1 comments about In Search of Robert Millar: Unravelling the Mystery Surrounding Britain's Most Successful Tour De France Cyclist.

1. I found this book suprisingly interesting. I had only had vague recollections of Millar from his cycling days in the 80's and 90's. Racing along side LeMond and Hinault when the TDF first came on the radar of American cyclist. The book is very well written and had me hooked from beginning to end. It can even serve as a prelude to the drug invested Peleton we see now.

5 comments about Drawn to the Rhythm: A Passionate Life Reclaimed.

1. There are two distinct components to this book. The first, and the reason I bought it, is a very interesting and inspiring story about a woman who, in her 40s, transformed herself from a sedentary housewife to a world champion sculler. The second is a heart-felt, sincere yet self-indulgent story about a woman who after many years of marriage becomes dissatisfied with the lifestyle she, by her own admission, chose and decides to make some major changes.
   
   I describe the personal growth theme of the book as "self-indulgent" not out of disrespect for the author's personal struggle, which is heart-felt and compelling, but because the narrative seems to lack balance. Some reviewers portray the author's ex-husband as a chauvinist jerk, but as the story unfolds it appears his major failing seems to be that he was upset and confused by his wife's apparently sudden dissatisfaction with the way of life they had established together for many years. By the author's own admission, she was a partner in building the lifestyle she later abandoned, but in the telling of the story her complicity is downplayed while her husband's failure to embrace her change of heart is portrayed rather unsympathetically. That's understandable, but at the same time I can't help but feel the husband may not have been treated fairly, and because that story is such a significant part of the book, it diminished my overall appreciation and enjoyment of it.
   
   I would recommend the book, with the above caveat, because it is interesting and pretty well-written. However, prospective readers should understand what the book is about.



2. I loved this book. I thought it was very well-written and I admired the courage of the author to put her truth on the page. My only frustration in reading the book was wishing that she had removed herself from the abusive husband sooner.
   
   Unlike many memoirs where I come away disappointed that the author has lived a harrowing life and has very little insight into what got them there in the first place, Sara Hall has examined her part in the drama and has come away, in my opinion, both humble and wiser.



3. I borrowed a teammate's copy of this book and was disappointed. I would agree Ms. Hall has certain gifts as a writer and I'm sure journaling this was therapeutic for her, but I think I'd like to read her husband's account as well - like the old saying goes, it takes two to tango. Fortunately most gen x women finally understand that economic self-sufficiency & having one's own career is the way to go from the beginning (i.e., to avoid dependence on another).



4. I've read Sara Hall's book a couple of times. She's a fantastic writer.
   
   Some of the recent reviews are interesting. It's my impression that Ms. Hall downplayed her absusive husband and in fact treated him with not just kindness but with necessary kid gloves in her portrayal.
   
   Her book reminded me of other women I know who have been in non physically abusive marriages. The horror of her truly sociopathic husband is evident between the lines in her book. What actually took place in her marriage is likely far worse than the reader can imagine.
   
   Curiously enough after reading Hall's book the last two reviews seem as if they could have been written by a very angry, very disturbed ex-huband.
   
   I hope that Ms. Hall has moved on. Her book demonstrates that she has the pluck to do just that. Somehow I doubt very much that her ex-huband does



5. Many reviews led me to believe this book would be inspirational... but I just found myself thinking that Sara Hall was the most histrionic writer that I have read in years... her approach to her children was deplorable, her constant perseveration and use of unnecessary language made the book difficult to finish. HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED!!!

1 comments about Dale Earnhardt Jr..

1. I think this was a good book. I liked this book alot. The only bad thing was that some of the words are big and difficult to understand. If I had to do a project on Dale Earnhardt Jr. I would use this book a one of my major sources. I gave this book a four since the words were hard to find what they mean. If you like nascar and you dont like him this book will change how you feel about him. This book also tells how he got his "thing" for the sport of stock car racing. It also tells in the back of the book how much he got for each race which I thought it was very interesting. So if you are looking for a good information about dale earnhardt jr, or just want something interesting to read so you go out and buy this book. Trust me it is well worth the cost.
   Thomas Coiner
   If you have any additional question email me at
   
   surfguy1991@netscape.net

3 comments about The Great One : The Life and Times of Wayne Gretzky.

1. Wayne Gretzky obviously is the greatest Hockey
   player ever (and Mike Modano is the best we
   Amre-I-cans have produced, so far). Though
   this book is more show than tell, it still
   is a worthy tribute to Gretz. There are others
   better though.



2. I admire everything about Wayne Gretzky and everything he has done. But i also think Andrew did a poor job reflecting how much wayne gretzky has really accomplished. He is not just a great player , he is a great person. The book lacked certain detail and as the other reviewer said. It probably is only meant for a 3rd grade level =)



3. I bought this book for my 3rd grade son to write a paper with, and found myself completly engaged in it. For someone who didn't know much about "The Great One", I am now as big a fan as my son! Tells a lot about his younger years and doesn't just focus on the goals. AWESOME

1 comments about A Jockey's Life: The Biography of Lester Piggott.

