5 comments about Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts.

1. I'm afraid I didn't get to the end of this tedious tale. It was so badly written that I lost interest very quickly. Repetitious, lacking credibility and sloppily structured, it also lacked credibility.
   
   It has got rave reviews and sounded promising. But having lived in post-communist Hungary, there is nothing romantic about bank robbers or any criminals.
   
   I was living half-way up a mountainside in rural Spain but even that didn't spur me on to finish.
   
   Good robbers don't necessarily make good writers and with his ill-gotten gains he would have been better to invest in a ghost writer.
   
   Sorry, it gets a thumbs down from me.



2. I have no idea how accurate the facts are, but this is brilliant storytelling. Think Douglas Adams in the post-Communist Eastern Bloc.



3. This is a well-written, well-researched book that captures a unique moment in history and a bizarre character who's also a product of his place and time. Rubinstein goes the extra mile to follow the thread of this true-crime story, and his engaging prose takes you with him.



4. Excellent book! Great true crime story that is action packed, and very funny...plus a little bit of history!
   Highly recommend this book!



5. Julian Rubinstein tells the true story of Attila Ambrus, the Transylvanian-born backup hockey goalie in Budapest who also lived the life of a pelt smuggler and daring bank robber between practices and games. It was a story the author first heard about in a short news piece in Sports Illustrated in 1999 and on writing the book he's able to set the story in hilarious style against the backdrop of the changing Hungary and Romania of the early 1990s. At one point Ambrus is described as "a sizable conundrum within a notable contradiction, the best unpaid hockey goalie in a filthy-rich slum town". The photo section in the middle, the appendices and interview with the author at the end, and the references throughout to world events the west would be familiar with serve to remind us that this is largely a work of non-fiction despite all the absurdity. A great read especially for those who have visited or have lived in this part of the world in these changing times from Socialism.

5 comments about Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman.

1. An excellent biography of Branch Rickey and his accomplishments during the first 65 years of the 20th century.
   It is a fascinating story of his life,life in America,a history of baseball and the social mores of the era.
   Fascinating reporting on the recruitment and emergence of Jackie Robinson.



2. Lee Lowenfish has written a fabulously researched book that is an entry point into the history of baseball since the start of the 20th century. Yes, I knew that Branch Rickey ran the Dodgers and hired Jackie Robinson, breaking the color barrier in major league baseball. I didn't know, however, that he started his career in St. Louis and as I read this easy to like book, I began sending copies to people I thought would be interested.
   
   I'm 65 (born in 1943) and started listening to New York baseball games in the car with my Dad starting in about 1948. As we drove, we'd hear the Yankees and the Giants and the Dodgers. Did I know that I was listening to history as Jackie Robinson ran the bases?
   
   Many of my friends are 20 years older than I am. I thought that this book would bring back wonderful memories for them and I was right.
   
   Imagine, to date I've sent 18 books as gifts to people from New York, St. Louis, Los Angeles. Everyone has been reading and loving Lowenfish's book.........each for a different reason.
   
   SO BUY THE BOOK ALREADY.



3. If you consider yourself a baseball fan you need to read this book, because Branch Rickey was an integral part of the game's history. The book is 600 pages long, but the reading style flowed easily for me, and held my interest throughout the book. The legal profession's loss was baseball's gain as he devoted practically his entire life to serving the game while serving others at the same time. He spoke his mind and rubbed some people the wrong way, but this conservative Republican knew a wrong when he saw it, and opened up the game of baseball to the Negro race when other owners dared not disrupt the status quo. After a stint at coaching at the University of Michigan where he encountered who he deemed one of his two favorite players, George Sisler, he moved on to St. Louis to cover the lowly Browns where he worked under his favorite superior, Robert Hedges. From there it was to the Cardinals where he placed his stamp on the Redbirds successful teams of the mid-1930s Gashouse Gang, and early 1940's which were under the ownership of Sam Breadon. From there it was on to Brooklyn where he made history by signing Jackie Robinson along with others who would become stars of Roger Kahn's book "The Boys of Summer" during the 1950s. Following the 1950 season he left the Dodgers following a power struggle with "The Big O", Walter O'Malley. The Pittsburgh Pirates came calling, and once again Rickey built a cellar-dwelling franchise into a championship 1960 team with players such as Dick Groat and stealing an unprotected Roberto Clemente from the Dodgers' minor league system. Rickey's last stop was back in St. Louis when Cardinals' owner "Gussie" Busch hired Rickey as a consultant. This proved an unwise move on the part of both Busch and Rickey. Rickey clashed with Redbird general manager "Bing" Devine who was in the process of building a winner in St. Louis. Rickey wanted Stan Musial to retire, certainly an unpopular suggestion where The Man reigned supreme. Rickey died in November of 1965 while making a speech in Columbia, Missouri. I remember listening to it on St. Louis radio station KMOX. This book is filled with legendary baseball characters such as Larry MacPhail, Red Barber, Leo Durocher, "Pepper" Martin (Rickey's other favorite player), Clyde Sukeforth, Rogers Hornsby, Frankie Frisch, Connie Mack, and numerous others. Incidentally, I was disappointed to learn that Mack was the only owner who protested to Rickey personally regarding the signing of Robinson. Mack is quoted, "I used to have respect for Rickey. I don't have any more." Mack added that his Athletics would not play the Dodgers in Florida if Robinson came with them. Don't be intimidated by the length of the book. To adequately cover Rickey's life it needs to be a lengthy book. If you enjoy baseball history this book will be a breeze. Treat yourself! You will also enjoy Rickey's quotations which are still appropriate today.



