4 comments about Becoming Holyfield: A Fighter's Journey.

1. A few days I ago I purchased a copy of Evander Holyfield's book Becoming Holyfield. I have always respected Holyfield despite what many critics have said about him in regards to fighting too long, his personal life, etc. This book gave a great insight from the man himself about his life growing up, the struggles he faced, his faith in God as well as his missteps in faith, his Mike Tyson days and many other things. I found this book to be very entertaining. There were a couple of run on sentences and misspellings but I enjoyed the book. As I read the book Evander talked about his family life growing up and how his mother and grandmother expected him to behave. The way he was taught how to act in times of good and bad made a lot of sense because you have never seen Holyfield really get mad or act a fool. When Tyson bit his ear, he jumped around in pain, but he did not try to get revenge or engage in the wild activity. That shows a lot about his character because most of us would have tried something. I found inspiration in the book as he talked about his struggles growing up in the south, his misfortunes in the amateur ranks as well as the Olympics. As he described how he felt and reacted to certain situations then to see how his positive attitude ended up working out for the best, it gave me a new respect for Evander. Sure he has plenty of kids, but when you read the book you understand why. You also see how even though he was always training and fighting, how he made sure his kids were disciplined properly and taken care of too. Like with most fighters, they have their issues with people in their camp not being truthful. Evander spoke of these things and also spoke of his forgiveness too. For instance how he forgave Tyson and a few other people in his past. This is a good book that I recommend. This book comes from the true source of the man himself and takes you behind the scenes to some situations you think you know about. You also get to understand the reason for his comeback and see how despite his many flaws how God has worked on this man. If you like to read or just like Evander Holyfield, I suggest you purchase this book.



2. This was a very interesting book. I really enjoyed it. I think when we look back several years from now we will really appreciate Evander Holyfield more than ever. It is rare in boxing or any sport for that matter, to find a champion who carried himself with such class and determination. Evander Holyfield is one of a kind. I would recommend this book, especially for anyone who needs a great role model.



3. I have a recently become interested in boxing for fitness and found this memoir of Evander Holyfield to be a solid, interesting look into Evander's perspective on his life, instead of how his story has been told through the media. I admire how he can keep his cool in unfair situations, and takes his wins and losses gracefully. The story is well told and it held my attention throughout. A fantastic life adventure.



4. This book makes exceedingly clear the benefit of reading an "AUTHORIZED" biography. Having Evander being quoted real-time in first person, rather than simply having an author present an accumulation of public knowledge information garnered from newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets, presents the reader with an intimate, insightful, personalized, tour through Holyfield's extremely interesting life. With Evander as your guide, he has the unique ability to lead you through his life in the sequence he feels is best suited to sharing and explaining the nuances of both his professional and personal life. As befits the only "FOUR-TIME-HEAVYWEIGHT-CHAMPION-OF-THE-WORLD" Evander pulls absolutely no punches. Whether regaling in pride about his victorious knockouts, his unbridled love and respect for his Mother, his earnings which broke boxing records that still exist today, or his boxing losses, his business missteps, and his mistakes with women, that led to multiple marriages and engagements, and how he now has a total of eleven children that he loves dearly.
   
   Evander was born to a poor, black, single Mother and was one of nine children, one of whom died of pneumonia shortly after childbirth. One of the first major turning points in young Evander's life is when he was allowed to go to a Boys Club in Atlanta. Until that time Evander had dreamed of playing football for the Atlanta Falcons. Most of the adult volunteers at the Boys Club were white, and that became a lifelong influence as far as Evander being "color-blind", even though the notorious Don King called him an "Uncle Tom" years down the road. Evander met a white man there named Carter Morgan who not only taught him to box, but became the most influential person in his life other than his mother. From that point on the reader is taken through his amateur boxing career all the way to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Evander was robbed of his chance for an almost certain Gold-Medal in a decision that to this day is probably the most ridiculed insufferable decision in Olympic boxing history. After an official protest Holyfield was given a bronze medal, but he had never been beaten by a fighter, he was "robbed" by a Yugoslavian judge. While there was a near riot in the stands, Evander just stood there without expression, because that's the way his Mother raised him. After the Olympics Evander leads you step by step through his professional career and victories and championships, his losses, and his reclaiming the titles. And more important he tells you about the people that surround him outside the ring as well as inside it. He is "UNFLINCHING" in narration of his accomplishments and his mistakes. I'm sure of great interest to most potential readers are the famous fights Evander had with Mike Tyson and it's all here, including: exacting detail of the excruciating pain Evander felt when Tyson bit both his ears, with one of the bites resulting in the top portion of one of his ear's actually coming off. After the fight an employee found it on the ground and brought it to Holyfield's handlers in the locker room in a plastic bag. But you know what? Holyfield said a prayer in the locker room and immediately forgave Tyson!
   
