5 comments about Alone in the Trenches: My Life As a Gay Man in the NFL.

1. Alone in the Trenches is a powerful story about Esera's struggles to be true to himself while also conforming to societal expectations for NFL players.
   
   I can relate to Esera's experiences on a personal level, as I'm sure many will be able to, but what really pushes this book over the top is the blatant honesty and courage of Esera in publishing this material. By sharing his soul, Esera truly becomes a role model for all people.
   
   The book is well-written and a very enjoyable read. Once I began, I could hardly put the book down. The praises of Alone in the Trenches cannot be sung enough. Everyone needs to read this book.



2. Esera Tuaolo has written an inspiring account of his coming out process as a gay man. Within the formidably macho environs of the NFL he concealed his sexuality for years, at great pains to his own psyche and emotional well-being.
   He then(with great courage and dignity)acknowledged to the world that he is a man proud of himself, his family and his sexuality. A complete human being at last.
   Good on you Esera. I am sure that many gay people will take heart from your fine example and live their lives as themselves, not what they think society wants them to be.



3. Esera has been through a long struggle and come out on top. Now he is "Big Daddy" and Mitchell, his life partner, is "Little Daddy," to a pair of Samoan-American twins, Mitchell Junior and Michelle, and the two of them live quite, contented lives and travel frequently on Rosie O'Donnell's family cruises with their brood. Having twins has opened Esera's willingness to talk about his sexual preference, and he insists that he is doing it for them, so they will know how painful his life has been, in all its aspects.
   
   
   
   He had it pretty bleak growing up, sort of like a Hawaiian version of Betty Smith's popular novel A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, with a hardworking, sometimes impatient mother, and a charming, weak father who took away all of the fun with him when he died unexpectedly and far too young. And he had a gay older brother who died of AIDS, and a wicked uncle who began molesting little Esera when he was six, and who, in a melodramatic finish, got himself killed in a terrible accident and they had to identify his little pieces by his tattoos and dental work! It made me wonder, is the monster really dead? Or might he have faked his own death to avoid paying the consequences of messing with Esera--molestors, after all, know how to play the game and how to fool the rest of us who aren't sociopaths, and I thought, he's probably living the Gary Glitter lifestyle in Thailand or somewhere by now.
   
   
   
   However, Esera seems quite certain he is dead. He has nothing good to say about Garrison Hearst either, which amused me! Don't invite those two to the same dinner party--Hearst would bolt like a scared jackrabbit!
   
   
   
   Like other reviewers, I could have used a bit more detail about what sex is like when you're a closeted NFL star, for Esera is one of the view who has been through the neon inside and escaped to tell the story. And although he seems frank about his addictions to alcohol and grass (or whatever), I wonder if there isn't anything he's not telling us. In the meantime, I look forward to Esera's forthcoming CD of modern pop music, for the descriptions he gives of his haunting, majestic voice make him seem like a modern day Perry Como, only with more "ufis" (balls).



4. Esera's book reads very well. I really appreciate that he shares his life with us, he did not have to. I have met the man at Univ. of Hawaii, he does have a beautiful voice.. and a year later finally read the book. I read this book and Reichen Lehmkuhl's "Here's What We'll Say" at the same time. Each book has it's positive and negatives but this book is much better flowing, seems more genuine, and Esera has such a big heart. It really pains me to see all that he went through to make some money in the game of football. I related much to his story and it really helped me. I live here in Hawaii and I know how disjointed the community is here due to culture and social stigmas. I wish he would have talked more about his relationship, living with a stylist has it's own stories to tell! Hmmm, maybe I will write a book Esera?



5. The whole book is great. As a gay parent myself, I love to see more gay people telling their stories. But aside from that, the most interesting part of the book was the influence of religious conservatives on NFL players. As a sports fan, I found those sections alarming. Not because I think players should not express their faith, but because of the strong-arm tactics that may be in use to influence people's careers.
   Read the book, it's a quick read.

5 comments about Major: A Black Athlete, a White Era, and the Fight to Be the World's Fastest Human Being.

1. I read (and still own) the Andrew Ritchie book on Taylor and wondered what Todd Balf would have to add? I have to admit I've often not liked some of his magazine articles but whether I've changed since then or he's become a much better writer is open to question. I think he's become a better writer. I remember reading Ritchie's book like a textbook. I felt I needed to read it, but rarely was it enjoyable. Balf's on the other hand (even though I already knew the basic story) was hard to put down. I'm sure I'll read it again. If you want a definitive "textbook" on Major Taylor, Andrew Ritchie's your author. If you're looking for an enjoyable book about Major Taylor, it's Todd Balf's by a bike-length...or two!



