5 comments about The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player (Becoming the Kind of Person Every Team Wants).

1. The title John Maxwell chose for this book could not be much more self-explanatory. The subject of The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player is just that. In his introduction, Maxwell shows he believes one of the best ways to improve a team is to "improve the individuals on the team." He continues, "You can become a better team member by embracing the qualities outlined in the following pages." Each of the following chapters focuses on one of these seventeen essentials.
   
   The first chapter entitled, "Adaptable," shows team players need to be able and willing to accept and initiate change, as circumstances demand it. The second, "Collaborative," expresses the need for teammates to work together. The third, "Committed," indicates the need for team members to exude loyalty for one another and to the project the team is working on. They must also be able to express themselves freely to one another as the next chapter, "Communicative," indicates. In the fifth chapter, "Competent," Maxwell expresses the need for team players "to be well qualified" for their jobs, and then, in the sixth, he shows they must be responsible, consistent, and "Dependable." Maxwell titled the seventh chapter, "Disciplined," and shows this should be reflected in the areas of intellect, emotions, and actions. The next chapter, "Enlarging," refers to the need for team players to build up the other members of their team through encouragement and edifying actions. Then, "Enthusiastic," expresses how essential it is for people to be excited about what they are doing. The tenth chapter, "Intentional," points out the importance of living and working with purpose, and the eleventh ties in by exhorting team players to stay "Mission Conscious." The next chapter rightly follows by showing the need to be "Prepared" to take the intermediate steps necessary to see goals fulfilled. The thirteenth chapter reminds the reader every team has a necessary "Relational" component that must not be overlooked. "Self-Improving" is the subject of Maxwell's next chapter. In it he points out, "There is nothing noble in being superior to someone else; progress is becoming superior to your previous self." The author shows the importance of putting others first in the fifteenth chapter entitled, "Selfless," while the sixteenth stresses the benefits of being "Solution Oriented" rather than dwelling on problems. John Maxwell closes with encouragement to be "Tenacious," and he shows that a person possessing this team player essential does not give up when the task gets difficult, instead he or she "hangs on until the job is finished."
   
   While Maxwell covers quite a list of essentials for team members to work on, he does it in a very consistent manner, which helps the reader fully grasp the concepts he presents. Each chapter is similarly broken up into five sections. The first section gives an extended real-life illustration of the chapter topic. Following these initial illustrations, the reader will find a heading labeled "Fleshing It Out." This is where Maxwell explains the topic and often breaks it down into three or four subheadings, which show how these qualities can and should be implemented in the lives of team players. Next, under the subheading of "Reflecting on It," Maxwell asks the reader pointed questions to help him or her see how they have been doing in the past in regards to the chapter's topic and whether or not there is room for improvement. The fourth part of each chapter is entitled, "Bringing It Home." This is where the author lists specific steps the reader should take to become a better team player in the area on which the chapter focuses. Then each chapter concludes with what Maxwell calls the "Daily Take-Away." Somehow touching on the topic at hand, the author closes each chapter with an inspiring anecdote before moving on to another of his seventeen essentials.



2. An easy read on the basics of being a part of a team- being a team player, decision making, management, etc. Easy to follow, mostly interesting. Broken into segments that make it easy to reflect.



3. Order was shipped the next day and arrived as I expected. Excellent service unlike another book I ordered the same day from a different vendor that didn't ship for 2 1/2 weeks! I would highly recommend this vendor and use them again without hesitation.



4. I've read most of Maxwell's stuff and I'm not a huge fan. This book is another in his series of "17" books, and I find that once again he could have combined most of them and made it the five or six essential qualities of a team player.
   
   The book is laid out systematically: name of the quality, feel-good story, 3-5 points of explanation, 3-5 points of application, next quality. It's chocked full of stories and quotations, so if you're looking for anecdotes, this is the book for you. It's a very easy read.
   
   It's not a bad book and there are a few points that I found useful, but for the most part it's just a run-of-mill Maxwell book. He's more of a storyteller. If you're looking for a good book on improving teamwork, I would recommend Patrick Lencioni's "Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators".



