5 comments about Stranger to the Game: The Autobiography of Bob Gibson.

1. ...covering breaking into the big leagues black in the 1950s
   and highlights of the 1960s MLB. Competitive force of Gibson
   comes through in his slightly biased and semi-confessional
   bio.



2. During elementary school, 1972-1976, baseball was myth to me. The players were larger than life. Baseball cards were treasured. The World Series was something I looked forward to every year. I loved my Dodgers. I read Baseball Digest.
   I studied those baseball cards and Digests, and I got the impression that this Bob Gibson guy was pretty good.
   A few years later, I noted he was in the Hall of Fame.
   Years passed, I did the whole medical school thing, yadda yadda yadda and baseball got away from me. The strike didn't help.
   Then, whether it was the McGwire/Sosa chase, or I was just ready to come back, my interest in baseball expanded. Now I was reading every book I could on the subject.
   A grateful patient gave me an autographed baseball. I've never owned an autographed baseball, but I must admit, holding it felt like I was holding something with a strange energy. It was charmed. Almost magical.
   It was signed by "Bob Gibson". (He gave me another signed by Lou Brock too...)
   I went back and found my old baseball cards, and then sought out older Gibson cards.
   Then I found this book.
   This is a highly opinionated, often bitter, tell-it-like-it-is autobiography from a pitcher so good, they changed the game. They actually physically changed baseball because Bob Gibson was too good.
   I simplify, but only a bit.
   I smiled reading the account of his childhood, in Omaha, Nebraska.
   That's where I went to medical school...at Creighton, which is where Mr. Gibson went.
   He was a player who only wanted to win. To compete. To dominate.
   AND he played for The Harlem Globetrotters. Seriously. Right before he joined up with the Cardinals.
   He spent his entire career with the Cardinals. I wish people stayed with their teams more nowadays. You'll read about his fight against racism and bigotry; he followed bravely in Jackie Robinson's footsteps. They're cut from similar cloth.
   He became the most feared pitcher in baseball.
   Not because he was unafraid to use the brushback, which he did and did well. It was because batters often felt beat as they stepped into the batter's box. He would routinely strike out the side on ten or eleven pitches. He pitched complete games, even when they went into extra innings. He won twenty games a year, regularly.
   Then came 1968. He was, as it is said, the Pitcher of The Year in the Year of the Pitcher. Only five players hit over .300 that year. Gibson's league-leading ERA was 1.12. That's almost not fair.
   He mentions how proud he was of the fact that he could hit; he's the last pitcher to win 20 games and hit over .300 as well. One year, he hit more home runs than any other Cardinal but two. Yes, a sad comment on the lack of power amongst the rest of the team, but still.
   He is sometimes profane, controversial, thorny, uncompromising but somehow still admirable.
   I think his prickly personality may have overshadowed his amazing career. He defends himself (as if he needs defending) but remains unapologetic.
   I couldn't stop reading this book.
   He is an essential character in the story of baseball. He is the link from old style, confrontational, rough and tumble baseball of the 40's and 50's and the power pitchers of today. I'm talking specifically Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and perhaps Eric Gagne.
   He was overpowering. His legend deserves better.
   Read this book.



3. I am Bob's eldest offspring, Renee Gibson. I'm writing this review for 2 reasons. One is about the book itself; second is to comment about a review by DBW in Oakland, CA. Being it that I experienced most parts of this book, I was moved across the spectrum of emotions, which makes it good. Many things I knew, some I learned for the first time. The single thing that made me not rate this book a 4 or 5 was solely because the offspring who was there at the time has never been asked for their comments or opinions, maybe because we are females? My brother, Chris who I love dearly, was all over the book; I was in California. I was a natural athlete who understood the game as well as anybody, played softball for many years, and had funny inside information about my father. DBW was correct about something, and I'm risking much to say that my father is as mean off the field as he was on the field. He hated to lose ... anything! When I find a ghost-writer for my autobiography, you'll get to know more details. Of course he may not see himself this way, and I understand why. But, it's true. Otherwise, I enjoyed reading his second book from a non-fan's point of view (smile).



