5 comments about Tara Lipinski: Triumph on Ice.

1. Large print, pictures, small vocabulary, Even though it's written by a 14 year old, but still should be much better than this. This book has showed me what's the real Tara Lipinski behind the fame.
   
   Here're some quotes directly from the book:
   
   "The audience applauded as I finished my program.
   I felt like applauding too! After my terrible short program the year before at the Worlds, I ended up taking first.
   Michelle also skated well. But she stumbledd comping out of the triple lutz in her combination. She came in fourth.
   Irina Slutskaya was sixth."
   What's the point of telling how the Michelle messed up? and Irina?
   
   "No, it seemed as if the crowd was reacting to Michelle's scores, which had just come up. I looked at them too. They weren't great, and I was a little confused. (Later I found out that Michelle had fallen three times during her program. She'd had a bad day.)"
   Ok maybe you want to tell us how Michelle didn't skated well, maybe how she fell... but we don't need to know how many times she fell! And adding "She'd had a bad day." at the end? We know you just want to say she sucks.
   
   Tara keeps telling who came in after her at the competitions she won. I've never been a big fan of Tara Lipinski, and after reading this book, I will never be.



2. Tara Lipinski's autobiography is about her life and how she became a star. She was born on June 1o,1982. She became a champion when she started taking roller blading lessons. Then a friend came to talk to her mom, about trying ice skating. When Tara tried ice skating, she loved it. But then her dad got a new job in Texas, so they had to move. But her mom and Tara moved back to Delaware. Soon Tara got a new ice-skating coach, Richard Callaghan. Her mom and Tara had to move again to Michigan. In 1996 Nicole Bobek, an ice skater, drop out of the USA Figure Championships because of an injury. Tara won 3rd at the championship. Soon after Tara became the first skater to land the triple loop- triple loop combination. In 1997 at the age of 14, she became the youngest figure to win the World Championships.

   Tara Lipinski taght me that if you do not give up on your dreams, they will come true.




3. OUTstanding! This book is great! It made me belive that I could be a figure Skater I just love this book. I would to anything to meet Tara.



4. I bought this book cuz of tara and TARA IS SO OPEN IN THIS BOOK! Its incredible for young skaters. A tRuE iNsPiRaTiOn!



5. this was a great book for tara lipinski fans. Yeah Baby!

3 comments about Joe Louis: My Life (Dark Tower Series).

1. Besides the entertaining account of Louis' life, this book includes some great anecdotes about American life in the middle of the 20th century, especially African American society.

   Among the celebrities who merit a few pages are Lena Horne (who had an affair with Louis) and Jackie Robinson (Louis claims he helped integrate the Armed Service baseball teams). The descriptions of Harlem at its peak are terrific.

   Despite all the revelations of infidelity and his terrible money sense, Louis comes across as warm and likeable. The descriptions of boxing matches are readable even to a non-sports fan, although at some points they tend to blur together. Lots of great pictures, too.




2. Oh, the "Brown Bomber"; that champ ranks among the greatest of all time.
   The time I spent reading Joe Louis' autobiography was fascinating. Everything about the book depicted that gentleness that was his off-ring trademark. Yes, Color-Bar affected him like any other Black person of his generation, but he took it along in his strides. It is only the grace of God that transformed this poor sharecropper's son into one of the most famous persons of the 20th Century.
   His record of 12-year reign as a champion, backed-up by an equally outstanding 25 title defences is still a burning candle that no heavyweight has been able to extinguish. I am only saddened by the fact that (American) racism (in those days, and to some extent today) did its best to hinder those credentials; as well as the joy that the post-ring gentleman deserved. May his soul Rest In Peace!



3. This book came out two years before the Bomber died,and it was real good.I always remember hearing my parents talking about how they would hear Joe Louis fights on the radio,and how proud they felt.To this day they speak highly of him.Here, He is candid on his life,including his father's mental illness,women,boxing,financial challenges,marriages,etc.He don't leave nothing out. And I have enjoyed it then and now. I had some misconceptions about him, and was glad he cleared them up. Great for the generations that knew nothing about Joe, and those that did and wish to remember.

