5 comments about The Rookie: The Incredible True Story of a Man Who Never Gave Up on His Dream.

1. I read this book when it first came out in 2001 in the hardback edition. I am a huge baseball fan and have often fantasized about what it would be like to play in the major leagues.
   
   Jim Morris takes us on a nostalgic journey through his childhood, adolescence, and early adult years, growing up in a military family. He describes, in painful detail, his troubled relationship with his father, the challenges he faced in his career, and even the difficulties he had in his marriage.
   
   The story is almost too good to be true. A Texas high school baseball coach in his mid-thirties pitching in the major leagues? No way! The climactic ending is the highlight of this book. Striking out Royce Clayton in front of a hometown crowd? You're kidding me!
   
   This is truly "a guys book". Great reading. You gotta see the movie, too, called "The Rookie" with Dennis Quaid.
   
   Mitch Paioff, Author, Getting Started as an Independent Computer Consultant
   
   Getting Started as an Independent Computer Consultant



2. If you are looking for the book to be the Disney version of the Move, "The Rookie", do not get this book. The book was OK, but did not portray the same feeling of "faded dreams get second chance" Disney feel that the movie did.



3. Of course everyone wants a feel-good story. But the messy details that really illuminate a life get left out. It's always best for your image creation to tell your own story (with trained storytellers and) and sound like a great guy with endearing weaknesses and heady but safe admissions to decorate a long-odds story of dreams. I found the previous review of Robert Wilson, someone who actually knew Morris, to be most helpful (assuming the claim is true, which sounds credible).
   
   The objective of publishers is to make money, same as moviemakers. And in the movie, they turn Morris' dad from a guy totally uninterested in baseball and squashing his son's dreams; when in reality the dad was himself a major league prospect and pounded the dream and practice of baseball into his son from an early age. Oh well, just the exact opposite of the truth, that's all. What objection will Morris have to falsehood while he's cashing his book checks, movie-rights checks, and the speaking fees of $10,000-$15,000 a pop he still gets?
   You can rationalize all you want about inspiring people, but the truth has to be there. The truth of the objective facts, and the subjective aspect of what kind of a guy Morris really is (or was). Maybe Morris is a great guy now. I hope so. But money makes you do things you really shouldn't do. Further, it sounds like Morris thinks he was always a great guy, when in his first 25 years he probably had a lot of growing up to do. (I would know, because that's exactly how I am.)
   Last point: Teaching physics and coaching high school baseball over a career contributes way, way more to kids than making it to the majors. You can inspire dozens of kids, every day, the hard way. Fame and money are terribly fleeting dreams, after all. He gave up the majors due to injury, but now says it was to be with his family. Really? To become a national speaker? When in baseball you have nearly half the year off? Fascinating logic. For the love of Pete, where are truth and credibility going? $$$$$$$$$$$ Keep grubbing for it.



4. This story is about a man named Jim Morris and his autobiography on how he always wanted to become a baseball player. There are tons of parts in the story that I liked like when when Lorri (Jim's wife) get a dog named Brandy who was abandoned with her pups by her owner. They took her in and made her well. But soon she becomes ill and dies. I'm now up to the point where Jim is struggling to keep a job and feed two (and on the way three) children. Lorri and him have a fight for a little bit and he leaves the house but soon after he is done thinking they get back together. After his arm starts to hurt him he gets a surgery done but can never pitch again. He quits baseball and concentrates on his family. My friend told me what happens in the end but who ever is reading this I want you to find out for yourself. Also it also really inspires you that you can be a professional baseball player and live out your childhood dreams. Thank you Jim Morris for writing your story.



5. "Everything gets hard before it gets easy." A well known cliché Jim Morris knows all too well. The Rookie, a true story written by Jim Morris, travels the journey of Jim's dream and how he accomplished it. Morris learned to walk at seven months old, passing up five months or normal development, he had natural talent, and was arguably the best baseball player on any team he played on, whether little league or softball. Morris was even a star football kicker, launching the ball over eighty yards with one swift boot. He knew his baseball skills would take him far, maybe even the major leagues, but there was one little problem that hovered over his stardom; his arm. He had Tommy John Surgery on his throwing arm, setting him back a year, then he had more trouble which was a three inch bone spur in his shoulder, the surgery was said to put the cap on his career. Yet Jim Morris wasn't ready to end his career just then.

