5 comments about The Agassi Story (Ecw Press).

1. Could not put it down. Amazing stories after stories. However, book is from the dad's perspective, which I knew to begin with.



2. This is a book about Mike Agassi and his family. Mike looks back at his past and how he produced a star tennis player. Mike, is apologetic at times, and proud in others, revealing his true nature. I enjoyed Mike's character in the Agassi story and highly recommend this book for anyone interested in raising a family, as this book is more than just a book about raising tennis stars. The book offers many good insights into parenthood and family.



3. I didn't really like the book because there was not enough about Andre really. It was 95% about his father. I guess I was mislead by the title.



4. This is a great book for Agassi fans who want an inside scoop on Andre's life. Mike is a very tough guy and tells it the way he sees it. They have been through a lot. For me, this book provides justification for the admiration I have developed for Andre over the years of watching him play and following his story. The book is a beautiful tale of determination, character, soul, and ultimately, family. It is a quick read, thoroughly enjoyable, and I appreciate Mike's efforts in making it available.



5. Being a fan of Andre Agassi, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It's a bag of mixed candies - Mike's biography, real life drama of an immigrant family, story behind Andre's "rise, fall and rise" .. and more.
   If you're a tennis fan, buy this book.
   Thanks to Dominic Cobello, Kate Welsh, and Mr. Agassi.

5 comments about Adam Copeland On Edge.

1. whether you hate Edge or love him, this is a must read. gives a lot of insight to Adam Copeland and his character, Edge



2. This book has kept me glued from the beginning. With pictures to look at while reading the story, it helps keep my attention. Edge is so good at telling a story and keeping the reader glued until he finishes it. He's had many funny stories happen to him, so anyone looking for a good laugh should read this book.



3. In my personal opinion this AMAZING book was about "The best there is. The best there was. And the best there ever will be." This book was extremely entertaining.



4. When I heard AC was releasing a biography, I was so excited that I bought it the first day it came out and read the entire book that same day! However, I was a little upset and felt cheated because he left so many details out, and the fact that he really did not go into depth and give his real feelings about anything! That is really a shame! I've only read the book once, and that's probably the only time I'll ever read it. If he writes another book, he probably shouldn't refer to it as a "biography" if he intends to write a book about practically nothing. So, I am giving it a rating of "one star."



5. With Adam "Edge" Copeland really being one of the last major stars to come into the WWE via the indy system that has actually succeeded in the WWE, this book is a great read. Unlike Mick Foley's Have A Nice Day, You can tell Edge had to struggle to get what he wanted out of life and dealt with set-back after set-back. Outside of one minor fact error (referring to a six man tag between Team ECK vs Too Cool at the wrong PPV event), Edge goes into detail about all the major events that helped shaped his career up till mid 2004

5 comments about Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made.

1. This book not only offers the most incisive portrait of Jordan, the Bulls championship years, and the NBA of that era, but is also wonderful Halberstam, who tells the story with an epic sweep. Simply a beautiful work from cover to cover.



2. Nike turned Michael Jordan into a dream. Nike funneled in 1984 all of Nike's advertising resources in one player instead of in several teams. Nike made Michal Jordan a cultural icon and featured him as a star amidst other entertainment stars. And in the beginning Jordan didn't even like Nike sneakers. He preferred Adidas. Ultimately Nike paid Jordan in roughly 1 million dollars a year for five years. In 1984 no one realized that Nike was getting one of the great bargains of the time. Nike was a shoe company in great trouble. Michael Jordan saved Nike by his appeal to the youth. In the mean time basketball benefited from satellite reception that was just opening the world of cable television. Satellite reception facilitated cheap broadcasting. Bill Rasmussen obtained channel space on a communications satellite. His ESPN opened new broadcasting opportunities for basketball. In Playing for Keeps David Halberstam tells the tale of Michael Jordan in the broader cultural context. In this book Halberstam displays his usual journalistic skills. But somehow I missed the emotional involvement of his other books. The Summer of 49 and The Breaks of the Game learned me more about the relevance of sports.
   
   Luuk Oost



3. As someone very familiar with Michael Jordan's career I was startled by all the new bits of information crammed in this book. Its clear Halbertstam did his homework. He employed an exhaustive interview process that yields so many new anecdotes and perspectives of Michael Jordans career. I particulary enjoyed all the stories of Jordan showing flashes of greatness early on while being recruited by North Carolina. The book makes it clear that even at those early stages while no one could predict what was to come, those around Michael had never seen anything like him.
   
