5 comments about The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.

1. I saw the movie way before i read the book, but i can assure you, if you like the movie you'll love the book, it has and air of remembering the game, and taking you to the moments that really change the game of football.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed the book (though as a woman I sometimes got bogged down in the history telling of some of the football stats) It was interestering to learn of some of the 'stars' of yesteryear and of past coaches.
   
   The storyline of what the Toueys did is remarkable and I've heard Leigh Ann wants to start some type of program for underprivileged black kids who need help with grades to stay in school. What a woman!!
   
   My one complaint is the cover....Michael Lewis name stands out much more than the title of the book..like he is selling his name over that of the book and of Michael Ohr...the cover on the paperback is much more appropriate. Hopefully, the cover on the hardback will be changed if the book sells enough copies.



3. Gave it as a gift but I'm sure it's a good book. Saw the movie.



4. The Blind Side is generally very well written, tremendously informative, and highly engaging. I learned a great deal about the evolution of the passing game, and very much enjoyed the tale of Michael Oher's rise. But the merits of the book will be obvious to any reader who has the slightest interest in football.
   
   Its defects may be a bit less apparent. In one passage, Michael Lewis says the following: "Memphis could make you wonder why anyone ever bothered to create laws segregating the races. More than a million people making many millions of individual choices generated an outcome not so different from a law forbidding black people and white people from mingling." Not only is this patently false, it's highly insulting. White supremacy and its corollaries--e.g., the economic and social subjugation of black people--were the law, not one-half of some controlled trial, and modern-day segregation is their legacy. So it's quite ignorant and hurtful to claim, especially so nonchalantly, that black people have chosen to wall themselves off in the poverty of western Memphis.
   
   Another problem with the Blind Side is that precious little of it is told from the subject's perspective--i.e., from Oher's point of view. I kept wanting to get an idea of his side of the story, but only toward the very end of the book do you get as much as an inkling as to how he was seeing things. Relatedly, only toward the very end of the book do you get a sense of how much and how hard Oher worked to improve his athletic skills before he moved into white Memphis. According to the Author's Note, Oher didn't open up to Lewis 'til fairly late in the game, so to speak, but that's no excuse for Lewis's failure to thoroughly incorporate Oher's perspective and detail his striving. Nor is there any excuse for Lewis's continuing to call Oher "Big Mike" even after noting that Oher hates that moniker.
   
   Also, Lewis falls all over himself lauding Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron's recruiting ability, but punts when it comes to explaining why that talent didn't result in success for the Rebels, who were awful under Orgeron's stewardship. Finally, and I realize this is pretty petty, but Lewis not only confuses ecto-, endo-, and mesomorphism, but doesn't realize that none of them really applies to Oher, or to offensive linemen in general.



5. The Blind Side weaves together the compelling story of a out-of-nowhere high school football star with the evolution of the game of football. The title comes from the nickname given to the area behind a quarterback who is setting up to pass. Defenses normally put their best pass rusher on this side to give him the added advantage of the qb not being able to see his approach. As football offenses became more and more pass-happy, the offensive tackle who protects the quarterback's "blind side" became critical. As a result this position has become one of the most highly paid in the NFL.
   
   Lewis traces this development while focusing on Michael Oher (pronounced "oar"), a high school phenom whose life story is, well, if the book were fiction, it would be panned as sheer fantasy.
   
   The title, The Blind Side, misleads the reader into thinking that the focus will be on the evolution of football. However, this is really very tangential to the Michael Oher story. As fascinating as that was, this reader came away somewhat pitying Oher, for the book lays open his life to a degree that no young adult should have to face. Imagine 300+ pages of the Duggar family shamelessly spilling their family time in full view. It may not be dirty laundry, but it way more information than the public needs about anyone, especially a young man trying to become an adult.
   
