5 comments about Chief Bender's Burden: The Silent Struggle of a Baseball Star.

1. "Chief Bender's Burden" by Tom Swift is a great story, well written about a Native American baseball player turn of the century into the middle teens of the 20th century. He played for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics and they were world champions for a number of years. Bender was a big game,money pitcher who was at his best in pivotal late season and post season games, ie ( Lew Burdette, Milwaukee Braves; Curt Schilling Arizona d-backs, Boston Red Sox). Baseball was truly a national pastime then, where every community with enough people to field a team, had one. Swift does a great job trying to be accurate in every detail. However, it was the era of Grantland Rice and other great writers whose descriptions were the only reports, other than box scores, of the games. Swift includes fantastic examples of their writings. A compelling read about baseball and society during that time in our country.



2. This book was a delight to read. It is both informative and entertaining. Although it is a work of history it is a very easy and interesting read. Tom Swift has done his homework as the book is filled with many details describing the life and times of this hall of famer. I recommend it to all fans of baseball history and eagerly look forward to his future works.



3. This is the best biography I have read. It provides important details about an player important in baseball history, and also illuminates the history of many Native Americans and how they were assimilated into society in the late 19th early 20th centuries. This is one to purchase and keep.



4. A great book on an early 20th Century forgotten Baseball pitcher who is in the Hall of Fame. "Chief" Bender was one of the mainstays of those early great Philadelphia A's teams. This is a about a native American player who excelled in Major League Baseball in spite of all the racial comments, taunts and low expectations of Native Americans. There is information about his days at the Carlisle School. Tom Swift also uses the racially charged quotes from the papers of those years to demonstrate what he had to live with. His real name was Charles and like Baseball in those days everyone had a nickname some weren't too flattering like "Chief", "Rube" and "Dummy" While this is not a movie where the character has flashbacks of his past, Tom Swift starts with the 1914 World Series game 1 in which the "Chief" lost and continues to go back to that game leading off of many of the chapters of the events surrounding that game. I don't understand by discussing all the racial sterotypes on the man why then does the author keep going back to that same unsuccessful game? To me it is slamning the man all over again. If you can get past this stupid movie technique then the book is a worth while read.



5. When I saw there was a new biography of the great Chief Bender, I grabbed it up. Tom Swift has done a great service by bringing the life of Charles Bender to print. He is one of the all-time greats and should not be overlooked.
   
   Swift also lets the reader get to know the man behind the legend, and the Chief was a Hall-of-Famer in nearly every aspect of his life. He was a great man and a great pitcher. Connie Mack said that if he had to win one big game, there is no one he'd rather have on the mound. And Connie Mack saw them all, from the 1880s to the 1950s -- from Cy Young to Walter Johnson to Lefty Grove to Whitey Ford.
   
   There are a few problems with the book, which keeps it, at least in my mind, from meriting five stars. Swift begins his book with the opening game of the 1914 World Series, and then he keeps coming back to it throughout. This doesn't work for a number of reasons, especially since this is the "big game" the Chief lost (the A's were swept in the series by the "Miracle" Boston Braves). There are also occasional problems with Swift's prose. He uses sentence fragments to good effect in some cases, but in most instances, they just confuse the issue and make it seem as though he doesn't realize that a fragment is not a complete sentence. I also felt that many of his similes were weak.
   
   Lastly, a book about a baseball star should include that player's career statistics, but this Swift fails to do. I found myself going to a web site to view the Chief's stats.
   
   Overall, however, I enjoyed getting to know the great Charles Bender a little better.

5 comments about Hawk: Occupation: Skateboarder.

1. He went pro at the age of 12; is credited with inventing nearly 80 tricks; won 73 contests in the course of his career; started his own (now multi-million dollar) company in 1992; had a PlayStation game named after him; reportedly rakes in over $1 million a year in endorsements (from The Gap, to Mountain Dew, to the "Got Milk?" campaigns); and during the 1999 X-Games, became the first man ever to land the 900.in the book he talks about how kids at school hassled him about how he skateboard and how he was pro. and it dident get much better for him because the older guys dident like the way he did his air's and they dident like his style I liked this book because it really shows what skaters have to go through with all the people that hassle you because you skate.



