5 comments about Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond.

1. For all those people who didn't like this book because of the so-called "whining" and complaining - this book isn't really for them. I suggest they go to the self-help section of the bookstore and grab something there . . . or perhaps join the Oprah Book Club. For the people who've enjoyed Paul Shirley's blog over the years, you'd expect this book to be full of negative comments and complaints . . . as Paul himself said in the book, he writes better when the chips are down (p.54 - Jan. 12 entry) so y'all have been warned early on . . . However, as a pessimist and a cynic myself - I really didn't see his whining and complaining as such . . . it really is just an honest observation and being a basketball player that travels halfway around the globe - those observations are truly interesting and his witty remarks makes the book entertaining as well. It's well-written and would recommend the book to almost anybody (except Oprah and Dr. Phil).



2. I was sick and looking for something to take my mind off it when I picked up Can I keep My Jersey. It's the story of Paul Shirley, a basketball player who's really, really good. He's never gonna be a NBA star but he keeps trying and between NBA stints and his experiences with the CBA, the ABA and the European leagues this is a funny book. It has a few flaws of course, Shirley is a horrible snob and there were times when I found myself wishing that somebody when give him a good smack in the mouth but then all would be forgiven when he'd tell another story about the ridiculous aspects of life on the edge of the NBA.
   
   The chapter on his nightmare trip to Russia--horrible place--- is worth the price of the book alone. It's not the greatest sports memoir ever written but it's amusing and I found myself hoping that eventually Shirley gives up chasing the impossible dream and either starts a writing career or falls back on that engineering degree of his.



3. Paul Shirley is one funny guy. He's got that dry sense of humor that I love. This book is about his first few years playing pro basketball...in the NBA and over sea. I loved the book and I would recommend it to any basketball fan.



4. 
   Unfortunately, the book doesnt live up to a great title.
   
   In 50 years of reading pretty much anything that I can lay hands on, for the first time I looked for the editor's name. This is for you, Chris Schluep: you need a refresher in Editing 101. The parenthetical asides needed to go. They are distracting, unnecessary, and so not funny. We get that he doesnt like religion or tuna-no need to go on about them forever. It is also obvious that he doesnt much care for the world outside of Kansas, or the people in it. Much is made of his 'cynical, dry' sense of humor, that one needs to be of the right demographic to appreciate it. Sorry, that wont fly. Sour carping and egregious insults does not make for 'humor.'
   
   The author comes across as pretty much what he is: an immature, arrogant young man who isnt quite as smart as he thinks he is. He could be a pretty decent writer-there were flashes here and there-and if he does someday grow up, I suspect he'll look back on this book and be embarrassed by its immaturity and callowness.



5. While Paul's writing may not appeal to all readers, but he certainly appealed to me. His style is witty and honest (seems honest; heck he's from Kansas, must be honest). Loved the book; pay no head to any reviewer from Hawkeye land; they can't stand Cyclones. Paul Shirley is an Iowa State, engineering grad.

5 comments about Night.

1. I received this item in a timely matter in great condition! Would do business with again!



2. As an English teacher, I have my ninth graders read this memoir every year. And every year, I am moved to tears. Not only does Mr. Wiesel tell of his devastating experience of dehumanization in the Holocaust, but he tells it with such eloquence and mastery of the English language, that one would wonder if he was always a writer. This is his first book and it reads like a story written by some of the greatest writers of the literary canon. Be forewarned that his story will change your perspective on life and will most likely you move you to tears as well. If it doesn't, than as my Pastor would say, "your wood is wet."
   
   You may be asking yourself, "why would I want to read something that will just get me upset?" My answer to that is that if we don't get upset, how can we facilitate change? Ignorance leads to bliss? No way--it leads to destruction. Furthermore, antisemitism hasn't gone away. And in the midst of the violence and hatred exploding in the middle east 63 years after Hitler was defeated, there are millions of people who once again want to annihilate the Jews and are devising plans to do just that. So this memoir must be read. Mr. Wiesels' story must be heard.