   There is so much more in this all encompassing biography, including Evander signing for the rematch with Tyson and getting a package "of about $34 MILLION IN CASH PLUS $1 MILLION WORTH OF OTHER STUFF." Research was done that said "IT WAS THE LARGEST AMOUNT EVER PAID FOR A SINGLE PERFORMANCE OF ANYTHING IN ANY FIELD ANYWHERE ON EARTH!" Evander also tries to explain the mystery that is the WBA, WBC, AND IBF boxing organizations on multiple occasions, and due to the nature of the beast, it is still "clear as mud"! I also give Evander credit for openly responding to critics of his faith, including Lennox Lewis regarding Evander's having kids out of wedlock. As befitting a true champion, Holyfield takes punches as well as delivers them. An excellent performance!

5 comments about The Sword of No-Sword: Life of the Master Warrior Tesshu.

1. great book... its up there with hagakure, book of five rings ... i like it so much because it gave me a good example of what you can acomplish with budo his story was very clear and understandable at same time admirable and unbealiveable.



2. Other than the constant referances to buddism, this was a great book. I could not put it down for the first few chapters. This greatly inspired my kumdo(kendo) training & teaching. Every traditional martial artist should read this.



3. This is a very well written and entertaining account of Tesshu, one of the last samurai, a retainer in the Emperor's service who lived during the period of Japan's transition from feudalism to a modern, industrialized state. Tesshu was a man of great martial skills and equally great compassion who was always poor because he gave away most of his considerable stipend to support his poor and starving relatives, friends, and innumerable homeless (human as well as animals) that he took in and fed, often saving them from almost certain starvation. As a result, he often went without food one or two days a week, preferring to give it to those in even greater need. A devout Buddhist at a time when most Japanese had long since adopted Shinto, Tesshu was also an accomplished calligrapher and poet. Overall, a very readable account of a great man who remained loyal to the old ways and traditions even as they were crumbling around him.



4. I bought this book used at the recomendation of my sensei. Mine is a tattered copy and I treasure it. I was suspect about buying it initially because I'm not a great fan of John Stevens' work in general he's good but tends to be a bit diefying. But that was not the case with this book I've re-read it so many times that it is truely in tatters...so I am happy to see it has been re printed. I will buy I hope you do to.



5. This is not a detailed biogtaphy, nevertheless, the author gives you a good overview of Yamaoka Tesshu's life. Yamaoka lived during a time when Japan was moving toward industrialization, and we get a glimpse of key historical moments during the transition.
   There are numerous accounts that give insight to Yamaoka's mindset and character. Thus, no matter what art the individual reader may practice, Yamaoka's approach to training will reinforce the ideals of the serious-minded.

   Unlike other books where certain martial arts figures are ridiculously protrayed like gods, Steven's book has humorous stories and Tesshu comes across like a normal human being who achieved everything throigh his diligent search and practice.
   
   The book's strong point...it inspires hard training.

5 comments about Ric Flair: To Be the Man.

1. RIC FLAIR
   TO BE THE MAN
   
   I have read many books that deal with wrestling, most of which are auto bios but I have to say that this has got to be one of the most insightful, entertaining, and honest ones I have had the joy of reading. For those who don't know [why are you reading this] who Ric Flair is just go ask the first person you see with any wrestling shirt on. You will probably get a weird look followed by a back hand to the chest and a lively "WOOOOOOOOOOO". That's right that will be the answer, if you were expecting an answer like "he is a legendary wrestler" you would be very wrong. He is that of course but the fact you would have to ask is what would warrant the back hand. To those who do know this would be the perfect way to get to know the man in ways most would never be able to. Whether you love him or hate I don't know anybody who is a wrestling fan that doesn't respect him.
   
   In this book you will learn about the man who actually had to struggle with himself and with his own confidence, that's right that cocky, arrogant, smooth nature boy character was at times just that, a character. You will be very surprised by what points in his career he had these feelings, though you will defiantly understand the situations and why he felt that way. I mention this at the beginning of this review because it shows what type of man Ric is; he is a very openly honest man that is really actually more of an emotional humble man. And it is because he is such that this book is a must read, because no matter how it makes him look he is honest about every topic covered in the book. All things are covered from how he broke into the business to the dying days of WCW all the way to his recent WWE days; of course this came out way before he retired so it only goes so far.
   
   The first third of this book is all about Ric growing up and getting into the wrestling world, this like every other I have read really surprised me by being one of the most interesting parts of the book. I say it surprised me because like most people I really wanted to get right into the final couple years of WCW to find out about the juicy stuff behind the scenes. Once I opened the book though I felt a little bad about thinking that way because this is Ric Flair, I should have wanted his whole story not just apart of it for the controversy. It is in these early chapters that you find out a lot of stuff about famous early wrestlers that you would have never known. There is one part in particular that had me dropping my jaw, I won't ruin it for you and give it away but it is truly surprising. Also it is cool to learn about how he learned about wrestling, and what he went through to make it in wrestling. He wasn't great right off the bat, and really had to work at it. It seems weird to say that, because as long as I have watched him he has been one of the greatest. I mean come on he had to survive Verne Gagne, Wahoo McDaniel, Harley Race, and many more that he learned from, some of the best ever. He also talks about how wild his early days were, and even at times shows how sorry he is that he acted that way. His days doing these types of things as you will learn through out the book strained a lot of relationships he had, and he seems truly sorry about them. Of course his times in early companies including the NWA are covered in full detail, these chapters end up being some of the best [learn some things about Dusty Rhodes].
   
