5 comments about Landing It: My Life On and Off the Ice.

1. You might think that Scott Hamilton led a charmed life in the world of ice skating. Not so, he had many setbacks; but his determination to show the world that he is somebody and his talent (plus hard work) let him enjoy comebacks and show his mettle. Overcoming many personal obstacles, he proved that no one could surpass him on the ice.
   
   He was grateful to his adopted family and was able to provide vacations in Hawaii and fishing in Alaska. Always on the road as his continued search for excellence kept him striving to improve his skills, using Denver as his home base, he was actually a 'Star on Ice,' an Olympic champion, and a friend to his competitors.
   
   A few years ago, he put on a spectacular show (out on video) with his skater friends, along with my favorite singer providing the music. Not Buble, the other Michael! After the 1994 Olympics, I had become sated with too much t.v. coverage of figure skating but a dear friend, Eva Ezell, loved Scott and all the elaborate outfits the girl skaters came up with. Scott was honest in his presentations with no deceit; he was authentic. He was true blue and God saved him from an illness few would have endured. Some of us can rise above the pain. It takes a special person, and he truly is one.



2. I loved reading this book. I am a big ice-skating fan and have watched it since I was a kid.
   The book starts off in chapter one talking about his cancer discovery already. You start to get a feel for who he is based on the way he handled the news of his illness etc. Then he talks about his childhood and the sacrifices his mom made to drive him for miles to get to competitions. He goes on to talk about his actuall career (and this is the reason for losing a star - because he talks too much about his routines and the types of jumps and the scores. Enough already, just let us learn about him). He even includes a chapter about Sergei Grinkov (one of my other favourite skaters who died tragically and unexpectedly on the ice) which is nice and moving.
   Scott has a real upbeat personality and a very positive attitude which will take him a long way. He is a great guy and a brilliant skater and I enjoyed reading about him and his career (just not all the endless jumps). I recommend this to all skating fans and cancer patients looking for a bit of inspiration. It's really good.



3. I found myself reading the previous reviews, and agreeing with all of them. Even the negative ones. At the same time, I enjoyed this book. Maybe because he speaks so candidly and with such sincere affection for many of my favorites (especially Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov).
   
   He does "dish" dirt at times, in a way that made me cringe. If I were, for example, Dorothy Hamill, I would not be happy with this book. That said, he crosses that line in only a couple of cases. I have no problem with him sharing stories of other people's bad behavior in a professional or a public setting. It is only the truly private unflattering incidents (in hotel rooms, for example) that I think should have been kept to himself - especially as they were not incidents that needed to be told as part of the story. Skaters are only professionals when they are working. Their private behavior in their private lives is not our business unless THEY choose to share it. Scott DID cross that line, but only a very few times, IMO. I got the sense once or twice that Scott was trying to apologize for his own behavior, but in the process, he ended up revealing too much detail about someone else's private life (which was unfair to them).
   
   That said, by and large, this is a highly enjoyable book with interesting anticdotes. It is certainly honest and Scott obviously made no effort to whitewash his own behavior. I respect that. I wouldn't want a young kid reading it, but it's not written for young kids. I thought it was clear enough that the bad behavior didn't really work for him in the end, and I don't think that sends the wrong message. "Yes, I did this, and it was really stupid" is an honest and positive way to deal with questionable behavior, and that is, for the most part, what Scott does.
   
   For a skating fan, particularly a fan of Stars on Ice or of Scott, this will be a highly enjoyable book. If you can't stand Scott as a performer, think about skipping it. As a biography, it is also interesting and very personally revealing. But, if you aren't big on biographies as a genre and you aren't a big skating fan or a big Scott fan, then this book isn't for you (and I'm not sure why anyone in that boat would ever think that it was! LOL!)
   
   There are times that it reads a bit like a gossip rag, which is why I didn't give it five stars. But, it is a very enjoyable and entertaining book that gives you an eye-opening and not always flattering look at the world of skating as Scott experienced it. It is also as honest an autobiography (including the unflattering sides of the subject) as I've ever read. A fact that I, personally, appreciate. Too often we put stars up on pedestals, and I enjoy anything they are willing to do to force us to see them as human beings.
   
   The message really is that you don't have to be superman to achieve great things. And you don't have to be a saint to overcome hardships and achieve greatness. And even the best in the world face seemingly insurmountable problems from time to time. Those are all positive messages from a man who is often refered to as the "God of Figure Skating".