4. I am Bob's eldest offspring, Renee Gibson. I'm writing this review for 2 reasons. One is about the book itself; second is to comment about a review by DBW in Oakland, CA. Being it that I experienced most parts of this book, I was moved across the spectrum of emotions, which makes it good. Many things I knew, some I learned for the first time. The single thing that made me not rate this book a 4 or 5 was solely because the offspring who was there at the time has never been asked for their comments or opinions, maybe because we are females? My brother, Chris who I love dearly, was all over the book; I was in California. I was a natural athlete who understood the game as well as anybody, played softball for many years, and had funny inside information about my father. DBW was correct about something, and I'm risking much to say that my father is as mean off the field as he was on the field. He hated to lose ... anything! When I find a ghost-writer for my autobiography, you'll get to know more details. Of course he may not see himself this way, and I understand why. But, it's true. Otherwise, I enjoyed reading his second book from a non-fan's point of view (smile).



5. "Stranger to the Game" can be enjoyed on at least two different levels. On one level, fans get all the details they need about Gibson and his journey with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959-1975: the early struggles with racist manager Solly Hemus; Gibson's relationship with catcher Tim McCarver; lessons learned by the Cards in their strong run at the pennant in 1963, and the fruits of those lessons in '64; the frustrating seasons of 1965 and '66; the powerhouse Cards of '67 and '68, punctuated by what might have been the greatest pitching performance of all time in 1968, by the author; and the gradual decline of both Gibson's skills and the Cards. The early years of Gibson's life in Omaha, Neb. are interesting, too -- the influence of his older brother; the things he learned from playing basketball, etc.

   But the book also offers some fascinating insights on what it means to be as fierce a competitor as Gibson was. On the field, especially when combined with great talent and intellect, it's a very powerful positive. But in so many other areas -- dealing with the press, trying to get and maintain other jobs in baseball after retirement, coping with the foolish things people do in everyday life, and perhaps even marriage -- it has been a detriment to Gibson. Several times in the book, he is appalled that people see him as "the meanest man to play baseball" (in the words of one fan who approached him in public). It doesn't make sense to him that people would fail to see that his angry demeanor on the mound, and when dealing with most opposing players off it, were designed for a very specific effect, one that made absolute sense in the context of his profession. Even within the limits of the diamond, people sometimes forget that while Gibson hit 90 batters with pitches, Don Drysdale hit 154, and Jim Bunning hit 160.

   The racial element of course serves to underscore this misunderstanding, in Gibson's view. Those determined to see a black man as threatening are that much more likely to be unable to separate job-specific toughness with a person's normal everyday persona. This, as much or more than anything else, has kept Gibson on the periphery of baseball since his retirement.

   Throughout sports, one of the key issues confronting any athlete is how, and when, to turn off the mindset he or she must cultivate for the playing field. In some ways, a competitve approach to life in general is certainly desirable, as so many of our daily struggles are battles, to one degree or another. Gibson portrays himself as being able to flip this switch on or off, depending on the situation. Others disagree.

   Several years after "Stranger to the Game" was published, Gibson, at 66, had a physical altercation with a motorist (can there be any doubt who won?) who cut him off in traffic. The incident suggests that Gibson's competitive fires, perhaps combined with the machismo so intertwined with competition for most male athletes, still rage as intensely as ever.

   What haunted me about "Stranger to the Game" is that I think there should be more room, both in baseball and outside of it, for someone who takes Gibson's approach to things.

5 comments about Forza Amon! A Biography of Chris Amon.

1. Despite some glaring omissions, such as the lack of any detail about Amon's first marriage, this is a very interesting biography, especially for a New Zealand reader who is old enough to remember Amon's racing years. The book is good but noticeably shorter than Young's biographies of Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme.



