5 comments about Sandow the Magnificent: Eugen Sandow and the Beginnings of Bodybuilding (Sport and Society).

1. A wonderful book about a most interesting man. I'm so inspired by Eugen Sandow, because of this book, that I named my Giant Schnauzer show dog, SANDOW!



2. David L. Chapman does an amazing job at piecing together the life story of Eugen Sandow, who was part workaholic, part legit, and part hype. What makes Chapman's coverage of Sandow so impressive his near disclaimer in the preface: that despite there being plenty of print on Sandow from his heyday, how much of it is reliable is questionable. Chapman sounds almost dismissive of his end result, but by piecing together multiple sources of Sandow's history, he has done an excellent job portraying which aspects of Sandow's works were impressive, which aspects were marketing hype. Sandow is neither deified nor demonized; this is a biography written the way biographies should be written.
   
   Eugen Sandow had both incredible talent as well as sly business savvy. With a chiseled physical in a day when massive muscles were few and far between, he is the first man to successfully market such a wild physical fitness mania, an industry that seems to be at an all time high in the 21st Century. This book serves as a tour of Sandow's evolution from theatrical strongman to a pioneer in mail order fitness courses and health clubs (Sandow's Institute of Physical Culture).
   
   While it is easy to fill this book with Sandow's many legitimate achievements, Chapman never shies away from showing his embarrassing flops, like Sandow's continuous reinvention of his biography, his joke-of-a-fight with a circus lion, and the "Sandow's Health & Strength Cocoa" debacle. We also see the rare instances where Sandow realizes a challenge from a rival strongman or wrestler is out of his league, and his wise and sometimes clever ways he bowed out of the competition. It should be noted, however, that Chapman shows us more instances of Sandow being the man making the challenge, resulting in showboaters and "Sandow impostors" trying to duck the challenge.
   
   This book also reveals the balance of Sandow's personal and professional life, from his rocky but lasting marriage to Blanche Brookes Sandow, the multitude of women (including some female celebrities of the day) who hit on him, to his professional and personal friendship with Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.
   
   If you are a fan of bodybuilding or pop-culture, this book is an essential addition to your library. This is one of the most underrated biographies I have read in quite some time. David Chapman's notes and bibliography are impressive alone (and there are SO MANY books on pop-culture history that penny-pinch in this department). This book will reel you in at the beginning, and hold your attention until the last page.



3. At a time when the chemically-enhanced monsters of today are putting professional bodybuilding back in the freakshow arena and ensuring it remains the minority sport it has always been, it is interesting to read about its 19th century music hall/variety show beginnings in the strong man act. Sandow was the most famous and celebrated strongman of them all and his story in this book is a fascinating and entertaining read. The depth of research and wealth of interesting characters and anecdotes make this book a must have for anyone interested in physical culture and the history of bodybuilding. The petty politics, scams, and dubious business deals among the strong men and health club owners of the late 19th/early 20th century have never left the sport. Sandow, while seemingly being a genuine advocate of bodybuilding for health reasons, comes across as the master of self-promotion.

   His position as the father of the sport is assured, not least by the fact that the Weider Organisation/IFBB call their Mr Olympia trophy (the highest honour in todays bodybuilding world) a Sandow. The irony is not lost on this reader.




4. Sandow The Magnificent is an excellent biography of an enigmatic showman who came to the forefront of physical culture at the turn of the century. Growing up during the fifties in a household of amateur bodybuilders I was subjected to back issues of Strength and Health magazine and often saw old photos of Sandow. Familiar with the image, but not the person, my interest was piqued when I came upon David Chapman's book. Chapman's approach in telling the story of Sandow sheds light on almost every facet of the strongman's life-the good, bad and kinky. Though some of Sandow's life is apparently somewhat shrouded in mystery, and much is left to conjecture and interpretation, the book is both illuminating and interesting. Sandow The Magnificent is well written, enjoyable reading and gets quickly into the depths of Sandow. Unlike many biographies that extensively probe the lineage and childhood of the subject, something I personally find tedious, Chapman gets right to the man behind the fascinating black & white images. Now when I see a photo of Sandow there is more understanding of what was behind the rugged facade of muscle and strength.




5. David Chapman's biogaphy of the "Great Sandow" is more than just the story of the first muscle and physique star of modern times. As a boy, Sandow visited Italy and became impressed with the marble statues of the muscular heros of Ancient Rome. His logic dictated that he would become a living work of art and later, as a mature muscle man, displayed his physique as the sculptures were viewed in art museums.
   

   Chapman is the first author I have read who strips away the prejudice of those who would say he was a simple sideshow performer who displayed himself as an egotist. Chapman clearly dispells myth, both good and negative to draw us near to the man and his thoughts, his fears and ultimately, his triumph in defining who and what he was...the father of modern bodybuilding.

4 comments about Sayers: My Life and Times.

1. This book does not flow in chronological order, but it eventually covers all the necessary bases. Sayers leaves no holds barred in sharing his opinions on opportunites for minorities in sports and business, the war in Iraq, and the showboating that is prevalent in today's NFL.
   
   The last 30 pages or so are devoted to brief career summaries of Sayers' All-Time Chicago Bears team, which contained lots of whiny remarks by the stars of yesterday. This is a book I should have checked out at the library.



2. awesome...buy this book if you are a fan of old time football, back when men were men...it made me nostalgic for the way the game used to be played...no football fan will be disappointed by this book...plus, I read in the paper that all proceeds of sayers' book sales are going to the gayle sayers center, which is an after-school care program for Chicago's underprivileged youth...to me, that's unselfishness seldom seen in athletes today...



3. I recently purchased the book for my husband, but I ended up reading it when he wouldn't stop talking about it. It was well written and really captured what goes on behind the scenes. It's a great gift for all the football fans in your life!



4. Wow !! This is the best football book I have read in 20 years, and I have read a lot of them. It is so refreshing to hear the truth from a great hall of Fame player about today's spoiled players. Gale Sayers never had to come off the field to catch his breath after every long run he made like the 2007 NFL running back. He is now a huge success in the business world, so every high school and college athlete should read this book. If they don't make it in the NFL they should have an education to fall back on to get them a good job for the rest of their life. If they do play in the NFL, they have to think about setting themselves up in the business world for when their playing days end. I will be using this book for Christmas gifts for all my friends who love the game-- Great job Gale!!

5 comments about Final Rounds: A Father, A Son, The Golf Journey Of A Lifetime.

1. This book really hits home as a story of a grown son and his dad. They plan a final great trip together in the twilight of the dad's life. It is about life and is a great golf story also in that the story is intertwined with the history of golf on a personal basis.
   
   My dad is gone so I gave a copy to my son. I also gave a copy to a couple of friends whose fathers are now growing old. They are golfers who learned the game growing up and playing golf with their dads. If you fit this description, I highly recommend this book.



2. ISBN 0553375644 - I started reading this book hoping for the touching story of the father and son and was vaguely disappointed. Not to say the story isn't there, because it is in it's own way, but the golf far overshadows Dodson and his father, making this a far better book for golf fans than non-fans.
   
   James Dodson and his father finally get around to planning that dream trip: all the best courses in great company. Just before they are to leave, his father calls with bad news - the trip will have to be postponed because the cancer of years ago is back. With a small laugh, the man Dodson calls "Opti the Mystic" tells him the prognosis: he has a month, maybe two, to live. Dodson realizes that this means that the trip may never happen, but another call comes soon after and the trip is on. There are conditions and one of them is that when his father says it's time to go home, it's time to go home, no argument. Opti has "things to do", clearly the tying up of loose ends in his life.
   
   The men set out on the golf trip of a lifetime and, honestly, will bore the non-golf-fan cross-eyed with the details of games and players. If you've gotten that far, barrel through - the point of the book isn't the game, or the courses, it's the relationship between father and son. Golf is just the medium in which they relate to one another. Knowing, all along, that Opti is going to die doesn't detract from the sorrow when the time comes and, oddly, his death doesn't detract from the happier side of the story. Opti the Mystic, with an eye always for the silver lining, gives his son some incredible gifts and Dodson does his best to share them with the reader.
   
   I'm not a fan of golf and found myself just skimming very big sections of the book. The stories OFF the course were far more interesting and I wish they'd been given more ink, but Final Rounds is still a very good book.



3. Fanstic read. This will touch the heart of any golfer that has ever had the chance to play with their Dad.



4. I lost this book while I was vacationing with my wife in Italy for her 40th birthday. I couldn't wait to get home to buy another copy and finish it. That was 9 years ago. I was so moved by the story that I made a pledge to try and take my sons on a similar trip one day. Well, I've lost 3 jobs since then and have been paying college expenses for 6 years, the last 4 years for 2 kids at a time. However, my current job allowed me to go to Aberdeen, Scotland 6 times last year alone. While reading the book again, I dog earred places I wanted to include on my trip. I have also been saving magazine articles as well as itineraries from acquainteses who have made similar golf excursions. And during my trips to Scotland I've developed friendships and they have helped with insights to add my catalog of information.
   
   Well, the trip is planned. I compiled a notebook for both my sons with our planned itinerary, a route map showing the courses along our journey and website information on all the courses. I gave it to them for Christmas. They are pumped. Both are very good players and we have played alot together. My oldest is getting married in October and my yougner son plays for his college team and will graduate in May. For their birthdays they each will get a copy of Final Round to read as a prerequiste to the trip schedlued June 6-21. We will play both the famous and the hidden gems. We'll play Carnoustie on Father's Day and then drive down to St. Andrew's and watch the final round of the US Open in a pub 100 yards off the 18th green of the Old Course. Our last round will be on the Old Course. This book provided a dream for a once in a lifetime trip. I'm going to share it with two of my favorite people.



5. I picked up this book at a used book sale on a lark. I love Scotland and thought a book on a father and son golf trip to the old courses would be fun. What I didn't expect was such a great book about the relationship between a very optimistic father and his earnest son. Just before the trip the father discovers he has cancer and not long to live. They go on the trip anyway and we get to know two interesting people and how life's lessons can come in many places including on a golf course. I lost my father a few months before I read this book. I took my time reading it, not wanting it to end. It helped ease the pain of my loss and to direct my energies and lessons I have to offer to my sons.

2 comments about Tim McCarver's Diamond Gems.

1. Tim McCarver's "Diamond Gems" is a comprehensive collection of anecdotes and stories from the legends of the baseball diamond. These stories, gleaned from McCarver's internationally syndicated, talk show, weave an almost mythological tapestry of the mindset of the greats of baseball. Stan Musial claims he was a "low ball hitter and a highball drinker." These stories divulge amazing and often profound revelations. Don Mattingly credits Lou Piniella as the person who taught him how to hit for power in the majors; Mike Schmidt, with sadness that oozes off the page, regrets that he didn't have a friendlier relationship with the Philly fans; and Alex Rodriguez and Cal Ripken relate the same story of how Ripken was pushed into playing shortstop for one last time during his last all star game appearance. This gem of a story is told from the point of view from Ripken and Rodriguez and neatly juxtaposed in the book. With stories like these how can you lose? "Diamond Gems" is a must-read for all baseball fans and sports enthusiasts alike. Everyone will have their favorite stories, their favorite gems from the baseball diamond.



2. When I first read this book I saw that this was simply not a book about the sport of Baseball but about the history and of the names that come to mind whenever we relate a great moment to a parrallel in our own lives. Tim McCarver in his own right as a former player and now broadcaster is one to respect with his interviewing methods as more like sitting with these respected individuals on a Sunday in your living room just letting these stories flow and though sometimes you feel that you've heard all this before, this book brings it straight and to the point.

5 comments about Jeff Gordon: Racing Back to the Front--My Memoir.

1. This book tells about his life from a very young child all the way through Nascar championships. Very fast reading and not a lot of depth and detail, but wrote well. I did find it interesting and I am not a fan. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book.



2. If you are a Jeff Gordon fan, this book is a must. Provides great insight.



3. Anybody that loves Jeff Gordon and to watch him race this book you have to read. Being a huge Jeff Gordon fan I enjoyed reading this the minute it arrived. Awesome Read!!!



4. As a huge Jeff Gordon fan I couldn't wait to get my hands on his book and it did not disappoint. It makes an easy and entertaining read and I found I couldn't put it down. Even if you've followed Jeff like I have for years, the book offers a little more of his personal insight to different situations and what he was really feeling. Not what the media wanted us to think. He touches upon all types of different issues thru-out different stages of his racing career. For any racing fan would enjoy this book, for the Jeff Gordon fan this is a must read !