4. Excellent Book for any fans of Scott's a well writen story about his life. Few pictures of himself and friends and family. Recommed to any one that likes to read. Ages around 12 and up.



5. This book tells the story of a man who showed the world that anything can be done with faith. I had a hard time putting this book down. I highly recommed this book for anyone.

5 comments about Jim Otto: The PAIN OF GLORY.

1. I would rekemand this book to ennyone who loves football. Esspeshly the raiders. I love al davis and Jim otto and this book tells a tale of both. Kudos to the author. Wow!



2. Reviewer: Bisoneyes from Redditch, Worcestershire United Kingdom
   Jim Otto. The Pain of Glory is a book that covers Otto's life to date, but pays particular attention to the early years of the storied NFL club the Oakland Raiders.

   Beginning with his poor childhood in rural Wisconsin, the book tracks Otto's progression to college, and on to the NFL. It outlines Otto's determination to succeed when all about him were telling him he was too small to play college football at the centre position, let alone go on to the Pro game.

   Once at the Raiders the book highlights the painful beginnings for the club, and the struggles Otto overcame to become an All Pro centre. Otto's obvious love for the club and for its owner Al Davis shine through the pages. Along with this Otto highlights the key players with whom he played football with and tells some great stories about the likes of Ben Davidson, Kenny Stabler and other Raider greats.

   He speaks out in the book against the modern NFL and the attitude of the player and their agents. He rages against the inclusion of players he consider unworthy of selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but whose busts stand side by side with his. Finally he lambasts the NFL who called him a liar.

   Most movingly though Otto speaks of the 'Pain of Glory'. About the untold operations he has had on his once primed body, which is now giving up on him as he pays for the success he enjoyed in ways he probably never thought of. This section is an emotional, insightful and tragic commentary on professional football.

   In summary 'The Pain of Glory' is a superb reflection on an exemplorary career. Its a must read for all Raiders fans, and those interested in the NFL.




3. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT ONE OF THE TOUGHEST PLAYERS OF ALL TIME. JIM OTTO WAS TRULY A MAN DEDICATED TO HIS PASSION. HE PLAYED THRU SO MANY INJURIES THAT WOULD HAVE KILLED MANY CAREERS. HIS DESCRIPTION OF HIS MANY KNEE INJURIES HAD ME WINCING AND MY KNEES WERE HURTING JUST READING ABOUT THE PAIN HE ENDURED THRU OUT HIS CAREER. AN AMAZING MAN WITH SUCH A TOLERANCE FOR PAIN. HIS RETELLING OF EARLY RAIDER DAYS WAS VERY NOSTALGIC. I ENJOYED HIS COMMENTS ABOUT LYNN SWANN AND VARIOUS OTHER FORMER PLAYERS AND OWNERS. A MUST READ FOR ALL RAIDER FANS AND FOR FANS WHO LIKED PLAYERS WHO WERE AS TOUGH AS NAILS.



4. Jim Otto's injuries have left him a pitiful cripple, in constant pain, who can't do even the simplest physical tasks that normal people take for granted. He will probably die soon from their aftereffects, in fact should have died from them several times already. We know this because he says so, while matter-of-factly stating that, if he had it to do over again, he would do things exactly the same?! I don't get it, and even if I did get it I wouldn't approve of it--if there is anything worth putting yourself through this kind of hell for, it is surely not the fleeting "glory" of the football field. In spite of, or maybe because of, all this, the book is endlessly readable and interesting--his hardcore masochism holds the same kind of strange fascination that makes people watch car wrecks (and football games, I suppose). It helps that Otto comes across as very likable, even admirable in his way--honest, conscientious, and of course dependable. Even if at times he seems to be rather, um, stupid.



5. A very straight forward book by Jim Otto. There is a price when one wants to achieve or aspire to achieve glory on the gridiron. Jim Otto is that person and he candidly tells us what he was willing to sacrifice to reach that plateau. For the Raider fan at heart, or a football fan in general, this is the book to read.

5 comments about Ron Santo: For the Love of Ivy.

1. This is an awesome book written by a inspiring baseball legend. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates Cub baseball history and/or admires the courage of Ron Santo.



2. The greatest third baseman ever to play the game and the fact that a trousersnake like Joe Morgan is helping to keep him out of the HOF is a crying shame. Ron Santo is what courage is all about and an inspiration to anyone on this big colored ball we call earth. I first became a fan of Ronnie's in 1998 because I would listen to all of the Cubs games on the radio with him and VPatrick Hughes. I had a job selling tickets at this and didn't have a tele to watch Chip and Stone on the TV. Anyway Santo is the best. The Cubs should have retired his number long ago. Long live Ron Santo and the Cubs...two winners!
   
   Origianlly posted 5/4/04
   
   CC



3. Ron Santo has better numbers than most of the third basemen in the Hall of Fame. Anything but a minor star, this quiet, self-effacing hero had the misfortune never to play for a champion (he's most closely identified with the 1969 Cubs, often called "the greatest team never to win a pennant). As a result, he's never gotten the recognition he deserves- including election to the Hall, despite outclassing several of the third basemen there.

   Santo accomplished his feats despite an ongoing battle with diabetes which eventually cost him both legs. He's most appreciated, to be sure, in Chicago, where the Cubs at long last retired his number this year. His story is an inspiration to all of us who labor under the burden of far lesser disadvantages and accomplish far less. This is the autobiography of a true hero. To read it is to be inspired.




4. I love Ron Santo...and although I have a phobia of ballplayer autobiographies, I figured out of respect for the man, and because I thought maybe, just maybe, this one would break the mold of politically correct, sacchrine-sweet memiors typically put out there from the jock-ocracy. I have more respect for him than ever, especially when he chronicles his struggles with diabetes, and the self-diagnosis he must go through every day to monitor his health. This is a must read for Cubs fans, and for people who need another story of a courageous battle against diabetes. Most other target audiences will probably choose to pass on this.



5. Excellent autobiography for baseball fans in general and Chicago Cubs fans in particular. Ron Santo was signed by the Cubs in 1958 at the age of 18. Prior to reporting to the Cubs, he learned he had diabetes.

   This book tells of playing with baseball greats such as Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ferguson Jenkins, and Leo Durocher. And the 1969 Chicago Cubs.

   The book is also inspirational in Santo's perseverance against diabetes and the potential devastating effects of the disease at that time. Santo tested himself and put himself to the limits to control his diabetes.

   The book is a very good read and should appeal to any baseball fan. Also, good read for younger players, high school and up, as Santo played the game to its fullest with class, and continues to approach other aspects of life the same.

5 comments about Wrecking Crew: The Really Bad News Griffith Park Pirates.

1. Great book - read this book. Funny stories about junkies and a few bits about playing baseball as well.



2. I'm a picky reader and I normally don't dish out five stars for delightment. Well, here's my two cents:
   
   I never liked baseball that much. Now a book about baseball would frighten me away. I've never been interested in reading about people involved with drugs, cross-dressers, call-girl romances, alcoholics, and even crazy sexual exploits.
   
   I learned about the book through a friend and thought to myself, "oh what the heck. If I hate it after the first three chapters, I'll sell the book."
   
   I read the first page, then the second and for some reason, I found myself on the fourth chapter. After that, I couldn't put the book down. It has practically everything that I mentioned above (drugs, sex, cross-dressing etc) and with a dollop of baseball. Perhaps the fact that it is a memoir that makes it all the more of a page-turner. I kept thinking to myself, "wow, this is an entirely other world with people trying to survive Hollywood." And throughout the book, I sympathize for all the characters (well, they're real-life people). Also, Mr. Albert gives the truth about "Hollywood's Wasteland": people who dream of making it big but fall short. Baseball becomes their road to recovery.
   
   Because Mr. Albert was able to hold my attention for all those pages, I must give him five stars. (btw, I'm keeping the book!)



3. I read this book a few weeks ago and have been pondering how to phrase my review ever since. At first, I wanted to say simply that I couldn't put the book down. I read it in a 24-hour period, losing sleep in order to get to the end. How often has that happened in my life? First time was with Witch of Blackbird Pond when I was 10. Then Outsiders at 12. And Exorcist at 14. But as an adult? I think the last time was Ironweed.
   
   The writing is that good. The story that engrossing.
   
   But there's more to it. I've been a baseball fan forever. And one of my most memorable dates was in New York, watching the sun setting over the stadium, wrapped in a boyfriend's arms and sneaking sips of beer from his plastic cup. It was romance in motion, set at the ballgame.
   