2. If my comments save at least one person from wasting money and time on this junk, they've been worth the effort. I'd also like to add that I have nothing personal against Todd Balf. I hope he lives to be one hundred and five years old, and is healthy and happy the whole time.
   
   In 1988, Andrew Ritchie published an excellent biography of Marshall "Major" Taylor ("Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer"). Ritchie's book is greater than the current book by Todd Balf in every way. It is still in print, and you should buy it instead. It is researched more thoroughly and accurately and is an infinitely superior piece of writing. It also contains more than three times as many photographs than Balf's unnecessary lump of inked-up paper.
   
   Todd Balf's successful career illustrates the depressing state of contemporary publishing. Being a professional writer no longer requires the ability to write, and publishing houses of today don't seem to employ editors. Balf appears to have attended all the social consciousness courses wherever it was he went to college, but he must have skipped out on the English grammar and composition classes (if they had any). His bad writing is so distracting, it makes enjoyment of the book nearly impossible.
   
   Balf is not merely a lousy writer. He also is afflicted with a terrible case of White Man's Guilt. He is fixated on race to the point of repeatedly discussing the tone and texture of Taylor's skin (and the skin of Taylor's wife, Daisy). He imagines pathetic scenes such as Daisy brooding over the eradication of southwest Africans by German settlers in 1904, a tragic but irrelevant event of which we have no way of knowing she was even aware. Nearly every white person mentioned in the book is a loathsome racist, and even the "white picket fence" of suburbia is dragged out as an icon of Caucasian evil. In contrast, Andrew Ritchie, in his well-written 1988 book about Taylor, discusses racism almost as much as Balf, but reports it in a straightforward manner, without Balf's beard-and-glasses university-campus shrillness. Ritchie presents Taylor as a great athlete and a man of strong character who was a victor, while Balf must keep him a victim.
   
   Balf also reaches deep into the fool's bag of specious psychoanalysis, attributing elaborate, unlikely motives to long-dead people he never met. Taylor's purportedly profound reasons for sprinting at the finish of races, the theoretical identity crisis that made him write his father's name as an emergency contact in his pocket notebook, and Floyd McFarland's apparently insidious motives for taking his pet dog along on a trip are among the subjects that are painstakingly dissected with in-depth psychobabble. Is it possible Taylor sprinted to go fast and win races, or that he just wanted a relative called if he had an accident, or that McFarland merely liked having his dog around? Balf can't abide any such simple notions; nothing resembling his pscho-hooey is to be found in Andrew Ritchie's biography of Taylor.
   
   Then there are Balf's awkward similes: "...like the Holy Ghost rushing in to lay a revivalist out cold," (p. 112), and "Blood poured forth like the fountain at Rockefeller Center." (p. 199) are two examples of silly high school freshman-style writing that represent many. It might not be strictly incorrect, but it certainly feels ill-fitting to read a simile comparing a man's bleeding to death in 1902 to a structure that didn't exist until 1934.
   
   Finally, there is Balf's ridiculous discussion of the 2002 Little 500 bicycle race at Indiana University as an illustration of contemporary racism comparable to what Taylor faced a century earlier. The 2002 protests were over two issues. The first was that Team Major Taylor (TMT) was included in the event without having to go through the same qualifying races as all of the other teams, while a team that had properly qualified was excluded to make room for them. The second was that it was believed one of TMT's riders had previously raced as a professional, which is against Little 500 rules. Balf ignores all of this, and states that the other teams protested because TMT was made up of black riders. The fact that there have been no protests in subsequent years, when TMT has gone through the proper qualifying procedures and has only had riders with unquestionable amateur credentials, proves that Balf has chosen an empty example.
   
   There are those who will disagree with me about what I have discussed above. Many people today share Todd Balf's peculiar type of social and racial obsessions, and might even enjoy a dumb metaphor or simile (or ten or twenty). Well, that's all subjective. They're welcome to believe whatever they can swallow, and can hate me all they want; I'll manage without their love. But then there are his egregious errors of grammar, word usage, logic, and facts--bad writing that cannot be supported objectively and for which there is no excuse. I have listed several examples below for the entertainment of casual readers who haven't yet imploded with PC righteousness, and for the convenience of anyone at Crown Publishers who might want to make corrections for the unfortunately unavoidable paperback edition.
   