5. This brief, inspirational book uses a now-classic formula for texts on selling and leadership, although its focus on cooperation and following the leader is unusual. Each chapter starts with a short anecdote about a historic figure's accomplishments, and his or her triumph over adversity. The vignettes demonstrate the lessons that author John C. Maxwell then briefly discusses in the rest of the chapter. The "laws" the author promulgates benefit from the stories' afterglow and are less important than the stories themselves. Memorable quotations and sidebars that support the author's main points round off each lesson. Maxwell is an expert at wielding this formula, perhaps because he helped make it a classic, and a star in the inspirational self-help genre. We recommend his book as a pick-me-up for team members and aspiring leaders.

2 comments about Silent Thunder.

1. As a life-long University of Oklahoma football fan (and alumni of the school), I was intrigued to learn about this book. Due to injury, the author never made much of a public impact as a player in the OU football program, but, his story certainly sounded very courageous.
   
   I'm sure the author is a remarkable young man, but, the more of this book I read the more unsettled I became, not because of the content, but, because the author was obviously out of his element in attempting to write a full-length autobiography on his own, as most of us would be. A real publisher with any integrity, interested in assisting in the telling of this tale would have made an attempt to secure a ghost-writer.
   
   Kudos to Eric Thunader for his courage and perseverence. Shame on Tate Publishing & Enterprises for, apparently, trying to make an easy dollar at the expense of this young man.



2. Silent Thunder is a book that once in your hands you can't put it down. It's a true story of a Deaf football player that Played foe the 2000 National Championship OU football team. He over came domestic and child abuse and witnessed first hand unbelievable violence. But he did over come and eventually succeed in his dreams. A five star review no doubt waiting on the next book!!!!

5 comments about A Man and His Mother: An Adopted Son's Search.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and believe it provides a rare and intimate look into the heart of a male adoptee. Not much is written for male adoptees, or those who love them. Therefore, I applaud Tim's courage and admire his journey. It would be a great resource for an all-adoptee male support group!



2. Tim Green is a wonderful writer who details, with earnest passion, the search for his birth mother. This book is a must read for all birth mothers and all adopted children.



3. It's a tragedy that when an adopted person speaks, so many people insist he is wrong - even when he is recounting his own experiences.
   
   Thanks to Mr. Green people may now obtain a better understanding of what it is like for a human being to be separated from mother in infancy and grow up in an environment devoid of any true family members. This is very timely information with all the infertility businesses pushing sperm "donation", embryo donation, egg "donation" and surrogacy. And sadly, there is a continued push to get newborn babies for adoption customers, babies from naive and pressured parents and families that have never been proven to be unfit in any way.



4. Real parents? A parent is the person who raises you and influences the person you are today. You are not a Real parent b/c you conceived the child...that person has significant value as a birth parent. I was adopted and have also adopted children and the real parent is the one who has been there, invested...



5. When is someone going to say, "The folks who raised me are wonderful, but they are not my real parents." What a shame--even Tim is caught up in the lies. Everyone has only two real parents. To lose them, especially so soon after birth, is devastating. Ask any mother who has list her child.

1 comments about Driving Home: My Unforgettable Super Bowl Run with DVD.

1. This was a christmas gift for our grandson, who is a steelers fan.
   He was real excited to receive this as a gift.

5 comments about Last Call: Memoirs of an NFL Referee.

1. While parts of this book are fun and entertaining (eg: recalling Ben Dreith's "giving him the business" call), my overall reaction to this book was annoyance at Markbreit's mammoth ego. Yeah, you gotta have self-confidence to be an NFL ref (and Markbreit was one of the best ever). But the book is really just a long string of anecdotes in which Markbreit tells you how this scrappy undersize guy overcame the odds thru his strength of will. And it gets old quick, which is why I give it 3 stars.
   Football fans of the same era would be much happier reading John Madden's "Hey, wait a minute (I wrote a book)!" which if full of the happy fun stuff that made Madden famous.