3. From the moment we had began on this book in our classes it was truly an eye opener. Words cannot describe the misery that was felt in each and every word this book had within. The book itself had casted night over all of us, especially me as we listened intently on what could be known as the most heart striking tale. From the start of the camp to the death marchings in the snow, the story gives a full eye account of the horror that was seen in the Nazi war. No story ever has been written so amazingly nor dramaticly as this. Yes, it touched me darkly and it burned deeply but this story, this story is something everyone should read because no one should forget what happened so long ago. You cant go your whole life without reading this book, its something that you should not miss.
   
   I give it a rating of five stars and I hope you, the reader, can also find that too.



4. Night by Elie Wiesel is an excellent first hand account into the atrocities the Jew endured at the German prisoner and slave labor camps of World War II. This volume gives students additional connections into understanding the situations. Excellent version!!!



5. This is the true story of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. A religious Jew, Wiesel was a young boy during the German invasion. He and his family were taken captive by the Nazis and put into the concentration camps where he witnessed atrocities that destroyed his family and shattered his faith.
   
   Told simply and succintly, this first person account is haunting. Wiesel speaks with a numb detachment, sensationalizing nothing. He asks for no pity. He simply describes what he saw.
   
   It is only one person's point-of-view of perhaps the most important event in modern history, but his testimony feels as big as the Holocaust itself. That this is one of millions of stories that could be told is shocking again, even if you've seen movies or read other books on the topic. You come away from this book with a better understanding of what happened, and many unanswerable questions as to why it happened.
   
   As other reviewers have suggested, this book should be required reading for all high school students.

5 comments about No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks.

1. Ed Viesturs is a very inspiring man. An absolute legend in my book.
   I have watched the IMAX documentaries on Everest and am always inspired and moved to tears.
   It did surprise me that he was not a little more discreet when describing his adventures with a fellow female climber though.



2. If you are interested in big mountain climbing (armchair or otherwise), this book will give you a peek into the life of one mountaineer. Ed talks about "acceptable risk", physical sacrifices, finanical sacrifieces, practicalities of climbing. This is not a "Into Thin Air" drama, but rather a solid account of one man's journey.



3. In retrospect, I have no idea why I purchased the book No Shortcuts to the Top other than I thought I'd enjoy learning more about mountain climbing. In reality, this book is much more than just about mountain climbing. It shows the true nature of the man that is Ed Viesturs and his life's work on the mountain. I was thoroughly impressed about Ed's approach to climbing and his philosophy on climbing and life. I assumed, incorrectly, that all mountain climbers were over the top, macho men, with a desire to get famous before the end. Ed would be welcomed as a friend in almost any organization. What a complete view of many of the recent historical mountain events and climbers from all over the world from an expert in the field.



4. Excellent. Well written and takes you to the summit of some of the world's nost inhospitable places.



5. This book consists of three parts. The first part basically sets up the story - - we join Ed on K2 making some bad choices, and jump to some other scenes and people he's known. I thought this introduction unnecessary and basically confused, but it doesn't last that long.
   
   The meat of the book is an autobiography, leading up to Ed's mission climb all 14 of the world's 8000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen. This part is great.
   
   Finally, the last, short part of the book discusses a little of Ed's life after he successfully summits all the 8000m peaks. He's now a corporate motivational speaker, and he gives his readers some motivational points. These are pretty platitudinous, and I can never figure out why corporations pay people to deliver them.
   
   In the middle part, my only complaint is that Viesturs hasn't quite decided whether this is an autobiography or a professional autobiography - - in other words, how much of his personal life is appropriate? He spends a lot more time on his professional life, which is the right choice. This means talking about his wife Paula in terms of someone who worries about him when he's out of radio contact, which is all well and good. But then we learn that, between peaks, Ed and Paula disagree about whether to have a third child. There are a few such personal items in the book that just don't fit right because they don't have anything to do with climbing.
   
