5 comments about The Stone Cold Truth (WWE).

1. The book was absolutely amazing. Although some of the stories jumped around a little bit, it was still interesting to read about the man behind Stone Cold Steve Austin. From his humble beginnings, to how he got his gimmick, and lastly to how his career finally ended at Wrestlemania. A fantastic read that is quick and captures your attention from the start to the finish. Highly recommended!
   
   - Griffin



2. A nice read, but the comments from his parents and JR don't really add anything to the story. Also, the story becomes a bit repetitive, with Austin breezing through subjects such as his divorces, him being seperated from his children simply by stating he "loves them to death", and he seems to respect everyone, which is not quite what I expected.
   
   The problem is, that all wrestling books will now be compared to Foley's publications, with the result being that 9 out of 10 won't compare favorably. It's a nice read, but don't expect anything radical, apart from his views at the end of the book, about the state wrestling is in.
   
   It wouldn't have hurt Austin to be a litte more outspoken...



3. This book is at it's best when Steve is being himself instead of the Stone Cold character. Unlike The Rock's book, this one is a bit more honest and not in character every moment. Still not written with as much honesty as Mick Foley's bios (Have A Nice Day & Foley Is Good and coming soon Hardcore Diaries). JR (Jim Ross) helps out mostly at the end of chapters and his insight is very helpful. Without JR this book would be a 2 or 3 stars. Not too much is said that isn't common knowledge, so I recommend this book for the more die-hard Stone Cold fans. This won't appeal to mainstream non-wrestling fans the way Mick Foley's books did.



4. My son has been reading this book for his college reading course. Although his teacher is not a wrestling fan, my son found the book to be filled with interesting information about Steve Austin's upbringing and family values that were enlightening. The book shows that Steve Austin is more than his persona that he projected during his wrestling career.
   
   The book is recommended for any fan of WWE wrestling and is an interesting read.
   
   Ira J. Bromley



5. STONE COLD DOES A NICE JOB DESCRIBING HIS LIFE AND EXPERIENCES IN PRO WRESTLING. I ENJOYED THE EARLY PARTS CONCERNING HIS FAMILY AND FOOTBALL, BUT THE MEAT OF THIS BOOK IS HIS CAREER. STONE COLD WAS QUITE A CHARACTER AND MADE ME LAUGH MANY TIMES. I BELIEVE HE WAS ONE OF MOST POPULAR AND ENTERTAINING WRESTLERS OF HIS TIME. INJURIES, BURNOUT AND DIVORCE DID HIM IN. HE DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A BAD GUY, HOPEFULLY HE WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT HIS DRINKING. FOR ALL WRESTLING FANS.

No comments about Wrestling Reality.

No comments about Captain Crash and the Dallas Cowboys.

5 comments about Break Point: The Secret Diary of a Pro Tennis Player.

1. This is a book written best read by people who enjoy playing tennis and watching the pros play, but never had the talent to become a professional and ended up doing something far less glamorous. I finished the book thinking: "Glad tennis is just a fun game that I play with my friends at the club, because now I know there are easier ways of enjoying life and making money than turning pro!" In summary: I thought the book was three things: (1) An insight into an eccentric personality, (2) Informative about the grind of the pro tennis tour and (3) Enlightening because now I know that I would rather my life than a professional tennis player's!



2. I read this as the Mom of a junior player wondering what my son's passion for tennis might lead to if he stays with it and does well. This book is the closest to describing the day-to-day life a rising pro player would lead. The grueling travel schedule, being alone in hotel rooms without friends to console you when things go bad. Vince wrote the book as if he were chatting with you- realistic, personable, unvarnished, at times self-deprecating, but always sincere. He is the boy next door, who made it to the top 20. Sure, he knows more about the inside scene of pro tennis, but he has the integrity not to divulge unflattering secrets and gossip. I respect him for that. Great book- my son is reading it now.



3. Very human account of the stresses of the men's tour.Filled with self deprecating humor,this is one of the best Tennis books I have read



4. BREAKPOINT is a journal of Vince Spadea's 2005 pro tennis season. It chronicles his ups and downs on the international tennis tour. He records his successes and failures on the circuit and his feelings about them as he falls from a Top 20 ranking to 77th .
   