2. I'm sure you have heard of this skater he is very famous he was the very first person to land the 900. Can you guess who he is that's right its Tony Hawk. You could say Tony was unexpected until he was born. He said that his parents thought that they were going through a relaxing phase until he was born. When Tony's mom told his dad that he was born he had a heart attack. When he was getting older he began Pre-K and he really didn't like school. He would do anything to get out of school like cry or when his parents came to visit he would grab on to there leg and wouldn't let go or, he would grab on to the fence when his parents dropped him and he wouldn't let go so they had t pry his fingers of the fence. He would fallow the same routine over and over again each day. When he started Kinder garden he began to skate. Tony was really smart when he was little His teachers said he had a 12 year old brain in a 8 year old body. Tony fell on his head so many times (About 5 times) I think he broke a lot of bones when he was skating. Tony Hawk was very famous because he was the very first person to land the 900!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to people that like to skate or people that just want to have a good laugh.



3. Tony Hawk Pro Skater
   
   5 star pro skater? I don't think so. When he was born his dad had a heart attack but didn't die. When he was in pre-K he never wanted to go. So his daily routine is to cry so he didn't have to go and if that didn't work he hanged on to the fence until he could hold no more. He stated skating when he was about 7 or 8 he fell on his head so much but he still continued to skate. Every day before school he would skate the curb in front of his school until the bell rang. He would watch Sesame Street and he learned most of the stuff he learned was from Sesame Street like math with count and Spanish. But after school he would get a ride from his dad or someone from his family to go to the skatepark or he would ride his skateboard there.
   
   His two front teeth were capped because he tried to do a frontside rock and role(Which is a skate trick)and fell into the ramp on his face. His first sponsor was dog town skate comp. But it didn't last that long until they ran out of business. He was called a pro amateur and there wasn't that much in the 70s. He officially turned pro in 1999.
   
   
   
   I would recommend this book
   To people who skate and who like to laugh.



4. To tell you the truth, I was suspect when I first saw this book. This probably has one of the lamer titles around. Fortunately, the book never had a dull moment. This book is well written and hilarious.



5. I received this hardback edition of Tony Hawk's autobiography at the Los Angeles Convention Center about 5 to 6 six years ago. It was the E3 convention and Tony was there to promote his new video game. I jumped at the opportunity and waited in line to have it personally signed. There is nothing but his name signed inside the cover with no (to/from) or anything like that. This book has never even been read yet. 1st edition and in mint condition. A steal for any Tony Hawk or skateboarding fan.

5 comments about Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything.

1. First, the book is easy to read, it is interesting, the author has a good humour. This is a good beginning for any newcomer to the world of NFL.
   
   The style is ok, there are some great stories of the players of Patriots, but the author handles the subject of the book as a person without any mistakes, someone on a par with Mother Theresa. Brady is a great player and a great man, but there are too many words on his greatness, his ability to play as a teammate.



2. I found this book to be very interesting and a must read for every No. 12 jersey wearing Patriots' fan! It tells about the rise of Tom Brady and how he came to become the legend that he is through his hard work and dedication. It went behind the scenes of just what he does on the playing field and went into his personal life which I thought was interesting. It's a must read for every Patriots fan. It goes quick and I'm sure it will be enjoyed.
   
   Gerard Zemek
   husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"



3. this book is not the typical football book in which details of football startegy are dissected and analyzed.Instead it deals with how Tom Brady developed as an QB thru high school,the trials and tribulations of his days at Michigan and finally his arrival to the NFL and his eventual taking over the reins of the Patriots and the rest is history.Its not an book I would recommend for anyone looking for pure football strategy its more of an comprehensive look at an young qbs development thru several different areas



4. As an aside, the other good book that talks
   a lot about Tom Brady is Charlie Wies fine
   book, "No Excuses". Brady simply is the best
   QB of his generation in the NFL and not a
   Media creation like P. Manning, who will
   never be fit to carry out Braids garbage!
   
   I rate Brady as the seventh best QB in Pro
   Football history right now, behind only:
   John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Phil
   Simms, Warren Moon and Johnny Unitas. Fol-
   lowed by; Doug Flutie, Russ Jackson, Otto
   Graham, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach
   and Bob Griese. Flutie, Moon and especially
   the Canadian Jackson did their best work
   in the equally good CFL, which predates
   the NFL by 11 years. Messy somewhat in
   the writing style of the co-author, but
   Brady in his own words is very good. Who
   wants to bet when the smoke clears that
   Brady will NOT be the best QB ever? I
   wouldn't! Probably two more Super Bowls
   coming his way in '09 and 2010!



5. One of the best sports writers ever, Charlie once again writes with precision and incredible depth using the spontaneous wit that earmarks his writng style. Whether you are a Patriots fan, a Brady wannabee, or a curious west-coaster, you will find this book difficult to put down. I bought copies for myself, my 89yo father-in-law, my 35 yo son, and my 11yo grandson...all were pleased with comments ranging from "a great sports biograpy' to "Yowzer awesome".
   In the pursuit for everything, Peirce wins.
   5 stars for sure

5 comments about Seabiscuit, the Rest of the Story.

1. The book promised more than it delivered. The author admittedly was not a writer, and it showed in this book. There were numerous proofreading errors, so no kudos to the publisher.
   
   If one was a horse breeder, the information about lineage may be interesting, but to a reader who just wanted to know more about the legendary Seabiscuit, the book was a disappointment.



2. William H. Nichols has special insight on the legendary champion, Seabiscuit; he worked at Ridgewood Ranch as a teenager in 1944, when 18 foals of The Biscuit's were born and - years later - as co-breeder of Sea Orbit, Seabiscuit's most successful descendent in racing.
   
   It is through the professional eyes, historical research and interviews of Nichols that the story of Seabiscuit, his most famous nemesis - War Admiral - and a host of individuals, including Charles & Marcela Howard, Red Pollard and George Woolf, are chronicled after the cheering of fans and accolades from racing glory faded away like the color of aging press clippings.
   
   A lot of turf is covered in the 182 pages, with special focus on the ongoing work by The Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation to renovate the Ridgewood Ranch property, while making it home to descendents of its most famous resident. Nichols also chronicles many artists who portrayed Seabiscuit and provides an update on author Laura Hillenbrand - who Nichols initially talked with when she was doing research for her monumental Seabiscuit: An American Legend.
   
   The never-ending controvery surrounding Seabiscuit's 1940 Santa Anita Handicap victory over stablemate Kayak II is reviewed in the last chapter, with Nichols providing what may be the best summary on who ultimately should have won that day and why.
   
   This is a must read for Thoroughbred racing fans or those who want a lasting understanding of the rest of the story in what certainly is a timeless slice of American History.



3. Great followup to the book giving minute details of Seabisuit's carreer and people around him. Written by one who had intimate knowledge.



4. I loved this book! I read the Seabiscuit story and this one is an awesome sequel to the story. I have raised horses for 50 years and am always looking for GOOD horse books - this one definitely qualifies!!! If you love horses you will love this book. Written so well that you cannot wait to turn the next page.



5. Very easy reading. The book examines the disparities between the reality of the great Seabisuit story and the movie version. Very intersting.

5 comments about My Life in Baseball: The True Record.

1. Being an inveterate baseball fan since the days of Mickey Mantle, and having already spent considerable summers delving into the fascinating roots of the game, I had no grand expectations in starting this book, acquired at the Cobb museum in Georgia. To you, dear reader, I declare that this is among the very best pieces of baseball literature that I've had the privilege to experience. The book covers not only the physical aspects of Cobb's career--the sojourn in the minors, the early, somewhat less than stellar rookie season--but also the mental aspects of Cobb's approach. Here he details the innovations he brought to the game, the obstacles he overcame, the intra-team battles he fought, and later, his ability to transfer this tenacity and judgment to the business world.
   
   A great book.



2. This book is great Ty Cobb teaches you all of his secrets and relationships between other players in his time he even picks his all time team that he would go against anyone today and he said he would beat anyone with his all time team I think he probably would
   
   This book is a must for a Cobb fan and a must if you are a baseball fan



3. I think that this book was very well-written. Cobb seems like a smart man who was ahead of his time when it came to baseball. He comes across as a very bitter guy though... of course Ty was in his 70s at the time and oldtimer athletes always seem that way. Complaining about how the game has changed to be horrible and such. Its always cool to get an insider look at pro sports and athletes tho , and while i feel he didn't always tell the whole truth, I think it was a good book overall. Especially if you are a baseball history dork like me. i give it 4 out of 5.



4. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was the first book about Cobb that I had ever read; before that, he was just a name and statistics to me.

   The overarcing story of this book is Ty Cobb's career in baseball, with a little bit about his life before and a few flashes into his life after. Now, it would be easy to sum up a career in baseball with several numbers, a few game highlights, etc. But that is not what you'll find in this book. What you'll find is a ton of short, 5-10 paragraph interludes about almost every big name in baseball from the 1905-1928 period... and even big names elsewhere. Ty Cobb was fortunate enough to have interacted with everyone from actors to presidents to business executives, and he has humorous angles on each of them. I actually laughed out loud several times while reading this book at the way he portrayed various people.

   In a lot of ways, reading this book is almost like listening to your grandfather tell stories of his adventures and his friends in his youth. Except it's not your grandfather, it's Ty Cobb, telling stories of the Golden Age of Baseball, and his friends were legends like Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Connie Mack, Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance, Nap Lajoie, and others who may also simply be names in the Hall of Fame to you. Cobb's stories bring life to long-dead names, color to old black-and-white photos. Most of us have only heard legends of those early parks, players, pennants, pitches, pundits. Cobb was there. And through reading his story, it almost feels like you were there, too.

   While I've read other reviews that say this book hides the Dark Side of Ty Cobb, I don't think that is entirely true. He definitely talks about some ways he treated people, such as Shoeless Joe Jackson, that makes you realize that at his core he was a man who would stop at nothing to win.

   It doesn't matter if you like Ty Cobb or hate Ty Cobb. If you want to hear some great baseball stories, read this book.




5. TY COBB TELLS OF HIS LIFE AND CAREER IN THIS INTERESTING STORY. I FOUND HIS SIDE OF THE STORY TO BE VERY REFRESHING. HE CERTAINLY IS NO ANGEL. HIS FAMILY LIFE IS MENTIONED, MAYBE 5 TIMES IN THE WHOLE BOOK. HE WAS A TRUE BRAINY PLAYER AND TOTALLY FEARLESS. HIS TROUBLED BOYHOOD WAS A REAL NIGHTMARE (HIS MOTHER ACCIDENTLY SHOT HIS FATHER TO DEATH). HE IS TOTALLY WRAPPED UP IS HIS OWN LITTLE WORLD NEVER ALLOWING ANYONE TO GET CLOSE TO HIM. I FOUND HIM TO BE FULL OF HIMSELF AND IN SELF DENIAL CONCERNING HIS ANGER AND SELF CENTEREDNESS. AS A HUMAN BEING HE IS VERY FLAWED, HATED BY TEAMATES AND JUST ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE. A TRUE LEGEND AS A PLAYER AND A VERY INTERESTING AND TROUBLED PERSON. RECOMMENDED.

No comments about The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player (Becoming the Kind of Person Every Team Wants).

5 comments about Valentino Rossi: Portrait of a Speed God.

1. I've never been a Rossi fan; although a very committed MotoGP fan. After reading this book, I've come to understand the sport and it clarified my unclear situations that I have come across in the current years of MotoGP. I think it is a must read for all the Sport fans.



2. I enjoyed reading this book tremendously. The writing style was surprisingly good, though I'm not entirely sure if it was more representative of the author or the translator. The reader is taken through his childhood, decision to commit to racing motorcycles, evolution through the European classes to MotoGP, many bad-boy exploits and finally some of the most challenging experiences Rossi has participated in as a MotoGP rider. It was fascinating to compare his perspective from inside the helmet with my perspective as an observer. It reads much like the script to Sundance film, starting in the present, digressing into history, and progressing back to present. I found it a bit difficult to follow at times but in the end was satisfied. If you follow MotoGP at all this book tells you what you already know, Rossi is a bad a-- on and off the track, yet warm, thoughtful, personable most of all simply human.
   
   If you are a fan of Rossi or MotoGP this is a must read.



3. This is a neat book that dives into the life of one of the most accomplished racers to ever live. Lots of pictures, but haven't read entire book yet.



4. Definitely another good V. Rossi book which contains so much images within his life and two wheels.



5. What a great book. I bought this book as a present for my husband and being a fan of motogp myself we both really loved this book. A must for all Valentino Rossi fans to add to the collection. A great insight into the man and what drives his talent.Great photos.An inexpensive purchase but worth it's weight in gold.Very colourful and detail is excellent.

No comments about Bill Walsh: Remembering "The Genius": 1931-2007.

4 comments about Ted Williams at War.

1. I will agree with the other reviewers on the excellence of the research in this book, at least in regards to its comprehensiveness in covering so many details of Ted's service. Ted Williams truly was a great American hero, and he deserves to have his story preserved.
   
   However, the writing in this book is just not good. The prose is as stale as it could possibly be; it is bad enough that even the most exciting scenes of combat and competition somehow come off as dry and dull.
   
   In addition, there are some glaring errors even in the research. For instance:
   How ON EARTH does one write an entire book dealing largely with aviation and pilots, yet never learn that the term "knots per hour" is gallingly incorrect? That is basic stuff: The error is as bad as if he had written that teams each get 4 outs per inning in baseball. Not good.



2. Ted Williams was a great baseball player. But this book tells another side of Williams, a true American Hero. He served in 2 wars; lost what would have been peak playing years (what would his stats be if he had those years back). Sometimes we admire players for the wrong reasons. Baseball is going through a big scandal right now. How many of our "heros" have feet of clay? This book reminds us of who our true heros are, those who serve and defend us in the military. Thanks to all our veterans both in the past and those defending us today.



3. Author Bill Nowlin has put together the ultimate book on Ted Williams and it is not about his Hall of Fame baseball days. Nowlin's wonderfully researched book "Ted Williams At War" presents to us a different image of a sports idol--one that shows us a real honest-to-goodness hero! The book is so well written and fascinating that the reader will find himself totally emerged into the story and unable to put it down. The words and great collection of photos captures the essence of a Ted Williams few Americans knew about. We discover a man who was a really true American War hero!
   
   Nowlin goes into great details like who flew missions with Williams in the Korean War. We learn about a young officer named John Glenn, who later goes on to conquer space and become a US Senator. We also read about his air combat missions and how he risked not only his life but also his baseball career when he crashes. The author digs into old flight log books and interviews dozen of former pilots who flew with Ted. All this detailed research makes for a most insightful look at a complicated man. The reader will not be disappointed in this large volume of work.
   
   This book should appeal to not only baseball fans but also all readers who love inspiring life stories. Ted Williams was the only Hall of Fame player to have served in two wars for his country. He did his service when he was at his peak age for baseball playing and yet, he was still able to come back and continue to achieve greatness.
   
   
   The book is honestly written and tells it all. It is a book that I highly recommend. It is given "The American Authors Association's" highest book ranking of FIVE STARS! That Association also nominated it for it's annual Gold Medal Award for Non-Fiction.



4. Normally I would not get too worked up about another biography of a baseball superstar; afterall, how many books do we really need on Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams. Is there ever anything new and exciting in these books? Usually not.
   
   Well, Bill Nowlin has proven my theory wrong. His "Ted Williams at War" is an amazing piece of research. Every detail about Williams' military career - World War II and Korea - is there. The fans either loved or hated Williams - who always spoke his mind - and Nowlin has presented Ted's opinions along with those who served with him.
   
   I didn't count the numerous photos - must be more than 100 - and only a few had I seen before.
   
   This is a treat for any fan of Ted Williams, and a must for anyone who considers themselves a baseball historian.

5 comments about Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life.

1. For everyone who has ever had a coach, a good one, in athletics, in a career field, or in any area of life...
   
   For everyone who has ever been a coach, in athletics, in a career fielld, in any area of life. For coaches who cared, genuinely cared...
   
   Those who know will understand and this book will bring a tear to their eye and warmth to their heart and soul...
   
   Those who don't understand should be so blessed....



2. I bought this book for my husband. It was so very impressed with the story he finished it in a day. He really enjoys Michael Lewis' style of writing and has read several of his books. I would recommend it as a Christmas stuffer for any coaches, parents or baseball fans.



3. This short read on the high school athletic student is a must for all parents of athletes. You'll find out how the attitudes of student athletes are changing the face of high school sports.



4. This is a book that I will have parents read.



5. What a wonderful book. A short read - one sitting should do it, but a must read for parents and managers alike. I've bought over a dozen copies for friends and employees. A great story to express the change in attitudes of parents towards self esteem and how it is affecting our youth.