5 comments about Roberts Rules!: Success Secrets from America's Most Trusted Sports Agent.

1. What drivel! Couldn't get past page 20



2. I was a twenty year old who aspired to achieve. I had all the hopes and dreams imaginable. I had the fire in my belly and was confident that I would make it big when I grew up. Someone had given me Roberts Rules as a Christmas gift and somewhere around the end of January I decided to read it. Well MR. Roberts Rules have inspired me to get going in my quest for success. Although I have not acheived my ultimate goals I have conquered many. Some say you have to see it to believe it. I say yes but in the meantime Read this book. An be on your was to SUCCESS!!!!!



3. I think the book was very influential and encouraging. it made me want to get right up and get started on my own business.



4. I had no idea who Roberts was when I picked up his book. But good gawd I am impressed! This guy is ballsy and brash and inspiring. He belongs in my book on P.T. Barnum, "There's a Customer Born Every Minute." I admire him for coming out of nowhere, with nothing, and making millions with sheer balls, hard work, and plenty of honesty. An absolutely terrific book! Reading it feels like being at a high action boxing match or basketball game. Riveting!



5. The book has its moments but it clearly hasn't told me anything new. This is basically a mainstream success story and it doesn't guide me into a new direction. Next?

4 comments about Silent Thunder: A Black Man's Life in Motor Racing.

1. Mr. Leonard Miller is a true vanguard in motorsports! This colorful page-turning account of his life as an African-American in the sometimes brutal world of racing is truly inspirational and eye-opening. From his childhood, Mr. Miller channeled his love and passion for cars and racing into a lifelong pursuit of being the best in motorsports and overcoming near impossible odds to field top racing teams. His struggle to triumph over racism, death and various other issues during the course of five (5) decades is expressed in clear detail.
   
   This book is a timely read given the current attention to diversity in NASCAR and other racing formulas. Most of the current crop of active NASCAR African American drivers were trained and had their best results and greatest successes under Mr. Miller's racing teams, which in itself is a testimony to both his spirit, commitment and racing acumen.
   
   I highly recommend this book as a real life success story of a great man that has climbed an extraordinary mountain that few have dared to try. It is good to know that he is still climbing with as much vigor now as when he first started.



2. This story is compelling from the moment you begin to read. The successes achieved while enduring so much hardship is a testament to the passion Miller has for the sport. This story is a true eye-opener, and reveals a lot about how our society has evolved, but also illustrates how much farther we still need to go.
   
   This is a genuinely human story of triumph through adversity, and is inspirational whether you're a motorsport fan or not.
   
   Highly recommended!



3. Leonard Miller's story is one of tremendous courage and perseverance in the face of prejudice that will inspire anyone who reads it. It was amazing to me how much prejudice still exists in what is now a mainstream sport and disappointing that no large corporation has had the vision to support someone who is one of the truly inspirational African American role models of our time.



4. As a Brit with an interest in motor racing, particularly racing history, I bought this book over here on a friend's recommendation. I didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by this memoir.

   From Miller's humble beginnings through to his ownership of a NASCAR team today, the story is an enticing account of triumph in adversity and should bring shame on many of the racing sponsors who still ignore the achievements of African-Americans today.

1 comments about Inside French Rugby: Confessions of a Kiwi Mercenary.

1. This is a well-written and always engaging book. John Daniell talks mostly about a year with the Montpellier team, which lingers near the bottom of the first division, and is in danger of relegation to the second divsion. In his 30's, Daniell is over the hill: this is his last year. The book describes the matches, the people and personalities, the fans, the owners, etc. If you're not familiar with rugby union, much may seem rather odd. There are the professional leagues: Montpellier is in the first division--recently promoted from the second division. At the same time, many of the best players may be called upon to play for France, etc, in more important matches--so the top teams may be missing their top pros at any given time. Everything is taken very seriously.
   
   The book recounts the injuries. La fourchette means "eye-gouge"--effective and popular. Daniell himself has employed this trick on occasion. The main thing is not to get caught--but with only one referee and often no ubitiquous TV camera, scrums and rucks offer good opportunities. Daniell notes that good sportsmanship is known to the French as "le fairplay"--there is no native French word for the concept. Daniell describes his own injuries over the years--a dozen broken noses, dislocated collar bone, ruptured eardrum, cauliflower ears, and more--he considers himself relatively injury-free compared to many others. He says that at any given time, out of 600 professional rugby players in France (many, like himself, are non-French), about 100 are out with injuries. If you watch rugby DVDs, heavily bandaged ears--from bites, boots, elbows, etc--are common.
   
