1 comments about Jeff Gordon: Running Up Front (NASCAR Wonder Boy Collector's) (NASCAR Wonder Boy Collector's).

1. Well written, very interesting. I enjoyed the whole book, Jeff Gordon sounds like a very great guy, someone anybody would like to know.

3 comments about One Pitch from Glory: A Decade of Running the Red Sox.

1. I have been a member of Red Sox nation for over 30 years and and have been a clinical psychologist for the same duration. I found Lou Gorman's book fascinating from two major perspectives. First, his stories enlighten all of us to the rigors and joys of major league baseball, and especially but not limited to the Boston Red Sox. Secondly I think Lou is a psychologist in his own right, displaying uncanny understanding of the personalities of some of the most noted athletes that have ever worn a major league uniform. Lou's book teaches the reader that managing today's players demands baseball and psychological expertise. Lou Gorman clearly possesses both abilities. Arthur P. Ciaramicoli, Ed.D.,Ph.D.
   Author of Performance Addiction



2. If you followed the Red Sox through that 1986 Baseball season you will love this book. This book is a must have for every Red Sox fan. It gave me new insight into a time during my childhood that made my heart both soar and sink. I relive everyone of those moments again with this book.



3. I was disappointed in this book and thought it could have been a lot better. Gorman's heart is in the right place and he writes honestly, but without depth. The book needed a good editor. It contains redundencies, excessive/bland game by game detail/filler, and errors of grammar and fact. For example, former Sox player Larry Parrish is referred to as 'Lance' ; A's pitcher Storm Davis becomes 'Steve', Mike Greenwell becomes Mike Greenfield, and the trade that brought Nick Esasky and Rob Murphy to Boston refers to the Phillies (rather than the Reds).
   
   If you are a diehard Sox fan looking for insight to the inner
   workings of the team during Gorman's tenure, the book offers little of significance. Gorman leaves the reader wanting to know more. He discusses the Wade Boggs/Margo Adams scandal like an observer. Yet Ms. Adams frequently traveled with the team. Obviously the organization allowed this, but we don't find out any more about it. He mentions having negotiated with Bruce Hurst for over a year before he was 'devastated' when Hurst left as a free agent. Yet there is no discussion about the negotiations or what went wrong.
   
   On the positive side, is is apparent that Gorman was a dedicated, hard working GM who loved the Sox and indeed brought them 'One Pitch From Glory' in what is one of the most difficult jobs in baseball- running the Red Sox. Gorman pegs much of the Boston baseball media exactly as many of them are - negative and miserable. He also opens the book strongly with an interesting (and still wrenching, despite the glory of 2004) behind the scenes look at the '86 World Series. I wish the rest of the book contained as much insider detail.
   
   It is appropriate and pleasing to this reader that Gorman drank champagne the night the Sox finally won it all !

3 comments about A Good Life Wasted: or Twenty Years as a Fishing Guide.

1. I had this book pushed on me by a friend and didn't expect to *love* it, but it was so laugh out loud funny and so very well written that I just couldn't put it down. I read it in 2 days, after work.
   
   If you have gone fishing only once in your life, you'll love the fishing stories, but this book packs a lot more than that. As a gift, *any* fisherman or woman (I am female) will really like it a lot, and they'll thank you for the laughs. You couldn't pay me to fly fish, but my pal is one of those nuts and he has good taste in reading material. I'm glad he suggested it.



2. I got this book a while ago and enjoyed it immensely! One of my favorite flyfishing books. A very entertaining read, and I'll read it again! Pick one up for yourself or for the person who fishs in your life.



3. Dave Ames connects with the soul of any would-be or wannabe outdoor professional with humor, irony, and a dash of metaphysics, but nothing too heavy. He makes us care about him and his friends through great character development and threads that run through the episodes that take place over the twenty years of his wasted life.
   
   I had some laugh-out-loud moments here and there. Next, I'll back up and read his first book, True Love and the Wooly-Bugger.
   
   Wasted Life is highly recommended (I save 5 stars for Harper Lee and T.H. White.)

5 comments about The Only Way I Know.

1. Thought this would be interesting as a peek into the life of someone in "the show". Fairly so, though the level of detail (which could just as easily been a positive) was a bit much at times. Or perhaps the details that were revealed weren't that interesting.
   
   Ripken definitely isn't a deep person, or if he is he works to hide it in this book; though I'm not sure why anyone would look to a pro athlete for anything deep.
   
