5 comments about Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest.

1. For a real life story it does not get much more real than this, a passion becomes an obsession that takes away the hero status that he was aiming for in the first place? . I found it easy to read. A bit of soft filling in the middle and couldn't really relate to the relationship with his wife.



2. As one of the other reviewers had written, I too have becme nearly obsessed with the events surrounding the tragic events of May 1996. I have read every book I can find on the subject.
   
   Dr. Weathers book is very well written. It gives perspective from his wife and friends view as they waited his return and the sadness and then apprehension when they find he is still alive but in dire trouble.
   
   I'd highly recommend this book. it is inspirational - his courage - his acceptance of what happened.



3. If you like to read about real mountaineering, try a book by Joe Simpson or Jon Krakauer. If you want to read a book about a guy who blows off his family to climb, and all the damage he does because of it, then this book is ideal for you.
   
   I was hoping to read a survival story, instead I got family dynamics.



4. The book is OK.I like to know all the book about 1996 Everest disaster.The middle part of book - about Beck life history - was boring.The climbing parts were OK.In my opinion the best book was "The Climb"



5. If you, like me, are an avid armchair mountaineer, gripping your cup of hot chocolate at the risk of either spilling your drink or breaking the cup as the National Geographic Channel or Discovery Times takes you over the breathtaking vistas of the Seven Summits; and if you, like me, stop to read or listen to every story of the mighty Everest and the hundreds of people who've braved its summit since Tenzing Norgary Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hilary cut the ribbon, you're bound to be drawn to this book. And certainly if you, like me, know by name everyone on Rob Hall's and Scott Fischer's teams in 1996...those who perished, and those who survived, along with a preview of the breathtaking tale Beck Weathers tells here of his rescue from the mountain, you may scratch your head in puzzlement when you realize that you are less than a third into "Left for Dead" when you've reached this point in the book. What more could there be to tell?
   
   Don't stop reading.
   
   First of all, Beck does a spectacular job, aided by his wife, now, who adds comments about how his obsession with climbing afffected the family, of his entire history of climbing, including the colorful characters and the close calls that accompany Beck and his companions during their climb. But now as he looks back, Beck is able to reflect on what he missed.
   
   Oh no. Is this turning into a screenplay for a chick flick? Well, not really. Or not entirely. But by the end, Beck has realized all that he came very close to losing ....even after the Everest climb...included much more than a hand, and was much more precious.
   
   Although I still would have liked a bit more build-up before the crisis on Everest, I thought this was a darned good book. I would not ask the author to lose any more extremities, but if he could manage to write another without losing one, that would be OK.

5 comments about Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery & My Return to the NFL.

1. Truly insperational. I love Tedy Bruschi and this shows the heart of a true sportsman and a great person. This book is easy to read and a must read if you are a PATS fan at all!



2. I haven't finished the book, but what i have read is excellent. It was well written, and I felt it explained in the details of his life.



3. I am a HUGE Patriots fan and i could not put this book down. I am 14 years old and i have to read every single night and i was excited when i started to read this book. This book makes you think about what you have and the things that you take for granted. Even though the patriots lost the super bowl i got over it quicker than i would of since i had just finished the book. I liked the insight on what goes on and what goes through the NFL players head. You have got to read this inspirational book!



4. I bought this book for my husband for Christmas. He has hardly put it down since he got it. I can't wait for him to finish so I can read it!



5. Bruschi inspires people, even those who aren't football fans, in this book that tells about what he went through when he had his stroke and the aftermath. I would even recommend this book for stroke survivors or people whose family or friends had a stroke.

No comments about Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage.

5 comments about Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top.

1. I've read Chuck, Matt and Tito's books, Randy, Ken and B.J.'s autobiographies in the beginning of their books, and this is the best (with Tito's a close second). Although I'm a big MMA fan, I was never a huge fan of Jens until this book. Jens could have turned out to be a janitor and this would still be an incredible story. I was surprised not only by his story, but his admirable honesty and humbleness with which this was written. Two thumbs up!



2. I am a mma fighter myself so that might be one reason i liked this book. But i would have to say this is my favorite book i have ever read. It literally had me wanting to read.(and i hate reading) I suggest anyone who likes mma or just fighting to get this book!



3. Very good read, it's a bit on the short side but very good. It's really great to get a chance to see inside the mind of someone who overcame what he did. It will change you view of "Lil Evil" and make you an instant fan.



