5 comments about Senior Year: A Father, A Son, and High School Baseball.

1. The customer reviews for this book are highly polarized -- mainly 1 star or 5 stars.
   
   I came with no strong preconceptions about Dan Shaughnessy. I live in the Boston area, so I have read many of his columns in the Globe over the years. But I don't have a strong opinion of him. I neither love him nor hate him.
   
   That's also the way I felt about this book. I didn't love it or hate it.
   
   I found the book easy to read and sped quickly through it. As the story progressed, I was eager to see how things would unfold for Sam Shaughnessy and his family. I laughed at many of Shaughnessy's anecdotes and observations about the politically correct culture of Newton, Massachusetts. I believe the book accurately describes much of the challenges and excitement of a budding Division I athlete navigating through his senior year in high school.
   
   My main criticism of the book is that the feel-good, family-first tone felt a little forced. I guess the prominently placed blurb by Mitch Albom on the cover should have clued me in to the homilies to follow.
   
   The way Mr. Shaughnessy describes his home, it is the epitome of all that's good about America. It seems that all the kids in Newton feel comfortable stopping by, sharing a meal, and sleeping over. The Shaughnessy home is always messy, noisy, vibrant, and happily chaotic. There don't seem to be any temper tantrums, slammed doors, or brooding silences. Also, the Shaughnessys seem to treat all their neighbors as part of the extended family. There are no meddling, nosy neighbors, no weirdos that the family studiously avoids. Despite Mr. Shaughnessy's busy work and travel schedule, he seems never to miss an important family moment.
   
   Maybe Mr. Shaughnessy's family life really is that good. Or perhaps he feels guilty about having missed so much of his life at home over the years and is applying a revisionist tone to his description of his family life. I guess readers are supposed to be inspired by the family values that Dan Shaughnessy and his family seemingly epitomize. But I think many readers, like me, will doubt whether things are really that good in the Shaughnessy home.
   
   Nonetheless, I did enjoy reading this book. With the reservations above, I still recommend it.



2. As an Indianapolis Colts fan, I should not even be reading a book written by a Boston Globe writer!
   
   I personally found the book hard to sit down. With a high school senior in sports, it was easy for me to relate to his experiences. I loved Dan's passion for baseball at an early age. When we were kids, baseball was everything.
   
   If you have a senior involved in sports, you will find this book entertaining. If you are not involved in sports and do not have kids, you may not enjoy this book as well as I did.



3. This book is nonfiction about Dan Shaughnessy's son's Senior Year and the stress he as a parent had. It gives insight into a parent's feelings and thoughts about raising a senior. The son was a ballplayer and the dad was very much into watching his games and hoping he would get a sports scholarship for college. The father often compares his son's actions and events to his own memories from when he was that age. It covers the following issues: grades, driving, prom, sports, choosing a college, sportsmanship, respecting the game. I think any parent of teens involved in high school sports would enjoy this book.
   
   --Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"



4. I read this book after hearing good things about it from two members of my family. Many of the low ratings had scared me off originally, but I took the plunge and am glad I did. I should say that one reason I might have liked this book is that I could relate to so much of it: I was in high school in the Boston area at the same time as Dan Shaughnessy, and I have three children, one of whom graduated in the same year at Dan's son, Sam. My son was also a recruited athlete and is currently competing at the college level. Shaughnessy's chronicles of his life as a high school student and as a parent of a senior in high school rang very true to me. I also should say that I give the author credit for not white-washing the warts from his son's senior year. Sam was often painted in a less than favorable light, yet always with caring. Trying to deal with less-than-perfect children is what parenting is about for 99% of us, and Shaughnessy's loving angst was something I related to. I should say that I am not a big fan of Dan Shaughnessy through his columns, but I entered this book trying hard not to let it poison my experience reading this. It didn't, but I can't help but believe that most of those "one star" ratings come from people who began the book with a negative attitude towards the author. Otherwise, how do you explain the fact that about half the people rated this a 5 and half a 1, with very few ratings in between? I enjoyed this book, and it helped me reflect a bit more on my own family. It reminded me that I am not alone in both the joys and challenges of parenting these days. This is not a profound book, but worth reading.



