2 comments about Torvill & Dean: The Autobiography of Ice Dancing's Greatest Stars.

1. This book will be appreciated by true T&D addicts,although switching back and forth between their two voices made it seem mildly disjointed.Details of the unglamourous side of life on the road gave a realistic perspective.Not bad,but it somehow left me wanting more.A great deal of trivial details without alot of the substance such a book could have had.Fans will enjoy it,casual readers may not...



2. Thoroughly satisfying account of this famous ice-skating pair's beginnings and career, leading up to the 1994 Olympics and beyond. This book provides wonderfully intimate insights into how Chris and Jayne think and behave on and off the ice. Their fans will devour this long-overdue book, which answers many questions we have about Torvill and Dean: Were they ever romantically involved? What did they really think about winning the bronze medal at the 1994 Olympics? Will they retire in the near future? Newcomers to the iceskating world will learn the fascinating quirks and coincidences that paved the road to championship for this pair.

4 comments about The Wow Factor: How I Turned One Idea and My Unbridled Enthusiasm Into a Golf Revolution.

1. Barney Adams' determination and personal sacrifice is clearly articulated in the book. Following a complete accounting of how Adams Golf finds itself and reaches stability the book fails to take the next step in the life-cycle approach to strategic management with a discussion of how Adams has and will continue to re-event itself to prevent decline and future failure. Part Two "Inside the Golf Equipment Industry" was not very "inside".



2. As one reviewer already noted, the message regarding the WOW factor is simple, but too often overlooked. Anyone in sales or product development should ask themselves what their WOW factor is. Answer that question and you'll increase your market share, as Adams did.
   
   Beyond the business case, the book was a fun and interesting read. I'm a little biased, as I was an early adopter of the Tight Lies club, so I immediately knew what Adams was referring to when I saw the title of the book.



3. Always nice to read about the golfindustry. Not just instruction or history is interesting so a nice read for all those who are interested in stuff like this.



4. "The WOW Factor" is a well-designed business book that tells the story of how Barney Adams, the creator of the Tight Lies fairway wood and the founder of Adams Golf, turned a career of missteps and disappointment into a stunning success.
   
   I call it "well-designed" because it's not too long, not too serious, not too heavy and remarkably, if discreetly, candid.
   
   Adams ties his experiences, starting with his unremarkable years as a manager for Corning and ending with the realization that his executive leadership was not what his own company needed to be able to prosper, together with his WOW factor theory. Simply stated, he says hard work and a good product is not enough to crack into an established industry. The essential ingredients, he maintains, are the ability for your product to cause consumers to say, "WOW!" and the marketing technique to get that product into consumers' hands.
   
   While this may not be earth-shaking, he does offer it as caution to all those would-be entrepreneurs who believe they can make it in the fickle, trendy but inbred golf business.
   
   It's refreshing to hear a successful executive recount how he helped run a small company into the ground by taking too high-altitude a view of its operations. And it's intriguing to read how he desperately searched for a way to get golfers to try his innovative Tight Lies fairway woods.
   
   For business purposes, what the book lacks is analytical detail. Adams can tell you what, in hindsight, he did wrong and what turned out to be right. He really can't tell you why, except as a matter of empirical result.
   
   For insight purposes, Adams reveals little about his personal life, except for his obvious passion for his work. While the development of his golf businesses apparently cost him a great deal in his personal and family relationships, he touches on that issue only a bit.
   
   Still, it's a remarkably pleasant, quick read. Adams may be a seat-of-the-pants contrast to the standard modern MBA, but he seems right on target in the fashioning the kind of book that golf fanatics would enjoy.

5 comments about The Zen of Zim.

1. Don Zimmer can write one of these books every few years, and each would be just as, if not more, interesting than the previous. The man is a plethora of entertaining information and philosophies. I loved Zim--A Baseball, and couldn't wait for this one. Every page is full of memories, lessons, and humor. Absolutely enjoyable!