   Those objections aside, this is a good autobiography of a great mountaineer. His ghostwriter did a good job keeping a chatty, conversational style (presumably from taped interviews) while working the book up and polishing it. If you like reading about mountaineers, you'll enjoy the book.

5 comments about The Last Season (P.S.).

1. I picked this book off the shelf as a birthday gift for a friend who loves backcountry adventures and turned me on to Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, which I read in hardback some years ago. I like the central character in this book better than I liked Krakauer's all-too-young Alaska adventurer. Anyway, my friend read this one, loved it, and gave it back to me to read. The evolving story did indeed keep me up nights working through to the end. I didn't let myself read the resolution in advance --- actually I looked for it and it was difficult to find. Which was good. I am sorry to see at least one reviewer gave it away. It's true that some of the detail gets in the way of a quick read, and for that reason I'm giving the book a four. But I always found myself going back to make sure I didn't miss anything. The book is a fascinating study of a real person and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a true life mystery, whether they love the backcountry or not.



2. I found this book to be tedious and depressing and yet I managed to read the entire thing, wanting to find out what finally happened. Randy Morgenson grew up in an idyllic setting (Yosemite Valley), was raised by caring parents, yet managed to make a mess of his life due to what seems to have been an obsession for living alone in the beauty of the Sierra. He married, but was away from home at least half the time, and never had children. Although a legendary and exemplary ranger, he was unfaithful to his long-suffering wife in a three-year affair, became ultimately disillusioned with his obsession, and finally died alone apparently having drowned after falling through a snow bridge into an alpine pond while on patrol. Tragic and depressing.



3. A winner! Eric Blehm captures the head and heart of Ranger Randy Morgenson, who devoted his entire adult worklife to backcountry rangering. It's as much in the telling of the tale as the tale itself that makes this a great read. Blehm gets into Morgenson's head in a way that perhaps, Morgenson could not get into his own head.
   
   "The Last Season" is the saga of the often humdrum duties of a backcountry ranger, combined with a psychological study of Ranger Morgenson that makes this a compelling, memorable read.



4. This book would be great to read on a ten-day backpacking trip.
   
   As a backpacker, I have often wondered just what sort of lives are lead by those unique individuals called "rangers." This book gives a good glimpse into the life of one of those lonely dedicated people. The chapters devoted to the search efforts are riveting. The chapters that describe Morgenson's life are necessarily slower and more pedestrian, but they serve to give texture to the overall story. I actually found the descriptions of Morgenson's colleagues to be more interesting than those of Morgenson himself, perhaps because I got the feeling that, even though Randy Morgenson was certainly a highly respected naturalist and a devoted idealist, his fellow rangers (e.g., Durkee, Nash) were by far the finer people. This is a tragic story, with the silver lining being that the book does a good job of communicating the high standards and code of conduct to which backcountry rangers hold themselves.



5. Eric Blehm's account of the life and subsequent search for NPS Ranger Randy Morgenson is a quality piece journalism, part biography, part mystery. For the most part Blehm accomplished what he sent out to do, but the book would have benefited from a more ruthless editor. Blehm gets us to care about a ranger who goes missing and from the outset such a story might have limited appeal. Morgenson was deeply, abidingly passionate about about the way wilderness should be treated and he spread his gospel the best way he could, directly to the people there in the High Sierra national parks he worked for 28 years. Much of the book reads like a tribute, a lengthy eulogy to a fallen hero. Sadly, Morgenson would not have received such deserved accolades had he not gone missing, and Blehm falls prey, at times, to our tendency to mythologize given such circustances. The strongest chapters dealt with the search after Morgenson went missing and his friends attempts to piece together an account of his last days from the little available evidence. Here Blehm captures the reader and builds drama, only to burst the bubble with lengthy interruptions dealing with his upbringing, marital problems and blurbs from his personnel files and logbooks. Chapters devoted to his years spent in the backcountry hold appeal for anyone who appreciates the majestic High Sierra wilderness, but could have been much tighter. Blehm's insistence on sticking to a structure and rhythm make it necessary for him to pad aspects of Morgenson's life and career and for that the storytelling suffers from bloat in places. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone who's spent time pounding trails or summiting peaks in the Sierra backcountry. Anyone else might find it more weighty than the subject merits.

