5 comments about Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface.

1. As soon as I received the book in the mail, I started reading it instantly. This book talks about his beginnings from a child, to the olympics in Athens. I felt I was with him at every step of the way to his stardom, while he describes his trials, feelings, innocence, growing up and messing up, learning through out his journey. I would definitely recommend this book for everyone.



2. Although this book leaves swim training to the coaches, this book offers the incredible journey of Michael Phelps from childhood swimming to the 2004 Olympics. As a college swimmer, it was a relief to read about his training and see similarities with my own.
   
   He offers lessons for life that are necessary for any young athlete. Phelps had help writing the book, but his words and experiences are still there. This man has been through a great deal and it is incredible to read of his sacrifice in the name of achieving greatness.
   
   It is written simply and easy to read. Inspirational and any athlete can relate. I love this book.



3. I think is a nice book, for the fans of Michael Phelps is really good, he shares important aspects of his life and is very interesting to see what this kid has overcome to be the best swimer in the world.



4. An excellent book with an inside look at the Olympic dream.
   Very well written and inspiring.
   t-minus until 2k8...



5. This is one of the best sports autobiographies I've read in a long time.
   Yes,it's obvious that he had help with the book,but Michael comes across
   as very mature,intelligent,and articulate.He tells his story very honestly and quite eloquently.Moreover,his love and enthusiasm for his sport,as well as his desire and efforts to raise its recognition in the
   United States,are evident.And yes,he discusses his DWI arrest on the last page.To his credit,Michael is honest and apologetic about it.An excellent book that everyone will enjoy.

5 comments about Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster.

1. Into Thin Air is a true account of a fatal expedition to the summit of Mount Everest in 1996. Jon Krakauer, a journalist and hobby mountaineer, went with a group of climbers on their quest for the summit in order to document the effort for an American publication. Due to bad weather, some poor choices, and competition between summit guide companies, four of the five teammates in his climbing group never made it back down the mountain.
   
   The book seems to be a way for Krakauer to purge some of the demons that have plagued him since Everest, but also a tangible way to factually account for how disaster struck the expedition. Krakauer takes great pains throughout the book to honor the memory of those climbers who perished during the descent.
   
   I learned so much from this book. I never understood how risky climbing such a high peak was - the freezing cold, the unbelievably thin air, the tiny ridges which must be navigated, the crazy interdependence you must share with the other climbers on the mountain. Without bottled oxygen, most climbers would never make it to the top and back. The incredible lack of oxygen at high altitudes causes swelling in the brain, leads to fluid seepage into the lungs, etc. Combined with the freezing cold and the probability of bad weather, it's a miracle that anyone makes it up the mountain and back down in reasonably good health. The more I read this book, the more I understood how truly crazy you have to be to undertake climbing Everest.
   
   I also found the commercialization of climbing Everest utterly mesmerizing. Experienced guides can charge clients $70,000 a pop to guide them to the summit, and competition among guides for business is cutthroat. So, in some cases, you may see guides who are taking risks to get clients to the summit because they've anted up the money AND because guides want a high success rate of getting clients to the top. (A success rate they can later emphasize in order to drum up new business.)
   
   This would all be capitalism as usual, of course, if getting to the top of the mountain wasn't such a risk of life and limb. Krakauer mentions on more than one occasion that one could frequently see corpses on one's way up (or down) the mountain, a sad fact of how dangerous the endeavor can be.
   
   Although this book isn't a pleasure to read (it's more of a clammy-hands, up all night kind of venture, as you are desperate to complete the book), the story is gripping and true. Krakauer goes to great pains to demonstrate the veracity of his account, with footnotes and a lengthy response to those who have criticized his documentation of events. At heart, the man is a journalist, and he fact-checks via exhaustive interviews with other climbers on the mountain and cites from interviews individuals have granted to other outlets to bolster his account.
   
   I found it a fascinating tale of one of the deadliest seasons the mountain has ever seen. Not to be missed.



2. "..I hoped that something would be gained by spilling my soul in the calamity's immediate aftermath, in the roil and torment of the moment I wanted my account to have a raw, ruthless sort of honesty that seemed in danger of leaching away with the passage of time and the dissipation of anguish."
   