   Halbertstam also reveals the background story for many of those surrounding Jordan during his run with the Bulls. Namely Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Jerry Krause, Jerry Reinsdorf, and others. He delves into their lives, paints a picture of their character, and allows you to understand what motivated all these contrasting personalities along the way.
   
   It must be noted that the writing of David Halbertstam is just incredible. If you're a fan of Michael Jordan or just basketball this book is a must read. The subject could not be approached by a more accomplished author.



4. 
   I'm not a big Halberstam fan, and this book didn't change that opinion.
   
   The subtitular "world that he [Jordan] made" is never really explored in any depth, and this is a surface-skimming bio of Jordan with the addition of some mini-bios on major figures in his life (David Falk, Dean Smith, Phil Jackson, etc.).
   
   The research is limited and insight is scant as Halberstam leans heavily on material already published, pulling entire sections of the book (e.g., his thumbnail bio of Jackson) from the subject's own earlier book. He returns to quote the same two or three sports writers time and again (Sam Smith - Chicago Trib and Jordan biographer - OK, but Bob Ryan - Boston Globe - a dozen quotes???).
   
   "Playing for Keeps" is a fast-reading Jordan sketch, a 400 page magazine article, during which Halberstam defers to Jordan too frequently: no real examination of the gambling, glossed over recount of James Jordan's murder, no meaningful exploration of Jordan the global commercial icon.
   
   For my taste, this book is another disppointment from Halberstam.



5. Halberstam does it again. With a keen eye and a knack for pulling the reader in, David Halberstam is one of our great modern writers. Just when you thought you knew Jordan, "Playing for Keeps" shades new light (not all of it flattering) on our greatest modern basketball player.
   
   Well worth it.

5 comments about Slaying the Dragon: How to Turn Your Small Steps to Great Feats.

1. Not what I expected at all. Less auto-biographical and more how to set goals and achieve in life.
   
   I was looking for something that got behind the public persona of Michael Johnson ... but this was touched on only a little with no real insight into Michael Johnson the man. I managed to read this book cover-to-cover in about 2 hours.
   
   If you want a good introduction on setting goals and motivation then by all means buy this book.



2. Michael Johnson is not only an athlete, but an intellectual as well. He spells out how it took him six years to improve his 200 meter race 1.7 seconds. What is 1.7 seconds? It is the difference from being a good athlete and a world class athlete. This book teaches everyone how to improve themselves in order to achieve their dreams, whether it is in athletics, business, or education. I read this book in a matter of hours, it is a quick read and has invaluable insight into how to slay your dragon--a term Michael coins referring to how to reach your goals. If you have a dream and want to reach it, but have fallen short of victory, this is a must read.
   
   I am a high school English teacher and plan to use bits of this book in my classroom to help my students learn to establish goals and achieve them.
   
   I HIGHLY recommend this book.



3. First, this is a self-help book. Why is Michael Johnson writing a self-help book rather than just writing about what he knows and about his life experiences? I don't know. Johnson is not an expert on living life. He is an expert on running fast. The best part of the book is near the end when he talks more about his quest for the 200/400 double gold in Atlanta, rather than pontificating on life in general.
   
   Second, the book is not very well-written. It has lines like, "I don't play much golf, but they tell me as you get better it gets harder to improve your score. All things in life are like that. (That's a paraphrase, not a direct quote.) So...if all things are like that, why pick an example you know nothing about? Most of the book has this contrived feeling to it.
   
   Johnson also repeatedly pounds the same points about how hard you have to work and how you need to set goals etc. He uses the same examples over and over for life goals, including losing weight, getting a A in school, selling a lot of cars or carpets, or "being a successful businessperson". He tends to think pretty small outside of the realm of track. Is he incapable of imagining any nobler goal than these mundane examples? Things along the lines of contributing to our scientific knowledge, creating art, starting a charity, or inventing something useful to mankind never show up in the book. Or how about just mentoring a kid or cleaning up a park? Johnson constantly talks about approaching your personal best, yet he is unable to consider anything as successful unless it is quantified. For him, accomplishment is either winning something or getting money. It has to be measurable. You even see traces of this attitude when he talks about interpersonal relationships.
   
   Johnson states that when he doesn't think he can beat the best in the world any more, he will retire rather than continue to compete, because someone who hangs around past his prime and can't win any more is pathetic. That doesn't sound to me like someone who competes for the love of the sport. I'm no expert myself, but I'm pretty sure there's more to life than winning.



