5 comments about Keep it Simple.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, lots of laughs and an easy read! I highly recommend it!



2. I thought Keep It Simple was excellent. I like the way that Terry Bradshaw seems not to take himself seriously. He appears to be very involved with his daughters. That is really to his credit since a lot of fathers tend to not be involved in their children's lives after a divorce. I wish the best for Terry in the future.



3. Book was exactly as info stated. Excellent condition. Impressed with fast service (especially noting it was the busy Christmas season). Have not read book yet, but glancing thru, I know I will be pleased.



4. I checked this book out from the local library on a lark and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am not a huge football fan or a Terry Bradshaw fan, but I laughed a lot while reading this book. A friend of mine told me his doctor recommended it for stress relief (laughter as medicine) and I can understand why. If you like football even a little bit, or Terry Bradshaw just a little bit, you should enjoy reading this.



5. This was a great book about Terry Bradshaw's life. I really enjoyed reading it. It touched on his life as a Pittsburgh Steeler, his failed marriages & the great love for his kids. Good reading.

5 comments about The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball (Dell Yearling Biography).

1. Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man In Baseball is a biography about how he became the first African-American to play in the MLB. It starts out in Jackie's childhood in Georgia. When he was a kid he was good at all different kinds of sports such as basketball and track. When he played sports he always picked the little kids who weren't as great as everyone else so he could help them improve. Every kid on the block wanted to play on his team.
   I think Margaret Davidson's message was you can do what ever you set your mind to. Meaning if you want to be the first woman in the MLB you can. You just have to be ready for what's in store for you just like Jackie.
   I liked this book a lot because baseball is my favorite hobby. I also like to read about some of my favorite baseball players. I loved this so much because I can relate to a lot of this book. And I got to learn all about the great Jackie Robinson.



2. The Story of Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man in Baseball is about the struggles of one black man who never gave up. Jackie Robinson was a great athlete in college but he couldn't play Major League baseball because of the color of his skin. When Jackie Robinson played on the Brooklyn Dodgers he was part of the "Noble Experiment" and his teammates were unfriendly. Also fans yelled slurs at Jackie. In 1947 Jackie Robinson won Rookie of the year and the admiration of the American people. I recommend this book because it tells how Jackie Robinson was a great athlete and a brave person.



3. The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball is about the struggles of one black man who never gave up. Jackie Robinson was a great athlete in college and wanted to go to the Major's but they wouldn't let him because he was black. The general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey took a chance on Jackie. Rickey said would let him play if he didn't fight back over racial slurs and attacks. This was known as the "Noble Experiment". Jackie's team looked down on him and fans harassed him because of the color of his skin. At last everybody realized Robinson was a great guy and that the color of a person's skin doesn't mater. In the end Jackie Robinson won the admiration of all American people. I think that you should read this book because it shows someone with great courage.



4. The Story of Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man in Baseball is about Jackie Robinson overcoming the struggle of racism. In college Jackie Robinson was a great athlete who was good at a lot of sports. No black was allowed in the major leagues. But one day Branch Rickey asked Jackie to be in the major leagues and then that started the Noble experiment. At first the fans yelled racial slurs. In 1947 he became Rookie of the year. I recommend the book Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man in Baseball, to any baseball fan because it tells all about Jackie�s career and struggles.



5. The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man In Baseball is about a black man who never gave up. Although Jackie Robinson was a great college athlete he couldn't play in the Major Leagues because he was black. This was very unfair but one luckily day Jackie met a man named Branch Rickey who thought black men should be able to play baseball with white men. Branch Rickey was the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers and was willing to let Jackie on the team. This made Jackie very pleased. However, the Brooklyn Dodgers were not very kind to Jackie. But he lived through all this and won many different titles. I think you should read this book because it tells a true story about an African American hero!

1 comments about Vagabond Halfback: The Life and Times of Johnny Blood McNally.