5. This true account of how young Sam Shaughnessy and his father, Dan, handled the ups and downs of his senior year while pursuing a baseball scholarship is very enjoyable and a book I will read over again.
   
   Mr. Shaughnessy put together the entire senior year in pieces, detailing his son's teenage attitudes and views. The comparative looks back at Dan's high school days in the early 70s showed just how much things have progressed/regressed with a generation.
   
   I, for one, found the book to be entertaining, funny and ironic in more than one chapter! As our kids get older, begin thoughts of college and their careers, we need to enjoy it with them and provide our perspective (which they will think is pure drivel) as they make the choices which will shape their lives away from us.
   
   I'll be checking out the BC website to see how young Sam is getting along!
   
   A nice read and one which is meant to be nothing more than one family's story of a son's senior year. Excellent!

5 comments about The Unfair Advantage.

1. If you are a fan of Mark Donohue, or a racing fan from the era of the CanAm series, I believe you will enjoy this biography. It has enlightened me to the complications and hardships in preparing and maintaining a proper race care. There is much insight into the business side off the sport as well, and demonstrates Roger Penske's determination and acuity in running a top flight team.



2. I saw this book last weekend at a Vintage Race being held ther by HSR-West and figured it would be a great collectos item. But it is a lot more than that; it is a real insight to the trials and tribulations of racing and race car development. Donohue comes out as a very humble driver and he is not afraid to admit his mistakes and that of the team. This is a book that you don;t to put down but you also don;t want to be finished with it. I did see Mark Donohue at one of the Riverside Trans-Ams in 1968. I was always wondering what really happened at the end of the 69 season to make Penske swith to that AMC junk and now I know.. Do not miss this book.



3. This book is easily one of the best narratives about racing I've ever come across. It is a personal and honest account of the late Mark Donahue's racing career from his impromptu start to the zenith of his career in Formula 1, Indy Racing, and Can Am to his retirement.
   
   Anyone who races or aspires to race will delight in his firsthand recollections of his racing exploits and his perspective on one of the great programs in motorsport history (the Can Am Porsche 917).
   
   Highly recommended.



4. There are very few motorsports books extant that can be called true classics or world-changers. This is one of them, and it's one of the best on top of that. Mark Donahue was an extrordinary individual, not only a blindingly fast driver, but also a talented, disciplined, and most importantly, curious engineer.
   
   To have the virtues of both top-level driver and top-level engineer embodied in the same person is a very rare combination. To have been present - indeed, to be one of the driving forces behind - a revolution within a sport and an industry is even rarer. To have this person write about his experiences while busy changing the world is precious beyond price.
   
   To put it simply, you cannot be a student of the profession of motor racing without reading this book.
   
   I offer this as evidence: while I am by no means an autograph hound, I do, from time to time, have occasion to encounter people within the motorsports family whom I admire enough to want to collect an autograph from. I use my copy of The Unfair Advantage as my autograph storage device. Putting this book in front of people like Jackie Stewart, Carroll Shelby, and Carroll Smith results in a shock of recognition, followed by praise for the author. What greater endorsement could you want?



5. Donohue's apparent candidness and ability to give about the right amount of technical detail without getting boring weaves you through a history of this period of racing when a few guys could do all the race prep. They lived a hard life on the road. Donohue divorced. A rare look from an engineer driver's point of view and the sometimes austere and lonely life of racing. Roger Penske was his team owner and is commented on from Donohue's point of view. Somehow this book changes you as a person as you seem to experience Donohue's racing life though an un-glossed writing style. This style is part of the secret of the books greatness. Though it was likely edited by someone it was NOT "normalized" to be a standard bland coffee table book. Instead it remains in character to the situations and people involved. A rare look into someone else's professional life. Highly recommended.

No comments about More Than Just The Catch.

5 comments about Batista Unleashed.

1. When I first heard that former World Champion and WWE wrestler, Dave Batista was penning his own autobiography, "way too soon" ran through my mind. The book, "Batista Unleashed" only covers the first five years of his WWE career, right through his feud with Undertaker shortly after Wrestlemania 23. It didn't seem like a whole a lot of history to cover, and I thought the book would be a failure like previous wrestlers who released their autobiographies early in their career like Bill Goldberg and The Rock.
   
   I couldn't have been more wrong. Of all the wrestler biographies I have read thus far, no one has had such an eventful childhood as Batista. His accounts of growing up in the rough part of Washington D.C. leaves plenty of interesting first hand experiences. Batista's childhood troubles, growing up in a divorced family, dropping out of high school, having his own kid at an early age, his doomed marriage, and a ton of other shenanigans combined to have me hooked throughout the entire first half of the book.
   
   When it comes to Batista's wrestling career, Dave doesn't pull any punches and tells it like it is. He admits how he struggled in his early years learning how to wrestle while coping with his asthma, and his frustrations with management not teaching him anything else other than to be a big, powerful brute. Dave doesn't hide much either, as he tells the ugly truth about his enemies, and gives praise to people he still wish were in the company. It was quite fascinating reading about how he grew to learn the business and how he was taught so much while part of the faction, Evolution with Triple H, Ric Flair and Randy Orton.
   
   That all led to Batista transitioning from a supporting role to becoming a main event star by winning his first World Championship at Wrestlemania 21. Dave explains how tough it was behind the scenes to become accepted as a top draw, and how it became tougher when he got drafted to the Smackdown brand and had to deal with leading a new locker room.
   
   This all culminates for one entertaining read. I am surprised this didn't turn out to be the quick cash-in book like I so dreadfully thought it would be. I wasn't that big of a Batista fan like before this book, but I had a whole new respect for him coming out of it. If wrestling biographies are your thing, than I highly recommend not to skip over Batista Unleashed.
   
   Batista Unleashed



2. This book is not meant for younger kids its for a much older crowd. This book brings out his true identity and lays out his life for everyone to see. If you didnt like batista before you will now after you read this book. A great read for batista fans!!



3. This book is an excellant reas.Dave goes well indepth of his life experiences in and out the ring.5 stars plus



4. Dave Batista, one of WWE's current big stars, while his autobiography was in the planning stages, stated that he was a pretty boring guy and was only going along with this because the WWE wanted to push a book about him. He was right - through no fault of his own, his book is not exactly must read material.
   
   Batista Unleashed, likely as told to Jeremy Roberts by Dave Batista, is the life story of the sudden sensation of a big man who started in the industry late in life, debuting at the age of 33. As the man is only 38 when the book was released to store shelves last October, most of the book is mostly based on his personal life.
   
   And that's kind of the problem. As a fan of a lot of wrestling autobiographies, I read mostly for the road stories and other industry workings in the strange and unique business of professional wrestling. Batista and Roberts do try to make the best of it, trying to put in as many interesting diversions as they can, since the book is an obvious cash in on Batista's current popularity.
   
   The story follows Batista from his childhood on the rough streets of Washington D.C., into a run with a bad crowd and a brief life of crime. He spent much of his young adult life serving as a bouncer, a natural given his height and build. He goes into his time as a bodybuilder, which he credits to saving his life. He spends much time speaking of his relationships with various women, and the resulting unplanned children from those unions.
   
   As expected, he doesn't actually start to speak of the wrestling industry until he's a good ways into the book. For what's there, he makes it entertaining and is seemingly not afraid to throw mud, which can be a positive or negative depending on one's opinion on the maturity of that. There are some fine gems of passages in the book, such as Batista's altercation in the WCW Power Plant with a small pasty white career jobber/trainer by the name of Sergeant Buddy Lee Parker saying that the future Wrestlemania Main Eventer would never make it in the industry.
   