   As an avid mountain climber in his youth, Jon had always wanted to climb the Everest. However, as he grew up his dreams faded away into the practicality of a family life. All that changed dramatically when Outside magazine, where he was a contributing editor, commissioned him to write a story about the commercialization of Everest, and agreed to fund him to go all the way to the top as part of Rob Hall's guided expedition of 1996.
   
   The expedition ended in a disaster, when on summit day, a storm blew up out of nowhere and several members of Hall's expedition, as well as Scott Fischer's guided expedition got stuck on the slopes on the way back from the summit.
   
   Five people from the 2 expeditions died as a direct result of the storm, including the two leaders Hall and Fischer. Of course, Jon and many others survived through that difficult day, and many (including Jon) successfully climbed the summit.
   
   Into Thin Air is a chillingly personal and detailed account of this episode. Jon's book gives a detailed description of all the people who were on the peak at that time and the incidents leading upto the disaster and beyond. At times his too-honest approach doesn't hold back from questioning the judgments of several individuals, some of whom died, and many of whom are still alive.
   
   Jon is equally critical of himself, and hasn't spared himself in his analysis of the events around the calamity. "My actions - or failure to act - played a direct role in the death of Andy Harris. And while Yasuko Namba lay dying on the South Col, I was a mere 350 yards away, huddled inside a tent, oblivious to her struggle, concerned only with my own safety."
   
   Into Thin Air raises many difficult moral questions, wrapped inside the tortuous circumstances in which these individuals were coping with the effect of lack of oxygen to the brain. Instead of choosing to answer them in his own way and make judgments of right and wrong, Jon chooses to lay every fact in front of the reader to let them form their own conclusions.
   
   Jon's book is a must read for those who aspire to challenge themselves physically, by going to the Everest or otherwise. But it's also a must read for many of us who encounter situations in our lives where we have to make instant and tough decisions in circumstances where our intellect and emotional control can be excused for failing itself, and where each action can significantly impact the lives of others. While Jon's book isn't a moral guide of any sort, it does force us to introspect by introducing us to an extreme situation which most us of would likely never encounter.
   
   Into This Air is written in a fast paced narrative style, almost like a fiction thriller with some drama thrown in. Go read this book -it's guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seats.
   
   P.S. : The title of this review is borrowed from the name of Scott Fischer's adventure company.



3. This book is both an engrossing account of a perilous journey up Mt. Everest...the "top of the world"...and a deeper study of what drives individuals to willingly take on great, and known, risks. It is this unique balance of best-seller caliber action and deeper content that make "Into Thin Air" stand out for me.
   
   Krakauer's writing caters to a wide audience and he brings credibility and first-hand experience to the subject matter. When delving into the larger question of what drives people to take on risk, however, his own point of view looms large. As the title of this book includes the words, "A Personal Account," this is understandable, but I found the author's personal outlook overshadowed the theme of life and risk.
   
   Overall, this is a book well worth reading. It offers a gripping account of a harrowing set of events in the loftiest areas on Earth.



4. Even though the title of the review is what it is, the book does has some interesting tidbits about high altitude mountaineering. For non climbers and arm-chair adventurers it would satisfy you, as the author writes well. You'll learn some intrinsic details, enough to keep the "how and what" types occupied. For this the book gets it's two stars -- good writing and technical details (like the effects of high altitude sickness).
   
   But what makes this book really hard to stomach though, and how a reader can learn to despise the author, is how critical the author is about those in the expedition. Usually I like to know the "real story" in adventure disasters, to know the interpersonal reactions (like the character chemistry in the Scott South Pole Expedition), yet I draw the line at common decency. The Japanese woman climber, he complained about what she carried, claiming it helped to contribute in her death. That cold. Then in the end of the book the author tells of how he tries to cope with the tragedy, and the death of the very people he was critical over. It comes off self-serving, and after the meat puppetry, even put on. Guess the author tries to cope with some anger and denial, which means he didn't recover enough after the tragedy to write the book without it, and would explain how upsetting a read this book can be.
   
   Get the book if you like mountaining stories. Get it for some history (some tidbits about the IMAX expedition in the book). But don't get it if you have a heart, you'll be wanting to tear pages out of the book as he pokes the dead in the eyes.



5. Of all the books that I have read, this is the best. Absolutely fascinating. And, in my opinion, it's an adventure story that can be enjoyed by folks who aren't necessarily into mountain climbing. My dad gave this book to me as a gift, and he being a writer himself had told me that he thought it was one of the best books he had ever read. I've since given it as a gift to a few of my friends. Also, another fun book by Krakauer is Eiger Dreams, which is a collection of short climbing/survival stories. I'd highly recommend Into Thin Air!