4. Let me touch on that last first.
   
   Branch Rickey may have used the term "ferocious gentlemen" about various people he appreciated. It certainly was NOT used regularly of others about him, definitely not to the point where it became a moniker.
   
   But, Lowenfish tags Rickey with it, and uses it of him about every 10-15 pages. It's grating, it's off-putting, and does nothing to move the story line forward. Nor does it do anything for me in a good sense of establishing Lowenfish as a special author.
   
   There's a few small errors of fact in the book. Most notably, the 1948 Chicago Tribune headline was "Dewey DEFEATS Truman" and not "Dewey BEATS Truman."
   
   Other than that, while not leaden, the style of the book is not crisp, either.
   
   As far as content, the book could either have been written a bit tighter and be 50 pages shorter, or else have been longer and more jam-packed. Rickey's Brooklyn years and especially his relationship with Walter O'Malley come immediately to mind. What first set them off against one another? Did Rickey have any quotable comments about O'Malley? Ditto for O'Malley about Rickey.
   
   In other words, this book isn't bad as a Rickey bio -- if you can get past Lowenfish's writing tics. But, there's surely a more compelling -- and better written -- book available.



5. While every major league team is required to retire Jackie Robinson's #42, the Lords of Baseball might also consider having every team display a pair of rimless glasses, an unlit cigar and a bow tie in memory of Branch Rickey. Until that happens, Lee Lowenfish's book stands as an excellent and precise memorial.
   
   Robinson's contribution to baseball and American history is undeniable, but he was acting, to some extent, in his best self-interest. Rickey's self-interest, as normally defined, however, would have been to continue to bar the door to African American participation in the big leagues, while denying the door was even shut. This was the path of his fellow baseball decision-makers, for decades.
   
   Rickey defined his self-interest in broader, even spiritual terms. He was several kinds of paradox: a muscular Christian, a country gentleman who lived and worked in the biggest cities, a tee-totaler who constantly supported and even loved rascals like Leo Durocher, Dizzy Dean and Pepper Martin.
   
   Mr. Lowenfish, in addition to being a fine baseball maven and historian, is also a professorial-grade expert on American History. He combines these areas of expertise smoothly, giving depth and meaning to the various events and decisions in Rickey's life. He weaves details from inside baseball and culture into a deeply textured whole.
   
   He also does not see the world in terms of cardboard heroes and villains, a particularly rare and useful point of view when it comes to this story, which has so much genuine and well documented heroism. Lowenfish reports on Happy Chandler, Lee Mac Phail, Ben Chapman, even that original baseball Satan, Walter O'Malley, by treating them as real people with complex motives, instead of mere evil-doers put in the world specifically for Robinson and Rickey to overcome.
   
   Give Robinson, who walked through the door, all the credit in the world. But also credit he who opened the door. Lee Lowenfish does so in the way that Rickey himself would have most admired: by showing the human beings behind the myths.

5 comments about Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther than the Eye Can See: My Story.

1. About eight months ago (from the time of writing this review) my wife lost her eyesight. Knowing about Erik Weihenmayer from a Travel Channel special that included a segment about his leading the Global Explorers annual trek to Machu Picchu, I actually wrote his website in the hopes of getting someone there to give me ideas about how to help my wife enjoy the outdoors again. Little did I know I'd be hearing from Mr. Weihenmayer himself. He was truly gracious and helpful, and both he and some other folks from his site and Global Explorers suggested I give this book a look.
   
   I purchased this along with Sabriye Tenberken's "My Path Leads to Tibet." What I was hoping for was not so much the usual "inspirational" stories that make soccer moms cry when Oprah tells them to read this book but the day-to-day details that would give me insights into what my wife was experiencing and what I could do to help. "Tibet" provided some details, but didn't really cover a lot about how a person deals with losing their eyesight or what they learn about to adapt.
   
   Mr. Weihenmayer's book, however, provides a LOT of details about how he felt as he lost his sight and some decent information about how he learned t adapt. In fact, I used several of the things he mentions in his book to help my wife start adjusting. For example, he describes how his mother would make him put away the groceries that he liked (fruit, cereal, cookies, etc.) so he knew exactly where they were. On our next grocery trip, I laid out all of the foods that were mostly hers, or that she used a lot, and let her put them away. Those of us that have family and friends that have lost their eyesight, there can be a line to walk between wanting to limit their challenges as they adapt and thrusting challenges upon them so that they CAN adapt. This book provides enough insight into some of the challenges that can be helpful that it can give the reader ideas about how to help their blind friends and/or family.
   