1. Johnny Blood McNally is one of those legendary sports heroes whose story and public image is larger than life, but this carefully researched and well written book presents the background, the context, and the complexity of character that gives a full picture of a real human being. Not only does the reader learn about McNally, but one also gets a sense of the values and social environment that gave such characters a place on the stage of public life. Anyone with an interest in the history of football, or who would like a window into the generation that came of age after World War I and were the sports heros during the depression will enjoy this book. And if you're a fan of the Green Bay Packers - a must read.

5 comments about Catcher In The Wry.

1. If you only read one baseball book before you die, this must be the one. You'll pass on with a huge grin on your face.



2. Hilarious, wild and wooly tales from the great Bob Uecker. This book was really funny and reads like standup comedy. "Sporting goods companies started paying me NOT to use their products."
   
   Uke's yarn-spinning machine is at full tilt; as he touches on the antics of teammates, managers, coaches, front office, broadcast partners, and most of all HIMSELF. Great stuff! Even the photo section is funny. This man needs to write more books.



3. Bob Uecker was not a great baseball player, but he is an entertaining man. Still doing play by play for his hometown Brewers, Uecker is still a recognizable member of the baseball landscape. He is recognizable for his sense of self-deprecating humor, not his baseball talent.
   
   From growing up in Milwaukee to breaking-in with his hometown team on the field than in the booth, Uecker collected some entertaining stories until this book's publication in 1983. The stories of the guy who makes it big are quite common. But this book is great not because Uecker became a great ball player, but because he adapted to the chances life gave him. His talent wasn't playing baseball, it was his wit and understanding of the game.
   
   Rather that recount each of the humorous stories Uecker told, I would encourage baseball fans to give this book a look. I only hope Uecker updates his book in the future with more entertaining tales.



4. Hilarious. Uecker the practical joker. Even non-baseball fanatics will enjoy this book. I don't think his on the field antics would be tolerated today. Granted, many of the actions by him and his teammates were over the top, but maybe we need a little more of that individuality in baseball today. (That does not include steroids. Hank Aaron was not a large man by any means.) Along with the spirit they had, with less emphasis on how many millions I need, maybe I would have a different outlook on what the game has become.



5. I recently heard Bob Uecker speak with Vin Scully in the booth during a ball game. He told his signing bonus story and I determined then and there to find out if he'd written a book and if so, to read it. I'm very glad I did. I don't think I've ever had so much fun just reading a book. Uecker talks about his life in baseball and broadcasting. Pictures are included. You don't want to read this book when you are alone. You are going to need another person close by to whom you can read passages aloud. A book for sharing.

1 comments about Steelers Glory: For the Love of Bradshaw, Big Ben and the Bus.

1. The Book I was Dissapointed
   This was not worth the Money to buy
   
   There are only a few words on each of the pages
   It is written like You was In Grade School
   No Story in it just little quotes and quips.
   And remarks about the Players.
   You could have this read in 20mins.

5 comments about Oyama: The Legend, the Legacy.

1. The book is OK if you do not know about Mas Oyama. The problem that I found; the writer repeats some parts in some chapters



2. Unfortunately Michael L. Lorden's, "Mas Oyama: The Legend, the Legacy" falls short of its intended target.
   
   Michael L. Lorden begins his book on a positive note, but unfortunately seems to lose his way in portraying the life of Masutatsu Oyama, one of the greatest martial artist of our time. Lorden collects some important facts about Mas Oyama and his karate, but there is very little new information on Mas Oyama's life.
   
   I, like many other admirers, looked forward to reading more of the younger Yong I Choi (Oyama's birth name, in Korea), but there was little written on his youth in this book. Lorden scarcely touches upon Mas Oyama's Korean family, his childhood or teen-age years, his schooling or education, his friends, hobbies - apart from his love of reading, his short-lived military career, etc.
   