5 comments about Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life.

1. Sometimes the irony of a certain situation strikes me as highly profound. The person that recommended me this book happens to be an assistant manager that I work with. She told me how she learned so much from Dungy's life, and how it changed her life. And her recommendation of this book was what convinced me to read it. Yet when the store manager threw her a bone that she didn't expect, she didn't handle it like a professional. She handled it like a little first grader because she didn't get what she deserved, and because life isn't fair. And after reading what Tony Dungy went through, and how he pressed on, I want to press on, regardless of my circumstances. So my goal isn't to be better than my assistant manager, but to focus on my life. That's what Tony Dungy did. He focused on his life and on his team and his goals.
   
   "Quiet Strength" sums this up very well. All the while he looks back on his career in football, it never seems like he chalks it up as bragging rights. He just counts it as the life he lived. He takes lessons from the great Chuck Noll, to just go out there and "Do what we do" as a team. He talks little about his family, but from what I can see, his family comes before football.
   
   Dungy takes disappointment combined with elation in the ups and downs of his career, let alone his life. Things have not always come easy for this man, and have in fact, gotten harder in some aspects. Especially in one situation with his son that many knew about in the middle of the 2005 season. But that didn't stop Tony Dungy from pressing forward. And it didn't stop him from leaning on Christ Jesus in the thick of things.
   
   As I still see my assistant manager from day to day, I still extend my hellos and she extends hers. There is very little respect for her these days from my perspective, but that's ok. I do what I do. I'm pressing on. Tony Dungy pressed on. Tony Dungy is an NFL Champion, and all he has to show for it is quiet strength. Because that's all he needs! Thank you, Tony Dungy.



2. I highly recommend this book to ANY reader--the football fan, the God fan, the prayer fan, or othewise. It is an excellent, life-changing read.



3. This book is very powerful for anyone striving to excel with God as your guide. Tony Dungy is a great example of a faithful man in the face of tremendous success and soul shattering pain. Thanks for writing the book, all of us that read it are indebted to you.



4. Tony Dungy shows that the quiet man can accomplish great things. Coaching,and life do not require boisterous, bloviating and bullying to be sucessful. We need more coaches like Tony. In sports and in life itself.



5. Even if you are not a football fan, there are "life" lessons and leadership qualities that can be very beneficial to anyone who has to deal with people. This book is inspirational, using Christian principals, useful in everyday life.

5 comments about It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life.

1. as I was mid-way through this book, there were only two thoughts going on in my mind -
   1. this guy is human/normal like us with all frailties/insecurities
   2. and gosh what extremes are humanly possible!!... the triumph of human spirit! very humbling. very inspiring.



2. A page-turner like no other, once I started it, I couldn't stop. Without a doubt, Lance is one of kind athlete, but that's not the point. The early achievements, the cancer battle, the return to the sport - it's an amazing story of the resilience of the human spirit, both on the account of people around him, and Lance himself. It's a gem of a book and an inspirational read, it reminded me of what we are all capable off.



3. I picked this book with trepidity. Having read scores of biographies from succesful sportspersons, I did not expect this one to be any different. They struggle, they compete, they succeed. I started reading this purely based my wife's strongly recommended this.
   
   And it just did move me completely!
   
   
   Once I started reading, there was no looking back. This is gripping cover-covcer. I guess the cycle races are such. We get so involved in the sport. Whern Lance talks about Cancer, it is not in absurd medical terms or over-simplification. He did carry me long - thtough his journry. I could vicariusly experience being with him in the ward in Idianopolis or at the Finish line of Tour De France.
   
   A narrative style that takes the audience at a leisurely pace, keeping the reder hooked and attached to the strory.
   
   Truly inspirational. A day after I finished the book, today, I am shaving my head for a cause - cancer patients!



4. I had a meeting with VP in the company and as I got in his office you can sense he was a Lance fans. I'm not! Maybe for his way to act that he so well describe in his book! As an ex-athlete my self I could not hide my opinion about Lance. It was a nice and healthy conversation. Few weeks later I had another meeting with the same VP and as I walk in to his office he gave me this book as a present, knowing I'm an avid reader.
   