1. Ok, I buy this book for my wife because she's read every other book by Dick Francis and only had a couple left to read. I didn't realize this was a biography.
   
   My wife thought it was interesting at first, but became bored less than half-way through.
   
   I imagine if you like horse racing, you'll find the story of this jockey's life interesting. But for my wife, who usually loves Mr. Francis's fictional books with murder and mystery, this was just too dull of a "real" life.

5 comments about Kobe: The Story of the NBA's Rising Young Star Kobe Bryant.

1. i don't care if you like this review or not, but kobe should realize now what he had w/ shaq: the best player in the game, and now that it's his team they are not even going to make the playoffs- and kobe cares too much what the media says about him- blaming everyone else and telling on shaq and his "hush money" and karl malone "harassing" his wife- shut up kobe and just play your selfish game



2. The book Kobe is one of my all time favorites. It talks about the life of Kobe Bryant. Kobe is my all time favorite basketball player along with Michael Jordan. I see a lot in Kobe like in mj. This book talks about the life of the young rising star Kobe Bryant and how he got to where he is now. It is a great book.



3. "The Story of the NBA's Rising Young Star Kobe Bryant" great for Lakers' fans. If you like basketball you will like this nonfiction book. Joseph Layden .I thought that the book was very easy to read and young children could read it by themselves. In my mind he is the best player ever. It the best book I ever read. I like the book, because I like to play basketball too.
   In the beginning of the book it talks about his father and mother how they met each other. The book talked a bit about his family and also where he attend at school. I like the book, because you can image in your mind what it is talking about, and you can learn a little bit of vocabulary.
   The setting of the book is in Philadelphia and also in Los Angeles. The author wrote the book very well, because it gives a lot of important information, it the best book I ever read. I like the book, because I like to play basketball too. I want to read more byJoseph Laden.
   I want to recommend to book to people that like the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant and who like to play basketball. The book makes you think that you could be a great basketball player like Kobe, if you keep on practicing. I would recommend this book to grade school and also high school students.



4. I chose the book, Kobe, because I love basketball, and I was interested in knowing more about the life of Kobe Bryant. I was surprised to learn about Kobe's upbringing and background because it was totally different than what I had expected.

   I liked this book because it tells all about Kobe Bryant's love for basketball, and his determination and drive to improve his skills. Kobe's basketball career begins when his family moves back to his hometown in America. The book also contains a lot of really cool pictures.

   Learn about how this young star athlete developed into an all star basketball player. Joe Layden does a terrific job in revealing what makes Kobe a superstar. I recommend this book to anyone interested in basketball. It is very inspirational!




5. I chose the book, Kobe, because I was interested in knowing more about the life of Kobe Bryant. I was surprised to learn about Kobe's upbringing and background because it was totally different than what I had expected.

   I liked this book because it tells all about Kobe Bryant's love for basketball, and his determination and drive to improve his skills. Kobe's basketball career begins when his family moves back to his hometown in America. The book also contains a lot of really cool pictures.

   Learn about how this young star athlete developed into an all star basketball player. Joe Layden does a terrific job in revealing what makes Kobe a superstar. I recommend this book to anyone interested in basketball. It is very inspirational!

4 comments about Fast Lane to Victory: The Story of Jenny Thompson (Anything You Can Do... New Sports Heroes for Girls).

1. Swimming is a sport that attracks so many girls, and this book can help them get a picture of what it means to be a champion. It is an easy read. It reaveals some of the things she struggled with in her life as she grew up. We used this book to write a biography report. The appendix has a list of highlights of Jenny's career, and a history of women's swimming. I also appreciate the "Sports Talk" section that is a spring board for discussing (1) dealing with disappointment, (2)body image, (3) competitive anxiety, (4) benefits of Sports participation for girls, and (5) other general questions about competing in sports.



2. This book is a great idea. Jenny Thompson is a great choice for an inspirational story for young athletes, but the book is sub-par. The artwork is embarrassingly bad, using crude line drawings. Important obstacles are mentioned without fully being explained as to how they impacted Thompson or how she overcame them. Jenny Thompson's is an inspiring story worthy of a better book



3. I love this book! It's a great story of how sports can shape your life in a positive way. Swimmers and non-swimmers alike will be inspired by Jenny's story. This great book is now available as an e-book for those of you who can't find a copy of the original printing. You can order here from amazon.com, the isbn is B0001GDOUQ.



4. Fast Lane To Victory is the third in Wish Publishing's outstanding "Anything You Can Do...New Sports Heroes For Girls" series and the story of swim champion Jenny Thompson. Swimming was what Jenny like best, but when her friends at school started to tease her and call her "tomboy" and "Too Tall Thompson", she felt the pressures placed on a lot of young girls to conform to social norms of what was "proper" for girls. Jenny dealt with the negative peer pressure and became so successful as an athlete that she came to be called the "Fastest Swimmer in the World". Also very highly recommended for school and community library collections are the first two volumes in this superbly presented and inspiring sports oriented series for girls: A Drive To Win: The Story Of Nancy Lieberman (40-8, ...) and Sword Of A Champion: The Story Of Sharon Monplaisir (39-4, ...).

2 comments about First Light on the Water.