   The middle of the book is where most people will be spending their time, this is of course were the WCW days starting in the 80's comes in to play. It is here that we learn all about the four Horsemen and Ric's numerous and legendary title reigns. The various versions of the Horsemen are really talked about in detail, more so then the WWE produced DVD about the group. And of course some of the most interesting topics come in about Eric Bischoff, these two had a real behind the scenes hatred that was so heated at times it could have [and probably did] burn the company down. I don't want to give any away of it away because to do so would rob you of the shock you would feel when you read some of this. Other interesting things like Hogan and Randy Savage are talked about a great deal in this, starting with his first stint in the WWF [which also is a good portion of the book] into when all three were in WCW. With Savage Flair goes into detail about how despite the intense feuds the two shared in the ring he actually liked and respected Savage. But how Savage's own personal demons and fragile mind around certain people put him out with a lot of people. Of course Hogan is talked about and it was interesting to read how these two actually got along at one point, of course what happened later with the two only helps in my opinion of Hogan [can't stand him, especially after I read about one thing in particular]. The hits don't stop there, Shane Douglas, the NWO, and all the talent that WCW held down like Jericho, Malenko, Benoit, Guerrero and others. Along with those Ric tells all about his feelings about Vince Russo, you may be surprised by some of this. There are some really really interesting things that are discussed about Bret Hart, in fact the only thing that up sets me a little about this book is something said during this portion.
   
   The last third of the book is about how low Ric felt at this point in his career and how he had no confidence any more. The last days of WCW and all his legal problems are discussed and his thoughts and feelings on the final Nitro show is a real interesting read. Of course his reemergence in the WWE is discussed up to that point in his legendary career. His words during these pages are touching and kind of sad at times, a real emotional and interesting read. I can honestly say that this is one of the most open and honest reads of all time. I would recommend this to not only wrestling fans but to anybody that likes a truly interesting book. Buy this, you will not be disappointed.
   
   
   P.S. Arn Anderson is talked about at length as well, and the pages with comments from Flair's friends and such was a great addition to this book.



2. This book did a great job at keeping me glued to the pages. The stories were interesting, especially those about his time on the road, breaking into the business. However, it felt like a meal where there is too many potatoes and not enough meat. The stories were nice, but they felt furnishings or sides to something that didn't have a compelling arch. The arch, Ric's realization of how he impacted the latest generation of wrestlers, came across with bitterness and an uber-sense of self-importance.
   
   In the book, Flair is in a constant state of competition with his contemporaries and manages even those he compliments. In one of the most puzzling portions of the book, he says Bruno Sammartino drew lots of money for the WWWF but was never a top wrestler compared to a few pages earlier where he defined a top guy as someone who draws a lot of money. Flair's opinion on Hulk Hogan also varies depending on the chapter, but not with the natural flow of his life. There are many instances of these weird happenings within the pages of the novel.
   
   My final complaint is one that draws on voice. The book is very obviously ghost-written, which is very unfortunate, especially because this book comes from one of the best, most entertaining interviewees ever. The toughest parts to swallow are the instances in the book where Keith Elliot Greenberg, his ghost writer, overdoes the pro-wrestler aspect of the biography. It reads too much like an old WWF Magazine written in Kayfabe in parts where you really would like to know inside information about what happened in certain wrestling situations.
   
   Out of five, I would give this book Two Stars. I'd put it slightly above the Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper books but right behind Dynamite Kid's book, which, in turn is behind Foley's first two and the new Chris Jericho book. It wasn't disappointing at all, though. This is definitely a book recommended to smarter wrestling fans who know how things work but don't know all of the history that goes with it. Those who know quite a bit may find the book tedious and repetitive.



3. I finished reading this book in 2 days I couldn't put it down either. I didn't know that dusty was a booker back then. But I never understood why dusty didn't have the belt longer, I hated that Ric was always champion to me that didn't make sense when I was a kid and it still don't make sense now. The champ was suppose to be the good guy. Well anyway Ric is a legend and ranks No 1. amongst diehard wrestling fans over Hogan, Rock, and Stone Cold I guarantee it. I liked the book but was disspointed at its laziness of time events. IT skipped a lot of details and seemed to just summarize over peroids of his life. For example he never said how he met any of the horsemen, He didn't let us in on him and David talking about him becoming a wrestler. I will tell you the good points and the bad points.
   
   1. His Birth, childhood, and teenage yrs good
   
   2. His training to become a wrestler good
   
   3. His breaking into the wrestling business good
   
   4. His coming up in the ranks in wrestling and guys who were there good
   
   5. His affiliation with the Four horsmen Bad No details at all
   
   6. His affiliation with the popular baby faces and popular heels Bad no insight or detail especially through 84-88 guys like Nakita Koloff, Lugar, Sting, Rock n roll express, Magnum T.A.
   