2. I've seen Chris Amon race a few times in the sixties. In formula 2 in Zolder (where I was born) and in formula 1 in Franchorchamps. He was a nice chap (he still is, I suppose)and readily spent a couple of minutes with a 15-year old who spoke lousy English. Posing for a few pictures was no problem either. 40-odd years later, I still have the (black&white) snapshots.
   I always considered him to be one of the best drivers ever. Victories and/or world titles never tell the complete story. Michael Schumacher is a mediocre, because very unsportsmanlike, driver with an impressive roll of honour. Amon was a great driver and, most of all, a real human being, not a walking advertising column.



3. A big fan of Chris Amon, I tried to follow his career and watched some of the Formula One races where he was comfortably leading (Jarama 1968, Montjuich 1969) and must have won. The way I felt witnessing his car breaking down those times, I cannot even imagine how he must have felt! I also watched some other of his rides during those years in Spain, France and Britain. And I unfortunately missed his masterful driving pieces at Monza, Spa and, very especially, Clermont-Ferrand. After all, not much F1 on TV then, and no time and money to get to every Grand Prix there was.
   
   And here I found, a few months ago, his biography written by no less than Eoin Young. Besides attending a race live, the other best way of knowing what was going on, and getting fine entertainment out of the reading, was to get a copy of Autocar, (not easy to find here in Spain) and read one of Eoin's articles. Of course, I couldn't miss this book!
   
   I really felt transported to the "good old times", and enjoyed enormously the reading. It was much better than attending the missing races, and knowing first-hand about Chris personality, ups and downs, were both gratifying and touching. I especially savoured the italian anecdotes of his Ferrari times: His lunches in the company of the great Enzo Ferrari, were really something, not to mention the return trips with the Old Man at the wheel of the 2+2 Berlinetta. And the situation during the '67 Le Mans 24-hour, in the middle of the night, trying to replace a punctured wheel of his P4, can make you laugh to tears.
   
   I believe this book is a must for anyone interested in the history of motorsport. Thanks to Eoin for such great reading moments.



4. "Forza Amon" is the first full length biography of this legendary unlucky driver, and is a ripping good yarn. Previous writings about Amon were usually hindered by the fact that Amon was considered to be part of a trio - Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme were other New Zealand drivers participating in Formula One at more or less the same time as Chris, and there are a number of "Trio at the top" titles which deal with all three New Zealanders. "Forza Amon" is written by a fellow New Zealander, Eoin Young, who used to work for the McLaren Racing Team in the 1960's, and later on as a motorsport journalist. Young and Amon both knew each other back in the early McLaren days when Chris was an up and comer in the game.
   
   The tale begins with a young Kiwi on a farm in Bulls, New Zealand, the same young Kiwi who would taste the ultimate success at Le Mans in 1966, and who would go on to lead the famous and illustrious Ferrari team in their F1 efforts. During a Formula One career spanning 13 seasons from 1963 to 1976, Amon would famously lead 183 laps in Formula One Championship races, failing to finish first even once (he did win a couple of non-championship F1 events, including the 1971 Argentine F1 race).
   
   Yound writes of Amon's early motorsport endeavours in small town NZ in the 50's, before debutting with Reg Parnell's outfit in 1963, having made the trip to Europe. The glory days with Ferrari, March, and Matra are covered. The distasterous Amon F1 car is discussed, as is the shambolic 1973 effort with Tecno, before Amon stepped into the 3rd Tyrell for the penultimate race of the season. Chris's F1 career winds down with Ensign, the little outfit for which Chris finished 5th in one race.
   
   The book benefits from what appears to considerable input from Chris himself - it is obvious that Young spent a lot of time down on the family farm in Bulls, coaxing these stories out of Chris over a beer (or dozen). Young also draws upon contempory writings particularly those of Motorsport and Denis Jenkinson. There are a number of photographs, colour and black & white in 4 inserts throughout the book. "Forza Amon!" is fast, easy, and enjoyable reading especially for those who dislike the sanitized Formula One of today.



5. Back in the olden days-well, the seventies-when there was no such thing as F1 racing on teevee, one had to rely on periodicals to stay current! Really, magazines! One quickly discovered the good magazines were:"Autosport","Motorsport" and "Competition Press" and that guys like Denis Jenkinson, Pete Lyons and Eoin Young were the guys you wanted to read. Sure there were others but these were my big three. Anyway, imagine my delight on finding a biography of the eternally unlucky Kiwi written by the eternally entertaining one! I only saw Amon in action twice, both times near the end of his career (Long Beach and Anderstorp 1976) but had known of him for years longer and like I said: Eoin Young's prose is of the best! The book is wonderfully evocative of a better time in the world of autoracing, or so it would seem; the drivers, anyway, were personalities and not corporate paper dolls, the circuits varied and challenging and the cars needful of drivers, real drivers!
   If for nothing more than chapter three, "High times: the Ditton Road Flyers and 'Big Ed'"this book is well worth the money and the time it takes to read. I was laughing so hard it was a wonder the nice men with the butterfly nets didn't come and take me to the laughing academy.
   The rest of the book is likewise engaging, informative and sometimes the incidents described are tragic, so that it's a relief to find that our hero hadn't gone home to Bulls, New Zealand to become a bitter recluse forever damning the (bad) old days.
   I will certainly be keeping an eye open for future offerings from Mister Young, as long as he keeps writing 'em, I'll keep reading 'em.

No comments about Roy Keane: Red Man Walking.

3 comments about All Things Being Equal: The Autobiography of Lenny Moore.

1. Residing in Reading, PA my entire life, I was anxious to read this book. What a disappointment! Lenny Moore portays himself as a victim throughout the book. However, it is clear that he was an underachiever from the start. If you want to read a "poor me" I'm a victim of racism book, this would be the book for you. If you want to read about sports or about something inspirational, forget this piece of garbage.



2. I was never a huge Colt or Lenny Moore fan just because I dont follow the team or it's past. However, Lenny did an excellent Job of discussing the risks of not completing College, discussing the disparity between Black and white athletes after their game playing days are over, and how he dealt with it. He is not the first to discuss the subtile rift in locker rooms between black and white football players in the 50's and 60's. However, this is the first book I read that talked about what the white players felt about how the black players were treated. Great book that flows smoothly without getting into the sex, drugs, and other excesses of pro football players.



3. THIS IS THE STORY OF LENNY MOORE FORMER BALTIMORE COLT GREAT. THE MAJORITY OF THIS BOOK COVERS HIS CAREER WITH COLTS. INCLUDED ARE SOME STORIES ABOUT HIS JOHNNY U, WEEB, AND MANY MORE. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WERE THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF BIG DADDY AND LENNY'S THOUGHTS AND RELATIONSHIP WITH DON SHULA. LENNY ALSO COVERS HIS LIFE AFTER THE COLTS AND THE PREDJUDICE AGAINST BLACKS THAT WAS EVEN WORSE BACK IN THE 1950'S AND 60'S. LENNY HAS ENDURED ALOT OF PAIN IN HIS PRIVATE LIFE (DEATH OF 2 WIFES AND ONE OF HIS CHILDREN). BUT HE CONTINUES TO BE A CLASS ACT. I RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL COLT FANS WHO SAW LENNY PLAY.

3 comments about Bang Your Head: The Real Story of The Missing Link.

1. Dewey Robertson was a man who seemed to be doing well in his life with a successful wrestling career in Canada, thriving gym, good family life and his health. Through making some bad decisions he managed to lose the lot.
   
   He did this by heading to the US to seek fame and fortune but found that he needed to keep up with the other wrestlers and take drugs and drink heavily.
   
   Robertson tells a sad story of a life ruined.
   
   A good read and one in which you learn that the consequences of your actions have lasting effects.



2. My first introduction to the "Missing Link" was as a young child, growing up experiencing Vince McMahon's new vision of professional wrestling. The WWF expansion was in its infancy and I was lucky enough to receive the WWF Wrestling Album as a gift from my parents. A quick scan of the album cover revealed many familiar Saturday morning faces, but one face stuck out like a sore thumb. It was the green-faced monster character whom I had never seen before. I would later find out that it was the Missing Link, and his cup of coffee with the WWF happened to coincide with the making of this album. His stint with the company was so short that I had somehow missed all his appearances on TV. I felt cheated.
   
   In later years, I would discover what I was missing through the miracle of video tape. When I got my hands on tapes from the NWA and WCCW I finally got to experience with my own eyes the brilliance of this remarkable wrestling character. My research eventually led to the realization that The Link had previously become famous under a completely different name, AND he was a Canadian (like me). As a clean-cut babyface named Dewey Robertson, he became a major star in Canada and around various territories in the United States. It was a career I would surely anticipated seeing chronicled in the pages of an autobiography some day. I would come to realize that I severely underestimated the intrigue involved with the personal life and career of Dewey "The Missing Link" Robertson.
   
   BANG YOUR HEAD!, the real story of The Missing Link is a mesmerizing account of the journey made by a man whose life was separated into several distinct eras. This book covers it all with brutal honesty and an clear intent to pass on the wisdom of experience. We begin with Dewey's troubled upbringing, leading into his compulsion with health and fitness, to getting into the wrestling business, and eventually his twisted transformation into the Missing Link character. The story gets even grittier as The Link goes into the battle of his life against the many demons that have attached themselves to him as a result of living in the fantasy world known as professional wrestling. It is a dark and most likely an accurate portrayal of your average professional wrestler.
   
   There are three basic interpretations readers could take away from this book; First, the story of a professional wrestler; second, the story of one human being fighting his ghastly addictions; and third, the effect of the first and second points on family life. It all becomes interlaced as Dewey Robertson's journey unravels before your very eyes. The tale ends with an inspirational realization and a refreshing intention to help children make better choices and not end up going down the same roads as The Link did.
   
   I enjoyed this book for what it was worth. It was short and sweet, exactly 201 pages of consistent good material, and with the exception of a few careless minor spelling errors it was pretty much a flawless and easy to read. It did make me think seriously about a lot of things in this crazy world, and I believe that was one of the underlining goals. Anybody that has a thirst for wrestling history will find this book a pleasure to read. It's more than a wrestling book; it's also a learning experience which you will find informative and thought-provoking.



3. For those who remember pro wrestling before the explosion of popularity fueled by Hulk Hogan and WWF, there was territories where certain wrestlers were the superstars.
   
   Dewey Robertson was one of these stars in regions - especially in Canada and Texas - before and during his gimmick as The Missing Link. In the classic Sports Illustrated story on pro wrestling - which featured Hulk Hogan on the cover - The Link had a photograph that essentially anchored the article on the emergence of pro wrestling in mainstream athletics.
   
   But Robertson's climb through the ranks of the industry came with a price; a too-often told tale by those who sacrificed so much to get to the top. He doesn't blame anyone but himself for the actions that almost killed him.
   
   Robertson - in a style that makes him sound as if he is sitting down and talking with you - does not cut corners in discussing how a variety of addictions left him virtually penniless, homeless for a period of time and estranged from a variety of family members and friends.
   
   It is not a story without its light moments, especially when The Link finds himself in situations where he remains in character within daily settings.
   
   From page one, Robertson stays the course of talking about experiences and individuals from what he recalls. It is an inspirational story, especially since the character remains a favorite with kids today; years after his national appearances in the WWF and WCCW.
   