   This book is nothing like that.
   
   Flash forward to same boyfriend in L.A. We'd both moved to Los Angeles within months of each other, and were inseparable. Until he took me to a Dodger game and explained that he still wanted to see me, but now that he was trying to be an actor, he wanted to be available to f*ck some starlets, too. Same game. Same man. Different coast. Different setting.
   
   This book is much more like that.
   
   I'm giving it to my friends this year on their birthdays. I'm reading it over again when the images start to fade. And I'm writing gushing fan letters to John Albert to tell him that he pulled me in from start to finish.



4. A good one here. The writing is good, the story is catchy and the characters are OK. It may be the jock in me but i actually wish there was more baseball in the story. But anyone 30+ who lived or still lives in the punk hardcore world should appreciate it.
   
   More than anything else, i got a real sense of Southern California life from this book. It captured the true nature and setting of the place better than anything else i have ever read. God, i hate California, and this shows me why. Cool tidbits on how life as a youth has changed from then to now as well.



5. Great story about junkies/go-no-wheres uniting to create a sanctuary of sanity through baseball. Great snapshots of meandering lives and decisions gone awry. Some name dropping from the punk/metal/rock scene that could make it worth any Jane's Addiction fan's time worth while. Couldn't stop reading. Ripped right through it.

5 comments about The Iron Circle: The True Life Story of Dominiquie Vandenberg.

1. When I started reading this book, I liked it. That I admit. But as I read more, and as I found contradictions and impossibilities, my initial view of this work turned from enjoyment to disappointment to downright skepticism and anger.
   
   This book contains a lot of adventure, mayhem and martial arts, all right. And therein lies the problem: This book has too much of these things to be believable. Perhaps instead of being titled "The Iron Circle: The True Life Story of Dominiquie Vandenberg", the book should be titled "The Obtuse Square: The Life Story of Dominiquie Vandenberg, a Legend in His Own Mind".
   
   Like Frank Dux, who fails to provide tangible evidence of his alleged activities as a U.S. Marine (he served just six months, if that and if at all), as a CIA operative (Dux claims to have worked personally with the late CIA Director William J. Casey, but the key piece of evidence linking the two somehow falls into a large body of water because of Dux's clumsiness, which seems to contradict the finesse needed/required by someone who claims to be an advanced martial artist) and as a ninja (Dux claims to have studied under a Japanese master of whom no record exists), Dominiquie Vandenberg fails to provide tangible evidence about his adventures and background.
   
   In other words, I have problems with Dominiquie Vandenberg's self-aggrandizing/hagiographic autobiography for a number of reasons:
   