   Daniell writes well, and has a fine sense of humor. He pulls no punches about himself. He understands that he was never a star, but rather a decent journeyman lock, and that now he's reached the end of his professional career. There are plenty of younger, stronger, fitter pros fighting for the available positions. He describes a former pro whose boss offered him a job filling ice buckets--at 5% of his professional salary. You need to understand that unlike, say, baseball, basketball, and football, you don't see many active players who are even in their late 30's--it's much more of a young man's sport. Overall, there are elements of the wonderful movie Bull Durham here. You're not going to read about an exciting race for the cup, the pennant, or whatever--like Bull Durham, it's a struggle for survival, and being able to finish with some dignity left. Daniell has enormous talent as a writer and as an observer, and this book exemplifies those talents.

3 comments about Giacomo Agostini: Champion of Champions.

1. By about page 65 I discovered the first of 16 blank pages. 8 places where the facing pages were blank. maybe mine is the only one but beware.



2. I purchased this book with great anticipation; as a new convert to motorcycle road racing, I was eager to learn as much as possible about the lives and careers of some of history's most daring athletes, including the great Giacomo Agostini, who ruled the European Grand Prix circuits in the 1960s and 1970s aboard the fearsome MV Agusta bikes. So when I first saw Mick Walker's series on the great motorcycle champions, I was thrilled. Sadly, this book does not ever come to close to living up to my expectations. Mick Walker's biography is little more than a pasting together of magazine accounts from Agostini's career. What little there is of Mr. Walker's writing is flat, dull, and repetitive. The book's sole redemption is the selection of photographs--the dozens of photos are the reason I (generously) rate this book 2 stars.
   
   Beyond the disappointment of spending money on a book that is not worth reading, the truly massive disappointment of this book is that it wasted a brilliant opportunity to provide English-language readers a biography of one of the world's greatest racers. Here's hoping that the failures of this book do not deter others from trying to record the lives of Agostini and his peers with the respect and effort they and their admirers deserve.



3. I watched Agostini run many times at Brands Hatch and Silverstone in the early 70's , he is a real gentleman as well as a great competitor and artist.

1 comments about Alive and Kicking: A Story of Crime, Addiction and Redemption in Glasgow's Gangland.

1. Interesting read about a man who started out in a life of crime, alcohol and drugs and turned around and helped many in his old neighborhood who suffered from the same problems. He did it all with soccer (or football in Scotland). His team only includes former drug addicts. A great story.

4 comments about A Face In The Crowd.

1. I purchased this book looking for some insight into the minds of the women of the nfl. Nicole Berti lays it out in a forward, plain spoken, no holds barred analysis. She covers the draft, life in a new city, her NFL peers and the life - the good, the bad and the ugly. She makes a great point about the woman married to these guys - they are always asked if they married them pre-fame or post-fame. She nails it on the head when she reveals the assumptions made by the public, the fans and the groupies. Great read for anyone who is looking for the real NFL from a womans perspective - not the tv version.



2. Interesting, but I was not sure if she was trying to be informative or do lots of name dropping. Also there is name calling and mud slinging. Still, an interesting read for the most part.



3. What an eye-opening book this is!! Nikki doesn't hold back and for anyone who reads it, you too will be surprised. Or maybe you won't! Maybe it will be exactly how you pictured the NFL, but I doubt it.



4. This is a "must read" for anyone who:
   1. Is a player in the NFL
   2. Is the mother, wife, girlfriend of an NFL player
   3. Is someone aspiring to play in the NFL
   4. Is the parent of someone aspiring to play in the NFL
   5. Is a relative of someone playing in the NFL
   6. Is someone who's interested in life inside the NFL!
   
   The author, Nikki Berti doesn't pull any punches in her first-account expose. She names names, and provides details of some of the bizarre, rude, obnoxious players, wives, and coaches of some of your favorite franchises. This is the entertainment part of her book!
   
   The instructional part comes in the form of actions taken and decisions made by Nikki and her husband Tony. Some are good, sound decisions. Decisions that kept the Berti's from falling into the traps associated with money and fame. But Nikki also discusses the mistakes they made. What decisions they would do over if given the chance; if someone had written a book honestly presenting the less glamorous side of professional sports. Nikki has written such a book.
   
   If given the chance to do it all over again, would Nikki and Tony do it? This is not "spoiler" review. You'll have to read the book to find out ....

5 comments about First Coming (Library of Contemporary Thought).

1. It should be obvious to anyone who has read Feinstein's articles and books on Tiger that he has an axe to grind. If you are looking for a fair and unbaised read on Tiger Woods - avoid this at all costs.
   