   Every novel has its good points and its poor points, that is what makes it popular. It is hard to find a negative point when the novel is based on a subject that one may feel so passionate about, yet some of the facts presented here in the book make one wonder how they were retrieved. When Jim Morris walked for the first time, he claimed that his parents didn't even see him because they were driving across the country and neither of his parents were paying attention. More than likely this information was conjured up, which in turn makes the story more interesting, but should be omitted. Even though it may have been false information, the majority of non-fiction books tend to have some created information in them. A technique many writers include in their "bag of tricks."

   
   Jim Morris dedicated his life to baseball. He played the game basically his whole life, and loved every minute of it. The emotions Morris encounters are of the harshest; from learning he will never play baseball again, to marital problems at home. He shares these sensitive feelings with the reader, letting the reader inside his mind and head, thus making the story feel more personal. When an author expresses personal experiences wit the reader, sometimes the reader can relate with the emotions and problems, and when a reader has gone through them as well, the book gets that much better. Jim Morris is a passionate man who has a love for America's past time, and never will let that love go. Jim Morris loves baseball.

No comments about The Rules of the Game.

5 comments about Education of a Coach, The.

1. To many pro football fans, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belechick isn't a popular man, but I've always - despite "Spygate" - thought he was a great coach. After reading this book, I'm further convinced. I also understand his personality better, too - why is why who he is, a man with not much personality.
   
   The story of his dad Steve is just as interesting as Bill's football career. How father-and-son are so alike and so knowledgable about this game, is explained well by the book's author David Halberstam. Yes, that's the famous Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
   
   To be honest, Halberstam is definitely biased for Belechick. You have no problem seeing how much regard he has for both he and his father, so this is not as objective as it could be. In Halberstam's eye, the Belechicks can do no wrong. The parts about Steve, I thought, were the most interesting segments of the book, along with the comments about what happened in Clcveland when Bill coached the Browns.
   
   Despite the fanboy attitude, overall, I thought it was a good portrait of a unique man. This is not your run-of-the-mill coach; he's different, and the book will explain why. As a "character study," alone, I found it a pretty entertaining book.



2. 
   I'm not sure what the book's intention was, but be prepared to read more about life events instead of football related events. I read this after the Tony Dungy book, and I would recommend that over this book.



3. I read this book several years ago, and reread it recently after reflecting on the "Spygate" drama of the past year. I found the book very insightful the second time around. David Halberstam was an incrediably gifted writer who was able to truly get into the mind of his subjects, and this book is a great example of that. He starts by offering insights into Belichick the boy, and how his formative years, watching his father working for Navy, helped mold the man who heads the New England Patriots today. It offers interesting insights into Belichick's mindset when he participates in his always vague press conferences, his secretive manner, and why he is both respect and hated by his players and his peers. Fascinating read.



4. Halberstam set a very high standard for himself -- in his sports books as well as in his political books. The "Summer of 1949", for instance, was particularly well researched and written.
   
   This book lacks the depth of "1949." There is little digging into player reactions. Instead of demonstrating character through anecdotes and understatement, Halberstam keeps hitting us over the head with his point about how great Belichick is about "breaking down film" & etc. What in the heck does that really mean? There is very little detail here.
   
   Of course, Halberstam's worst effort would count as someone else's best work. Halberstam is at his best in describing the Parcells/Belichick relationship; the character of the great Giants' teams; any why Brady was the superior quarterback to Bledsoe. Belichick's coaching genius does come through in the description of his approach to all the super bowls. And Belechick's notion of team, building interchangeable parts, and working with the salary cap are explained quite well.
   
   On the whole, though, we are continually told how great Belichick is without really giving much insight into his soul as a man or even as a coach.



5. I've read several of his books (although this was my first sports book of his) and I highly enjoyed them. Maybe it's because the subject is just not a very interesting person, but this book is just terrible. He tells us material that contributes nothing; who cares about about his grandparents and his wife family? He also gushes about the subject and his family. Is everything really so great? It's as if he chose an average person at random and wrote a biography about him. The average person doesn't lead a particularly fascinating life and the resulting biography would be dull. Just because he is a success as a coach doesn't necessarily make him a good candidate for a biography.

5 comments about You Cannot Be Serious.

