2 comments about Back From the Brink: The Autobiography.

1. As a child who grew up in an Ireland that was being taken over by the wonders of Jack Charlton's Ireland team, McGrath was always a hero of mine. There were always the little hints that all was not well off the field, but on it, he was a legend. This goes into the painful depths of what was behind this amazing footballer and makes you appreciate even more how successful he became.
   This book gives an amazingly honest insight into the life of one of the greatest Irish sportsmen.
   A must for anyone who likes to read sports autobiographies.



2. This is a riviting account of an extraordinary, complex and successful life which impacted millions. Without any undersatnding how this individual instinctivly lived a life of chasos, triumph and glory, he was a man who was adored by so many. The toast of his native Ireland, Ooh Ah Paul McGrath! an astonisging individual.
   
   Enjoy the book which bencmarks one of the great periods in Ireland's maturity as a nation and as a soccer force in the world.
   
   Aidan

5 comments about The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High Stakes Business of High School Ball.

1. well written and oftentimes riveting account of an undersized punk trying to get his...and does. very illuminating spotlight on the sneaker companies, their camps and the exploitation of talented black youths. If you like basketball, this is a must read.



2. I read this book in one day so that should tell you something. It read quickly and wasn't too boring. Unfortunately it wasn't too exciting either. As a college and professional basketball fan, I enjoyed learning more about what goes on behind the scenes. I learned a lot about how competitive high school basketball is and how crazy recruiting works. I found Sebastian to be a fairly likable guy, but found his family somewhat greedy and money-hungry. I borrowed this book from my local library and wouldn't recommend anyone to pay money for it unless they are related to the author or a member of Sebastian's family. If I owned this book, I likely would NEVER pick it up again, much less read it.



3. The book puts you behind the scenes in Bassy Telfair's last year in high school. Great writing! The author keeps it moving, gets out of the way of the story (unlike Adrian Wojnarowski's St Anthony's book), and makes you feel like you're there. I understood more about this scene from this book that any other. A couple of minor frustrations: 1. He jumps around a little in time without explcitly saying what year he's talking about; and 2. After mentioning that Telfair repeated 4th grade, he doesn't remind us that he's a year older than his grade would suggest even though that's probably important for some stories.
   
   At some points it seems like the author wants us to see the folly of making a big deal out of kids' basketball, but here he is writing a book and making money off of it. All in all, though, O'Connor doesn't preach, he just tells the story and lets us decide what to think about it. One of the best-written basketball books I've read.



4. Sebastian Telfair was born into a poor family that lived in a bad neighborhood filled with violence and drugs in Brooklyn, New York. His dad was in and out of jail throughout his life and his mother struggled to work. The only provider he truly had was his older brother, an athlete who failed to make it to the next level, who failed to bring in the wealth like his now famous cousin Stephon Marbury did just a few years before. With Sebastian being one of the last children growing up in the Telfair family he was made into the last hope at a luxurious lifestyle.
   Sebastian Telfair had always avoided the dangers of his neighborhood. Instead of being up to no good like some of his peers, he just played basketball all day long. Eventually Telfair became skilled in the sport like no other his age. In fact, as a 10-year-old he was actually ranked the best 4th grader in America Throughout his teen years he continued to persevere in his basketball dreams by winning numerous basketball tournaments and then excelling at Lincoln High School. After his four year run there, he came to an important decision in his life. Should he go to college or straight to the NBA? At first he said he would attend Louisville but the money was just too tempting and Telfair went straight to the NBA as the 13th pick by the Portland Trailblazers. As a rookie Telfair struggled; many of his critics claimed he should have gone to college to become more polished. Now he's getting prepared for his sophomore season hoping to make more of an impact.
   The Jump was very descriptively written. Almost everything talked about in the book had some kind of background information included with it so that the reader would never be unaware of something. The story of Sebastian Telfair's life has its share of drama, so naturally his biography will too. From his past coaches trying to follow him to glory, to people trying to pressure him into life changing decisions, just about every page was filled with dramatic situations. Another factor that made me enjoy this book was all of the detailed basketball action that made it seem as though I was actually watching the game. For readers of all kinds, especially sports fans, this book will be a very appealing.
   