   The life he presented basically boils down to - "I played every day because I could, not as an attempt to break a record. I played hard because that is how I was raised."
   
   Nothing wrong with any of that, just a bit pedestrian. Again, why would you expect more out of a book about a baseball player though?
   
   Good insight into someone doing their best on a consistent basis. Don't expect anything magical though. It's along the lines of the saying "90% of success is showing up".



2. I love Cal Ripken Jr. He's been one of my favorite players since I was 9 years old. I was really looking forward to this book. I wanted to be able to rate it higher. I really did. However, the books is very dry and doesn't have a lot of really good stories in it. It's mostly about stats for different years and how he broke out of his slumps. There's not a lot about his childhood growing up in the shadow of the big leagues with his dad being in the Baltimore organization. There were very flat stories of how they drove to spring training as kids with their mother organizing. I just thought Cal would have so many good stories about his life and the different people he met along the way. I know he is a very private person but he didn't really open up and let you get to know the real him. This book also stops after the record is broken and doesn't go any further in his career or his after baseball life. I was a little disappointed, but would recommend it to the true Cal fans.



3. If you are a fan of Cal Ripken Jr., "The Only Way I Know" is the book for you. In this autobiography Cal shares information with us on how he got to where he is today and what it is like being a profesional baseball player. He overcame a lot during his brilliant career as a Baltimore Oriole. In Ripken's illustrious 20 year career with the Baltimore Orioles he broke several records and appeared in several all-star games. Having is dad pass away and battling to stay healthy, Ripken was a hero off the field as well as on the field. He participated in several diffent charities throughtout his career. That is what makes him not only a great athlete, but a wonderful person. This book is 326 pages and it took me about three weeks to read. I am a big fan of Cal Ripken Jr. so I really enjoyed this book. Everyone who is a sports fan should have a fun time reading this book because there is plenty of information and it makes you want to keep reading because there is so much information that people do not know about Cal Ripken. Ripken is one of the most recognized profesional athletes ever, so you can only imagine how good this book really is. As you all know Ripken broke the record of consecutive games by playing 2,132 consecutive games; he is known as the iron man. There are also many pictures in the book from different points in Ripken's career. I hope you enjoy this book.
   Also recommended: Cal Ripken Jr.: My Story
   Cal Ripken Jr.: Play Ball



4. If you are a fan of Cal Ripken Jr., "The Only Way I Know" is the book for you. In this autobiography Cal shares information with us on how he got to where he is today and what it is like being a profesional baseball player. He overcame a lot during his brilliant career as a Baltimore Oriole. In Ripken's illustrious 20 year career with the Baltimore Orioles he broke several records and appeared in several all-star games. Having is dad pass away and battling to stay healthy, Ripken was a hero off the field as well as on the field. He participated in several diffent charities throughtout his career. That is what makes him not only a great athlete, but a wonderful person. This book is 326 pages and it took me about three weeks to read. I am a big fan of Cal Ripken Jr. so I really enjoyed this book. Everyone who is a sports fan should have a fun time reading this book because there is plenty of information and it makes you want to keep reading because there is so much information that people do not know about Cal Ripken. Ripken is one of the most recognized profesional athletes ever, so you can only imagine how good this book really is. As you all know Ripken broke the record of consecutive games by playing 2,132 consecutive games; he is known as the iron man. There are also many pictures in the book from different points in Ripken's career. I hope you enjoy this book.
   Also recommended: Cal Ripken Jr.: My Story
   Cal Ripken Jr.: Play Ball



5. If you are a fan of Cal Ripken Jr., "The Only Way I Know" is the book for you. In this autobiography Cal shares information with us on how he got to where he is today and what it is like being a profesional baseball player. He overcame a lot during his brilliant career as a Baltimore Oriole. In Ripken's illustrious 20 year career with the Baltimore Orioles he broke several records and appeared in several all-star games. This book is 326 pages and took me about three weeks to read. I am a big fan of Cal Ripken Jr. so I really enjoyed this book. Ripken is one of the most recognized profesional athletes ever, so you can only imagine how good this book really is. As you all know Ripken broke the record of consecutive games by playing 2,132 consecutive games; he is known as the iron man. There are also many pictures in the book from different points in Ripken's career. I hope you enjoy this book.

5 comments about The Goose Is Loose.