1. Johnny Mac's biography is a rare glimpse into the psyche of a star athlete. I think most people miss the point when reviewing this book. Of course the writing isn't exactly Shakespeare and he glosses over some parts of his career while exagerating others. What else would you expect from an athlete's perspective...or anyone doing an autobiography for that matter.
   What is most revealing in this book is what he doesn't overtly say and what he implies in his descriptions of his life. For example, it was very telling how while growing up and throughout his career he always had some excuse for losing. It was never that the opponent was actually better than him. I think this really captures the essence of all great athletes. They simply cannot allow any self doubt to creep into their game or it destroys them. Certainly Mcenroe vented his frustrations more inappropriately than most, but understanding his mindset at the time, it isn't really surprising how he behaved when someone actually challenged his own self perception as unbeatable. What is surprising is that more celebritiy athletes don't behave the same way.
   In addition, there are numerous passages where his opinion of such contemporaries as Connors, Lendl, Becker and others has to be read between the lines. His thinly veiled dislike of Connors coupled with an almost jealosy of his reputation and achievements has to be gleaned from the unwritten words. Similarly, his treatment of his first marriage leaves a lot to be filled in and much of what he says should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Certainly an objective observer might have described the situation differently.
   But none of this really detracts from the book. It is an honest portrayal of the modern day creation of the "celebrity athlete". I really do believe him when he blames the USTA and others around him for partly making him what he was by never curbing his outbursts with any serious sanctions or defaults. Similarly, does anyone really think the NHL couldn't stop fighting in hocky games if it wanted to. It brings in the fans and so did Johnny Mac.



2. As with many people of a certain age, I can remember John McEnroe's epic 1980 and 1981 Wimbledon finals against Bjorn Borg. Whatever you thought of Mac, he got a lot of people interested in tennis through those classic matches.
   
   I just finished Mac's autobiography and I'm ambivalent about the book.
   
   The best thing about You Cannot Be Serious is that it is a page turner. Mac has led an interesting life and the book includes many interesting anecdotes. The book does lose steam in the last few chapters when Mac discusses his post-tennis life. Mac is famous because he was a tennis player; his life after tennis just won't be that interesting to most people.
   
   Tennis fans might find this book to be something of a disappointment. There are some good sections about how Mac learned tennis as a child in New York. Otherwise, he does not go into enough detail about his tennis game and his many famous matches; a typical entry about his performances at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open might be only a couple of paragraphs - even when Mac discusses those years when he did well at the tournaments.
   
   A particularly disappointing, though not surprising, omission is a detailed discussion of the latter years of Mac's career; you just don't get much on Mac's mediocre performances after 1985. While no one likes to discuss failure, fans will want to know Mac's take on why, after dominating tennis for several years, he could not get back to the top. It was, perhaps, the biggest story in late-80s tennis, but you get about one chapter on it here.
   
   You may also get the strong impression that Mac wanted to settle a few scores through this book. He is rough on people he does not like. Mac is especially venomous toward Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, and Tatum O'Neal. I will be honest: I like gossip as much as the next person and Mac is interesting when he lets loose on those he perceives to be his enemies. But those criticisms cause you to walk away from the book with the notion that Mac is anything but a man at peace.
   
   I also think that Mac tries to have it both ways when he discusses his infamous temper tantrums. On the one hand, he will say that they were out of line; on the other hand, he freely admits that he reveled in the attention celebrities paid him due to his notoriety.
   
   Mac also sanitizes and omits the details of many of his worst tirades. (I probably would have done the same thing). But if your only knowledge of Mac came from this book, you might not realize just how horribly he used to treat people during his matches. One way that Mac tries to justify his tantrums is to argue (20-30 years later) that his tantrums were OK because the officials' judgments during his matches were often wrong. Of course this misses the point; people don't criticize Mac because they think that think that the officiating at his matches was good; they criticize him because of the vile and demeaning way he treated everyone who crossed his path.
   
   In the end, I found You Cannot Be Serious to be the sort of book one seldom encounters: it is both very entertaining and deeply unsatisfying. What is here is pretty good; but you may feel that you're getting only a biased account of the McEnroe story.



3. Johnny Mac is a very interesting guy. Having grown up watching his epic matches with Borg and Connors I was eager to read this book. It did not disappoint. You will be happy to find all the details on his tennis career and all of the behind-the-scenes action that the media never covers.
   
   But even more impressive was to read about John's growth from a self-centered kid into a mature father. As one who has made the same journey, this part really touched me.
   
   The only thing missing was more dirt on his ex-wife's abuse of narcotics and their custody battle, as well as details on the abuse dished out by his ex-father law. But I guess you have to respect a guy who doesn't trash people just to sell a few more books.
   
   Well worth the (used book) price!



4. When McEnroe was a freshman at Stanford, I was in my last year of graduate school there. He joined the top ranked college tennis team and became the star as a freshman. He led Stanford to another national championship and an undefeated season. Then he turned pro after his freshman year. This was disappointing at Stanford but should have been expected. Before arriving on the scene at Stanford he made a miraculous run at Wimbledon reaching the semi-finals as a junior tennis player! All this and more is discussed in detail in this book.
   
   This book basically takes a not too serious look at McEnroe's life, how he was involved in sports at an early age and actually liked team sports such as basketball better than tennis. His natural patriotism explains why he played Davis Cup so much and encouraged others to do the same.
   
   Much of the book deals with his childhood friendships and his ascension in the tennis ranks all the way through his run as the number 1 player in the world. He describes many of his classic matches and you get a glimpse of what was going on in his mind during his great victories at Wimbledon and agonizing defeats (e.g. Lendl at the French Open).
   
   Part of the reason for writing the book was to give the reader an inside look at what was going on during his infamous tirades on the tennis court. He reveals his New York upbringing and his inability to control his temper. Later on in the book we get to see some of the personal side. Inspite of the stormy divorce to Tatum O'Neal, John does not display animosity toward her in this book and he actually accepts part of the blame for the break-up. But he definitely wants to dispell the notion that he tried to hold her back in her acting career in favor of her supporting his tennis.
   
   You also get a glimpse at his second and apparently very successful marriage to the rock star Patty Smyth. You also see how his attempts at leading his own rock group caused some turmoil in that marriage.
   
   McEnroe is a very intelligent and complex person. His intelligence and tennis skills are often overlooked or played down by tennis fans because of his notorious cry baby attitude that he displayed so prominently on the court. His tantrums were accepted and tolerated by tennis officials because of his great success and the interest it brought to tennis. But he was a poor role model that others copied. He was not the first though. Remember Ille Nastase!
   
   McEnroe seems to be much more content these days. He has been a successful tennis commentator and received the honor of being named the US team's Davis Cup captain and was elected into the Tennis Hall of Fame. These were obviously very satisfying achievements. Still it seems that he wrote this book to help change his public personna. He is not happy with his bad boy image and by writing this book and hosting a TV quiz show he hopes to show a different side of him as he reconstructs his image. He has a very good sense of humor that comes through in the book as well as in some of his recent TV commercials.
   
   I also found it interesting to hear about his relaionship with Mary Carillo. They both are tennis commentators now. Also John's brother Patrick has made his mark on the tennis world, not through his mediocre fennis career but for his estute commentator, more insightful than his brother John and his success as a Davis Cup captain who brought the cup back to the USA this year.



5. The greatest asset of Mr. McEnroe's autobiography is the author's (sometimes brutal) honesty regarding both himself and the characters/events surrounding his rise to fame. Sure, it is clear at times that McEnroe is concealing some juicy details about his personal life, but it is not fair to expect admissions about everything! What McEnroe does share proves to be very revealing about both the pro-tennis tour and his celebrity lifestyle.
   
   Ultimately this book will appeal to fans of not just McEnroe, but rather all of his contemporaries, since McEnroe is not afraid to dish the dirt on his colleagues. Although McEnroe is not going to be winning a literary prize anytime soon (some exciting grand slam wins are breezed by in a style that makes them seem almost secondary), his exciting roller coaster life proves amiable reading which most tennis aficionados will enjoy.

2 comments about The Hogan Mystique.

1. Whether you find this book worth the money will depend on whether you think Ben Hogan was the God of Golf (or at least one member of the Trinity). It is a large-format book, and the quality of the photographs (all black-and white) is excellent. I believe they were all taken on the same day, when Hogan allowed Jules Alexander to accompany him. They pretty much just show Hogan at work on the course, and they do capture who he was. The accompanying comments and essays are interesting, but the photographs are the stars of the book. Just make sure you realize that you are getting a series of photographs taken on one day -- this isn't a retrospective of Hogan's career, and there are no swing sequences or anything like that. If you are a Hogan worshipper, however, this book is a must.