   O'Connor did a great job of implementing detail into this biography. Not only did he elaborate extensively on Sebastian Telfair's background, but he did the same for almost every other person Telfair knew or encountered. For example, when writing about Sebastian as a junior high student playing for the Juice All-Stars of Brooklyn he described the coach, Ziggy Scaginano, and his past fully. A reader can really tell that O'Connor has done his research by all the information provided.
   Probably the most interesting part of the book was all of the drama. The story of Sebastian Telfair's life written in The Jump seems perfect for a day- time soap opera. His dad and his brother were constantly having run-ins with the law while his mother had to stay home to care for all of the children. Telfair's cousin Stephon Marbury, who lived almost next door in their Coney Island apartment complex, made it to the NBA, taking his family with him, while leaving the Telfair's to remain in the projects. Sebastian's brother, Sylvester, had a great college basketball career, but when draft day came he and the rest of the Telfair's were left severely disappointed as not one team felt they needed him. Then when it comes time for Sebastian to make the most important decision in his life, everyone, including people he's not familiar with, tries to tell him what to do. There are so many different storylines involved that the reader can't possibly put the book down without hesitation.
   Another part of the book, which will be mostly appreciated by basketball fanatics, is the amount of description during parts where basketball is played. In fact, O'Connor uses this to draw the reader's attention at the very beginning of the book when writing about Sebastian Telfair playing a championship tournament game at Rucker Park. The reason why these parts of the book succeed so much in catching the reader's attention is because of the elaboration put into them. The author describes the actions of the players and emotions of the crowd so well it makes you feel as if you were actually watching the game instead of reading about it.
   
   The drama and basketball action complemented each other well in providing an entertaining book; while the detail made sure that the reader could fully understand and indulge in it. To a sports fan The Jump is a must-read book because of all the basketball action and related storylines. To the casual reader The Jump is an interesting book to pick up because of its descriptive and detailed writing, along with its addicting drama.
   
   -C. Duncan



5. "The Jump" is Ian O'Connor's excellent behind-the-scenes account of Sebastian Telfair's leap from New York City high school ball to the NBA. I recall that when Telfair arrived on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a generously-listed 6-foot guard from Lincoln High in Coney Island, he (as opposed to media phenom LeBron James the year before) seemed to explode into national prominence out of nowhere. O'Connor's book shows you that the author and other savvy talent spotters had tabbed Telfair as a potential NBA lottery pick 12 months or more in advance (indeed, O'Connor shows that people were annointing "Bassy" as NBA-grade as far back as fourth grade).
   
   You've really got to hand it to O'Connor for having the prescience as a journalist to start following the kid, then watch his subject lead his team to third straight NYC title, land on the SI cover, sign a mega-deal with Adidas and become the first small high-school guard to be tabbed in the draft a lottery pick (Portland Trailblazers at #13).
   
   All in all, a great read about the hidden (and rather seamy) side of the many, many hands in the circle trying to position and push an 18-year-old kid into the NBA. Through it all, Telfair comes out looking and sounding like a pretty good kid. From the tone of the book, it sounds like O'Connor would attest to that conclusion. It's amazing that with a veritable maelstrom around him all year, Telfair basically blocked out most of it and played some really fine ball in all-star settings, thereby sealing the lottery deal.
   
   One can't help read this book and wonder how two recent events are going to forever change the the type of scenes O'Connor describes in 'The Jump'": David Stern's decision to increase the minimum draft age to 19; and Adidas' decision to buy Reebok (O'Connor demonstrates that the escalating "sneaker wars" are in large part driven by the fierce three-headed competition between Reebok, Adidas and Nike.).

No comments about Cobi Jones Soccer Star/Estrella Del Futbol Soccer: Soccer Star = Estrella Del Futbol Soccer (Hot Shots / Grandes Idolos).

5 comments about The Emmitt Zone.

