2 comments about We Still Call Him Coach.

1. I really enjoyed reading the history and accomplishments of Les Habegger, a man who I knew during and after my years at Seattle Pacific University as a student/athlete. His basketball coaching success was one of the factors that drew me to consider choosing SPU for my college education. It is always interesting to read of the experiences of our armed forces particularly when they served their country in stopping the aggression of the "Axis of Evil" during WWII. Much of what I read in the book was unknown to me even though I knew the man, knew he had coached professionally in Europe as well as the NBA, and knew he had been involved in the Battle of the Bulge during the war. It was fascinating to read of his close encounters with death and his giving to God the credit for sparing his life. I appreciated too, the forward written in his words--especially the very first sentence, and the afterword written by Don DeHart, a former player for Les, that gave additional information and insight to the man. It would have been good if the author had had a chance to put this story together earlier when some of Les' recollections would have had less time to fade from memory, and if his longtime friend and associate Ken Foreman had been consulted for his perspective on their time together at SPU. I am glad the story was written and would recommend it to anyone interested in basketball, coaching, SPU history or just as a great biography of a member of the "Greatest Generation".



2. A wonderful story about a man most people knew as just a Coach. From his humble Amish upbringing in Northern Indiana, to the Battle of the Bulge, this is truly an inspirational account of one from the "Greatest Generation".

5 comments about GIMP: The Story Behind the Star of Murderball.

1. The product was great and Woody's book store communicated great through email about the purchase and ordering information. The only thing is the number of days that it took to ship was confusing; I thought it would get to me sooner, but what the number of days meant was when it would be shipped as opposed to it arriving to me.



2. Sometimes, people who have been "handicapped" in some manner end up withdrawing into themselves. A few of them are downright miserable. Mad at the world for being stuck in the situation they're in... the best they can hope for (because they're depressing to be around) is to have people feel sorry for them.
   
   Mark Zupan (who, hopefully, you know from the astoundingly-good, and deserved-to-win-the-Oscar documentary, MURDERBALL), is NOT one of those people. He doesn't WANT anyone to feel sorry for him. (In fact, he doesn't even want to be seen as a "role model," or an "inspiration," though [sorry Mark!], to a lot of people, he is.)
   
   Mark was an athletic, fun-loving 18-year-old, having a blast in South Florida when everything he knew changed in an instant. Sleeping off a night of heavy partying in the back of his buddy Chris Igoe's parked pickup, he had no clue when his friend got in and (also drunk) drove off. Not too long thereafter, Igoe swerved off the road and Mark ended up flying out of the truck-bed, over a fence, and into some dense foliage overhanging a small lake. (Igoe had no idea Mark was in the truck bed, so when the police came, they never looked for him.)
   
   Mark regained consciousness, only to find himself unable to move (he didn't know it yet, but he was paralyzed from the neck down), hanging upside-down from a branch with his nose just inches from the water... and getting closer by the moment. He hung there for 14 hours, before a workman heard him yelling for help.
   
   And that's just the START of the story!
   
   In the years that followed, he has not only become one of the star players of the sport known as Quad Rugby (a.k.a. Murderball), his attitude about his "situation" (whether he likes it or not!) has helped untold numbers of others* to better cope with their own situations.
   
   
   * I know of what I speak. My young and lovely wife has been in a wheelchair for several years due to Multiple Sclerosis. After seeing the movie MURDERBALL --and *especially* after meeting Zupan at a tournament, her attitude went from "good" to fantastic. She's no longer "the girl in the wheelchair." She's simply my wife, who's fun to be around, and who's interested in doing the things she CAN do, rather than fretting about the things she can't.
   
   -Jonathan Sabin



3. A fast paced, gritty look into an Athlete's brush with death and the long road to recovery. If you are looking for the next inspiration for a cheesy After School Special on overcoming adversity...don't read this book. If you are looking for a well written, insightful look into how one guy copes with tragedy and disability, then this is an excellent read. To say Gimp has texture is an understatement thanks to its subject, Mark Zupan, a quadriplegic athlete who was made famous by the documentary Murder Ball. Gimp details how this proud, perhaps arrogant athlete dealt with a tragic accident that cost him the full use of his limbs thanks to drunken night that resulted in a brush with death and a debilitating spinal cord injury.
   
   Gimp does not spare us the details that are often left out of such stories including the uglier side of human emotion. The books subject faces Zupan's denial, doubt, guilt, fear, despair and loss as a result of his tragedy. While he ultimately comes to terms with his injury and recovery, it is not without some serious setbacks, some self inflicted. It is this part of writer Timothy Swanson's writing that really sets Gimp apart. He does not spare Zupan some hard looks into his darker nature to include arrogance, self indulgence and outright self destructiveness at times. If there is a villain in the book, it is Zupan himself and his own feelings of despair and anger. It is Swanson's description of Zupan's struggle with his own dark feelings and fears that give the story its power.
   