   Likewise, Mr. Weihenmayer describes his adjustment to losing his eyesight with a combination of humor and bluntness that people who have lost their eyesight can sympathize one moment and laugh the next. I tracked down a copy on tape for my wife, and we actually listened to it while driving back and forth from the school for the blind she will be attending to learn the adaptive skills and technologies needed to get back into her career. It helped provide her with the understanding that her feelings, frustration, anger, and such were normal - that she was not the only one that had had these thoughts or moments. We're so inundated with mental pablum from the Lifetime and Hallmark channels' made-for-TV-movies about such things that many think they're supposed to face loosing their eyesight with the quiet, southern-belleesque dignity of Scarlet O'Hara or some garbage. No. There's times you want to bawl your eyes out and yell, "This sucks!!!! Why me!!?!?!!?!?" And that's okay.
   
   Mr. Weihenmayer's book helps show that such moments are perfectly normal. But he also shows how people eventually move on and learn to reclaim their lives. It should be noted, however, that the American Foundation for the Blind's credo mentions in part that, while there are exceptional people like Mr. Weihenmayer, the accomplishments of "normal" blind people are no less extraordinary. You don't have to climb Mt. Everest to be exceptional or inspirational as a blind person. Simply reclaiming your life as a human being in a world that is still rather unfriendly to blind people (seriously... you're set for life if your 400lbs and need a scooter, but you're still pretty much on your own if your blind) is no less awe-inspiring than climbing a mountain.
   
   If you know someone that has gone blind, or if you yourself have gone blind, pick up this book. Honestly I found the day-to-day details more interesting and helpful than the latter one-third that focused mostly on his climbing. But, that's because the first half to two-thirds focused more on the stuff I was actually reading it for.



2. I was disappointed in this book. I love to read about Everest and those who climb it, but this book was dry and too much about the authors whole life and not much about his Everest adventure.



3. I saw Erik speak last year and received a copy of this book. It sat on my bookshelf for a long time until I had a chance to read it! I loved hearing his stories when I saw him speak, but the book goes much further and provides a treasure trove of great anecdotes of how he has refused to sit back and be led through life. Erik's tales weave a tapestry of courageous and compassionate acts that are an inspiration to anyone who's ever climbed a mountain or reached for a goal "because it was there". I highly recommend it!



4. This was definately an interesting book, and it kept my interest. In the midst of so many mountaineering books that are often similar, this offers a substantially different perspective. Few of us would have the skill or determination to climb even one of the seven summits. The author, however, summits four...blind. That being said, I didn't particularly care for his writing style. It seemed fragmented and did not have a lot of continuity, at times I had to reread sections to determine what he was talking about. Also, as someone else mentioned, it would have been more impressive if he had waited until he completed all seven summits before he wrote the book. Most of all, I thought the repeated sexual references did nothing to enhance the story. Whether it was referring to the computer game they played at the camp for the blind, his exchanges with the various guides, or whatever, they were really unnecessary. Repeating middle and high school dirty phrases was not impressive either. If his intention was to inspire and impress us with his mountaineering feats, then those references did not help his cause.



5. Erik spoke at the American Dental Assoc. conference in Denver where my husband got the
   chance to meet him. He autographed a copy of the book "To Gray, Reach!".
   
   I happened upon it while cleaning last week and was immediately intrigued. I
   used to rock climb but have not been actively involved in the sport for a
   couple years. Anyway, I have never written to any author before but was so
   impressed with Erik's gift of story telling that I had to write. He is one
   funny dude. I laughed out loud at his adventures and dialog with his
   climibing partners. It brought back fond memories of previous climbing trips
   and the fun times I shared with my climbing buddies. I will probably never
   climb any of the seven summits but was able to enjoy expericing these climbs
   through his words.
   
   I am an Occupational Therapist and meet people everyday in my work that
   exhibit self-limiting behavior that prevents them from living full,
   enriched, healthy lives. I am going to recommend Erik's book to encourage
   others to REACH! Thanks for a great book! What a refreshing way to look at
   life...

5 comments about A Skating Life: My Story.

1. I loved Dorothy`s book. It was just as candid as the photo on the cover. For an armchair skater like me, who has followed figure skating for the past 40 years, it was a pleasure to be once on the inside of that world. I have such admiration for the dedication of those skaters and for their love of what they do. I enjoyed the book immensely.



