4 comments about Fast Lane to Victory: The Story of Jenny Thompson (Anything You Can Do... New Sports Heroes for Girls).

1. Swimming is a sport that attracks so many girls, and this book can help them get a picture of what it means to be a champion. It is an easy read. It reaveals some of the things she struggled with in her life as she grew up. We used this book to write a biography report. The appendix has a list of highlights of Jenny's career, and a history of women's swimming. I also appreciate the "Sports Talk" section that is a spring board for discussing (1) dealing with disappointment, (2)body image, (3) competitive anxiety, (4) benefits of Sports participation for girls, and (5) other general questions about competing in sports.



2. This book is a great idea. Jenny Thompson is a great choice for an inspirational story for young athletes, but the book is sub-par. The artwork is embarrassingly bad, using crude line drawings. Important obstacles are mentioned without fully being explained as to how they impacted Thompson or how she overcame them. Jenny Thompson's is an inspiring story worthy of a better book



3. I love this book! It's a great story of how sports can shape your life in a positive way. Swimmers and non-swimmers alike will be inspired by Jenny's story. This great book is now available as an e-book for those of you who can't find a copy of the original printing. You can order here from amazon.com, the isbn is B0001GDOUQ.



4. Fast Lane To Victory is the third in Wish Publishing's outstanding "Anything You Can Do...New Sports Heroes For Girls" series and the story of swim champion Jenny Thompson. Swimming was what Jenny like best, but when her friends at school started to tease her and call her "tomboy" and "Too Tall Thompson", she felt the pressures placed on a lot of young girls to conform to social norms of what was "proper" for girls. Jenny dealt with the negative peer pressure and became so successful as an athlete that she came to be called the "Fastest Swimmer in the World". Also very highly recommended for school and community library collections are the first two volumes in this superbly presented and inspiring sports oriented series for girls: A Drive To Win: The Story Of Nancy Lieberman (40-8, ...) and Sword Of A Champion: The Story Of Sharon Monplaisir (39-4, ...).

5 comments about To the Linksland: A Golfing Adventure.

1. Before he undertook the real world of work and marriage, Michael Bamberger embarked on his own golfing journey, first signing on as caddy for an idiosyncratic European Tour journeyman, then pursuing his own golfing muse in Scotland. In a relatively slim volume, Bamberger captures and conveys the feel of the European Tour and its personalities, from the literate caddy's point of view; and his own experience with a legendary teacher is no less than a love letter to the birthplace of golf. You will reread it often to remind yourself why golf is a wonderful game, like any love affair equal measures of rapture and despair. And you will make gifts of it to your friends, because Bamberger says it all as we wish we could.



2. The best book I've ever read -- not just the best golf book. If you're a hardcore golfer, this book will touch your soul and give you the chills -- and leave you burning to play more golf.



3. Go ESPN, Golfweek, Golfdigest, Golf Channel website and see for yourself what this slimy so-called reporter did to 16 years old kid.



4. I am a woman and a beginning golfer, but I am married to someone who has played since he was ten. We just returned from a trip to Scotland. I took this book to read since I saw that it had chapters on several courses that my husband planned to play.
   I was quite literally swept away by the beautiful writing, something I had not expected in such a book. I found myself reading passages aloud to my husband because I wanted to share Bamberger's insights. He touches on the psychological, and, dare I say, mystical underpinnings of golf. He yearns to find lessons for living a more fulfilling life through the search for excellence. I found myself rooting for Michael as he leaves his caddy job on the European tour to pursue his dream.
   Who hasn't yearned to follow a dream? Bamberger does just that for seven months and he lets us tag along.
   This is a book for anyone who aspires to improve, whether it be a golf swing or a craft. It uses golf to show us a way to approach life.
   Highly recommended.



5. This is a solid book for the hardcore golf reader. The author takes a leave of absence from his regular journalism job to "search for the primal heart of golf," combining the two common "golf road book" genera in one slim volume: (1) my life as a pro tour caddy; and (2) how I found religion playing the links courses of Scotland. Fortunately, Bamberger is an excellent writer and storyteller, and the pages fly by.

5 comments about Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America.

1. In his usual, thorough and mesmerizing manner, Stanton takes us thru the times of one of baseball's true heroes. Aaron emerges at once a hero AND a normal man with wants, fears and determined expectations lived under the canopy of the race issue. This book is one that is easily read because Stanton makes the progression to the final home run go swiftly. But he includes statistics and surprises which make each page worth the close scruitiny required if a reader is to get the full meaning of Hank Aaron's life and his importance to America's Game. This is a book I'm saving for my young grandson to read and before he is old enough to appreciate it's impact, I'm going to enjoy reading it again!



2. Early last summer, I walked out of a Vermont bookstore with a copy of Hank Aaron and the Home Run that changed America by Tom Stanton. I wanted to learn about Aaron and his quest to break Babe Ruth's all-time career home run record. About nine months later, I picked the book up and began reading it. I learned more about those two heart wrenching years than I ever thought I could. I also realized that I had just read one of the greatest sports books ever.
   There are three main reasons why I consider this book to be one of histories greatest. The first is that it only chronicled the two years Aaron was chasing Ruth's coveted record. Most other sports books I've read, including Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy by Jane Leavy and Derek Jeter: The Life You Imagine By Jack Curry and Jeter himself both told of the life stories of the athlete the book portrayed. This book is one of the only sports biographies that doesn't tell about an athletes entire life. Although it did tell of Aaron's personal life during those two years, including his marriage to wife Billye Williams, and his childhood inspirations from Jackie Robinson in the first chapter, it is almost entirely about "the chase".
   Another reason I enjoyed this book so much, is that it kept interviewing and talking to the same characters, including teammate Dusty Baker and manager Eddie Mathews. With this, not only were you connecting with and watching Aaron grow, but also you saw what happened to his friends throughout all of the two years. With other books, you'll be lucky to hear about a sub-character, or read an interview from the same person mabey on two pages tops.
   The third and final reason this is the best sports novel ever is because it showed how hard it was to mentally survive the two record breaking seasons. It told of all the death threats, hate mail, and concerns Aaron had for his family. It also told about kidnappings that were going on at the same time that made him so cautious.
   I hope by posting this book review that I have intrigued some of you sports fans to pick up a copy of Hank Aaron and the Home Run that changed America. After reading it you all will agree that this book is not only one of the greatest sports books ever, but one of the greatest books in history as well.



3. Author Tom Stanton provides a straightforward account of Hank Aaron's chase of Babe Ruth's home run record during the 1973-74 seasons. The book is partly about baseball but more about Aaron the man, plus his life under pressure from a combination of fan adoration, media crush, and racist hate mail. Imagine being constantly surrounded by adoring fans, and even having tour busses stop in front of your house. Imagine facing hordes of reporters before and after every game, or playing the outfield after receiving death threats. Most fans supported Aaron, but some responded in a vile manner. Like millions of other kids I watched his record-breaking homer on TV, and then was surprised to hear Aaron say moments later, "Thank God it's over." After reading this book, one can see why Aaron said that.
   
   The author might have given more attention to U.S. life circa 1973-1974, the coming of free agency, and how most of the sellout crowd that night left the ballpark not that long after Aaron's fourth-inning homer. Still, this is a very readable look at one of baseball's most famous moments, and one of the game's most inspiring stars.



4. Three-and-a-half stars, actually.
   
   Tom Stanton takes us back to 1973 (with a little of '72 and '74 thrown in, of course) to tells us the story of Hank Aaron and his record-breaking 715th home run to break Babe Ruth's record. We follow Aaron through the '73 season, tracking his progress and following the reaction of everyone to his home run. For the most part, the reaction is favorable, but there are many examples of hateful sentiments in the form of letters and catcalls. We also read background on Aaron's career and life, with emphasis on the unfortunate impact of race on not only Aaron, but also baseball in general.
   
   Stanton's book was quite good, and I enjoyed reading it, but I couldn't help feeling like there was something missing. A good baseball book presents the story in a straightforward, professional manner that tells you what you need to know. A great baseball book, though, does that and then gives you more, a little bit of heart, something that takes the story beyond just what happened and gives you a feeling for the subject matter. Stanton just couldn't get to the level of great, he created a skillful portrait of Aaron and he effectively captured the time, but there was still something more he left out. I felt like everything turned out too sunny in the end, that there was more to the bad side (as much as many would not want to dwell on that) that would be key to capturing the story.
   
   Despite my complaints, though, this was a good book and well worth any baseball fan's time.



5. Like author Tom Stanton, I was a little boy when Henry Louis Aaron was closing in on baseball's crown jewel record: Babe Ruth's 714 home runs. I lived in Forest Park, Georgia, about 12 miles south of Atlanta Stadium, and I had the good fortune to be able to see about a half dozen of Mr. Aaron's home runs in person. I played with the other boys in our neighborhood, and when the Braves were playing we always had the radio on. We could talk and joke and laugh through the rest of the game, but our voices would hush when Milo Hamilton would tell us "Aaron is on deck". Hank would come to the plate and our room would erupt with joy if we got to hear Milo's typical home run call. "There's a long drive.... It's going back.... WAY back.... It's OUT of here! Home Run number 683 for Henry Aaron!"
   
   Anyway - I had to begin this review by admitting what a HUGE hero Hank Aaron is in my life.
   
   All that being said, this book is both very informative and disappointingly bland. It was good to hear the names of those Braves from the past - in particular Aaron progeny Dusty Baker and Ralph Garr. Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson who joined Aaron as the only 3 teammates in history to hit 40 home runs the same year. (1973, the year before historic #715). Eddie Matthews, who was once Hank's teammate, the two teammates with the most life-time home runs, then served as Hank's manager during the years that make up the bulk of the book. Hall of Fame teammates Phil Niekro and Warren Spahn. Hall of Fame opponents like Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver and Don Sutton.
   
   Most enlightening were the details of the paths Hank followed behind Jackie Robinson as a ground-breaking African-American excelling in the National Pasttime. Most heart-breaking were the tales of hate mail and death threats that he received every day. To right-thinking people it is inconceivable that a man could receive death threats only because he was doing his job as well as any person had ever done it.
   
   The four stars are because I didn't come close to receiving the same thrill that this same material could have given me if presented properly. Stanton is a terrific researcher, but his writing style feels clinically cold. If America is a country of "Tall Tales" and our best legends are the real living ones, then certainly Hank Aaron must be one of America's Greatest Heroes by any definition. Stanton says as much in this book, but there's what you say, then there's how you say it. Nonetheless, this is the best record I know of covering these events, and I'd call it "required reading" for anyone wanting to know about Hammering Hank.

5 comments about Britney Spears' Heart to Heart.

1. Knowing what I know now, I feel bad for her. You could tell by reading it that she was getting tired of it. It is a good book and an inside look to how her "life" was in the beginning. Just wish she would have backed out OR at least listened to what she had wrote about.



2. The book is boring, and by buying it you are feeding the all time Hollywood mashine.... and make more profit for Britney ( does she need more money, than what she has? and still not happy? my suggestion she she should try an ordinary 8am-5pm job. Don`t waste your money. It is time for her to grow up.



3. I read this book to know Britney Spear life and I'm not dissapont. She tells a lot of her stories and she work very hard to be famous star in world. Her mother also wrote the book together and she is good model for Britney Spear. These womens have feet on ground and strong value. Iam very happy that Britney will now have her baby and be good mother like Lynn. Well done Britney!



4. Britney Spears as you already know is sweet, sensitive, and caring. This book broadcasts that. Its genuinly a good book. I wish I could write something like that!!!!



5. Not only is this a good item 4 Britney fanz, but also 4 motherz and daughterz. It tells otherwise untold tales about Britney, and what goes on in her life. It also shares advice for parents and teens about family realtionships.

No comments about Roger Staubach Captain America: Captain America Personal Memories and Anecdotes About the Super Bowl-Winning Quarterback of America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys (Great American Sports Legends Series).

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

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



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



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



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



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

No comments about David Beckham (Amazing Athletes).

No comments about The Heart of a Champion: My 37-Year War Against Heart Disease.

5 comments about How You Play the Game: Lessons for Life from the Billion-Dollar Business of Sports.

1. I read this book by 10 July 2005. What I remember most from this book is how the author seized upon the opportunities that came his way and grew it into the empire that he has today. A classic American success story. More "down-to-earth" than, say, how Gates or the Google guys got made.



2. I recommend this book for people who want motivation to do better in life.jerry calangello shares his road to the to.because of his desire and dedication he was able to go from working at a rental shop to becoming a multi millionaire businesman.



3. this book was good i would recamend this book to anyone how would enjoy a good read. Jerry Colangelo tells you how to have success in the business world. i am thinking about telling my brother to read it it is that good. he also tells you about the odds and ends to working in teh business world but it looks like he did a goo job sofar.but last but not least this was a goo book and i hope you would read it .



4. Jerry Colangelo delivers absolutely the most powerful message in his new book, "How You Play The Game," which is, you can't have success without giving. Colangelo discusses a wide range of topics that helped him get to where he is today. He discusses forming partnerships, being a good person before becoming a role model, and staying focused. Jerry Colangelo is definitely an inspiration to me, and I believe all that he says is true!



5. The book How You Play The Game by Jerry Colangelo, is a boring book that is really not that interesting. It is pretty boring. Economics books is really not for me. This book is actually better than the ones I have read. Jerry tells us basically about his life. How he became a multi-millionair from being poor. I would recomend this book to any one that is interested in sports.

5 comments about King of the Cowboys.

1. I have always been a huge Ty Murray fan as he embodies all the things any athlete should strive to emulate. He is not bragging at all in this book, simply listing the facts as they actually happened. Ty didn't just stumble onto the sport of rodeo, he was passionate about it from a very young age. He didn't reach the professional level by pure talent, he relentlessly trained and practiced throughout his entire career. The true Ty Murray fans will love the detail with which he describes his accomplishments and his struggles. You have the chance to see his true character as he struggles back from FOUR back to back injuries. His injuries (both shoulders and both knees) would have been career ending for almost any other athlete. However he worked harder than ever through three years of rehab and intense training to come back and still be at the top of his game.
   When Ty decided to stop riding it wasn't because his skill level was declining, it was because he drive to win and to compete just wasn't there anymore. Ty doesn't believe in doing anything half-heartedly and if he wasn't going to go out there and try to win every round of every event then he decided he shouldn't be competing anymore.
   This book is a great lesson in dedication and the hard work it takes to be a champion.



2. When I first saw the reviews for this book I shied away from it but then I decided to form my own opinion. I'm glad I did. Not only was it a look into his life but I also got a glimpse of other greats like Cody Lambert, Tuff Hedeman and Lane Frost. I don't believe he was bragging but saying things as they are. It's a very positve book and I had my teenage sons read it. He talks about living your dreams and doing your best. I think it's awesome he went to college and graduated cum laude. He has lived a most interesting and busy life. I don't know about "King of the cowboys" but he's most certaintly at the top the list.



3. I used to be a Ty Murray fan and then I read this book. Where is the the tough but humble image that cowboys are famous for? And what is all of this about chasing down wild elk on snowmobiles? Perhaps he was coming off a three-kegger-Friday and didn't know what the heck he was doing! Or, more than likely, we can attribute his embarrassing behavior to one too many hits in the head by a well-meaning bucking bull.
   
   Give me Dan Mortensen, the great Saddle Bronc champion. Give me Larry Mahan, the man who had all the records (and appropriate behavior) before Murray came along. And, given the track that he is on, Trevor Brazile, probably the greatest roper in rodeo history, is sure to break Murray's records in the All Around category. It will be good to forget Murray.
   
   THE HORSEMAN



4. I'm amazed at how well Ty packed his life into such a neat little package. I feel as though I grew up next to him and followed his progress as close as a proud parent. Any rider with so many marked achievements is going to have positive and motivating things to say and though this may draw fire from some, I feel it's well deserved. If you are good enough to rack up the wins as consistently and methodically as Ty did, then you are good enough to be admired and ignore the sour grapes. Once again, I feel as though I were standing right beside Ty from the time he was a toddler to the day he retired from rodeo and I was able to cheer and cry at the appropriate times. I recommend this book to anyone interested in either Rodeo or Good Sportsmanship. Ty shows how hard work, taking responsibility, passion and determination pay off in the end and provides a good role model to all.



5. Ty Murray's undeniable talent starts and ends with staying atop bucking animals. In his self-patronizing autobiography, this spoiled rodeo superstar proves to be a redneck in the worst sense of the word, not a "cowboy" as he claims. His description of the time he chased down the elk on a snowmobile and then rode the exhausted animal in the deep Colorado snow would have been a mature mea culpa had he not used the incident instead to lash out at the wildlife officer and the newspaper reporter for doing their jobs and exposing him as a creep in a cowboy hat.