   Another plus I'll hand the book is that Batista actually reflects on his past and is actually regretful of some of his past screw ups, such as the aforementioned delving into a life of crime, and even in the wrestling industry such as his known backstage brawl with fellow star Booker T. This is a nice change of pace to other books in the genre, where the author was always in the right and everyone else has no idea what they're talking about.
   
   On the flip side, as a duality, he still comes up as bullheaded a lot of the time, almost to the point of comicality. As an example, are his claims to be sleeping around with many of the WWE's Divas - women wrestlers. The need to promote this fact(if it is a fact) is a strange one to stick in one's book, especially given it's talking about a relatively current time of not even a year ago. One would think you'd keep your current sexual exploits to yourself until a later date, not publish them all for the world to see.
   
   It's by no means the worst wrestling autobiography you could buy. But you could do better. If you're a big Batista fan, it's probably worth a read. A general wrestling fan? I'd place it low on your list behind A Lion's Tale, Have a Nice Day, To Be The Man..., Etc. For a non-wrestling fan? I wouldn't even bother, as I do not see much universal appeal here in this obvious WWE Cash-in.



5. I refused to by this book but I did read it and I can tell you that Batista is a REAL jerk.
   
   I am NEVER was a Batista fan because I felt he lakced wrestling skills and Mic-skills. He has his moments but his personality is Blah. When he came out with this book, I was hoping that after reading it, he would eventually turn me into liking him as a person.
   
   The fact that he treated his ex-wife like $#it goes to show what an embarassment he is to pro wrestling. Guys like him give bad names to guys that passed and actaully changed their lives for the better. I do wish Batista would change in the future but I refuse to support someone who practically bragged about what woman he had sex with and how he cheated on his cancer-enduced ex-wife.
   
   I know a wrestler's lifestyle is hard but why would you get married in the first place. He thinks it's love but judging from this book, he did it out of comfort.
   
   After reading this book, I think i found the REAL wiesel of pro wrestling and that's Batista.
   
   In fairness to him, he could have made up these stories and if he did, then I take everything back but this is label a non-fiction.

5 comments about Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board.

1. To be honest, this was an enjoyable and quick read. The writing style of the book was not difficult and had an easy flow to it. I did like how Bethany decided to focus the majority of the book around her life pre and post- attack. Only one chapter was really geared towards the actual attack, which wasn't described in much detail at all.
   
   By doing this, she focused on her personal faith in Christ and how that strong bond with her religion and family helped her through the ordeal. Rarely did the book come off as "preachy" or pushing her religious views, except for the ending chapter. This was a nice aspect of the book, because although her faith was a heavy part of the book, it did not discourage me from reading onwards. One part of the book even addressed the fact that many people think that her family may be too religious, but she countered that with the fact that this is just part of her life. Some people may not understand it, and that does not bother her in the least.
   
   It will be interesting to see how my students react to this book. I am asking them the question of the author's purpose for writing the book, and I will be eager to join that discussion. It is a strong lesson about following your drive and determination no matter what the obsticles, but I think they will focus more on the faith aspect of the book and say that trust in Christ was her main objective.
   
   Many of my students watched the news reports and have seen the billboards with Bethany's picture and story advertised, so it is definitely a high interest story for intermediate students. The format of the book is also reader friendly because it is sectioned into shorter chapters.



2. This is good book for any young person looking for inspiration from a positive role model in our modern world of spoiled pop princesses. Bethany has a rather matter of fact attitude to her predicament, taking it in stride. I read it last year on a trip to Oahu where I got a fin to the head and nine stitches, and as I lay there bleeding I thought how horrible it must have been for her and how my problem paled in comparison. While her attitude is based on her strong religious up bring, the message is not overly strong and is fine for any one's beliefs. It does need to be down rated a star for misspelling "Trestles." Shame on the ghost writer and editors for letting such an obvious mistake go: aren't there starving surfers who could have been hired for the job instead?