   "J.K. Starling" [The 19th century bicycle innovator's name was Starley.] (p. 20)
   
   "In 1860, oil was discovered in Wirt County. It was the same year Fort Sumter was occupied by Union troops..." [Fort Sumter was a Union fort. It was occupied by Confederate troops, in 1861.] (p. 35)
   
   "But it was more than just his Amazonian size..." [The noun Amazon and adjective Amazonian refer to mythical females.] (p. 64)
   
   "Harry Sanger" [The inventor of a shaft-driven bicycle was Sager.] (p. 107)
   
   "Taylor had a 23-pound bike and a 108-gear inch sprocket" [This refers to the Sager, a shaft-driven bicycle. Shaft-driven bicycles do not have sprockets.] (p. 107)
   
   "He dashed off a letter to the Stanley brothers in Boston and anxiously awaited their reply [in 1898]. The evolving appliance would run through a host of names, but motorcycle would eventually stick." [Motorcycles had existed since the 1860s. The first motorcycles available for purchase by the public were sold in 1894. The word "motorcycle" was in use at least as early as 1896.] (p. 110)
   
   "At season's end, McFarland would have strode aboard a westbound train ... Out of the window, he would have seen sights hurdling toward him that only a few years earlier were the province of explorers--the Holy Cross Wilderness in Colorado, the rushing Yellowstone River, and the soaring big walls at Yosemite." [Hurtling, not "hurdling". And I don't know about Holy Cross or the Yellowstone, but "the soaring big walls at Yosemite" have never been seen from any train window.] (p. 131)
   
   "Taylor's heroics at Philadelphia had whetted the appetite for more speed-busting efforts--people wanted to know where the barrier lie." [lay, not "lie"] (pp. 132-133)
   
   "It was circular, not oval like other tracks ... `Now spurt,' cried Munger, as they approached the final turn." [If the track was a circle, there was no "final turn."] (pp. 139-140)
   
   "He was proud of his star turn and seemed to enjoy the experience, sharing the stage with Parisian chartreuses..." [Chanteuses. Chartreuse is a color.] (p. 162)
   
   "Daisy Morris' adult life..." [incorrect form of possessive] (p. 164)
   
   "...Daisy Morris's home." [correct form of possessive--a gold star for Todd!] (p. 165)
   
   "She grew up in a small rented wood frame with her widowed grandmother..." [They lived in a frame?] (p. 165)
   
   "...the covetous camera lens fixing on his body..." [The lens was covetous? Since the photos show Taylor from head to foot, how can we know the (covetous) lens was fixed on his body?] (p. 173)
   
   "In the second heat Taylor took a different tact and led on the final straightaway..." [Taylor was a polite fellow, but this should be tack, not "tact".] (p. 175)
   
   "A French newspaperman noted that it had discovered that Taylor's mother..." [It? Was the reporter a robot?] (p. 179)
   
   [Concerning a voyage from San Francisco to Sydney] "He had 15,000 nautical miles to wonder if he'd be welcomed or chased away." [The distance is about 6,400 nautical miles.] (p. 205)
   
   "...the native Aborigines..." [redundant] (p. 206)
   
   "...sank ships and blew homes into a boiling Tasmanian sea." [Tasman Sea] (p. 208)
   
   "...Taylor was already on his short sprinting form and blasting by others as if standing still..." [Sounds like Taylor was standing still. Hard to do if he was "blasting by."] (pp. 208-209)
   
   [In a discussion of sports events of 1903] "Basketball seeded itself [bizarre metaphor] in Springfield, Massachusetts, and found a home in hundreds of newly-built YMCA gymnasiums." [Basketball was invented at the YMCA gymnasium at Springfield in 1891.] (p. 218)
   
   "In yet another fiery immolation, Elkes died instantly." [Fiery? The crash was caused by a flat tire.] (p. 218)
   
   [Referring again to the distance between Australia and the United States] "Taylor and McFarland were some 15,000 miles from where it had started." [From San Francisco, their departure point in the U.S., it's less than half that far.] (p. 233)
   
   "Taylor went straight to the track and prepared for the evening races ... Normally Daisy would've sat in the shade of the classically carved, arched grandstand, out of the brutal southern Australian sun..." [Brutal sun in the evening?] (pp. 236-237)
   
   "Lance Armstrong, who was ushered into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame the same year that Taylor was, in 1996..." [The USBHOF official website indicates Taylor was inducted in 1989, not 1996. As of June 2008 Armstrong had not yet been inducted. These facts were confirmed during a personal communication with Vincent Menci, curator of the USBHOF, on June 2, 2008.] (p. 249)
   
   "Billy Brady didn't die, but became William A. Brady..." [He is now 145 years old.] (p. 250)
   
   "The populous social movements that rose during the Gilded Age...[populist, not "populous"] (p. 277)
   
   [In a discussion of races held in the year 1900] "The Madison Square Garden Six-Day that closed the millennium..." [Astoundingly, Balf demonstrates that he doesn't know the difference between a century and a millennium.] (p. 282)
   
   "...and finally, thanks to my editor, Kristin Kiser, who in spite of all the things, personal and professional, that occupied her time, she managed to make me feel that this was a project she was going to see through and not let up on." [In this tormented sentence near the end, Balf reveals that he has an imaginary friend; after reading this mess of a book, I can't believe Ms. Kiser really exists. If she does, I'm available to show her how to edit the second printing, if there has to be one. My fee would be reasonable.] (p. 293)



3. I'm glad I read this book. As a life-long bicyclist that includes fast road bikes and some racing, I was interested in- and sympathetic to- this historical speculation.
   Half's thesis presents an incredible influence the bicycle had in the development of personal transport technology and social structure in the late 19th century. It is an exciting speculation that is supported with well-researched data. Coupled with that is extraordinary extrapolation of implication. In other words, the data are over-interpreted.
   Yet, Half's perspective is worth a listen. His story can be put into the annuls of any sporting debate-- Who was the best in sport 'z'; Is sport 'i' better than sport 'j'; If 'x' met 'y' in the ring, who would win...; What is the significance of event 'a' in terms of social significance, and what was in the minds of the players? Etc.
   This is a fantastic story in black & white. Literally. Good vs. Evil. Integrity. Winning vs. losing.
   Three stars? I was a bit uncomfortable with the writing. Pompous vocabulary, in places; journalistic style & license; biased objective; and fantasy.
   Keep all this in mind. The story is historically exaggerated. Yet there is within it truth, and what is the truth? Truth is what is recorded in history. Is truth more important than what we make of it?
   Here is a fresh perspective. Enjoy the read. I'm glad I read it.



4. There is nothing wrong with Balf's new book, and for someone not familiar with either Major Taylor or the history of American bicycle racing, it is an interesting, pleasant read. However, it simply is not as good, nor as in-depth, as Andrew Ritchie's previous (and still in print) "Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Life . . ." As good as Ritchie's book is, it, in turn, is still not as good as getting your hands on a copy of Taylor's own autobiography "The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World," either in the original edition at a mind-blowingly expensive cost, or in a current print-on-demand edition at a still irksome cost.
   
   Taylor had an iron will and an unbreakable spirit; was a clean-liver in an era when the average professional was a brawler and a dissipate; he could be a world-class whiner; he was obsessive and paranoid. He called his most bitter rivals bigots and rubes; they shot back that he was a professional scab and a self-rightous sob sister. The truth, of course, was somewhere in the middle. It's hard for both Balf and Ritchie to discuss the less heroic parts of Taylor's personality, but these come out in his own writing. You can learn a lot about Taylor by reading Balf and Ritchie; on the other hand, you can learn OF Taylor only by reading his own words.



5. I found the book to be well written and well-researched from a historical perspective. The book was enlightening, not only regarding cycling history but also cultural history.
   
   The major flaw in the book was in the epilogue regarding the Little 500 bike race at Indiana University. The author made the assumption that the 32 other teams in the Little 500 were protesting because Team Major Taylor had black riders. He did not seem to understand that the protest may have been in regard to a team being added to the race that did not qualify in the time trials thus depriving a qualifying team of a place in the race. Team Major Taylor qualified 6th in the 2008 race and finished 2nd. No protests took place. This was a minor portion of the book, but does cast some doubt that the remainder of the book was as thoroughly researched as it might have been. Was Floyd McFarland as really as bad as the author wrote? Or did the author embellish some of the facts to make a book?
   
   Todd Balf is an excellent writer with remarkable insight. Read the book, skip the epilogue. The author's assessment of early 20th century race relations is insightful; his attempt to extend this to the early 21st century comes up short.

5 comments about Aikman: Mind, Body and Soul.

1. HEY HEY HEY HEY BUY THIS RIGHT NOW I HAVEN'T EVEN READ IT YET IT'S MY FAVORITE BOOK EVER AND IT'S THE BEST BOOK EVER AS WELL NOTHING CAN COMPARE TO BIG 8 HE'S THE BEST QUARTERBACK EVER AND IF YOU DENY IT IT'S JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE JEALOUS GO AIKMAN!



2. This book is what Troy Aikman is about he lets the reader into his personal life a little bit.You see the person Troy first than the football player. After you read this book you become a bigger fan of his than befor and if you were not a fan than you become one. The pictures are great as well as the text. I really enjoyed it and I know you will too. Must buy!



3. Great book that really tells the whole story. Although you can find most of this info. in other scattered places, it's all nicely put into this book. There are many INCREDIBLE photos of Troy, so if you're a fan, or just think he's gorgeous (or both), this is a great book.



4. Troy Aikman really draws the reader to him. His gracefully written book truely defines the Aikman as the true champion that he is. He is a man who overcame a lot of odds to reach the success he now has achieved. His story gives everyone reassurance that hardwork will bring success.



5. I really didn't find any new information that I hadn't read before about Troy. It lacked something of value and certainly not worth the money unless you are really a huge Troy Aikman fan. The book went immediatly in my garage sale and of course I had to continue marking down the price to get it bought. 2.00.

   Pictures were also boring and seemed to be written by a 10 year old.

No comments about Miracle in Chavez Ravine: The Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988.

5 comments about Barry Sanders Now You See Him: His Story in His Own Words.

1. What a great Back. Rather booring book. Not too interesting at all. Very blah.



2. I was so glad to see this book and DVD come out. The story of Barry Sanders the NFL's legendary running back who played for the Detroit Lions for his entire NFL career. Barry Sanders didn't break the biggest records but, his name is mentioned as a runner up for all of them. This was mainly because Barry didn't play the game to break records. He played the game to the best of his abilities..... and his best, for those of us lucky enough to see him play, was nothing short of jaw-dropping! I know that Sanders could have broke all the records but, his modest and humble personality and upbringing would not permit any showboating. In many games where his team had a good lead he would take himself out of the game rather than pile on the garbage yards like so many others. Sanders also was able to produce a staggering amount of yards behind a mediocre front line. The Superbowl would elude him for his entire career and his sudden retirement was almost brilliant as we will never know what he could have accomplished if he played a few more years. Still if you look at his stats you will see he did break many records and left an impressive mark on the game. I don't think football has been as exciting since he retired. I know that many of today's players could take a lesson from this man in class,loyalty and good sportmanship. Even if you don't agree he was the greatest running back to play the game, he was certainly the most unique! The book is interesting and the DVD is very good but, I would have loved more footage of great runs from old "20 Blue", I'm sure they could fill a hefty DVD box set with just classic Barry runs. If your a fan it's worth picking up.



3. The greatest back of all time writes a pretty boring book. some things are interesting. I wish the DVD was better...but you could make a 10 disc set with his highlights.



4. THIS IS ABOUT FORMER DETROIT LION GREAT BARRY SANDERS. HE WROTE THIS HIMSELF WITH A LITTLE HELP. HIS STORY IS SHORT, SWEET AND VERY WELL WRITTEN. IT ALSO INCLUDES A DVD SHOWING SOME OF HIS RUNS. I THINK ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IS HIS REASONS FOR RETIRING WHEN HE WAS ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING THE TOP RUSHER OF ALL TIME. BARRY IS A CHRISTIAN AND IS HIS OWN MAN. THE BOOK IS FOR ALL LION AND FOOTBALL FANS. ENJOY.



5. I've been looking for a Barry Sanders highlights DVD for years.... good news - there finally is one, it comes with the book. Bad news? It's only about 20 minutes long, and doesn't show many of his spectacular runs. The book is outstanding, as it's written pretty much by Barry himself, and has great comments from other players in the NFL, giving him the praise he deserves. Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, they have entire 60 minute DVD's (and more) on their lives.... if any player in the history of football should have one, it's Barry Sanders. All in all, if you like football at all, and appreciate magic, this is a must have, from the most talented running back in the history of the game.

5 comments about Steal My Art: The Life and Times of T'ai Chi Master, T.T. Liang.

1. ... and perhaps plant some crops at the new moon(?).
   I almost met Master Liang, but didn't. Now I feel as if I had. Mr. Olson has brought us a living portrait which one feels can't be flawed.
   This book is entertaining, inspiring and historically interesting -- for Taiji practitioners especially.
   Gee, Prof. Cheng Man-Ching doesn't come off too well ... so I've decided to use Master Liang's example and not judge and accept the greatness that he did or may have had.
   In this book I see the portrait of an old rogue -- like many old people -- having a healthier perspective than most younger ones and understanding the give and take of life (as in push-hands). It would be interesting to know what he was like at a younger age.
   In summation, I think it is a well-written book and contains some jewels for the taiji student at any level.



2. First I wanted to make a brief comment on the one very negative review, which said Olson's book wasn't even well written. Come on, it's perfectly competent writing and well edited. I know because I spent 7 years working as an editor and writer in the publishing field, and the book is just fine as far as the quality of the writing and editing goes. Olson isn't a professional journalist as far as I know, and the book could have been written by a professional. The book is also from a reputable publisher, and they know how to bring the writing up to a professional standard if the original writer himself isn't capable of that. (I know, because I did that kind of writing and editing myself, too).
   
   In fact, I found sifu Olson's bio of Liang quite well written and immensely entertaining, for master Liang often has a wit and sense of humor that is as subtle but irrepressible as his tai chi. The life and times of master Liang, his personality, and his philosophy emerge through numerous anecdotes, personal observations, stories, and notes that Olson took in his many discussions with Liang over the years. There is also a good deal of important tai chi history and lineage here that is worth knowing, discussing the contributions of various other masters, such as Yang Cheng Fu and Chang San Feng, and many others.
   
   If you are already a knowledgeable or senior practitioner there might not be much here in the way of new information on how to do tai chi, but if you're a beginner to intermediate student, there is much good information and material here to further your knowledge. But Liang's life story and his amazing adventures and his inimitable personality are the main attractions of this book. Also, his personal philosophy is worth considering too. If the world followed his principles we would be better off and the world would be a far less violent and more peaceful place. But humans are humans, and so they would rather hate and kill each other than follow tai chi's taoist principles and live in peace.
   
   There was one extremely interesting thing about tai chi in the book that I have to mention, though, about when Liang went to visit a reclusive master on a mountain, who was reluctant to discuss his tai chi. He said that all the aphorisms of the great masters about how to do tai chi are merely tricks to get you to do it correctly. For example, the statement that one must allow all one's weight and energy to sink into the "bubbling well" or kidney point on the bottom of the foot. The master said that it just isn't the upper body that is yin and the lower body yang, but that all power must come from the foot. In other words, it isn't that half of the body is yin and half of the body is yang, it's more like 95% is yin and only 5% is yang. Then he showed Liang the difference between doing "wood" tai chi and "cotton" tai chi. This was a fascinating encounter and perhaps the most telling in the whole book.
   
   One other thing I found intriguing was when Liang had to go into the hospital at age 85 for some tests. The doctor said that his internal organs, unlike most 80 year-olds, had not shrunk or atrophied somewhat as is typical of the elderly. The doctor attributed that to the increased blood flow to the internal organs from his lifelong practice of tai chi. If true, then this is yet one more reason to practice tai chi.



3. This is a fascinating book about the diverse life of T'ai Chi Chu'an Master T.T. Liang. Full of humor, a zest for life, and a deep devotion to this martial art, Master Liang epitomizes the term "Master." Very well written by Stuart Olson, who may well have been closer than anyone to his legendary teacher/father. Details of Master Liang's Tai Chi lineage are very interesting to students, as are his insights into the principles of Tai Chi.



4. Mr. Olsons book was very informative. He gives us a glimps into the private life of one of the modern masters of Tai Chi T.T. Liang. Liang was the personal assistant to Cheng Man Ching the man who brought the pearl of Chinese Culture (Taijichuan) to America. The tremendous respect and admiration Olson had for his instructior truely shines through in the pages of this book.



5. This book seems to have started a few fires.
   For those who believe a T'ai Chi teacher is a God or Icon and not a man at heart (yo' Smith) think again.
   It's Great to read about Master T. T. Liang, a man who lived beyond what most could dream. A Great work, for those of us who loved T.T. first as a wonderful man then a great teacher here's the real deal, like it or not!
   The author Stuart Olson lived with Master Liang for many years and was his closed door student. Thank You Stuart !

4 comments about King of the Mountain.

1. Hey, I am not a Mountaineer or a football fan but I ordered and received 7 copies for our Library System (one of those copies for me), They arrived Tuesday around 3 pm by UPS. I read about 45 pages @ my desk and then had to go home (39 miles), read a few more pages, went to bridge club, came back and finished about ONE am. Could not put the book down.
   I just loved it!
   
   Carol G. Walters, Director of Libraries
   Sandhill Regional Library System
   Rockingham, North Carolina 28379



2. I was an ASU football fan before having the pleasure to read this book. I am now a huge App State Mountaineer football fan, and a great admirer of Jerry Moore. Dick Brown does a fabulous job of chronicling Coach Moore's life and the principles that drive him. The unique thing about this book is that Brown began interviewing Moore and writing this book the year before ASU won their first national championship, so he was there, writing this book, while history was happening, during ASU's run to three straight national championships. I highly recommend this book to football fans and to readers who are looking for a truly inspiring story.



3. "I went to Dick Brown's book signing and purchased "King of the Mountain" on Saturday and read it on Sunday and Monday. Regardless of your interest or non interest in football, the book is very well written and interesting...great research. For me it was a "page turner". Brown did a great job. I recommend it."
   
   Buddy Gettys



4. Great story about a great Christian leader and Head Football Coach of Appalachian State University....leading them to three National championships back to back to back!
   It is great to know Jerry Moore and to have seen years of this story unfold! It was great to be present at the ASU victory over Michigan at the Big House! It is great to be a Mountaineer!

5 comments about The Perfect Distance - Ovett and Coe: The Record-Breaking Rivalry.

1. I was a high school runner when Coe and Ovett burst upon the world Track and Field scene. I was awed by their performances and read everything I could about them, which wasn't much on this side of the Atlantic. Seeing them (and Cram) compete head-to-head in person at the 1984 Olympic Games was such a thrill for me and my late father, who was also a huge T&F fan. Butcher's excellent writing truly took me back to those exciting times. This outstanding book also provides clear, fascinating and entertaining insights into Coe's and Ovett's rise to the world stage of T&F. Their personalities, how they got into running, the discovery of their talents, the ups and downs of their training and careers, the relationships and people who influenced them - it's all here in this eminently readable short book. As an added bonus, Butcher also recounts the "British Tradition" of miling, its rich history as well as other famous pairs of nineteenth and twentieth century milers. This is a fun read and a fantastic contribution to the small but growing genre of T&F books.



2. This was a very enjoyable book about the great Ovett/Coe rivalry. The book delves into the roots/family influences of the two very talented middle distance runners including Ovett's very influential mother and Coe's father and coach. The author captures the excitement of breaking world records, running in the Olympic games and the expectations associated with being athletes at thier prime. Two very different personalities are contrasted both in their private and public impressions. A fascinating read.



3. Excellent book for anyone who followed track in the 70s and 80s.
   
   Lots of light shed on what may have been the most significant and consistent rivalry on the oval. The backgrounds of both runners are very revealing; Coe's training routines, while widely discussed, were revolutionary. Meanwhile, Ovett is shown as an agressive and confident runner, and nothing like the arrogant antagonist that the media portrayed. Additionally, he was immersed in the science of footwear and helping develop better products for runners. Why he never got the acclaim he deserved is a mystery.
   
   A great read for those who have been there.



4. This is a very detailed and rich biography not only of Ovett and Coe but of history of the mile particularly from the British view point. As the author notes, the emergency of Ovett and Coe strides right into British middle distance runners dominating the world scene in the late 70s and early 80s with Cram, Elliott and Moorcroft. The Ovett and Coe duo are so different in racing styles, personalities and family life as Ovett emerges from blue collar roots with a very strong guarded mother and wonderful grand parents while Coe comes from a more upper class conservative family coached by an efficient and strong willed father. Butcher captures both athlete's abilities in detail with Ovett's amazing ability to run the sprints and high jump at early age to running events aside from 800 and 1500 to the 5K ,cross country and even jumping into a half marathon. Coe develops slightly slower but run as if a greyhound taking the pace to avoid contact with his 119 pounds particularly dominating the 800 while he and Ovett trade the 1500 and mile back and forth. The differences in mental and emotional make up between the two men is captured well in an excellent photograph of the two after a surprise loss to a relative unknown in a championship 800 where Coe literally looks crushed while Ovett has dangled his arm around Coe while looking off with chin up as in "well another day". The comparison between the Hagg and Anderson (includes interviews) and Ovett and Coe are well done as Ovett and Coe dominates the English sports news. Americans may require a little more patience as the author does discuss the world's best milers that include Walker, Bayi, Wessingham along with the US's Scott and Maree but the focus is on the English with running clubs and their depth of great runners at that time. Also, unlike Coorder Nelson's great book on Jim Ryan, this book has more depth into the history of middle distance running and the athletes' personal lives. Amusing that the author identifies Kenny Moore as an excellent writer but identifies him as a fourth place marathoner at the Montreal games when it was actually at Munich and he confuses the details of the New York and Boston Marathon's of Rosy Ruiz into one race. The book also contains some interesting British humor and phrases. I wish there was a more detail on the races in Moscow particularly the 1500 as Coe steals one from Ovett to avenge his 800 upset. It is quite tragic that Ovett became so ill at the LA Olympics that he became hospitalized but continued to compete and make he finals in both the 800 and 1500. He literally looks like death going into the last lap of the 1500. And Coe comes back from devastating illness to get in world class shape after being written off to be the only man to win successive Olympic 1500 titles. This was a glorious time for Track & Field when these two men from the same country seesawed world records back and forth almost weekly.
   