4. After finishing within 2 days, I felt that it was very much more of a sob story than anything else. I am not trying to disrespect Jens. For those who want to read about Jen's past, this would fit the bill. It gives detailed account of his family life, school, financial situation etc. Perhaps for him, this was an especially emotional story hence certain people may not like this autobiography.



5. This book was more than I thought it would be. I really wanted to know about Jens Pulver but this book takes you on a wild ride that he calls life. I loved every minute of it and I couldn't put it down. After reading this book I have a new respect for Mr. Jens Pulver.

5 comments about Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, World War II, and the Long Journey Home.

1. Playing With The Enemy is a beautifully written account of a man's dream, never fully realized, and the benefits which were achieved as a result. It captures the "sports" interest, essential history of World War II, the choices that shaped one individual and his whole family. It is dialogue at its best, a statement of a son's gratitude to his father and a tremendously interesting story that might never have been revealed had not Gene Moore's final hours been a time of sharing with his son, Gary. The writing in this book is superb, and, being from a small town in Illinois myself, makes me proud that the story has been told. No one should miss this account because it is entertaining and it teaches. I encourage its reading with willingness to see one's self and to recognize that our dreams, though worthy, can be redirected to even greater attainment than we might have imagined. Thank you, Gary Moore, for a true story excellently presented for us all!
   
   Dr. David Lawson
   Retired Church of God National Executive
   Church of God, Anderson, Indiana



2. I loved this book!! It's a true story of Gene Moore who was a super baseball player and a super person. It shows how he cared about other people. Hard to put this one down. Can't wait to see the movie. A must read for anyone who enjoys a good book, this is it!!



3. Gary Moore's book is a gripping story that takes hold of any history or baseball fan. Even if you're not a fan of either one, it's still a great read. The way he tells the story makes you forget that it's a true story, and the way he blends the facts together into a brilliantly crafted story that will be loved for generations to come. Mr. Moore's wonderfully crafted novel made me want to learn more about the U-boats, and some day I'll make the trip to Chicago to see the real thing.
   
   To my friend: Wonderful job! Can't wait to read your next masterpiece!



4. This book is such a wonderful reflection of Sesser and the southern Illinois area. The hopelessness of the situation during those depression years but the constant strength and hope of the people who kept life from being hopeless is so evident and well described. As a native of the area, the joy and celebration when anyone makes it big or even almost makes it big is a truth that resonates with this writing. What a great task Gary Moore has completed in forcing his father to talk. What a wonderful job of writing this great book of memories, pain, joy and victory.



5. I read Playing With the Enemy after meeting the author at a bookstore. I was intrigued by the subject matter of the story as my father, like the author's, had been scouted and signed by the Dodgers and was ultimately 'unsigned' due to an injury, at about the same time in history that Gene Moore was. While the surface similarities of our fathers' stories introduced me to the book, I found much more between the lines. The story of Gene Moore's experiences is indeed heartwarming and poignant. The mood of the story stayed with me and I found myself pondering two sub-themes. The first is the relative ease with which two seriously opposing teams could "level the playing field" (pardon the pun) and find, through compromise and acceptance a commonality agreeable to all. This wasn't just an Army/Navy rivalry, but Navy/Nazi. In spite of opposition from the powers that be, one young man's dream and drive accomplished on a small scale that which would heal the world if the idea caught on! Imagine looking at the enemy and instead of seeing only ideologies and hatred, seeing another human being with basic human characteristics, fears, families etc. and building on those similarities. What a concept! The other theme that I felt as a subcurrent running through the story is the sadness of the silence of the father. What Gene Moore perceived in his own history as reason for shame, pain, and self doubt, his son Gary saw as inspiration for telling a story too big for him to keep inside. What if Gary had never heard it? Their story has inspired me to be more open with my own children about who I am and the events that helped to form me. Turns out...they really want to know. Playing With the Enemy is a little gem of a book. If you read it solely for the baseball and WWII stories you'll love it. But I would also suggest that you read it for the bigger lessons within. There can be extraordinary power in the commission of ordinary acts.

1 comments about Mark Spitz: The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion.

1. Great book on this Olympic icon. Very timely with the Olympics coming up. Don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy this book. Spitz was an amazing athlete and person and this book presents a lot of previously unkown stories about him.

5 comments about Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine.

1. This is one of the few negative reviews I have ever given. But I bought this book because I think Pre is interesting and I love Track and Field.
   
   This book is sooooo boring. I forced myself to finish after a few months of reading it on and off. This is basically a book just listing times from races and people talking about how much they loved Pre.
   