   The book is not without its own sense of humor and offers a dark amusement that Zupan has for the hand life has dealt him. Gimp deftly shows Zupan's outlook on life which is headstrong and confident but not without his fair share of hidden frailty in the face of a near death experience. In fact, the description of the actual accident that describes Zupan clinging to life, literally perhaps, is the book's strongest section. I have many friends who suffer from war wounds, especially brain injuries from IED's or "danger close" air strikes and I can say from personal experience that Gimp does an excellent job at looking at how proud warriors (in Gimp's case a world class athlete), deal with injury and recovery. I recommend this book without reservation to certainly anyone who knows someone who suffers from a disability or who has seen the documentary Murder Ball. The book has broader appeal to fans of sports writing as well since the book leaves no doubt that Zupan is an athlete. The fact that it is an easy read and has a brisk pace is no small feat given that other works of this genre tend to drag on, lack direction and are often burdened with sappy and clichéd, touchy-feely housewife book club nonsense. Zupan's force of will as described by Swanson carries the book along as does the suspense of how he will cope with each stage of his recovery and his entrance into the world of quad rugby aka Murder Ball. I thought it was a great read and recommend it without reservation.



4. This is a great book. Inspiring, entertaining, hilarious, and real. Mark doesn't pull any punches in this. It is not a self-pity book nor does it try to lecture the reader. It is a real account of someone who is very inspiring, yet doesn't pretend to be what he isn't.
   
   Once I started reading this I couldn't put it down. Awesome!!!



5. Mark Zupan makes you think about what you have, not what you do not have.
   
   He may be in a chair, but he is not handicap. Mark Zupan speak frankly and openly about his life before and after. He does not blame anyone for his injury.
   
   Make you think you life is O.K. and despite what happens you can survive and go on.
   
   Life is not so bad.

5 comments about Tunney: Boxing's Brainiest Champ and His Upset of the Great Jack Dempsey.

1. I'd have to rank this right behind Laura Hillenbrand's "Seabiscuit" as the second-best sports book I've ever read. That's because author Jack Cavanaugh paints such vivid pictures of the principal characters that you get really involved with these boxers. You care about what happens to Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey. They were both incredibly-fascinating people who wound up fighting each other twice in front of the biggest sporting crowds (to this day!) in American hisotry. Both, at various times, were Heavyweight Champions of the world.
   
   Tunney remains to this day the most unique boxing champion in history, a man who preferred reading to boxing, a man who got more of a thrill lecturing at Yale University about Shakespeare than winning the prestigious pugilistic crown. As for Dempsey, well....to me, it's hard to think of a more colorful good guy-bad guy-superstar in sports history, along with the likes of Babe Ruth and Wilt Chamberlain. The book is about Gene Tunney, but it's just as much about Dempsey and both men come off as likable guys, even though they were very different.
   
   What makes this book special, although, was Cavanaugh's fascinating portraits of other men, like promoter Tex Rickard, manager "Doc" Kearns, and a host of memorable boxers like Benny Leonard, "Battling Levinsky," and my new hero - Harry Greb. Cavanaugh's accounts of Greb, a boxer few people have heard of, are still haunting me days after finishing this book.
   
   This is truly a book I was sad to see end. I could have kept reading these amazing stories of these colorful people in the "Roaring Twenties" for weeks on end. I'm not even a big boxing fan, but I'm more of a fan now, thanks to Mr. Cavanaugh's exceptional book.



2. This biography of Gene Tunney is an excellent work that paints a portrait of an exceptionally interesting person, who happened to be a professional boxer for part of his life. Clearly, boxing was not his life, for his interests were many and varied and fascinating. The contrasts with Jack Dempsey, with whom Tunney's younger years were entwined, are drawn beautifully, even though both men were gentlemen at the core and appreciated each other into their later years. I read Dempsey's autobiography (an "as told to" book) when I was a boy and was fascinated by his story. I was no less drawn into Tunney's story and am very happy that I was able to read it and come to learn about this very remarkable man who sought to leave rather than to linger in the limelight.



3. After his first and only defeat in the ring,
   heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney salved his
   physical and mental anguish by pondering the pithy
   perplexities of Shakespeare's retelling of the Iliad,
   Troilus and Cressida. Lanky, literate, blessed with
   athletic and mental agility, uncommon self-possession,
   and artistic tastes, ranging from Victor Hugo to
   Wagnerian opera, Gene Tunney is portrayed as a
   pugilistic enigma in Jack Cavanaugh's fascinating
   biography. A Marine Corps boxing champion in WWI who,
   after turning pro, went undefeated as a heavyweight
   (his only loss came as a light-heavyweight), Tunney
   was knocked down only once in his career. He retired
   at age 31, married heiress Polly Lauder, and for the
   rest of his life pursued a variety of business
   ventures and the arts. Tunney, like F. Scott
   Fitzergerald's Gatsby, was a remarkable, self-created
   individual. Tunney's heroic flaw, however, was that
   he wasn't the champ the people wanted him to be -- but
   what a fighter he was. What a man.
   
   Jack Cavanaugh's wide-ranging biography chronicles not
   only Tunney, but also the parallel rise of his
   nemesis, heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey. Tunney
   defeated Dempsey twice, the first time to take the
   title from Dempsey in the "fight of the century" in
   1927. Their rematch a year later became an indelible
   event in boxing and sport history when Tunney was
   knocked down by Dempsey for the only time in his
   career in the round that became known as the "long
   count." Cavanaugh takes the reader on a fabulous
   carnival ride through the world of boxing as well as
   providing a wonderful panorama of American popular
   culture during the 1920s.
   
   Cavanaugh engages the reader early with Tunney's
   upbringing in Greenwich Village in New York. Tunney's
   Irish immigrant father, John, was a hardworking
   stevedore who labored on the docks of the Hudson
   River. John loved boxing and encouraged his oldest
   son, James, called by family members "Gene," to box,
   buying him gloves when he was ten years old. A tall,
   rangy kid, Gene Tunney learned how to fight not only
   for self-protection but also to defend his two younger
   brothers. It's not clear that Tunney ever loved
   fighting -- he was simply very good at it, as he was
   at almost everything he was to do in life from boxing
   to literature to business. He was highly disciplined,
   adept at learning and adapting from previous mistakes,
   and had unusually high self-confidence in his mental
   and physical abilities.
   
   Cavanaugh also plumbs fascinating biographical
   information about heavyweight champion and
   contemporary rival, Jack Dempsey. Dempsey's
   relentless, snarling, back-'em-up with hooks and
   uppercuts from out of his trademark coal miner crouch
   served as a marked contrast to Tunney's master-boxer
   style. Dempsey's story -- going from town to town,
   fighting grown men in bars while still a teenager --
   is boxing true grit. A charismatic fighter before,
   during, and after becoming champion, Dempsey had his
   share of image problems, stemming from a highly
   publicized divorce as well as the incorrect, yet
   public, perception that he avoided fighting in WWI.
   Dempsey was immortalized as an American icon in the
   famous George Bellows painting depicting him being
   knocked out of the ring (in one of eleven total
   knockdowns in less than four minutes) in his fight
   with the Argentinean "Bull of the Pampas," Luis Firpo.
   Firpo, who incredibly became a successful businessman
   and one of the wealthiest people in South America,
   commented, "so many writers pushed him [Dempsey] back
   in the ring it looked like he was getting a back
   massage!"
   
   Cavanaugh also describes an eerie foreshadowing when
   Dempsey and Tunney accidentally met on a ferry in New
   York. Tunney, recognizing Dempsey, strode over and
   introduced himself. Dempsey, as affable and friendly
   outside the ring as he was a raging pit bull inside,
   even advised Tunney how he could wrap his right hand
   to protect a knuckle that Tunney had previously
   injured. The right hand, of course, was one of
   Tunney's most damaging weapons in his future
   domination of Dempsey in their subsequent twenty
   championship rounds against each other.
   A fascinating digression in Tunney's tale is
   Cavanaugh's discussion of the great lightweight
   champion Benny Leonard, about whom writer Budd
   Schulberg said, "I think that Leonard was to many
   young Jews what Ali became to young blacks many years
   later." Cavanaugh tells the "you can't make this
   stuff up" story of Leonard's savage pounding of Irish
   Eddie Finnegan in a fight that took place in western
   Pennsylvania. Amidst the din of anti-Semitic catcalls
   and insults aimed at Leonard, Finnegan startled
   Leonard by begging in Yiddish for Leonard to take it
   easy on him -- telling him that his real name was
   Seymour Rosenbaum!
   
   Still another fascinating and entertaining side story
   is Cavanaugh's mention of five-time Tunney opponent
   Harry "The Pittsburgh Windmill" Greb. An incredible
   fighter who threw hailstorms of legal and illegal
   punches from every angle, Greb rarely trained, was a
   wanton womanizer, had perfect hair, powdered his face,
   and defied common sociological explanations as to how
   and why he ever got into and liked the fight game.
   Greb was the only man ever to beat Tunney, so badly,
   in fact, that writer Grantland Rice said it was "like
   a butcher hammering a Swiss steak." Harry Greb, who
   is ranked by boxing historian Burt Sugar ahead of
   Dempsey, Tunney, and Ali (#5 out of the hundred
   greatest fighters), is fabulous and, of course,
   ultimately tragic.
   
   But there's much more. Cavanaugh tells the
   machinations behind another "fight of the century,"
   the Jack Johnson versus Jim Jeffries title fight in
   Reno, Nevada, in 1912. And then there are the stories
   of the Jack Londonesque life of boxing promoter Tex
   Rickard, quotes by "Golden Age of Sportswriters"
   characters, like Damon Runyon, Grantland Rice, Ring
   Lardner, W.O. McGeehan and the
   hard-drinking-ukulele-playing Hype Igoe ⦠and
   there's more, incidental to Tunney. But who cares?
   It's vaudeville, it's a Broadway musical revue, it's
   boxing, and it's great.
   .
   The second half of the biography is more
   straightforward from the reader's standpoint as it
   chronicles Tunney's two fights with Jack Dempsey.
   Tunney's taste for reading the classics made for a lot
   of press. Tunney, for his part, was annoyed,
   sometimes disdainful, and tried to play it down. But
   when hearing of Tunney's training camp reading habits,
   Jack Dempsey's bodyguard told Dempsey, "The fight's in
   the bag, Jack. The so and so is reading a book!"
   