   At that dissapointment everything else was ok....I do recommed it it's still good. He does talk about wrestlers who I didn't know he had an affiliation with with detail like Rowdy Piper, and others who I'm not that familiar with.
   
   Like I said the book has a sense of urgency like Ric was saying let's hurry up and finish this thing let's keep it kinda short, because if Ric told it all it would probably be around 500-600 pages.



4. One great roller-coster of an autobiography with the man himself "SLICK RIC". This book is great and really goes into details about Ric's life. BOTH personally and professionally.
   
   I must have read this book over 5 times cause thats good it is. Much better than Hogans book which reads like a childrens book compared to this.
   
   BUY IT ! YOU WONT REGRET IT !
   
   CAUSE TO KNOW THE MAN ......YOU GOTTA READ THE MAN .........WOOOOooooooooooooooooo !



5. I think reviews on this book will greatly vary depending on if the reader is going to compare it to other wrestling autobiographies or as a book about arguably the greatest performer in pro-wrestling. I reread this book with Ric Flair's imminent retirement coming up in mind. What we have here is Ric Flair (Richard Fleihr) relating his life in brief antecdotes and releasing some frustrations. This covers his life from birth to the formation of Evolution in 2004 (thus pre-road rage and Beth-divorce).
   
   His controversial birth was very surprising and claims to have not even known his birth name (Fred Philips) until he started writing this book. His high school life and brief college experience began him on his life of debauchery and partying. He breaks into wrestling by training under Verne Gange and spends most of his early career with Mid South Wrestling, later going to Georgia Championship Wrestling, NWA, WCW, and WWF/E. He hides little in how he overspent and did everything to live the 'Ric Flair lifestyle' that he's known for - expensive clothes, all-night partying, and womanizer. There are countless anecdotes about his fellow wrestlers and the things they did.
   
   Flair covers both fond and bitter memories. His respect for Ricky Steamboat and Sting abound. His rebuttal of Mick Foley is bitter and his personal friendship with Hulk Hogan dramatically changed once he helped get Hogan into WCW. He hides little in what he thinks of some of the other wrestlers (Bret Hart, Sid Viscious, pro & con of Dusty Rhodes, etc). His dispisal of Bischoff is great and takes up much of the latter part of the book. This treatment with Bischoff and the downfall of WCW affects Flair personally, causing him such great self doubt that he nearly quit the business and it took many years to regain his confidence to return to in-ring performing.
   
   If you're a Flair fan, you will love this book. Comparing it to other similar books, you'll think it's good enough. It's a bit sporadic in the flow because it seems as though he throws in anecdotes as he remembers them. It could have been better organized and there's still topics I wanted more on. I would love to see a Top 10 style list of his favorite matches, opponents, and worst big matches. There's areas I'd like to have seen more on but there's plenty left for Flair to do a follow up book on after he retires. Unfortunately, this is a WWE published book so the praise he lays on McMahon, Triple H, HBK, and a few others seems tainted but there is a lot of respect shown to guys like Steamboat, Piper, Arn Anderson, Sting, Dusty Rhodes, and Undertaker.
   
   Definitely worth reading and it's certainly among the better wrestling autobiographies out there. Lots of memories in this long career by feasibly the best in-ring worker & interviewer in the business.

2 comments about Wins, Losses, and Lessons CD: An Autobiography.

1. I bought this item for my son, a football coach, and he stated that it was the best presentation that he had ever heard. Although I had heard this previously from the person who had recommended it. Haven't listened myself, but will to assure that both are correct.



2. LOU HOLTZ IS THE GREATEST MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER OF ALL TIME. IT'S NO WONDER HE WAS SUCH A GREAT COACH.

5 comments about The Last Coach: A Life of Paul "Bear" Bryant.

1. "The Last Coach" is a newer and perhaps more comprehensive biography of the man simply known as "Bear". The book covers several aspects of Coach Bryant's life:
   
   1. Early life in Moro Bottom and Fordyce, Arkansas.
   2. Early interest in football as a way for him to escape the dirt-poor life he was raised in.
   3. College years at the Univesity of Alabama.
   4. Coaching jobs at Maryland, Kentucky, Alabama, and other places.
   5. Relationship with several players (Joe Namath, Ozzie Newsome, Pat Trammel, and others).
   6. Relationship with politicians, college presidents, Hollywood figures, and others.
   7. Later family life.
   8. Details of the long funeral procession and thousands of people who turned out to pay respect for Bryant.
   9. Different versions of how Bryant got the nickname "Bear".
   
   While Bryant's personal life did have some questions (drinking, supposed womanizing, etc.) there is no doubt that he was also one of college football's greatest coaches.
   
   Whatever you think of Bryant or the University of Alabama football, "The Last Coach" is an informative read. Recommended.



2. I've read many of the Bryant books and simply put, this is the best.
   
   If you are a fan of college football then you'd do well to read this book from a historical standpoint. For those who think they know college football, this book is illuminating with regards to the "national" game in the early days vs. now (2007) and how championships were determined largely by geographics and not by talent or strength of schedule.
   