   As the author notes, these two were such amazing competitors even the Falkland Islands were bumped in Britian foir the news of what Coe and Ovett did the night before.



5. Very good book, well written, not boring at all, interesting information not only about the lifes of the two runners subject of the book but also of the sport of running in general those days in Europe. I am a "serious" runner a serious reader and also a writer myself. As such, I collect all sorts of books about running. Many are forgetable, this is not the top of the line but very good and worth reading

5 comments about Me and My Dad: A Baseball Memoir.

1. Mr. Burton Rocks, just wanted to thank you for this amazing work on Yankee baseball player Paul O'Neill. In these days of controversy on Barry Bonds and Pete Rose in baseball, it is refreshing to see sucyh a positive work on a Yankees player like Paul O'Neill. Contratulations and best of luck with your new blogging launch that's puts players like Paul O'Neill in touch with their fans at [...]



2. While I can respect the idea of this book as a tribute to his father, I can't recommend it as an entertaining read. Paul O'Neill was a decent ballplayer with the Reds who became a great ballplayer with the Yankees, but he's pretty dull no matter what uniform he wears. This was a nice idea, but check it out of the library unless you live and die Paul O'Neill.



3. I am a Cincinnati Reds fan and will always associate Paul O'Neill with the Cincinnati Reds and not the Yankees. After all, he grew up in the Columbus, OH area and identified the Reds as his favorite team since childhood. He has also chosen to settle with his family in the Cincinnati area since retiring. The book is a wonderful exploration of the father/son relationship and reveals a human side of Paul O'Neill that we didn't always get to see on the field.



4. This book is about Paul O'Neill and his relationship with his father. His relationship included the life lessons that his father taught him while they were on the diamond. Remember, it is important to have this relationship with a special family member so that you always would have somebody to talk to. I personally enjoyed this book and loved reading it. The book was kind of fuzzy throughout some parts. By this I mean, that some of the book was filled with filler. The book then went on to talk about how his father was important while he was on the road for a long time. In addition, while he was on his way to the majors. It is evident that Paul is a great author and he has great writing abilities. Finally, I would just like to say that this was an all-around great book!



5. Me and My Dad is Paul O'Neill's tribute to his late father Chuck O'Neill. The book takes you through Paul's life from playing homerun derby in his backyard as a child, to playing in the World Series as a New York Yankee. He places emphasis on his fathers influence and wisdom he shared with him through the many troubles he had in life. Throughout the book Paul tells us about his experiences and how his father could always put a positive spin on everything by relating life to baseball, or baseball to life. The book helps to give the reader a deeper and simpler look at professional athletes.
   While it is a must read for any Yankee or Paul O'Neill fan, I can not recommend it to anyone else. Even for a baseball fan like myself it has limited appeal. It is short and not very well written; some parts seem to drag on and on about nothing. Yankee fans will love it just to get a deeper understanding of one of their better players, but others will laugh at Paul's girlyness and grow to dislike him by the end. Because of these reasons, I can only recommend this book to Yankee fans, and possibly women who like to see the softer and more sensitive side of men.

4 comments about Facing Up.

1. The Lotus Group is a forum in the Detroit area for the encouragement and support of SGI-USA members and their friends and family who are challenging substance abuse/addiction issues. It is designed to bring a sense of fraternity and compassion to those who lives are affected by the suffering that addiction causes in a way that is unique to Buddhism. Meetings are held at the Buddhist Community Center in Southfield, Michigan on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month. We perform evening prayers, called Gongyo, and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo before engaging in discussion. This group can be taken as an adjunct to a 12-Step program, or an alternative, but it is based on the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.
   For information please contact the amazon profile linked to this review. Thank You!
   Bear's book is fantastic, by the way!



2. I bought this book for my husband, and he was cracking up as he read it. He shared several passages, and I agree this is a great read!



3. This honest, gripping account of Bear Grylls trek to the summit of Everest is a must read. He eloquently takes you thorough the excitment and the grave dissapointments that surround such a climb. He is both vulnerable and strong, lucky and prepared, and takes you along for the ride. You will feel like you are right there with him; and, you will put it down with a new respect for climbing and a new respect for nature.



4. A fantastic and inspirational book! The true story of a man with a passion. A book to make you both laugh and cry. Highly recommended.