5 comments about Chalked Up: Inside Elite Gymnastics' Merciless Coaching, Overzealous Parents, Eating Disorders, and Elusive Olympic Dreams.

1. First I want to comment on the review by J.Nichols, posted May 5. Just because J.Nichols doesn't sympathize with Jennifer Sey's account of training at Parkette's doesn't mean J.Nichols' has the facts, yet her attack on Jennifer Sey seems to suggest that. I have seen videos of the training at "Parkettes" and I'm inclined to agree with Jennifer Sey's account. I loved "Chalked Up." I think everybody who is open and has a heart can enjoy and learn something from this book. It is beautifully written, genuine, and extremely entertaining. I think Jennifer Sey is an enormously talented, creative, courageous person with a big heart. I admire her honesty and courage in facing the truth about her past. I think this book has so much to offer.



2. I was a gymnast of the 1980s at SCATS in Huntington Beach, CA (then west coast rivals of Parkettes), under the direction of Don Peters. As Class I gymnasts (today's Level 10s) our workouts were combined with the confirmed Elite level athletes, many who were national team members with Jennifer. I was eager to read her book because she was someone I hadn't met but had heard about through the slumber party stories and post-meet adventure chatter at the gym.
   
   It wasn't the tell-all I was expecting, it felt very much like my own story minus the part where I win the 1986 National Championships. I was embarrassed to read her account of Peters giving the "fat speech" before the World Championships-- I thought those speeches were reserved for the members of our private gym where we had daily weight checks. We protected our bulemic and anorexic girls, covered weight gains with really good stories. I even took the fall for one high ranking gymnast's binge and purge weekend when food went missing, rather than out her. I was shocked to read about the chair being thrown at a gymnast-- I thought only our coaches threw tantrums and objects. It felt "good" to hear that I wasn't the only one who had foul language directed at me in the gym. I have a strange sense of peace knowing that we weren't alone. I hear thanks to my injuries I was one of the most expensive gymnasts at SCATS in my time. And it's thanks to those injuries I burned out before I could earn even a bottom of the barrel college scholarship. Where's my: I did my best in gymnastics for 10 years and all I got was a rib removed, a broken foot, a reconstructed ankle, and a broken wrist!" t-shirt?
   
   To the people taking issue with Jennifer's account I say if your experience was different, it was just that: different. Sometimes we feel it necessary to call the dissenter a liar to protect ourselves or correct it with our own version of what we believed happened. 1980s gymnastics was crazy and it's thanks to the gymnasts of that era it is much improved.
   
   To my friend Jen, thank you.



3. A riveting and heartbreaking must read for all mothers raising daughters in today's fast paced, hyper-cometitive, overscheduled world.



4. With glittering spare prose and clear-eyed insight, Jennifer Sey recounts the harrowing tale of her pursuit of gymnastics glory in the eighties. She is not afraid to delve into the dark places with this gritty, uncompromising look at winning at all costs. Remarkably, Sey doesn't indict the sport or blame anyone for her experience, other than herself and her own drive for success. It is a heartbreaking story but ultimately one of true strength and grace. A brave, honest, unflinching personal book. A must read for parents, fans, athletes, and anyone who likes a well-written, riveting story. Read it.



5. This is a book written by an actual elite gymnast in the 80s. It's about exactly what it says on the front cover. This book tells you first hand about her life growing up as a gymnast, from the very begining when she was just a small child starting with some fun classes all the way to when she was an elite gymnast. It tells you the life that you don't get to see just watching the tv screen, the good parts, and then some of the bad parts that go with being an elite gymnast. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was well written and it really gets you into the mind set of what she must of been going through and feeling all through her competative life as a gymnast. I couldn't put it down. I definantly recomend this book for anyone that loves gymnastics !!