5. Very strong book following Jeff's lap by lap experience of key races in his past. For those of us that know Jeff's professional achievements, the book was fell short in getting to better know him. The book summarizes key personal turning points in his life. Understandably so, he is a guarded person off the track and the book follows that philosophy.

5 comments about Bill Snyder: They Said It Couldn't Be Done.

1. The book went into detail about Bill Snyder and detailed anecdotes about the fact that he gives a copy of the movie "Pinocchio" to friends or how he asked that his planes sit on the side of a plane going to Japan. However, the book is a look at Bill Snyder the coach and person. I enjoyed the book. There were detailed that I wish were in the book, such as the details he gave to the office janitor on how to do his job or the relationship to his assistants. Spencer Tillman once said that no assistant ever left Bill Snyder's program on good terms. I wish that had been addressed in the book.



2. My order was easy to make and was shipped to me very quickly and in perfect condition. I was very satisfied. Thank You!



3. Excellent book - easy reading as it chronicles his "miracle in Manhattan." A must reading for every Wildcat fan and great material for young and/or aspiring coaches to see "that it can be done!"



4. Our experience was great, no problems, book came in timely manner, and the book itself was in great condition and was great reading material.



5. i'm always in perspective of a successful coach.this book provides great insight into what made bill snyder the positive influence that he was.

5 comments about Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History.

1. Even though the book is called "Cinderella Man", Schaap does a great job of telling the story of Max Baer. Unlike the movie, Baer is shown in a positive light. Baer did not revel in the deaths of the men he fought and had a background that was as interesting as Braddock's. Schaap's book is a great story of both boxers and the time period the historic fight took place in.



2. Cinderella Man is less a biography of James J. Braddock, than a skillfully crafted portrait of boxing's golden era. The colorful characters(Boxers, managers, promoters, trainers, referees, etc.) who populated the era are so vividly described by Schaap that they fairly leap off the page, and when he writes about the action in the ring, you can really feel the punches. Against this lively backdrop, he tells the improbable story of Jim Braddock, from his glory days as a top light-heavyweight contender in the late 20's, to his nadir in the mid 30's, when thanks to a broken right hand, the losses start to pile up, and he plummets to the bottom of the division, all but forgotten by a few dedicated fans and boxing writers. Eventually, he is forced to find sporadic work as a day laborer just to survive the depression. As soon as his hand heals he begins his comeback, slowly climbing the ladder of the heavyweight division until he is granted a title shot by reigning champ Max Baer in 1935(Baer fans will be pleased that Schaap goes to great lengths to rehabilitate Baer's character from the hit it took in the film.) Against all odds, Braddock wins and begins a two year reign as champ. Even though his time at the top was short, his inspirational tale of triumph over extreme adversity has endured, and should serve as a lesson to all of us, never give up despite the odds. Jim Braddock was a genuine hero at a time when people really needed one.



3. Jeremy Schaap does a nice job of telling the story of James J. Braddock who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history on June 13, 1935 when he defeated Max Baer for the world heavyweight boxing championship. While I don't think Schaap does a wonderful job of capturing the era or the times that Braddock lived in, he does an excellent job of conveying Braddock's up and down career, his relationship with his manager Joe Gould, and the desperate straights both found themselves in during The Great Depression. It's really a heartwarming story in many ways.
   
   Schaap also provides us a very good look at the character and career of Max Baer. In many ways Baer's career could be seen as a bit of a tragedy in that he squandered his great talent by not applying himself to the craft of boxing. Then again, he was emotionally affected by the death of Frankie Campbell after Baer knocked him out in the ring and appeared to see boxing a means to wealth and fame but didn't really like it - at least the training aspect of it. Schaap's treatment of the controversial Baer seems evenhanded and well woven into the book.
   
   Overall, for sports and boxing enthusiasts, a definite thumbs up.



4. Incredible descriptions of Jimmy Braddock's and Max Baer's fights. Most boxing books fail to describe the blow by blow action as well as this book does. I actually got chills reading about Braddock's jab in the early rounds of their encounter.