   The book contains a few interesting tidbits about Courier, Agassi, Federer, Blake and other celebrities but many of those seem like payback digs. Mostly Spadea is self-involved with a comeback that fizzles at the age of 31 and a game that fails him at key points. Page after page laments his failures of direction, confidence, coaching, and results. After a while, the incessant self-doubt and whining becomes a bit tedious.
   
   It is hard to feel really sorry for a pro tennis player who has earned more than $4 million playing a game he enjoys and then complains about it for 279 pages.



5. I love tennis. I watch so much--especially when the Slams are on--that even I admit it can be excessive. So it was nearly inevitable that I would read this book. Some comments made by TV commentators/retired tennis players about this book made it sound like Spadea dishes dirt. He really doesn't. If anything in this is "dirt" then I don't understand the term. Although this book is not well-written by any stretch of the phrase it is entertaining--but mostly unintentionally so. His writing makes him seem like an anti-social, immature complainer. The funny part is that Spadea clearly *believes* that he is a fun, artistic, over-looked gem of a man. All that said the book has merit if only to demonstrate the way that the pro tennis tour consumes a person so wholly that they often don't get socialized the way everyone else does. Spadea seems stunted, has poor social skills, and has few interests outside of tennis. (I have seen these traits in other tennis pros.) The one obvious interest is his supposed "rapping". Even that is (mercifully) absent in the second half of the book. We learn that Spadea has an odd focus on James Blake, offers a weak denial to homosexuality with hints to the contrary in the 240 pages preceding it, and that he called his mother in during a match that he was losing. At age 30. The book documents a year on tour, and not a particularly successful one. So it's not an uplifting book about a compelling hero. But in trying to relate the difficulties of life on the pro tour Spadea--unbeknownst to him--also shows us that it can hold a person back in areas outside of tennis.

5 comments about Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything.

1. First, the book is easy to read, it is interesting, the author has a good humour. This is a good beginning for any newcomer to the world of NFL.
   
   The style is ok, there are some great stories of the players of Patriots, but the author handles the subject of the book as a person without any mistakes, someone on a par with Mother Theresa. Brady is a great player and a great man, but there are too many words on his greatness, his ability to play as a teammate.



2. I found this book to be very interesting and a must read for every No. 12 jersey wearing Patriots' fan! It tells about the rise of Tom Brady and how he came to become the legend that he is through his hard work and dedication. It went behind the scenes of just what he does on the playing field and went into his personal life which I thought was interesting. It's a must read for every Patriots fan. It goes quick and I'm sure it will be enjoyed.
   
   Gerard Zemek
   husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"



3. this book is not the typical football book in which details of football startegy are dissected and analyzed.Instead it deals with how Tom Brady developed as an QB thru high school,the trials and tribulations of his days at Michigan and finally his arrival to the NFL and his eventual taking over the reins of the Patriots and the rest is history.Its not an book I would recommend for anyone looking for pure football strategy its more of an comprehensive look at an young qbs development thru several different areas



4. As an aside, the other good book that talks
   a lot about Tom Brady is Charlie Wies fine
   book, "No Excuses". Brady simply is the best
   QB of his generation in the NFL and not a
   Media creation like P. Manning, who will
   never be fit to carry out Braids garbage!
   
   I rate Brady as the seventh best QB in Pro
   Football history right now, behind only:
   John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Phil
   Simms, Warren Moon and Johnny Unitas. Fol-
   lowed by; Doug Flutie, Russ Jackson, Otto
   Graham, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach
   and Bob Griese. Flutie, Moon and especially
   the Canadian Jackson did their best work
   in the equally good CFL, which predates
   the NFL by 11 years. Messy somewhat in
   the writing style of the co-author, but
   Brady in his own words is very good. Who
   wants to bet when the smoke clears that
   Brady will NOT be the best QB ever? I
   wouldn't! Probably two more Super Bowls
   coming his way in '09 and 2010!