2. This book is appropriately titled. The photos are truly classic and do a wonderful job of portraying the on-course Hogan, particularly his steely focus and gorgeous swing. The accompanying text is solid. I most enjoyed Ken Venturi's comments which accompanied the photos, as well as Dan Jenkin's recounting of the man behind the mystique. I was somewhat disappointed that the photos are all from the late 50s, mostly from the same tournament. Yet, this is only a minor issue. Every true Hogan fan should add this work to his or her collection.

No comments about Greatest Stars of the NBA Volume 10: Kobe Bryant.

3 comments about K2: The Price of Conquest.

1. The 1954 Italian expedition to K2, the world's second highest peak and considered a tougher climb than Everest, was supposed to be a national redemption for Italy after the humiliations of the Second World War. Two members of the expedition, Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni, reached the summit, but the legacy of the expedition has been one of controversy. In 2006's "K2: The Price of Cnquest," Lacedelli breaks a silence of half a century to give his version of what happened.
   
   On 30 July 1954, Lacedelli and Compagnoni established Camp IX, a prelude to a try for the summit. Compagnoni, to the distress of Lacedelli, insisted on moving the camp off the line of ascent to the far end of a difficult traverse. When the support team of Walter Bonatti and Hunza porter Madhi reached the intended area of Camp IX with an oxygen bottle resupply in near darkness, they were unable to find the tent and spent the night in the open above 8000 meters. The two survived, but Madhi suffered severe frostbite injuries for which Bonatti was blamed. Compagnoni and Lacedelli made their difficult final ascent using Bonatti's cached oxygen, which ran out short of the summit. Bonatti was later accused of having used some of the oxygen during his night in the open, thereby putting the summit team at additional risk.
   
   Following an introduction to the history of K2 and a short account of the expedition, co-author Giovanni Cenacchi conducts an extended interview with Lino Lacedelli. Lacedelli provides his unflinching perspective on the expedition's leadership and on the events of 30-31 July 1954. His blunt views shine an unflatteringly light on some of the expedition members, in stark contradiction to the official account. This volume includes a terrific selection of photographs and some thoughts on the then-novel experience of functioning at extreme altitudes.
   
   "K2: The Price of Conquest" will appeal primarily to those interested in the history of high altitude climbing, for an honest account of expedition politics, the rub of climbers' egos, and the difficulties of functioning at high altitude with primitive equipment. The general reader may be shocked at some aspects of Lacedelli's account but ultimately cheered by his healthy perspective on the whole thing. "K2: The Price of Conquest" is highly recommended to fans of the history of "the savage mountain."



2. This is a great read for anyone interested in the history of mountaineering. It's mostly an interview with one of the first two men to reach the summit of K2, fifty years after the event. I saw Bonati give a talk in Telluride years ago and his rant about how he had been left for dead was memorable -- after all these decades he was still worked up about the events on that expedition. In this book, Lacedelli confirms nearly all of Walter's claims. His memory may be a bit tainted, perhaps by not having spoken up much earlier, so it may not be the final word. But better late than never. And a good reminder for those who think recent events on Everest are without precedent.



3. One of the major mysteries in mountaineering is what happened to the 1954 expedition, when a agreed-upon base camp was moved, forcing author Lino Lacedelli to reach the summit without rendezvousing with their teammates. Accusations of conspiracy and plots ran amok - here, more than fifty years later, Lacdedelli breaks silence to provide his own version of events, with documentary mountaineer Giovanni Cenacchi providing an excellent focus.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about King of the World: Muhammed Ali and the Rise of an American Hero.

1. When boxing mattered, boxers were more than pugilists trying to break each other's wills; they were symbols that attracted the attention and aspirations of the masses. Like gladiators in Rome, these courageous men allow us to project our hopes, fears, and insecurities.
   
   David Remnick tells the story of Cassius Clay's growth from a skinny, mercurial, but morally upright boy, to a hero and symbol of resistance and hope for millions of anti-establishment figures. Ali captivated the hearts and minds of fans unlike any athlete before or since. Remnick does a beautiful job of explaining why and how this happened. No matter how dominate Michael Jordan was, or Tiger Woods is, neither absorb our emotions like the sponge known as Muhammed Ali.
   