   Excellent.



3. I have read quite a few books on Paul "Bear" Bryant (including his audobiography) so I wasn't sure if the information in this book would be facts I already knew or information I was not aware of. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Yes, there was all the well-known facts about his life, but to my surprise there was quite a bit of information that I was reading for the first time.
   
   The author has done an outstanding job of detailed research and brings a clear steady style to the book. It is without question the most comprehensive book on Coach Bryant's life that I have ever read.
   
   If you're an Alabama football fan, this is a must read.



4. The Bear was the last coach. Now it is a business. Anyone that loves college football, especially SEC football, should read this book. Barra has done a good job capturing the times of Paul "Bear" Bryant.



5. From the Junction boy days and even earlier. This book has it all. One of my favorites! Excellent reading!

5 comments about The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball (Dell Yearling Biography).

1. Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man In Baseball is a biography about how he became the first African-American to play in the MLB. It starts out in Jackie's childhood in Georgia. When he was a kid he was good at all different kinds of sports such as basketball and track. When he played sports he always picked the little kids who weren't as great as everyone else so he could help them improve. Every kid on the block wanted to play on his team.
   I think Margaret Davidson's message was you can do what ever you set your mind to. Meaning if you want to be the first woman in the MLB you can. You just have to be ready for what's in store for you just like Jackie.
   I liked this book a lot because baseball is my favorite hobby. I also like to read about some of my favorite baseball players. I loved this so much because I can relate to a lot of this book. And I got to learn all about the great Jackie Robinson.



2. The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball is about the struggles of one black man who made a big difference. Jackie Robinson was a great athlete in college but was not let into the Major Leagues because his skin was black. Robinson played on the Brooklyn Dodgers in the "Noble Experiment" which was meant Jackie being the first black on a white team. His team looked down on him because of the color of his skin. When the fans yelled slurs at him and other teams yelled at him it overwhelmed the Dodgers. They finally stood up for Robinson. I recommend this wonderful book, Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball because it has a lot of action and emotion.



3. The Story of Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man in Baseball is about the struggles of one black man who never gave up. Jackie Robinson was a great athlete in college but he couldn't play Major League baseball because of the color of his skin. When Jackie Robinson played on the Brooklyn Dodgers he was part of the "Noble Experiment" and his teammates were unfriendly. Also fans yelled slurs at Jackie. In 1947 Jackie Robinson won Rookie of the year and the admiration of the American people. I recommend this book because it tells how Jackie Robinson was a great athlete and a brave person.



4. The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball is about the struggles of one black man who never gave up. Jackie Robinson was a great athlete in college and wanted to go to the Major's but they wouldn't let him because he was black. The general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey took a chance on Jackie. Rickey said would let him play if he didn't fight back over racial slurs and attacks. This was known as the "Noble Experiment". Jackie's team looked down on him and fans harassed him because of the color of his skin. At last everybody realized Robinson was a great guy and that the color of a person's skin doesn't mater. In the end Jackie Robinson won the admiration of all American people. I think that you should read this book because it shows someone with great courage.



5. The Story of Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man in Baseball is about Robinson�s struggles in life and in baseball. Robinson was great at all sports but he couldn�t play in the Majors after college because he was black. Four years later in 1945 Jackie Robinson was the first black player to play in the Major League because of a man named Branch Rickey. This was known as the �Noble Experiment� and it did a lot of good all over the U.S. At first the Brooklyn Dodgers team was very angry that Robinson was playing with them and the fans had more hatred for the poor man. However, Robinson won the Rookie of the Year and also won lots of Americans admiration. If you enjoy baseball I think you would like this book because it shows the history of how blacks were finally accepted into the Major Leagues thanks to Jackie Robinson!

5 comments about Fear Strikes Out: The Jim Piersall Story.

1. Our heroes wear uniforms, not only of the home team, but seemingly a vest for the body blows life can deliver.
   
   And their demons are from the delights of stardom, not mental illness. Right?
   
   In this chronicle of the 1952 season with the Boston Red Sox, then a 22-year-old emerging star, Jim Piersall, and co-author Al Hirshberg tackle what remains a taboo issue in clubhouses and sports talk; mental illness - bipolar disorder - and the athlete.
   
   Originally published in 1955, it is a hard-hitting account of Piersall and his struggle while under the bright lights of Major League Baseball to confront his personal demons, many which had been building since childhood.
   
   But Piersall - once he fully understood that he needed help - did not face the struggle alone. Those close to him in his personal and professional endeavors demonstrated that the timeless tools of patience and understanding are crucial to a person's recovery.
   
   There is no stepping out of the batter's box in life, though it seems as if every pitch is coming in wild, high and tight. For Piersall to hit the demons out of that ballpark is an inspiring tale of victory in the biggest box score of all.