3. My daughter needed a book for her school's summer reading project. She picked this book off the list because she'd heard about the author who had her arm bitten off by a shark as an 11 year old, surfing. She was able to get through it quickly and she enjoyed it even though she is not an avid reader.



4. At just 13, Bethany Hamilton lost her left arm to a tiger shark, possibly affecting her goals and achievements dramatically in her life forever. But did that stop her from surfing? Of course it didn't! Bethany has been in the water constantly ever since she knew how to swim. She says, surfing is her life and has been since she was three. Her parents have been there for her every step of the way. Bethany has two older brothers, both surfers, and a best friend named Alana, another surfer. She mentioned that without her faith in God she would have never survived and He is the reason she gets up every morning. This book really inspired me to have goals and to achieve and never give up. Bethany Hamilton is a role model to many others and I. I am glad to say that now she is a professional surfer! The sponsor that stuck with her though all the hard times was RipCurl! Bethany is a wonderful girl, daughter, sister and friend to many and I am so glad that I picked up this book and was immediately drawn to it.
   Bethany throws her soul into surfing; she was born for the board. She may have lost her arm in the attack, but she could never lose her faith in God. He was and still is her greatest hero and model. I really think that her faith motivated her to get right back in the waves.
   Bethany Hamilton's first-hand account of the full-on fight to keep surfing is worth the read all the way. This teenage autobiography would interest any type of reader. I personally think that to everyone who has read this incredible book including me, there is no doubt that this book has made an impact on peoples lives. What a great book.



5. This is a great story for all ages! It is about a girl who suffers from a shark attack and loses her arm. Bethany shows a great example of still going no matter how hard times may get. This is defidently a favorite of mine. I encourage you to read this book, it will inspire you as it did to me!

5 comments about The Scorecard Always Lies: A Year Behind the Scenes on the PGA Tour.

1. As an avid golf reader, I was surprised to see this book appear as an Amazon suggestion. Why hadn't I heard of it? Now I know why. Besides the numerous factual errors previously mentioned, this guy lets his personal politics seep (or maybe creep is a better word) into the book throughout. Early on he takes a cheap shot at Rush Limbaugh. Later he ridicules home schoolers. He delights in naming the few PGA tour democrats and snidely refers to the rest as "God and Country" types. He has a breathless man crush on Tiger. (Hey, Chris, he's married. And straight.) I imagine his comrades in the environmental movement are on him for sacrificing even one tree for this drivel. Save your $17.16. This "God and Country" type wishes he had.



2. There are so many factual errors, many more than listed in the reviews to date, that one can't really trust anything in the book.
   
   And let me add that the incessant promotion of Sports Illustrated and its second rate golf writers gets really old.
   
   Even golf addicts, maybe especially golf addicts, should leave this one be. Shame on the author and publisher for such shoddy work.



3. Chris Lewis does exactly what he sets out to do in his introduction. He gives flesh and blood--personality--to PGA Tour players, and he does it very well...very, very well.
   
   In an age where members of the media have become personalities themselves, often making their "names" at the expense of the people they cover, Lewis' book is a welcome addition to golf writing and publications...
   
   It's nice to know who these guys are away from the light and glare of public view and to learn about their relationships with other golfers. A very fine book. Highly recommended.



4. I had a whole list of things I found wrong in the book and was prepared to put them here but then I read the reviews and found that the previous posters listed most of the ones I found. But not all of them:
   
   The author mentions Ben Curtis won the 2002 British Open. It was the 2003 British Open.
   
   He tells a story of a flight Geoff Ogilvy took with Aaron Baddeley's wife, a reporter, and some other people. The reporter recites a line from the movie "Almost Famous" which he delivers as "We're flying over Wichita, Kansas and we're gonna die." The line is "We're flying over Tupelo, Mississippi and we're gonna die." Maybe the reporter delivered it incorrectly, but whatever, it's still wrong.
   
   Near the end, he writes not once, but twice, that Tiger Woods won the "Williams World Challenge." Um, did his caddy suddenly get the tournament named after him? I think not. I've been to it 4 years in a row and every year it has been the "Target World Challenge."
   
   I thought the book was interesting, but man, I just couldn't get over all of the factual and grammatical errors everyone has mentioned so far. It's one of the more poorly written books I've read in a long time.



5. It's unbelievable that a reputable publishing house could put out something this bad. The spelling and grammar were bad enough. The factual inaccuracies appalling. But perhaps the worst part was the pervasive snarkiness. There were times that I was sure this had been written by a 14 year old. Not even close to Feinstein and Frost.

5 comments about Maravich.

1. My boyfriend bought me this book for Christmas and I loved it! I love my biographies chock full of details, and MARAVICH doesn't disappoint. For serious fans, it even has game stats. I especially loved that Pistol Pete's widow and sons collaborated with the authors, which gives the writing a personal touch. Better yet, the book has personal letters and diary entries from Pete. What more could you want?
   
   The guy had an amazing life and died way too tragically, and I really enjoyed reading everything and more in MARAVICH.



2. I bought this book for my dad (at his request). He read it in only a few days. I have never seen my dad read anything that quickly. So, it must have been really good. If you know a basketball fan that was born in the 40s or the 50s - this is a great book for them.



3. Pete Maravich would have been my age had he lived. It was one of the worst days in my life when he died. The man could do things with a basketball and to his opponents that no other player could do during his time...and he did things that were not even imagined by those with whom he played with or against. Were there better shooters? Yes, but only one...Jerry West. Were there better ball-handlers? No! Was there anyone more fun to watch play this wonderful game of basketball? No! Think about it. He averaged 44 points per game in a 4-quarter college basketball game with no time clock and no 3 point line. This is the only significant sports record that will NEVER be broken...at least not during this century.
   
   It is frankly boring to watch the NBA now since Bird, Jordan and Johnson have left the game. I don't care to see the countless tatoos with gang-related symbols on most every body. Maravich put out 100% every time he played. So did Jordan, West, Bird and Johnson. Now we have the prima-donnas demanding higher and higher salaries and then complain about earning only 14 million per year. The NBA is in trouble and will only make a "come-back" when someone like Maravich comes along again. So what is the new "new" thing that will bring the fans back to the NBA? My guess is that it will be someone who can inspire us again...just like Pete Maravich did. Read the book. If you know anything about basketball, you will thoroughly enjoy it.



4. I can summarize by saying that MARAVICH is a very
   quick read. Each chapter's end makes you eager to
   start the next. Once you pick it up, it is very hard to put it down.
   
   "True" Pistol Pete fans and readers
   who approach the book with some background
   knowledge and genuine interest in Pete Maravich will
   like this book. In MARAVICH,
   readers get depth, meaty research and relevant
   detail. I've read other accounts of Pete's life and compared to MARAVICH, they only scratch the surface. MARAVICH has all
   the basic ingredients you'd expect....plus a lot more.
   
   The highest compliment I could give MARAVICH (the book) is this....
   I believe that Pete himself would have wholeheartedly endorsed it.
   He would appreciate and be able to relate
   to the extra-effort and attention-to-detail that was
   over-and-above the basic minimum research that all
   good authors must do. That's because Pete approached life
   the same way. If he was committed to something
   (basketball, Press, family, Christianity, fitness,
   diet, etc.) he wasn't satisfied with cutting corners. Instead, Pistol Pete gave it his all,
   dove into every aspect of it, got into the details,
   and went the extra mile.
   
   It only makes sense that an author who is writing about Pete's life would need to do the same. Wayne Federman did.
   
   I give it an A+. Great subject, well-written book and a very smooth read. I highly recommend it.



5. This is the first Maravich biography that I have read, and I was impressed by the thoroughness of research. From the story of Pete's grandparents in Pennsylvania to his untimely death on a church basketball court to the current status of his wife and children, this book tells it all. Though he failed to achieve his ultimate dream--winning a championship--he ended up with something much better during the last five years of his life--inner peace as a gift from God. I witnessed Pete's final freshman game in Knoxville, Tennesse in 1967, and it was the most stunning sports event that I have ever seen. I had not seen such magic on the court before, and was immediately awed by his unforgettable performance. His freshman game-by-game statistics are not given in the book, and neither is the date of that game. I do know that he scored 741 points his freshman year, and those are not included in his college records. This is a wonderful book.

5 comments about A Sense of Where You Are: Bill Bradley at Princeton.

1. "A sense of where you" are, offers a fascinating look at a true scholar athlete. Author John McPhee`s debut is well written and gives the reader a look at how a student athlete should approach life and grasp the opportunity ahead. Bill Bradley is the consumate teamplayer who pays tribute to the small and important details of the game of basketball. A hoop junkie growing up, but also a reflective mind,perhaps too reflective to become President of the United States.
   An inspiring book that should be read by people of any age, who seek to become successfull at whetever they do.



2. This book is a must read for all aspiring young athletes and their parents. Bill Bradley always had his priorities straight. Although a gifted athlete, he knew that his education was more important. After being named the best college player in America, he eschewed the money and glory of the NBA to accept a Rhodes scholarship. Can you imagine one of today's selfish, ignorant, anti-intellectual, basketball stars doing that today?



3. Bill Bradley, a three-time basketball all-American at Princeton, Olympic gold medalist, Rhodes scholar, member of the New York Knicks and two time NBA champion definitely has a passion for basketball. This books helps show what goes into the making of a champion. Discipline, selflessness, respect, courage, imagination and passion are elements that made him a success on and off the court. I knew nothing at all about Bill Bradley before reading this book, but I have great respect for his personal code and his shining example.



4. I'm writing this review because the fact that it didn't have a 5-star rating irritated me. I first saw the McPhee/Bill Bradley piece in the New Yorker Magazine about 30 years ago. After reading it I xeroxed the entire article and sent copies of it to every member of the University of South Carolina basketball team (which for those of you who are as old as I am was coached by the legendary Frank McGuire (the assistant coach was Donnie Walsh, now President and General Manager of the Indiana Pacers) and featured a cast of great college players like John Roche, Tommy Owens, Billy Walsh, Bobby Cremins, etc. All of the players (an unusually intelligent group) loved the article. We had many conversations about Bradley's approach to the game in the months to come. This is definitely a 5-star book for any lover of the true game of basketball. It's great and can't possibly be outdated. Highest recommendation.



5. I was shocked to see that this book has received such marvelous reviews!

   I am a big fan of anybody that has deserved success on the same level as Bill Bradley. However, this simple fact does not mean that the product of his interesting life will be a good book.

   Simply, this book was very plain and details Bradley's life at Princeton, inside and outside the classroom and on the basketball court. The stories are not interesting and there is too much worship given to Senator Bill. I found many of the "facts" divulged by the author to be incredibly hard to believe.

   If you like the modern-day NBA at all you will absolutely hate this book.

   If you like the modern-day NBA, politics and the Golden Age of sports you will give this book two stars on a five-star scale!

5 comments about Gold in the Water: The True Story of Ordinary Men and Their Extraordinary Dream of Olympic Glory.

1. This will go down as the best swimming book ever written. The facts of non-fiction with the fluidity of a great novel. PH Mullen has written the aquatic masterpiece.



2. Gave a glimpse of the professional swimming world. Starting with kids beginning swimming to Olympians from the perspective of professional coach. Entertaining and more appreciative to the sport. But too late for me to join.



3. Very nice book about swimming as a sport and the people, swimmers and coaches and more, in and behind it. One of few great books about swimming.