   *Dominiquie Vandenberg claims to have studied an Okinawan art called kunto; there is a martial art called kuntao, but this is an Indonesian-Malaysian-Chinese martial art, not an Okinawan art; I have not been able to find anything about Okinawan kunto and any requisite six-month training program in Okinawa.
   *In regards to the above point, Dominiquie Vandenberg claims to have undergone a six-month period of brutal training in Okinawa, an assertion I call pure BS because no human body can sustain the level of brutality and sleep deprivation (among other things) that Dominiquie Vandenberg claims he endured; take Navy SEAL BUD/s training, for instance; men a lot tougher than Dominiquie Vandenberg have dropped out of BUD/s training, which certainly doesn't last six months; and if these men, who are a lot tougher than Dominiquie Vandenberg, couldn't hack BUD/s training, I don't see how Dominiquie Vandenberg could survive, for six months, the level of brutality he claims he endured in Okinawa; I'm repeating the point here, and I'm doing so because "The Iron Circle" is full of implausible claims like this one.
   *Dominiquie Vandenberg claims to have been a paratrooper in the French Foreign Legion (FFL); well and good, but please provide documentation (a photocopy of the discharge certificate the FFL gives to each legionnaire who honorably departs the FFL, etc.) about this, among other things regarding his alleged service in the FFL. (He has a photograph or two of himself in FFL uniform, but aren't uniforms easy to obtain? I could pose as a FFL paratrooper and claimed I served in Corsica and Djibouti, as Vandenberg seems to have done here.)
   *Dominiquie Vandenberg claims that while serving the FFL in a five-year tour, he got a two-week leave and went to Thailand to fight; pardon me for my disbelief here, but I definitely do not believe this at all; the FFL DOES NOT allow soldiers doing a first tour to take extended leave. (Cf. the work of Evan McGorman, a Canadian who did serve in the FFL, and who has written a book about his experiences in the FFL. McGorman portrays life in the FFL as it truly is: laborious in a janitorial sort of way, primitive and highly uninspiring.) The life of a FFL soldier is highly regimented, in other words, and does not allow for the leeway Dominiquie Vandenberg describes in this book.
   *Another point regarding Dominiquie Vandenberg's claim that he served in the FFL: Dominiquie Vandenberg claims that he suffered severe leg/hip damage in an accident; if so, and if he had the surgery he claims he had, then there is simply no way that Dominiquie Vandenberg would be able to do the physical training required of a legionnaire; imagine a young man, perhaps once athletic, having a hip replacement; and then imagine that young man attempting to do the physical work required of a U.S. Marine; it just ain't happenin'.
   *Dominiquie Vandenberg claims that while fighting in Southeast Asia, he killed a mercenary who stepped into the ring after he, Vandenberg, vanquished a kickboxing opponent; the mercenary had three companions in the audience; my question: Can we honestly believe that three sociopathic men (probably all armed to the T with guns, knives and who knows what else) wouldn't have done something to avenge their fallen friend?
   *Dominiquie Vandenberg claims that while in Southeast Asia, he met a former U.S. Special Forces soldier who had become a Buddhist monk. (Presumably, this monk was a Theravadic Buddhist; the Thais, the Burmese and Buddhists in southern India and Sri Lanka practice this form of Buddhism.) Dominiquie Vandenberg claims to have undergone a sort of spiritual conversion because of this man (or at least hints at it). Again, what is the monk's name? What form of Buddhism did this monk teach and practice? And the parable that the monk uses to "enlighten" Dominiquie Vandenberg (a parable about a Samurai who encounters a wise Buddhist monk) is a parable that one can find in several martial arts books and magazines; this parable is so clichéd in the Japanese Zen Buddhist community (from which it originates) that I won't even repeat it here. (I find it odd that a Buddhist monk in Thailand or wherever would even quote this parable, which isn't part of the Buddhist traditional canon in Southeast Asia, but as aforementioned, comes from the Japanese Zen Buddhist tradition).
   *Regarding the above point about Dominiquie Vandenberg's "spiritual training": If one claims to have undergone a spiritual conversion, or to have trained in the spiritual-meditative ways in which Dominiquie Vandenberg claims he has been trained, one doesn't go around bragging about the number of people one has maimed or killed, as Vandenberg does in this book, and one certainly doesn't go back to Hollywood and partake in films like "Death Row Tournament", "Pit Fighter" and other films that glorify violence; at least that's what Buddhism teaches as part of its eightfold path. (Besides right livelihood -- there's nothing wrong with acting, but Buddhism would argue that acting in films that glorify violence is wrong -- another Buddhist tenet in the eightfold path is right speech, or telling the truth; I wonder if Dominiquie Vandenberg learned that from his friend the monk.)
   *Dominiquie Vandenberg speaks of a Thai opponent -- a god-like Muay Thai master -- he vanquishes, without providing the name of this fighter; Vandenberg also says that this Muay Thai fighter fought once a month for several years; excuse me, but as someone who has trained in Muay Thai, I can tell you, the ring life of a Muay Thai fighter lasts three to four years at the most; imagine a heavyweight boxer fighting a full-out, 15-round match a month, month-in, month-out, for several years; the fighter would be so punch-drunk and loopy (if not dead), it wouldn't be funny. Yet Vandenberg claims that this particular Muay Thai fighter did this kind of fighting for years on end. (Cf. the writings of Bill "Superfoot" Wallace for further information on the realities of Muay Thai and life in the ring.)
   
   I find this work disturbing because of its glorification of violence; like his countryman Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dominiquie Vandenberg seems to be another phony Hollywood tough attempting to impress one and all with a mostly imagined past.



2. Hey, for utter and complete mind candification, this book is a fun read. Unfortunately that's it. This guy is another Steven Seagal...a man prone to believing his own exagerations, who seeks the company of media-types to spread his lies, and who actually expects folks to believe him. Unfortunately, just like Seagal's movies, folks will go see his movies just for the fun of it...not to see some half-wit's (Vandenberg) version of the truth. Enjoy the book and lose respect for Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese along the way!
   