2. Dorothy writes in almost too much detail, with a balance between revealing and keeping reserved ; what is written bewteen the lines is enough to fill in the blanks anyone might feel exist. It is curious that although Dorothy has the generosity and presence to reveal to the public a large dimension of her private suffering , benefitting so many who have suffered from depression or lived with a demanding or mentally ill family member , there is still a small faction of readers that want MORE, and this is the bane of her sweet sparkling gifted life. Someone is always asking for MORE! Her parents her husbands the coaches and now readers who feel like she must cut open a vein and bleed on to the pages or describe her bedroom details. Yikes.Dorothy is a giver, a woker who gave 110 percent to the world and the sport and the vultures still circle to pick her bones. One reader noted that she has no bitterness or anger, I think she should get some , and fast. Thank you Dorothy for the book and everything you've given in life...Now make part two of your life for you.



3. I love biographies, but this one left me looking forward to getting to the end. It seemed written through the eyes of an adolecent girl. There was nothing juicy or even interesting. It seemed Dorothy was dealing with the guilt she felt, about treating her mother badly, by writing this book. The binding fell apart half way through. It was a bust in every way possible for me!



4. If her Mother ever realized and/or finally got access to the enormous amount of money Dorothy was sending for her independence? If Dr. Forsythe's first wife told Dorothy about her life with him and how she was treated, or more to the point mistreated by him...I can't believe how blindly Dorothy allowed him to take, and take and take from her, one cannot buy love or devotion. I would have liked to know how Dorothy is doing financially; not exact figures of course, but has she recouped to a degree of financial independence, and with all the money she sent her parents over 7 years, didn't they have the decency to provide her some of her own capital to start fresh and help her young daughter? If they didn't, she needs to shut them out of her life too. Parents are to give to their children willingly, not with strings. Had some of these things been discussed in greater detail, the book would have been infinitely more enjoyable overall.
   
   She was quick to mention Vioxx (which has been recalled), and SHOCKINGLY goes to the very man who betrayed her for medical advice and medication? How foolish. Surely she could afford a "real" doctor who is working for a living and up on the latest advances in osteoarthritis. Someone without an ulterior motive for helping her. There was always a sense of her needing to go back to these men for some sense of self, it is really upsetting and very sad. Dorothy will have to keep her vulnerability in check if she is to escape such mistakes in the future.
   
   She is a lovely skater, a national treasure, but has paid way to high a price for that medal.
   
   Best of luck!



5. This is a revealing look into Dorothy Hamill's life from her first moments on the ice at 8 years old, to training to become a Gold Medal winner at the '76 Olympics through her life today. Dorothy Hamill details the sacrifices her family made, the challenges with coaches and training to become an Olympic athlete and how her passion for skating got her through some of the most difficult times in her life.
   
   Dorothy Hamill was my hero growing up. I had the Dorothy haircut, the Dorothy glasses, and spent many afternoons on the skating rink at my grade school trying to teach myself spins and jumps. After reading A SKATING LIFE: MY STORY, she remains my hero.
   
   I never realized what went into becoming serious in a sport like ice skating. The expense of traveling to train with the right coach, traveling to get enough time on the ice to practice, the cost of equipment and trying to get an education while competing in shows around the world was only a part of it. It was inspiring to learn the sacrifices made by Dorothy's family and Dorothy herself, although she never writes much of her own personal sacrifices. I learned so much about the beautiful and challenging sport.
   
   Dorothy's story doesn't end with winning the gold medal in the '76 Olympics. It was only the beginning. She met the love of her life, Dean Paul Martin only to have it end in heartbreak and tragedy. My heart broke right along with her. I so wanted her to live happily ever after and the love that she still feels for her first husband, Dean Paul radiates from the pages. This was when her struggle with depression truly came to the surface, even though she battled with panic disorder and depression all through childhood. The honesty that comes from this book is truly a gift. The painful family issues and frank discussion of depression were courageous.
   
   That being said, I hoped for a bit more about her struggle with depression. There was a lot of publicity about this book and America's Sweetheart suffering from depression for years, but little description of her struggle. It was written in a very matter of fact style without a lot of adjectives. Perhaps that's where we glimpse the real Dorothy. Instead of waxing poetic or dwelling in the difficult, she soldiers on telling her story with respectability and straightforwardness.
   
   She survived another marriage that ended in painful divorce and leaving her a bankrupt single mother. I was so sad and angry for what she endured. And yet she never wrote a bitter word about anyone. I don't know of many of us who could have endured what she did, and remain so humble and without animosity or hostility.
   
   While this wasn't the best written book I have ever reviewed, I had to give it a higher rating for its pure heart and openness.
   
   I think that Dorothy found closure with some of the issues plaguing her. The one issue that will probably always haunt her is the death of her first husband. I have a feeling Dean Paul will continue to be a shadow, watching over her and waiting for her.

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 An American Journey: My Life on the Field, in the Air, and on the Air.