1. excellent book. very open and honest. inspiring, but boring in parts



2. If you are into sports books then The Emmitt Zone is a great sports book to read. It is probably one of the greatest sports books i have ever read. In this book Emmitt talks about football being a contact sport and discribes the sport of football. He tells you some records about some players that play in the NFL. He also tells you about his College Football and National Football career and records. Then finally Emmitt talks about his life style when he was grewing up from a little boy to a Football Star.



3. As a Cowboys fan for over 20 years, I really loved this book. It's a great portrait of a great running back and a role model we should all emulate. My only criticism is that it was written a bit early in his career - the book doesn't cover a great deal of events that readers are sure to want to hear about, such as Super Bowl XXX, Michael Irvin's retirement, Troy Aikman's retirement, the rushing title, etc. But, I still recommend the book highly for Cowboy fans who want to smile and remember the early 1990s, when Dallas established itself as one of the most dominant football teams ever.



4. Emmitt Smith has gone through many ups and downs in his career. Some of include three Super Bowl titles and a rushing record. Some of the downs include living in the projects and having a semi-rough childhood. Emmitt grew up in Pensacola, Florida. He lived in the projects for a few years. Emmitt had a very large immediate family; all of them were very close and helped Emmitt through a lot. Emmitt attended the University of Florida for college, where he broke numerous rushing records. Emmitt was the Dallas Cowboys' first round Draft pick in 1990. In the NFL Emmitt Smith is one of the premier players.
   This autobiography gives a great insight to life. Emmitt Smith really did a great job writing this novel. This book gives you a good look at the NFL - from the top. I recommended this book to anyone who wants to read a warming story about someone who worked hard to get where he is today.



5. Emmitt Smith has gone through many ups and downs in his career. Some of include three Super Bowl titles and a rushing record. Some of the downs include living in the projects and having a semi-rough childhood. Emmitt grew up in Pensacola, Florida. He lived in the projects for a few years. Emmitt had a very large immediate family; all of them were very close and helped Emmitt through a lot. Emmitt attended the University of Florida for college, where he broke numerous rushing records. Emmitt was the Dallas Cowboys' first round Draft pick in 1990. In the NFL Emmitt Smith is one of the premier players.
   This autobiography gives a great insight to life. Emmitt Smith really did a great job writing this novel. This book gives you a good look at the NFL - from the top. I recommended this book to anyone who wants to read a warming story about someone who worked hard to get where he is today.

1 comments about A Doryman's Day.

1. The dorymen that R. Barry Fisher celebrates here are men with whom he shared duties on a series of high-masted fishing schooners in the late days of the Depression and early World War II. Growing up as a "wharf rat" on the Gloucester, Massachusetts, waterfront, Fisher and three ten-year-old friends were lured to the docks almost daily, where they reeled gill nets, stacked pen boards, and scrubbed galleys and fo'c's'les in exchange for fish, some of which they took home and some of which they peddled in the streets from homemade go-carts. The "fraternity of the wharf" provided them with a view of real life they could not learn from books--the camaraderie and respect the fishermen had for each other, their rowdy humor and courage, and the grief they and their families felt when their friends were lost at sea.

   Fisher eventually became a doryman, which was "the highest word of respect and affection that one man could use for another." In two-man dories (usually ten to twelve dories per schooner), men worked fourteen hour days, each dory crew baiting two thousand hooks on a series of lines which they would set into the water and later haul in by hand, filling their small boats with fish and then returning to the schooner. They often did three of these "sets" a day, gutting and icing the fish between sets, and rebaiting hooks. Helpful drawings and diagrams allow landlubbers to understand this fishing method, while historic photographs of children and fully rigged schooners make these now-abandoned fishing methods come alive.