   Oh, one more thing...there is no such thing as "Kunto" Karate.



3. Ok,Ok yeah, he's a bad a---. So what? What is the point of all this? You got me. The guy is either SuperMan or is adept at fiction. You be the judge.



4. If half of this were true, and without the 3rd grade level writing, this might make a good story. Really, this is such a pathetic attempt on the part of Mr. Vandenberg to inflate his own ego and create a myth of himself and why, why didn't he get someone who could write? He sounds like he is desperate and needs years of therapy. Pick up any comic book and you will do better.



5. this book was a quick read interesting ang sort of like a carwreck you just couldnt look away. i really liked the part about the foreign legion. those are some tough SOBs. the story did have a lot of sex mentioned which i think the book could have left out, but the fights were great and the style drew you into the story its a good read and is being passed around my dojo

5 comments about The Sand Man: An Autobiography.

1. If you are at all a volleyball person, this book is required reading. It's that simple. Karch was called the best indoor player in the world and proved himself the best beach player as well. What's better than hearing the story of the greatest player the sport has yet known from his own lips?



2. Karch Kiraly is simply the best volleyball player ever to play the game. So, of course, this read was very insightful, heartwarming, and humourous at times. I couldn't put my copy down at all. I have read it twice.

   I say that Karch is the man with the "midas touch" because everything he touches is golden; his life with family and friends, the kind of role model he is to so many, and lastly for his volleyball accomplishments. It has been a pleasure to follow his career as well as read about his life in his book entitled, "The Sand Man."

   I would encourage any volleyball fan to pick up this highly recommended book and to have it signed by Karch if they see him at an event soon!

   Best of luck to Karch in the future and keep writing because your fans love it!




3. I knew this was to be my Xmas pressie this year and so it was frustrating waiting for the 25th! As soon as I unwrapped it I couldn't put it down; in the end my wife became annoyed and told me that I would get no lunch until I put the book away. This book is a great read with lots of bits and pieces. There are various inspiring stories that make me want to get down to a beach (yes we do have them in England) and restart training. Living in this volleyball deprived nation it's great to have something like this book to get me through the long and dark winter. Just buy the book it's fabulous! Write to me! volleyball@tesco.net



4. In basketball there's Jordan, in baseball it's Ruth, in Golf it's Nicklaus, auto racing's king is Richard Petty. In the world of indoor and beach volleyball one man stands alone at the top the mountain - that man is Karch Kiraly.

   Karch Kiraly is the most decorated volleyball player in the history of the sport and at age 39, he's still the most feared name on the court. The Sand Man is the first book to truly capture this often misunderstood icon of the AVP.

   From his first tournament at age 15 to the Atlanta Olympic gold medal in 1996, Karch Kiraly is truly the greatest player ever to spike a volleyball. I can not begin to say how great this book was.

   Laced with stories and photos, this book is the tied for number one in my reviews of 1999. For the serious volleyball fan, this is the must read of the year. Best of luck in Sidney in 2000 Karch!




5. When most people tune in to watch the AVP, they often notice one thing - some guy out there is wearing a pink hat. The man underneath that hat is, undoubtedly, the greatest volleball player to ever step on the court (or the sand). This is the life story of Karch Kiraly and his accomplishments in life as well as on the court. Always a gentlemenly competitor, we get to see the few flare-ups and frustrations along with the glory of his storied career. Starting from birth and ending with last season's (1998) success with Adam Johnson, this book chronicles Karch's travels, his loves, the people he admires that came before, and his devotion to his children. A must-read for anyone who enjoys the sport and the man who has helped bring it to new heights.

5 comments about Gordie: A Hockey Legend.

1. Gordie a Hockey Legend is book is a great book for anyone who knows about hockey and what the sport is and how it has evolved for its early stages with the popular players like Gordie Howe, He really set the bar in hockey back in his days. He held the NHL scoring title with the most goals in his career with 801 goals until "The Great One", Wayne Gretzky passed him in April of 1993.Gordie is really a Hockey legend.
   
   Gordie is really a legend. He was Known for his ability to be tough anytime during a game, and get the goals, and stand up for his team at anytime needed. This Book was really good in my view. It described his great career, and his life leading up to and being in the NHL.
   