1. Former Yankee Jerry Coleman recalls his playing days: second baseman played his entire nine-year career in New York and appeared in six World Series.(Turn ... An article from: Baseball Digest
   
   
   Great Read! Jerry is true example of what real heros are made of. How many players would unselfishly leave the game not once, but two times to serve their country in combat? This is the stuff Pat Tillman was made of. Jerry is a great guy! You never hear him speak of any of this unless asked. He is a San Diego treasure.



2. I can't wait to read this book. Amazon makes ordering new and used items so easy. I am a customer for life.



3. I bought this book for my father as he has been an avid Padre fan since 1969. He just loves it. Jerry Coleman is the San Diego Padres.
   
   Scott
   El CAJON, CA



4. I don't know how many "with." books I have read not 100 but more than fifty. Even wrote two of them. YOGI IT AIN'T OVER WITH YOGI and THE OCTOBER TWELVE with PHIL RIZZUTO.Jerry Coleman's "WITH" RICHARD GOLDSTEIN did an outstanding job. I envy him but not for writing the book. Writing is hard work. Spending time in the company of Jerry Coleman is a joy. A tonic for the soul.



5. Jerry Coleman has honorably served America both as a military man, as a baseball player during the 1950's for the New York Yankees, and as an announcer for the Yankees, CBS, and as an announcer/manager for the San Diego Padres. He considers his greatest achievement in life to be the five years he spent as a marine during both World War II and the Korean War. He grew up in a home with a physically abusive father, and a very devoted mother. His best friends with the Yankees were Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi, Ed Lopat, Bobby Brown, and Charlie Silvera. Coleman believes Mickey Mantle's alcohol problems became full blown after he retired from the game and the cheering stopped. Coleman vividly recalls the incident in May of 1957 when Yankees' infielder Gil McDougald lined Cleveland Indians' pitcher Herb Score in the eye. This had a great emotional effect on McDougald who considered quitting the game. Coleman's one year at the helm of the Padres did not go well. His players viewed him as the team's announcer, and a relic from the past. Coleman gives his views on various things regarding the game such as the size of players compared to when he played, and the effect large contracts can have on some players. He blames the players' union for fighting against a strong drug program which has ultimately harmed players who play by the rules. Coleman considers Aaron to be the all-time home run leader with Maris to be the home run leader for a single season. This book is light easy reading, and I enjoyed reading about one of the bubble gum cards of my youth.

4 comments about Klaus Balkenhol: The Man and His Training Methods.

1. This is really three to this book. The first is Mr. Balkenhol's biography, the second is his training methods, and the third concerns the duties of riders and coaches.
   
   In his biography, the author presents a fascinating story of Mr. Balkenhol's childhood, his riding career as a mounted policeman, to his rise to the top of the international scene and coach of the US dressage team. Throughout this part of the book, Mr. Balkenhol also talks about the different horses he has ridden and what they have taught him.
   
   In the second part of the book, Mr. Balkenhol also discusses his specific training methods for the upper-level movements of piaffe, passage, and one-tempi changes. In the third part of the book, Mr. Balkenhol discusses what makes a good riding coach. He offers advice on what a rider should get from a good coach.



2. The book is well written and an easy read, however, a lot of space is used to boost Klaus Balkenhol which should not be needed. He is already well known and respected. I think this can happen when the author is a friend to Balkenhol or too much of an admirer. I would have liked more of his training methods, more horse facts. The overall impression though is that the book has its place in the flood of horse books, and that Balkenhol's love for horses, and respect for them, comes through very well.
   Carina Gerken Christiansen



3. This book is a combination of Mr. Balkenhol's life story and his training methods. It's not a step 1, 2, 3 book. How his philosophy on training evolved over his lifetime with specific examples is fascinating. The book has a unique format, the top half of each page is his philosophy and examples and the bottom of each page is his life biography. I highly recommend this book for both the advanced and the beginning rider.



4. An excellent book that looks at the life of an interesting master. Includes some nice tips on training, but the highlights are the stories of his horses and how he dealt with different issues with them. Lovely pictures.

5 comments about Silent Gesture: The Autobiography of Tommie Smith (Sporting).