2. FORMER BASEBALL PLAYER, COACH AND MANAGER DON ZIMMER HAS WRITTEN ANOTHER ENTERTAINING AND INTERESTING BOOK. MOST OF THIS ONE IS ABOUT HIS TIME AS BENCH COACH FOR JOE TORRE. ZIM OFFERS HIS OPINION OF THE BOSS, JOE TORRE, AND MANY YANKEES PLAYERS. ALONG THE WAY HE TELLS MANY STORIES FROM HIS DODGER DAYS ALONG WITH HIS OPINIONS AND FACTS CONCERNING TODAY'S GAME AND PLAYERS. I REALLY LIKE THIS BOOK AND RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL BASEBALL FANS.



3. Part rant, part memoir. A quick and easy read that shouldn't take very long. Zimmer is a happy old guy with great war stories. He hates Steinbrenner but adores Joe Torre. A pleasant was to spend an afternoon or so.



4. This was an enjoyable read from a real baseball man. Player,manager & coach. I particularly enjoyed his views on pitchers. As he compared the great pitchers of the past, who often pitched complete games, such as Sandy Koufax,Robin Roberts,Steve Carlton,Bob Gibson,Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal to the present world that is dominated by pitch counts--middle relievers,set up men and closers. He also discusses how todays stars tend to be bigger and stronger. He has great insight into the changes of our national past time.



5. Don Zimmer has been active in professional baseball for longer than most of us have been alive. His experiences over these years form a story of how the sport has changed. It's no longer the close knit teams of friends that played ball together for years. It's changed. Now professional baseball is big money, really big money. the free agent system has turned the team into individual players each more concerned with his own contract than the team.
   
   Don tells this story of change in a book of anecdotes, laughs, excitement and comedy. Did the sport change for the better? Well, yes and no. Like another book starts out: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." But with the season over, it's clearly time to do some reading.

3 comments about Rockne of Notre Dame: The Making of a Football Legend.

1. My ole man went to Notre Dame... so I've been steeped in the rich legacy of Fightin' Irish Football. This book is by far one of the better books on Notre Dame football in its heyday under Knute Rockne who forged that legacy. The team that brought us the forward pass left a rich history worth examing. This book captures the essence of Rockne, his leadership style, his character and his ambition to excel.



2. While acknowleging the legends surrounding one of the greatest coaches in any sport anywhere, but not attempting to pass them off as fact, Ray Robinson does not stoke the inspirational fires of the mythological demigod Knute Rockne. Still and all, we see Rockne as he developed from a boy growing up in Chicago to the young man at Notre Dame eventually becoming the coach who, in turn, became larger than life.

   Mostly, the reader is invited to visit a time when Knute Rockne was arguably the brightest star among the numerous sports heroes of the '20's. While Irish, Catholics and especially Irish-Catholics were almost universally reviled and the power of the Klan was at its height, the immigrant from Voss, Norway lead Notre Dame to the forefront of college football's national stage.

   There are occasional glimpses of Rockne off the football field and I, personally, would have liked to have gotten to know more about Rockne the man. However, this is, first and foremost, a story about Knute's lifelong relationship with football.

   This book is designed for college football fans, especially fans of Notre Dame. Notre Dame detractors may also get something out of the book, if for no other reason than it makes it a little easier to understand why Notre Dame football is what it is today.




3. The most enjoyable sports book I've read since, well, "Stirring Football Stories", this book gives the reader not only such favorite moments in the history of the game as the winning forward pass (Dorais to Rockne, against Army), the Gipper, the Four Horsemen, and back-to-back undefeated seasons, but insights into the life and times of Notre Dame's legendary coach. Rockne championed & embodied the immigrant struggle for a place in the sun - the "fighting Irish" being a moniker bestowed on a polyglot group of newcomers to the American dream. On the gridiron it was possible to prove yourself - and show your talents - on an equal footing with older, more established schools and traditions. This conscious inclusion of the larger story gives this book an important place on the shelf, alongside Rockne's own unfinished autobiography, "We Remember Rockne", "Knute Rockne, All American", and other memoirs and studies.