1. Goose Gossage was one of the most dominating pitchers of his era. In his autobiography he talks about how he rose from a kid who was afraid he was going to decapitate Ernie Banks to the most feared reliever in baseball. Goose touches on his most memorable moments, including his locker room brawl with Cliff Johnson and the "No beer in the clubhouse" fiasco in San Diego which involved a very public run-in with Padres owner Joan Kroc. He lovingly looks at Thurman Munson and his great appreciation for him shines through. He also reveals how Catfish Hunter picked him up after a game in Toronto after Goose had blown another early save opportunity. The only drawback of the book for me is that it seemed Goose was trying too hard to be funny. Other than that minor detail, an enjoyable read. Recommended.



2. The first thing you think back on when his name comes up is the word respect. All hitters had it. Goose Gossage was feared because you didn't crowd his home plate, then he struck you out, then he picked up the save! He was the pitcher every manager looks for. He'd brush you back, sometimes twice, just like he did with Willie Horton, if that was what it took to get respect.
   
   He recalls memories of former teammates such as altercations with Billy Martin, or the fond memories of the late Thurman Munson. He recalls the hilarious stunts of pitcher, Sparky Lyle, and equal ferocity of Al, "the mad Hungarian" Hrabosky, and how he smoked a double off the crazy Hungarian! A lot of stories about the nights in the bars, yet more and better stories of the glory of the mound. He even describes the memory of the home run he gave up to Kirk Gibson in the 1984 World Series.
   
   All in all, an entertaining read. Who knew? Very good!



3. I loved this book! I was pleasantly surprised by some of the sensitive passages of the book. If you are a big Yankee fan this book is just right for you. A good companion to the Sparky Lyle book "The Bronx Zoo" or Graig Nettles' book "Balls". Goose writes honestly and often hilariously about his baseball experiences. I was especially moved by the passage about Thurmon Munson. If you loved the 1977-1981 Yankees, this book will refresh your memory of what it was like to be a Yankee fan in that era. I definitely reccommend this book to all Yankee fans!



4. Reading Goose Gossage's autobiography brought back happy memories of my teenaged Yankee-worshipping self, who knew that when #54 stepped onto the mound, good things were about to happen. Gossage's tales about his 22 years in baseball are sometimes ribald and often laugh-out-loud funny. However, longtime Yankee fans will be heavily reminded of Gossage's predecessor Sparky Lyle's brilliant and hysterically funny autobiography "The Bronx Zoo"--the writing style is extremely similar. But what the heck--Gossage doesn't have to be John Updike. He just rears back and throws, and the result is a very pleasant read. See you in Cooperstown, Goose!



5. In his amazingly rich memoir, Gossage reveals he not only has a name every baseball fan knows, but he is also one of the best, and funniest, writers in sports.

No comments about Staying in the Game: The Remarkable Story of Doc Seaman.

5 comments about Chess Bitch: Women In The Ultimate Intellectual Sport.

1. Far more interesting than what a book says is who it is talking to and where is it coming from. Jennifer is coming from the chess arena and it 'ain't purty'. She understates the sexism and hostility women have to put up with. From kicking under the table (yes, gn, I saw you) to vile language after losing a game, women have to put up with far more than she described. If anything Jennifer is a little soft on these issues.
   As far as the book itself I found the book engaging; and I finished it in one sitting. Not being a literary critic (and having not taken a grammer course in over 45 years) I cannot comment on the errors. You don't notice if your reading intently to find out whats on the next page.
   The most interesting thing of this whole book is who she is talking to. She made a lot of people angry pointing out the dirty underbelly of chess. Good, let's shoot the messenger, no, better let's attack her in reviews. Four years later that big stinking underbelly is still there.



2. Two-time U.S. Women's Chess Champion Jennifer Shade presents Chess Bitch: Women in the Ultimate Intellectual Sport, a collection of true stories of expert globetrotting female chess players. Assembled from interviews, personal testimonies, and carefully researched profiles, Chess Bitch reveals what it was like for women to break into the male-dominated sport and subculture of chess, the adventure of traveling to matches worldwide, the quirks of talented individual female players, and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes tell-all enthusiastically recommended for anyone with an interest in the competitive chess scene and the women who take part in it.



3. Jennifer Shahade is a fine chess player and I like her book about Women's chess.
   
   Shahade tells us plenty about Women in chess, both in the United States and internationally. Plus, there are the obvious questions about how good women are at chess compared to men. Just what does it mean to "play chess like a girl?" Um, I always feel like asking "like which girl?" And there's the question of the relative strength of women and men in chess. That is, we can see that women are at a serious disadvantage against men in a sport such as weightlifting. But what about sports such as chess, go, or even bridge? Is chess really the sort of sport that requires enormous physical strength? Obviously not, although it does require good health, conditioning, and stamina. Chess is similar in some respects to an academic discipline, and women can excel at academic endeavors, so it is highly unlikely that women are genetically unable to excel at chess. It may be true, of course, that many women can't play chess well, just as many men can't play chess well.
   