1. I cannot remember if I watched the medal presentation ceremony for the 200 meter race at the 1968 Olympics. I think I did, if I did not then I missed a historic occasion.
   At that time racial problems in USA were not unfamiliar to me and I knew of people like Eldridge Cleaver, Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, Angela Davis... However I thought that those problems would not affect top class athletes and that they were fairly treated by the white society. So I regarded the medal ceremony as a strong and emotional protest by people who though not directly affected wanted to give a voice to the majority of afro-american citizens.
   I could not be wronger. For instance, it never crossed my mind that Carlos and Smith feared to be shot by someone from the crowd.
   The book under review is a detailed account of Tommie Smith's life, focussing on the events that led to Mexico 68 and what happened afterwards.
   It is hard to believe what the two athletes, Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medallists respectively, had to endure: insults, menacing junk mail (a friend of a Smith's sister later confessed she used to send similar messages just for fun), the collapse of a marriage, a wife's suicide, the lack of support from people who could have helped (the former footballer Jim Brown was one of those), other black athletes strongly complaining their careers had been destroyed (Jim Hines, for example), no jobs...
   Also the families suffered. Smith's mother died at 57 and he strongly implies her death was caused by the stress that the situation generated. His brothers and sisters suffered all sorts of abuse and his youngest brother still seems to blame his life failures on him.
   It is no wonder that Muhammad Ali threw his Roma gold medal into the Mississipi river when realized that he was treated as before in his home town.
   The story appears to have a happy ending, the book closes with the unveiling of a statue
   portraying both athletes where everything started - the campus of San Jose State College -,
   but has it? Does anything in the world erase the strong suffering both athletes had to face?
   On reading this book I was reminded of a TV movie I watched long ago. The character played by Bette Davis, an old teacher, bumps into a former and much, much younger pupil.
   They recall her motto - It's better to lose on one's terms than to win on someone else's. (I'm quoting from memory). I think that Tommie Smith might agree.



2. I thought the book was wordy but interesting. I wish the ghost writer had more control. Sometimes preachy. Slow read.



3. I enjoyed learning more about Mr. Smith, but found the writing to be cumbersome, and a bit boring.
   
   The concept was a good one, unfortunately the writing was poor.



4. With several long-winded sections on the kinetics of sprinting and slams against athletes - John Carlos, George Foreman, Bob Seagren, Lee Evans, teammates on the Cincinnati Bengals - and others - Dr. Harry Edwards, Jim Brown, the NAACP - it is no wonder why it took 40 years for Tommie Smith to get his autobiography published.
   
   In what is oftentimes a very tedious read, Smith and co-author David Steele ruin what is a powerful personal account of an athlete who truly wanted to use his talent for a greater good and the institutionalized racism in this country that he has confronted his entire life.
   
   Smith's recollections of the Olympic Project for Human Rights is particularly moving and he does an excellent job is dispelling the myths that has clouded the issue since the late 1960s. For the record, his Olympic gold medal was never seized by the International Olympic Committee.
   
   But his personal vendettas against so many people and institutions detracts mightily from his message. It may have been theraputic for Smith, but whining about the salaries of Bengal teammates and magnifying every perceived slight from friends/colleagues into high drama becomes juvenile and silly.
   
   I was very excited when I heard that Smith's autobiography was finally going to be published. But it proved to be a very disappointing read.



5. I feel that the previous reviewers each has an ax (albeit a different ax) to grind. I am simply a progressive who happens to follow the sport of track & field, and have since before 1968. I admire both Smith and Carlos, but I thought Smith's book (I have not read Carlos')was self-serving and, as one reviewer noted, compromised by regret. To those of us of that generation , to whom that silent gesture was meaningful indeed, whatever its exact motivation, this volume constitutes a terrible disappointment. I'll take the Tommie Smith of 1968 without resrvations, but who's THIS guy?

5 comments about Season on the Brink.

1. As best I can tell, this is the finest book yet written about Indiana University basketball and Bob Knight, and it's 21 years old. Feinstein is a top notch biographer and he doesn't sugar coat anything in this book. It's filled with interesting anecdotes and quite a few raw quotes. The mid-1980s was a magical time for IU basketball, including in their rivalry with Purdue and Gene Keady. And Feinstein tagging along for a whole season gives the reader a good feel for some of the magic of basketball in the state of Indiana, as portrayed in the movie Hoosiers. I think Feinstein is quite objective in his portrayal of the good, the bad, and the ugly in Knight. Regardless of your opinion of Knight, I think it's clear that he cares about his players, the sport of college basketball, and about running a clean program. Feinstein ends by stating that the then 46-year-old Knight is "A young man with a bright future. If he doesn't destroy it." Knight may have come close to doing so around 2000, but he's recovered nicely and seems to be doing well at Texas Tech. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.



2. Knight is nothing but a bully and a lunatic. He's proof that you can do whatever the hell you want as long as you win and make $$$$$$$$$$$$$.
   Typical America these days.
   When he got fired from Indiana I had a parade down my street.



3. This dated but gripping look at coach Bobby Knight and Indiana University basketball places readers squarely at courtside and inside the Hoosier's locker room. Author John Feinstein observed the team during the 1985-1986 season, and he recreates the excitement as Indiana surges through the highly-competitive Big Ten conference to reach the NCAA tournament in March. The players stress under their demanding coach, yet seem to accept him. And coach Knight is a handful; volatile, foul-tempered, immature, and willing to play head games ("BK Theatre") with his players. Of course, he's also highly intelligent and one of the few NCAA basketball coaches to punish class cutting and run a clean program with high graduation rates. That plus winning probably explains why Knight kept his job until 2000, despite cry-baby antics, throwing chairs, screaming at referees, and even kicking his own son.
   
   This is an excellent narrative, but I wish the author had gone even further. We could use a more detailed look at the team's defensive schemes, the players themselves, and the exploitive hypocrisy of letting coaches get rich while NCAA players play for scholarships in a multi-billion dollar industry. Despite these omissions, this is a superbly readable narrative, and one of (or the) top-selling sports book of all time.



4. Growing up, all I knew about legendary college basketball coach Bobby Knight was that he would rant and rave, throw chairs, get arrested, scream in his players' faces and snap at the media. During college, upon taking a class called "Moral Reasoning In Sport," I conducted research on Bobby Knight and got to know Bobby Knight as a person better. The ironic thing was that he stood for good morals but what he practiced as a coach boardered on the immoral at times. I saw how wonderful a man he could be and how badly he could cut a person down. I was fascinated by his style.
   
   My curiosity about Bobby Knight led me to "A Season On The Brink;" a book which describes the full 1985-86 season with Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers. Author John Feinstein, who trooped along with the team complete with notepad and tape recorder, crafts this book in amazing detail with all the trimmings. We are given a real life look at the pressures that college basketball can bring to both coach and players, the trials and tribulations. We are given a taste of how addictive competition is and the emotional effects it can have.
   
   "A Season On The Brink" describes Bobby Knight in a way that begs you to love him and begs you to hate him. Passionate about not failing, Knight pressures himself to succeed and is quick to think himself a failure each time he does not reach certain goals. His characteristic short fuse is always there to represent this. After the disastrous 1984-85 season where he performed the legendary chair throw that got him in trouble, he vowed not to go through a repeat season in 1985-86. He constantly reminded his players of that terrible season as fuel for them to create a better season in '85-'86.
   
   We are literally taken to the "brink" of Knight's sanity at times as Feinstein describes Knight's techniques for getting his team prepared for games. The saga continues before each game for the Indiana players, from studying hours of opponent game tape in "the cave," to "walk-throughs" on the court of what will be conducted in the upcoming game, to appetizing pre-game meals of spaghetti and pancakes in the early morning. Practices are grueling as the players are screamed at by Knight; virtually every four-letter word flying in their faces each time one fails to get a certain rebound, set a certain screen or make a decent pass.
   
   Then of course there are always the Bobby Knight mind games present, a term that Feinstein calls "B.K. Theater." Players like his all-stars, Steve Alford and Daryl Thomas will be targets of his ranting and raving of how horrible they are, how they don't care about playing and how he should never have gotten players like them on his team. You did not want to land in Knight's "doghouse" as Feinstein describes it. In fact, on some of Knight's worst days, the whole team is in the doghouse as he throws all of them out of practices while yelling his questioning of their commitment to the game.
   
   Feinstein does an excellent job of describing the games themselves from the tension in the locker room before the game, during halftime and after the game, to the crowd noise and chants, to the arguments Knight has with officials. As for the players themselves, Feinstein chronicles virutally every key shot, mistake made, rebound and beautiful pass. As you read the book, you'll find your heart pounding as Indiana fights for the lead or fights to keep their lead as the clock quickly winds down to crunch time. You'll find yourself cheering for star players like Steve Alford when he drains another key shot and for Cinderella players like Steve Eyl when he makes two clutch free-throws.
   
   But you'll also feel the despair the players feel if a win has not been grasped or a goal has not been reached, from the chilling silence of the locker room, to Knight screaming and storming out of it only to come back in and talk calmly. Sometimes Knight will resort to taking off to fish or hunt with friends, attending other basketball games or letting the other coaches run the team for a while, while he watches from the stands. And of course there are the situations that the players bring on themselves that creates tension and stress such as Alford's posing for a calander, Daryl Thomas's injuries and Andre Harris's skipping of classes.
   
   You'll find out what Bobby Knight goes through with the media; how his past record continues to follow him and how the media jumps to conclusions and exaggerating. You'll also see Knight's recruiting process (players from high school and junior college) and the ups and downs that come with it. You'll hear Knight's own insecurity through talks with his other coaches over meals at late-night diners, on the plane trips and before games with words like "Do you think we're okay?" "Will we win again?" You will see Knight marking up important words on the chalkboard and trying different defensive and offensive set-ups that he wouldn't have done in the past. In short, you'll hear it, you'll feel it and you'll see it all.
   
   But one thing that Feinstein enables us to see is the loveable Bobby Knight; he Bobby Knight who doesn't forget past players that he has befriended such as Quinn Buckner. The Bobby Knight who sympathized with a deaf kid and gave he and his family tickets to the basketball game. The Bobby Knight whom past players and friends call upon for advice or to have some strings pulled. As Feinstein pointed out in the book, nobody could have a more loyal friend than Bobby Knight. You ask him to do something and he would do just about anything for you. And granted we see plenty of Knight's softer side around his players from Steve Alford's final game as a Hoosier, to the heartfelt goodbye to Delray Brooks who would transfer to another school. And of course you'll really get a taste of Bobby Knight's sense of humor and quick wit. When times are going a little smoother for the team, you'll read of Knight making cracks with his coaches and players.
   