   Do NOT buy this book!



2. An avid runner, I enjoyed the book immensely. Read it before you hit the roads.



3. i am always interested in reading about successful athletes. pre was a great read, simple easy read, some great insight on pre from some of his running partners. i enjoy the statistics and he had many.



4. Taken too young from us - will always be a hero to us.
   Read this motivational book.



5. This is an excellent read for anyone. You don't have to know who Steve was to enjoy this book. The book has a lot of information and details that were not in the movies.

5 comments about When Pride Still Mattered : A Life Of Vince Lombardi.

1. This is the complete Vince Lombardi book. The author has left no stone unturned it seems and goes into great depth in looking at what made Lombardi tick.
   
   It is not a shrine to the greatness of Lombardi book, the author does write about the Coach's flaws (lack of attention to family) but it is so engrossing that I was upset when the final chapters on Lombardi's death were being read.
   
   Maybe the book is a smidgen too long, there were times that it seemed to drag a little but all in all, a great book.



2. Presidential biographer David Maraniss ("First in His Class") turned his attentions away from Washington, D.C., and towards Lambeau Field in this remarkable book. His subject was Coach Vince Lombardi, who took over a losing program and turned Green Bay, Wisconsin, the smallest market in professional sports, into "Title Town, U.S.A."
   
   Immediately prior to Lombardi's acceptance of the head coaching position, the Packers managed to win only a single game in an entire season. In short order, Lombardi made Green Bay synonymous with victory. The trophy given to the team that wins the Super Bowl is now named for Lombardi. The Packers won the inaugural Super Bowl and repeated the following year under their celebrated head coach.
   
   Lombardi was a star player for Fordham when that university still had a football program. He developed and refined his coaching abilities at the high school level and he was promoted to assistant coaching positions at the United States Military Academy (West Point) and with the New York Giants of the NFL.
   
   As Maraniss demonstrates, Lombardi enjoyed influence throughout the country during the Sixties: he became a much sought after business conference speaker and Richard M. Nixon even contemplated offering him a place on the political ticket of the Republican Party for a brief time.
   
   This is a superior biography and a document of a time that now has gone.



3. This is the best sports biography that I've ever read, and is the gold standard by which I rate every other sports bio. I originally read the book when it was published in 1999 and decided to read it again. I didn't realize that I had forgotten so many details. Many of the games discussed I remember like it was yesterday. If you were a Packer's or NFL fan from the 60s this is a must read book.
   
   I'm very skeptical of Amazon's public reviews as I find 80% +++ of the reviewers are too easily impressed (especially business/investment books). Most grossly overrate books. With such skepticism, I did scan through a page or two of the now 138 reviews to see why anybody would give this book < 5. Two compliants said it had too much minutia and wrote too much about Vince's early life. I find that most if not all biographies talk too much about the person's early life and the person's lineage. I usually scan the early chapters of a biography until I get into the person's adult years. On my second reading of this book I picked it up around Vince's time at West Point.
   
   One last point about the author. I've also read First in His Class & his book about Roberto Clemente. Both were excellent books. However, Maraniss did co-author a book with a younger woman, who's title I forget. It was obvious from the reading that the woman had written most of the book and Maraniss wrote little of the book. His name may have been listed as a co-author to sell books.



4. I couldn't help feeling that I was right there in frozen Green Bay, in the 1960s, at one of the Lombardis' Sunday post-game cocktail parties, and everywhere else Vince Lombardi went in his life, while reading this great book.
   It's a great read, very vivid, about a great coach and (as Maraniss illustrates) not the greatest father in the world. In other words, a portrait of a human being who did great things with his work, but who had foibles like everybody else.



5. I picked up this book after hearing a strong recommendation. I knew next to nothing about Vince Lombardi, other than that he was an excellent football coach. Very glad I bought the book as this was a particularly engrossing biography.
   
   The author was very thorough in his research and traces Lombardi's life in detail for his full nearly 60 years. He provides a lot of detail on Lombardi's strengths and weaknesses. At times I wanted to slug him and tell him to quit being so intense about football and pay more attention to his family. Other times, I found myself admiring the daylights out of him. It is astonishing to think he could take the most losing team in football and turn them into major winners in just one season.
   
   There's a lot of food for thought in this biography. Is winning really so important that you should sacrifice your family and your health? Is success really success if you never enjoy it? As a recovering perfectionist, I saw many powerful examples from Lombardi's life about why I DON'T want to be a perfectionist! Nothing is ever good enough, and you never, ever get to be happy. That is one lesson in Lombardi's life that really comes blasting out of every story.
   