   There are plenty of wrestling autobiographies on the market, and so many become a means for the person to settle grudges outside the ropes. Robertson keeps the focus on his life and - for that alone - makes it a very special read.

1 comments about Accept the Challenge: The Memoirs of Jerry Clinton.

1. "Accept The Challenge, the Memoirs of Jerry Clinton," is an inspiring and touching story of a man who has lived the American Dream. An elegant and charismatic industry leader, Clinton personifies the best of a generation of business entrepreneurs. His book offers rare access into the elite worlds of high-end sports and media, plus a peek inside Anheiser Bush leadership. The personal journey that Clinton shares is worth the ride, as told in his charming and compelling style. The title says it all, and it is pure Jerry Clinton: Accept the Challenge.Accept the Challenge: The Memoirs of Jerry Clinton

5 comments about Feel No Fear: The Power, Passion, and Politics of a Life in Gymnastics.

1. This book was written by Bela Karolyi, the Romanian coach who has coached such gymnastics legends as Nadia Cominici, Mary Lou Retton, Kim Zmeskal, Dominique Moceanu and Kerri Strug.

   This book tells you about his life in Romania, training Nadia, defecting to America, and all the way to the 1992 Olympics.

   Before I didn't know much about Bela or about the girls he had trained. But after reading this book, I now know much more about him and his wife, Marta.

   If you want to know more about this memorable coach, be sure to read this book!




2. Bela Karolyi is such a inspirational man to take what little he had and make winners. I had the advantage of meeting this man this summer. He seems like a father figure with strong discipline and a positive effort. I always loved it when he 'You can Do it! " Which is all so true when you use your body in a positive way in the sport of gymnastics or any other sport.



3. It tells the entire story of Bela Karolyi's life and it tells the stories of the many famous gymnasts he has coached. The book makes you appreciate this man more than anything else could! I read it before I met him at Karolyi's camp and it made it THAT MUCH better!!



4. I have read this book a while back. However, I often refer to it for the inspiration, and sometimes quote it to my students (I am a figure skating coach). Bela is a legendary coach, and it was interesting to find out about his coaching, and life philosophies. I hope I could be like him one day. The part of the book that especially moved me is when Bela found out that more than half of his students became p.e. teachers.



5. I thought the book was great, if you love Bela
   if you don't or are a true gymnastic stat follower
   you might not, because Bela includes many of his
   personal beliefs on many competitions, some of which
   are trully exagerated and completly from the point
   of view of a coach. Which is what i believe the point
   of the book was. Overall it was a cool book to read.

1 comments about The Gold and the Glory.

1. as a coloradoan, i was extremely pleased to see one of our state's greatest athlete's recognized in this well written book. this was a true account of a tremendous athlete and a very inspiring life for any young athlete to imitate. this book should be in every school library in the state of colorado if it isn't already. A++++++++

3 comments about Steve Scott the Miler: America's Legendary Runner Talks About His Triumphs and Trials.

1. I can understand why the general public didn't buy this book. It's appeal is to those of us who have undergone the "Trial of Miles." Like Once a Runner's Cassidy, Scott gave it everything and sacrificed much, as did his family. Yet, like Cassidy, he didn't win the Gold, so the ignorant have forgotten him. Even so, he should be remembered for his dedication to the sport and his willingness to give everything, to be the front runner, to not hide until the final lap, so, like Prefontaine, he is an inspiration to runners. A very good book. I wish him and his family well.
   John Matney
   Oregon, 81



2. Near the end of his autobiography, Steve Scott talks about running in the National Cross Country Championships in Montana (there are pictures of the race in the book). It was 4 degreees and snowy. Scott was past his prime as one of the greatest milers in the world. He didn't need to run the race; few World Class milers run serious 10K cross country at any time, let alone in their declining years. But Steve Scott loves to run. He loves to train very hard and run very fast. He finished 10th that day, not far behind distance greats like Pat Porter and Todd Williams, and just a few seconds away from qualifying as a member of the U.S. team for the World Cross Counttry Championships. Afterwards he overheard a couple of young runners talking. One said, in obvious surprise, "Did you see Steve Scott finished 10th? I thought he'd retired." His friend responded, "I thought he was dead."
   Well Steve Scott ain't dead folks, and I'll bet wherever he is right now he's still running far and fast. Scott's autobiography is hard to find now. It never caught on the way some of the books for joggers did - or those about another Steve: Prefontaine. But read Scott's book if you can find it. Serious runners will love it and even joggers will be fascinated by its honesty and by the character - in both senses of the word - that Scott reveals. Jim Ryun remains the legendary American miler, but he would have been 30 meters behind Scott in their best races. Ryun gave up the sport in his early 20s because he couldn't handle the pressure; Scott raced at the highest levels for 20 years.
   With the help of Marc Bloom, the longtime dedicated chronicler of Cross Country and Track, Scott helps us understand his love for running and for being really fit. He was "Pre" without the sharp edges. He deserves to be better known and more honored. But even if that never happens, no one can ever take away what he accomplsihed. The numbers - 3:47.69, and 136 sub-4:00s - will stand for as long as runners circle the track for four laps.



3. The sport of track and field has only a limited audience in the U.S. American athletes typically receive recognition only after setting a world record or winning an Olympic gold medal. Steve Scott, America's top miler throughout the 1980s, did neither. In his book, The Miler, Scott writes of a running career in which he unquestionably was America's best miler (his U.S. record of 3:47.69, set in 1982, still stands), and certainly one of the world's best (10 consecutive years ranked among the world's top 10 milers by Track & Field News). Yet without a world record or Olympic gold medal to his credit, Scott remained virtually unknown outside the small U.S. track and field community. The Miler traces Scott's reluctant beginnings as a high school runner, his development into a national-class competitor in college, and his emergence as a world-class racer. Along the way we're treated to profiles of Scott's leading international competitors, all icons in the history of the mile: John Walker, Eamonn Coghlan, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Said Aouita. Scott beat them all, but not in either of the two races -- the '84 or '88 Olympics -- which would have brought him the recognition and financial rewards that accompany a gold medal. The Miler is not simply a book about running. Scott details the struggles he faced to support his wife and kids early in his career, when track and field was still regarded as an "amateur" sport. Scott also writes frankly of the toll the nomadic career of a track and field athlete exacted upon his marriage. Although it probably was cathartic for Scott to write these passages, it is uncomfortable for even a dedicated track & field fan to read. Despite this, I admire Scott for his willingness to write something other than the puff pieces that frequently pass for the biographies of famous athletes. He deals frankly with some of track and fields' unsavory elements -- unscrupulous meet promoters, under-the-table payments, agents, drugs, stars avoiding races with potential rivals, and track's governing bodies -- and isn't afraid of putting himself in the middle of situations that don't frame him in the best light. In fact, perhaps in an effort to balance his career's many triumphs, he frequently seems to come down too hard on himself. He writes extensively of his failures at the Olympics, but covers the race in which he set the American record for the mile in a few paragraphs. He takes great pride in having run more sub-4 minute miles (136) than any miler in history, but dwells more on how another runner, John Walker, beat him to the "media friendly" 100th sub-4 mile goal. I would have liked to have read more of his numerous triumphs, and less of his real or perceived shortcomings. Scott also write of the challenge of, and eventual triumph over, his most formidable opponent: cancer. The story of his recovery from testicular cancer and return to competition demonstrates that sheer force of will, more than physical ability, is the true mark of a champion. The Miler certainly will appeal to fans of track & field. But it should also find a wider audience among those who are curious as to the challenges, costs and rewards that come to those who strive for world class status in any field. For in The Miler Scott shows himself to be a winner not only on the track, but also in the ongoing race called life.

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