   His grace, speed, and power thrilled, while his words, political stances, and humour enthralled. Everyone in America should learn the story of this hero. There is no better place than Remnick's book to do so. Highly recommended.



2. It is, as many have said, one of the great sports biographies of all time -- but it's also one of the great history narratives of all time. It's not just Muhammmad Ali profiled here, but the trio of heavyweights who dominated headlines in the early 1960s: also Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston. And in many ways, those two are more fascinating because, before I read "King of the World," they weren't accompanied by the same pre-fight hype. Here's Liston, a dangerous and sullen felon who's achingly lonely; there's Patterson, a great athlete but at the same time so thoughtful and intelligent he was plagued by a boxer's worst enemy, self-doubt.
   
   And that's not to say anything of the portrait of the time, of Black Muslims, Malcolm X, Norman Mailer, the media, John F. Kennedy... Trust me, even a non-sports fan will be mesmerized.



3. Bertz / Randall
   
   "Almighty god was with me! I want everybody to bear witness! I am the greatest! I shook up the world! I am the greatest thing that ever lived! I don't have a mark on my face, and I just upset Sonny Liston, and I just turned twenty-two years old. I must be the greatest! I showed the world! I
   talk to god every day! I am the king of the world!" shouts Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) to the sporting press, after defeating Sonny Liston in 1964. This statement enraged boxing fans all over the world. Here was a twenty-two year old nobody with a big mouth, and he just defeated Sonny Liston. At the time, Liston was viewed as invincible. Liston was an experienced fighter who was known for defeating his opponents in two rounds or less. Not only did he lose the heavyweight championship to Ali, but he quit without being knocked down once. This declared Ali the king of controversy. "King of the World" by David Remnick is the story of the rise and fall of Muhammad Ali. Remnick does a fantastic job of showing us the different sides of racism. He focuses greatly on Ali's devotion to the Nation of Islam. The book showed many similarities between the Nation of Islam and the Klu Klux Klan. Remnick explained that both the Nation and the Klan were for segregation and that they both use methods of violence and terror to enforce their beliefs. After reading this book, I realized that the similarities are uncanny. Remnick's numerous references to these similarities proved to me that Remnick is a non-violent integrationist. I believe that one of the main points of the book is that segregation is wrong. The book greatly describes how the Nation of Islam had interfered with Muhammad Ali's personal life. For example, Remnick noted Ali's marriage to Sonji. He went into great detail how strong Ali's love was for Sonji, but he couldn't accept her inability to conform to his
   religion. This became a problem for them and they eventually got a divorce. Remnick also noted the emotional distance between Ali and his father being caused by his decision to join the Nation of Islam. Remnick goes even further in describing the way Ali turned his back on his best friend Malcolm X. He also wanted to let the reader know that religion should never get in the way of your personal life. The book said that the only thing in Ali's life that Ali regrets is "his cruel and hasty rejection of Malcolm." Now days, Ali looks back at Malcolm X with great respect. The main point Remnick was trying to communicate with his audience was that Ali stood up for what he believed in. Not only in the boxing ring but, also with his religious and political beliefs. In 1966, Muhammad Ali refused to be drafted to fight the war in Vietnam. The government threatened to take away his heavyweight championship and throw him into a federal prison for the next five years. Ali still refused. When they asked him why he refused to fight in the Vietnam war, he replied "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong." Eldridge Cleaver described Ali as a "genuine revolutionary" and the "first `free' black champion to confront white America." Writer, Jill Nelson, called Ali's refusal of the draft a "supreme act of defiance." However, not everyone supported Ali's refusal of the draft. Conservative boxing fans
   called him an unpatriotic bum. They thought he was hiding behind his religion because he was lazy. Remnick took a much more liberal stance on the situation. The author seemed to support Ali's decision. For many years, Muhammad Ali would be both loved and hated by boxing fans of all races. Some people believe that Ali should not have been allowed to be exempt from the war because of his religion. Others looked at his exemption as an amazing defeat. The only thing anyone could agree on was his amazing abilities in the ring. In 1997, during the summer Olympics, Muhammad Ali was invited to light the Olympic torch. In my opinion, this proved Ali to be a very patriotic man. It proved that the world had never forgotten about Ali, and it
   never will. Lighting the Olympic torch is one of the highest honors any athlete could be given. "King of the World" was published in 1998. Exactly one year after he lit the Olympic torch. I think that's why this book was written when it was.
   The ignition of the 1997 Olympic torch was Ali's return to the public eye. And this book was written to honor him.