   Kudos to the Tuohys for their selfless giving. I suppose some are jaded about their wealth and resources, but the question comes to mind, "What can I do to help those less fortunate?" I wonder how successful their foundation for helping other inner-city kids has been. It seems to me that their own experience shows that it takes a family to raise a kid.
   
   Even though Oher is now a Ratbird (a pox on their nest), I wish him success in his football career, except of course when playing the Browns.
   
   The football history was interesting but it is definitely not what one recalls when thinking about the book. It is well written and an enjoyable read.

5 comments about Among the Thugs.

1. As a tour of several football grounds in England in the company of Hooligans , Buford's book is at times engaging and interesting. As a sociological study of the causes of mob violence as represented by these incidents it falls flat. I had very mixed feelings about this book. He seems to be driving to the conclusion that people in mobs conform to a "crowd" mentality and do very bad things they wouldn't do on their own. A fairly obvious conclusion wrapped in pseudo-intellectual language. He's at his best when describing his own participation in some of these confrontations. Read it for the description of the incidents themselves and you'll learn something without needing to be dragged to some profound understanding of what it all means.



2. Excellent take from an outsider (a yank at that) on football hooligan culture. More of a sociology book, but has some very good stories.
   Entertaining and a very easy read.
   One of the essential reads if you want to know more about the mindset of the yobos.



3. I was disappointed with this book.
   
   The topic was interesting and the author made a very hard attempt to get in with the sub cultural of football thugs, YOBS - do the things they did, go where they went, try to be accepted by the group without acting, being who he was - a writer.
   
   The premise is very similar to Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels - a great book.
   
   The problem with Among the Thugs is that the author Bill Buford, try as he does, really doesn't like the English football thugs, not any of them - can't say anything redeeming about the whole culture - they are repulsive.
   
   Even the attempts by the English Right Wing Nationalists - the National Front comes off that the leaders of the National Front can stand these repulsive Soccer thugs, can't really use them in anyway - no one can.
   
   So the book comes off as the writer having to waste large parts of his life trying to get to know the secrets of the power of this sociological phenomenon and he learns all there is to know and, and
   
   There really isn't that much to know - they're repulsive, losers, not even good at anything, good at crime etc.
   
   A better writer could have made the subjects more interesting without taking their side. Good books about criminal networks make the criminals interesting, though bad.



4. This book is perfect for fans of Hunter Thompson's Hell's Angels. It's like a gonzo journalist was sucked into A Clockwork Orange and told to "start writing." Whether or not it's 100% accurate is beside the point. It's not a news article -- it's a book. It takes romantic liberties to better symbolize the truth.
   
   Also, for those who have a sense of humor that's hard-edged and drenched in booze, this book is hilarious.



5. As documentary history, there are times when it's nearly impossible to put 'Among The Thugs' down. His ability to articulate his vantage while things go off is unmatched. However, as the book goes on (and it's short; some 315 pages) it's too easy to tire of him. His theory become pedantic, and he's so intent on it he's willing to risk the final chapters, which sink under their sociology lesson and hammed-up moral controversies. At times, it's easy to wonder whether an editor read the last two chapters at all. That said, Buford reveals much that British accounts of their hooligan shame either downplay or exaggerate . . . even if he works in the shadow of Heysel and Hillsborough. In fact, his lack of contact with Liverpool supporters nearly negates his whole work. But that's another story -- since the Reds haven't been honest with their roles in those events, either.

5 comments about Coming of Age in Mississippi.

1. This book will really suck you in. It's hard for people who aren't from the South to understand the family dynamics, the method of speak, the rural center of it all, etc. But the time period covered while (possibly) somewhat far-removed from today's standards of living is what drives the story forward. The conditions described are both deplorable an' fascinating, an' anyone who thinks slavery ended in 1865 would be greatly challenged by the childhood stories recounted by Anne Moody. One'a the most vivid to me being her description of the chicken factory she worked at in New Orleans. There's no traditional arc here either an' no false hope, possibly because it was published in 1968 at the height of social unrest, but I wouldn't call it a downer either. Its as straightforward as it gets; tumultuous, surreal at times, filled with disillusion an' ultimate uncertainty. But, you will be better for having explored it. I've passed it on to several friends and (if I ever get it back) I intend to read it again.