   Masutatsu Oyama was undoubtedly one of the world's great martial artists and the founder of Kyokushin Karate, a formidable style that stressed full contact kumite with no protective gear. Mas Oyama was regarded as a true master because he practiced what he preached and preached what he practiced - he lived the life of a true martial artist. His devotion to his Kyokushin Karate was everything to him. Mas Oyama first exhibitions in the United States flabbergasted audiences and martial artists alike. Mas Oyama's extraordinary speed, inconceivable power, and unwavering spirit were recognized throughout the martial arts world. His forceful demonstrations illustrated to all the grand possibilities of Kyokushin Karate and karate in general. The author tells us of Oyama's "uchi-deshi program" wherein a selected few students are permitted to spend three years at his honbu in pursuit of excellence in Kyokushin Karate. Few students made it into his program and even fewer graduated from it.
   
   Any individual that is a product of the 60s and was interested in, or practiced, a martial art was very familiar with Sosai Masutatsu Oyama's karate. You Knew of his exploits with bulls, his open challenges to all fighters (whatever their fighting style), his breaking of boards, roof tiles, blocks of ice, rocks, bricks, and his ability to chop the neck off of a bottle without knocking the bottle over. People were also aware of Mas Oyama's devotion, philosophy, and maxims on karate and on life.
   
   In "Mas Oyama: The Legend, the Legacy", Lorden writes on Mas Oyama's way of life; the value he placed on self-discipline, perseverance, goodness, civility, respect, devotion, and arduous training. Unfortunately, Lorden presents no new biographical footprints to Mas Oyama's past. Whereas other biographers utilize research, archival documents, interviews . . . in order to uncover new insights into their subjects, Lorden is content to put together a book with a conglomeration of previous and well-known facts on Mas Oyama. Lorden does not follow any particular pattern in his writing - he jumps back and forth and uses too much repetition in his writing.
   
   "Mas Oyama: The Legend, the Legacy" is a good book for those unfamiliar with the life of Masutatsu Oyama, but for those who are acquainted with Mas Oyama's life, Michael L. Lorden book offers no new material or insights.



3. the problems with this book have already been addressed by other reviewers for the most part. the author is a terrible writer, and the book repeats itself all the way through. the book is very short. the author is a fanboy and writes like one, with no thought given to an unbiased look at oyama. all in all a pitiful book, 0 out of 5 stars.



4. Interesting story about Mas Oyama. I enjoyed reading about my sosai, but first of all the book is quite short. I read it in one evening. It will take at most two if you have other things to attend to. Second, add to the brevity of the book, it is very repetitious. And as most of the repetition is about the "legendary exploits of the godlike Oyama", you'll soon start feeling like you're going to throw up your lunch. When you just think you've seen the last of it, another chapter starts by reciting how many challenge fights and how many bulls Oyama has beaten and how many months he trained inhumanly in the mountains and so on. Just too much of repetition for such a short book overall. I've also heard rumours that there are some factual errors in the book, but don't have any further info about them. Some obvious typoes are repeated throughout the book (like goju-ryu is spelled gojo-ryu). Also, quite an amount of the book focuses on other aspects than Oyama, things like the different kinds of sparring practice and the different master instructors and tournament champions of kyokushinkai. Perhaps the book should've been named "Oyama and His Karatekai". It definitely should've been longer and less repetitious.



5. As a new student of the Kyokushin style of karate, I looked around for biographical information on Mas Oyama, it's founder. This book, while it covers basic facts and offers a few interesting stories, was not written well. Chapter by chapter, the author repeats himself, sometimes almost word-for-word paragraphs at a time. It's disjointed, almost as though the chapters were written as individuals essays, then the whole lot thrown together for publication. He keeps jumping forward and back in time, making any chronology difficult to follow. It's a decent introductory read, but I'm going to look elsewhere for a real biography.

5 comments about Bury Me in a Pot Bunker.