4. When I bought the book at a used book store, I had no idea what it was like. I just wanted a book for my 13 year-old son to read and maybe enjoy. We had been to the '96 Games and had seen the 200M race so I thought he could relate even though my son hates to run. I had him read a few pages out loud each day so I could hear his pronounciation but within a few days I began to realize what this book has to offer. I also noticed a change taking place in my son as he read the words. I really can't do justice to the book but I can tell you the message Michael Johnson has for young people has the power to change lives. I am grateful to Mr Johnson for what he has given my son.



5. Most athletes dont write their own stuff by themselves. Usually they have a professional writer help them out be cause most athletes, (and im not trying to be judgemental against athletes, im an athletes myself) aren't as good writers as others are. And i'm sure Michael Johnson did have help in rearanging certain grammatical errors and reorganizing the structure of his book, but overall it is a book that Michael Johnson wrote himself. It is one of the very few books that you can say written by a man who is not a writer that you can say "WOW" too. This wonderflly done piece of literature is a great read for student athletes and yound men and women who are aspiring to become something great in whatever profession they are in.

   I would also like to say something about the author of the very terribly written review about Michael Johson. First of all, do not pay any attention to the review for it almost doesn't represent the book in any way. These reviews are meant to be a review of the book, not anything else. secondly, if any thinks Michael Johnson faked his hamstring pull, you should take a good look at the athletic doctors report on Michaels injury during the 150 meter race between Donovan Bailey. It will say that there was definate "tearing" in the muscle. Don't make pre-conceived ideas about an athlete who injures him/herself.

5 comments about Managing My Life: My Autobiography.

1. It's hard to feel how important decisions that would lead to important successes are being made by important manager unless someone has truly made it comes out and tells the story. Not many great achievers chose to tell their story, or if they do, it's not necessary movingly. Sir Alex Ferguson happens to be the most successful football manager over his 22 years with Manchester United does exaclty just that about the success story and its insights in his "Managing My Life".



2. This is the best sports book I have read. It is a great insight into arguably the best manager ever in the history of soccer. I always respected Sir Alex Ferguson anyway, but after reading this book, I even have more respect for his tactics and especially his ethical approach to life in general. Whether you are a soccer coach yourself, just a sports fan, or a business manager looking for insight into how to manage people better you will enjoy this book.



3. Being a soccer fan of the club Manchester United for 15 years, this book is truly a revealing account inside the mind of one of the greatest soccer managers of British Football.
   
   This autobiography shows how a seemingly ordinary man was able to achieve phenomenal success in his managerial career. Alex HATES to be on the losing side and this is a major motivation for him to achieve success constantly on the pitch and on his personal life.
   
   I would love to recommend this book to all Manchester United fans as well as sports psychologists and people working in a competitive environment. To achieve success (in whatever field), one MUST have confidence in his/her own ability and take on the world like a soldier on the battlefield. People with low self-esteem should read this book to bring out their own competitive nature.
   
   Finally,the statistics which show Alex Ferguson's playing and managerial record (at the end of the book) is indeed invaluable to the true soccer fan. This provides the "icing on the cake" for this honest work of brilliance by Ferguson.



4. Sir Alex is one of the 2 greatest managers in the history of MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB and some might even day of English football all together but is it enough to make an intresting and informative book? I think not. As much as sir Alex is part of my life and my history as a United supporter, there are more intresting things than a Managers life.



5. having worked with sir alex i can say hes the best there is. players love working for him. he tells it how it is and is always fair.

5 comments about The Bowden Way: 50 Years of Leadership Wisdom.

1. Underneath the southern hospitality is a man who understands the importance of taking risks and managing those risks. I think what makes Bowden unique is his ability to keep his ego in check with a sense of humility and gratitude that's rare in leadership today. I always got the feeling that he's grateful for being in the position where he is today, be it family or his coaching career.



2. I'm a Penn State grad and fan, but I enjoyed Bobby Bowden's leadership book. It's very easy to read and has lots of good advice. Also, I respect his religious beliefs and that he openly shares them throughout the book. This is a good leadership book!



3. I have read Maxwell and a host of other leadership books, but there is a world of difference between a consultant or a middle-manager telling you about leadership...and the winningest coach in college football telling you about leadership!