   I would recommend this book to a lot of my friends, especially to my friends that like, and or play hockey. This book really shows the meaning for, and how hockey started to become more popular especially in the United States and in Canada. I really liked this book, and it is one of my favorites, and I would recommend it to anyone. This is truly a great book.



2. Gordie Howe: A hockey legend tells about his whole life. From when he was little kid, to when he made it in the NHL. It tells about how he first came upon hockey as a little kid. It tells about his carrer and the NHL. I thought that this book was ok. Not horrible but not excellent. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about gordie howe, or wants to read about him.



3. This book tells about Gordie Howe, one of the best hockey players ever, and his career in the NHL.In the beginning, it tells about his first couple of seasons, and then tells more about his great career and facts about him toward the end. I learned a lot about him from this book, for example, I learned that he has played for two teams, the Hartford Whalers and the Detroit Red Wings, and that he was considered one of the greatest players of his time.



4. As a lifetime fan of the Detroit Red Wings, I was overjoyed when I found that there is a recent biography of Howe that is much more up to date than many written in the 60's and 70's. This book gives the reader an inside look at what it was like to get into the NHL in the 50's, and what it took to stay there and become a star. Mackskimming is very candid when talking about the front office's team management "politics" The reader also gets an up-close look at other great stars of the era such as Red Kelly, Ted Linsay, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, and coach Jack Adams. A must read for any TRUE hockey fan.



5. The book starts out covering Howe in excellent detail. Several pages cover his first seasons. Then as if the author lost interest, the decades go flying by. My reasons for reading the book was to find out, why Howe was considered great, how Howe compared to Richard, how the game changed over the years and what it was about Howe that enabled him to play for so long. The book only addressed how Howe established his early greatness.

5 comments about Ten Rings: My Championship Seasons.

1. This is great book to read if you love the pre-Steinbrenner Yankees of Mantle, Berra, and Ford. Yogi
   gives a simple (what else would you expect?) description of the glory days of baseball before big money. I loved the book! If you are a Yankee fan you can't afford not to read this one. Spend the money and sit back and
   let Yogi tell you what it was like to be young and a Yankee!



2. YOGI BERRA DOES A FIND JOB IN REHASHING EACH OF HIS 10 WORLD SERIES VICTORIES. HE GIVES US A LOOK AT HOW THE SEASON WENT, ADDITION OR SUBTRACTION OF KEY PLAYERS, AND SOME DETAILED HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT PARTICULAR SEASON. I ENJOYED HIS HUMOR AND HONESTY CONCERNING HIMSELF AND MANY TEAMATES. THE ONLY THING I WANTED WAS MORE DETAIL ON THE EVENTS HE COVERS. ALL IN ALL THIS IS A VERY EASY BOOK TO READ AND IS VERY ENTERTAINING. FOR ALL YANKEE FANS.



3. If you are a sports fan, baseball fan, Yankees fan, or a Yogi fan this book won't disappoint. The book chronicles the tough, unlikely hero over his career in his words. In many ways Yogi was the bridge between the "old" Yankees (Di Maggio, etc.) and the Mantle / Maris Yankees and beyond. Great book! Fun read!



4. I feel that I can make the claim that Yogi Berra is the most beloved living baseball player, without the same sort of argument I would get if I happened to be making a claim about the greatest living baseball player (Mays or Bonds or Aaron?) or the most admired living baseball player (Musical or Ryan or Aaron?). But who else brings a big smile to your face when you see him still doing commercials on television almost four decades after he retired from playing baseball?

   "Ten Rings: My Championship Seasons" was written by Yogi with Dave Kaplan, a former newspaper reporter who is currently the director of the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, and you have the sense that Yogi was looking at his scrap books and press clippings talking about what he remembers from each of the ten seasons in which he and the Yankees won the World Series. Yogi also comments on the four years the Yankees lost the Fall Classic and the three years they did not even win the American League pennant, but the focus is mainly on what those ten seasons that ended with him receiving one of his "Ten Rings."

   I have read most of the books by and about Yogi since I was given a copy of Joe Trumbell's biography in the mid-1960s, and I was rather surprised by how many new stories Yogi came up with for this trip down memory lane. Especially interesting "Ten Rings" are what he has to say about Casey Stengle during the 1949-53 seasons when the Yankees became the first team to win five World Series in a row, and his thoughts about the Brooklyn Dodgers during all their classic confrontations in the 1950s. He also provides some nice details on the end of Allie Reynolds's second no-hitter in 1951. Some readers might be dismayed that Berra has little bad to say about his teammates and opponents, although I think it is clear he felt about Yankee GM George Weiss the way many feel about the team's owner George Steinbrenner today, but clearly Yogi is long past holding grudges. He talks about some of the abuse heaped on him in the early days of his major league career and speaks modestly about his own impressive career accomplishments.