2 comments about Capt. Nat Herreshoff: The Wizard of Bristol : The Life and Achievements of Natanael Greene Herreshoff, Together With an Account of Some of the Yachts He Designed.

1. This book gives a very good overall story of the designs N.G. created and also tells the story of the Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Part of me wishes the book went into more detail on some of the designs but that book would be ten times as large. Overall this book presents Captn. Nat's live from beginning to end and gives a very interesting view into a time long since past.



2. This book is a reprint of the classic 1953 edition. It reads as though it was written some years before that.
   
   Capt. Nat was one of the preeminent yacht designers from the late 1800's to about 1920. He and his shipyard built a lot of the more famous racing yachts of the time. This included some that he designed for the successful defense of the America's Cup.
   
   Part of the interest in this book is that these boats were being designed at a time long before computers came on the scene. Capt. Nat first made a small sketch of the boat. Then he built a half hull model. He had a machine of his own design that would then trace along the model at prescribed intervals and draw the lines of the boat.
   
   Of coure, in these days, all the boats were wooden or steel. The exotic material of todays boats had not been invented.
   
   This is interesting reading from a time long past.

No comments about The Greatest of Them All.

5 comments about All the Sundays Yet to Come: A Skater's Journey.

1. This book really engrossed me. I don't know the first thing about skating, and I'm a mediocre runner at best, but I'm an avid armchair traveller, and I loved hearing about what the author went through. It was a nice structure for the book to see her grow up and go from young skater to disillusioned older skater to fulfilled triathelete. Good job! Can't wait to read the next one!



2. An absolutely amazing story of a strong athletic girl with amazing talent forced to weaken herself in the name of show. Here we have a beautiful, very talented figure skater with--gasp--muscles of all things! Not anything like a female body builder or such, but a beautiful streamlined athleticism that anyone would envy. Unfortunately, in order to skate professionally, she was forced to lose her muscles, her strength, and dignity as a athlete in order to fit into the preconceived notions that female ice 'professionals' should look like pre-pubescent sticks on skates, pretty much by starving themselves..and to match a specific weight far too low for the performers. Nevertheless, our heroine (with the help of 'Captain Graceful') overcomes the inconceivable tortures that her mind and body had to overcome to become one of the strongest female athletes today. This behind the scenes look at the beautiful/ugly world of professional skating is an absolute must for those who skate, or parents of little girls wishing to fulfill the ice princess dream. Only Kathryn Bertine could tell such a horrowing story, while keeping you laughing. Thank you, Ms. Bertine, for sharing this with us!



3. Delving into more than just figure skating, All the Sundays Yet to Come poignantly portrays the story of a woman coming to terms with her inner demons as she discovers the type of person she wants to be. Her story demonstrates that things are not as great as they seem when she is accepted into a professional skating tour, her childhood dream. Skaters are not judged by their ability, but rather by their looks. Ms. Bertine's height and muscular build are looked down upon, which spurs her into the dark depths of eating disorders and low self-esteem. She carries you from a world of despair and unhappiness into a world of self-fulfillment and happiness. Anyone who has had a mental disorder of any kind can easily relate to her struggle, and can experience hope for themselves by witnessing her triumphant recovery. Her writing is mixed charmingly with a unique humor as she pokes fun at herself as well as life, keeping the story from becoming too dark. Ms. Bertine shows you that even when one dream dies, another comes to life, and a fulfilling existence is always within reach. Considering her successes in writing and triathalons since her professional skating career, she has made a very wonderful life for herself.