5. One of the best sports writers ever, Charlie once again writes with precision and incredible depth using the spontaneous wit that earmarks his writng style. Whether you are a Patriots fan, a Brady wannabee, or a curious west-coaster, you will find this book difficult to put down. I bought copies for myself, my 89yo father-in-law, my 35 yo son, and my 11yo grandson...all were pleased with comments ranging from "a great sports biograpy' to "Yowzer awesome".
   In the pursuit for everything, Peirce wins.
   5 stars for sure

5 comments about Catcher In The Wry.

1. Hilarious, wild and wooly tales from the great Bob Uecker. This book was really funny and reads like standup comedy. "Sporting goods companies started paying me NOT to use their products."
   
   Uke's yarn-spinning machine is at full tilt; as he touches on the antics of teammates, managers, coaches, front office, broadcast partners, and most of all HIMSELF. Great stuff! Even the photo section is funny. This man needs to write more books.



2. Bob Uecker was not a great baseball player, but he is an entertaining man. Still doing play by play for his hometown Brewers, Uecker is still a recognizable member of the baseball landscape. He is recognizable for his sense of self-deprecating humor, not his baseball talent.
   
   From growing up in Milwaukee to breaking-in with his hometown team on the field than in the booth, Uecker collected some entertaining stories until this book's publication in 1983. The stories of the guy who makes it big are quite common. But this book is great not because Uecker became a great ball player, but because he adapted to the chances life gave him. His talent wasn't playing baseball, it was his wit and understanding of the game.
   
   Rather that recount each of the humorous stories Uecker told, I would encourage baseball fans to give this book a look. I only hope Uecker updates his book in the future with more entertaining tales.



3. Hilarious. Uecker the practical joker. Even non-baseball fanatics will enjoy this book. I don't think his on the field antics would be tolerated today. Granted, many of the actions by him and his teammates were over the top, but maybe we need a little more of that individuality in baseball today. (That does not include steroids. Hank Aaron was not a large man by any means.) Along with the spirit they had, with less emphasis on how many millions I need, maybe I would have a different outlook on what the game has become.



4. I recently heard Bob Uecker speak with Vin Scully in the booth during a ball game. He told his signing bonus story and I determined then and there to find out if he'd written a book and if so, to read it. I'm very glad I did. I don't think I've ever had so much fun just reading a book. Uecker talks about his life in baseball and broadcasting. Pictures are included. You don't want to read this book when you are alone. You are going to need another person close by to whom you can read passages aloud. A book for sharing.



5. From my childhood, I recall seeing Bob Uecker all time on those Miller Lite commercials. And I continue to quote his, "I must be in the front row..." to this day.
   Anyone who knows anything about Uke, knows he is a very humorous indvidual. He also had an interesting career as a back up catcher for the Braves, Phillies and Cards.
   This book details Uecker's years in the minors, majors and after baseball.
   His sense of humor is apparent throughout this one. There were many out loud laughs and chuckles in this book.
   If you love baseball and need a laugh, read Catcher in the Wry. Bob Uecker, the master of mediocrity, really shines in this one!

5 comments about Aikman: Mind, Body and Soul.

1. HEY HEY HEY HEY BUY THIS RIGHT NOW I HAVEN'T EVEN READ IT YET IT'S MY FAVORITE BOOK EVER AND IT'S THE BEST BOOK EVER AS WELL NOTHING CAN COMPARE TO BIG 8 HE'S THE BEST QUARTERBACK EVER AND IF YOU DENY IT IT'S JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE JEALOUS GO AIKMAN!



2. This book is what Troy Aikman is about he lets the reader into his personal life a little bit.You see the person Troy first than the football player. After you read this book you become a bigger fan of his than befor and if you were not a fan than you become one. The pictures are great as well as the text. I really enjoyed it and I know you will too. Must buy!



3. Great book that really tells the whole story. Although you can find most of this info. in other scattered places, it's all nicely put into this book. There are many INCREDIBLE photos of Troy, so if you're a fan, or just think he's gorgeous (or both), this is a great book.