5 comments about Sports Illustrated: Hate Mail from Cheerleaders and Other Adventures from the Life of Reilly.

1. I feel a sports columnist's job is to evoke emotion in the reader. Make him/her laugh, cry, get angry, just don't bore them. Riley does that better than anyone. He's an amazingly gifted writer and I loved nearly every bit of this book. I'd already read most of these columns being a subscriber to Sports Illustrated, but they were definitely worth a re-read.
   
   He's great at tugging the heartstrings: The story on the cross country runner with cerebral palsey, the Middlebury fan who is confined to a wheelchair because of CP, the father who nominates his son -- killed in a motorcycle accident -- for Faces in the Crowd. All tear jerkers.
   
   He makes me laugh throughout the book, and get angry with all those arrogant/self-entitled athletes such as the steroid users.
   
   He's not just a sportswriter, he's a great writer. I can't recommend this book enough.
   
   * I wish Riley would've stayed with Sports Illustrated. I've heard he's dabbling in TV or ESPN, somewhere. Bad move. I've seen his TV commercials, he's not good on TV. He's a superstar in print, he should stay there. Nevertheless, this is one heckuva book.



2. As a recent Journalism grad this book was amazing. I would love to get into the sports writing field (although I have a feeling I'll never reach Reilly status). This was a great set of stories and life experiences. Very humorous and very touching.



3. I read a few chapters each night.
   
   One night I had tears on my pillow from laughter.
   
   The next night I had tears on my pillow from the inspirational story.
   
   It's likely that many of my friends will get this book for Christmas or their birthday. Just a great book!



4. I have read Rick Reilly on and off in SI for years. I am not a regular subscriber, so my readings of his work have not been consistent. I was getting ready to take a trip and wanted something that would be fun to read. I saw the 5 star reviews (on Amazon) of Rick's book but I was somewhat skeptical about getting it. As a University of Tennessee alumni and fan I had been upset when he had written an article slamming Pat Summit (legendary UT women's basketball coach) about "running up the score" on one of the Lady Vols opponents. Despite all this I decided to take a chance. I needed a good read on my vacation, and I knew he was a good writer, and I needed have a laugh or two while flying, or more often than not,sitting in the airport during another delay.
   This book is far more than I expected. This book is very funny, but many of his articles are very touching, and he exposes the best and the worst in the people involved in sports. Sports are the venue, but it is his insight into the people that make the stories so compelling.
   As a big fan of the late Jim Murray's writing, I never believed there would ever be another sports writer that good, but I think Rick is getting to that level. A great read, a must read, for any sports fan, period! Every bit a 5 star rating and more.



5. When my husband's Sports Illustrated comes, I open it up to the last page and read what Rick Reilly has to say. I really like his column and the fact that he went onto the Oprah Show to try to defend his gender...I know, I know, it is a losing battle if you saw the episode, you know what I mean. The column is usually is the only thing I read in the magazine. So when my husband mentioned Rick had this new book out I had to get it for him...if for nothing else to see him actually reading a book instead of Sporting News or Sports Illustrated.

5 comments about The Greatest Game Ever Played: A True Story.

1. I loved the movie so I thought I'd try the book. I was not disappointed. In fact, I believe a second movie based on this book, focussing on the early career and post "Greatest Game" highlights of Harry Vardon, would produce an excellent movie, as well.
   
   My older brother recently retired. My gifts to him were a Caribbean Cruise and a copy of this book to read as he suns on the deck of the cruise ship. When presented with both (gifts), he noted that he too had seen the movie and seemed just as excited to have received a copy of the book, as he was the cruise.



2. This is a terrific book and I'm not even a golfer. I didn't care much for the movie; a buddy of mine recommended reading the book and WOW, it's so much better. I'm not sure who wrote the movie but Frost does a great job of telling the story and holding on to your interest. I loved the biographical background and personality insights he offers. He's a terrific writer.