   To the reviewer below who regarded Tiger's success as hype -- the man has 12 majors as of 2006, 2nd only to the Golden Bear and I THINK Tiger has a few more years of good golf left. If you think that is HYPE you must not think much of the other golfing greats like Palmer, Hogan, Player... I could go on... but I think Tiger is saying it better than I ever could.



2. Of all of the Tiger Woods books that have been written this one is the worst I have encountered. Why? Instead of giving a thought provoking analysis of Tiger Woods as a player and his personal impact upon the sporting world, you end up reading a personal vendetta that the author has against Team Tiger.

   John Feinstein starts out with the question of who is Tiger Woods and then proceeds to break the myths surrounding the personality. There isn't anything wrong with breaking myths except Feinstein has nothing good to say about Tiger (except for his game). He accuses Earl Woods of exploiting his famous son, he castigates IMG for being Tiger's management agency, and shows his hatred for Tiger's agent, Hughes Norton. He paints a portrait of Tiger being immature, greedy and totally insensitive to his fans. If that is the case, why bother slapping together a work dealing with the greatest player in the golf world?

   In all fairness to the author, he does expose Tiger for what he was at the time; a young immature player who makes mistakes. He also shows the myths that the media have perpetuated about the young man. He also points out how greedy sponsors and management agencies can ruin the careers of young players. That is good information in understanding Tiger Woods the icon but says little about him as a person.

   What is lacking in the book is Feinstein not really knowing Tiger personally. His diatribes against the player and his cohorts have prevented him from getting to know the other side of the young man who will make a great contribution to golf. Feinstein is caught up in an axe to grind against Tiger's handlers and misses the champion. You don't gain any insight from his musings. If you are a Tiger fan and want to collect books about him regardless of what is said about Tiger by all means pick up a copy. Otherwise leave it on the shelf.




3. I submit Feinstein would be better served to consider Woods' family dynamics, rather than skewer them. And no, you can not consider them by skewering them.



4. If Mr. Feinstein thought this deliberately self-serving effort to drag Tiger's name (and his family's) through the mud would gain favor throughout the sporting world, and throw Tiger off his game, he thought dead-wrong. Tiger's string of top-10 finishes in 1998 (his worst year, when this book was released), his $7-million 1999 season, and now the biggest blowout in majors history (winning by 15 strokes at the 2000 U.S. Open, the only one under par), is an absolutely fitting response, by Tiger, to Feinstein's effort to manufacture scandal from almost nothing. One guy said it best when he said that there are other golfers on tour who are no different, if not worse. Amazing, it seems, that we haven't heard from Feinstein since Tiger's 1999 PGA Championship win. His crow is getting cold.



5. If Mr. Feinstein thought this deliberately self-serving effort to drag Tiger's name (and his family's) through the mud would gain favor throughout the sporting world, and throw Tiger off his game, he thought dead-wrong. Tiger's string of top-10 finishes in 1998 (his worst year, when this book was released), his $7-million 1999 season, and now the biggest blowout in majors history (winning by 15 strokes at the 2000 U.S. Open, the only one under par), is an absolutely fitting response, by Tiger, to Feinstein's effort to manufacture scandal from almost nothing. One guy said it best when he said that there are other golfers on tour who are no different, if not worse. Amazing, it seems, that we haven't heard from Feinstein since Tiger's 1999 PGA Championship win. His crow is getting cold.

No comments about Close to the Wind..

1 comments about Sudden Change: A Play-by-Play Account of My Transformation.

1. I was a high school classmate of the author, as well as being a Bama fan, so I enjoyed the numerous anecdotes related to our high school days, Bama football, and the Bear. But I believe the stories and insights contained in the book would be appealing and of interest to others, regardless of their personal knowledge of the events described or school affiliation. The chapters are short and it was a quick read.

3 comments about Termite.

1. An outstanding, one of a kind, story about an American hero. From an humble working class neighborhood, to the world's best athletic training centers, Termite Watkins exemplified the "can do" American spirit. By thinking on his feet, he negotiated many difficult political and social challenges. During his time in Iraq, he focused his efforts on helping the Iraqi people.
   
   This book chronicles his many acts of self sacrifice, and the rewards that followed. The examples of leadership, documented in the book, are riveting. The emotional highs and lows, brought me to tears. An outstanding, hightly recommended, book!



2. Excellent!! Uplifiting and inspirational. I could NOT put it down. A must read!! You will not be disappointed. Hopefully this is not Suzy Pepper's last book.



3. Once I got into this book I simply could not put it down. It is the story of a man's struggle to fame in boxing and then a heartbreaking failure which helped him find his true calling decades later. Termite's story is truly inspirational, and he helped out a cause much bigger than himself and truly made a difference. I can't even begin to imagine the struggles and the danger he had to endure in Iraq. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone!