No comments about "It's More Than a Notion!!".

5 comments about Gilles Villeneuve: The Life of the Legendary Racing Driver.

1. The sad fact is that, despite the popularity of F1 now, nobody since has demonstrated Gilles' control.
   
   This book is a good representation of him- it doesn't fawn on him, he's not without his flaws and I think it does a pretty balanced job of showing all sides of the man. If you're into Villeneuve's style, and want to know more about him, you will not do better.
   
   In Montréal on GP weekend, they've a display of Gilles' suit on Crescent Street. The guy looks all of 5 feet all...a tiny giant among drivers...



2. Very well written story on the life of Gilles and full of tons of facts on his races and the way he lived his life . I still can't believe he lived that long while reading this book . Check out Curtis Turners book " Full Throttle " for a perfectly written story that's imposible to put down , with an emotional ending on probably the first " Intimidator " . You won't be disappointed .



3. This book is impossible to put down, if you are or are not a
   Gilles fan this is a must. The book is very well written with
   tons of insite to his years of racing as well as lots of
   liitle known information about him and his family. I found myself
   making time to get a few more pages in before I would have to
   put it down. I was at six of the races mentioned in the book,
   Watkins Glen and Canada, not only did it bring back great
   memories, but I learned more about those races than I knew then
   when I was there live. Buy it and god bless Gilles



4. I've read a lot of racing books, but never one better than this. It is at the same time gripping, compelling and very well written.

   Donaldson's masterpiece is recommend without hesitation.




5. Let me be clear: this is simply the best racing driver biography ever written. It's complete, well written, touching and objective at the same time, respectful to the dead. It's an amazing book. No doubt the writer is a big Villeneuve fan, but he managed to avoid being totally partial.
   It's full oof data, anecdotes, funny parts, tragic parts, competition, brief technical analysys of the cars, a lot of famous drivers in diverse categories... Well, this is the book.

5 comments about Best Seat in the House: A Father, a Daughter, a Journey Through Sports.

1. A cover blurb on Christine Brennan's new book uses the word "heartfelt." I'm very surprised that all of the reviewers didn't include "heart" somewhere in their comments. This is the most magical book. Not only for Brennan's wonderful relationship with her father. I was moved equally by the sense of Christine Brennan that emerges from her writing. This is a valuable book, a blessing for the world. It glows with the magic of the heart - for sports, child-raising, and life. In a world that perversely tries to discount the heart's feelings, her book provides overwhelming evidence of the need for love.



2. When I saw this book, I knew immediately that I'd be interested in it. I mean, Christine Brennan was the Washington Post beat writer for the Redskins in the mid-80s when I lived in DC as well, and as she jokingly puts it, being the Redskins beat writer was the second most important beat, after the White House beat, unless the Redskins played the Cowboys. So I remember well her byline in the Post Sports section from those days.
   
   In "Best Seat in the House: A Father, A Daughter, A Journey through Sports" (283 pages), the author reflects back on how she got into sports writing, and not unsurprisingly, her dad played a major role in it. In fact, the initial third of the book, in which Brennan recounts her days growing up in Toledo, is the most intruiging and touching part of the book. Brennan's dad never pushed her into sports, but definitely supported and encouraged it, taking her to see their beloved Mud Hens AA basebal and the University of Toldedo football teams, and then later when Christine started playing high school sports (in the pre-Title IX days). The love and warmth for her dad shines throughout this book.
   
   After graduating from Northwestern, Brennan went on to cover college football for the Miami Herald in the early 80s and then the Redskins. Brennan has plentyful of memorable anecdotes of what is was like to be a female sportsreporter in that male-dominated world. The latter part of the book drifts a bit, even though Brennan's love for the Olympics, her next big thing, comes through very clearly. But the book finishes on a high, recounting the hard times when first her mom, then her dad pass away, while providing a very moving tribute. If you like sports, and have a heart, this book will move you.



3. I was in tears at the first chapter, as my father too introduced me to sports. Much of what Ms. Brennan has written brings me back to the wonderful memories of my Dad and our love for the Detroit Tigers. I gave the book to my Dad for Fathers Day. I only wish I had the talent to have written such a wonderful memorial to my father. Thank you, Christine.



4. As Christine Brennan states in the book, writing the story was a "labor of love". She stated this in reference to her father and family. Of course, this comes through eloquently clear from such a talented writer. In reading the book, however, it's obvious she loves so much more in life. Sports, yes, but that's over-simplistic. How she ties sports into the context of history, into how our society has changed and not changed (for women, minorities, etc.) is truly insightful while, at the same time, beautiful. You can feel -- truly sense -- how Christine feels about these challenges, about the people confronting them, and about the leaders addressing them (or not). Her values show through. Many a writer, I think, would be all-too-shy about putting such personal points-of-view out there. I, for one, am very glad she did, for her values and points-of-view are truly admirable. They are all the more so because she, like her father, has acted upon and held true to them throughout her life while still making room to experience and learn.
   
   Now, I don't know Christine. I met her once, yes. She was uncommonly attentive and made me feel like I was the gold medal winner being interviewed (not that it felt like an interview at all; although, after reading this book, I wouldn't be surprised if she packed away some notes somewhere, dated them, and spelled my name right...).
   
   Why is this such an important book? In addition to what I've shared I'll add this: Moving forward my wife and I will document the events of our kids' childhood even more diligently. Not only will this benefit our family with more memorabilia, but it will hopefully serve as an example for our kids so they, too, will log the experiences of their lives. Doing so, I believe, will help sustain their peace of mind (respect for whence they came), build confidence, as well as provide skills that will help them academically, professionally, and personally. And, no, I don't expect to rear little Christine Brennans. I do hope, however, my kids have a similar love for their father, their family, and for life that Christine Brennan does. This book has made me even more excited about being a parent and it's also allowed me to travel back in time with my father. Christine, thank you!



5. In a world where male dominance in most sports is generally welcome and accepted, stories of women who defy the odds, dodge the criticism, and rise to success are indeed a rarity. The story of Christine Brennan is no exception. A successful writer for USA Today and The Washington Post, Brennan's ascension to a career in sports journalism and broadcasting, which was usually only reserved for men, serves as a role model for those who wish to follow their dreams despite the obstacles. However, the focal message in the book is a tribute to her father, the man who brought her up to love and cherish sports, and the man who continued to encourage her when things seemed impossible. Rather than the typical father-son journey through sports, the tide shifts, in essence, to reveal that daughters too can share that same passion.
   
   Brennan's journey begins in Toledo, home to the Triple AAA Mud Hens and the University of Toledo. The stories of catching a ball game at the Lucas Country Rec Center (aka Ned Skeldon Stadium) or the occasional drive to Tiger Stadium were heart warming and a bit shocking as Brennan was probably the woman in the 1970's that knew how to fill out a scorecard. Baseball brings families together and nothing in the world beats a trip to the ball park to catch a game with your old man. But baseball is one of several sports that the Brennan family endures throughout Christine's childhood. Tennis, swimming, golf, football, and basketball consumed much of their daily lives and it appeared that the father, Jim, was merely along for the ride for it seemed that he was not the one doing the pushing.
   
   On a personal note, Brennan's account of the University of Toledo's Chuck Ealey's thirty-five consecutive victories and Steve Mix's stellar basketball career were nearly tear-jerking. As a Toledo alum and fan, it was about time that both of these remarkable men receive some extra attention for their amazing feats as collegiate athletes. From a university which sees very few of their athletes go on to the professional level, the celebration of perhaps their best two athletes in a nationally acclaimed book puts the icing on the cake.
   
   Brennan admits that the idea to be a sports journalist began at those Toledo football games where Ealey and his teammates rang up win after win. Indeed, watching Chuck Ealey on a weekly basis from 1969-1971 must have been a privilege, an honor, and certainly a launching point for a prospective sports writer. From there Brennan begins the formal training as a journalist at the campus of Northwestern University, and with the summer internships at the Toledo Blade. Northwestern's journalism program was one of the best in the country, and alums Peter McCleery, Brennan, and Michael Wilbon backed up that recognition.
   
   But Brennan's story of becoming a sports journalist is just a fraction of the larger picture. Title IX, the law that essentially gave women an opportunity to play competitive sports, is mentioned throughout the book. However, Brennan's argument on Title IX is not necessarily a cry for women to take over these heavily male-influenced games. Rather, it is advocating for equal opportunity. As evident in her debates with the controversial Hootie Johnson of Augusta National, Brennan refuses to back down to the opposite sex, and chooses to stand up for women's rights. After all, to get to her position in her field, Brennan has always had to fight an uphill battle. Hopefully this serves as a message to young women seeking a career in sports that even though the trail may be bumpy along the way, the end result is certainly attainable.

5 comments about Real Men Work in the Pits: A Life in NASCAR Racing.

1. Real Men Work In The Pits by Jeff Hammond could have been a lot better.
   
   The 2005 effort by Fox Sports personality and longtime NASCAR crew chief Jeff Hammond has no ghostwriter listed which means Hammond made all the name misspellings himself. From Felix "Sabatas" Sabates to Jim "Tommy VanDiver" Vandiver, Hammond cannot seem to get it right.
   
   Getting past that, my other big complaint would be that 2/3 of this book deals with 1976-1986. True, those were his big years with Junior Johnson but the way he skimmed over 1993-2000 was humorous. Obviously, he had little success but the book is more an autobiography of Junior Johnson and Darrell Waltrip than it is Hammond's life in NASCAR racing.
   
   One interesting thing that could have been added onto more was in 1996 when he hooked back up with DW for the final part of the season, only to be fired after the team's Christmas party.
   
   I enjoyed the honesty, though, including the strained relationship with Dale Earnhardt that Hammond touched on after The Intimidator wrecked Waltrip at Richmond in 1986.
   
   Hammond offered an inside look at the Junior Johnson operation and it now has me wanting to read about ol' JJ.
   
   In reality, the book was something of an anti-love letter to Darrell Waltrip. The banter they share on Fox leads you to believe they had nothing but fun together but according to Hammond in the book, DW was a money-hungry egomaniac. Here I thought he was just an egomaniac!
   
   Still, for a crew chief autobiography this was pretty interesting. It needed a better editor.



2. Jeff Hammond has written a fantastic book. He's captured the racing action, development of the sport and most importantly some of the people that have made the sport what it is.
   
   `Real men work in the pits' is written in an easy reading, conversational manner that never seems forced, making it a hard book to put down once you've started reading.
   
   NASCAR very rarely screens on TV in Australia, and when it does it's often a five minute highlights package so you never get to see a whole race. But even for someone with low exposure to the sport it's still a great book to read.
   
   If you're a fan of any sort of motor sport, then you'll enjoy this book for the spirit of competition. Even if you're not into racing, this book would still make an enjoyable read for the colourful way in which the likes of Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, and Junior Johnson are described and one man's career in racing is told. Well worth adding to your bookshelf.



3. I started reading this book when I went to bed and couldn't put it down until it was finished. Jeff writes about his father racing dirt tracks and how he worked with his uncle on his dad's race car at the age of 12. From those days, he and his brother went on to build cars on their own and get drivers to drive for them. This led to Jeff putting aside his dream for playing college football and become involved with Junior Johnson's team working his way up the ranks to Crew Chief.
   I found it interesting to read about the relationship Junior had with his workers and the respect that was held for him.
   There are many neat personal stories about Cal Yarbrough, Junior Johnson and many pages about the relationship Darrell Waltrip had with Jeff before and after becoming his crew chief.
   The underlying thread in this book from my perspective was the loyalty Jeff had for his family, Junior, teammates and friends. I really enjoyed the book and hope someday to meet Jeff in person.



4. Some people really know how to market themselves. During the last few years, Jeff Hammond has went from being a succesful NASCAR crew chief to TV anlayst, pitchman, professional wrestler, rodeo competitor and now book author. This man has quite an agent!
   
   As for the new book, there's not a lot of new ground. Although Hammond claims that he is willing to speak out and criticize NASCAR when necessary, there is very little commentary in the book about anything.
   
   Along the way he provides a number of interesting stories regarding his relationships and experiences with people such as Junior Johnson and Darrell Waltrip but it is merely a recounting of his career with little detail and insight. What I found somewhat surprising is that Hammond spent his last year as a crew chief working with Kurt Busch and for Jack Roush. That was Busch's rookie season and he is now Nextel Cup Champ, but you won't get to learn a single thing about what the new champ is like from reading this book and very little about car owner Roush who has now won two championships in a row.
   
   It's written well and an easy read but not a great literary work. The good news is that Hammond is likable, the stories are interesting and it's probably worth the three hours or so that it will take to read this book. That being said, Waltrip's recent book is much more detailed and more worthy of your attention. The even better news is that Hammond will remain on Fox covering NASCAR where he is one of the best in broadcast analysis of the sport.



5. If there is any sport that is team oriented but where the team gets almost no recognition it's NASCAR racing. The driver gets all the glory, the kisses of the pretty girls, the photographs holding the trophy.
   
   This book is a story of almost thirty years of being in the crew, a lot of years as the jack man. I've always thoought that the jack man had just about the hardest job of them all -- those jacks are heavy, they've got to be positioned right, and they've got to be moved fast. I guess that's a good place to start, because from there he went on to become one of the more successful crew chiefs in the business.
   
   The book is one that will delight NASCAR fans. It's the inside story of what goes on behind the scenes, it's what you have to do to win races, it's the people who were there during the time when NASCAR was moving from the small unknown side aspect of racing to the big time national sport that it is today.
   
   It is the stories of the people that make this such an enjoyable book.

5 comments about Tin Cup D : A Long Shot Makes It on the PGA Tour.

1. We often get a quick blurb by anouncers whenever an unknown makes it into the top running during a tournament. Some kid who has done nothing put play golf since he could hold a club, or some underadvantaged caddie who figured out how to beat a few of the best. We don't tend to hear much more than that, though.
   
   Esteban Toledo, like many of the figures on (and off and on...) tour that we admire rarely get such a closeup. Hogan's story brings inspiration, Bobby Jones brings awe. Neither tale, however, gives any of us much to relate to. Esteban's story does. He is far beyond a weekend hack, but like most of us who seem to spend more time on the range than at home he is a grinder, ever looking to improve and maintain himself. His motivations are different, but the goal is the same: attaining a dream.
   
   Reading this story will stir something in any golfer, I imagine, making it a good addition to your library. I do hope if the book is reprinted, though, that the numerous typos will be fixed.



2. To simply put it, this was a very good book and an easy read too, however many typos and errors. But other than that i loved the book.



3. It�s hard to know what part of this sweaty fairy tale to like the best.
   First there was Esteban Toledo the boy. He was the driven young Mexican kid whose family in Mexicali was so poor that having nothing would be a step up.

   But the boy was also unique. He was a scrapper. He was a boy with nothing who taught himself to play a rich man�s game and he worked at it fulltime. So, just at the right time, some rich gringo from California offered the boy a miracle.

   Then, there is Esteban the man. It took a while until he adjusted to the first miracle: Going from the streets to living in a mansion. But he goes on to a new struggle, the hugely difficult quest to play on the PGA tour and just when he seems doomed, he creates a second miracle.

   Finally, we have the millionaire, a man who plowed fields behind a horse at age 8. Jon Minnis the self-made man doesn�t care about a charitable tax deduction. He prefers results to tax deductions. He and his wife, Rita, would rather pluck a poor kid out of the Mexicali slums, just because the kid deserves a shot. Then, of course, they will love him and suffer with him. You�ll thank God they didn�t just write a check.

   Tin Cup Dreams by Michael D�Antonio is a true, painful, inspiring tale in which suffering leads to miracles. These miracles demand huge investments in sacrifice, and enormous, unlikely leaps of faith before the ball falls into that tin cup at just the right moment. But when that ball really does fall, you still know it is a miracle and you still wipe the sweat off your brow and rejoice.

   If you�ve never bet on a long shot, or even if you have, this is a great, fast read that pays off in inspiration and motivation. Meet PGA Tour pro golfer Esteban Toledo and the people who are there with him in his dream. It�s worth it.




4. This book contains an excellent story and very well paced.It follows Esteban Toledo from his PGA tour qualification to the tour as he plays in a variety of tournaments, covering his practise habits, his earlier life, his caddy, the playing partners and family. The year seems to pass in front of the reader giving insights into variety of aspects of professional golf players.

   A hard to put down book.




5. This book was simply sensational! Anyone who has ever touched a golf club should read this book, because it makes anyone a believer that the "impossible" can happen. I could not put this heartwarming book down after reading page after page of Esteban's trials and turmoils on his path to greatness on the PGA Tour. What a great book for anyone who's been told that they cannot do something. Esteban Toledo silenced all his critics and proved that he could!

5 comments about The Wildest Dream: The Biography of George Mallory.

1. I could not have been more disappointed. I have read many books on Mt Everest and other mountains. I love the subject. I also love the legends and stories of the early explorers and the more recent adventures on this mountain.
   
   For this reason, I could not have been more disappointed with this book. The author goes to great lengths to try to prove that Mallory was a homosexual or Bisexual. Page upon page is devoted to this issue and just when you think, "okay we got that out of the way, now can we read more about the man and his experiences" the author launches into yet another episode that "proves" Mallory had sex with men. I just kept thinking, "okay, who cares about that," can we get past that.
   
   I finally got so sick of the whole thing, probably because I was so excited to read about Mallory's mountain climbing life, that I gave up.
   
   Don't waist your money on this book unless you want to read all about Mallory's relationships with other men that just might prove he was gay....and then again, maybe he was just a guy who had some male friends.
   
   PS. I am not a homophone, just not interested in dwelling on the issue.



2. This biography of George Mallory written by Peter and Leni Gillman is excellent. It is exactly what it claims to be, so while climbing must be a part of any book about Mr. Mallory, this really is about the person who was a climber. This book ranges over his whole life; this is not an "Everest Book". The book does extensively document an enormous number of climbs he made, the first ascents, and of course the years he spent in his attempt to conquer Everest. The book does explore the question of whether or not he and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine were the first to Summit Everest, however like all other positions, the final proof is lacking and may or may not ever be found.

   If you are looking for a great book on its own, or as a companion to this work, "Ghosts of Everest: The Search For Mallory And Irvine", is excellent. This second book is a documentary of the expedition for the answers to the fate of the two climbers, and it is extremely well done. "The Wildest Dream" also does much to clarify the rock climbing abilities of Mr. Mallory, which some historians have called into question, and have used as a basis for their position he never made it. Both these books (for this non-climber) put this issue to rest.

   This book explores Mr. Mallory as a Family man, a Father, a Soldier, as well as the skills for which History remembers him. The Biography explored the vast differences between climbing as a sport today, and climbing as an activity dominated by a class system, that at times increased the danger of their activities. With any comparison today, the equipment, the risks that were taken, and the weather they survived with their primitive clothing, is nearly beyond belief. That Mallory, Irvine, and others reached such heights on Everest is nothing short of a type, effort, and endurance that put one in awe of these men.

   The book also deals with those who coped with the extremely long absences these attempts required. Mallory's Wife and Family played a large if intermittent role in his shortened life, they stood by and waited for him through World War I, and his Mountaineering. We gain insight into Mallory the Professor, and other aspects of his life that were unknown to me.

   After all the reading I have done it has become less an issue for me of whether the final piece of that last climb was completed. It is likely we may never know. But what Mallory and his friends did was so extraordinary, and so many years prior to the summit being reached, in many ways the final mystery may be more of a curiosity for the ages. For I believe what they did do, secures their place in History as extraordinary people.

   An extremely interesting, and well-documented Biography.




3. I absolutely loved this book. It was wonderful to read about the whole man, from his childhood to his young years, his family, his marriage and finally his travels and climbs to Everest and of course the times in which this happened. The title is so poetic and wonderfully fitting. He was not an obsessed loner but someone who shared many interests with other great women and men of his time. As a mother of children who are just starting out in school, I was surprised and interested in his teaching methods and musings about education and schooling. Some of his thoughts are mine exactly and this is almost 100 years later. He was a great writer and reading his letters is a pleasure in itself. I wish there would be a publication of all this writings. While his homosexual exploration certainly belongs to a full bio, I find the whole sexuality discussion rather unnecessary. I think his marriage and more so his and Ruth's relationship in itself is proof - at least to me - that George Leigh Mallory was not homosexual. I feel very sad for Ruth as her life turned out to be one of suffering. She lost her mother so early, then her husband and finally, just when she found happiness again, she does not get to live it out.

   I am puzzled by how easily the authors dismiss Mallory's technical abilities as insufficient for having made it to the top. While these first climbers may have certainly been inadequately dressed for the environment, I don't believe for a minute that these men were not fit or accomplished enough compared to today's climbers. Weeks on a boat, then travelling essentially on foot and horses made them fit enough (probably also by being able to acclimatize themselves for a much longer period than today)for any crack at the summit. This is a book about a man who dared to live his wildest dream against - finally - all odds and this story is worth being told.




4. Being someone with no interest in rock climbing, I doubted that I'd enjoy this book. Thank goodness I took the plunge anyway. Even if you have never seen a rock, this biography on George Mallory is a riviting read. Much emphasis is given to his early life as a school teacher, feminist, and friend to such luminaries as Duncan Grant, Robert Frost and Maynard Keynes. I cannot say enough about this lovely book.



5. The subtitle bills this book as "THE" Biography of Mallory, implying that it's intended to be definitive, and it is. The authors are especially thorough in their discussion of Mallory's sexuality, a subject that other biographies either ignore (like the proverbial elephant in the living room) or equivocate on. Their study of letters of the Bloomsbury set (including Mallory's own) pretty much settles the issue: the cover photograph is perhaps a hint of the revelations to come. The book concentrates on Mallory's personal life more than on the details of his last climb (readers interested in the vexed debate over whether he made the summit or not will be better served by Anker and Robert's or Hemmleb's books), but one couldn't ask for a better treatment of Mallory's character. One oddity: the index entries relating to pages 20-40 are jumbled (see, e.g. the entry for Graham Irving), perhaps indicating that major changes were made in this section after the book was in page proof? A puzzlement!

5 comments about No Excuses: One Man's Incredible Rise Through the NFL to Head Coach of Notre Dame.

1. Take ajourney with Charles Weis, New Jersey born
   and raised guy who happened to go down and talk
   to one of the 'Fathers' in the Notre Dame Athletic
   office one day back in 1975 about what HE thought
   the 'Fightin' Irish' should be doing to inprove
   the football team. Fast forward through the years
   as Charlie Weis becomes the sports enthusiast who
   moves up through the ranks and becomes a first rate
   football coach who ends up going back to Notre Dame
   after winning FOUR Super Bowls and becomes it's H.
   Coach! Great and inspirational reading! As good as
   Marv Levy's fine football book, "Where Else Would
   You Rather Be?"



2. Coach Weis starts this short autobiography out with a funny story about his student days at Notre Dame and how he had the nerve to complain to the University president about the football team. I would say that this is a rather interesting way for the man who is now in charge of that same football team to start out his book. Right up front Charlie Weis says to us the fans that he understands what it is like to be frustrated and that we Notre Dame fans really matter to him. I like this guy!
   
   I say that this is a short autobiography because there is so much yet to be written in the Charlie Weis story but there is still a lot of information to be found in these pages. I must admit that I had wondered how a guy who hadn't even played college football became the coach of the most storied program in the sport and by reading this book I got my answers. Charlie Weis is one hard working guy. This is not to say that he didn't get some major breaks along the way because he did and he freely acknowledges that he did. Coach Weis is proud of his work ethic and that comes across loud and clear in this book but the man doesn't have a conceited bone in his body. I like this guy!
   
   When Coach Weis was hired at Notre Dame most Irish fans read up on him in a hurry and so we knew the basics of his sparkling pro career but in this book we get a little more of story including some things that I'm sure that he didn't really care to share but he shared them anyway and the book is all the better for it. I really do like this guy!
   
   Best of all, we finally get a look at Coach's personal life and we learn about his wonderful wife and his special relationship with his son. We also get a glimpse of his relationship with his special needs daughter who is able to communicate very clearly when she wants her dad to go away and leave her alone. The proceeds from this book go to a foundation he has set up in the name of his daughter Hannah and it was for the love of her that he even agreed to write this book. Did I mention that I like this guy?
   
   This book is not a deep tome on Charlie Weis' coaching philosophy or an insight into the Notre Dame program. That may well come later when he has been at South Bend for a few more years. This is simply the basic story of a man who accepts no excuses from his players or himself and who expects everyone to give their all for the good of the team. This is Charlie Weis 101 and I hope that the graduate level course won't be too long in coming.



3. This book is a fast read, and I really liked it. I thought he made his points and got his story across very well, and gives some insight as to how the coaching profession works. I recommend it.



4. The book has several interesting stories. Though CW doesn't mention it, he must have been a pretty smart student to get admitted to ND. I thought he said his dad was of a blue collar profession, so he must have gotten quite a bit of financial aid.
   
   I found his story about how he quit HS coaching to take a grad assistantship at South Carolina interesting, as well as how he was to be offered the head coaching job with the Bills, if the Patroits lost the AFC championship game to the Titans. I also found his early days as coach of the Fighting Irish to be interesting. All in all, it's a story of a hard working guy who always tried to do the right thing and succeeding to get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.



5. This is a very refreshing story of how an outwardly ordinary person with some extraordinary insight and self-confidence goes from being a regular kid to a top level coach, and how he balances his family life with his professional life. He doesn't dish dirt or tattle, and it isn't all about Notre Dame Football. He acknowledges success and failure without bragging about his system or complaining about setbacks. He doesn't breach the privacy of others to sell his story, so details of who said what and who did what are not there, though he does give plenty of credit where it is due. It's dignified but not stuffy or superior. You just can't help but admire him, and you wish you had a boss with his sense of priorities, directness, and honesty.
   
   It really does hook you, so make sure you have plenty of time when you first open it to read the whole thing. I bought this for my spouse for Christmas. While wrapping it, I took a little peek. Two hours later I finished it. It was just too darn interesting to put down, and I am not a big football fan. Then I kept thinking about it and had to stop myself from quoting it (to keep from spoiling the surprise). When my spouse opened it on Christmas Day; I warned him that it would suck him right in. He laughed and took a peek. Now I have a nice picture him, surrounded by holiday chaos and kids, completely oblivious while reading this book cover-to-cover.
   
   We both agree that this is a really terrific book. Since my spouse is a big Notre Dame fan (two ND degrees and grew up in South Bend), but I am not, I'd say that this book appeals to a wide variety of people.

2 comments about Jack Nicklaus: Memories and Mementos from Golf's Golden Bear.

1. If you are at all interested in Jack Nicklaus and can't, by time or distance, visit his museum in Columbus, Ohio (on the campus of Ohio State University), then this book will be a nice visual replacement. Well organized, this book follows Jack's entire career as well as his relationships with his teacher, Jack Grout, his parents Charlie and Helen Nicklaus and his wife Barbara. Especially nice are several pages of reproduced "mementos" in cellophaned envelopes for easy retrival and review.
   
   I would recommend this book highly to all golfers who have any admiration for the Golden Bear.



2. It sounds "trite" and simple to say it, but this book is a "must" for those who love golf and admire the qualities Jack Nicklaus brought to the game, talent, work ethic, competitiveness, success, and class. The epitome of what the game is meant to be.
   
   There are other, more indepth, books on Jack Nicklaus, but this one has it all, enough to appreciate the man, who is, what he stands for and his journey, a journey that has been a credit to the game of golf and has inspired many of us who have followed his career and the values and principles he has demonstrated so effectivly.
   
   There are many replica mementos, a letter from Tiger Woods, copies of his scorecards, Masters invitations and such that give this book a nice touch, a nice feel. Overall it is a comprehensive keepsake album of Jack, his career and the game of golf in his day.
   
   Simply put: "A must" for those who love golf and admire the Golden Bear.

5 comments about Best Seat in the House: A Basketball Memoir.

1. By and far the best book I have ever read. The content was not the most challenging but Spike Lee managed to tell his life story and intertwine it with the glory of the 70's New York Knicks teams and even inform the reader of his early cinematic musings. A great book for any Knick fan, Spike Lee fan, or general avid reader. I absolutely loved reading this memoir because it gave in depth information on so many facets of life important to Spike Lee: family, basketball, cinema. A definite must read, if only for the reason to see why Spike Lee is so emphatic about his Knicks.



2. Even though I'm not a New York Knicks fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Spike Lee, for all the movies he made, I enjoyed his foray into the world of being an author. This book mixes his life from the time he was a child to the time he was an adult with memories of his beloved Knicks, past and present. It was cool to hear about Monroe,Barnett,DeBusschere,Reed,Frazier,Russell (Cazzie, not Bill, but he mentions Bill too I think) and others as well. He also talks about stars of previous eras and comparing them to ones in more current eras. It's really two books in one, combining his life (an autobiography) with his love of the Knicks. We get to learn about both subjects.



3. Spike Lee is usually brought up when people are talking about arrogant behavior. But in this book, he shows how basketball has changed over the years. I play and follow basketball and I thought this book was great. If you like basketball, professional sports, or Spike Lee, this is a book for you.



4. There's always been room for a book for Knick fans (who are abreed apart) by an informed Knick fan. Spike Lee, one of the mostprominent among millions who've put this team at the center of their emotional lives, has come up with an informative and gutsy memoir that interweaves his personal growth with a lifelong, overly intense passion for this usually-disappointing NBA franchise. His wonderful asides include reviews of his and Michael Jordan's favorite basketball movies and a raw, unflattering look at Coney Island's Marbury (as in Stephon) family. He also had the guts to say that Riley blew it by leaving Starks in.



5. Although perennially overlooked by the Motion Pictures Academy, Spike Lee long ago proved that he is a thoughtful and engaging filmmaker (and not a racist, as some reviewers will lead you to believe). Unfortunately, his filmamking skills do not crossover to the world of books. While Best Seat in the House does provide an insighful look into the world of professional basketball, especially the New York Knicks teams of the early-1970s, it seems as if this book was written off the top of Mr. Lee's head, haphazardly putting to paper stories he recollects. If you are a Knicks fan, you'll enjoy this book. If you are more interested in Spike Lee, rent Do The Right Thing, Crooklyn, or any other of his provocative films

5 comments about Dugout Days : Untold Tales and Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Career of Billy Martin.

1. I found this to be an extrememly interesting baseball book, with numerous valuable insights regarding management as well. (By the way, Dugout Days perhaps should get a 5-star rating based on what I typically see in review, but I tend not to give 5 stars except for truly extraordinary books. This is, however, a very good book, well worth the money and time.)

   Dugout Days presents a great perspective on the legendary manager/player. DeMarco has interviewed scores of former players and teammates, lending the book a firsthand quality often missing from biographies, especially those in the sports field. Furthermore, the subject inherently adds some value to the equation, as Martin was an intriguing figure within one of sports' legendary franchises.

   From a business perspective, I consider Dugout Days better than most. (I generally am skeptical of the "business" book genre.) Whereas most other offerings pass off common sense observations as platitudes on how to succeed, etc., Dugout Days demonstrates a few key points with actual situations, how they were handled and what the results were. There is no sense of "stretching" to prove a point, thereby avoiding the bloat to which business writers succumb.

   I highly recommend the book for any baseball fan.




2. According to the subtitle, DeMarco provides "untold tales & leadership lessons from the extraordinary career of Billy Martin" and indeed he does. I am among those who saw Martin play for the New York Yankees and I later followed his career as a Major League manager of several different teams, including one in Texas where I now live. He always fascinated me. DeMarco draws certain appropriate comparisons between Martin and George S. Patton. Indeed, many of the same qualities which explain Martin's success in the dugout and Patton's success on the battlefield help to explain why both had so many problems elsewhere.

   Consider first Martin's and then Matt Keogh's explanation of "Billyball": "Just give me a little room, I'm going to take advantage of it. What the hell. When you're a leader, you have to lead. That's when you stick your neck out. Leaders ar not followers. They are innovators. They are gamblers. They're not afraid to take a chance, not afraid to fail....Billyball is nothing more than just aggressive, old-fashioned baseball where you're not afraid to make a mistake...forcing the opposition to make mental and physical mistakes. Going against the grain. Going after them all the time...Force the other team to execute perfectly...Always looking for an opportunity out there to create something. But get it quick. Right now. Not two innings from now." Now consider what what one of his former players, Matt Keough, has to say: "A definition of Billyball would be: What we did equaled making them worry. Talk about spitters and all that. stuff -- the whole thing was to create anxiety. And when you create anxiety, you beat 'em. That's all it was. He generated a tremendous amount of anxiety, because no one wanted to look stupid."

   Especially the younger members of teams which played "Billyball" under Martin's leadership usually performed above their talent levels. They developed a swagger, a brawler's mentality, and a hatred of losing. Meanwhile, the values and principles which drove Martin the player and manager suggest why he was fired eight times and divorced three times as well as why he initiated so many heated arguments which often resulted in a fight with an individual or a brawl involving both teams. According to DeMarco, Martin "was a great leader, but like General George Patton and General Douglas MacArthur, he was not a great employee." Indeed, Martin eventually (and inevitably) shredded every welcome mat which greeted him when he first assumed the manager's position with a series of teams which include the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers, the Texas Rangers, the New York Rangers, the Oakland Athletics, and finally once again the New York Yankees whose owner George Steinbrenner hired and fired him five different times. Martin seems to have been most effective when entrusted with relatively inexperienced and less-talented players, players more inclined to be deferential to him, although a few of his World Champion Yankee teams are among the best during the last 30 years.

   As indicated previously, the bulk of the material in this book is provided by 33 people who either played with or for Martin or were in some other way closely associated with him. All duly acknowledge Martin's flaws -- and some speak frankly about having been personally abused by Martin -- while suggesting (to a degree of agreement which surprised me) that Martin was also an uncommonly sensitive, thoughtful, loyal, generous, and (believe it or not) spiritual, if not precisely religious person. They knew him well, both in and out of the dugout; I knew of him only from a great distance and was almost wholly dependent upon how he was portrayed by the media.

   Near the end of his book, DeMarco includes some insightful comments by Paul Stoltz, author of The Adversity Quotient: "So many entrepreneurs and leaders have some of Billy's profile -- a nontraditional path, childhood adversity, being made fun of or ridiculed, and an uncompromising track record of relentlessness. This is the high AQ [Adversity Quotient) Climber profile. These people can really irritate....Thank God! Without them, this world would be far less interesting and rich. It is It is the Climbers who shape whatever game they are in. Once the wounds are healed and the hurt feelings mend, we remember the Climbers most fondly and admiringly for the impact they have had and legacy they left." The 33 provide "untold tales" and DeMarco suggests several "leadership lessons." Read the book and then take your own measure of Alfred Manuel Martin.




3. I guess the main reason this book was written was to provide a more balanced account of Billy Martin. He certainly had a number of people who didn't care for him and a number of derogatory stories have been told about him. This book relates experiences about people such as Willie Horton, Paul Blair, Rod Carew, Mike Heath, and others who had positive experiences regarding Billy Martin. Any manager has individuals who can tell both positive or negative stories about them so Martin would not be unique in this respect. I find Billy Martin to be an interesting individual to read about in baseball, but I found the book to have pretty much the same people commenting on him throughout. It is not a story of his life, but one that is told by those having positive experiences with him. I buy baseball books to save for my baseball library, but if I had the chance to do it again, this book would have remained in the bookstore. I found it to be repetitious and boring at times.



4. DeMarco goes against coventional wisdom and appeals to the less visable side of the reading audience....the virtuous side! It's so easy to capture us with the picture of a man which the dotors of spin have firmly established....whether true or half true (which is another way to say false!) But Demarco elects not to take the easy way out. He goes to those who knew Billy personally and I'm not talking about a handful of cronnies but, rather, fourty plus former players and fellow managers. What we get for the more than hundred hours of interviews and research is the truth about Billy Martin....The GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY. However with the previous writters appealing to our ever hungry, "give me the dirt side", DeMarco focouses more on the former....the good. Much to my surprise and my "already spun" perception of this man, I found there was a great leader and,even more surprising, a soft side to this tough guy....a tremendous giver to the underdogs of life and an amazing spiritual side that was very real! I highly recomend this book for personal consumption you will be pleasantly surprised once you get past Billy's "cover". Well done DeMarco!



5. This is a fascinating look at Billy Martin that works on two levels. First, it shows how Martin rose to the tops of the baseball managing ranks through his passionate love of the game. From his apprenticeship at the side of Casey Stengel through his later wanderings with second-rate teams, Martin was learning the game inside out so that when the opportunity came to manage, he was ready. Second, the book shows how Martin unleashed his knowledge as a manager. Through conversations with many of Martin's players, the author shows how Martin worked one on one with his players to inspire their best, and then fit those players together at the team level to orchestrate some amazing seasons. Players from the "Billyball" teams in Oakland (like Mike Heath and Mike Norris) and the "Turnaround Gang" in Texas (like Toby Harrah and Lenny Randle) offer fasicnating pictures of a man full of confidence, bravado, and knowledge, willing to do ANYTHING to win a ballgame. He created opportunities for success and pumped up his overachieving players to attack those opportunities. Billy's raw, energetic confidence emerges very clearly. Martin was certainly a fascinating character and leader, and that's readily clear in "Dugout Days".