5 comments about Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man (Missouri Biography Series).

1. The St. Louis Cardinals are a storied Major League Baseball franchise, second only to the New York Yankees in the number of World Series championships they have taken. Like the Yankees, the Cardinals have employed some of the most exceptional ballplayers ever, and the penultimate Cardinal has to be Stan Musial. Although Rogers Hornsby, Dizzy Dean, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, and a host of other Hall of Famers were Cardinals for the bulk of their careers, it is Stan "The Man" Musial who defines the team and its place in baseball lore. This fine biography by historian James N. Giglio explains why this is the case.
   
   A sore-armed left-handed pitcher whose retreading into an outfielder might have been the most fortunate transformation of any player since Babe Ruth moved from the pitcher's mound to leftfield for good in 1919, he proved to be the greatest Cardinal of them all. In a stunning 22-year career, The Man (and no other identification is necessary) wracked up a .331 career batting average and won the batting title seven times, hit 475 career home runs, hit safely 3,630 times, was named Most Valuable Player in the National League three times, enjoyed perennial all star game appearances, and upon retirement held 17 major league, 29 National League, and nine all-star game records. While Musial played with the Cardinals it won National League Pennants in 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1946, and took three World Series championships in 1942, 1944, and 1946.
   
   His career represented the pinnacle of all the great players produced by the Cardinals farm system. Musial's was also a career of great dignity and poetry both on and off the field, and he remains an icon in St. Louis more than forty years after his retirement.
   
   Equally important, Musial epitomized the American heartland with its virtues of rusticity, small towns, Protestant beliefs, and hard-working. Hailing from the backhills of Pennsylvania's mining country Musial strode across the National League as a giant for more than twenty years, but one who never forgot that hard work, good manners, and honorable actions brought him to greatness. His streak of 895 consecutive games played stood as a National League record until broken by Billy Williams of the Cubs in 1970 and was one record that Musial especially prized, for it demonstrated his commitment to working-class values in the everyday task of showing up and playing the game of baseball. This is a fundamental part of the story told by James Giglio in "Musial."
   
   But there is another side of Musial that Giglio finds less compelling. He was never a crusader and remained apart from the efforts to integrate MLB and to challenge the reserve clause that bound players to one team indefinitely. With his stature in the game and the society around him, with his secure place as one of the premier major leaguers of his era, he might have offered leadership in helping to end those injustices. He failed to do so. To his credit he did not oppose integration, but the Cardinals were one of the teams that put Jackie Robinson through hell in 1947 and Musial was essentially absent from the controversy. Personally detesting segregation, Musial might have mitigated the situation as the team leader. Likewise, Bob Feller asked for his support in forcing changes to the reserve clause to grant free agency for veterans with ten years experience, but Musial backed away in favor of the status quo.
   
   While he was very much a man with quirks and faults, and a real aversion to engaging in controversy, Giglio shows a Stan Musial who was genuinely a nice, upstanding gentleman. Far from the fatally flawed anti-hero so common to Major League Baseball, it is refreshing to read such a book about a great player when so much about the game seems sordid with doping and other new scandals announced almost daily in the media. Of course, I still wish "the Man," as well as hundreds of other MLB players and owners, had recognized the racism present in the game and pressed to end it.



2. This book is head and shoulders above the average baseball biography. Most sports biographies fall into one of two categories: either they're superficial, hero-worshiping treatments that present the subject as a faultless paragon and give little space to anything other than the subject's on-field exploits, or they're efforts to tear down the hero image and dig up as much dirt on the athlete as possible.
   
   Giglio's study of Musial avoids both these pitfalls. Since Giglio is a professional historian, rather than a sportswriter, he brings a historian's thoroughness and depth to his research on Musial. We learn a great deal about Musial's ethnic background, his family, and his personal attitudes and character. Although the author emphasizes what a genuinely good man Musial was and is, he presents a nuanced portrait that accepts and analyses his subject's faults and foibles as well as his many virtues.
   
   Unfortunately, there are always a few hard-core sports fans who flee in horror from this kind of book. All they want to read about is their hero's exploits on the playing field. There are others who live and breathe statistics and sneer in contempt when a book about a baseball star isn't full of Sabrmetrics. It's true that this book is statistically unsophisticated, but the author makes no claims that he's writing that kind of book. This is a book about a MAN who PLAYED baseball-- not a "baseball book."
   
   I give it a four-star rating only because the writing is at times a little dry and professorial--but only a little. This is a great read for anyone who dreams of getting to know a baseball immortal, and one of baseball's genuine gentlemen.



3. The book covers all phases of Musial's life, including his personal life and post-baseball life. Unlike many baseball bios, it covers some weaknesses in the personal characteristics of this great star, although there were very few in Musial. What I especially liked about the book is that the author contacted and obtained interesting information from numerous former major league players and others who knew Musial. The author had apparently written letters to more than 500 former major leaguers.

   I couldn't put the book down. I'd rate it even better than the recent book I read about Ted Willimas, which I rated as the best baseball bio I had ever read. Stan Musial was my favorite ball player wehn I was growing up in the 1950s, and I wasn't disappointed.

   If anything, I would have liked to hear even more about Musial's post baseball life, although there's a lot in the book. However, I understand Stan did not cooperate with the author.




4. Author James Giglio did not receive the blessings from Stan Musial to write this book, and Stan apparently discouraged others, at least according to the author, from aiding in this book as well. I found the book to be enjoyable and portrays Stan as both the baseball icon he so deservedly is along with frailities that make him human like the rest of us. I found it to be disappointing that he and Joe Garagiola, who are godfathers to each other's children, had a falling out that has apparently ended their friendship over problems involving their Redbird Lanes bowling alley partnership. According to Gigllio, Garagiola has tried to mend the friendship, but Stan wanted no part of it. Stan is not one to get involved in controversial matters such as race relations and the reserve clause which bound players to one team. Musial, while not against integration, did not use his superstar status to speak in support of it. In like manner when Bob Feller wanted him to support revisions to the reserve clause, Musial backpeddled when he (Musial) had suggested free agency after ten years of service and then stated he was satisfied with the status quo. He was in his element when he was in a relaxed atmosphere among people, but controversy made him back off. I did find a few errors in the book, primarily with first names of former players. Hall of Fame Cincinnati manager Bill McKechnie is referred to as "Joe". Former Chicago Cubs catcher Elvin Tappe is referred to as "Ted". Former Brooklyn Dodgers pitchers Chris Van Cuyk and Ben Wade are referred to as "Johnny" and "Jake" respectively. One additional error I found takes place during Stan's retirement party sponsored by the St. Louis chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Ernie Banks spoke and pretended to read a telegram from the NAACP which he said stood for "the National Association for Advancement of Colored Pitchers." Banks actually said, the "National Association for the Advancement of Cubs' Pitching." I have a copy of the highlights of the St. Louis BBWAA on a phonograph record and this portion of the speech is on it. These are errors I caught in the book that I felt should not be there. Four well known players of the time period should have their first names listed correctly, in addition to the error in the speech by Banks. There are probably others, but these are the ones I found. In any case I enjoyed the book, and it was worth my time.



5. Giglio, a professional historian, spent many years researching his subject and produced, in my view, the first serious examination of Musial's life.

   Given Musial's well-desrved reputation as a perfect gentleman and role model, many biographical accounts of his life slip into hagiography, but Giglio carefully avoids this trap. He cuts through much of the Musial mythology, and assesses the facts (laboriously compiled from archival research and interviews with many of Musial's contemporaries) in order to present Musial as a real human being.

   You wont find much dirt in this book--Musial really was a good guy for the most part. About the only blemish Giglio uncovered from Musial's personal life was that he impregnated his wife 6 months before they were married--a mere peccadillo by contemporary standards, especially considering that Stan and Lil Musial have remained happily married for over 60 years.

   Musial's only serious character flaw, according to Giglio, was an unwillingness to take provocative and controversial positions publicly on important issues of his time. For example, although Musial personally detested racism and bigotry, he never publicly condemned racist teammates like Enos Slaughter. According to at least one second-hand account, Musial and Slaughter once came to blows over the matter in private, but Giglio couldn't substantiate this, and publicly Musial has always denied that he and Slaughter, who died just a few weeks ago (12 August 2002), fought over the issue.

   The only criticism I have of Giglio's book is his embarrassingly amateurish statistical analysis. In comparing Musial to the other greats of his era (Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle), Giglio uses a simplistic ranking methodology incorporating some common statistics like batting average, home runs and RBIs among others, but he ignores walks and on-base percentage completely, and he doesn't even attempt to account for fielding statistics or ballpark affects. Anyone familiar with serious scientific analysis of baseball (e.g. the work of Pete Palmer, Bill James or the gang at Baseball Prospectus) will laugh out loud at obvious lack of sophistication in Giglio's analysis. Mercifully, Giglio's statistical analysis only takes up a few pages.

   Overall though, I give Giglio high marks for producing an excellent biography of Musial. I feel I know Musial much better than I did before, and ultimately that's the best test of any biography.

5 comments about 23 Days in July: Inside the Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's Record-Breaking Victory.

1. It seems my original review contravened the Conditions of Use. Too strong and then some I suppose.
   
   Suffice it to say, I found 23 DAYS disappointing (an understatement). In short, and shorn of my stronger and more strongly-expressed opinions, if you read Lance's BIKE and Daniel Coyle's LANCE ARMSTRONG'S WAR you'll go farther and deeper than offered in 23 DAYS. You will leave the BIKE+WAR reading experience far more informed and more involved in the inner workings of professional cycling.
   
   Dr. Kirtland Peterson



2. If you followed Lance's incredible seven Tour de France victories than this book is a good compliment to what you saw. If you never watched any of it read this book anyway to better understand the significance of such an accomplishment. Having read several other books about Lance ArmstrongIt's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to LifeEvery Second Counts and the Tour de FranceFrom Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de FranceI found this authors take different but a compliment to the Lance Armstrong saga. It is hard to capture the sheer magic and intensity of the Tour de France but this book does a good job of going behind the scenes and recreating the historical event. The interviews and personal touches author John Wilcockson gives to the book brings the event to life, especially if you don't watch the tour. The day by day account was pretty interesting with all kinds of information about waht goes on during a stage. One of the things I found very interesting was Wilcockson's ability to tie the contemporary race in with the historical events of the past. With nearly every chapter he gives an anecdote about the stage from the tour's storied past; the colorful stories were a very cool touch indeed. He even gets into the plaque of professional cycling, doping, in all it's ugly manifestations. He even brings Lance under the microscope by addressing his accusers allegations in the book and Lance's rebuttal.In the end it was a great ride again reliving one of the most courageous and difficult accomplishments we have ever witnessed in sport. Recommended for cycling enthusiasts everywhere.



3. The author weaves a lot of different story lines and angles into one very solid narrative. The pictures by Graham Watson are always outstanding. His pictures are what took this book from a 4 star to a 5 star book
   
   A good counter point to this book is the work done Daniel Coyle called Lance Armstrong's War



4. This book is soo good, that it made me want to go for a long, long ride.



5. I've read almost all of the books on US Postal and Lance's reign as the 7-time Tour champ: Lance's 2 books, Daniel Coyle's masterful portrait of the champ, Matthew Berry's "Inside the Postal Bus", Samuel Abt's collections of cycling columns, and many others. The thing that stands out about this particular book, John Wilcockson's reflection on the 2004 Tour, is the historical perspective the author brings. Wilcockson has been covering the Tour since the mid-1960s, and that experience shows when he draws parallels between various events in the 2004 Tour and similar episodes in history. While I didn't find many new nuggets of information about Lance or the Postal team from this book, I did gain a much better appreciation for the history of the Tour and some of its past champions: Coppi, Merckxx, Hinault, et al. Wilcockson's writing is a welcome addition to the shelf of any serious cycling fan.

No comments about Captain Crash and the Dallas Cowboys.

5 comments about Larry McReynolds: The Big Picture: My Life From Pit Road to the Broadcast Booth.

1. The book provides good insight into the trials and rewards of auto racing. You get the feeling that Mr. McReynolds is right beside you recalling his life in racing. He comes across as genuine guy and you will have a greater appreciation of what it takes to compete in this sport.



2. I must admit that I was not a Larry McReynolds fan when I bought this book. I am also not a fan of the race broadcasts on FOX, on which Larry McReynolds now broadcasts. I bought this book because I am always trying to see all sides to any story. And I wanted to hear Larry's story.
   I found this book to be informative, honest, and it has really changed my view of Larry McReynolds. I found myself almost crying right along with him as he told about the deaths of Davey Allison and Dale Earnhardt, and the near death of Ernie Irvan.
   I have gained a world of respect for Larry McReynolds and, while I am still not a FOX fan, I have become a Larry McReynolds fan. It's nice to know that a good, hard working man can succeed, excel and have a great story to tell.
   I recommend this book to any racing fan.



3. I read books at the gym while getting my cardio in, and this book was an awesome read! I'd start, and the next thing I'd know it would be an hour later, and couldn't wait to get back to the gym to keep reading it.

   Larry Mac is why you love NASCAR- Hard working, tell-it-like-it-is. I loved his stories about "visiting" the NASCAR trailer, finding that extra edge, the drivers he raced with, and his account of his career and history with racing from the beginning to the broadcast booth. I have great appreciation for someone who worked that hard, with that much dedication, intensity and passion.

   Larry Mac tells it like it is, and like the other reviews, he does it with professionalism and dings the people needing dinged, even himself without being malicious. That is what I liked most about the book-Larry's way of telling the story how it should be told, not censored. It reads like Larry is sitting next to you, telling you the stories.

   Ironically, we heard at the Winston Cup preview after meeting some crew members of various teams, how some people in NASCAR's negative attitude is towards Benny Parsons, only to come home and read what he said to Larry Mac. Well Larry, it's the passionate and colorful people like you and DW that makes the Fox broadcasts so awesome and fun to watch. You "done good"




4. I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting, fun, and full of anecdotes about NASCAR. His "Big Picture" includes the 18 months he spent with my favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt. Part of the book is what we see on TV, but the better part is how NASCAR and broadcasting work behind the scenes, and what it does to family and friend relationships. A really great read. I didn't want to put it down.



5. Larry Mac's story of his decades in NASCAR is a true joy to read. He doesn't hold back but is not also out to flame everyone.

   He tells it like it is with everything from drivers to owners to how he bent or broke the rules.

   All in all, its a great insiders perspective of the sport.

4 comments about In the Land of Giants: My Life in Basketball.

1. This is a really good book about a basketball player who overcame his great height disadvantage to become an NBA superstar. This book takes you through the basketball career of Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues. All his life he was shorter than everone on the basketball court. Can you imagine how it's like playing in the NBA when you are on average about 1.5 feet shorter than every one else? That's how Muggsy Bogues has played for his whole life.

   Yet he persevered and overcame his height. His basketball career was by no means all easy and problem-free, and many people doubted that someone who was 5'3 could play basketball with guys who were 7 foot tall. But in this book Muggsy shows that height doesn't determine whether or not you can play basketball. Heart and skill are what determine how well you play. From his wonderful high school basketball days to his terrible rookie year days in the NBA, the reader sees how Muggsy overcame his height to become a great point guard. His assist and stealing ability proved vital to the success or the Hornets. You have to admire the little fella'.




2. i thougt that this was a great book for any fan of muggsy bogues, or basketball itsself. if you are a fan of muggsy and do not already have this book, you should definately but it. it all the facts you need to know and great up-to-date pictures. this is a great atleast 5 star book. The main reason i liked this book so much is because i am a long time fan and it told me things, or facts that i had never known about the great muggsy bogues. all the information is great, and correct. also, the chapters have very catchy titles, and you will never get bored of this book. i would like to give mad props to muggsy, of course, and the author for making such a great book.



3. It had a good story behind it and it explained his life very well but it just kept going on and going on. It made me tired to read that book.



4. inspiring story. Entertaining and captivating. Muggsy tells a riveting story of challenges and triumphs! Great for adults and a must read for youths!

5 comments about Lita: A Less Traveled R.O.A.D.--The Reality of Amy Dumas (WWE) (WWE).

1. The story of Amy Dumas' life so far is a good read. She is someone who has done a fair bit of living and is prepared to follow her dreams whether it is travelling to Mexico to watch the lucha libre to being a role model on WWE.
   
   There is a great deal of anger in certain sections of this book, I think she wrote it while she was rehabbing the neck injury and at times, the pain from the injury became pain in words.
   
   This is one of the better wrestling books out there, it is not a classic read like Mick Foley's first two books or The Dynamite Kid's book, but Lita's book is very much worth a read.



2. SOME OF THIS BOOK BY AMY DUMAS IS QUITE INTERESTING. THE PROBLEM IS THAT MOST OF IT IS NOT. AMY SPENDS MOST OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS BOOK TELLING US ABOUT HER IDIOT BROTHER WHO CONSTANLY BEATS HER UP, BUT MOM SAYS IT'S HER FAULT. THEN WE ARE FURTHER ENLIGHTENED TO FIND OUT ABOUT HER INTERST IN PUNK BANDS. SHE GOES ON AND ON ABOUT HOW GREAT ALL THESE BANDS ARE. (WHO CARES) THEN WE GET TO READ ABOUT HER PET CODY, THE GREATEST DOG IN THE UNIVERSE. (TOO BAD HE DIES) FROM THERE THE BOOK STARTS TO MOVE ALONG TO WHERE SHE GOT HER FIRST TASTE OF WRESTLING IN MEXICO. WHEN AMY STICKS TO WRESTLING OR HER FEELINGS IS WHEN THIS BOOK IS INTERESTING. ALONG THE WAY SHE MEETS, WRESTLES WITH THEN BECOMES GIRLFRIEND TO MATT HARDY. LITA POPULARITY GROWS AND GROWS. BUT AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT ON THE STAGE OF TV SHOW DARK ANGEL LEAVES AMY WITH A VERY SERIOUS NECK INJURY. HER FEELINGS AND THE CONTENT DEALING WITH OPERATION AND REHAB ARE THE MOST INTERESTING. ALONG THE WAY SHE APPEARS TV SHOWS WEAKEST LINK AND FEAR FACTOR, BOTH OF WHICH SHE DID NOT ENJOY. IF THIS CHICK EVER USED HER BRAIN AND NOT ACTED SO SPONTANEOUSLY SHE WOULDN'T HAVE GONE THRU ALOT OF THIS DRAMA. SHE SAYS THAT SHE STRIPPED JUST FOR THE MONEY AND THAT SHE FEELS SO UNCOMFORTABLE TAKING HER CLOTHES OFF. GIVE ME A BREAK, SHE LOVES ALL THE ATTENTION. WHY DIDN'T SHE GET A REGULAR JOB? PROBABLY SHE MIGHT OF HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT WHICH SHE HAS A PROBLEM DOING. STILL IF YOU LIKE LITA YOU WILL LIKE THIS BOOK. IF YOU ARE A CASUAL FAN THEN IT IS FAIRLY ENTERTAINING.