4. Troy Aikman really draws the reader to him. His gracefully written book truely defines the Aikman as the true champion that he is. He is a man who overcame a lot of odds to reach the success he now has achieved. His story gives everyone reassurance that hardwork will bring success.



5. I really didn't find any new information that I hadn't read before about Troy. It lacked something of value and certainly not worth the money unless you are really a huge Troy Aikman fan. The book went immediatly in my garage sale and of course I had to continue marking down the price to get it bought. 2.00.

   Pictures were also boring and seemed to be written by a 10 year old.

No comments about Andre the Giant: A Legendary Life (WWE).

5 comments about Beyond the Lion's Den.

1. I'm very happy to see a fighter finally show us some mma moves.
   The contents are as follows;
   1)Striking-21 moves.
   2)Clinch work-17 moves.
   3)Leglocks and guard passes-13 moves.
   4)Top Control Submissions-27 moves.
   5)Guard Work-14 moves.
   Overall there are 100 techniques plus a biography of Shamrock's life.Sorry for not remembering exactly how the book is organized;but there is indeed 100 moves inside.
   My only two problems with this book is that;Shamrock doesn't show how to strike when down on the ground and doesn't cover escapes from the bottom of inferior positions at all.



2. The biography part is pretty interesting. He mostly talks about his pro wrestling days and after. In his first book, he focuses more on his life before pro wrestling. I liked the idea of a bio/instructional because it adds some credebility to his technique.
   
   The instructional part is good. He provides a lot of techiniques for several different situations. He goes through the techniques step by step in detail so the reader fully understands how to perform the techniques. His first book had some nutritional and exercise advice, however this book does not. Despite that, I would strongly recommend this book for Shamrock fans and people who are interested in training in MMA.



3. I have over 50 martial arts related books and this was a huge disappointment, i actually bought it and ended up returning it the following day. I liked his first book The Lion's Den, but just like Ken himself, this book hasnt evolved further.
   
   So many better MMA/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Muay Thai books are available.
   Please dont waste your time with this one.



4. Beyond the Lion's Den is an expanded update of Lion's Den, which was published over ten years ago. It's divided into two sections covering Shamrock's life story and a second longer section which is a guide to MMA techniques.
   
   The biography part makes Shamrock sound more like a superhero than a real human being but it's well written and entertaining. On the downside the only pictures are from two of his UFC matches (against Tito Ortiz and Kimo) which is a little strange considering the length of his career and the number of images which must be available. Also the photo on the cover is from his pumped-up WWF days which is a bit misleading considering the content of the book.
   
   The second half is a lot better. The problem with a lot of wrestling (or martial arts) books is that the photos are too small or grainy to see the techniques properly. Here there are lots of large, clear photos which show how to complete the manoeuvres really well.
   
   In short this book may not be worth the cover price if you've already got the old version or are a good standard MMA fighter. It works better as an introduction to the sport and it helps too if you're a Ken Sharock fan :)



5. I am so sorry to all whom I've upset and offended with my online blogs/rantings. This is my promise to produce heretofore no more politically oriented, morally offensive pieces of diatribe that I completly let myself get carried away with. All too often I let opinions and guesswork and self-interest overcome my actually mundane, sober personality. Please forgive me. That's all I can ask.....that's all I can ask. Good day.

5 comments about John Force: The Straight Story of Drag Racing's 300-MPH Superstar.

1. Fantastic easy to read book. Very interesting and inspiring to see how persistent John was, his success was a long time in the making.



2. This is truly a great book to have if you are a true John Force fan.



3. this was a gift for my brother-in-law...he enjoyed it tremedously...would recommend it to anyone who loves drag racing



4. Excellent book. A true "everyman story", someone who started out as a nobody and became one of the most famous auto racers in history, and never forgot his roots. His is probably the most down to earth famous person on the planet. A true inspiration to anyone who has ever had a
   dream. A true class act.



5. John Force has been my favorite professional driver for years. I was happy to see this book being packaged with Season I of Driving Force. Both the book and dvd were great. I'm hoping to see John win a couple more years before he decides to hand the reins over to Ashley and the rest of the Force Team. Ashley is going to live up to her family name and be another "Force" to be dealt with.