2. This book is so clearly written and so interesting that I wanted to read on and on. Every so often I would stop and think that the storyline is so good and then I would remember that it's a true story which would further amaze me. I would forget that I am actually reading it for history class. We've always heard of the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but this gives us the story of one female activist who was in action during that time. We learn in more detail about how some of the less mentioned people in history conducted protests and sit ins and strived towards uniting African Americans to gain equality. The life story of Anne Moody is sure to keep you interested.



3. If you want to understand truly the insanity of the prejudice in the south, this book is the truth. Written from a woman who lived it and fought for her freedom and that of her race. It is difficult to read at times. I had to put it down in disgust at the hatred and cruelty that white men have shown to Blacks in our country. It is so well written and should be used as a historical novel in English classes in our schools. Moody had so much courage at such a young age. Pass this one on. Use it in book clubs. Excellent.



4. Great Book. I had to read it for my History Class, my mom later read it and loved it.
   
   This is American History, everyone should read it.



5. What an amazing book!! To know this book was bravely published in 1968, when the Civil Rights issues were still a hot topic, is telling of how Anne (Essie Mae) Moody unabashadly tells the stories of her life in Mississippi. She didn't wait for controversies and prejudice to cool down. She let her voice be known at a time when immediate influence was necessary.
   
   She draws readers into this autobiography that reads more like a novel than a memoir, with tales of herself, a little girl exchanging work for milk for her family. She then shares her teenage years, as a beautiful girl struggling though work, school and family upheaval. Then as a young adult putting her life and that of her family at risk fighting for Civil Rights.
   
   This is a touching story of leadership, accountability, struggle and victory.
   
   Having missed this historical generationmyself by being born in the 70s, it is incredibly angering to know that there was such a distinction made between races. Even worse,that it was a LEGAL distinction.
   
   This book was really incredible. I can see why it continues to be ppular more than 40 years after it's original publication.

5 comments about Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide To Winning In Soccer And Life.

1. i love this book! Mia Hamm is a great soccer player who knows what shes talking about. i recomend it to anyone who is serious about soccer and wants to learn how to improove thier game. it has pictures about the world cup in 1999 and of her as a kid. it is great for coaches, players, and pretty much anyone. it also tells about mia's life outside of soccer. hanging out with her friends, family, and teammates. overall this is a great book.



2. It's written with Mia's innocent perspective on competitive sports and life. Her role model status, team dedication, and work ethic dominate the main themes for tween and teen girls. The morals put forth are tried and true: practice makes perfect, never be selfish, and respect and treat others as you would yourself. The book is inspiring due to Mia's incredible determination to improve and succeed and, ergo, is motivational. It's an easy read, but I give it 4 stars since it could be more thought provoking regarding life balance and choices for girls. Nonetheless, she is a golden role model. Recommended.



3. This is a great book. I really recommend it for anyone who is interested in sports, or really just succeeding at anything you are passionate about. I learned a lot that I think will help me with my life. She is a great example of how to pick a dream and reach for it. I will take a lot of the tips for living she shared and use in my life. I think a lot of my peers will also benefit from this book and hope you do too!



4. I purchased the book for my two daughters who play soccer. I was very pleased that the book discussed many aspects of life, not just issues on the soccer field (just like the book cover promised). It was especially interesting to see Mia Hamm's handwritten practice notes - it demonstrated that Mia's success didn't come with talent only, but with much discipline and hard work. I would recommend this book to anyone with teen daughters, whether they play soccer or not.



5. "Go for the Goal" is about Mia Hamm, one of the best soccer players in the world and about her struggles, difficulties, and accomplishments in her life. She helped lead the women's world cup team to a victory in 1999. She has faith that every one that dreams about being a soccer star, go for it! This is one of my favorate books not only because I play soccer competitively but because she has showed me some techniques and strategies she used to be an amazing soccer player. This book is interesting and factual about Mia life and could help change your idea about soccer.

5 comments about Mia Hamm: On the Field with... (Athlete Biographies).

1. Mia Hamm
   
   Mia Hamm was a talented soccer player. As a toddler she lived in Italy, that is how she discovered her love of soccer. Her dad was a marine and so she moved around frequently. During High School she decided to focus on soccer, and so all through High School and college she played on her schools' teams. Mia graduated college in 1994 and married her college boyfriend, Christian Corey. After that, Mia and her team went to Sweden to defend their world cup title. IN 1998, she was named America's best female athlete.
   
   My book, On the Field With Mia Hamm, gave me lots of information about Mia. The cover page is green with a colored picture of her running down the field with the ball. This book is organized into chapters and that made it a lot easier to sort the information about Mia. In the middle of the book are nine colored pictures of Mia and her teammates. In would have made the book easier if there were more pictures, though. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves soccer!
   
   
   



2. Very good review of a current sports star. Easy for my 7 year old daughter to understand and keep her interested.



3. I would recommend this book not only to people who love soccer, but to everyone who enjoys a true story about a great athlete and role model. The story of Mia Hamm is basically about how she was introduced to soccer and how she follows her dream to be the best women's soccer player in the world.



4. On teh field with Mia Hamm by Matt Christopher was a very goodbook. I didn't have a very good idea who Mia Hamm really was though.The only thing I know is a professional soccer player. I aw the book and it looked pretty interesting. I'm about a quarter of the way through the book and I'm liking it so far. Usually I don't read books , let alone a whole book.



5. This book is by far the best i've ever read. It has great pictures and has lots of info on Mia. I think she is the best player i've ever seen. So this book was very interesting. If you love to play soccer, and enjoy watching and learning about Mia , this is THE perfect book! Once you start reading it, you won't stop reading until you've finished! SO GET OUT THERE,GET OFF YOUR BUTT, AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER, AND READ!

5 comments about The Man Watching: A Biography of Anson Dorrance, the Unlikely Architect of the Greatest College Sports Dynasty Ever.

1. This is one of those books that is hard to put down. It helps to unpack the man 'Anson Dorrance' and the sporting legacy that he developed.



2. This is a good book, and very interesting as a sketch of one of the most (if not the most) successful college sports coaches of all time. The details of his life history and the anecdotes are interesting, and the book goes quickly. It seems, however, that with such an apparently controversial figure that there must be another side to the story. The book glosses over the causes of the lawsuit that was brought against him and ultimately settled, and most of the rest is close to hero-worshipping. If there is another side to the story, a dark side told from the point of view of his detractors, you will not get it from this book.
   I would warn the soccer coaches who buy this book, it is not going to give you much that will help you become a better soccer coach. There are allusions to "the competitve cauldron" and some insight into the record-keeping and practice organization, but if you are buying this book to help you become a better soccer coach you will not get a lot out of it.



3. I've been a college coach my entire life working with male and female athletes at the Division One level. Over a 30 year career I've read many many books on leadership, motivation, management and relationship building. Walk into any book store- there's thousands of them.
   This book stands apart in my mind as one of the best simply because it takes you inside the UNC program that Dorrance built and shares his thoughts, observations, beliefs and practices. What is so powerful about the man and the story is the simple things he values most and how he reinforces them over and over within his teams daily regimen.
   If you coach college sports at any level, this is a valuable read. If you coach female athletes at any level, especially high school or collegiate, this is a must read.
   No two people ever think alike and Anson's style is unique to him. But the lessons that any leader can take from this book will be well worth the time spent. There are certain universal truths that all coaches have to come to grips with if they hope to be successful. It's clear from the beginning to the end of this read, that Anson's ability to grasp these truths and consistently weave them into his daily life lessons to his players is what sets him and the UNC program apart. His style may not appeal to everyone, his approach may not be your cup of tea, but it's hard to read this well written book and not come away with a sense of admiration for way he molds his athletes into champions.
   This book is well worth reading and for anyone in the coaching profession, it will force you to re-evaluate how you approach your mission.