   Fisher's final tale, "Mysterious Ways of the Lord," tells of a trip he and a few adventurous fishermen took in the fall, after the swordfish had supposedly migrated from George's Bank (the same sort of trip which Sebastian Junger describes in The Perfect Storm). Here, however, the vessel was a schooner, and each swordfish was harpooned with an eighteen-foot harpoon by a single man hanging over the bow of the vessel, the rest of the crew standing in the rigging locating the fish. On this trip, the captain "finds religion," a tale that Fisher insists is "No B.S., it's the clear truth, me sons." A fascinating glimpse of a lost way of life, this account of a doryman's day is an important contribution to the lore of the East Coast fishing industry, written by a man who devoted his life to fishing and to preserving its history. Mary Whipple

5 comments about Koufax.

1. Although there are parts of all of Sandy's life in the book, it seemed to revolve too much around the 1965 World Series. I'm still waiting for a good biography on Sandy.



2. "Koufax", as written by Ed Gruver, is a highly focused book that covers the life and times of this most private man with flair and tact.

   The strength of this book is the combination of the author's narrative with the insightful quotes from interviews he conducted with Sandy's friends and former teammates.

   Gruver covers Koufax's life and career through the spectrum of one game - Game 7 of the 1965 World Series. It's an interesting approach, and it works here since this game is regarded as the defining game in Koufax's great career. (Interesting that Jane Levy's book, published one year later, uses the same format, though with a different game).

   "Koufax" is a wide-ranging story of the life and career of the man many consider the greatest left-handed pitcher in history. It's filled with interesting anecdotes and brings to life a highly private individual.

   Overall, I found it an accurate portrayal of one of sports' most enigmatic figures.




3. Sandy Koufax is frequently described as a shy, introverted, and very private man. Perhaps because of this truth, it's hard to really get to know the real man... and even a biographer has trouble shedding any light on Sandy.

   Gruver's book doesn't offer any new insight into Sandy's personality or private life. And the book frequently repeats several phrases over and over again! His pitching motion is described at least five times using the same description, and everyone interviewed for the book chimes in with the same description of his private side. Very repetitive! Lacking any real depth or anything new to say about Sandy Koufax, I guess the author decided to pad the book with repeated phrases. Sandy threw a great curve because of his "long fingers and overhead delivery." Sandy's lack of a good curve in the World Series forced him to "rely almost entirely on his fastfall." I can't tell you how many times I read this same information within the space of this short book.

   Taking up the rest of the book is a pitch-by-pitch retelling of Game 7 of the 1965 World Series. Koufax was amazing to see pitch, and his dominance over other players was exciting to watch. But retold by Gruver in minute detail doesn't recreate the drama, it only puts us to sleep. Football fans have long said that "baseball is boring," and Gruver helps prove them right.

   The author attempts to frame Koufax's story on the aforementioned 1965 World Series game 7, and jumps forward and backward between that game and the rest of Koufax's life and career. It's a literary device that doesn't work; I found myself confused about what year it was and what important game was being played. Also, Gruver's segue phrases between the 1965 World Series and moments earlier in Koufax's career are forced... moving from the eighth inning of Game 7 to an earlier Koufax pitching start, Gruver might say, "It was just like that time in San Francisco in 1962," and - BOOM - now he's recounting the details of a game played three years earlier. And then back to the 1965 World Series for the bottom of the eighth. And so on.

   Hopefully, that newer Koufax biography ("Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy") is better and more exciting than this one. I don't think I've ever read a more boring baseball book, and certainly never one as monotonous as this one.




4. Koufax was the greatest, he deserves a better book. I suspect that some of the more positive reviews posted are more a reflection of the reviewers' feelings about Koufax, rather than the book. This book is poorly written and incredibly boring. How any writer could make the subject of Sandy's brilliant career boring is beyond me. But Gruver finds a way. The writing is dry and disorganized, there is little flow to the material, too many meaningless quotes from others are included without sufficent editing, and a plethora of unimportant details not only overwhelm the narative but are frequently repeated, sometimes three or four times. I've just ordered Jane Leavy's book, it's got to be better.



