No comments about Point Guard.

No comments about Soul of Michael Jordan and Company.

3 comments about The Tao of Yao: Wit and Wisdom from the "Moving Great Wall" Yao Ming.

1. Choi's breakin ankles, and hits the trey, nothin but net. This book has it all: insight, humor, and wisdom. He gets the assist in his ability to organize and distill the essence of Yao Ming in a very readable format. Somebody holla, "Alley-oop!" This is a must-have for all Yao fans and for Asians in general who finally have a true playa representin fo tha Fa'East-side.



2. The Tao of Yao is an "up close and personal" look at one of the sporting world's greatest heroes. The story of Yao Ming, who came up from the Chinese Basketball Association's Youth League all the way to superstardom with the Houston Rockets, is not only a tale of success against long odds. It is also an account of a remarkable person who has become a role model for over a billion people, and an ambassador of Chinese culture to sports fans around the world. What comes through most clearly in this book is the "who" of Yao. I could hear his sense of humor, like when he said to the press that his five favorite English words were "This is the last question." I learned about his humility, from exchanges like the following with Shaq after a Rockets-Lakers game that Shaq had to sit out with an injury: "You played pretty good, Yao Ming," said Shaq. "That's because you weren't there," said Yao. I also got a glimpse of what it must be like to arrive in a new country, not speaking the language, not knowing the culture, and having to quickly adapt to the pressure to be not just good, but great.

   By relying solely on interviews with Yao and those who know him best, Doug Choi tells the story of Yao in a way that is immediate and personal. The book is like a good highlights tape - it vividly tells the story with page after page of memorable moments that reveal much about Yao the person and Yao the player. You hear the NBA trash talk that turns to respect, and even "love". You re-live the anticipation of his epic showdown with Shaq. You learn, in Yao's own words, what it means to him to play in the NBA. You find out little things, like why he doesn't go to Chinese restaurants in Houston. And big things, like how he wants to be remembered as a person and as a player. If you're a fan of NBA basketball and "the moving wall of China", then you'll love this book. But even if you're not, I think you'll find this 21st century "coming to America" story to be engaging and inspiring. And, as a bonus, there is a picture of Yao stuffing Shaq under the glass that is worth the price of the book all by itself.




3. I'm not sure what books the other reviewers were reading. This is a small book which is a mainly a quotebook. It has a few pages of writing in the beginning that summarize Yao's life in the NBA and some pages of photos in the middle. But the majority is one quote from Yao on each page. That's about it. It would be better to have some context, explanation, or follow up (or a lower book price). It doesn't take much time to read since there is not much writing, so if you want more you will be disappointed.

5 comments about Giants: The 25 Greatest Centers of All Time.

1. BEWARE!! I bought this book at Borders, then got in a line for Willis Reed to sign it. While waiting, I turned the pages back & forth a few times - it's a photo book primarily - and the pages began to fall out. I exchanged it for another, and those pages began to fall out. I paged through five more books, and their pages began to fall out, so I got my money back & didn't buy it. The store management said they were aware of the problem. The binding is so horrible that if you use it as it's intended - to look through over & over again - the pages will fall out (at least in all the books shipped to that Borders). It would have been especially horrible to give as a gift - not worth the money! A book is supposed to stay as a book.



2. BEWARE!! I bought this book at Borders, then got in a line for Willis Reed to sign it. While waiting, I turned the pages back & forth a few times - it's a photo book primarily - and the pages began to fall out. I exchanged it for another, and those pages began to fall out. I paged through five more books, and their pages began to fall out, so I got my money back & didn't buy it. The store management said they were aware of the problem. The binding is so horrible that if you use it as it's intended - to look through over & over again - the pages will fall out (at least in all the books shipped to that Borders). It would have been especially horrible to give as a gift - not worth the money! A book is supposed to stay as a book.



3. BEWARE!! I bought this book at Borders, then got in a line for Willis Reed to sign it. While waiting, I turned the pages back & forth a few times - it's a photo book primarily - and the pages began to fall out. I exchanged it for another, and those pages began to fall out. I paged through five more books, and their pages began to fall out, so I got my money back & didn't buy it. The store management said they were aware of the problem. The binding is so horrible that if you use it as it's intended - to look through over & over again - the pages will fall out (at least in all the books shipped to that Borders). It would have been especially horrible to give as a gift - not worth the money! A book is supposed to stay as a book.



4. My husband really wanted this book for christmas based on some TV show interview he watched but after reading the review about the binding, I went to a local bookstore to check it out for myself. All FOUR copies had binding problems. When I opened the book, the pages started to break off so the store is returning them all.

   I am quite disappointed because it looks like a really good book content wise. Hope they get a new printing soon.




5. Nice topic for a basketball book, especially since the true pivot player is as rare as a dinosaur in today's game. Just a bunch of 3 pt shooting 7 footers running around (except for Dwight Howard & Yao Ming). But I definately disagree with placing Kareem only third. He was the greatest force on offense and defense the game has ever known. No disrespect to the late Wilt the stilt. The fact that he lead the league in assists one year is a bit miss leading, that particular year Wilt abstained from shooting very much. What impresses me more about Wilt is the 27 per game rebound avgs in 2 separate seasons and the fact he never fouled out of a game which was strangely omitted from his many accomplishments, listed in the book. However he shot only 51% from the line, a major flaw. To my surprise Russell only shot 56% lifetime, this is not good, if teams would play hack a Wilt or hack a Russell they would be in trouble, on the other hand Kareem shot 71% and even higher in the clutch. Many games between two evenly matched teams may come down to freethrows a very small margin for error. Karrem's my numeral uno with Wilt a close second and Russell third,without a doubt the greatest defensive center for all times.
   
   I don't agree with shack in the 4th slot he can't shoot freethrows either, and know way he's better than the Dream Olajawon, Moses Malone, or the Cheif Robert Parrish in their primes, no disrespect to the diesel but the jury is still out on him,I still remember how the Dream had him for lunch in the 94-95 playoffs, its to early to put him that high up. I think the likes of Ralph Sampson and Bill Lambeer should be left out all together. And I don't believe power forwards like Tim Duncan and Dan Issel should be included, they should have there own category (power forwards).
   
   P.S. the info is very good and the likes of Willis Reed, Jerry West and Pete Newells's commentary enriches the book even more. But the previous reviewer was right the pages just won't stay in the book, I don't think he had to leave 3 reviews to make his one star point. I get the picture loud and clear. I paid only 10 dollars for it from a street vendor, the 29.95 price might be a bit steep, for a book that pages won't stay in.

5 comments about The Book of Isiah: The Rise of a Basketball Legend.

1. I found the book very realistic and accurate display of Isiah Thomas. It chronicles the life of Isiah Thomas, documenting the good and the bad of Isiah Thomas. I'm a Detroit Pistons fan, and was glad to see the author and the publisher didn't present a sugar-coated version of his life, which isn't what I can't say sadly for Bob Greene's Rebound, which is a biography on Michael Jordan. This biography covers the part of Jordan's life when he was away from basketball and in baseball. I felt I should mention the Jordan book, since they were rivals for a long time, but it appears they have buried the hatchet. It should be interesting to read now, considering that he is no longer the Raptors' GM, and is currently works for NBC as a color commentator. Thanks to Paul Challen and ECW Press for taking the high road and presenting something that is actually worthy of reading from cover to cover, unlike the Greene schlock book on Jordan, which never criticizes him at any point from what I can see. I hope ECW Press continues to present sports biographies like this in a realistic portrayal. The Greene biography looked at Jordan's problems always with a positive light on Jordan, and don't talk about his gambling. I found the reading about how Isiah's brothers could have been NBA stars interesting reading, especially the one brother, Henry Lord, who was supposed to possess outstanding ability. It was interesting to see how Isiah overcame many odds to get to where he was, and it perhaps it helps understand why he is the person he is today.



2. I thought the book was very well written. It allowed the reader to see that Isiah is a superstar that pulled himself up out of poverty and despair, but he is also a human being (which we sometimes forget about star atheletes) with human failings, fears, and needs. I is the best 20 bucks I have spent in a long time. I would suggest to anyone who has ever looked at athletes in a negative light to read this book it details the life of growing up poor and not allowing it to rule your life. Isiah, like so many of our black males in America grew up poor and without his father, but he did not allow himself to wallow in it, and that is a lesson that many of young people need to adhere to.

   Tamara Randolph, Rich, Va.




3. I have been a fan of Isiah and the Pistons for a long time now. This was the first biography of Isiah that I have read and I enjoyed it very much. I knew a lot about Isiahs childhood but also found out a lot more reading this book. The writer seems to spend a lot of time discussing Isiahs time with the Raptors, I would have liked to read more about his time with the Pistons. I also would have liked to see a mention of the 70+ students that Isiah put through college out of his own pocket. Overall I really enjoyed this book, if your an Isiah fan you need to pick this one up.



4. I have always dug Isiah Thomas.The Brother overcame alot of Obstacles&still does to this day.he doesn't always get the Credit&Love he so deserves.He was a Great Player.I Loved it when He&The Pistons Beat The Over-Inflated Bulls.ZEKE was always the man.He Played with So Much Heart&Determanation.Now as Coach of The Pacers it will be Interesting to see where the Next Journey Takes Him.I Really Dig the Fact that he is about Black Ownership.it's Time to have a Say on&Off The Court.He has had his Ups&Downs but has still Remained a Class Act.this Book Reflects so Much About this Man.



5. I knew it was a bad sign when in chapter one, I was wishing I was through with the book. I always want to finish books, for the sense of accomplishment and to acquire knowledge, but this was different: I wanted to be done because I wanted to move on to a good book.
   I picked up the book because I enjoy reading the late 80s Pistons. Thomas is indisputably one of the 5 greatest point guards in history (along with Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Bob Cousy, and John Stockton). He won a NCAA championship, and 2 NBA championships, and was named to the 1980 Olympic team. That alone makes his life interesting. Toss in the amazing performances (16 points in 91 seconds, 1990 Finals MVP, etc), controversy (Larry Bird was only good because he's white), and the jobs (NBA legend on the court, GM of the Raptors), and I was looking forward to jumping in. So what went wrong?
   First, this is not a biography, it is an homage, practically a love sonnet. It is written by a guy who sees no fault in Thomas. I believe the author is a Toronto journalist, and obviously a Raptors fan. The book was written right before the Raptors' 2nd season. In jocking the Raptors, Challen has to jock the man who runs the team. Look at the book's subtitle: "The Rise of a Basketball Legend." At the time the book was published, Thomas already was a basketball legend. Challen is trying to paint him to be the next Jerry West and Red Auerbach of the front office after a mediocre season on the job.
   The first problem is that the book is incomplete. Challen lightly glosses over Thomas' first 7 NBA seasons, and really only spends significant time on the 1989 season. After a little more glossing, he jumps to Thomas' tenure with the Raptors. He never mentions any of his legendary scoring bursts, such as the 16 points in 91 seconds at the end of regulation of the deciding playoff game in the New York playoff series in 1984. He does go over the Larry Bird controversy and the all-star freeze out of Michael Jordan that Thomas orchestrated, and he mentions the 1992 Olympic snub, but never really dwells much on the background. He also never mentions how Thomas blocked the pay-per-view game between Jordan and Johnson, and how that came back to bite him in the Olympics.
   Challen praises Thomas' every decision as Raptors' GM without stating the obvious: he screwed up on the hiring of Brenden Malone as coach. Had he spent more time interviewing Malone, then he would have learned that Malone did not share his vision on how to coach an expansion team. He never chastises Thomas on his blatant favoritism towards all-things Pistons, even when the people were unqualified. Because Thomas had a couple of endorsements, he makes it sound like Thomas was a savvy businessman ready to move into a GM role, rather than state the obvious: the owner went to Indiana University with Thomas and was star struck. It gets funnier in retrospect, as you see Thomas consistent failures since the book was written: he bankrupted the Continental Basketball Association after he purchased it. He failed as coach of the Pistons and Knicks and was a disaster as GM of the Knicks. His failures are so legendary that a satire website (sportspickle) wrote a story that George W. Bush had named Thomas as Michael Brown's replacement to head F.E.M.A. It is obvious that Thomas had done nothing to earn the responsibility to run a franchise, but Challen never ever considers this. (The parallels between Thomas and Jordan are eerily similar, and both were miserable failures in the front office.)
   The next problem with the book is the editing. I assume "paycheque" is a Canadian spelling, and that is fine, but the book is full of editing errors and Challen cannot spell "offense" and "defense." Perhaps this is because he is the guy who holds the picket fence at the games.
   It is obvious that Challen is no basketball expert. He says that Thomas played in the Big 10 conference and then adds it is now known as the "Big 12". Um.... no. He says that Thomas was named NBA MVP three times. He was never MVP. He writes the book in such simplistic terms that it seems as if his audience has no clue about basketball, which maybe true -- I am guessing it was written for Canadians who are not familiar with basketball, as a way of selling the Raptors to the public. Furthermore, by deifying the head man of the Raptors, the sell becomes easier. If this was his purpose, I hoped he succeeded, because beyond that context, the book is an unbelievable bore.

No comments about Hot Rod Hundley: "You Gotta Love It, Baby!" Limited Edition.

No comments about Slam Dunk/Winning Players Talk About Basketball, Family, and Faith.

1 comments about Beam Me Up Scottie.

1. Patrick Pippen has written a memoir of sorts, no small feat for a guy who is still in his twenties!
   Patrick is the nephew of one of professional basketball's most exciting players: Scottie Pippen. (Recently retired from the Chicago Bulls and Portland Trailblazers.) But the book is not just one of those stylized "tell all" tomes that seem to be required nowadays when some sports superstar retires.
   Instead, the books tells a fascinating account of young Patrick's life: from growing up on the mean streets of the Bronx to the jetsetter lifestyles of professional sports.
   The book deals with all things basketball, from its link to the ancient Aztecs to wheelchair basketball and the hustle of streetball. Toss in a stint in the Marine Corps and travels to exotic places like Japan and rural America and you've got quite a ride!
   If there is one constant theme in this book, its NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS! A sort of rags to riches to rags Horatio Alger meets Hoop Dreams. Something, the author maintains, is still possible in a jaded, materialistic world. Underlying all of this is the concept that dreams, no matter how small or large, can be a realization in and of themselves.
   Told in a witty and ascerbic style, this book is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. You'll want to finish it all in one sitting!

4 comments about Ahead of the Game: The Pat Williams Story.

1. This is my third Pat WIlliams book and unlike the others which are "teaching books," this book tells the story of the story behind the stories! Pat Williams is a person with goals, dreams and objectives and without stepping on others, he sets out to achieve them. But like most people who have gained a degree of success in their life, the road has not always been smooth and paved with gold. This is a book that mirrors the "teaching books" in that it shows that Pat Williams actually has practiced what he preaches. Although filled with sports related stories, this book is also for those in businesses and careers that have nothing to do with the world of sports. Warning: Once you pick the pick the book up, you will have a hard time putting it down.



2. Pat Williams has done it again! This autobiography gives the reader a courtside seat to Williams wonderful life. He takes us from his boyhood, to his days playing with a Miami farm club (baseball), all the way to his current position with the Orlando Magic. He has many great stories, and lessons to share upon the way. He also gives a detailed account of how becoming a Christian has fullfilled all that was missing in his life. Pat Williams is the master motivator, and once again encourages the reader to reach for the stars, and go for it! A must read for everyone.



3. This is a well-written and enjoyable book to read. Contains interesting stories that make you really feel like you know Mr. Williams by the end. Great reading for a sports enthusiast. You sense the enthusiasm in which Mr. Williams lives his life. However, you also sense that this enthusiasm stems from his ego, which literally oozes off the pages. This leaves the reader questioning whether Mr. Williams, despite all of his religious speaking engagements, is a humble Christian or an ego-driven people pleaser.

   He frequently mentions his ex-wife and 18 children (14 foster children). I would like to read his biography from their perspective.




4. I picked up a copy because I heard Pat on a radio interview and felt I could use a book on "finding your passion and pursuing it". Boy! I never thought I would enjoy the book so much...I couldn't put it down. Thanks Pat for sharing so much of your life with us! I am a Latin girl who really doesn't get much into American sports, I admit I read it for the "success" part, but I learned so much about sports and the front office operations that now I enjoy keeping up with the trades, drafts, etc. My husband has been impressed! I recently re-read it!

No comments about They Called Him Coach: Biography of Coach Gerald Caveness.