   I read it during the long flight back home! Great inspiring book! Never did read a sportsman biography but this one is worth each single word.
   
   You learn something new every day! I guess I learn something more about a great individual and athlete!
   
   PS - I have a colleague that is fighting a similar battle and I gave the book to him because sometime other peoples words are better then your.



5. A story of courage, transformation, inspiration, love, failure, success, it has absolutely every element of the most thrilling book you have ever read. Get this book if you want to laugh, cry, scream, shout and jump for joy. Lance's triumph over his bought with cancer will leave you feeling grateful, in awe, and thoroughly filled with life-affirming happiness.
   
   Sally Shields, www.TheDILRules.com

5 comments about A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis.

1. I am Pete Sampras` fan and of course I enjoyed this book a lot!
   I knew about most of the matches and important events, so it was really interesting to read Pete`s view of things.
   And at the end I had a feeling, that the book was too thin:)



2. Pete Sampras is my all time favorite tennis player and this book was a unique opportunity to gain insight into the personality and make up of one of the greatest champions of all time. It is hard to put the book down, once you start reading it. I would definitely recommend it to tennis players and non-tennis players alike.



3. What a wonderful book. I could read a section about a match and want to pull out a tape and watch the match over because the book explained what Pete was feeling as he went through the match. Also, it was so interesting to read about how he was feeling during the many emotional times times in his life. The book shows us a Sampras that we rarely saw on the court.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to everyone, not just tennis fans.



4. The audio book I purchased by Pete Sampras called A Champion's Mind was a great price and in great condition. It has been very enjoyable to listen to. I couldn't get over the reasonable price and how quickly I received it!



5. Pete Sampras - A Champions Mind was truly an amazing experience. Sampras lets you into his heart & mind and once you start reading his autobiography you just cannot put this book down. He really deserved more
   respect than what he had received. I truly recommend this book to everyone, especially up and coming young athletes. Sampras was born with TALENT and was a true Gentleman but hard work is what made him a true Champion.

5 comments about How I Play Golf.

1. This book is actually used by many instructors - it gives detailed written and photo examples of instructions from the master.



2. Tiger Woods' book, How I Play Golf, is a thorough self-examination of his game, from green to tee (sic) and everything in between. Filled with fantastic photographs that do half the battle of ingraining the image of good technique into your mind, the book examines each element of the game and the swing, as Tiger plays it. He caveats at the beginning that his goal is not to tell us how to play, but rather to tell us how he plays and what works for him.
   
   The book is also filled with lots of fun anecdotes which, now that it's 2008, are practically historical given that 2005 hadn't even started at the time the book was published.
   
   It's definitely a practical book, filled with tips and advice to try and implement into your own game. Tiger starts with putting and moves back to the full swing with the driver, visiting chips, flops, high-irons and fairway woods along the way. He also talks extensively about the mental game and the importance of fitness.
   
   The only thing that I felt was missing was a comprehensive section on practice. While Tiger talks throughout the book about elements of practice there's no one place where he provides a simple outline of how he approaches practice or how we should approach practice. Granted it's different for someone who rolls out of bed every morning and hits 300 balls on the driving range in his backyard but amateurs like us could probably use some advice on effective practice technique.
   
   A great book that I've read once cover to cover and have already re-read a number of sections numerous times.
   
   Enjoy.



3. Excellent book. Not a how to of golf but rather a how Tiger plays. Helped my game immensely. Espcially my putting. I would recommend this book golfers of all levels.



4. An exceptional book with good illustrations & bought at a very good price. Postage time was VERY DISAPPOINTING - expected to receive within 3-4 weeks (standard Air Freight) but took 6 weeks!!! This was our 1st purchase on Amazon & we were concerned and had almost given up on it! Expect DELAYS on overseas purchases.



5. If you enjoy golf and spend enough time to beat balls at the driving range, this book will give you a lot of tips how to improve your skills.

5 comments about My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon.

1. I just finished running the San Francisco Marathon where I also had the great privilege of meeting Bart Yasso. He was kind enough to meet with me one-on-one in our hotel and just chat about life, and then autograph my copy of his book. I admire him most for his ability to talk about those obstacles he has overcome and his tremendous accomplishments without sounding vainglorious or boastful. This book is a great example of Bart's ability to inspire anyone who will read or listen simply by sharing a piece of the Man he is. Buy this as soon as you finish reading this review. Seriously. Do it now! Thanks, Bart!