5. This book is about one of the greatest sports comeback ever. Schaap not only profiles the history of boxing but gives us a quaint look at life during the 1930's depression. Jimmy Braddock, was a washed-up, underdog determined to win the title against one of the greatest boxers ever, Max Baer. Braddock was billed as a 10-to-one underdog. Baer was not only
   heavily favored, but he had already killed two men in the ring. Braddock, with the help of his manager, Joe Gould makes a remarkable comeback and defeats Baer. Braddock becomes a hero and is able to get off welfare once and for all. The story is a hit, even for those who don't like boxing.

5 comments about Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic's Edge.

1. Great book! I was disappointed when their story ended. I could only hope Doug and Jill continue to write more about their experiences.



2. She is an amazing writer...very in tune with herself and her natural settings. Adventerous and fun! A must read for anyone who loves Alaska, paddling, or just a coming into your own kind of reader!



3. I recommend that you take these reviews with a grain of salt. The stories told by author are quite exciting, but I think that some readers have let them overshadow the author's trite metaphors, frequent, not-so-subtle digs at her husband, and self-aggrandizing style that any editor worth her salary would have edited out in the first draft. The author actually compares herself to Mother Teresa at one point.
   
   If you are looking to read about adventure, try some real writers. Read "The Places In Between," by Rory Stewart, or "The Worst Journey in the World," by Apsley Cherry-Garrard. These are written with sensitivity, elegance, and complete lack of ego. Perhaps Ms. Fredston should have taken a look at these before dashing off her book.



4. Her style is elegantly simple, her stories come from the heart...



5. Unusual deep and wide revelations, experienced and written by a woman describing extreme world wide rowing and paddling. Fully appriciated by kindred spirit having traveled with mind and heart.

3 comments about My Bat Boy Days: Lessons I Learned from the Boys of Summer.

1. Being a Dodger fan, I was really looking forward to reading this book. The book is interesting for the first twenty pages as Steve Garvey tells about his experiences as a Dodger bat boy. However, most of the book contains a chapter on Brooklyn Dodger players and Garvey tells very little about his experience with each player. The chapters contain mostly known facts about each player. The book ends with Garvey telling about his experiences with Mickey Mantle and Al Kaline which are interesting. But for a book only containing 146 pages, only around forty pages are about Garvey's days as a bat boy.



2. This is a delight.
   
   I didn't know from 1956 to 1961, that Dodger great Steve Garvey was a bat boy for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers.
   
   He tells stories about the following showing these virtues.
   
   Pee Wee Reese leadership
   Gil Hodges dignity
   Carl Erskine honesty
   Jackie Robinson passion
   Duke Snider persistence
   Roy Campanella compassion
   Sandy Koufax faith
   Mickey Mantle fortitude
   Al Kaline perfection
   
   It captures the excitement of baseball and would be good to read to kids.



3. What a fun little book!
   
   What we've got here is a short tale from Steve Garvey about how he worked as a bat boy for a few major league teams while he and his parents lived in Florida. His father drove a bus and was hired to drive around some big leaguers during spring training. The first team he ran into was the Brooklyn Dodgers from the Boys of Summer era of the team.
   
   After this short tale of being asked to be the bat boy for a day, how much it meant to him as a boy, and how it has stuck with him ever since, Garvey speaks about a few individuals from the Boys of Summer teams as well as Mickey Mantle and Al Kaline. They are his heroes, pure and simple, and the story is presented in a pure in simple fashion.
   
   Garvey chooses a certain superlative to describe each of the players he idolizes and talks about his experience with them that illustrate the descriptive word he's chosen. Also contained within the passages are biographical stats of the players which illustrate their statistical dominance as well as the more personal qualities that made them heroes to the Garv.
   
   The prose is easy to read and relate to. For anyone that doesn't know the story of Roy Campanella or why Koufax had to retire at 31, these are also presented as part of the illustration of the virtues Garvey holds in such high esteem. It's a very short read but very much worth the time to take a peek into the idols of a man who was an idol for many youngsters once upon a time.

5 comments about My Sergei: A Love Story.

1. I was in love with Katia Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov from the moment I first saw them skating together. Their classic routines were perfect enough to win many world championships including a 1988 Olympic gold medal in Calgary Canada.
   