   Feinstein even takes us right down the path to the crucial tournament games with heated rivals Ohio State and Michigan. The read is quite a nail-biting experience. Feinstein follows the chronicled 1985-86 season up with a fairly quick but detailed overview of the 1986-87 team on the way to a championship against Syracuse, where you will again start getting onto the court with the players as the key plays of this amazing championship game are described by Feinstein. Headed by new recruits such as a kid named Smart, the Hoosiers took home a championship and rendered Knight literally hoarse with emotion in the end.
   
   Indeed, if you are a fan of sports and you love the game of basketball; especially the thrill of college basketball, you will love this book. Even for those who may despise Bobby Knight, I would still recommend you give this book a read. It's a wonderful basketball story and a read that gets you right into the heated games and the hardened practices with the team. It could quite possibly be the best trip to the brink a sports fan could want.



5. Road To Satisfaction
   
   A Season On The Brink shows the struggles of a great college basketball coach, Bobby Knight, to not have a losing season. The intensity of Bobby Knight can sometimes cause problems and hurt feelings. Knight tries to keep his poise during the 1986 season and clean up a little bit. The way things are going for a while really doesn't help him control his anger. Coming off from coaching possibly the best Olympic team, Knight expects nothing but the best for his Indiana Hoosiers.
   The book can be repetitive at points while John Feinstein the author is explaining non-exciting games play by play; but the close games can get you caught up in the action. You can be thrilled at one minute and then picture yourself in the locker room during one of Bobby Knight's intense speeches after the game. Feinstein did a great job with the details of the whole season and that is why A Season On The Brink is a best seller.
   
   ---Sean Weakley

5 comments about The Runner: A True Account of the Amazing Lies and Fantastical Adventures of the Ivy League Impostor James Hogue.

1. Samuels has taken an admirable stab at dissecting this enigmatic Gatsbyesque con man's psyche for motive, astutely tabulating the paltry gain from the years of petty crime. In a funny aside that Samuels to his credit puts in the book, Hogue responds to one of Samuels's elaborate and quirky questionnaires by closing with this jibe: "What's with the janitor garb? Are you trying to show your solidarity with the lumpen?"
   
   The book is an elaboration of a New Yorker article and probably should have stayed as such (much like Barry Werth's Scarlet Professor), as it feels stretched and padded. Although not a great writer, Samuels rightly senses that he holds compelling subject matter. One fault is that the chronology would have been much better as a simple linear progression; it confusingly yoyos between past and future. Also, instead of just letting the story tell itself, Samuels often intrudes with exaggerated veneration of the privilege of a Princeton (or his own Harvard) education, with admissions committees' self deluding liberal smugness, and with largely irrelevant autobiographical items.
   
   Hogue ultimately proves uncooperative and Samuels is left to speculate on his quarry, but perhaps there is no very profound mechanism at work here. Although I have to admit I'm looking forward to seeing the documentary Con Man. One wonders what a Truman Capote or a Norman Mailer might have done with this material.



2. Just finished reading Samuels The Runner, and literally could not put it down. Wow! What a crazy fascinating story. It's amazing that people like Hogue exist and that people like Samuels can tell their tale so well. I really felt like I was there, meeting Hogue in person. Not sure what the other reviewers problems are... I thought it was great, and so did every other members of my book group (expect Andy, but he hates everything!) Really, this is a five star winner!



3. Some writers can craft a sentence and story; some reporters unearth great detail. David Samuels is that rare talent who can do both, and the result is The Runner, a terrific literary page turner.



4. The Runner is a engaging read about a fascinating character. The original article was the tip of the iceberg and I appreciated the expanded treatment. David's writing is insightful and funny. The books leaves me wanting more but in a way that keeps the fascination alive. Like a movie with an open ending I am left to wonder about specific events and ponder what it really means to reinvent yourself in a world that is so clearly driven by unfair rules. No one likes to be lied to but sometimes lies can be inspiring.



5. This book seems particularly relevant right now, with the literary world increasingly falling victim -- practically once a month -- to frauds, plagiarists and con artists. It's the true life story of a particularly colorful specimen. In his late 20's, basically a drifter living in Colorado, James Hogue decided to recreate himself as a charismatic genius and sports hero -- and he used his new identity to hustle his way into Princeton University as an undergrad. He was a complete fake, but as Samuels shows, that doesn't make him any less accomplished. His insane story tells you as much about our times, and about our elite institutions, as it does about the peculiar twists and turns of one individual's particular psyche. In America, the land of self-invention, the con man is often king, and this small book -- just about the same length as The Great Gatsby, one of Hogue's inspirations -- is a wonderful and strangely moving portrait of a true American original. David Samuels is well-known as an award-winning magazine journalist, and this, his first book, shows him at the top of his form. I recommend it highly.