1. very well told, success is not a strait line, but more of a forest, personal heartaches are part of that road,with faith courage and determination,success can be had but once there,a challege still awaits,I got alot out of this book,as a man of faith and a fisherman this book is one I enjoy over and over again



2. The authors, both avid fishermen from their youth, share their life stories, successes and failures along with the lessons they have learned through their many years of fishing.
   Their spiritual insight illuminated by their fishing adventures makes a person stop and contemplate their own situation in life.
   A great book for those who love to fish and even those who don't but struggle with the ups and downs and meaning of life.

5 comments about White Heat: The Extreme Skiing Life.

1. There are some readers who do not like the style it is written, replacing "him" with a stylistic "you" in some of the narrative. Although somewhat annoying, I do not think that is the main problem with the book. The main problem is it lacks focus. Is this a book where the author gives his personal account/experiences or a reference/who's who in skiing and snowboarding? It started out strong as I read about his stories as ski patrol and avalanche patrol but then it moves to ski racing and there are virtually no personal account on that. The same for ski jumping which has very little personal account and ditto for snowboarding, and freeriding. As a reader I'm left confused whether this is a reference book or more memoir/personal experience?!



2. I am a journalism professor who teaches writing and a non-skier who has both friends and colleagues who live skiing, which is something that I never truly understood until I read this book. To me, skiing always seemed a bit too dangerous, but I always enjoyed watching it and many of the rather heroic careers of skiing champions written about in this book were known to me - though not in the depth covered here. I flatly loved this book!!! It's exciting from the first page - and even I could feel my pulse starting to race and sense the love of this sport that dominates those who've made skiing an important - even central - part of their lives!!! If I were younger and a bit healthier than I am today, I'd have made skiing an important part of my life. The book is artfully written with exceptional prose to help the reader share the sensations felt by avid skiers. The author uses first, second and third person as appropriate, and emphasizes second person as both a form of direct address to the reader and to bring the reader into the narrative. A truly exceptional read that I'd recommend to all with a desire to know better the skiing life complete with it's subjective feeling as well as an objective history and description of technique. Simply superb!
   
   G. Davey, Ph. D.



3. This wonderful book addresses the lives and life surrounding the extreme aspects of skiing (avalanche controllers, racers, ski jumpers, snowboarders, mountain patrollers, and a sundry feast of other characters), and readers will find it an inspiring and lucid examination of just what drives people to such extremes, be it a love of speed or heights or jumping off helicopters. Wayne Johnson has delved deep into the hearts of those who aren't content to live out their lives in a prescribed, socially acceptable manner, and he's written a fine book honoring the idiosyncrasies of their lives. It is a thrilling account, and the narrative is written as daringly as the lives it examines. You don't have to love skiing to enjoy this book --it's entertaining as hell and you'll be hard pressed to find any writer out there with the massive talent Mr. Johnson brings to his subject. Odds are that when you get to the end of the book you'll do as I did: you'll go back to page one and start reading it again.
   
   Regarding an earlier review, in which the reviewer claims the book suffers from "enormous stylistic flaws," one has to wonder what planet he lives on (I laughed out loud at the absurdity of the statement). He has a problem with Johnson's use of second person narration, a perfectly valid and effective technique used by countless writers and essayist throughout history. I would direct the reviewer to the likes of Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Faulkner, Samuel Beckett, Gunter Grass, Italo Calvino,, Jay McInerney, Carlos Fuentes, John Updike, and many, many other gifted writers. One wonders if the reviewer would have been more pleased if the book had been written in an uptight, faux scientific manner, complete with footnotes and a good dose of pretentious Latin terminology. (Thankfully, author Wayne Johnson has spared us that scenario). In fact, by its tone and tenor (petty, plebeian), one wonders if this profoundly uptight reviewer was passed one too many times by Mr. Johnson on the ski hill.



4. The first reviewer is right the writting is not world class but the book is fun. It is good ski porn/mind candy. Not a classic. So keep that in mind.



5. This book suffers enormous stylistic flaws for which I cannot forgive the author. The author places the reader in the driver's seat, hence the entire book is written with the pronoun "you". This gives the book an annoying conversational feel. The reader is left to assume that the action is based in reality, but with this type of delivery, one is left wondering as to the authenticity of everything. I can only assume that the author intended to make the reader feel as if he/she is sitting at the bar with the story-teller, apres-ski, listening to a bunch of alcohol-induced BS. The author succeeds in this regard, to the detriment of his writing. In addition, about 1/4 of the sentences in the book are incomplete sentences, following on from the previous sentence, starting with a capitalized "And" or "Then", etc. This style of writing was nearly enough to make me toss the book in the fire in order to create some real "white heat". Now that I have finished it, "fire in the hole". Wayne Johnson has real potential but fails miserably with White Heat. It is clear that he has the ability to research his topics. He draws on broad personal experience and can deliver understated and amusing anecdotes with which he should, in principle, be able to capture the reader's attention. He instead gets too cute for his own good. Too bad that he went screwed it up with this bizarre style of writing, for the content falls flat as a result.

No comments about Ernestine Bayer: Mother of US Women's Rowing.