1. Pete Dye has long been one of my favorite course designers and this book gave me some great insight into the mind of a master. I recommend this book to anyone who has played one of his courses and cursed Dye's name, it will make you appreciate all the design elements that you may have missed.



2. You are going to love this book despite if you are a golf lover or not. It's the story of some of Pete Dye best golf courses described in a chapter base. Those who know Pete will enjoy the book since it is like talking to him in person because of the simplicity of the words chosen and the graphical description that he makes of how each course was conceived.
   
   The story of the famous island green 17th at the Stadium Course at TPC is one of a kind. I particularly enjoy the story of "Teeth of the Dog", a course that could hardly be replicated in history since it was practically built by hand decades ago at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. It is not only the best Golf Course in the Caribbean -according to Golf Digest and many other publications- but also the birthplace of golf in the DR at this enchanted destination. I consider this course as the "Prima Donna" of the Caribbean and one of the top 20 in any most play list. I hope that in a next edition he could also include one of his most recent courses "Dye Fore" also at this destination which I partially saw in the book Caribbean Architecture: Exclusive Designs by Gianfranco Fini in Marina Casa de Campo and has a breathtaking view all over the Chavon Cannon, the Casa de Campo Marina and, of course, the Caribbean Sea.
   
   Pete's book will help you understand why there is such connection between the player and his courses, how he makes it happened and best of all the anecdotes behind the creation of each one of them. This book is a keeper and it rating is 5 out 5 starts with any doubts. The pictures are touching; the text is like talking to Pete himself and; is a most for any golf aficionado.



3. Books by golf architects tend to be on the dull side for most people. They don't tell you a story of their development as architects, or how their courses evolved during the design phase, but just seem to begin and end with "see, wasn't this brilliant?"
   
   Pete Dye is something of a mystery to many. His designs are "unique", which can be bad or good for most people. Where did his ideas come from? What influences him the most? What stories are behind his greatest feats?
   
   In this one book, we get pleanty of answers, all in a tale that feels like you are sitting down and listening to it as it is being told. Even golfers tend to think course architecture is a dull subject, but hopefully this will change a few minds. Architecture isn't some great mysterious practice. It is an art, and the artist is often times less seperated from us than we care to imagine.



4. Having played several of Dye's famous layouts, you realize this guy knows the game and challenges all facets of your shotmaking abilities (or should I say streches them.) Enjoyed the organization by layout. Must seem like real chapters in his life. Great book from a great architect.



5. Some think Pete Dye's golf courses are tricky or too hard. The courses Pete designs are built to be fair but punnishing for the right reasons. Played right, Pete's courses offer memorable rounds to the golfer. Now, it's not Pete who designs the course but a strong team of Pete, his wife Alice and his sons Perry and P.B. (architects in their own right) as well as the site managers and crews that are hired to do the building.

   You'll learn that Pete designs courses on a sheet of paper and this is where his skills lie - understanding the land offered for the course and knowing how the wind and terrain will match in creating a great experience. Courses like PGA West, TPC Stadium (Sawgrass), The Pete Dye Club, Harbour Town and many others are discussed. One chapter per course.

   Pete talks to you in this book. It's not an interview but it is presented as if Pete is telling you his life's story.

   For a golfer looking for lessons, these are a different kind of lesson - from the eyes of a designer (and historically gifted golfer too). You will play better golf after you read this.

   When you play a Pete Dye course, you'll remember Pete's words and how Alice was a main contributor to the design you're playing.

5 comments about The Wildest Dream: The Biography of George Mallory.

1. I could not have been more disappointed. I have read many books on Mt Everest and other mountains. I love the subject. I also love the legends and stories of the early explorers and the more recent adventures on this mountain.
   
   For this reason, I could not have been more disappointed with this book. The author goes to great lengths to try to prove that Mallory was a homosexual or Bisexual. Page upon page is devoted to this issue and just when you think, "okay we got that out of the way, now can we read more about the man and his experiences" the author launches into yet another episode that "proves" Mallory had sex with men. I just kept thinking, "okay, who cares about that," can we get past that.
   