4. Seriously inspiring, got me through a lot of long practises.



5. P.H. Mullen's Gold in the Water is a story that i first came into contact with a couple years ago. It is a fast paced true tale about average men trying to accomplish their goals. Reading the story over and over has helped me get through the hard times in and out of the pool. You don't need to be a swimmer to appreciate this story, but it does help. As I am in film school now, this is one story that can inspire more people then Remember the Titans with the Olympic power of Miracle. I encourage every athlete, Olympic fan, parent, or anyone who has a goal to accomplish to buy a copy of this book and one for their coach or mentor. It is a book to read over and over again.

5 comments about The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg.

1. I felt like I was reading the sports pages for the first 140 pages. Too many stats, facts and figures. The storyline didn't flow, the plot was sluggish and languished for the most part. The story of Moe Berg's life should have packed some punch! I expected more pizazz. His life warranted it, but the book didn't deliver.



2. This interesting biography covers a most unusual person. Moe Berg (1902-1972) was a talented linguist, ballplayer, and U.S. espionage agent for the OSS (forerunner of the CIA) before and during World War II and briefly for the CIA after the war. Author Nicholas Dawidoff describes Berg's mysterious life, including New Jersey boyhood, studies at Princeton and Columbia, and years as a second-string catcher for the Dodgers, White Sox, Indians, Senators and Red Sox. Even as a player Berg was better know for his linguistic skills and stealth than for his baseball exploits. Then readers learn of Berg's years as a spy, which probably began when Berg toured Japan with other big leaguers in 1934. The author describes Berg's secret wartime activities, including his 1944-45 mission to ascertain the status of Nazi nuclear research. We also read of his later years, when except for brief CIA assignments, Berg chose to freeload off relatives and friends rather than employ his superb linguistic and legal talents (he had a law degree). A Overall, Berg was an enigmatic man, and this biography, written two decades after his passing, fails to uncover much about him - perhaps Berg would have wanted it that way. Still, this is an interesting and nicely researched biography.



3. Moe Berg was completely unpleasant. I found myself wondering why I should care about his life. He was a mediocre ballplayer, a mediocre scholar and a mediocre spy. His talent was that he was pleasant to be around. Why write a book about him?
   
   Why read about him? I wondered that. My reaction was, "So what?"



4. Moe Berg is truly one of the most interesting, and enigmatic, characters in sports history. What always fascinated me was how, after WWII and no longer in baseball, Berg never worked. He would stay at friends and relatives' homes throughout the country, reading multiple newspapers, and maintaining strict control of those papers. My guess, and this would make for an interesting investigative study, is that he stayed on the OSS/CIA payroll and was working for them, in some capacity: Dissecting the news, dealing with Communist espionage - or who knows, maybe he was working with foreign elemnets. Berg was something. He has to be considered a major hero. Surely the fact that he was an ex-ballplayer makes him stand out from the other heroes under "Wild Bill" Donovan, as does the fact that a Jew was sent to Nazi-controlled Finland to get German scientists. This is a terrific story. (...)



5. I'd been anticipating reading this book for some time, but getting through it was a chore. Dawidoff's writing and research are thorough. Berg left behind a wealth of personal material and many who knew him were still alive and available by phone or personal interview to Dawidoff. Hundreds of anecdotes and details about Berg's life emerge from these resources, and Dawidoff marches them all past the reader. The question is "Why?" Berg never becomes very interesting. It is well-known that he was a mediocre major league catcher. He was not much better as a spy, excelling mostly at running up large expense accounts. His tradecraft was abysmal; making and keeping notes to himself about briefings he received is such a fundamental error as to be ludicrous. After more than 300 pages it remained hard for me to take Berg seriously in any of his endeavors. In the end this is the biography of a moderately interesting obsessive dilettante, whose avoidance of normal human contact except on his own often strange terms seems almost pathological. Dawidoff tries valiantly but a New Yorker profile of about one-tenth this length would have been a sufficient account of Moe Berg's mildly curious life.