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 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.

1 comments about Collecting Michael Jordan: The Ultimate Identification & Value Guide.

1. A comprehensive guide to collecting Michael Jordan memorabilia. Very well documented with hundreds of pictures to help identify the various items.

   An indispensable guide for MJ collectors.

5 comments about Giants: The 25 Greatest Centers of All Time.

1. Nice topic for a basketball book, especially since the true pivot player is as rare as a dinosaur in today's game. Just a bunch of 3 pt shooting 7 footers running around (except for Dwight Howard & Yao Ming). But I definately disagree with placing Kareem only third. He was the greatest force on offense and defense the game has ever known. No disrespect to the late Wilt the stilt. The fact that he lead the league in assists one year is a bit miss leading, that particular year Wilt abstained from shooting very much. What impresses me more about Wilt is the 27 per game rebound avgs in 2 separate seasons and the fact he never fouled out of a game which was strangely omitted from his many accomplishments, listed in the book. However he shot only 51% from the line, a major flaw. To my surprise Russell only shot 56% lifetime, this is not good, if teams would play hack a Wilt or hack a Russell they would be in trouble, on the other hand Kareem shot 71% and even higher in the clutch. Many games between two evenly matched teams may come down to freethrows a very small margin for error. Karrem's my numeral uno with Wilt a close second and Russell third,without a doubt the greatest defensive center for all times.
   
   I don't agree with shack in the 4th slot he can't shoot freethrows either, and know way he's better than the Dream Olajawon, Moses Malone, or the Cheif Robert Parrish in their primes, no disrespect to the diesel but the jury is still out on him,I still remember how the Dream had him for lunch in the 94-95 playoffs, its to early to put him that high up. I think the likes of Ralph Sampson and Bill Lambeer should be left out all together. And I don't believe power forwards like Tim Duncan and Dan Issel should be included, they should have there own category (power forwards).
   
   P.S. the info is very good and the likes of Willis Reed, Jerry West and Pete Newells's commentary enriches the book even more. But the previous reviewer was right the pages just won't stay in the book, I don't think he had to leave 3 reviews to make his one star point. I get the picture loud and clear. I paid only 10 dollars for it from a street vendor, the 29.95 price might be a bit steep, for a book that pages won't stay in.



2. My husband really wanted this book for christmas based on some TV show interview he watched but after reading the review about the binding, I went to a local bookstore to check it out for myself. All FOUR copies had binding problems. When I opened the book, the pages started to break off so the store is returning them all.

   I am quite disappointed because it looks like a really good book content wise. Hope they get a new printing soon.




3. BEWARE!! I bought this book at Borders, then got in a line for Willis Reed to sign it. While waiting, I turned the pages back & forth a few times - it's a photo book primarily - and the pages began to fall out. I exchanged it for another, and those pages began to fall out. I paged through five more books, and their pages began to fall out, so I got my money back & didn't buy it. The store management said they were aware of the problem. The binding is so horrible that if you use it as it's intended - to look through over & over again - the pages will fall out (at least in all the books shipped to that Borders). It would have been especially horrible to give as a gift - not worth the money! A book is supposed to stay as a book.



4. BEWARE!! I bought this book at Borders, then got in a line for Willis Reed to sign it. While waiting, I turned the pages back & forth a few times - it's a photo book primarily - and the pages began to fall out. I exchanged it for another, and those pages began to fall out. I paged through five more books, and their pages began to fall out, so I got my money back & didn't buy it. The store management said they were aware of the problem. The binding is so horrible that if you use it as it's intended - to look through over & over again - the pages will fall out (at least in all the books shipped to that Borders). It would have been especially horrible to give as a gift - not worth the money! A book is supposed to stay as a book.



5. BEWARE!! I bought this book at Borders, then got in a line for Willis Reed to sign it. While waiting, I turned the pages back & forth a few times - it's a photo book primarily - and the pages began to fall out. I exchanged it for another, and those pages began to fall out. I paged through five more books, and their pages began to fall out, so I got my money back & didn't buy it. The store management said they were aware of the problem. The binding is so horrible that if you use it as it's intended - to look through over & over again - the pages will fall out (at least in all the books shipped to that Borders). It would have been especially horrible to give as a gift - not worth the money! A book is supposed to stay as a book.

5 comments about Same Knight, Different Channel: Basketball Legend Bob Knight at West Point and Today.

1. This book gives an objective account of coach Knight at the beginning of his remarkable and continuing career. Isenhour's book is based on firsthand accounts and grounded in actual experiences and not best guesses. Knight is an extraordinry role model in perseverance and integrity despite the constant barrage of media critics. Coach Knight is a remarkable coach, demanding what more parents should demand -- academic excellence and personal excellence.



2. I've heard of Coach Bob Knight, but I am not a basketball fan. I got a strong recommendation of this book from a friend and I can't say that I'm disappointed that I read it.

   Isenhour (or "Ike," as Knight apparently called him) writes in an extremely lucid, conversational style. Facts, historical quotes, and dates come off as something remembered over a cold beer rather than information recorded and then regurgitated for the purpose of writing a book. Honestly, I could care less about the history of basketball, but this is a very interesting book, and it kept me reading to the end.

   If I had to pick something to complain about, it would be the fact that for much of the book, Isenhour seems to be extremely preoccupied by the culture of West Point itself. Of course having read (and then re-read) some of his astounding accounts of this institution, had I been raked over those coals, I'd probably be preoccupied with it, too. Don't get me wrong, the material is fascinating, it's just not about Bob Knight. Still, I'll accept the emphasis given to The Point since it offers the reader one of many explanations as to how Bob Knight came to be the way he is.

   Note that I said "explanations" and not "excuses."




3. Just the fact that this book is written tends to hold Bob Knight up as a role model, unfortunately. It needs to be said, he is not a role model for anyone, nonetheless for West Point. While it is nice to have known someone who has become a celeb (infamous celeb, concerning all that West Point is supposed to stand for), West Point is not about celebs. For the good of West Point and West Pointers, past, present, and future, I think the Bob Knight connection should in no way be advertised and promoted.



4. I have read alot of books on Knight, this book was great, Isenhour being a player for Knight in the early years gave the book an inside angle that no other author could, Isenhour tells it like it is, the good the bad and the ugly. It is a great read.



5. Just like the back cover says, this isn't a love song to Bob Knight, and it's not a cheap shot to the chops. This is a fair and accurate portrayal of the fiery Coach by a player underneath him when Knight first started out.

   The fact that this player will criticize Knight speaks volumes about his integrity -- and the fact that he defends him speaks volumes about his fairness. He looks at the situation without pigeonholing things into what he calls a "Bob Knight moment" that most media paint things as.

   He talks about Knight's early years in coaching. He goes into more detail on Knight's firing -- and more evenhandedly than I've ever seen -- and talks about Knight at Texas Tech too. The level of access he got is astounding, and the personal touch makes the book golden.

   Such a quick read too. The author had a great, conversational writing style that makes it a fun read.

   Definitely five stars, the best Bob Knight book out there and the fairest one ever.

3 comments about The Tao of Yao: Wit and Wisdom from the "Moving Great Wall" Yao Ming.

1. I'm not sure what books the other reviewers were reading. This is a small book which is a mainly a quotebook. It has a few pages of writing in the beginning that summarize Yao's life in the NBA and some pages of photos in the middle. But the majority is one quote from Yao on each page. That's about it. It would be better to have some context, explanation, or follow up (or a lower book price). It doesn't take much time to read since there is not much writing, so if you want more you will be disappointed.



2. The Tao of Yao is an "up close and personal" look at one of the sporting world's greatest heroes. The story of Yao Ming, who came up from the Chinese Basketball Association's Youth League all the way to superstardom with the Houston Rockets, is not only a tale of success against long odds. It is also an account of a remarkable person who has become a role model for over a billion people, and an ambassador of Chinese culture to sports fans around the world. What comes through most clearly in this book is the "who" of Yao. I could hear his sense of humor, like when he said to the press that his five favorite English words were "This is the last question." I learned about his humility, from exchanges like the following with Shaq after a Rockets-Lakers game that Shaq had to sit out with an injury: "You played pretty good, Yao Ming," said Shaq. "That's because you weren't there," said Yao. I also got a glimpse of what it must be like to arrive in a new country, not speaking the language, not knowing the culture, and having to quickly adapt to the pressure to be not just good, but great.

   By relying solely on interviews with Yao and those who know him best, Doug Choi tells the story of Yao in a way that is immediate and personal. The book is like a good highlights tape - it vividly tells the story with page after page of memorable moments that reveal much about Yao the person and Yao the player. You hear the NBA trash talk that turns to respect, and even "love". You re-live the anticipation of his epic showdown with Shaq. You learn, in Yao's own words, what it means to him to play in the NBA. You find out little things, like why he doesn't go to Chinese restaurants in Houston. And big things, like how he wants to be remembered as a person and as a player. If you're a fan of NBA basketball and "the moving wall of China", then you'll love this book. But even if you're not, I think you'll find this 21st century "coming to America" story to be engaging and inspiring. And, as a bonus, there is a picture of Yao stuffing Shaq under the glass that is worth the price of the book all by itself.




3. Choi's breakin ankles, and hits the trey, nothin but net. This book has it all: insight, humor, and wisdom. He gets the assist in his ability to organize and distill the essence of Yao Ming in a very readable format. Somebody holla, "Alley-oop!" This is a must-have for all Yao fans and for Asians in general who finally have a true playa representin fo tha Fa'East-side.

No comments about Dean Smith: A Tribute.

No comments about Tony Hinkle: Coach for All Seasons.