   The thing I liked the most is that rather than vague affirmations or ambiguous principles, Bowden gives us SPECIFIC, hard-won advice regarding handling staff, planning for success, etc.

   The fact that he has done so remarkably well--with his job "on the line" based on each season's performance, not to mention every time he plays a strong rival--Bowden gives us a CEO/Chairman of the Board-level view of how to handle matters.

   I bought it because I am an FSU fan. I kept it because it was the best book on leadership I had ever read.




4. On the football field Bobby Bowden is king! He is also a very inspirational and motivated person. This book is amazing, in ALL aspects. You don't have to be a Florida State or even a football fan, this book goes so far beyond any sport. This book basically tells you how too live a better life, and Bobby Bowden obviously has a awesome one.



5. i would recommend this book to anyone who has to manage people in any capacity...from managing your children to managing your employees...Coach Bowden has proven himself to be a true leader both on and off the football field.

2 comments about Going Home Again: Roy Williams, the North Carolina Tar Heels, and a Season to Remember.

1. I read this book after UNC won the 2005 NCAA basketball tournament, and to me the most fascinating part was seeing how the foundation for that championship was established during the 2004 season chronicled here. We see the players begin to "buy in" to Roy Williams' coaching philosophy (some more quickly than others) and forge themselves into a real team, as opposed a collection of highly talented players, each with his own agenda. There are a lot of books celebrating winning seasons and championship runs (including one about the 2005 Tar Heels), but this is a rarity - a book about how a championship team became a championship team. I recommend it for UNC fans, of course, but also for college basketball fans in general. And for young sports fans who'd like to read about what it takes to be a champion.



2. Straight from the Tar Heel Monthly, the nation's most widely read magazine devoted to University of North Carolina athletics. Adam Lucas, the publisher, has written this book on a remarkable man having a remarkable year.
   
   This is the story of Roy Williams leaving a very successful stint at Kansas and returning to UNC. He was faced with a group of very talented but moody individuals into a winning team that could compete at the highest level of NCAA competition - the Atlantic Coast Conference.
   
   No one player is good enough to win at that level, it takes team effort. And building that team effort is what it's all about. It's something that only the very best coaches can do. And he did it. Here's the detail.

5 comments about Pipe Dreams: A Surfer's Journey.

1. Hurricane Bertha is kicking up swell in the middle of the Atlantic. It's already dark and I've just come back from watching about 40 surfers catch waves down at Sebastian inlet. I watched them all finish up their set and catch a final wave while they could still see the bodies of other surfers bobbing in front of them. As I walked back to the parking area along the top of the jetty I looked back into the surf and could barely make out one last guy in the water waiting for his last wave. Since there was only one guy left I fancied that it was Kelly Slater, trying to catch one more before going in. I would like to meet Kelly Slater, the man, the champion, the surfing legend. I just finished reading Pipe Dreams--a Surfer's Journey, a little late since it was published in 2003. Co-written by Slater and Jason Borte a surfer/writer/teacher from Virginia Beach, VA, it's a nice book, with quaint stories about Kelly's journey from grommet to manhood to world champion -- 6 times (the book stopped before his world title career continued). Unfortunately it does not read like the life of a world champion -- it is not a world class biography. It reads more like like it was written for his fan club -- with short anecdotal accounts of his formative years followed by even shorter accounts of the many repetitive competitions required to capture six world tour victories. Since Slater is in the upper stratosphere when it comes to his craft -- where only world class talent belongs -- his book should also have world class appeal -- sadly it does not. I lay the blame at the feet of his co-author and perhaps his editor. I don't know much about surfing, and I probably know even less about surfing after reading Pipe Dreams. This is a shame. Slater hints of a second book where he details some secrets to surfing. This would probably be a better story. That's not to say Slater's story shouldn't have world class appeal -- it has too -- the story just isn't told in this book. Kelly Slater is now an eight-time world champion -- that puts him in extremely rare company, dare I say Lance Armstrong. What you can barely glean from the narrative is that Kelly Slater is a deep introspective person -- hugely complex and sophisticated in his thoughts -- this is readily apparent in his life story yet you do not get this directly from the pages, you must read between the lines and theorize that there is way more to what we are being told -- I hope there is, otherwise Slater has lived a very shallow life. Perhaps a surfer's journey is shallow -- but I doubt it. This book is a must read for all surfers, young and old and at heart, so they can say they've read Slater's book, but it is no better than the the worst written TV shows or movies about surfers it criticizes. When a world class athlete decides to write a book, they have to go with world class help -- please Kelly -- for the sake of your fan's and for the sake of your profession, get some help with the next one. I'll be waiting for that wave. This one gets three stars because I finished it without too much trouble and the awesome cover jacket (which ironically is world class).