2. Bart's book is absolutely hilarious and inspiring. His stories are witty and humorous. I was laughing out loud at the Taco Bell story, the cross country bike story, and the bare buns run! Great read, I couldn't put it down. Bart is a legend.



3. This book cracked me up. Bart is inspirational, funny, and crazy. All the making's of a runner:)!



4. Bart Yasso's stories are funny (he is a pun master) and entertaining,while inspiring the reader to get out and run a lot of miles! I read excerpts from this book in Runner's World, bought the book, and have given copies as gifts. Everyone I know who has read it really likes it.



5. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I just started running again to get back into shape and his stories inspired me challenge myself more. His stories are also very funny. The story about his experience running in the nudist run made me chuckle out loud. I definately recommend this book!

5 comments about Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage.

1. Randy Couture did not have to "take it on the chin" with certain admissions he made in this book regarding the cause of his divorces. It gives insight to a great champion and the road that took him there. Absolutely excellent book, if you are a fan of any sport this book is an excellent true account of incredible determination.



2. Another great MMA fighter autobiography!
   
   First off the book has a very funny, short (foreword) written by comedian/actor Kevin James!
   
   "Becoming the Natural" is right up there with Chuck Liddell's book "Iceman / My Fighting Life", which I consider to be the best MMA/UFC book out there.
   
   Randy tells his childhood story and how he got into wrestling and MMA. He had a very sordid childhood as far as his parents were concerned. Randy talks about alot of very personal issues in the book, that he didn't have to tell us the readers. He really lays it all out there! He goes into detail about his ex-wives, cheating and being a parent.
   
   Randy goes into detail about the UFC, Dana White and his current legal battle with the UFC. Couture's 16-8 record doesn't stand out like that of a champion, but read the book and you'll see just where that record comes from. Randy was fighting heavyweights with 40-50 pds. over him, in many fights once they got on top, he was simply pinned beneath them.
   
   Randy is one of my favorite fighters simply because he seems to be a genuinely good guy and this book gave me that same feeling about him! Randy has beaten the best and been beaten by the best.
   
   Throughout the book, even when describing his losses, he never bad mouths his opponents, in one fight he loses, he later learns the other fighter failed a steroid test, Randy is given the chance to have the fight changed from a (loss) to a (no contest), he refuses, saying a loss is a loss!
   
   As a fan, I hope to see Randy get his chance to fight Fedor. As Randy says in his book, it's about taking on the best possible opponent and that man is Fedor!
   
   Randy is still training, but not currently fighting, he is pursuing his acting career, with his first leading role movie, "Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior" due on DVD this Tuesday!
   
   The book also provides alot of nice pictures to give you a better sense of his past and family!
   
   Another good MMA bio. for fans collections!



3. I've been a big fan of Randy Couture since I first saw him compete at UFC 13 in Georgia back in 1993.
   
   In Becoming the Natural, Randy Couture and mixed martial arts journalist Loretta Hunt delve into the mind of "The Natural," and what fueled a small-town Washington kid to the greatest heights an MMA athlete has ever achieved.
   
   My favorite thing about this book is the depth that Couture and Hunt explore about the life of a true living legend. From humble beginnings to superstardom, seemingly every aspect of Couture's life is covered. His youth, memories, friendships and relationships are just the tip of the cosmos. Did I mention his quest for Olympic dreams?
   
   If you're a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, this book is for you. The Octagon and beyond is touched on. Vivid are the memories of UFC triumphs and failures alike. Photos from Couture's family album and early career are fantastic.
   
   Without a doubt, Randy Couture's Becoming the Natural: My life In and Out of the Cage is easily the best MMA-related book ever penned.
   
   Whether you're a fan of combat sports or an admirer of true-life literature, this is sure to be the best book you'll read all year!



4. overall,i would give this 5 stars.it gives you an insight into the man who became what many would be considered an over-the-hill ufc heavyweight champ.the book is well written,and it is easy to follow.it isn't overly pretentious which is nice.i would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of MMA in general.



5. Becoming the Natural is the sort of book that is a must-read for not just a fan who has just got interested in mixed martial arts, but a fan who has watched it since its inception and thinks they know all there is to know about Randy Couture. The book is made all the more timely and relevant by the former champ's recent controversies with Zuffa and the UFC which are major issues in the sport.

5 comments about Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I've Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes (Billie Jean King Library).

1. Where is Billie Jean?
   
   I was delighted to get an ARC for Billie Jean King's book, since I think of her as an extraordinary woman, one who has not only been a #1-ranked tennis player, but a woman of integrity, who championed the Title IX for equal disbursement of Federal funding for male and female sports in schools, World Team Tennis, the Virginia Slims Tournament, equal pay for women's tournaments, women's liberation and for non-discrimination in life style choices. I have always admired her for her willingness to take a position, albeit unpopular ones, because it was the right thing to do.
   
   That being said, I am sorely disappointed in her book. It's not that the book isn't well written, as prose goes, it's just fine. And, actually, her subtitle does indicate that her book is about lessons she has learned and The Battle of the Sexes. I was hoping that the book was about more than the subtitle. My mistake.
   
   She does list and discuss these lessons and her set of life principles with great enthusiasm, and I agree with them all.
   The problem is that these lessons and principles are not new ones; certainly lots of champions and even everyday people live by these same principles. They are good principles to live by, and it isn't a bad thing to be reminded of how powerful they can be in your life. But she could have talked about all of these things in one chapter, as a prelude to telling us about herself. Instead this book is about stating and then restating (in large boxes at the end of each chapter) her principles and life lessons.
   
   Secondarily, most of the rest of the book is about the tennis match for the ages - The Battle of the Sexes - with Bobby Riggs. Billie Jean would chat about other events in her life in a vague sort of way, but they always let back to some more conversation about the Bobby Riggs match. The book has 187 pages of text. She begins on Page 20 (following a preface and an intro) mentioning Bobby Riggs and the match. The story continues with him, ad nauseum, up to page 97, when Billie Jean states that she wants to make a "final observation" about Bobby Riggs. I thought - whew! - Enough already, we're going to get to the story of Billie Jean. Except, that promise of release from Bobby inanities was broken and Bobby continued to be discussed throughout the book and was last cited on page 186.
   
   I agree that, in retrospect, that tennis match was more than just the entertainment, more than the spectacle. At the time a statement about women in sports, women as champions and equal rights was being promoted. But enough already! It was also just a tennis match. In equal retrospect, any number of other important events could be cited in that same vein - we just don't need 187 pages of it, couched in between lots of not-new lessons of life.
   
   In reading this book, I relearned one of my own life lessons. Never let your expectations exceed a reasonable payoff -- you're bound to be disappointed. I went looking for Billie Jean and got Bobby Riggs and platitudes instead.
   
   I think that Billie Jean is worth much more, that her life story would be profoundly more interesting that this rather trite and ultimately uninteresting account. Too bad she didn't write that book.



2. I'VE BEEN A BJK FAN FOR OVER 45 YEARS...I WATCHED HER GROW FROM A GIDDY TEENAGER INTO THE WONDERFUL WOMEN SHE IS NOW..
   I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING HER 4 YEARS AGO...SHE IS WHAT SHE BELIEVES..
   SHE GIVES HER FANS HER FULL ATTENTION AND SINCERELY ENJOYED MEETING US AND EVEN GAVE US FOREHAND LESSONS..RIGHT THEN AND THERE..
   THIS BOOK IS JUST LIKE HAVING A PERSONAL CONVERSATION WITH HER..
   IT'S ALSO A LOVING TRIBUTE TO HER PARENTS WHO INSTILLED IN HER SUCH WONDERFUL LIFE VALUES...
   IT'S A GREAT READ FOR ANYONE...IT TRULY PUTS LIFE INTO PERSPECTIVE.



3. AN ACE !!! From one of the great women of our time. This book is filled with ultra-valuble lessons from someone who has put those lessons to use, to effectively change the face of womens' sports and the sports world in general, and how our entire society treats women.. Not just theoretical, but practical, sound and tried & tested advice. Every woman in this country owes a debt to Billie Jean..Every Woman.. for her courage and tenacity in the fight for womens' rights. You're probably making more money because of her, have more upward mobility in the work force and your daughters life on the sports field and the business world will be much improved due to the efforts of this great Woman, activist and athlete. A great read and a great gift for women of any age.



4. Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I've Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes is a combination autobiography/inspirational tome. Ms. King focuses on her historic tennis match with Bobby Riggs in 1973, the Battle of the Sexes, and shares the lessons she learned from this and other important points in her life.
   