   Shahade does discuss the question of whether the weakness of women at chess compared to men shows that women are stupid or that chess is stupid. And it is clear not only that men vastly outnumber women at all levels of chess but that male chess players tend to spend more time on chess and play more tournament games than do women. That alone pretty much accounts for the fact that the men dominate the chess rankings. But why do women play so little chess? That's a somewhat controversial topic, although Shahade does have some things to say about it.
   
   I recommend this book.



4. I was a bit disappointed by the numerous grammar mistakes including various missing periods and commas here and there (no pun intended), but I do not feel it detracted enough from the book to be gruesome. It was still easily understandable what was being said, and Shahade alone certainly cannot be blamed for a book with so many obvious grammatical errors. The only fact I noticed that was too vague was that the camp she is referring to is really in NW or north central PA rather than "central PA." It would have been nice to have given this camp free advertising with the potential advertising as I think it was the first one to ever exist and deserves to continue on among the livelihood of other existing chess camps today. (It is likely that the camp would have given her permission to use its name.) Several other reviews state bad research on a 1980 Kasparov fact, but not too many other specifics are mentioned for what is "wrong" with the book. All the other "mistakes" are all based on opinion, so this is a book you will probably like a lot or not at all. For me, the book was open-minded and refreshing. It was personal enough that I felt she was with the reader at times, and her opinions were well supported based on her own experiences. I like her adult approach as this book is definitely not for children.
   
   In a portion of the book, she mentions how a particular group of people seem racist overall based on her experience the reactions she's seen, and I've felt the same way for this particular group of people. Not everyone is like this of course, but when you learn history between the US and other countries, you can see why certain sad biases form unfortunately. Hopefully with books written like Chess B-tch, these type of barriers and well pointed out feminist barriers can be broken in this day and age.



5. I knew absolutely nothing about the world of professional chess players before reading this book. I found this book to be well written, very easy to read, and interesting. I was certain I would be bored instantly, but as it turned out the book was quite entertaining and informative, an excellent effort from a first time author. It seems most of the bad reviews come from people who are either upset about the factual errors or are offended by the portrayals of some chess players. I think Chess Queens would have been a better title.

1 comments about I Remember Bobby Jones: Personal Memories of and Testimonials to Golf's Most Charismatic Grand Slam Champion, As Told by the People Who Knew Him (I Remember Series).

1. 
   This is one of several volumes in the Cumberland House "I Remember" series. Each is an anthology of reminiscences of those who personally knew the subject, in this instance one of the greatest golfers, Bobby Jones (March 17, 1902 - December 18, 1971). Mike Towle edited the material and contributed brief introductions to each of the five chapters. Although Jones had his flaws, imperfections, and failures, there was also much in his career as well as in his personal life that is commendable. Few other great athletes then or since have combined such a high level of sportsmanship with an equally high level of achievement in competition.
   
   For example, during the final playoff of the 1925 U.S. Open as he was preparing to hit the ball, his iron caused a slight movement of the ball. No one else nearby saw it. Nonetheless, Jones called a two-stroke penalty on himself and eventually lost the tournament by one stroke. When he was praised for his gesture, he replied, "You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank." The United States Golf Association's annual sportsmanship award is named the "Bob Jones Award" in his honor. By the time he retired from competition at age 28, he had won five U.S. amateur championships and one British amateur championship as well as four U.S. Opens and one British Open. Of special note is the fact that, in 1930, he won what were then viewed as the four "majors" and this combination of victories is now referred to as the first "Grand Slam." He co-founded the Augusta National Golf Club and played in the Masters tournament it sponsored each year it was played (from 1934 until 1948) but, ironically, never won a tournament on the course he co-designed with Alistair MacKenzie.
   