   I finally got so sick of the whole thing, probably because I was so excited to read about Mallory's mountain climbing life, that I gave up.
   
   Don't waist your money on this book unless you want to read all about Mallory's relationships with other men that just might prove he was gay....and then again, maybe he was just a guy who had some male friends.
   
   PS. I am not a homophone, just not interested in dwelling on the issue.



2. This biography of George Mallory written by Peter and Leni Gillman is excellent. It is exactly what it claims to be, so while climbing must be a part of any book about Mr. Mallory, this really is about the person who was a climber. This book ranges over his whole life; this is not an "Everest Book". The book does extensively document an enormous number of climbs he made, the first ascents, and of course the years he spent in his attempt to conquer Everest. The book does explore the question of whether or not he and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine were the first to Summit Everest, however like all other positions, the final proof is lacking and may or may not ever be found.

   If you are looking for a great book on its own, or as a companion to this work, "Ghosts of Everest: The Search For Mallory And Irvine", is excellent. This second book is a documentary of the expedition for the answers to the fate of the two climbers, and it is extremely well done. "The Wildest Dream" also does much to clarify the rock climbing abilities of Mr. Mallory, which some historians have called into question, and have used as a basis for their position he never made it. Both these books (for this non-climber) put this issue to rest.

   This book explores Mr. Mallory as a Family man, a Father, a Soldier, as well as the skills for which History remembers him. The Biography explored the vast differences between climbing as a sport today, and climbing as an activity dominated by a class system, that at times increased the danger of their activities. With any comparison today, the equipment, the risks that were taken, and the weather they survived with their primitive clothing, is nearly beyond belief. That Mallory, Irvine, and others reached such heights on Everest is nothing short of a type, effort, and endurance that put one in awe of these men.

   The book also deals with those who coped with the extremely long absences these attempts required. Mallory's Wife and Family played a large if intermittent role in his shortened life, they stood by and waited for him through World War I, and his Mountaineering. We gain insight into Mallory the Professor, and other aspects of his life that were unknown to me.

   After all the reading I have done it has become less an issue for me of whether the final piece of that last climb was completed. It is likely we may never know. But what Mallory and his friends did was so extraordinary, and so many years prior to the summit being reached, in many ways the final mystery may be more of a curiosity for the ages. For I believe what they did do, secures their place in History as extraordinary people.

   An extremely interesting, and well-documented Biography.




3. I absolutely loved this book. It was wonderful to read about the whole man, from his childhood to his young years, his family, his marriage and finally his travels and climbs to Everest and of course the times in which this happened. The title is so poetic and wonderfully fitting. He was not an obsessed loner but someone who shared many interests with other great women and men of his time. As a mother of children who are just starting out in school, I was surprised and interested in his teaching methods and musings about education and schooling. Some of his thoughts are mine exactly and this is almost 100 years later. He was a great writer and reading his letters is a pleasure in itself. I wish there would be a publication of all this writings. While his homosexual exploration certainly belongs to a full bio, I find the whole sexuality discussion rather unnecessary. I think his marriage and more so his and Ruth's relationship in itself is proof - at least to me - that George Leigh Mallory was not homosexual. I feel very sad for Ruth as her life turned out to be one of suffering. She lost her mother so early, then her husband and finally, just when she found happiness again, she does not get to live it out.

   I am puzzled by how easily the authors dismiss Mallory's technical abilities as insufficient for having made it to the top. While these first climbers may have certainly been inadequately dressed for the environment, I don't believe for a minute that these men were not fit or accomplished enough compared to today's climbers. Weeks on a boat, then travelling essentially on foot and horses made them fit enough (probably also by being able to acclimatize themselves for a much longer period than today)for any crack at the summit. This is a book about a man who dared to live his wildest dream against - finally - all odds and this story is worth being told.