2. THIS BOOK BY JERRY MARKBREIT FORMER NFL REFEREE WILL HOLD YOUR INTEREST FROM COVER TO COVER. HE TELLS US OF SOME OF THE GAMES HE HASBEEN IN ALONG WITH MANY OTHER INTERESTING TIDBITS. SOME OF WHICH ARE GAME PREPARATION, HOW TO WEAR THE UNIFORM, OFF SEASON TRAINING AND MANY MANY MORE. HE ALSO HAS SOME STORIES ABOUT WOODY HAYES, HOWIE LONG AND MANY MORE. ANOTHER THING I LIKED ABOUT THIS WAS THAT JERRY COULD ALSO POKE FUN AT HIMSELF ALONG THE WAY. HIS USE OF JEWISH WORDS IS ALSO AMUSING ALONG WITH THE STORY OF HIS FAMOUS COIN FLIP AT THE SUPER BOWL. ALL IN ALL THIS IS A GREAT READ AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.



3. I'm not crazy about most Pro Ref's in any sport but Jerry Markbreit is one of the few that I always respected the way He called a game.nothing out of the ordinary when He was ref of a Game or a big game.I enjoyed the way He takes you too the field.



4. At one point in Markbreit's book, he mentions being surprised when someone recognized him on the street. This shocked me. Does he not know he's the best ref in the league?

   I remember my dad first learning to recognize Markbreit (though at that time we thought his name was Markwright), and knowing that if he was officiating the game, the calls would be accurate and fair. In this book, you find out why - because he cared deeply about learning his job and performing at the absolute top level. As my dad says, "Quality of officiating usually exceeds quality of play" - this in response to the occasional bad call by a well-meaning official. When Markbreit was in charge, the truth was that "quality of officiating ALWAYS exceeds quality of play".

   This book takes you through Markbreit's entire career as a ref, beginning with covering intramural football at his college, and through the NFL and multiple Super Bowls. You'll also learn the basics about how officating works, how the NFL works to ensure accurate, consistent officiating (hint: if you saw an error on TV Sunday, they'll see it on tape on Monday), and how Markbreit made it to the top of his field.

   If you're a Markbreit fan, this is probably already on your bookshelf. If you're a football fan at all, and have ever even thought about what it takes to ref an NFL game, this book is for you.

   Markbreit is a five-star ref. This is a four-star book for the kinds of things that make a co-written autobiography not five-star fare. It's no worse than any other co-written autobiography, and better than most, but not quite five-star material. Still, the book is excellent and will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates the game.




5. Jerry Markbreit is not only a veteran NFL official but an insightful author who knows how to make the game (and the rules) a wonderful read. So many "bios" are filled with fluff, but this one tells grat stories, the kind you wish you'd hear from the so-calld expert talking heads on TV. I loved this book as much as his first one, which is now rightfully a collctor's item. Anyone who considers themselves and NFL fan will enjoy this book as well as his feature "Ask Jerry Markbreit" on the Chicago Tribune's web site...Great stuf. Thank you, Mr. Markbreit.

5 comments about Rise & Walk: The Trial & Triumph of Dennis Byrd (Harperspotlight).

1. this book kept me wanting more Dennis and Angela Byrd are truly inspirational people. I highly recomend this book to any one who has had any kind of setback in their life or career. Dennis never asked "why me?" when he paralyzed playing football. Dennis used faith in him self and God to rise above it.



2. I had a brush with paralysis when I was in training camp in my second year of University. The injury I suffered ended my days as a football player but I was fortunate enough to not be paralysed as a result of it. I can still, however, relate to many of the thoughts Dennis shares in his book. His story is without a doubt, one of the most inspirational I have ever heard and I admire him for his courage. Nothing I have ever read has helped me to put my life in to perspective better than "Rise and Walk". His book is among my favorites and I enjoy reading it more every time. I would recomend it to anyone.



3. DENNIS BYRD'S TESTIMONY HAS TRULY GOT TO BE THE MOST FAITH RENEWING EVER. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE FACING ANY KIND OF TRIAL OR ADVERSITY IN THEIR LIFE.



4. My niece's neck was broken and her spinal chord injured after a drunk driver hit the car that she, her brother and boyfriend were riding in. Her injury was in the same area of her spine as Dennis'. This book gave me a great start when trying to figure out if we were on the right track, medically. I have so much respect for Dennis and Angela...spiritually, emotionally and physically they have perserveared! My son loves football (age 9) I have many reservations about him playing this game. However, Dennis has given me a new perspective and I am re-evaluating my feelings about the game!