2. Great read for any surf fan. kelly is a sharp guy from humble beginnings who is very modest and very, very talented athletically. Now if only Laird would write a book. Only Tom Curren would be more interesting.



3. I really enjoyed this book, it told us about how Kelly Slater got to where he is today and it had a lot of information on heats and different contests around the world, that Kelly won and lost. My girlfriend would have liked a bit more personal information though as she bought the book purely because she thinks he is gorgeous.



4. In all honesty, I didn't expect to enjoy this book. After all--what do I, a gal scientist, have in common with a surf legend who trumps his peers to float somewhere up there with Kwan, Woods, and Jordan?
   
   Instead, I found myself unable to put it down. Well written and wonderfully candid, it promised everything that goes into a unforgettable biography--and then some.
   
   Slater imbues his writing with gut-wrenching, broad-appeal emotion--a notable accomplishment in crafting a story around a sport and way of life not accessible to most of the world. By the end, I felt like I could play a round of golf or have a beer with Slater and relate to him on a level that surpasses lines of class and celebrity--one that is simply, human.
   
   My only complaint? I would've liked captions for the photos.
   
   I hated to say goodbye at the end. That should say it all.



5. This book is ok. It starts out really well, but it starts to die out after a while. The problem is that he goes on about each world championship title, and each one isn't that much different from the last. I would agree with Jacks that this book "Reads like a chronology of wins." If this book were 20 pages shorter, it might be better.

5 comments about Dan Marino: My Life in Football with DVD.

1. Probably the most known football player all over the world, a legend also in soccer-addicted old continent. He is the reason why I'm a dolfan, so this book was a great Christmas gift for me. Great pictures, dvd. A must-have book!



2. Bueno desde hace mucho queria comprar el libro de Dan Marino
   
   Soy fan de los Dolphins y de Dan Marino desde hace mucho tiempo
   
   Vivo en El Salvador y estoy muy feliz por la compra
   
   La entrega fue rapida y el producto esta en buenas condiciones...



3. Having been a huge fan of Dan Marino's and the Miami Dolphins since 1983 I can highly recommend this book.
   
   "My Life in Football" details Marino's early days playing football at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, PA to being drafted by the Dolphins in 1983 and follows through to Dan's broadcasting career and charity work. The personal and professional photographs alone are worth the price of this book but add an introduction by one of the greatest NFL coaches in history, Don Shula, and you'll be hard pressed to find a better inside view of professional football.



4. My husband could not have been more pleased.



5. Overall I thought the book was okay (the dvd was great), I would of like to learn more about Dan's thoughts on the nfl and some more personal stories of the locker room and training camp experiences he had. The book has a lot of great photos.

3 comments about America's Coach: Life Lessons & Wisdom for Gold Medal Success: A Biographical Journey of the Late Hockey Icon Herb Brooks.

1. Mr. Bernstein did an incredible job of not only showing the talent and skill that Mr. Brooks had building the 1980 Olympic team and taking them to victory but he also was able to show the real Herb Brooks. I say this for in the mid-80s I worked at a hardware store near where Herb lived and on many occasions he'd stop in and pick up supplies or get keys cut and every time he stopped in he'd always be open to chat or sign autographs for as many who would hold out a slip of paper and a pen. A few years after that I was leaving a video store and he asked me how I liked a car I had recently purchased. All of these fond memories came back to me as I read this book, but this time it was almost surreal to think that someone who did so much and accomplished so many things would care enough to do these things for a person working at a counter or walking out of a store. This book put all of these things together and truly celebrated a person who meant so much to so many people of so many backgrounds for so many different reasons. It was a pleasure to read and I would recommend it to anyone, if you're a hockey fan or not, you will love learning more about a man who was a true hero.



2. The biography of Brooks is well-written, but the true value of the book lies in the coaching asides that litter the book. Speeches and quotes from Coach himself make it an extraordinary motivational tool.



3. I really enjoyed this in-depth biography of the late Herb Brooks. The book provided information into the psychology and methods of a mysterious, complex human being who was clearly a master motivator and obsessive in his preparation. it provided wonderful insight into a true coaching legend. I recommend it to any hockey fan.