4. Being someone with no interest in rock climbing, I doubted that I'd enjoy this book. Thank goodness I took the plunge anyway. Even if you have never seen a rock, this biography on George Mallory is a riviting read. Much emphasis is given to his early life as a school teacher, feminist, and friend to such luminaries as Duncan Grant, Robert Frost and Maynard Keynes. I cannot say enough about this lovely book.



5. The subtitle bills this book as "THE" Biography of Mallory, implying that it's intended to be definitive, and it is. The authors are especially thorough in their discussion of Mallory's sexuality, a subject that other biographies either ignore (like the proverbial elephant in the living room) or equivocate on. Their study of letters of the Bloomsbury set (including Mallory's own) pretty much settles the issue: the cover photograph is perhaps a hint of the revelations to come. The book concentrates on Mallory's personal life more than on the details of his last climb (readers interested in the vexed debate over whether he made the summit or not will be better served by Anker and Robert's or Hemmleb's books), but one couldn't ask for a better treatment of Mallory's character. One oddity: the index entries relating to pages 20-40 are jumbled (see, e.g. the entry for Graham Irving), perhaps indicating that major changes were made in this section after the book was in page proof? A puzzlement!

2 comments about Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler.

1. Jack Dempsey has always been my favorite boxer, , Randy Roberts did his home work before writing this wonderful book. He went into great detail, when Dempsey fought Firpo ,and when he lost his title to Gene Tunney.Anyone who enjoys reading about heavyweight champions from the past, will really love this book. i still go back and read my favorite chapters over again. Kenny Hetrick



2. Jack Dempsy: The Manassa Mauler by Randy Roberts (Professor of History, Purdue University) is a solidly written biography of the famous Heavyweight Champion of the World who held that title from 1919 to 1926. From Jack Dempsy's childhood and his rough-and-tumble beginning of a boxing career at 16; to his rise to the top -- and eventual defeat; to his retirement from boxing in 1940 with sixty-four victories (forty-nine of them by knockout), and more, Jack Dempsy: The Manassa Mauler is an excellent and very highly recommended contribution to Professional Boxing History, and a "must read" biography for dedicated fans of "the sweet science".

5 comments about Weekend Warriors: Men of the National Lacrosse League.

1. This was a very professionally written account of the lives of 15 very diverse people who also happen to be professional lacrosse players. The book really makes you view these athletes as interested in their sport, valued members of their community, and very different from the multi-million dollar primma donnas who play other professional sports. I definitely recommend this book.



2. This book is filled with stories of professional lacrosse players. The players are atypical from other professional sports players, who are often filled with self-admiration and greed. Yet, they are not exactly everyday people either. The players do have full time jobs and families, but many of them are in noble fields such as teaching, law enforcement, the armed forces, fire fighting... Of course, it takes a noble character to be devoted to such an underpaid and under-appreciated sport. The players sacrifice their bodies, time, and some family commitments for the love of their sport. The writing is clever, and the author gives good insight about the players' individuality, achievements, reminiscences, and dedication.



3. After the Duke Lacrosse scandal, it was refreshing to see an upbeat well-written book about lacrosse. These players truly honor their sport, and make the casual observer want to learn more. The stories were interesting, and it was a good overview of the NLL, and the players who make the league work. I really enjoyed it, and hope to see more books like it.



4. This book was interesting, insightful, and sometimes even funny when explaining the lives of 15 "ordinary" people who have jobs, wives, kids, and play professional lacrosse on the weekends. It makes you realize how different pro lacrosse is from other pro sports. (And I mean that in a good way.) The writing was clear and engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.



5. It was great to finally read a good book on professional lacrosse. The writing was interesting and insightful, and provided a good mix of lacrosse history combined with people who play the game. I would definitely recommend this book for the lacrosse fanatic, or even the casual observer. I enjoyed it!