2. After my parents both were committed to a state hospital on two different occasions, I lived with the secret -- in shame. While in grade school, I was looking for a sports book to read and ran across Piersall's book. By publicly telling his story and frankly admitting he was mentally ill, Piersall helped me change my attitude and lose my shame. I realized mental illness is quite common and can be treated successfully.
   
   The book was a godsend to a child living with psychological trauma.



3. "Fear Strikes Out" tells the tale of Jimmy Piersall, who played for the Boston Red Sox in the early to late 1950s. He and Willy Mays of the Giants were the best defensive center fielders in pro baseball then and perhaps ever. "FSO" is more concerned with Jimmy's nervous breakdown in 1952 and his subsequent recovery. The real story should be his patient wife, without whom Piersall would have been at sea. The Catholic Church has canonized people for less! "FSO" skims along the edges of Jimmy's problems but to its' credit does not sweep them under a rug. The problems may be sanitized but not trivialized. In my opinion, the true meat of the book is its' 1950s American League backdrop, which I'm just barely old enough to remember. Red Sox fans should enjoy reading about Ted Lepcio, Lou Boudreau, Ellis Kinder, Joe Cronin and Billy Goodman. "FSO" has a limited scope and appeal. The 1950s sportsworld was lilly white and not given to tell all, dirt digging locker room scoops and the book reflects that era. Jimmy gets a free pass on some (not all) of his antics. Readers who accept those constraints should find "FSO" enjoyable and worthwhile. Anyone with a dad or uncle, etc who is a hardcore Red Sox fan has a great Christmas present to click unto.



4. "Fear Strikes Out" tells the tale of Jimmy Piersall, who played for the Boston Red Sox in the early to late 1950s. He and Willy Mays of the Giants were the best defensive center fielders in pro baseball then and perhaps ever. "FSO" is more concerned with Jimmy's nervous breakdown in 1952 and his subsequent recovery. The real story should be his patient wife, without whom Piersall would have been at sea. The Catholic Church has canonized people for less! "FSO" skims along the edges of Jimmy's problems but to its' credit does not sweep them under a rug. The problems may be sanitized but not trivialized. In my opinion, the true meat of the book is its' 1950s American League backdrop, which I'm just barely old enough to remember. Red Sox fans should enjoy reading about Ted Lepcio, Lou Boudreau, Ellis Kinder, Joe Cronin and Billy Goodman. "FSO" has a limited scope and appeal. The 1950s sportsworld was lilly white and not given to tell all, dirt digging locker room scoops and the book reflects that era. Jimmy gets a free pass on some (not all) of his antics. Readers who accept those constraints should find "FSO" enjoyable and worthwhile. Anyone with a dad or uncle, etc who is a hardcore Red Sox fan has a great Christmas present to click unto.



5. This short biography of talented centerfielder Jim Piersall of the Red Sox has long been well-received for it's frank portrayal of mental illness and the difficult road to recovery. Unfortunately, the book is ultimately disappointing because it goes only to the brink of discovery; we never fully understand the real cause of the illness or have explained to us what the treatment was like.

   The book begins with Piersall's fascinating life story including his difficult family life and we see the strains of his illness develop from his earliest memories. Piersall proves to be a very real person and his humanity is quite believable as he accomplishes many things under the heavy burden of his illness. However, about the time Piersall suffers his blackout, the book blacks out as well and we only learn about his descent into madness as he thumbs through photo albums with his longsuffering wife. He only mentions in passing that he received shock therapy, but we never learn why or for how long or whether there were other treatments involved. The book has a gloriously happy ending with Piersall fully recovered and on his way to Spring Training for next season. I think the reason for this is that the book may have been written as a sort of apology or explanation to the general public about Piersall and his antics on and off the field; it also may have been considered poor taste in the 1950s to have been more descriptive than that.

   Overall, this book is great for biographical information on Piersall and as an inspirational story of triumph over adversity, but may leave you hungry for more detail.

5 comments about Fairway to Hell: Around the World in 18 Holes.

1. There is really nothing I can say about Fairway To Hell that hasn't already been said. The constant stream of startlingly original and side-splittingly funny similes and metaphors and sarcasms, the dizzying complexity of the chapters, the characters that you'd swear have been stolen from your own circle of acquaintances... three perfectly formed pearls of masterful comic writing. Aaaaaahhhhh.....



2. Mr. Lidz is as superbly nonsensical as ever. He will continue to release future generations from captivity that may be more annoying than our own. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in.



3. This book contains a very nice balance of the real spirit of golf and the fun side of golf. Some of the chapters are questionable but others are touching and funny at the same time. The author has found the right people to show how deep this game can go into the human condition. But unlike other books that try to do the same, this one avoids taking itself too seriously. Most books of this type just plain fail. This one does not and deserves attention. Seriously, a mini-golf marathon in Myrtle Beach, sign me up.



4. There's a moment in every golfer's life that we remember forever. It belongs to that period after a perfect swing, when the sweet spot of the driver has met the ball with a thick, solid click. The ball screams off the tee on a low, rising climb, and just in the last quarter of its flight when you think it might start falling, the spin you've put on it bites into the air and the ball lifts, climbing more steeply and slowly in a last flare of energy. And then you get the moment, when the flight of the ball connects with the feeling of the strike and the two have travelled up the club, through your arms and shoulders and into your heart. I got much the same feeling after finishing this funny, funny book.