4. King of the World by David Remnick was one of the best books I've ever read. It is the true story of a champion and how he got there. I recommend anyone who likes stories about winning and glory, to read this book. If you also like reading about dudes getting smoked by a champ. Read this book.



5. For me, this book should have been titled "Death of One of My Heroes," which should become self-evident if you read this entire review. I believe the book is mostly accurate, and it is a well-written book.
   
   Remnick (the author), in my opinion, devotes too much time to Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston. I also wish he had given more details about Ali as Ali got older and continued to box.
   
   Without question, Muhammad Ali, in his prime, was the greatest heavyweight fighter that has ever fought.
   
   "DEATH OF ONE OF MY HEROES": I did not realize how much Ali allowed the Nation of Islam (NOI) to influence him. Because he let the NOI influence him--yes, Ali DID have a choice!!!--Muhammad Ali: (1)lied about throwing his Olympic medal over a fence, (2)divorced his first wife, (3)broke off a friendship with Malcolm X, and (4)claimed to be a "minister" to avoid the draft. If you think the above describes a "hero," your definition of "hero" differs from mine.
   
   The book is good. Unfortunately, it killed one of my heroes.
   
   Buy it and read it. It is well worth the $$$.

No comments about Tiger Woods (Biography (a & E)).

5 comments about Undefeated: Rocky Marciano Fighter Who Refused to Lose.

1. After finishing this book, I thought I had a real good idea of who Rocky Marciano really was. The book contains a lot of details of his post career life. It provided good information on his unique training habits, his lack of trust in other people especially involving money and his unbelievable confidence in himself in and out of the ring. I wanted more details on his marriage, which seemed "rocky" (sorry) at best and more on his psychological makeup (what made him train so hard and refuse to lose). After reading the book, I watched some oldtime filmclips on some of his fights. He is criticized for not fighting any worthwhile opponents, but I think Charles, Moore and Walcott would all easily dominate todays heavyweight division. Give this book a chance - you won't be disappointed.



2. Absolutely a wonderful book to read, it is very absorbing, exciting, and clearly outlines the life of Rocky in great manner.



3. I purchased this book for Christmas for my Dad (Who just turned 88 the other day). In his eyes, there was only "one champion", and that was Rocky Marciano! The smile Pop had on his face was brighter than our tree.
   The print (font) is easy on his eyes, and the pictures are clear;
   (He hasn't read an entire book in many years, but he's reading this one!)
   KUDOS to the author, the editor, the publisher and AMAZON for letting me find it!



4. Rocky Marciano was a character so full of grit and power that he seems fictional. I was born in 76. Im used to pretty boys and pretenders. My hero growing up in the 80's was Tyson. I never seen Mike come off the deck to win. Or fight hurt and come from behind to win.
   
   Contrast that with my Dad's hero growing up. The great Rocky Marciano. When you look up heart in the dictionary you see a picture of the Rock. He fought them all, he was undefeated, he came off the deck to win. He fought behind on all the scores cards, with his nose hanging off his face, his own corner begging him to quit. Yet he never relented, he never stopped, no man alive can say that he bested Marciano in a pro fight.
   
   Its uncool today to put Marciano on a pedestal. People always downgrade the Rock's competition, or say he was to small. But at the end of the day we only have one champion that went undefeated. One man that faced them all, and always ended the day with his hand raised. That man was the Brockton Blockbuster Rocky Marciano. This is a great book!



5. This was a decent biography. It had a nice picture section, some interesting interviews with famous trainers like Angelo Dundee, and it focused on all the most interesting aspects of Marciano's life. However, I felt it was a little one-sided in its sympathy for Marciano, and the fictional dialouge exchanges that appear throughout the book got a little corny at times. Though it is a little drier, I reccomend Russell Sullivan's "Rocky Marciano: The Rock of His Times" over Skehan's book. Sullivan's book was more thorough and offered a more balanced perspective on Marciano. However, if your a big Marciano fan, you should get Skehan's book, too.