   Romance eventually blossomed and the beautifully matched pair were married in April of 1991. Their daughter, Daria Sergeyevna Grinkova, was born in my favorite Morristown NJ a little over a year later.
   
   Reading Katia's memories of their life and love still brings tears to my eyes.
   
   I recommend this book for its portrait of pure innocence enframed in the magical world of ice skating.



2. I'm really glad I found this book at a library book sale last year. Though this story is no longer current news, I hadn't forgotten about the tragic death of Sergey Grinkov or watching him perform with his wife Katya in the 1994 Winter Olympics. And even though the world has long since moved onto other headlines and stories of interest in the figure skating world, the love story told in this book is truly timeless. As a Russophile and a historian whose field of expertise is Russian history, it was a double joy to read because of all of the descriptions of Russian culture, the differences between Russian and American customs, and what life was like in the late Soviet period and the early post-Soviet period. (Although I have to say that the transliteration style wasn't completely pleasing to me; for example, I don't think I've ever read any other book where a double O is used in place of the letter U, as in Ligooshina or Katoosha, and I'm still trying to figure out how the nicknames Serioque and Katuuh are supposed to be written in Russian characters.)
   
   Though the book begins and ends sadly, in between there's a lot of happiness and love, making this into a beautiful heartfelt love letter to a wonderful person, skating partner, friend, lover, husband, and father. The love between Katya and Seryozha is so pure and genuine, nothing like the type of superficial and problem-plagued celebrity relationships we're used to hearing about. It even made me a little jealous of their storybook love story! All throughout, Katya is very honest and open, about their relationship, the world of young skaters in the Soviet Union, what goes on behind the scenes at the Olympics, the hectic life on the road of skaters, and how difficult it was to constantly have to leave their daughter Darya behind while they skated. While I'm sure there are some things she chose not to write about, overall a very detailed and honest life and love story emerges. She was so lucky to have this wonderful man, who was so much more than just an athletic partner, for (what was then) half of her life.
   
   Because the love story is so beautiful and like a dream come true, the reader can really feel her deep grief and sorrow expressed at the beginning and end of the book. It's a terrible thing to lose the love of your life, the father of your child, the only person you've ever skated with for the past 13 years, when you're only 24 years old. This beautiful love story isn't diminished for me by knowing that Katya has since moved on with her life and found love again. She had a child with Ilya Kulik six years after Sergey died, and married him a year later; it's not like she jumped into his bed soon after this book was published! (And since Kulik is six years younger, he would have been a bit too young for her then anyway.) When you're widowed at such a young age, you should hardly be expected to be in mourning forever, and it may help the more current reader to not feel quite so sad at the end, knowing that this intense pain and sorrow isn't such an overpowering force in Katya's life anymore. And new husband or not, there's no denying that her first husband, her first love, was indeed the greatest love of her life.



3. What a wonderful story this was. I love to watch skating and have not missed watching an Olympics since I was a kid. I am familiar with a lot of the skaters mentioned in this book. I thought this story was so touching and full of emotion. Katia considers her life with Sergei almost too perfect. They were so in love and their life together was indeed a fairy tale. I commend Katia for being able to pick herself and go on with her life no matter how difficult after Sergei's unexpected death in 1995. I thought the comparison between Russian and American customs was very interesting. This was an enjoyable and heartwarming read.



4. I remember watching this pair when they were competing. I wasn't an ice dancing fan, but they were so incredible to watch, I started watching any competition they were in. When Sergei died, I was devastated for Ekaterina. When her book came out, I read it, and cried all the way through. But really, it isn't a sad ending. I find it to be very inspirational to see how Ekaterina faced the worst that could happen, and came out on the other side with a wonderful attitude and will to go on. It is now 12 years later, and this book STILL makes me cry, and still inspires me.



5. I read this book lastyear in the Hardcover edition and I cried. It is such a moving, loving, tragic, and heartwarming story full of love that a young widow had for her husband and skating partner and the child Daria that they had together. It told of their skating years, marriage, how they met, and came to america along with the tragic death of her young husband Sergei. I couldn't put this book down. A great story that you will love. Well written.