3. Great detail is setting the stage of how society viewed golf and its champions and how this tournament took that to the next level in popularity. Gives great detail intothe lives of Vardon, Ray, Francis and even Walter Hagen at the beginning of his career. Great for anyone who loves the history of golf and a good old fashion underdog story.



4. My boss and I golf together and he enjoyed watching this movie several times so I bought the book for him and he said it was better than the movie, looking forward to reading it when he is done



5. Great true story, well adapted in the film version.
   Bonus documentary on Francis Ouimet 50 years later
   is interesing to see.

5 comments about Fever Pitch.

1. This is simply put, a great book. I have been a fan of football for a few years now and have to admit I am always interested to read or hear about people experiences. More importantly I was always interested in how people picked their team and the life of an English fan. This is a very well written version of how someone became a life long football fan. It will keep you laughing and show you exactly how important football and sports in general can be to people.
   
   1 Warning: Do not buy this book simply because you enjoy Nick Hornby. This is a book about a football fan, not a novel. That being said if you enjoy football, or sports, and a good witty read, this book is for you!



2. I pretty much hate all forms of football. The fact that I read a book about football (to the British, that is: the rest of the world calls it soccer) from cover to cover, smirking, chuckling and at times laughing out loud, attests, once again, to the talent of Nick Hornby as a wordsmith. This book is witty and clever, incredibly insightful about obsession and definitely worth a read!



3. A 2007 summer reading list mini review
   
   If you are so passionate, it's scary about sports you must read this book. Many reviewers have said here and elsewhere that a rudimentary understanding of British Football is imperative to enjoying this book. Quite simply, they are wrong. All I knew about soccer in Britain, prior to reading this, was from watching Bend it like Beckham. However,I had no trouble following the book, as obsession translates for itself.
   
   When Hornby tries to take partial credit for Arsenal's championship seasons simply because he attended their games I related. I still feel partially responsible for the White Sox winning the World Series in 2005. The previous 2 seasons the Sox had excellent records at home but were 0-8 when I attended. The sign that states welcome to the ballpark was modified adding except Dave Roller. But that did not stop me. I bought my first and only multi ticket plan and the White Sox went on their winning journey (musical pun intended).
   
   I encourage obsessive fans of any sport to put the lessons of Fever Pitch in their arsenal (again pun intended) of sports literature.



4. Great book. An excellent account of what it means to be a loyal fan or supporter.



5. The only thing keeping me from giving this book 5 stars is my own complete lack of interest in anything soccer-related. Take that personal bias out, and its a great read. The insight into the soccer culture in the UK is frankly frightening, but in a very funny way. Having lived through the Denver Bronco Super-Bowl failures of the 1980's as a kid, I empathized with Hornby as he details his own irrational emotions growing up as a fan.
   
   I think anyone, sports fan or not, will enjoy this book. Sports fans because they empathize, non-fans because it will help explain the mystery.

3 comments about Free Byrd: The Power of a Liberated Life.

1. Forget the whole HGH thing! If the publishing world had drug-testing, they'd be checking Byrd for manuscript-enhancing substances. He's that good. Where does this guy get off scribbling out a masterpiece like this between starts for the Indians? In the process of addressing the most relevant issues shared by men today, Byrd combines the candor of J.D. Salinger with the wit of Donald Miller (makes you wonder if Miller has hidden baseball talents?). Most refreshing of all, Byrd's not out to preach or "fix" the reader. He's just sharing (amazing) stories from his life - along with the lessons he's learned from life on the mound. Prediction: Byrd will become the writer for the "Christian everyman" in the new millennium. Baseball was just his warm-up act.



2. My husband was reading this book and kept saying, "Come here, you have to read this." or "Listen to this paragraph" and he would proceed to read excerpts. So interesting and inspirational were the stories I began to read the book as well, and I am happy I did. Paul Byrd's book is honest, emotional, raw, intelligent, and funny. It's a great read and I can only imagine how much a father and son would get out of this together. Dads get this book for your sons and sons share this book with your father - you won't be disappointed. Thanks Paul for sharing your life with us and helping us learn, grow and laugh with you.



3. Reading FREE BYRD is like having a conversation with an old friend. Paul Byrd has written the story of his own pilgrimage with such honesty and transparency that one immediately identifies with the common struggles of virtually every man in our culture. In sharing his own efforts to understand who God really is and what it means to be a man, he helps each of us to come to terms with those same issues ourselves. This is a book that will make you both laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. And in the process, recognize that your own journey is much like his.

5 comments about Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

1. This book was easy to read and informative. There was no bragging -- just a genuine quest to understand and to share with others his struggles. It was brave to reveal so much of himself in the effort to help others. To me, this book is his greatest victory.



2. Overall, I liked this book. One has to admire Herschel for going public with his diagnosis, one poorly understood by the general public and often associated with severe pathology. That took courage, which the author seems to have in abundance. His writing shows an intelligence not commonly associated with sports, and he gives articulate expression to the various manifestations of his version of DID. A real plus of Walker's account is that he describes an "up" side to this condition, stating clearly for the layperson that it has certain adaptive and self-protecting qualities.
   
   That said, I was left with some questions. While the book seemed forthright and honest, he describes about a dozen different "alters" (formerly called multiple personalities) that he claims have arisen from his being tormented as a fat and stuttering schoolboy--while undoubtedly painful, his schoolyard abuse is hardly the type that normally spawns this fragmented condition. And as a clinical psychologist, I have treated DID patients. A more common presentation than his involves distinct changes in personality including voice, body posture, emotional expression, etc. . . . like you are really seeing different people. He says that his shifts were more subtle, nothing that could be seen externally, more like discrete changes in mental state known only to him at the time. That raises (for me, at least) the issue of whether or not this devoted and highly focused athlete is not simply given to a rather strict compartmentalization of his feelings, a medium that he would admit he is not comfortable with. Even his most personal relationships have suffered from his tendency to be so self-contained. Or perhaps DID is best explained as a "spectrum" disorder, ranging in degree of severity, as we now know autism to be. Who knows?
   
   While he talks about his repeated "thrill-seeking" with Russian roulette, Walker notable leaves out of his story the fact that he several times put a gun to his ex-wife's head. And he glosses over a bit the fact that he had an affair despite his born-again Christian beliefs. When a "tell all" book tells not quite all, you are left wondering what more has been left out.



3. People with DID or who have been educated about DID know the courage it took for Herschel to expose this mental disorder. I was diagnosed in 1993 and not only recieved very little support but was met with massive hostility from my family. I found the book to be inspiring and comforting, I can only pray that people will read this book with an open mind so that the public in general will show more compassion for people with mental health issues. Glad you aren't running anymore Herschel but still scoring touchdowns - so proud of you for allowing the love and compassion for your fellow human beings to inspire you to write your story. That is exactly the way I felt when I realized how much God loves me and provided me with everything it took to survive.



4. I bought this book hoping to gain insight on the recovery process for DID and to share a view of DID with my husband who is a big sports fan, but who would have a tough time wading through any kind of psych literature. It is definitely more biography than an explanation of the dissociative process (which is probably what I was most interested in). That said, Herschel's accomplishments and ability to overcome adversity are terrific. The book is an easy read, and I did finish it in just a few days. His eventual recovery is apparent--I just wanted more explanation of how it came about.



5. This isn't a book written to help others with DID, as Mr. Walker states as his reason for publication. It is a tribute to his own narcissism, which is apparently a trait of the personality or alter who decided to publish a book. He takes no resonsibility for how his DID affected those people who were the closest to him. I watched the Nightline episode which interviewed Cindy(his exwife), his therapist, and Mr. Walker. It was chilling to listen to how he had held a gun to Cindy's head on more than one occasion, threatening to blow her brains out. This isn't even mentioned in the book. Instead, Mr. Walker uses the book to tell the reader how his DID allowed him to become the great athlete that he was. It is a total waste of money. If you want to learn about DID, there are plenty of good books out there. This, most definitely, isn't one of them.