   The first fight between Tunney and Dempsey took place
   on September 23, 1926, in Philadelphia's
   Sesquicentennial Stadium. According to Cavanaugh, it
   was the "biggest sports attraction ever held before
   the largest sports crowd of all time." Attendees
   included, among others, the Astors, the Vanderbilts,
   Irving Berlin, Franklin Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt's
   three sons, William Randolph Hearst, Flo Zigfield,
   Babe Ruth, Gertrude Ederle (the first woman to swim
   the English Channel), Walter Chrysler, New York City
   Mayor Jimmy Walker, Ellis Gimbel, Leopold Stokowski,
   Douglas MacArthur, Charlie Chaplin, Mae West, Harry
   Sinclair, William Wrigley, Andrew Mellon, Charles
   Schwab, Bobby Jones, Arnold Rothstein, Abe Attell,
   eight members of the infamous 1919 Black Sox team,
   including Shoeless Joe Jackson, and more women
   (estimated at 10,000 out of a total 135,000 who came
   to the fight) than had ever attended a boxing match.
   Incredibly, seemingly totally out of character, and
   after vehemently denying rumors, Tunney and a
   colleague took off from a New York golf course in a
   bi-plane and flew to Philly the day of the fight -
   unheard of in a day when rail travel and the
   automobile were the preferred public modes of
   transportation. Though it turned out to be a mistake
   (the pilot got lost in the fog and the flight was
   nauseating), Tunney, nonetheless, had no problem
   handling Dempsey. His brilliant footwork, artful
   clenching, and well-timed right hand leads and jabs
   enabled Tunney to win all ten rounds on both judges'
   cards. It was the first time a heavyweight
   championship was won by decision and not a knockout.
   Tunney was the heavyweight champion, and the fans
   never loved Jack Dempsey more.
   
   The rematch was held on September 22, 1927 at Soldier
   Field in Chicago with 145, 000 fans in attendance.
   Cavanaugh quotes fight promoter, Tex Rickard, telling
   a sportswriter,
   
   Kid, if the earth came up and the sky came down and
   wiped out my first ten rows it would be the end of
   everything because I got in those ten rows all the
   world's wealth, all the world's big men,all the
   world's brains and production talent. Just in them
   ten rows, kid. And you and me never seen nothing like
   it.
   
   Tunney dominated Dempsey once again, but in round
   seven Dempsey caught Tunney with a flurry of blows
   that put him down. Tunney had righted himself to a
   sitting position and grasped the middle rope with one
   hand as the time-keeper counted to four. The ref,
   however, had been screaming at Dempsey to go to a
   neutral corner, starting his official count only after
   four seconds had elapsed. Tunney seemed to become
   aware at the ref's count of two, though six total
   seconds had expired. He watched as the ref counted to
   nine, then, according to Cavanaugh, "bounced to his
   feet." He succeeded in weathering Dempsey's assault
   for the rest of the round by dancing, clinching and
   rocking Dempsey with left-right combinations of his
   own. Tunney resumed boxing brilliantly, even knocking
   Dempsey down in the eighth round with a perfect right
   hand, and handily won the fight. In later interviews
   Tunney always claimed he took the maximum amount of
   time to clear his head in the "long-count" seventh
   round but could have gotten up any time after the
   ref's count of two. Dempsey, though bitter afterwards
   about losing, later said about Tunney, "he took the
   count, whatever it was, and that's what any smart
   fighter would have done." Promoter Tex Rickard wrote
   Tunney a check for $1,000,000 (Tunney's take was
   actually slightly less but Tunney wrote Rickard a
   personal check for the difference of $9554.46), which,
   according to Cavanaugh, made Tunney the first athlete,
   possibly the first person in history to get that sum
   of money for one evening's work. Dempsey didn't fight
   again. Tunney defended his title successfully with a
   TKO of Tom Heeney in twelve rounds almost a year later
   and retired. Months before his final fight, he held
   500 students, professors, and reporters spellbound
   discoursing on the ancient fight between Hector and
   Ajax in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, citing
   European scholars and critics, and amazing an audience
   who had come to hear him talk about his career as a
   fighter. He married heiress Polly Lauder and traveled
   to Europe, where he took in the museums, the theater,
   and the opera, and hobnobbed with F. Scott Fitzgerald,
   Ernest Hemingway, and H.G. Wells. He even carried on
   a long correspondence with Irish playwright George
   Bernard Shaw, with whom he shared a number of
   interests, including boxing.
   
   Though he taught his three sons to box, his four
   children were mainly oblivious to Tunney's career as a
   boxing champion since little memorabilia of his life a
   as professional pugilist was kept in his home. He
   went on to serve as the director of physical fitness
   for the U.S. Navy from 1941-1945 and spent the rest of
   his life in a variety of business ventures. He never
   lost his love of the arts and read avidly, attended
   the opera, and enjoyed the company of writers,
   artists, and business tycoons. He was not immune to
   family tragedy and triumph - his daughter Joan was
   accused of murdering her husband and committed to a
   hospital for the criminally insane. A son, John,
   narrowly won a Congressional seat in California after
   Jack Dempsey himself appeared in campaign rallies to
   support the son of his old adversary. Cavanaugh
   quotes Los Angeles Times sportswriter Jim Murray on
   Tunney:
   
   he was an austere man, pedantic, bookish, autocratic
   and aloof. He always acted as if he were slumming in
   pugilism. His fights were solo recitals. His
   opponents were just pianos, canvasses, spear-carriers.
   Something to practice his art on. He was the artist.
   He was like no Irishman you ever saw, but he was the
   greatest Irish athlete who ever lived. If you don't
   think so, tell me who was.
   
   Tunney died in 1978 at the age of 81. According to
   Cavanaugh, Tunney's obituary ran 750 words on page 22
   of the New York Times without a byline. Dempsey died
   in 1983 and was front page news on the New York Times
   with a 3,000 word obituary in the sports section.
   Tunney's grave-marker noted his date of birth, date of
   death, and his service in WWI and WWII. Nothing more.
   
   Cavanaugh's biography is not necessarily neatly woven
   - as in the Garment District in New York City in the
   1920s, there are plenty of loose threads. But what a
   great, great collection of anecdotes and quotes about
   boxing and about the man they rarely called champ (and
   his nemesis, Jack Dempsey, whom they did). The book,
   footnoted and indexed, includes a selected
   bibliography and the complete boxing records of both
   Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey.
   
   Tunney's self-made ascension from street to high
   society is quite remarkable - a real "American" story
   of success. And yet, the public could never relate to
   Tunney's unusual combination of pugilistic and
   literary erudition. Tunney was never quite a hero in
   sports or otherwise. What comes through loud and
   clear in Cavanaugh's book is that Tunney was a man of
   great discipline, self-insight, courage, and personal
   honor both in the ring and out. He didn't apologize
   to anyone for who he was, where he came from, or who
   he had become. I had to think through the "hero"
   thing again. So I'm glad I read Cavanaugh's book.
   Remarkable.
   
   
   
   
   ________________________



4. I really enjoyed this book.
   The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars was because it lacked info on the private and older Tunney.



5. Tunney was one of boxing's most underrated and unappreciated champions. Jack Cavanaugh did an excellent job writing about this renaissance man's remarkable life and of boxing scene in the first three decades of the 20th century. Of particular interest was the information of how black boxers were treated in that era. Tunney's life and times were thoroughly researched by Cavanaugh. (I assumed that Dempsey was always a very popular champion...not so, he attained hero status after his fights with Tunney.) The book could've been more succinctly edited - some of the subject matter was often repeated, but it was an easy and informative read.

5 comments about Caddy for Life: The Bruce Edwards Story.

1. This was the first book by John Feinstein I ever read. Caddy for life is an amazing view into the life of Bruce Edwards and Tom Waston. From the joys of the greens on the golf course, to the lows of Edwards' battle with Lou Gerig's diease. This is the most touching sports story I have ever heard, and I challenge anyone to read this and not feel pain or sorrow. This book transends words and gives the reader the insight into how Lou Gerig's diease affects both family and friends.



2. I've read several of John Feinstein's books, and have never been disappointed. This was one of his better efforts. It's the story of Bruce Edwards and Tom Watson. Edwards was a caddy, and was lucky enough to hook up with Watson back in 1973. He spent most of the next 30 years caddying for one of the best golfers and best people in the game.
   
   The book tells the story of these two remarkable individuals, and shows how well-liked they both were on the PGA tour. The last part of the book describes the 2003 season, and how tough it was for both of them. Edwards was diagnosed with ALS at the beginnig of the year, and struggled to make it through one final season as Watson's caddy.
   
   Watson is portrayed in the book as a great friend and boss. He realized how lucky he was to have Edwards as his caddy and friend for all those years, and Edwards was just as aware of how lucky he had been. It's just a shame they didn't have a few more years together.



3. On several occassions, I found myself getting choked up while reading this book. It is intensly personal and we're lucky to be provided with an up close view of what Bruce Edwards and those who loved and worked with him went threw. Experience is a hard thing to acquire, unless you actually have it. This book offers a rare exception to its reader.



4. Perhaps my only mistake was choosing to start reading this book the same night I had finished John Feinstein's most recent effort, "Let Me Tell You a Story," his book about the legendary Celtics figure, Red Auerbach. For that reason and that reason only, it took me a little longer to get into this one. After all, following that one is almost impossible.
   
   But this one does. It is at times funny and sad and as a result, there are times this book brings out a smile, but many times it brings out a tear. But through it all, Feinstien's gift for telling a story makes this book one of the best books I have read. It is a story about a caddy with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Bruce Edwards, the long-time caddy to golf great Tom Watson, was diagnosed with the fatal illness in January of 2003, a little more than two years ago. The book chronicles his life on the PGA Tour with, not only his brother-like relationship with Watson, but with everyone who ever came into his life. It is apparent that he touched a lot of lives during his 30+ year career on tour.
   
   Through it all, until the end, Edwards was a picture of perservearance, bravery and courage. He refused to let the illness get the better of him. If memory serves, Edwards passed away shortly after this book was published. May he rest in peace.



5. Being an Avid Golfer, I was drawn by this story of courage under the face of the biggest adversity a person could ever face, knowing you are going to die. This story is a touching tribute to Bruce Edwards, the long time caddy to PGA tour vetran Tom Watson and a tribute to Bruce as not only a great caddy but a great person as well. It is a story of two men who forged a freindship over the years that brought them "Closer than Brothers" and a tribute to the class and dignity in which Bruce displayed in facing ALS or "Lou Gehrigs" disease.
   We never know if and when something devestating will hit us or someone we love, but Bruce Edwards shows that you can have dignity in dying and that the Human Spirit prevails in the worse of conditions. A must read right there with Tuesdays with Morrie!

5 comments about Fishing on the Edge.

1. This book doesn't seem to blend well with the rest of my shelf. I don't actually fish. My nephew, Miles, loves fishing, and my brother-in-law (his dad) is a competitive bass fisherman. Miles wanted this book for his birthday so we bought it for him and I decided to read it before we gave it to him.
   
   
   In case you didn't know it, Mike Ianconelli is the hip hop loving, baggy pants wearing, tattoo displaying, former champion break dancer who is from New Jersey (I think - I don't remember now) and has won some major bass tournaments - traditionally a rural, good old boy activity. It is a very quick read (an hour or two) and was very interesting. Until reading this book I had known absolutely nothing about competitive bass fishing; and I feel I now have some insight into an unknown world. Don't expect to see me at a bass tournement anytime soon, or watching one on ESPN2, but this was a fun and interesting book.



2. Enjoyed the book, couldn't put it down, finished it quickly, it was an easy read mostly. Except for the tables and stories between the stories that made me stop reading, start reading something else, then go back to reading the story. know what I mean? Distracting. Liked learning about Mike's pro life, could pass on the personal stuff. But can see he has fun doing what he does, and I can appreciate that. I guess some folks dont like his attitude, I thought he came off like a guy I'd like to know.
   
   Good book, glad I read it.



3. It's a quick read, I finished it in a couple of hours. I thought the writing style was poor. It's written in a really familiar voice. Picture reading a long email sent by a friend. He uses the monumentally annoying "you know?" at the end of 50 or more sentences throughout the book. Of course I don't "know" what you're talking about, instead of explaining yourself you just trail off thinking the point is too obvious to bother printing.
   
   There's about 15 sidebars throughout the book, explaining everything from breaking down a lake to what his favorite songs are. There's not much technical fishing knowledge (i.e. lure selection or casting technique) in the book, which honestly is OK since I didn't read it for that. The author favors trying to get the reader to see all the questions that were considered to reach a certain decision and I like that approach. Fishing isn't something you apply a template too, many fisherman can figure out what lures and tackle to use if they just know the important questions to ask themselves. I think it's better to learn the right questions to ask and work out the answers for yourself and apparently the author agrees.
   
   The fishing stories themselves are decent, but often plot lines just fade into pointlessness. The best example I recall was his tale of the 2003 Classic. The author is really worried about spectator traffic on day 2 ruining his prime fishing hole. The worry is explained for several pages and even mentions how he tries to wear a goofy costume so that fans wouldn't be able to identify him at a distance as easily. He's doing all he can to throw them off the trail, he doesn't want them to ruin the fishing spot before he can use it to win the Classic. Well, in short, he never brings it up again. When he arrives at the spot he outlines his day's catch and never mentions how the spectators effect him or the fishing. The previous pages of worry are just forgotten and not resolved or explained.
   
   The main focus of the book is really the hardships of living on the road and the lifestyle of fishing for bass professionally. It won't really help your fishing tremendously and the writing isn't very good. Still, it's not a completely miserable book and the subtle fishing related topics do have some value. I don't think there's any reason to own the book if your library has a copy, there's no lasting knowledge or tidbits to revisit between fishing seasons.



4. I started to read it and couldn't stop. It took me a week to finish it and it was great. Mike takes you to the real ambience of tournament fishing and his tips are very good to improve your fishing techniques. The books also represents a very good example on how his familiy has been a very important part of becoming a chmapion and how this affected his personal life.
   
   Great book overall!
   
   Pablo Magallanes
   Guadalajara, Mexico.
   July, 2008



5. Full disclosure...I had only read about the author in Bassmaster magazine or watched him on ESPN, so I had a negative opinion about Mike before I ever picked up his book. However, that doesn't mean that he doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to catching bass. He had many valid points about the world of professional bass fishing. The material about his personal life (e.g., divorce and his sexual conquests) did not really add anything to what he had to say, but all in all it was a pretty good effort. Mike, I don't hate you any more. I just think you are emotionally immature.

3 comments about Sidney Crosby: Taking the Game by Storm.

1. You will not enjoy this book unless you are a fan of Hockey! I read this book after about half a season of Hockey and seeing Crosby play. This book is a great way to learn about an up coming star (which you can see through his play). I would recommend this book to anyone that really loves the game of Hockey!



2. If you are a huge hockey fan, with knowledge about players and teams, new and old, throughout Canada and at all age levels, you are the right person for this book. Reading about places, people, and teams that I didn't know anything about was very frustrating and made it hard to keep reading. A good portion of the book was just comparing Gretzky and Crosby. That was interesting, in moderation. I was looking for a book to tell all about Sidney Crosby and his trip to the NHL. This book has that, but it came along with a lot of extra stuff that was unnecessary.



3. OK, any time a new star pops up there is an author wanting to make a quick buck. I knew better than to jump on the first unofficial biography but did anyways. Like any book of this genre, the entire thing comes off as "I talked to someone who talked to someone who once knew Sidney and based on that we can deduce this...". It was clear from the author's account that they stalked the Crosby family for a period of time and despite that effort failed to gain any deep insights from Sidney or his family. This entire book could have been written after reading newspaper clippings and perhaps a 30 minute interview with Sidney. My recommendation - wait until Sidney lives up to the hype (and I suspect he will!) and then read his official biography.

1 comments about The Chief: Ernest Thompson Seton and the Changing West.

1. Ernest Thompson Seton was the founder of a youth organization based on American Indian Culture. His group, the Woodcraft Indians, was an inspiration for the Boy Scouts, and Seton became one of the main leaders of the BSA. His many works have long served as an inspiration to many. This is the first biography on him in a long time and is well deserved. It is unfortunate that his many works are today ignored.

5 comments about It's Only a Game.

1. I started this book with minimal expectations. I thought it would be another book on the life of a superstar athlete admittedly one who has won 4 Superbowls.
   
   What I found to my surprise was the story of a very modest man who did not gloat about his accomplishments and actually was happy to make fun of himself and his supposedly lack of intellect.
   
   Terry Bradshaw writes with humour and will discuss his many failures with the candor that is rare.
   
   In the last few chapters, he gives some useful tips on life and I found that they came off pretty well.
   
   Great book.



2. I could hardly put this book down. Very interesting stories about his childhood, football career from grade school through the pros and life after the NFL. All the things that went on during his career in the NFL. I found this book very enjoyable. He doesn't hide anything and I admire his honesty.



3. This is one of the funniest autobiographies I have ever read. Several times during the course of my reading, my wife feared for my sanity as I laughed hysterically. Two incidents in particular had me howling: Terry's adventure with the horse, and when his Dad opened the box from the marketing firm.
   Terry has always been one of my football heros and now I have a great deal of respect for him as a person. This account is warm, funny, and honest. By the way, he called his own plays . . .



4. This book covered everything I hoped to hear about - from college QB thru Pittsburgh and into TV's best pre-game show. The book is fast paced, enjoyable throughout and quite informative. All that's missing is a couple of one-on-one hours with Terry to ask more about everything.



5. TERRY BRADSHAW PERSONIFIES HUMOR. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK FOR VARIOUS REASONS. I ENJOYED HIS RETELLING OF HIS STEELERS DAYS AND HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH VARIOUS TEAMATES. HIS DOWN TO EARTH HONESTY IS ANOTHER FACET I FOUND REFRESHING. AND ABOVE ALL WAS HIS STORY TELLING OF HIS EXPERIENCES IN THE BROADCASTING BUSINESS. I ENJOY THE PREGAME HYPE WITH BRADSHAW AND HIS 3 COHORTS EACH WEEK. HE HAS CERTAILY GROWN OVER THE YEARS, HE CAN POKE FUN AT HIMSELF AND YET BE SERIOUS ABOUT THINGS IN LIFE. VERY RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS HUMOR A GREAT STORY TELLER.

5 comments about An American Journey: My Life on the Field, in the Air, and on the Air.

1. Former Yankee Jerry Coleman recalls his playing days: second baseman played his entire nine-year career in New York and appeared in six World Series.(Turn ... An article from: Baseball Digest
   
   
   Great Read! Jerry is true example of what real heros are made of. How many players would unselfishly leave the game not once, but two times to serve their country in combat? This is the stuff Pat Tillman was made of. Jerry is a great guy! You never hear him speak of any of this unless asked. He is a San Diego treasure.



2. I can't wait to read this book. Amazon makes ordering new and used items so easy. I am a customer for life.



3. I bought this book for my father as he has been an avid Padre fan since 1969. He just loves it. Jerry Coleman is the San Diego Padres.
   
   Scott
   El CAJON, CA



4. I don't know how many "with." books I have read not 100 but more than fifty. Even wrote two of them. YOGI IT AIN'T OVER WITH YOGI and THE OCTOBER TWELVE with PHIL RIZZUTO.Jerry Coleman's "WITH" RICHARD GOLDSTEIN did an outstanding job. I envy him but not for writing the book. Writing is hard work. Spending time in the company of Jerry Coleman is a joy. A tonic for the soul.



5. Jerry Coleman has honorably served America both as a military man, as a baseball player during the 1950's for the New York Yankees, and as an announcer for the Yankees, CBS, and as an announcer/manager for the San Diego Padres. He considers his greatest achievement in life to be the five years he spent as a marine during both World War II and the Korean War. He grew up in a home with a physically abusive father, and a very devoted mother. His best friends with the Yankees were Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi, Ed Lopat, Bobby Brown, and Charlie Silvera. Coleman believes Mickey Mantle's alcohol problems became full blown after he retired from the game and the cheering stopped. Coleman vividly recalls the incident in May of 1957 when Yankees' infielder Gil McDougald lined Cleveland Indians' pitcher Herb Score in the eye. This had a great emotional effect on McDougald who considered quitting the game. Coleman's one year at the helm of the Padres did not go well. His players viewed him as the team's announcer, and a relic from the past. Coleman gives his views on various things regarding the game such as the size of players compared to when he played, and the effect large contracts can have on some players. He blames the players' union for fighting against a strong drug program which has ultimately harmed players who play by the rules. Coleman considers Aaron to be the all-time home run leader with Maris to be the home run leader for a single season. This book is light easy reading, and I enjoyed reading about one of the bubble gum cards of my youth.