   Ms. King writes in a straightforward down-to-earth style, sharing her feelings and experiences that made her the number one female tennis player in the world, activist, successful businesswoman and mentor that she is. The book is divided into lessons ranging from relationships to leaving a legacy. In each lesson she shares insight into her family, her coaches, and especially, preparing for her match with Bobby Riggs which opened the door for equal treatment of women in sport. Each chapter ends with an "instant replay" of the important points of the lesson.
   
   If you're looking for an in-depth autobiography of Billie Jean King, this isn't the book for you. While she talks about her life, tennis, her family, and her sexuality, she doesn't delve deeply. It's more like how Maria Sharapova describes it on the back of the book: a "personal conversation" where Ms. King shares some of what she's learned in her groundbreaking life. A positive, enthusiastic book perfect for a light summer read. I wish my outlook on life was this good.



5. I had the privilege of meeting Ms. King this summer. She is truly wonderful and an inspiration to everyone--women and men. This book contains a lot of good stories about Billie's career along with good, common-sense advice. It's a great read and would make a great gift.

5 comments about Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival.

1. Joe Simpson's disastrous experiences climbing Siula Grande in 1985 make for one of the greatest true adventure stories of the twentieth century. After Joe's accident on the mountain, he and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, nearly achieved an unlikely descent. When Simon is unable to continue Joe's rescue, he does the unthinkable (which Joe does not blame him for), and Joe's hellish troubles begin.
   
   Sounds like the outline for an exciting and heart-wrenching adventure, doesn't it? Unfortunately, Joe was not an experienced writer when he penned Touching the Void, his first book, and it clearly shows. The reader is often disoriented by Simpson's use of mountaineering jargon (e.g., cols, ridges, and gullies). And although the book provides a brief glossary, it's not easy to picture what he's writing about if you've never seen a couloir before. In short, although the story has universal elements, climbers are likely to feel most at home in the account's setting.
   
   There are some wonderful observations and images in the book, but these gems rarely glitter against the more plentiful heaps of clichés. The book needs to be edited and whittled down, and the IFC film based on the book is an absolutely spectacular rendering of Joe's experiences--the film captures what Joe is unable to accomplish in this book.
   
   It's difficult for me to write a review recommending a movie over a book, but I'm positive that you'll enjoy the film much more. I found the book difficult to finish even though it's only around 200 pages long, yet the movie had me riveted from the beginning; I felt physically colder watching the movie, for example. Joe is certainly not the worst untrained writer to publish a bestseller, but in Touching the Void his weaknesses as a writer does not properly relate his greatness as a climber.



2. After watching the movie version of this book I wanted to read Touching the Void. I usually like to read the book first but in this case I am glad that I did it in reverse. I am not a mountain climber and do not know the terms used in the sport. So watching the movie helped set up the book to where it made a lot of sense. The book provided a more realistic vision of what the climbers thought and felt. It put me there with them. I am in awe.



3. This is a very boring book. I thought it would be an action packed survival book, but it put me to sleep.



4. Touching the Void is one of the best books I've ever read. Wow. I am still kind of stunned. I started it way too late at night and couldn't put it down. I went to work the next morning with only four hours of sleep.
   
   It's not even that the writing's good, per se. It is - it's VERY good. But the story itself and the way he wrote it is just amazing.
   
   I've read a lot about the high altitude hallucinations people have (conversations with your feet at 27000 ft or people sitting on your ice ledge telling you they have tea set up just around the corner) but his experience was not at all like that. He had what he calls a voice inside that was insistent about keeping to a timetable and doing certain things, especially as he dragged himself off the glacier. It was deeply fascinating and the only thing that made the suspense at all bearable was that I knew he must have lived, since, hello, holding his book in my hands. I could not put it down.
   
   I was also really impressed with the sections written by his climbing partner, Simon Yates. OUCH. Painful and honest but not self-exculpatory or irrational.
   
   Augh. This is the worst review ever. But, jeez. Read it! See for yourself!



5. If you liked "Into Thin Air," then you will love this book, which is just as brilliant and perhaps even more incredible. If you've been to Peru, even better. Great writing, great story, and an unforgettable tale. Again, a rare book that once begun, is almost impossible to put down. Simpson has written some others, but none as good as his first. Read it. And try his "This Game of Ghosts" if you want more.