5. Sandy Koufax, Pedro Martinez, and Walter Johnson are the three greatest pitchers in history. This book makes a strong case for Koufax as THE greatest. Certainly others -- Cy Young,Christy Mathewson,Lefty Grove, Bob Feller,Warren Spahn,Tom Seaver,and today's Maddux and Clemens,among others -- have had greater lifetime careers than Sandy,but has anyone been as good as he at their peak years? Maybe Martinez, maybe the two Johnsons,Walter and Randy.It's probably a flat-out dead heat. However, Koufax finished most of his games,something even the great Pedro and Randy seldom do. Also, Koufax frequently went extra innings -- 11,12,13 innings,something Pedro and Randy NEVER do.Koufax pitched for one of the weakest hitting championship teams of all time. From the time he matured into greatness, he became the sole deciding factor as to whether the Dodgers won the pennant or not;in 1962, with the Dodgers on top, Koufax goes out with a circulatory ailment sometime around midsummer and misses most of the rest of the season and the Dodgers lose the pennant.In '63, with a healthy Koufax all year, they win it.In '64, he goes out again in mid-summer with an arthritic arm, and again the Dodgers lose the pennant. In '65, a healthy Koufax leads them to another pennant. In '66, once again with a healthy Koufax, the Dodgers win the pennant. Do you start to see a pattern here? If the greatest measure of an athlete is how he helps his team win, then surely Koufax has to be at the top of anyone's list. If he'd been able to continue pitching,like Nolan Ryan he'd no doubt have been able to pitch at a master level til he was past 40 due to his work ethic and commitment to conditioning. With that scenario, how many games might he have won? How many pennants for the Dodgers? How many no-hitters? Let's see, at a conservatve estimate of 24 wins a year for 10 more years, that would give him 405 lifetime wins, more than anyone except Walter Johnson and Cy Young, both DEAD BALL pitchers. He pitched 4 no-hitters in his last 5 years.At that rate, he'd have pitched 8 more over the next ten years, for a total of 12, obliterating Ryan's mark of 7. He was the greatest clutch pitcher of all time. His World Series lifetime E.R.A. of 0.95 is the best ever for starting pitchers,eclipsing even the Dead Ball guys! When he retired, he was unbelievably still getting BETTER! He had just reached his all-time personal high in wins(27) and his personal best E.R.A.(1.73). In the last 26 days of his career, he started seven times, threw five complete-game wins, and had an E.R.A. of 1.07! Bill James's all-time favorite pitcher,Lefty Grove, can't match up with Koufax, Martinez, or either of the Johnsons; sorry, Bill. The all-time dream game: Koufax vs. Martinez in the seventh game of the Series. Result? The Dodgers in 13 innings,1-0.
   More even than all this, Sandy Koufax is one of the most modest,unassuming athletes ever, a true gentleman. It's a shame today's kids don't have such role models.

1 comments about The Beautiful Machine: A Life in Cycling, from Tour de France to Cinder Hill.

1. Fife set out to write a book discussing his lifelong love of bicycles, but the result reads as though it were an autobiography in which the chapters not involving bikes were simply cut out. A girlfriend with whom he rode gets a chapter. The woman to whom he was married from 1980 to 1987 is mentioned only twice; apparently she didn't ride. The daughter they had together is discussed in the context of some riding vacations she took with her father when she was young, but then is never mentioned again.
   
   Fife comes across as insecure, trying to prove his bona fides and his intellect to the reader. Extended digressions seem to serve no purpose except to allow Fife to tell us that he can speak some foreign languages and quote various classic texts.
   
   Some great cyclists make appearances, but Fife is fringe character in the world of professional riding, and knows only a few champions. His efforts to write a chapter about his ties to Lance Armstrong, a man he has never met, were frankly sad.
   
   The book is not entirely pointless; I enjoyed the chapter about his visit to Mali. Otherwise, it's a bizarre collection of anecdotes and braggadocio.

5 comments about Britney Spears' Heart to Heart.

1. Knowing what I know now, I feel bad for her. You could tell by reading it that she was getting tired of it. It is a good book and an inside look to how her "life" was in the beginning. Just wish she would have backed out OR at least listened to what she had wrote about.



2. The book is boring, and by buying it you are feeding the all time Hollywood mashine.... and make more profit for Britney ( does she need more money, than what she has? and still not happy? my suggestion she she should try an ordinary 8am-5pm job. Don`t waste your money. It is time for her to grow up.



3. I read this book to know Britney Spear life and I'm not dissapont. She tells a lot of her stories and she work very hard to be famous star in world. Her mother also wrote the book together and she is good model for Britney Spear. These womens have feet on ground and strong value. Iam very happy that Britney will now have her baby and be good mother like Lynn. Well done Britney!



4. Britney Spears as you already know is sweet, sensitive, and caring. This book broadcasts that. Its genuinly a good book. I wish I could write something like that!!!!



5. Not only is this a good item 4 Britney fanz, but also 4 motherz and daughterz. It tells otherwise untold tales about Britney, and what goes on in her life. It also shares advice for parents and teens about family realtionships.

No comments about High and Inside: My Life in the Front Offices of Baseball.

5 comments about Fifth Quarter: The Scrimmage of a Football Coach's Daughter.

1. I was particularly enlightened by her descriptions of her brother's, former Senator George Allen, violent, hostile, even sociopathic personality. These sections completely and utterly presaged George Allen's violence, hostility and ultimate meltdown on the campaign trail.



2. As an avid football fan, George Allen is one of the greatest NFL Coaches of all time. Throughout the book, Jennifer Allen describes they storybook life of an NFL coach from a footbal and personal perspective. George's rough-and-tough attitude made two winningless teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins, into champions. However, his personality as a coach effected his role as a father, which created tension between him and his children. As the his only daughter, Jennifer tries to win her father's affection as she struggles of being a product of an NFL coach and well-known celebrity.



3. As a lifelong football fan I was hoping that "Fifth Quarter" would include more about football than Allen puts into her memoir. However, the book is well-written and engaging. If you're looking for a book about George Allen, this isn't really the book to read. However, if you're looking for an interesting book detailing the childhood of a coach's daughter, "Fifth Quarter" might be the book for you.



4. This entire story could have been written on the cover of a matchbook and saved me the time I wasted reading it. Endless complaining about her parents and siblings, If the peoples identities had been with held until the end, one might have expected to find out this was the childhood of a serial killer or some one else you might have expected to have a miserable childhood. Why would anyone even bother to write a book about people she seemed to care for as little as her family is beyond me except to possibly capitalize on her Dad's famous name and make a few bucks. A depressing read.



5. I was misled by a review in SI that said this was a great book. If you're an Oprah fan, then it's a great book. If you want to learn about the life of an NFL coach, the Washington Redskins or football in general, you're better off buying a subsciption to Sports Illustrated or reading the sports page.

   About 80 percent of this book is about the struggle of the writer to get her father's attention and approval. Another 10 percent has to do with her mother, her brothers and the writer's life away from her house. Maybe 10 percent has to do with football. It is a maddening experience to put up with the "I was a girl, girls weren't important to my dad, someone please pay attention to me" anecdotes and thoughts in the hope of getting to, say, the Washington Redskins' 1972 season where the team finally made it to the Super Bowl, and then when you get there have Jennifer Allen say in almost these exact words, "I don't remember much about that the season the Redskins went to the Super Bowl." I almost hurled the book across the room.

   It is unfortunate that George Allen essentially ignored his family in his obsessive quest to do what he believed he was born to do: coach. No kid should have to grow up with that kind of home life, and it's obvious that her father's inattention has left its mark on Ms. Allen. But darn it, this is an Oprah book of the month selection, not a sports book. Someone should be clear on that!

   A few words about George Allen ... I am about Jennifer Allen's age. I am a lifelong Redskins fan and grew up in D.C. When Mr. Allen took the team to the Super Bowl, it was a highlight of my young life. I remember him licking his fingers, tugging his hat and mentioning milk as his drink of choice. I had no idea that he ignored his family. I'm sorry he did that, but I am also grateful that the man came to my hometown and coached my favorite team and finally made it a winner. I wish the book had a little more about what made George Allen such a successful coach and a lot less about the struggle of a little girl to get close to her daddy.