5. Lidz is a true satirist with an eye for the ridiculous, the bogus and the vain. He is deeply skeptical about many things and his humor can be savagely cutting, but I do not think it is ever cruel. He is hard but fair. It is encouraging to find that he has lost none of the wickedly sharp powers of observation that have distinguished his work in the New York Times.

5 comments about All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe.

1. Bill Crawford has written a fairly thorough and detailed account of Jim Thorpe, without a doubt the greatest athlete of the 20th Century. Mr. Crawford, however, fell short when relating, on pages 231-232, Thorpe's passing and eventual burial. At his death he was brought back to Shawnee, Oklahoma, by his family. He was NOT BURIED, as Mr. Crawford states, but his body lay in the mausoleum at Fairview Cemetery. Many local people visited the site in respect, myself included. During the months his body rested there several prominent citizens began work on a project to build a permanent monument for him. Designs for a burial place and a museum were developed and funds began to be raised. Preliminary plans were to put it between the football and baseball field on the west side of town. However, before the total could be raised and the plans finalized Thorpe's body disappeared, literally, in the middle of the night - much to the surprise of his family and to Shawnee citizens. It was a terrible disappointment. In 1949, on one of his trips back to Oklahoma, he had stated that he was born May 28, 1888 "near and south of Bellemont - Pottawatomie County - along the banks of North Fork River . . hope this will clear up the inquiries as to my birthplace", signed Jim Thorpe. (Bellemont was on the county line between Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties, 8 miles off Hwy 18 - Shawnee is the county seat of Pottawatomie County and about 11 miles from the site). Thus, Shawnee citizens were very proud to be known as the home of the greatest athlete of all time. When the town didn't get to be the resting place of Thorpe's body it was decided to name the football stadium in his honor anyway, and it's known as Jim Thorpe Stadium to this day. It was surprising to read in Mr. Crawford's book that "Shawnee refused to erect a memorial for her husband". It just wasn't so and a little further research on his part, maybe perusing copies of the Shawnee News-Star in the local library. Also, just a few years ago (haven't been out there in a while), there was a marker on the vault at Fairview describing that was where Jim Thorpe's body had lain.



2. This book provides the most detailed history yet of America's greatest athlete. In an era where athletes could not enhance their performance with drugs, Jim Thorpe was clearly, naturally the best. Bill Crawford's detailed account of Thorpe's life leaves no doubt in my mind. I am amazed by the amount of information Crawford provides on Thorpe as well as other athletes of the time. The history he provides of Carlisle and the Indian school system in general illustrates how poorly the BIA and the US government treated Indians. "All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe" should be required reading for all BIA officials as well as strongly recommended reading for others in government. Certainly student athletes and athletic officials would enjoy and learn from it.



3. All American: The Rise And Fall Of Jim Thorpe is the biography of one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century - who was also at the center of one of the greatest scandals. Jim Thorpe was a grand football running back, a proud Native American, a college player who led his Carlisle Indian Industrial School team to victory, and the winner of gold medals for the decathlon and the pentathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games. Yet a scandal ensued over whether he was truly worthy of "amateur" sports status, whether playing in certain professional ball games required that he be stripped of his titles. The scandal dragged his reputation through the mud and left a black mark on his life, even though he would go on to play professional baseball and become president of what would one day be the National Football League. All American is the candid portrayal of a courageous and dedicated athlete, and one who was essentially used as a guinea pig to determine the rules - who is an amateur, and who is a pro, and what amateurs and pros are allowed to do or not do. Enjoyable in its own right, All American is a welcome addition to prominent Native American biography collections, and highly recommended for American sports history shelves.



4. Bill Crawford's "All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe" is a well crafted, insightful and poignant portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest athletes. That alone would be sufficient to give it all-star status among the scores of sports books published in recent years. "All American," however, is far more than that because paints a unique and compelling picture of "amateur" intercollegiate athletics in its infancy and thereby helps us to understand behemoth that it has become today.
   
   Jim Thorpe's story has been told in other biographies as well as in a grade B movie. Crawford's contribution is its investigation of the complex relationship between Thorpe and his legendary coach, Glenn "Pop" Warner - the same Pop Warner who is the namesake of the youth football leagues that are supposed to instill in young men the spirit and ideals of honest and fair competition. Yet, as early as the first decade of the century, Warner, the football coach at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, was earning more than his school's president, was recruiting "student athletes" who were far more athlete than student and was disbursing under the table cash. Although Warner won the trust and loyalty of Thorpe, he ultimately betrayed him by denying that he knew that he had played semi-pro baseball for petty cash. As a consequence, the Amateur Athletic Union and the American Olympic Committee ruled that Thorpe had compromised his amateur status and stripped him of his 1912 Olympic medals. In fact, Crawford makes clear, Warner not only was aware of what Thorpe had been doing in football's off-season, he most likely made the arrangements.
   