5. I read the book when I was losing my job because of a NAFTA downsizing. Somehow, the little things that I was facing seemed to be just that---little things. I have read the book many times, and I find new strength from it each time.

5 comments about I Remember Woody: Recollections of the Man They Called Coach Hayes.

1. This book was amazing. I could not put it down. It is a must for Ohio State fans. I will remember Woody after reading this.



2. This book was amazing. I could not put it down. It is a must for Ohio State fans. I will remember Woody after reading this.



3. This book shows Woody Hayes as the true person, not just the ranting coach on the sideline. As an aspiring coach, I see Woody as an excellent model for success. His genuine love and concern for his players is unique and inspiring. This book is a must read for those who want to see Woody as his players, friends, and family see him. Great book about a Great man.



4. being woody's grandson, i liked it, there was a wide array of people talking to the author about him. I thought that my favorite section was the last, the friends, foes and fans part. it seems as if many people here in columbus have their own personal run-in or encounter with him and for me, those stories are infitley more interesting than anything else.

   the recollections from the players and coaches were good, but they kind of blurred together under the "they may be smarter than me but i can outwork 'em" mantra.

   overall, good job. the photos were pretty interesting. we have a few at home that will never make it out, including one of woody in my darth vader helmet at christmas (i must've been ten or less).




5. I was surprised that such a complete collection of stories and experiences existed. Woody was bigger than life but at the same time he was only a simple man that expected the best from everyone he touched. A must read for all fans--not just Buckeyes!

No comments about The Saints, the Superdome, and the Scandal.

5 comments about Butkus: Flesh and Blood.

1. "Flesh and Blood" is Dick Butkus' autobiography from birth to 1997.
   He begins by telling about his family and some of the mischief he perpetrated as a youth. He tells of his early love for the game of football and an older brother that pursued a career as a player.
   
   He writes with a lot of admiration about fellow Bears rookie Gale Sayers and his appreciation for the talents of the great running backs. He also explains his respect for George Allen and his disappointment when George Halas let Allen leave the Bears' staff as a defensive coordinator. Allen had a big impact on the rookie Linebacker and he maintained a friendship after that. George Allen even contemplated a trade for Butkus shortly before the Linebacker retired.
   
   Dick Butkus elaborates on the adjustments to college football and academics. He didn't get to play as a freshman for the Illini and schoolwork was more challenging.
   
   He tackles some of the false legends regarding his actions on the field.
   
   "Flesh and Blood" gives you a look at the NFL of old from a player's point of view. Like other hall-of-famers of his period, he loved the game and often-times unselfishly played when he shouldn't have.
   He sued the Bears to get paid after he had to retire because of his knee injuries. The knee surgeries before the 1971 season were brutal and you have to wonder if they weren't more damaging than helpful.
   
   Dick Butkus covers his post-football life at the end of the book. While he played like a monster, he shows a human side as a husband and father.
   
   There may never be another Middle LineBacker that intimidates opponents and disrupts a game the way that # 51 did during his short career. This is his story and I enjoyed reading it.



2. My first word as a child was: Butkus. There was a football game on TV at the hospital where I was born. The Bears were playing the Lions. Butkus had five sacks and an interception. I like cookies and milk.



3. This book is the best book I ever read. Dick Butkus is the greatest human being who ever bit of a refs ear. I would recommend anyone thinking of becoming a serial killer read this book. I like cookies and , milk.



4. A very comprehensive study of each and every season Butkus played with the Bears. But I was hoping for much more about Butkus's life off the football field. I would have liked to have heard more anecdotes about players he played with and against. Also would have been interesting to hear personal insights from Dick regarding what he felt about the awe-like reputation he inspired on the field from fans and players alike.
   
   This reads too much as a season-by-season and game-by-game account of his career. Interesting at first but repetitive and dry over time. I was hoping for more.



5. I loved it!

   But then again I am a huge Bears fan and a huge Butkus fan,good ol 51 played the game like nobody ever did and I enjoyed reading about how he grewup and about the Bears on and off the field and its mangement,I always thought Bears mangement has always been skummy and this book proved me right,I loved this book though as it was great to hear stories about the players and how they spent there time and about picciolo and sayers etc,
   I met Butkus about 4months ago and he looks great and seams to be doing well.

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.