4. As a previous review noted the first half of the book, which dwells on the coaches life, is much more of a "biography" than the second half.
   The second half is more of a description of the "feel" of the UNC program, which based on the writing, seems authentic.
   The programs description doesn't really add much to the biography unless you have an opinion about the UNC program.
   The rituals and idiosyncracies of the program are no more interesting or poignant than any other D1 successful sports program.
   I believe this book, through its many quotes and reprinted letters, gives a sense of what the emotions of college soccer are like for the athletes. As a coach of male and female soccer players, I would recommend it for female players who wonder what college soccer is like. Of course, any fan of the UNC girls program would find this an inspiring read since it holds true to the title and praises the program at length.



5. The biography of Coach Anson Dorrance of UNC should appeal to soccer fans and coaches. As a general biography, I wouldn't recommend it, because the focus is clearly on soccer and not much else outside of the game, the Tar Heels, and Dorrance's personal life and family. The bigger view of the context in the greater world is mostly limited to some general trends, such as the rise of women's sports from virtually nothing to their much stronger state today.
   
   The historical background was easily the most interesting part, and the first half of the book is much stronger than the second. Coach Dorrance's background as a child of the world and an aggressive, competitive youth was surprisingly engaging. Even better was the origin of women's varsity soccer at UNC and elsewhere as women's soccer germinated to a critical mass within American colleges. Similarly, the creation of the women's national team with early stars such as Michelle Akers and its evolution into a dominant power with and without Coach Dorrance was also very informative. Tim Crothers has added a valuable historical record by capturing these stories with factual reporting and extensive interviews.
   
   Coach Dorrance is of course famous for the exceptional success of the program at UNC, and the Heels even won the next national championship after the book was published. The author draws out Dorrance's coaching philosophy, recruiting style, motivational approaches, and other aspects of his personality and performance. The various "aha!" moments where Dorrance learned to appreciate and exploit the differences between men and women have been fodder for stories and lectures for many years, and they make for excellent material and opportunities to compare with our own observations and attitudes.
   
   What got a little tiresome was the volume of material on how competitive Dorrance is and how great Carolina is and how special Carolina is, almost as if other teams don't have their own special bonds among teammates or play with intense effort and dedication. I ended up skimming a bunch of that as too much rah-rah and of little additional value. Fortunately, Crothers added a chapter on Dorrance's "dark side", such as his arrogance. Some juicy, bitchy stories can make up for an excess on the praise side.
   
   Crothers naturally had to cover the lawsuit. Based on the tone of the book, I surmise that the author has put the whole situation in a relatively positive view. Debbie Keller isn't exactly presented as sweetness and light. However, on the contrary side, the author reviews Dorrance's admitted mistakes, his agreement to training, his change in approach, and some remarks by people who were at least neutral on the whole matter. I'm not sure what to think, and the reader can still gather a lot from the biography if the lawsuit is secondary to one's interest in the book.

5 comments about Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman.

1. The illustrations are great. The font, though a little difficult to read, matches the pictures and is sure pretty. And the story is inspirational, I guess...
   
   Actually, tell the truth, it's a little *too* inspirational. To read this book, Wilma Randolph did nothing in her life but work hard to overcome stuff. Which is inspirational, sure... but she comes out seeming very hard to relate too. As I read about how she successfully overcame being a (poor, black) preemie, and successfully overcame being incredibly sickly, and successfully overcame polio, and successfully overcame racism and sexism (and the continuing effects of her disability)... I start to wonder, did Wilma Rudolph ever have a bad day? Did she never, like the rest of us humans, wake up in a miserable mood and want to crawl under the covers and let somebody else do the work? When she was a child and it hurt to do the exercises to learn to walk again, did she never throw a tantrum? When she was sitting on the sidelines at recess, did she never go home and whine to her mom about how unfair it all was?
   
   Oh, she probably did. But to read this book, you'd think all the limitations she overcame were external - disability and a heap of -isms, that she never had to overcome a grumpy mood or frustration or just plain old-fashioned PMS like us normal folk. It can be a little tiring to read, honestly - none of us is ever going to be as perfect as she's (unrealistically) depicted as being.
   
   I mean, look. Wilma strikes me as a fascinating individual. She did accomplish a lot - and winning the Olympics is an accomplishment in itself, even if you don't do it as an ex-polio kid with a twisted ankle. I just... I wish I could connect to her more as a real person when I read this book. Maybe it'll grow on me. I'd give it 3.5 stars if half stars were allowed.



2. I have used this book in my classroom, in staff development, and in graduate classes for teachers. The life lessons that can be learned from Wilma Rudolph are endless. Her determination and ability to overcome adversity are truly remarkable. Every child should hear and see the hard work and perservence that Wilma demonstrated. Every teacher with whom I have shared this book, plans to use it in her or his classroom. I bought this book for someone who is studying to be a teacher. I know that someday he will use this book with his students as well.



3. My granddaughter needed books on Wilma Rudolph for a 5th grade school project. This ended up being her favorite. The text was just right for her understanding and she really liked the illustrations. As she was reading it she clutched it to her chest and exclaimed to me, "Grandma, I love this book!" It prompted a conversation about overcoming doubts, believing in yourself and what things inspire us... a conversation I don't think we would have had otherwise.



4. I have used Wilman Unlimited in my classroom for the past few years. It is a fantastic book to use any time during the year, but good for Black History Month also. I use it with fourth graders to teach sequencing and analyzing character. I highly recommend this book.



5. Inspirational stories fill hundreds of picture books every year. Most are simply awful. They either tell tales that are loose plots barely supported by facts or they paste together a slapdash concoction of truth and fiction with as little thought as possible. The truly beautiful bio-picture books out there are as rare as hummingbirds in autumn. So it was with great joy that I located "Wilma Unlimited" and found it to be not only inspirational but also a darned good read. Written by Kathleen Krull (the woman who could make long dead musicians fascinating in "Lives of the Musicians" and bring Cesar Chavez to life in the recent "Harvesting Hope") and illustrated by David Diaz the book is the best possible way to introduce kids to one of the world's greatest athletes.
   
   Born in 1940 to a family of twenty-one people (nineteen siblings, no less), Wilma Rudolph was initially a sickly child. Though she was energetic enough, she often caught every disease imaginable. At the age of five, Wilma's left leg twisted inward and it was clear that she'd come down with polio. Still, Wilma was a determined child and she consistently exercised her unruly leg to get stronger. After continual practice, she was finally able to walk free of the leg brace that had weighed her down. At twelve the brace was put away for good and Wilma started participating in sports. She led her high school basketball team to the finals, catching the eye of a college coach. Before you knew it, Wilma was recruited into the Tennessee State University's track-and-field team on a full ride scholarship. In 1960 she competed in the Olympic Games in Rome. The book sets this part up beautifully. Wilma arrived with a twisted ankle into a place filled with television cameras (the first time they ever filmed the Olympics), the place "shimmering heat", and her competition consisting of runners who had run faster races than she ever had. Then Wilma proceeds to win one... two... three gold medals! The last medal is especially dramatic, hinging on the moment when Wilma drops her baton and STILL beats the other runners in the 400-meter relay. The last double page spread in this book shows Wilma standing, "tall and still, like a queen", earning the last of her three medals. It's a truly proud moment for all who have the privilege to experience it once again in picture book form.
   
   Krull has a way with words. I'm not saying that Wilma Rudolph's life is dull. Far from it. But in the hands of a lesser author this story could easily have been bogged down in all the wrong moments. This author knows which moments should be given full glory. The moment when Wilma removes her brace and walks proudly into church will banish from your mind that similar pseudo-inspirational moment in "Forrest Gump". Wilma's struggle at the Olympics through pain and skepticism puts the reader through the same strains. You yearn for this woman to beat them and beat 'em she does. Then, best of all, come the illustrations of David Diaz. This is my first Diaz experience, though I suspect that I'll read many more of his books as the days go on. Diaz has accompanied his illustrations in this tale with sepia toned photographs. The book's endpapers display the outlines of footprints in the dirt. The title page is an evocative view of ivy climbing a raw wooden fence. Behind his colorful illustrations, each background photograph refers to the corresponding scene obliquely. When Wilma and her mother take the bus to the hospital, the photograph is a close-up of a wheel. When she packs away her leg brace, it's shredded packing paper. A great relief it is indeed that the colored illustrations are worthy of their sepia compatriots. Though these pictures may appear blunt at first, they are filled with the most delicate of designs. I loved watching the character of Wilma as she aged. As she grows in confidence, her posture improves and back stiffens until, by the last shot, she is standing taller than all the women around her. Than all the women in the world.
   
   "Wilma Unlimited" should be known to everyone living in American today. This is inspirational without being either annoying or faux-patriotic. It's an actual honest-to-goodness amazing story. The book is beautiful and its story is worthy of its packaging. I challenge you to read it and not shake your head at least once in amazement. It's just that good.

5 comments about Fever Pitch.

1. I didn't finish this book. Seems that I am not enough of a soccer addict or an englishman to find this book interesting or funny.
   The fun is anyway rather the kind of fun that critics see as funny (very "intellectual").



2. Fever Pitch is mostly about football, but topics such as love and human relations are quite prominent in this well-written book by one of the most popular authors of Great Britain today.
   
   In Fever Pitch we get to know Arsenal and its surroundings through the eyes of a local fan during 30 years. 30 years of both sorrow and happiness. Fever Pitch is therefore a true love story between a club and a local fan. No matter which team you support, this book will capture your heart from the first page. It's funny, compelling, clever, witty and quite sad at the same time, as we follow Nick Hornby's chase for success and everlasting glory for the Gunners. His inspiring view of life is spiced up with facts and of course results from Arsenal games. Hornby has linked his beloved Arsenal's highs and lows to his own personal life and it's a true pleasure to read his outstanding autobiography. Fever Pitch is definitely a great result of Hornby's obsession by football and especially Arsenal. This book shows the fabulous talent Hornby has as an author.
   
   While I read Fever Pitch, I several times laughed out loud and sometimes got sympathy for Hornby. A football fan who lives and dies for his team, will probably know what Hornby has experienced through his life as a huge Gunners-fan.
   
   Nick Hornby is an absolute master writing fascinating and of course exciting novels. His success-novel Fever Pitch is definitely worth reading! Give it a try, and I'll guarantee you'll be hooked already by page one. He mixes his long and sometimes complicated sentences, with some short and very precise ones. I think that is why the book is the best football and comedy book ever written.
   
   If you haven't read this book before, it's high time to do that. If you should pick one book for the weekend, choose Fever Pitch. It's definitely one of the best books I've ever read.
   
   Long live Nick Hornby!



3. So, I was 13 and assuming that the Arsenal fixation that had just taken over my life was just another one of my obsessions, which have come and gone all my life. It wasn't until I delved within the pages of Fever Pitch that I realised everything I felt had been felt before - and this was a great comfort to me. It's also one of the best written books I've ever encountered. Hornby's conversational style meant I never lost the meaning of the book even though some of the words were a little out of my vocabulary league at the time. Don't you just love books that make sense as soon as you are able to read, but make more sense when you pick them up again ten years later, and are therefore full of surprises? This is one such book. Have lost count of how many times I've read it, and everyone I lent it to has enjoyed it except my mum. What was it she didn't like about it again? Oh, here she is, I'll ask her. "I found the film more enjoyable, I find Nick Hornby quite hard to follow. I think I'm looking for a plot!" So if you like novels that have a clear beginning, middle and end, it might not be for you. If you like reflective writing which affirms and strengthens you - and is unbelievably funny in places, and puts an involuntary stupid smile on your face in others - then read it. Finally, I agree with the other reviewers that anyone can read this book. However, I do think it works best if you're a new football fan. Hornby himself came to the game late-ish, at eleven, and was surprised by the passions it inspired. I think some people whose dads took them to football when they were three don't really get it, because it's telling them what they already know. I'll shut up now. Read the book.



4. Before the Jimmy Fallon/Drew Barrymore/Boston Red Sox romantic comedy of 2005, Colin Firth starred in a soccer (football) film from 1997. That itself was of course based on this novel by Nick Hornby.
   
   You don't have to be an Arsenal fan to enjoy the book, and thankfully you don't even have to be British. Yes, of course there were specific statistical references that went over my head, but the important concepts in the book come through (to be specific: loneliness, and the efforts to fill that void through either family or fanship). So do the many nuggets of truth, especially about youth.
   
   
   My favorite passage:
   
   "Sport doesn't allow you to dream in the way that writing or acting or painting or middle-management does: I knew when I was eleven that I would never play for Arsenal. Eleven is too young to know something as awful as that." p.244
   
   
   Some more of my favorites:
   
   "The natural state of the football fan is bitter disappointment, no matter what the score." p.20
   
   "Of course I feel nostalgic, even if I am longing for a time which never really belonged to us." p.31
   
   "After my initial alarm I grew to love the movement, the way I was thrown toward the pitch and suck back again." p.75
   
   "You stand there in the shadowed dark looking down into the light, on to the brilliant lush green and it's as if you are in a cinema watching a film about another and more exotic country." p.185



5. but I am astounded by what Nick Hornby has achieved here...I am a football fan every 4 years since 1982 when I read about the world cup for the first time...I naturally became a Brazil fan but I was not obsessed with football in any sense of the term except during those 4 to 7 matches Brazil would play every four years.
   
   So, this book is not for football fans, it is for everyone. You dont need to know who played for Arsenal in 1972, but you can glimpse a real life experiencing those football matches...that is really what this book is about. It is about growing up and about life.
   
   Secondly, it is hilariously funny and beautiful. I laugh out loud and feel sad simultaneously when I am reading this. I dont know why.
   
   Read it. You will treasure it.

No comments about Pele (DK Biography).

5 comments about Gerrard: My Autobiography.

1. If you are questioning whether or not you want to buy this book, do it. Steven Gerrard is a wonderful footballer, as I'm sure you know, and also a pretty good writer. I would definitely advise anyone to buy this book.



2. I am 3/4 of the way through this book but am loving every minute of it. The one thing i appreciate about it is it is not your typical celebrity/ footballers autobiography were its all about me-me-me and how great they are. There are a lot of moments that you see the lows that Stevie G experienced in his career. It also gives a good insight into the goings on at Liverpool/ Anfield/ Melwood/ England training and in his personal life etc. I may be biased as a liverpool fan, but I am not one for reading books over 100 pages and I definitely recommend this book!



3. This is a must for every Liverpool fan to have, outstanding form the very first page.



4. Steven Gerrard - wow what a wonderful football (soccer) player. And guess what? He can write as well. Very good read; interesting; informative about his growing up; his career at Liverpool and as an international star for England. He doesn't pull any punches; names names and praises and criticizes as he sees fit. Most sports autobiographies are rubbish particularly for someone who is in the middle of his career but this one is worth the time. Nice photo inserts as well.



5. OMG this has to be the best book ever!! I hate to read but I couldnt stop reading this book, I was practically glued to it!!!! Lemme tell you, if you love footy and you love liverpool fc then you have to buy this book!!!!