3. This is probably one of the better biographies, that is written by a pro wrestler, I have read. Unlike Edge, she actually went into more depth about her personal life; unlike Kurt Angle, she didn't constantly remind everyone about how great she is. Also, unlike Edge or Kurt Angle, she actually had a lot to say, and gave the reader a very wide variety. So, unlike Edge's book, this could be classified as a biography.



4. As soon as I saw Lita on WWF (I was 15 years old at the time) I knew I was seeing something fresh and exciting. Lita was just so effortlessly cool and natural - nothing like most of the other female wrestlers who I felt were forced into being Barbie doll types. Lita is exactly the type of female wrestler I would have wanted to be...that is if I had even an ounce of athletic ability, which I just don't! I'll never forget watching those incredible moonsaults and hurricanranas and being blown away by her skills. Lita really showed that female wrestlers can be athletic, exciting, tough and sexy AND appeal to both male and female fans. As well as her fabulous partnership with the Hardy Boyz in Team Extreme, I also enjoyed watching her get involved in matches with the 'big boys' such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Triple H.
   
   I was pleasantly surprised then to find that Lita's biography is actually a really, really good read. The co-writer did a great job in making the book flow and sound true to Lita's voice. The book is a good length too - it's not the type of thing that seems really superficial and you can read in 2 hours. I actually stayed up into the early hours to finish it because I just couldn't put it down.
   
   The most impressive thing about Amy is just how far she went to fulfill her dream of becoming a wrestler. Most people (certainly including me!) might have dreams of one kind or another, but would never actually get around to taking any positive action to make it a reality. But when Amy decided she wanted to be a wrestler, she started judo classes and even managed to get backstage at a wrestling event. She then went to Mexico, not knowing anybody, on the off-chance that she would be able to get some wrestling training. She ended up training with some future big names and then worked her butt off on the independent circuit and at ECW because joining WWF. Amy's success as Lita is truly deserved and reading her story inspired me to think that if I put more effort into fulfilling some of my dreams then there is a good chance I can do well in my chosen area.
   
   The second thing that I really admire about Amy is the voluntary work she has done with animals. Even when she broke her neck and was recuperating at home, she went to animal shelters and helped out with the most menial of tasks, which is even more impressive considering she was a very successful wrestler at this point and could have become detached from that way of life.
   
   Obviously, this book was written in 2003 so it doesn't include any of the things that have happened to Amy since, such as working with Edge, the reaction of some of the fans and eventually leaving WWE and forming a band. It does include Amy's background, how she got to WWF and also follows some of my all-time favourite storylines, which took place around 2000 / 2001.
   
   Amy is very honest about the wrestling business and talks alot about the behind the scenes stuff regarding how storylines are put together and matches are worked out and just how little time wrestlers are given to prepare before they have to go out and put on the show. I was shocked sometimes by how little support or common sense the managers at WWE seem to have in terms of storylines or working out what to do with wrestlers, but I suppose it must be hard to run such a huge and complex enterprise.
   
   Overall, this is a great book and I highly recommend it. If you enjoyed watching Lita in the early 2000s then I'm sure you'll love this book too!



5. I'll be perfectly honest I breezed through the first 1/2 to 2/3 of the book. The rest was a slow read. The first and interesting part of the book highlighted her journey to get to the WWE. Her start and journey into the business were highly entertaining. However once she made it to the WWE it seemed like all it was was a night by night account of her happenings for a year. Pretty dull. I struggled to finish it and then gave it to one of my students. I have read almost every wrestling book and all I can say is that it wasn't the worst.