   Here is a representative selection of brief excerpts from the narrative:
   
   Of all the greatest golfers who ever lived, why would Jones be an especially congenial as well as impressive companion during a round of golf? "One, Jones won his thirteen majors in an eight-year stretch before retiring at age twenty-eight; two, he could hit a ball more than three hundred yards with a hickory shaft; three, he loved playing with golfers of all abilities and giving advice when asked; four, he had a good sense of humor; five, he wore knickers; and six, he was well versed in the extracurricular activities of golf often found at the nineteenth hole. Jones was the whole package, and he certainly had to be a fascinating conversationalist with three college degrees under his belt and a law practice, to boot." (Mike Towle, Pages xi-xii)
   
   "One of the reasons for Jones's early retirement was the fact that he was inwardly high strung. So much that he regularly would lose ten to fifteen pounds during a championship. So much that his only form of relaxation was to ingest two stiff drinks and soak in a hot tub of water. When a championship was over he would burst into tears without provocation." (Ben Crenshaw, Page 36)
   
   "Nervousness? I was nervous going to the first tee in every round or every match I played in competition...My knees would be knocking, I was so unsure of what might happen on the first tee. I often wondered if people could see or hear them. If I had worn plus fours (a la Sarazen) they could not have seen them but they might have heard them. I think they were playing `Dixie' by the time I put the tee in the ground. After that first tee, it was done with." (Jones to John Doerr, CBS-TV executive, Pages 48-49)
   
   "The feel of the [Masters] tournament was premised on the fact that Booby Jones was there, as was Magnolia Avenue and a little clubhouse that was the center of everything that took place - just a nice little building. You were assigned a caddie and then you went to play. The course was a lot different then because of all the minor and major changes that they have made to it since. Jones was the master of ceremonies. There was already a nostalgia build in to the tournament because the name Jones was so big. That helped get it started. Then add to the fact Clifford Roberts [co-founder of Augusta National Golf Club] was such a perfectionist." (Byron Nelson, Page 71)
   
   "One thing about Jones was that he would let his clubs do his talking for him. But he was not a great, outgoing figure like a Walter Hagen or a Sam Snead. He was a quiet, gentlemanly Southern player. But I understand that as a youngster he had been a brat. He was so good at such a young age that, so I've been told, during one of his matches Bobby threw his tam -o'-shanter (golf cap) down and stomped on it. And some great British professional he was playing with pushed him aside and said, `Young man, why don't you let me do that. I can do a much better job of it.' And he tore the cap all to pieces and I think it was because of that incident that Jones never threw any tantrums on the golf course again. During his playing days as a grownup, Jones emerged as the epitome of sportsmanship." (Paul Runyan, Pages 128-129)
   
   In 1948, Jones was diagnosed with syringomyelia, a disorder during which a cyst forms within the spinal cord. It expands and elongates over time, destroying the center of the cord. For about the last 20 years of his life, he suffered progressively more severe pain as well as paralysis that eventually restricted him to a wheelchair. "Twice I had the thrill of having Jones ask me to lend him my good right arm. The first time was at the funeral of his good friend, Grantland Rice. Bob was an honorary pallbearer, one of many. He had come to New York for the funeral, even though his crippling illness already hindered his walk unattended. That he asked my help in walking up the aisle thrilled me." (Doerr, Pages 163-164)
   
   Of course, it is impossible to know how successful Jones would be if he were competing today, and with today's equipment, nor is it possible to know how well Tiger Woods would have played if he were competing in the 1920's and 1930's. My guess (only a guess) is that great athletes such as they would be successful in any era, if not dominant. That said, wouldn't it be a special treat for those of us who love golf to see them in the last twosome, teeing off in the final round of the Masters tournament?
   
   Those interested in a more comprehensive discussion of Jones's life and career are encouraged to check out Ron Rapoport's The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf, Mark Frost's The Grand Slam: Bobby Jones, America, and the Story of Golf, Rand Jerris' Golf's Golden Age: Bobby Jones and the Legendary Players of the 10's, 20's and 30's, and Bobby Jones on Golf by Robert Tyre Jones.

1 comments about Mark Martin: Mark of Excellence.

1. As a Mark Martin fan, I looked forward to getting this type of book, one full of photos that covered the whole of Mark's life and racing achievements. I was not disappointed in this book at all. It is an oversized book, slightly smaller than a "typical" coffee-table type of book, but large enough to be kept on the sports fan's coffee table. It does a fine job of weaving the story of Mark's life in and around the photos, capturing the high point (and some low points) of his career. The book is part of the NASCAR Library Collection; normally I'm a little leery of series books as I think that they tend to gloss over the subject's life. This book isn't anywhere near a complete biography of Mark, but then I don't believe it was meant to be that: it's simply a well-put-together book for a race fan's perusing, with excellent photography by NASCAR (and some fine pictures courtesy of the Martin family).

No comments about David Beckham: Mi Vida (Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography).