No comments about Bo Ryan: Another Hill to Climb.

4 comments about In the Paint: Tattoos of the NBA and the Stories Behind Them.

1. This book is more than just a bunch of pictures of NBA guys with tatoos -- though it has some great pictures. It is wittily written (the jacket says the author is comedy writer) without being condescending to the athletes. It's informative and fun and thorough. The players come off as everything from funny and strange to thoughtful and deep. My only complaint is that the colors in the photography could be a little more vivid. I'd reccommend this book to any NBA, skin art, or self expression.



2. I was'nt that impressed with this book.I thought it was going to go into alot more detail and show better array of pictures.Most of the pictures you can see on the internet already.The pictures that new were very few and far in between.It is a nice book to add to a collection,if you like tattoos or sports.Not a hreat book to learn about the players tattoos and meanings or even to see pctures of them.Some pictures shown didnt even get explained in the book.



3. NBA players have no respect for the art of tattooing or the history of it-- they simply get tattoos to look tough and/or get attention. This book is about as superficial as the tattoos it portrays.



4. This may look odd but I was trying to post someone else's review of my book that they e-mailed to me. I mean, why would I review my own book? I didn't even read it.

5 comments about Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era.

1. As you have probably read by now: In a basketball game back in March of 1962, Wilt Chamberlain, scored one hundred points for Philadelphia in a game against the New York Knickerbockers, an amazing achieve-ment in any era. Back in 1962, the National Basketball Association was undeveloped and the players traveled on buses and trains. Along came Wilt Chamberlain a strong and coordinated seven-footer and changed the dynamics of the NBA. The author conducting more than 250 interviews to recreate in detail this amazing performance that had not been televised at the time.



2. One of the more interesting points of this book is that the day of 100 points kind of became forgotten. The authir attributes one of the reasons to Wilt himself who stopped talking about the game.
   
   The authors opens up this book with Wilt's death in bed and the circumstances around it. he then takes us thru each quarter of the game with story of witls life between each quarter.
   
   One of the most interestingparts of this book is the detail the author descibes how one young kid stole the game ball and years later put it on EBAY for sale. Great research for that part.



3. In the early 1960s - light years before the era of 24 hour cable sports coverage - most pro basketball games might as well have been played on the Moon due to the lack of national media interest and with "home" games being played at neutral sites for bigger gates.
   
   That was the case for the 1962 Philadelphia Warriors, a franchise on the brink of being sold, though it featured a hometown legend, Wilt Chamberlin, and had a history of legendary high-school and college teams.
   
   On March 2 in Hershey, Pa., Wilt accomplished the impossible; scoring 100 points versus the New York Knickerbockers. The arena - with a capacity of 8,000 - was about half-full, the game was not televised and there were no New York sportswriters in attendance. Author Gary M. Pomerantz breaths life into the grainy photos from the event through interviews of referees, players, fans, reporters and team officials.
   
   Though the book breaks the game down into four quarters, it is not simply a history of that night. The early 1960s was a bridge for many black athletes to articulate about the rampant racism in society and sports. Pomerantz aptly writes about Wilt the individual - who was very vocal about the racial quotas on NBA clubs - and businessman as much as Wilt the athlete.
   
   And Pomerantz outlines the biggest controvery from the game; who got possession of the basketball.
   
   It is a record that may never be broken, but there was more to that evening than the game on the court. Wilt, 1962, again shows how sports mirrors society and even the greatest feats on a field of play cannot escape the reflection in black & white.



4. This is a fascinating read about one of the most charismatic personalities to play basketball on the professional level, Wilt Chamberlain. Although the book focuses on the night the record was made when Wilt scored 100 points the book reads like a sophisticated movie complete with flashbacks into Wilt's past. This allows the reader to see Wilt in very real terms in spite of the superhuman feats he performed, culminating with the 100 point game. There are many anecdotes that bring the story to life for a compelling portrait of the man and his times. This is a thoroughly good book that can be enjoyed by a variety of levels of reading ability. With slightly over 200 pages of interesting material this is a good book for the student of the game of basketball who may be attending high school. This book would be good for writting a book report on a sports biography.



5. THIS IS ABOUT THE NIGHT WILT CHAMBERLAIN SCORED 100 POINTS IN AN NBA GAME. I FOUND MOST OF THIS BOOK TO BE GOOD BUT AT TIMES IT HAD ALOT OF THINGS THAT WERE JUST PLAIN BORING. THE AUTHOR TRIES VERY HARD TO GIVE US THE NOSTALGIA AND ATMOSPHERE OF 1962, BUT I FOUND THE DETAIL TO THE GAME TO BE LACKING. I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT MUCH ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP OF GOTTLIEB AND ZINKOFF. SEEMS IT WAS USED TO FILL SOME PAGES. WHEN THE BOOK STICKS TO GAME ACTION AND DETAILS THE BOOK EXCELS. BUT THE ONLY REAL DETAIL OCCURS IN THE 4TH QUARTER. I ALSO LIKED THE INTERVIEWS WITH VARIOUS PLAYERS AND COACHES WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS GAME. ALSO LIKED THE STORY OF THE STOLEN BASKETBALL AND THE LATER YEARS OF WILT'S LIFE. OVERALL THIS IS A GOOD READ AND I RECOMMEND FOR ALL NOSTALGIC BASKETBALL FANS. ALSO A BOX SCORE OF THE GAME WOULD HAVE BEEN A NICE TOUCH.

5 comments about Operation Yao Ming: The Chinese Sports Empire, American Big Business, and the Making of an NBA Superstar.

1. This book is full of unsubtantiated racist drivel. The premise is that the Chinese can't play basketball. Lamaar does not source his claims - it's just like that he's making up stuffs from thin air.
   
   Regarding his claim that Yao was somehow bred. An Sports Illustrated (SI) article asked why is there only one Yao Ming.
   Why didn't they "created" more Yao Ming's if what Lamaar claimed is really factual? In case people don't know. Yao is the only child.
   
   If you look at other NBA caliber Chinese basketball players such Sun Yue, Yi Jianlian, Tang Zhengdon, Xue Yuyang (drafted by Denver), and even Wang Zhizhi. Their parents were not basketball players.
   
   There is no logic to Lamaar's unsubstantiated drivel.



2. This book is a very readable biography of Yao Ming.
   But I had been led to hope that it would inform me about China's future. I'm disappointed at how little it tells me about that subject. It provides some moderately interesting tidbits of information about China's recent history, but the book doesn't attempt to provide the kind of understanding of China that would tell us whether those tidbits are a glimpse of a past that is being abandoned or whether they contain useful indications of China's future.



3. I am NOT a huge sports nut...you know the kind who rattles off stats and knows all the players, but I really enjoyed this book. The story of Yao Ming was very interesting especially as it interlaces with China's history. I think it gives a very interesting look into the evolution of Chinese sports, politics and government. It kept me interested and I really looked forward to picking it up again every evening to read.



4. I first saw Yao Ming in a Marriott Courtyard lobby during an AAU tour in '98. I was wowed by the secrecy around the guy at the hotel. Since then, I've been waiting for the real story...No fluff. Well, Larmer captures the story of Yao Ming and the rise of basketball in China with his research. Even better, he coorelates the rise of basketball to the development of the Chinese economic boom. Major props...
   
   Now, will critics of Yao please read this book about the environment that surrounded Yao and Shanghai during his development? Will they please realize that Yao would be better suited for a team concept? It's just unfortunate that he started off his NBA career by landing into a thug party in Houston.
   
   Critics have been killing Yao for becoming too soft or for not stepping up to the mantle. Yet, what they don't realize is that Yao is from entirely different culture that professes team not the "I" like the majority of today's NBA superstars. He's a team player and a product of Soviet Training who places the group's interests above personal accolades...Does anyone remember the late '80s version of Arvydas Sabonis?
   
   Larmer touches on all of the subjects surrounding the development of Yao Ming by detailing politics, the reign of Mao, alternative health and herbs, Soviet training methods, Nike, academies, agents, the NBA and sports marketing. Tie this in with 'World is Flat', and you'll see a glimpse of sports in the 21st century.



5. The story of Yao Ming--the NBA's tallest-ever player who stands 7'6''--is necessarily the tale of the "sports machine," of politics, and of international business deals. Caught up in the forces of history, Shanghai's own homeboy has emerged as a symbol of the love-hate, push-pull relationship between China and the West. In Operation Yao Ming, award-winning journalist Brook Larmer has penned an enlightening and somewhat controversial account of the factors that shaped Yao's life, paved his way to the NBA, and rendered him a bridge to and eventually a symbol of East-West relations.
   
   Tension is the key operative word in this story. There is tension between Yao's life as a basketball player and what it might be otherwise, between Yao's life as the star on a Chinese basketball team and as 2002's number one draft for the American NBA, between American basketball training methods and the Chinese sports training system, between communism and capitalism, between the concept of sports as a way to glorify a nation and sports for their own sake. As a pawn in the center of all of this, Yao served as the key to unlock the treasure chest in many high stakes games--sports and otherwise.
   
   While the book is intriguing for its presentation of research on the Chinese basketball system and how its star player winds up in the NBA, a few faults must be mentioned. Operation Yao Ming was derived from a series of articles written for Newsweek between 2000 and 2003. While that means that the book displays the merit of much research, it also unfortunately succumbs to the hazards of allowing all that information to be hastily thrown together. The result is that the reader faces some abrupt topic changes and must suffer egregious repetitions--at times Larmer even uses the exact same adjectives, metaphors, and phrases. It is surprising that a seasoned journalist would not have done a more thorough job editing his material or hired someone to do it for him.
   
   The book also gives nearly equal billing to Yao's idol and rival, Wang ZhiZhi. Though some people may find this annoying, others--especially basketball fans--will enjoy the way Wang and Yao's paths to and experiences with the CBA and the NBA are compared and contrasted, with the tension of one man's successes measured against the other's hard luck and occasional role reversals. I, however, found myself distracted by the extra plotline.
   
   Overall, Operation Yao Ming is both entertaining and interesting. Those who find the inner workings of the Chinese sports machine, international politics, basketball training, the business of basketball, international business, or above all Yao Ming, appealing will enjoy this book.

No comments about Michael Jordan: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies).

5 comments about Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Loved Him.

1. For 3,338 consecutive games Chick Hern was the voice of the L.A. Lakers. He became as famous as the best of their players. As the voice of the lakers, he essentially was the lakers to millions of fans. He brought the team, the coaches, and the rest of the organization to the millions of fans. He lived Lakers basketball, and it showed in the way he talked.

   This book presents Chick in two ways: One is the writing about Chick, his life, his stories of the team, people, and life in general. Second is the CD included with the book that gives some of his greatest calles, along with narration by Al Michaels. Normally the voice of a sports broadcaster is a transient thing. You hear what he said, or maybe you miss it, and it's gone forever. Here are some of the best of his work, recorded forever.




2. 
   As a lifelong Laker fan, I've felt like I've known Chick for most of my life. He was like the eccentric uncle that explained things to you when he visited, and in Chick's case, what he explained was basketball.
   
   If you're not a Laker fan, this book probably won't be as meaningful to you, but it's filled with entertaining stories and poignant nuggets about broadcasting, basketball, and life in general. Some of the material I'd read about before, but a lot of it was new to me. It gets quite emotional at times; it's not strictly about basketball or play-by-play announcing, although he looms very large in both fields.
   
   The book is mostly a compilation of other people recalling their memories of Chick, with some first-hand quotes from him as well. It doesn't really have a narrative, so it's a nice book to pick up and read from occasionally. I think the structure of it really suits the subject well. Chick was great at describing basketball and relating to people, so to a large extent the book is basketball people talking about him.
   
   If you're a Laker fan, it's a great read. If you're into sportscasting or basketball, there's something for you too.



3. This book really brought Chick Hearn back to life for me...I LOVED IT! It contained so many facinating memories from Chick and those close to him. Also, the accompanying CD with excerpts of Chick's calls from many games cleverly strung together...his Chickisms....was an added treat. For anyone who followed Chick during his career I highly recommend this book!
   
   Dianne O.
   La Canada, CA



4. I grew up watching/listening/simulcasting to EVERY GAME for the Lakers from 1981 through about 2003 or so (still try to catch them on tv, but no longer live in the L.A. area). It seems that since he passed away, the Lakers were suddenly cursed. But this book brings back the Memoirs of one of my favorite idols. Chick was the best announcer, period. He was so good that even people who were simply not into the game, or even disgusted by sports in general, would get into it and watch because of his sharp apt to connect to the viewers/listeners with ease and comfort. I've seen this myself firsthand more than a plenty of times. His ability to bring the game to you in a simple and enjoyable fashion was priceless. My mom even loved the guy. So Laker fans, Angelinos, basketball and sports fans -- buy this book!



5. What a wonderful book about a man who loved basketball and the Lakers. Chick Hearn was a very gifted announcer. The way he would describe the game would seem to put you court-side along with the other 17,505 at the fabulous Forum! I started listening to Chick during the 70's and into the 80's. Living in Arizona I had to try and find the L.A. station when possible. When one of the local stations started carrying the games in the 80's, I was estatic. The book does a nice job starting from his youth into his last days. Reading about the last few months of his life just broke your heart for the man----and I didn't know him!! That should tell you how the fans could relate to Chick. The Los Angeles area had two other announcers that were also great in my book---Dick Enberg doing Ram games and Vin Scully doing Dodgers games. The Los Angeles area was blessed with many great teams and announcers, but none will be able to replace Chick Hearn.

1 comments about The Inside Game: Race, Power, and Politics in the NBA (Ohio History and Culture).

1. I just finished this book tonight, and it's one of the best sports autobiographies I've read in ages, and I read most of them. Wayne Embry is a pioneer, and a man that overcame a tremendous amount of racism and adversity in his life to become a power player (GM) of 2 NBA ballclubs.
   I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Embry in passing at camps, and he was a kind gentleman. I always admired him but never knew all that he went through. To be fair in my review, I must say that in reading the book, he seems at times overly-sensitive in his analysis of some situations, especially those with Cavs ownership, and that he often seems to have felt slighted, when he may have just been a casualty of an underachieving ballclub, and NOT the victim of racism.
   Either way, the man is an intellect, and also found success in business as a big-time McDonald's franchisee and sat on the BOD of several Fortune 500 companies, as well as a trustee of his alma mater, Miami of Ohio. A man who has been married to the same woman for almost 50 years. A man of conviction.
   I say this for Embry, whether or not you agree or disagree with his views, he pulls no punches. He tells it like it is, and does not sugar coat things in this book. There's nothing worse than shelling out $20 or $30 for a book, and then you get nothing but cliche nonsense, or the same old fuzzy stories you already knew from the sports pages or internet.
   This book is a must for old-time/vintage NBA fans or those who wonder what it's like to be a GM of a team. Wayne Embry was not only a physical specimen, but a cerebral giant of a man, and this is one helluva read. Kudos, Big Wayne. Regards, James R. Acho, Esq. www.cmda-law.com

5 comments about High Above Courtside: The Lost Memoirs of Johnny Most.

1. No one ever cared as much about the Boston Celtics as did Johnny Most, the radio voice of the Celtics for 37 years including their 16 championship seasons. To him, no one in the green and white ever made a mistake. No opposing player failed to be a "bum" who was "mugging" the Celtics. The referees were all suspect . . . especially Jake O'Donnell. His rants anticipated the development of that form of entertainment, and came equipped in four different voices . . . depending on how outraged he was. Humor was always interceding as Johnny was known to get into brawls with fans, light himself on fire while smoking, insult the security guards who tried to get him to stop smoking, and told one revealing personal story after another that would leave us in stitches. But we never laughed at the man . . . but with him . . . because we knew he loved the Celtics.

   Like almost everyone who loved the Celtics, I usually listened to his broadcasts on the radio even when watching the games on television (with the sound off). I would turn on the radio to hear the post-game show whenever I left a home game. My eye would often sweep up to see what antics he was up to while attending a game.

   Basketball broadcasting hasn't been the same since Johnny left the field. Tommy Heinsohn is the closest we have now, but he's not the total fan (atic) that Johnny was.

   The book is remarkable in many ways. It fills in the gaps in Johnny's story -- as a World War II hero, as someone learning to be a broadcaster in New York, as a New York-born Jew suffering from discrimination, as a loving father of four, a good friend to everyone on the Celtics, a hilarious (but challenging) companion during road trips, a patient recovering from a stroke, and a man keeping his dignity during his final illnesses.

   Almost every page has an insider's story about one or more of the Celtics or other basketball insiders which I had never heard or read before. The stories are mostly heart-warming and are often quite funny as we find out more about the pranks that were pulled and by whom. Within those stories are subtle observations about why the various Celtics teams prospered or did not. Former owner John Y. Brown (who was widely despised in Boston) would do well to avoid this book.

   While most autobiographies build the person up at the expense of others, the comments by many of the Celtics greats at the end seem to suggest that Johnny's comments actually understate his significance to the team, the franchise and to them personally.

   One of the most fun parts of the book is where Johnny picks his top 15 opposing players (done before the full development of Michael Jordan because this book was begun many years ago while Johnny's health began to fail).

   The only thing missing from this book is a CD of Johnny calling some of the most famous moments in Celtics history. But if you've ever heard his voice, you can hear him as you read his words.

   Johnny may be famous for screaming, "Havlicek stole the ball," but in this autobiography "Most stole the scene."

   Keep cheering, Johnny, wherever you are!




2. In the early 80's, all my friends had state-of-the-art electronic equipment for their listening pleasure. My friend Ty had a boom-box the size of a suitcase. Scott had the first walkman of our group. Dave had a massive stereo system in his bedroom, much to the dismay of the rest of his neighborhood and, later on in the 80's, Joe's family bought a CD player.
   
   I personally could have cared less about music in those days. My "entertainment system" was a chocolate brown clock radio which the time was illuminated by an orange hue and the minute tiles flipped down every 60 seconds.
   
   I don't even remember if the radio had an FM dial. I am, however, quite certain that WBZ 1030, the flagship station of the Boston Celtics, could be heard.
   
   And the voice of the Celtics, Johnny Most, put me to sleep 82 times a year.
   
   "High Above Courtside: The Lost Memoirs of Johnny Most" is a treasure for anyone else who grew up a basketball fan in New England. Published over 10 years after his death, Most chronologically recounts his early days in broadcasting and ultimately his personal experiences with the 16 NBA championships he called throughout the years.
   
   Since his death in 1993, the Celtic organization, and the scope of the NBA has changed dramatically. Most's writing brings the reader back to the days when basketball was played the right way. He tells inside stories of every Celtic legend. There are lockerroom, hotel and plane ride adventures that only Most would know and find humorous enough to write about. And every one of the stories are terrific.
   
   Johnny Most was clearly a talented man. His writing is spectacular. I laughed out loud many times the way he recounted stories, like the day his pants caught fire from a lit cigarette...while he was on air.
   
   Most was a smart, witty, "homer" whose us-against-the-world attitude had millions of Celtic fans fired up to listen to him. His use of the English language was flawless. And his cantankerous demeanor toward referees and opposing players was priceless. Because of Johnny Most, I still call Isiah Thomas "Little Lord Fauntleroy". When Rick Mahorn flew into the stands during the Pistons/Pacer brawl, New Englanders immediately found the irony in "McNasty" being the peacemaker.
   
   The book is a time capsule. Why it was not published before his death or sometime in the last ten years is beyond me. True, "High Above Courtside: The Lost Memoirs of Johnny Most", is an autobiography, but it's also a biography of the greatest franchise in professional sports history: the Boston Celtics.
   
   It is a perfect Christmas gift for anyone who fell asleep to the scratchy, cigarette damaged, loud, surly, obnoxious yet soothing voice of New England legend Johnny Most.



3. Overall, this is a worthwhile book for Celtics fans to buy. The epilog from Larry Bird alone makes it that.
   Overall, Johnny told a lot of good stories and had good detail on his years with Boston. There were a couple of problems I had, however:
   Namely, there were a lot of long quotes by players allegedly "told" to Johnny, and it was clear that they almost certainly never said them. I mean, was Johnny's memory that good, where he could recite word-for-word long passages said to him 20 years earlier?
   It would have been a better book if he had just paraphrased what he thought they told him, instead of long, ridiculously formalized passages.
   I'm a professional sports writer, and I can tell you athletes don't normally talk the way they are quoted in Johnny's book.
   But still, there are a lot of good inside stories for C's fans. The back-and-forth ribbing between Bird and Rick Robey was something I didn't know, and there are a lot of good insights from players about Johnny himself. Robert Parish recouting Johnny's penchant for call girls, for instance.
   I went to Johnny's basketball camp as a 12-year-old in Nashua, N.H., and he was very nice to all us kids. In fact, he did something nice for me; for some reason, I was getting picked on severely by a couple of older kids, to the point where I was crying and afraid to go anywhere. It was brutal. I mean, just out of the blue, these guys were making my life miserable.
   So, I went to Johnny about it. I felt like a wuss in some ways, but they were a lot bigger and older than I was, and I just felt scared. I went to Johnny one night as he was sitting alone in the kitchen watching a rerun of "Hawaii 5-O" on a little black and white TV set.
   I explained my problem, and was very concerned and sincere. A few minutes later, Johnny came into the room where all the boys had bunks and addressed it only for a minute. I can't remember the exact words he said, but it was something about how he can't stand an unfair fight, which was something he learned in the military.
   And that was it. But it was enough to get the bullies off my ass, and I was grateful to him.
   So, here's to you Johnny. Rest in peace, high above courtside.



4. HE MAKES HIS MEMOIRS COME ALIVE. HE WAS A FANTASTIC PERSONALITY AND THE GREATEST BASKETBALL ANNOUNCER EVER. LOOK WHAT HE HAD TO WORK WITH. THE CELTICS AND ALL THOSE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
   I WISH HE WERE STILL ALIVE. THIS BOOK IS GREAT. BUY IT FOR YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY.



5. This book chronicles one of the most beloved sports figures the Boston area will ever know. Johnny Most is one of the most beloved Celtic legends and the ultimate homer. His love for his children and each individual Celtic player is evident in this easy-flowing, fascinating book.
   
   Johnny narrates most of the book (with editor contributions and special sections authored by Red and Larry) in a well-versed, fun-to-read style which brings us more insight into the man's early days and career. The laugh-out-loud stories were priceless. His inspirational return after health issues and fatherly counseling of Celtic players add insight into the man's legendary character.
   
   I highly recommend this book for to all New England sports fans.
   
   JK

5 comments about She's Got Next : A Story of Getting In, Staying Open, and Taking a Shot.

1. After reading this book, I have no doubt King's star is rising. Don't worry, you need know nothing of basketball to appreciate this honest examination of an individual life and the complicated interactions of humans. A joyful and hillarious read, King also examines our shortcomings and most desperate needs. The work of a philosopher, comedian, and athelete, you can't go wrong with this lovely memoir. Fans of David Sedaris and Anne Lamott will be especially pleased.



2. I love this book! An industry friend loaned me his advance copy. I took it home and read it in one sitting. I plan on buying several copies to give to friends as beach reads for the summer and a copy for my daughter--this is not a kid's book, but King's life is an example of independence, the importance of taking risks and making hard choices, and balancing working hard with patience and fun.
   
   King's voice is utterly appealing as well as fresh and unique. I've never read a book quite like this. Not just a memoir, almost a novel in it's narrative coherence and construction, not a self-help book yet relentlessly thoughtful, laugh out loud funny one moment and heartbreaking the next.
   
   You'll root for King, want to be friends with her, rush through to find out what happens to her next. As another reviewer wrote, you don't need to know (or care, really) about basketball to enjoy this book. It's not chick-lit and men will enjoy it as much as women for the humor, the sports, and the lovely and brilliant author/protagonist. If you like southern literature, King's voice will fit right into the tradition for you, but the book takes place not only in the south, but in Chicago and LA as well, so city slickers will recognize their neighborhoods and neighbors and likely get a new perspective on city life.
   
   A recent review in a newspaper compared King to Walker Percy and I hear the book will be featured in "Entertainment Weekly" magazine this summer. This book could get big, so enjoy the pleasure of reading it while it's still under the radar. Published in paperback, it's low price and great cover seem to match perfectly the plain spoken yet utterly lovely book inside.
   
   Don't miss this one. There's not another book out there like this. A true original.



3. and, boy, I'm glad I was. My grown son brought this to me thinking I would love it because he's played basketball all his life and I've played with him and coached when he was younger. This a great story about the way sports can effect a life. If you've ever known the pleasure of casual play (of any game, not just basketball and not just sports) you'll find this familiar, fun, and inspiring. I'm going to hit the local Y today and shoot around and try test my powers of observation against King's amazing ability and I can't wait to talk to strangers and strange people again as we work towards a common goal (across race, class, gender, and, at times, skill), an experience I've not had in years and now hope to make part of my retirement. Be forewarned there is some explicit language, but nothing shocking or gratuitous--the author is clearly a master of the language and using just the right words at just the right moment. What gifts some of us get! To have her basketball skills and writing abilitiy. . .this writer has been blessed.



4. This is a funny and inciteful book that looks into the life of a young lady as she moves from rural Arkansas to Chicago. Following a course that a lot of us have had to take she was lonely, bored, and generally unhappy. Eventually she remembered how much she had enjoyed playing basketball and turned to playing as a way to pass the time, meet people, develop a life.
   
   Basketball was her thing, never with a thought of turning pro or anything like that (she admits to not being very good), but just finding a place to be.
   
   That sounds kind of dull, but it's a story of finding oneself, of growing up. And through basketball she is able to discover things about the issues of race, class, gender, religion, sexual politics and love.
   
   Hers was a trip that I had to take long before she was born. I can only wish that I'd had the literary skill to record it as well as she does. This is a delightful book.



5. just wanted to say I loved Ms. King's book, " she's got next." it was refreshing to read about basketball written from her perspective. like ms. king, i grew up down south, which is sports-mad; but my alma mater was more of a football school. that is not to say my school's basketball team didn't have its moments; they made the final four a couple of times, plus they had shaq and chris jackson, so they did ok. some of the scenes which ms. king writes about basketball being played on the playgrounds of chicago and l.a. made me misty-eyed, they were so nostalgic. ms. king's self-depricating humor made her story more accessible and fun.plus the scenes which she coaches a youth team were also fun to read about. the urban flava comes through the prose easily. it's as if dorothy parker wrote a basketball book and tricked it out with some hip-hop beats...

5 comments about Dick Vitale's Living a Dream: Reflections on 25 Years Sitting in the Best Seat in the House.

1. This book contains a foreword written by a CLASS ACT, Mike Krzyzewski. Much unlike the classless Gary Williams, who refused to attend my barbeque ----- Perhaps this explains why can't pull recruits from his own backyard? This is described in detail in chapter 5. Mr Vitale is a pleasure to read. He describes his trips to Cameron Indoor and his friendly conversations with Coach K, Mike Dunleavy, and Wayne Gooch.



2. Self-parody at its finest



3. I found this to be a fascinating review of the college basketball scene from a viewpoint rarely taken, from inside the "Coach K Waste Disposal Tunnel at Cameron Indoor Stadium," where many Duke fans in the media hang out, and discuss matters of interest to Duke athletic supporters. Dick Vitale really dares to go where no other living soul would.

   Beyond that, Dick's use of hackneyed cliches sets the standards for a whole generation of 1-trick pony sports broadcasters yet to come. Kudos to Dick for having the courage to be an exemplar of stupidity, BABY!




4. If you like college basketball or Dick Vitale you'll enjoy this book. Dick spends quite a bit of time going through his humble beginnings at the embryonic Espn. Hard to remember it being a start-up. Actually he goes back further describing getting fired as a coach and what a mental challenge that was.
   
   But this book is all about celebrating college basketball as seen through Dick Vitale's eyes. Yes, I'm aware he can be "over the top". But listening to him describe how much he loves his job and how much he is overpaid gives you an idea of just how much he loves waking up everyday and finding someone new to listen to him.
   
   While a substantial amount of the book is about Dick, he also hits the major problems with the game today and what he would do to change them. Destined to be controversial, Dick Vitale makes an impact in his job and other peoples lives. Recently I attended a U of Louisville/U of Memphis game and right before the cameras start rolling Dick jumps out on the floor to dance to the band. I'm sure many people would find this foolish. But with his bald head and big smile, he brought the crowd to a standing ovation. He makes you have more fun and that's a great profession to be in.
   
   Be forewarned that you can't read this book without the words sounding like their coming from Dick's mouth, similar to listening to the book on tape. I know that sounds weird but when you read it, you've heard the voice and the themes so many times that it becomes familiar to you. I've had the pleasure to meet Dick and let me assure you he is EXACTLY in person like you see on TV. A guy having fun and wanting everyone else to also.



5. This is a must read for any college basketball fan. "Dickie V" lets every reader know what it feels like to experience big time college hoops from the best seat in the house. Also includes stories about Jim Valvano, Rick Pitino, Coach K, MJ, and everyone who has influenced his life in broadcasting over the last 25 years. Funny, heart-felt, inspiring, and down right a good read. You won't regret it.