4. Kathryn Bertine's book about life as a professional ice skater is both humorous and heartbreaking. Written in an engaging style that makes you feel like she's sitting across the table from you, sharing a cup of coffee, and giving you the inside scoop on the world of ice skating, ALL THE SUNDAYS YET TO COME, is an honestly written memoir that strips the sugar-coating from a sport that appears to be all beauty and grace and sequins and spandex--and allows us to glimpse how it can be ugly...the constant weigh-ins that force healthy young women to starve themselves so they can look like stick figures, the behind-the-scenes addictions to drugs and sex, the physical violence that happens between couples and is ignored by management. Ms. Bertine doesn't hold back, allowing us to see the beauty and the ugliness, even as she struggles with her own self-esteem which is stripped away by management and their weekly weigh-ins. You'll laugh and you'll cry as you read this amazing book--and you'll never look at the sport of figure skating in the same way you did before.



5. I enjoy good sports writing, but I never thought I would be reading a sports book about skating. However, I have been reading Kathryn Bertine's blogs posted on espn.com about her attempts at making the olympics, and I enjoyed her humorous, somewhat self deprecating style, so I figured I'd check out her book. I was glad to find her book was just as well written, and an interesting read (especially considering I knew virtually nothing about the subject beforehand). I would reccomend it.

5 comments about Indian Summer: The Tragic Story of Louis Francis Sockalexis, the First Native American in Major League Baseball.

1. The name of Louis Sockalexis in Cleveland (OH) pro baseball lore is usually associated with the tale that the team was named after the star player in recognition for being the first Native American in MLB.
   
   It is about as accurate as Cooperstown, N.Y., being the birthplace of the game. The nickname was selected by a panel of Cleveland sportwriters in 1915.
   
   Author Brian McDonald packs a wealth of information on Sockalexis, pro baseball and the era in which he lived and played hard, both on and off the field.
   
   Sockalexis, 25, was a sensation at the plate and in the field during his 1897 rookie season with the Cleveland Spiders. The club was sometimes referred to as the Indians in stories filed by sportswriters. But the excesses that can grip star athletes is not new; Sockalexis pursued the late-night haunts where his celebrity opened doors, but ultimately shut the ones that should have mattered most.
   
   If there ever was an athlete who needed a "role model" (guard) off the field, it was Sockalexis. He had baggage when he entered pro baseball, being expelled from the University of Notre Dame after ripping up a brothel when the madam made a racial slur to him.
   
   But as the game within the game is still played today, the Spiders looked the other way as long as Sockalexis played like a star. It didn't last long, though. Later in his rookie season, he severely injured his leg while jumping out of a second-story window of a brothel.
   
   He hung on for two more seasons in Cleveland before being released, but stayed in the game by playing & umpiring in the minor leagues. He died at the age of 42.
   
   The history has been embellished for so many years and McDonald does an outstanding job in placing the life and times of Sockalexis in its proper context.



2. This book is more than a baseball story; it's a bit of insight into American culture at the turn of the last century as well. It is also an extremely fast read. The story flows smoothly and doesn't drag. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the career of Louis Sockalexis. Blessed with tremendous athletic ability, this Native American rises quickly to the top of the game, only to fall more rapidly. Here is a guy who by most accounts could have been one of the all-time greats of the game, but was used by owners, friends and hangers-on, until he was all-used up and cast aside. Certainly, much of his demise was his own doing; but some of it was the time period, the structure of the baseball business, the racism of the day. Regardless, it's a tale worth reading, as one can draw certain parallels to today's athlete - coddled, manipulated and directionless.



3. Louis Sockalexis, as a great ballplayer, was the Roberto Clemente of his time. By all accounts, while in his very short prime, he made plays that defied description; he outran balls that could not possibly have been caught; he hit anything he wanted to hit. But his race (he was a Native American), his prediliction for drink, and a public that both adored yet patronized him all contributed to his demise and to a short and tragic career. Sockalexis, in some ways, may have been the first overindulged college ballplayer. Common nowadays, back then - probably due to his race - Sockalexis was given incredible leeway by Notre Dame specifically because of his sports ability. Eventually dismissed, he was allowed to continue his excesses simply because, as good as he was, he made a great drawing card for the team he wound up playing for - Cleveland. This book says as much about America and the way the country idolized, and idealized its non-white heroes as it does about Sockalexis. It also says much about what such idols had to deal with and how easy it was - and still is - to get caught up, and destroyed by fame and the price of it. A good historical perspective on how major sports, even then, could corrupt (and allow one to corrupt himself) somebody who might have been one of the best, ever.



4. I had heard of Louis Sockalexis and knew he was from Old Town, Maine, but that was all. Author Brian McDonald has researched the baseball life of this Penobscot Indian, and provided us with a neglected subject in baseball's history. Sockalexis was on his way to having a superior season with the Cleveland National League team in 1897 while enduring the derisive taunts from fans throughout the league because he was an Indian. Sockalexis turned those taunts to cheers with his batting and fielding skills, while others attended games just to see this much heralded Indian play ball. It certainly wasn't known at the time, but the apex of Sockalexis's career was on the team's first visit to New York's Polo Grounds when he hit a home run onto 8th Avenue off the "Hoosier Thunderbolt" Amos Rusie.
   As has been the case with numerous athletes throughout history, the love of alcohol and the night life brought this budding star's career to an abrupt end. While jumping out of a second story brothel window Louis suffered a broken ankle and his running ability was never the same. He managed to hang on through the seasons of 1898-1899, but was only a shadow of his former self. He had vowed to give up his drinking and take his baseball seriously, but it was not to be. The Cleveland team was known as the Spiders, and was changed during this time to Indians. Whether it was because Sockalexis was on the team in open to conjecture. In 1900 the National League dropped its four weakest franchises, Cleveland among them, which finished the 1899 season with the worst record of any team in baseball history, 20 wins and 134 losses. Sockalexis died from heart failure on Christmas Eve of 1913. We are also introduced to Indians' owner Frank Robison and manager Patsy Tebeau who endured the tribulations of managing his alcoholic star.
   Interesting stories are also told of the St. Louis Browns' colorful owner Chris Von der Ahe who ended up selling his team to Cleveland owner Frank Robison at a sheriff's auction. Owning two teams was known as "syndicate baseball."
   The author begins each chapter with interesting tidbits that were taking place in America during the years of 1897-1899. One was the two day postponement of the execution of a Choctaw Indian who was to be shot by firing squad so he could be in the lineup of the governor's favorite team.
   The book is a worthy addition to a baseball library. His story, however, is an all too familiar one of wasted talent.



5. This book is a must read for baseball fans and history fans alike.
   McDonald tells the story of this unsung hero while interweaving facts about the struggles of Native Americans in general during the 1890's in this country. The author does both Sockalexis and baseball fans a great service by telling the story of this phenomenal talent. Sockalexis performed head a shoulders above the others players while facing adversity at every turn. It is difficult to believe that a player of Sockalexis' caliber is not touted along with Babe Ruth, and the like- such a disservice to the game.One can't help but wonder what type of impact Sockalexis would have had on the game if he had played baseball during a different time period in this country.

5 comments about Blood Horses: Notes of a Sportswriter's Son.

1. This magnificent book is a subtle tribute to the author's father. Apparently, subtlety is lost on some of the philistines who posted reviews below - so let me help. If you want a book all about horsies - this is not it. If you want a series of reflections written in the "new journalism" style of Tom Wolfe and arranged around a journalist's coverage of the Kentucky Derby, "Blood Horses" will draw you in and astonish you time and time again. Sullivan is a genius, his elegiac and moving work will last, and we will hear more from him.



2. I read voraciously, and bought this one expecting a story about thorobred horse racing. Instead, I got a lot of whining from an obviously very insecure author. Except for 6-7 pages about Secretariat that were good, the rest of the book is a waste. My reaction to this author was: grow up and get a life. Tossed it into the garbage when I was done it was so bad I wouldn't even bother to pass it on to friends.



3. I first came across the article gleaned from the pages of this book (or in preperation of...) in a 2003 Harper's Magazine, October, I think. Mr.Sullivan's walk through the bizarre intricacies of the horse racing world from all sides, including his most personal, were raw genius. He nonchalantly drew connections between more humble pedigrees (his own, for example - nothing remarkable except that it, too, is now published) and those of these rarified creatures (thoroughbreds) in a way I didn't even notice until half way through. What a respctful tribute to his father. It seemed to me a sort of a come from behind type of writing style that crystalized into a fine read somewhere in the middle, and then just got better. All the way to the very last sentance.



4. Sullivan's work is lyrically written - at times laugh-out-loud funny and at others profoundly poignant. His description of Secretariat's win in the Derby is one of the most sublime passages I have read in any book. In his musings that run from horses to fathers, he gives us a glimpse of the nature of beauty. A moving work. Sullivan is one to watch.



5. ...shouldn't blame the author. This is a phenomenal book. Blood Horses is partly an experiment in narrative technique. Like most literary experiments, it has its less-than successful moments. There are places where the author's allusions to and quotations from other texts get overwhelming. But the book also contains some of the most amazing pages of flat-out writing I've come across in a long time--about horses, about pain, and about beauty. Given its ambitious scope the structure holds together surprisingly well, and pieces of it are wickedly funny. If you come to it looking for Seabiscuit II, you might find it frustrating and a little disjointed. I came to it looking for a new writer who was trying something different, and I was blown away. This book is destined to become a classic and Sullivan an author to follow. I say discover him before everyone else does.

2 comments about One Heartbeat II: The Road to the National Championship.

1. One Heartbeat II' is an update to the original book 'One Heartbeat'. The updated version contains stories about the Texas Longhorns' from around 2000 to winning the national title game against USC. There is good news and bad news about 'One Heartbeat II'. The bad news is that Mack Brown isn't in any danger of quitting coaching to start a writing career. The book is weighed down with an 'aw shucks' gooeyness that is sometimes hard to overcome. Writer Bill Little does a pretty good job of narrating the book and adding his own stories but at times falls victim to the same goo.
   
   The good news is that the book succeeds at it's goal of presenting Mack Brown's coaching philosophy. You get a good picture of Mack Brown the person, his life philosophies, and his perspective on how those things relate to his coaching and success with the Texas Longhorns.
   
   'One Heartbeat II' walks through Brown's career, including heavy coverage of his stint at North Carolina and the reasons he left the Tar Heels. Brown presents inspirational stories about his encounters with people throughout his life and career, including stops at LSU, Appalachian State, Oklahoma, Tulane, and (of course) Texas. He includes stories about running back Ricky Williams, dealing with Cole Pittman's death in a car accident in 2001, and Brad Hermes who overcame his deafness to play for the Longhorns. Particularly enjoyable are his frequent encounters with and comments from Texas coaching legend Darrel Royal.
   
   Despite difficulties with the number of cliches and heaping helpings of corniness, you cannot help but find a deeper respect for Mack Brown the person and head football coach of the Texas Longhorns. There is something in this book for everyone, whether a fan, a coach, or an athlete. If you're a Longhorn fan and you haven't read this book you're missing out on a fair amount of insight into the team and coach you hold so dear.



2. I wish I would have known that 2/3 of this book were from Coach Brown's first book. I already own the One Heartbeat. I was expecting a complete book, not rehashed parts from a previous book. I would suggest anyone interested in a more complete book get their hands on the new book by Bill Synder the former coach at Kansas State.
   
   Please don't think the book is an entire waste. If you have not read One Heartbeat you will find this a great read. I was just expecting more.

5 comments about George Brett: From Here To Cooperstown.

1. This is a book that my husband just had to have! It is out of print and it took awhile for me to find it. If you are a George Brett fan, it is a must have!!



2. Steve Cameron's latest work with George Brett is a must for any fan of the greatest game. For everyone who has thrilled to George's accomplishments and admired his blue-collar, headfirst approach to the game he loves, "From Here to Cooperstown" is a joy indeed. This book captures the entire story of Brett's career where he had a lifetime average of .305, 3154 hits, and 1595 runs batted in. Great photos and layout compliment the authoring by Steve Cameron. It includes a great section that has quotes and comments from players, coaches, and writers, that have watched George Brett move from a shaky Single A player to the Hall of Famer that he is. Another feature in this book is that George Brett shares his thoughts, emotions, memories, his recollections, and his feelings about the long journey. It captures the entire story of Brett's career from childhood through his many years with the Kansas City Royals. It also does an outstanding job of building an understanding of why Brett is so passionate about the game of baseball. Here is a quote from George on how he would like to be remembered. "I'd like to be remembered as the guy who always played hard and ran out every ball." Although George has made it to the Hall of Fame he thanks many for his success. George would later add in his Hall of Fame speech a thought about his parents. George said," To my parents, Jack and Ethel. Thanks for the endless hours of support and love. You taught me the qualities of life that I will pass along to your grandchildren, Jackson, Dylan, and Robin. I would recommend this book to all players in high school, College, and the Minors because of the lessons it teaches about respect for the game and a personal commitment to excellence.



3. Steve Cameron's latest work with George Brett is a must for any fan of the greatest game. For everyone who has thrilled to George's accomplishments and admired his blue-collar, headfirst approach to the game he loves, "From Here to Cooperstown" is a joy indeed. This book captures the entire story of Brett's career where he had a lifetime average of .305, 3154 hits, and 1595 runs batted in. Great photos and layout compliment the authoring by Steve Cameron. It includes a great section that has quotes and comments from players, coaches, and writers, that have watched George Brett move from a shaky Single A player to the Hall of Famer that he is. Another feature in this book is that George Brett shares his thoughts, emotions, memories, his recollections, and his feelings about the long journey. It captures the entire story of Brett's career from childhood through his many years with the Kansas City Royals. It also does an outstanding job of building an understanding of why Brett is so passionate about the game of baseball. Here is a quote from George on how he would like to be remembered. "I'd like to be remembered as the guy who always played hard and ran out every ball." Although George has made it to the Hall of Fame he thanks many for his success. George would later add in his Hall of Fame speech a thought about his parents. George said," To my parents, Jack and Ethel. Thanks for the endless hours of support and love. You taught me the qualities of life that I will pass along to your grandchildren, Jackson, Dylan, and Robin. I would recommend this book to all players in high school, College, and the Minors because of the lessons it teaches about respect for the game and a personal commitment to excellence.



4. Steve Cameron's latest work with George Brett is a must for any fan of the greatest Game. It does an outstanding job of building an understanding of why Brett is so passionate about baseball.

   There is a great section containing comments from players, coaches, writers that have watched George Brett move from a shaky Single A player to the Hall of Famer that he is.

   I almost think this book should be required reading for all players in high school, college and the minors because of the lessons it teaches about respect for the game and personal commitment to excellence.

   Until reading this book, I was sure that no one could love the game of baseball more than I did. George Brett is the one man that does.




5. This book is the heart and soul of George Brett. If you are a fan of George Brett or a lover of the sport this book is a must have addition to your collection.

1 comments about Quotable Spurrier: The Nerve, Verve, and Victorious Words of and about Steve Spurrier, America's Most Scrutinized Football Coach (Potent Quotables).

1. If you love Steve Spurrier, you'll love this collection of hundreds of his quotes. If you hate Spurrier, you'll still love the book as it gives you ammo to yell back at. If you're not in either of these categories of people, then you might want to check and see if you're still alive. This is Spurrier in a nutshell, and it's a beautiful book.