   "All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe" should be required reading for anyone wishing to gain a perspective on the sports scandals du jour. It's an important book and a great compliment to the daily sports section.



5. As the youngest son of Jim Thorpe, I want to thank Bill Crawford for finally bringing out the truth in writing as to what happened to our father. For years our family and others have tried to clear his name. Much still needs to be done. Although his Gold Medals from the 1912 Olympics have been returned, dad is only named co-winner. His trophys from the games are still held by the IOC.
   
   Mr. Crawford writes a wonderfull book. But,there is still a lack of understanding of the Indian culture,and what took place in the Indian School System during the early years of the last century, the Indian were not citizens of the United States and held on legal status. Dad did what he was told to do and suffered for his lack of knowledge and having no legal support.
   
   As a family, we still want his name fully cleared and his full honors returned. Then the day would come when he can be put to rest.

5 comments about Never Stop Pushing: My Life from a Wyoming Farm to the Olympic Medals Stand.

1. This book was great, it showed anyone who read this book that if you put your mind to it, and work hard you can do any that you set your mind to. This book taught me to never give up on any of the challenges that lie ahead of me. I was also able to connect to this book with the wrestling standpoint, i wrestle Freestyle which is different then Greco-Roman, but its another Olympic style of wrestling. Rulon Garnder is my favorite athlete, not because he won the Olympic Gold, but because he work harder then anyone else who made it to the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, with injury and everything, he never gave up on anything he did. When he was stranded in the woods of Wyoming, the "middle of nowhere" as he said, he never gave up, waited patiently for someone to rescuse him.
   
   This was the best book i have ever read, not just because of the wrestling, but because of the lessons it teaches the reader.



2. "Never Stop Pushing" is the autobiography of Rulon Gardner, who staged one of the biggest-ever upsets in Olympic history by defeating the long-standing Russian world champion Alexander Karelin in the 2000 Sydney Games Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestling final.
   
   Gardner's story shocked and surprised me since his gold-medal achievement makes up only part of the book. Instead, as Gardner himself states, the most remarkable time of his life was, ironically, his near-fatal accident whilst snow-mobiling near his Wyoming home. The moment-by-moment depiction of his struggle to survive a freezing cold night while waiting to be rescued forms the centerpiece of the narrative. The description of his ordeal is interspersed with details of his wrestling career and is recounted in full later on in the book.
   
   Gardner also describes his childhood, which is something quite apart from the normal experience of most modern-day Americans. Brought up as the youngest of a large Mormon farming family, he spent long periods alone laying irrigation pipes and milking cows and lived quite an isolated life. At school he looked forward to meeting kids his own age but instead his learning disability set him apart and he made few friends.
   
   His struggles to go to college and get a degree, like his brothers and sisters, form another substantial part of the book. You end up rooting for him to succeed.
   
   Rulon comes across as an immensely likeable, soft-hearted guy. A few of his experiences struck a chord with me and I shuddered slightly as I recognised myself a little in the text. I particularly enjoyed his honesty - he describes crying on the way to an out-of-state wrestling meet after his coach tells him off for being late. I can't imagine many celebrities being that truthful.
   
   NSP is by turns sad, joyful, entertaining and exciting. You get to learn about the politics of sport and how hard it can be for minority sports athletes to pursue their dreams. I would have liked a little more detail at times, for example, Gardner tells us he has bought a house in Colorado and you think, When? Why? but overall this is a remarkably well structured and pacy autobiography.
   
   As an afterthought, I'm reminded of something Vince Lombardi said,
   
   "It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever - the one who recognises the challenges and does something about it."
   
   I guess you could say that this book shows that Rulon Gardner is a supreme "doer" and a true champion of sport.



3. This is a great book for all people, especially those who haven't had everything in life given to them on a silver platter. This book, with its uplifting and motivational stories from Rulon's life, inspires the reader to find the positive in life, and work hard to acheive your goals-no matter how difficult. Although this book is written in the framework of olympic wrestling, it's universal themes will appeal to any reader.



4. This is a must read for the wrestling fan. If his story wasn't real it would be almost as if it was written for TV. It is very informing for people who already know Rulon, and for those who don't you get to hear the real story behind Americas greatest Greco Roman wrestler ever. It is a great book to give young athletes to show them anything is possible.



5. The book arrived on shelves 10 or 12 days ago to little or no fanfare, and mores the pity. It is an inspiring story of an improbable hero and the many, MANY tests and challenges he has faced both on and off the wrestling mat. It is also the story of an unassuming, everyday kinda guy who faced adversity in many forms and always came out on top because of his belief in the idea that you never stop trying until you win. For any self-respecting wrestler or wrestling fan, this is a must-have. For the rest of the world, well, the writing style and prose pose no particular threat to Messer Hemingway or Faulkner's standing in the literary world, but that's part of what makes it such a fun and interesting read. It is a great story and great read. Go buy it. A few more Rulon Gardner's and the world would be a much better place.