and a man that overcame a tremendous amount of racism and adversity in his life to become a power player (GM) of 2 NBA ballclubs.
   I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Embry in passing at camps, and he was a kind gentleman. I always admired him but never knew all that he went through. To be fair in my review, I must say that in reading the book, he seems at times overly-sensitive in his analysis of some situations, especially those with Cavs ownership, and that he often seems to have felt slighted, when he may have just been a casualty of an underachieving ballclub, and NOT the victim of racism.
   Either way, the man is an intellect, and also found success in business as a big-time McDonald's franchisee and sat on the BOD of several Fortune 500 companies, as well as a trustee of his alma mater, Miami of Ohio. A man who has been married to the same woman for almost 50 years. A man of conviction.
   I say this for Embry, whether or not you agree or disagree with his views, he pulls no punches. He tells it like it is, and does not sugar coat things in this book. There's nothing worse than shelling out $20 or $30 for a book, and then you get nothing but cliche nonsense, or the same old fuzzy stories you already knew from the sports pages or internet.
   This book is a must for old-time/vintage NBA fans or those who wonder what it's like to be a GM of a team. Wayne Embry was not only a physical specimen, but a cerebral giant of a man, and this is one helluva read. Kudos, Big Wayne. Regards, James R. Acho, Esq. www.cmda-law.com

1 comments about Mr. Basketball: George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers, and the Birth of the NBA.

1. By "typical book," I mean that it covers Mikan's career in great detail, give you some early biographical info, and then zips thru this post career life in mere seconds, until coverage of his death - maybe there isn't much happening after an athlete retires but it should would be nice to see some real research every once in a while. Wait for this to come out in paperback - in fact, wait for it to come out in mass market paperback - either that or in your library's discard pile.

3 comments about One Of A Kind.

1. There are a lot of baseball biographies out there but this one provides a unique twist. Kathryn "Katie" Conley, the author of the book, is Gene Conley's wife and it is as much her story as it is his. You learn about their young lives, their courtship, Katie's devotion to the teaching of the Seventh Day Adventist church, and Gene's rise to play two professional sports, starting with the Boston Braves and later with the Boston Celtics. Gene would go on to win a World Series ring with the Milwaukee franchise in 1957 and then an NBA championship with the Celtics the year after (Conley would repeat to win two more consecutive NBA titles with the Celtics). Katie Conley is proud of her husband's achievements and she gives him his due.
   
   The author doesn't gloss over her husband's shortcomings with alcohol abuse while playing ball. Both would admit that this, as well as arm trouble, brought his baseball career to an end much sooner than if he had taken better care of himself. Money is a major topic of the book. The chronic shortage of money when they first started life together, the contract disputes and issues around playing two professional sports,
   and even the phone being removed because of mounting long distance bills
   are some of the problems faced by the couple as Gene was, for a while, gone year 'round, playing basketball after baseball season was over and then diving into baseball in late spring (he went on to play baseball for the Phillies and the Red Sox and the Knicks in the NBA).
   
   You are more likely to read about the horrid hotels and motels in which they would stay than you would about what it was like to pitch in the World Series. There is a distance in the telling of the story, since it is not written by Gene himself. There are glimpses into the goofiness that went on in baseball like the "Braves Playboys" where Gene at 6'10" is on the floor Indian wrestling someone and he ends up knocking he legs out from under a piano. Of course, the gendarmes were brought in, which later caused Gene a paucity playing time under manager Fred Haney.
   
   Perhaps one of the starker topics that threads its way through the biography is all of the injuries that he suffered playing two sports: fingers, hands, ankles, hip, feet, shoulder are all mangled or abused or damaged sometime during his career and like many others of the time, he played when he was hurt...as much out of fear being replaced as loyalty to his team.
   
   Also, in this book, you get the full account of why Gene Conley (after having been bludgeoned by the Yankees in game in the Bronx) decided after tying one on to catch a plane to Jerusalem. This AWOL action caught everyone off guard, even his family, who didn't know where he was.
   
   Katie Conley does a good job explaining what it was like as a baseball wife and mom, trying to bring up three children and this adds a personal touch that pages of stats won't provide. It is also obvious that she is proud of her husband's accomplishments, not only on the mound or court, but also his work with NBA pensions. (Both of them founded organizations to lobby the NBA to provide pensions to older NBA players who were receiving little or no pension money.)
   
   This book will not give you a pitch by pitch or jump shot by jump shot view of the professional careers of pro baseball and basketball. It does provide enough highlights of his career and a glimpse into his family's private life to provide well-rounded enjoyable reading.



2. There are a lot of baseball biographies out there but this one provides a unique twist. Kathryn "Katie" Conley, the author of the book, is Gene Conley's wife and it is as much her story as it is his. You learn about their young lives, their courtship, Katie's devotion to the teaching of the Seventh Day Adventist church, and Gene's rise to play two professional sports, starting with the Boston Braves and later with the Boston Celtics. Gene would go on to win a World Series ring with the Milwaukee franchise in 1957 and then an NBA championship with the Celtics the year after (Conley would repeat to win two more consecutive NBA titles with the Celtics). Katie Conley is proud of her husband's achievements and she gives him his due.
   
   The author doesn't gloss over her husband's shortcomings with alcohol abuse while playing ball. Both would admit that this, as well as arm trouble, brought his baseball career to an end much sooner than if he had taken better care of himself. Money is a major topic of the book. The chronic shortage of money when they first started life together, the contract disputes and issues around playing two professional sports,
   and even the phone being removed because of mounting long distance bills
   are some of the problems faced by the couple as Gene was, for a while, gone year 'round, playing basketball after baseball season was over and then diving into baseball in late spring (he went on to play baseball for the Phillies and the Red Sox and the Knicks in the NBA).
   
   You are more likely to read about the horrid hotels and motels in which they would stay than you would about what it was like to pitch in the World Series. There is a distance in the telling of the story, since it is not written by Gene himself. There are glimpses into the goofiness that went on in baseball like the "Braves Playboys" where Gene at 6'10" is on the floor Indian wrestling someone and he ends up knocking he legs out from under a piano. Of course, the gendarmes were brought in, which later caused Gene a paucity playing time under manager Fred Haney.
   
   Perhaps one of the starker topics that threads its way through the biography is all of the injuries that he suffered playing two sports: fingers, hands, ankles, hip, feet, shoulder are all mangled or abused or damaged sometime during his career and like many others of the time, he played when he was hurt...as much out of fear being replaced as loyalty to his team.
   
   Also, in this book, you get the full account of why Gene Conley (after having been bludgeoned by the Yankees in game in the Bronx) decided after tying one on to catch a plane to Jerusalem. This AWOL action caught everyone off guard, even his family, who didn't know where he was.
   
   Katie Conley does a good job explaining what it was like as a baseball wife and mom, trying to bring up three children and this adds a personal touch that pages of stats won't provide. It is also obvious that she is proud of her husband's accomplishments, not only on the mound or court, but also his work with NBA pensions. (Both of them founded organizations to lobby the NBA to provide pensions to older NBA players who were receiving little or no pension money.)
   
   This book will not give you a pitch by pitch or jump shot by jump shot view of the professional careers of pro baseball and basketball. It does provide enough highlights of his career and a glimpse into his family's private life to provide well-rounded enjoyable reading.



3. I know Katie and Gene, and they are wonderful people. Gene's sports life was terrific, to say the least. He played 2 national league sports, at the same time, basically; basketball and baseball. Not many can say that. This book highlights his life, his family, and him. God bless him, Katie, and their family, and those who read the book.

5 comments about Hoop Roots.

1. May be the best novel about the inner experience of an aging athlete. An autobiographical novel by an accomplished writer and a complex man, Hoop Roots is a challenging read. Wideman demands something of his audience, a rarity these days, and those looking for a mindless basketball book will likely not be up to the task. As in his other books, Wideman occasionally gets carried away with his command of complex language, and some passages are a struggle even for the most commited readers. However, overall this is a first rate novel, by a first rate writer, on a subject with which he is singularly expert.



2. I had to read this book for a college course. Too bad for me, since it's the worst book I've had to read from cover to cover. HoRrIbLy boring, mostly incoherent, the book takes very promising themes and turns them into very stylish junk. Loaded with clichés and overused images. Blah, blah, blah, it goes on and on. If I wasn't being evaluated on it for class I would have stopped reading it after the first 15 pages. It's the only Wideman book I've read, and of course I don't plan to read any others, but if this is proof of his best work, I hope he is a better creative writing professor than his writing would suggest.



3. I had to read this book for a college course. Too bad for me, since it's the worst book I've had to read from cover to cover. HoRrIbLy boring, mostly incoherent, the book takes very promising themes and turns them into very stylish [material]. Loaded with clichés and overused images. Blah, blah, blah, it goes on and on. If I wasn't being evaluated on it for class I would have stopped reading it after the first 15 pages. It's the only Wideman book I've read, and of course I don't plan to read any others, but if this is proof of his best work, I hope he is a better creative writing professor than his writing would suggest.



4. If you think John Wideman's Hoop Roots is about playground basketball you may find yourself disappointed -- as I was.
   Wideman is a wonderful writer. When he describes a player's drive to the basket, gliding into the air, checking out all around him, you can picture the action and feel the the excitement. When he describes the social protocols for the pick-up game he nails it When he describes the early days of the National Basketball Association, including the unique challenges for Black players, you can see it and feel it.
   Unfortunately Hoop Roots contains far too few accounts like these. This book is about John Wideman growing up in a Black neighborhood in Pittsburgh, about his relationship to his family and in particular his grandmother, about Black athletes and Black men in America. Basketball, which has played such a key role in Wideman's life, is sprinkled throughout, often in bits and pieces that left me wanting much more.
   Wideman was a star high school and college basketball player. He came the same neighborhood as NBA great Maurice Stokes and other noted stars. He played highly competitive playground basketball until he was 59, long after he had become an award-winning writer. I had so many questions for him. What was it like playing organized high school and college ball compared to the playgrounds? What were his own experiences as a playground player? What were some of his most memorable experiences in the playground game? How did he ever play until he was 59?!
   Instead Wideman gives us long passages on the different routes he took to get to the playground as a youth, oversized shorts versus short shorts, and a fable about the Globe Trotters first road trip. It's all brilliantly written. It's just not about basketball.



5. OK, after reading the previously posted review, I admit that I am one of those readers who will read ANYTHING by John Wideman, regardless of subject- but I disagree that this book has too much roots and too little hoops. This book is fantastic. Wideman manages to discuss basketball- its history, its present, its future, and at the same time discuss race, love, music- all so eloquently that I often had to put the book down and absorb. The various stories of his family members make me wonder how John and his talented daughter Jamila managed to come out on top, when his brother and his son are so mired in tragedy. John Wideman is the best writer alive in America- I am convinced- and this book is an absolute masterpiece.