5 comments about Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest.

1. I have read many mountain climbing books and this is one of the best. It is such a refreshing perspective from the sherpa's eye view. A great read.



2. This book recounts the 1996 memoirs of Jamling Norga, son of Tenzing Norgay. In 1953, Tenzing Norgay was one member of the two-man team that first made it to the top of Mt. Everest. Jamling, who was born after Tenzing's historic climb, felt drawn to follow in his footsteps from the time he first understood his father's place in the world. In this book, he details the events leading to his own successful ascent up Mt. Everest. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons his father tried to teach him about ethics, culture, and life. Tenzing had once forbidden Jamling to climb the mountain, telling him that he climbed Everest so that Jamling wouldn't have to. But that's not how it works between sons and fathers--there are some lessons a son must learn solely through personal experience, and no amount of advice or urging will dissuade him from a path he is determined to take.
   
   In this book, Jamling recounts how his family lamas prognosticated a very dangerous season on Mt. Everest. As it turned out, Jamling would lose many friends on the mountain that year, all strong, experienced climbers. Although he had not been a member of the fated climbing teams that were decimated during those fateful days in May, 1996, he retells the stories of their tragic deaths as he witnessed the events unfold from the intermediate camps high on the mountain. All of these stories he tells from his unique vantage point as a Sherpa, a Buddhist, born and raised in India, and educated in the West. Thus, this book is quite different from the average climbing adventure story. It is as much a cultural adventure, a search for identity, and a tale of religious awakening with the Everest climb providing the backdrop.



3. Excellent book! The way I view it, it's 3 books in 1: a book about Tenzing's climb and personal life told by his
   son, a book about his son's 1996 climb and his life and thoughts, and a book on Sherpa's life and Buddhist
   customs. I really enjoyed reading it. The photographs include some photos of Tenzing as well.



4. Nor what I expected and rather a disappointment, this books seems to be a local writer and a son cashing in on the family name. There is little excitement or depth of character exhibited here and the work seems unlikely to be that of a man Himalayan born and bred. Who actually wrote these words ? Whose thoughts are they ? Not Sherpa thoughts I think.
   Far better is another book I have just read - Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest by Tenzing's grandson, Tashi - an uplifting and honourable book about the Sherpas. It is simple and seems to me to truly represent the Sherpa viewpoint. This guy seems to be a true climber and talks like one. A far better book than Jamling's.



5. This book was absorbing emotionally and stimulating intellectually. It is the only book about the 1996 Mount Everest disaster written by a Sherpa, the indigenous people who work as porters and guides for commercial expeditions. I have read about five of the books written after the disaster, and wondered about the Sherpa point of view as there was surprisingly little mention of them.

   The other books only mentioned them in passing and in terms of what the Sherpas did for the expedition. Jamling Tenzig Norgay, the author, experiences this attitude. After the disaster, he and his team stay at Base Camp. He wrote, "The other Sherpas were hanging out in a depressed funk. Some of them hadn't gotten so much as a thank-you from the guided clients whom they assisted down the mountain, often after exceptional struggle. The clients simply disappeared, some without saying goodbye. We notice this kind of behavior."

   Norgay was skeptical about Buddhism at the beginning of the climb- but gradually came to believe in it. He requests and receives divinations from llamas- and uses their information as part of his decision-making. The book provides fascinating beginner's information that is accessible to someone like me who is just learning about Buddhism. He describes spirituality in a practical matter.
   

   For example, he says, "in the icefall, as in the mountains, we hope we have been imbued with enough tsin-lap to handle any situation. Tsin-lap is roughly translated as "blessing", but it really means the mental ability and strength to allow our minds to be changed in the direction of complete awareness. When we pray to the wisdom deities, to the Buddhas, we pray for tsin-lap." He talks about the fact that he and the other Sherpas who carry loads for the team hike over each trail numerous times. This improves their athletic ability and knowledge of the mountain.

   Norgay, spent over a decade in the United States and was also deeply familiar the clients who were paying to climb the mountains who were mostly from industrialized countries. The author does not idealize the Sherpas. He describes the positive parts of their culture, but also tells the reader that the main reason they are on the mountain is as a profession. It is to earn money. He explains that many of the Sherpas risked their lives for their clients during the disaster. But some expected a large award to be posted on the radio. It is not clear whether they might have saved the lives of their guide had an award been offered. Wong Chu, the sirdar responsible for logistics, kept a stick in the kitchen and "would whack miscreant Sherpas on the butt when they acted up. `You came here to do work.' he would say loudly."

   Norgay is the son of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hillary on the first successful attempt of the summit of Mount Everest. His story is interwoven with his father's story. And by the end of the book, you can see that the son had climbed two mountains- a real one and the metaphorical on that each of us must climb to integrate our past with our present and future.