   If you like biographies, you will really enjoy this one. Glad I decided to pick it up.
   
   Jan Dahlin Geiger, author of "Get Your Assets in Gear! Smart Money Strategies" Get Your Assets in Gear! Smart Money Strategies

5 comments about Two Wheels Through Terror: Diary of a South American Motorcycle Odyssey.

1. I bought this book because a friend and I intend to ride from North to South America in 2018 when all our kids have grown old enough not to miss us. I really hope that we don't have to live through what Glen did but who knows what the continent will be like in 10 years? This is a brilliantly written book with lots of good information and tips for travel. The section on Columbia is well done and doesn't overdominate the story. I wonder from Ted Simon's comments in 'Dreaming of Jupiter' after meeting Glen following his ordeal, if Glen has downplayed his emotional state a little. It must have been a totally awful experince and one I doubt I could have survived. It just goes to show that it helps to be strong when attempting a journey like this but like so many things at the end of the day its all about mental toughness. I take my hat off to Glen and he has inspired me yet again to start my own adventure.



2. I first came to know about Glen's journey through a tv documentary on the kidnapping, if you get a chance to see it, do so, it brings to life the book in real terms.
   Glen does an excellent job of describing the journey, his fears and feelings both before and after the kidnapping. It's not a "how to" book, it's an insight , in my opinion, to inner strength and positive thinking.
   Great read.



3. Action packed true fact based chronicle of a motor cyclist's trip from Palm springs,CA down to the tip of South America and back. You will ride with him through splendid vistas, suffer with him during his capture by the ELN in Columbia and wonder how he would ever escape. You will learn from the psychologically trained mind how Greg Heggsted deceived his captures to eventually go on to complete journey. This is a must read.



4. I bought this book for my boyfriend to read on the train after hearing the author speak on a radio program. My boyfriend loved the book, literally couldn't put it down.



5. While the title of the book and most of the comments focus on his stay with the Columbian terrorists, for me the most inspiring bits of the book were his descriptions of the parts of his journey through Mexico and Argentina. Now I want to visit Mexico and see if it is as wonderful a place as he described. Ditto Argentina, though it is not quite as close.
   
   A very well-written book by a talented and very versatile author. Much more than a tale of terror. You could skip the Columbian fiasco and still get your money's worth (and then some) from this book.

5 comments about Every Second Counts.

1. This book is a very insighful look into Lance's life, and how it changed after being diagnosed with cancer. It describes his battle with cancer in detail, including lengthy descriptions of chemotherapy treatments. If you want to learn about cancer and chemotherapy, this is a good book to pick up!



2. 
   Lance's first book, It's Not About the Bike, is a great book weaving together the author's fight to overcome cancer and his remarkable first win of the Tour de France in 1999.
   
   Every Second Counts continues the story, including action up to and including the 2003 Tour. But it falls far short of the standard set in the original work.
   
   Much of the material dealing with Lance's values as a family man and a cancer survivor is repetitive; having established himself as multi dimensional in Not About the Bike, Armstrong should have gone deeper into the racing action this time around.
   
   Nevertheless I didn't regret reading this. Lance's achievements are astonishing and every bit of insight adds something. The description of the epic moment in the 2001 Tour when, after bluffing, Armstrong stared down Jan Ulrich and blasted past him up the Alpe d'Huez is worth it in and of itself.



3. Lance Armstrong is a unique athlete unparalleled in the world of cycling. This book gives you a look inside his head to find a very focused driven person with an indominatable spirit. You will find it enlightening and sometimes not very pretty, but no one can argue with his willingness to train ruthlessly to win. How many of us would be willing to climb a steep mountain on a bike and then come down and do it again to get it right. He shows us what it takes to win the greatest bike race in the world - multiple times. Lance is a champion among champions and we can all learn something from his drive and will to win!



4. This picks up where "It's Not About the Bike" left off. This is a more mundane read than About the Bike, but it was still a very good read. Lance lets you into his head a bit more to see what makes him tick and what his beliefs are. Well worth the read.



5. I liked this book even more than "It's Not About the Bike", and I loved that book. I enjoyed learning about the incredible team work involved in something as crueling as the Tour de France. As a woman, I wasn't raised participating in team sports and I never thought of a bike race as anything but an individual performance. I really felt as if I was riding along with the guys up those massive peaks...Good writing in my opinion...Insightful