   If you read between the lines the key thing you will pick up is the sense of teamwork and professionalism that existed on the Yankees during the Berra years. This book will be of some value to baseball historians in that it contains Yogi's thoughts on the key players in each championship season as well as some interesting anecdotes that show a different side of the Yankees. For example, Mickey Mantle thought calling pitches was not that hard so Yogi lets him do it during a game Whitey Ford is pitching. Then there is rookie Gil McDougald making a point to veteran pitcher Allie Reynolds. So there are a few choice tales in this rather brief book.

   In the fifth grade there were three of us with the same first name and since I had a catcher's mitt, I spent a year as Yogi. It did not matter that Yogi had already retired and that I had never seen him play. I liked New York as a city and the Yankees in the Civil War, so becoming a New York Yankees fan seemed like a good idea. The fact that they had a catcher with basically the same first name and a last name starting with the same three letters as my own, was too obvious to ignore. Since then I have become much more impressed by what Berra did on the field, much more than the celebrated Yogi-isms (although I love the way the best of those make perfect sense if you pay attention to what is meant rather than what is being said). Clearly I am at the point where I will read anything Yogi happens to write, and while we are not talking classic baseball books, you are not going to be disappointed by "Ten Rings" or any of his other volumes.

   Final Notes: Yes, the page numbers are superimposed on a miniature image of Yogi's ring for that particular championship season. Also, I find it somewhat ironic that the cover is done in a layout rather reminiscent of the 1965 Topps baseball cards, which was the first year in which Yogi was pictured as a player-coach for the New York Mets. The back of "Ten Rings" has an Appendix listing Yogi Berra's World Series Career Records along with his season and post-season batting stats along with line scores for all of the World Series games for those ten championship seasons.




5. This light reminiscence of Yogi's ten championship seasons is a quick, pleasant read. Like a fleshed out magazine article, perhaps, it touches on a bit of history, a few sketches of famous teammates, and a recounting of the high spots of this charming hall of famer's career. A good choice for the younger fan with no memory of the game as it was in a simpler time.

3 comments about Mad Game : The NBA Education of Kobe Bryant.

1. Kobe Bryant is all Ready a Important Player but wait until a few years down the line His Best shall come.the Guy is a Good Balance of Talent&Flaw.He is gonna be Scary in years to Come.this Book brings all those Elements&More out.He has had to deal with alot of things On&Off the COurt but He is Headed for Something Special with His Career.the Sky is the Limit for Him.



2. I read the book a little while back, and I thought it was a great read on the most electrifying basketball player today. At that time, Kobe was going through a lot of growing pains, a lot of failures, crticisms, bad chemistry with teammates. And now, this season, I've seen Kobe's maturation and improvement in the league, playing more under control, playing in Phil Jackson's triangle offense, having better rapport with Shaq and his teammates. His incredible performance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals in overtime was unforgettable and it is only the beginning. Now he is finally an NBA champion with the Lakers, and hopefully, this will be the beginning of another great Laker dynasty, the first of the 21st century!



3. welcom to the world of kobe bryant this book is nomber 1 out of2,865 books i have read (still counting) this book doesnt just tellyou about kobe it tells you about the whol lakers history and abot how other players reflect on kobe bryant like m.j. & magic Johnson I've read this book 3 times and i never get tierd of it i could tell you at least 5 things kobe has remarked of the top of my head I'm 11 years old & for me to type this much I'd have to love this book! & allso the author r. lazenby is supurb!

2 comments about One Man's Mountains: Essays and Verses.

1. Tom is both a gifted climber and writer. If you like arm chair mountaineering books, and have read "the White spider" or any of the other North face of the Eiger climbing books you'll really love his take on that climb. Plus his climbers dictionary is just great. I second this opinion, buy this book!



2. Tom Patey not only climbed some wicked routes, but was an incredibly gifted and humorous writer, often in a self effacing manner. This is one of the best climbing books I have ever read. Three words: Buy this book!