Basketball Books

I have enjoyed reading this book. It gives lots of great insight into the stresses of nba players and coaches. How they prepare for games and their perceptions of fans and media. You really see how almost all NBA players are prima-donnas with fairly fragile egos. They all have their front that they put on for the masses and the media. It's good to see the human side of them. The book is an easy read and very enjoyable.

Even though I'm not a Suns fans and for that matter, not much of a basketball or a sports fan anymore, this was a pretty good book - it's mainly about the Suns' 2006 playoff run, with some "flashbacks" to some regular season games that season, with some insight into most of the players and an NBA season's roller coaster ride, and some insight into the coaching staff too. Individual players are discussed, as is the coaching staff, and it's nice to read that kind of info too.

Expected a lot more to be honest. There are better books by beat writers, such as "If They Don't Win It's A Shame" by Dave Rosenberg.

If you love basketball, you're going to love this book. McCallum writes about a season with the Phoenix Suns, and takes us through their playoff run. He mixes in flashbacks to key points during the season, and manages to entertain.

Two problems are that the book is shallow and doesn't go into enough depth on most topics, and there is absolutely no criticism of anything the Suns did.

Enjoyable, but light. NBA fans are going to devour this.

A great, well-written and funny book exploring what goes on behind closed doors on an NBA team.

If you're looking for a book that delves into players affinity for clubs, booze and girls, then you'll have to look elsewhere. The Suns are a pretty clean club, and I'm sure they've done some stuff that isn't included in the book. What is included is an insiders look into the thought processes of coaches and players and discusses how the relationships within a professional organization can affect the win-loss column. There are some solid perspectives on team chemistry, ownership, the role coaches play in the success (or failure) of a ball club, the pressures of the playoffs, the psyche of the pro athlete (who knew someone making $20m a year could be so sensitive), how marketing efforts can affect a player's attitude and much more. I kind of wish the Suns would've won it all in 2006 so that this book could've been longer. Also, you don't have to be a Suns fan to appreciate this book. I'm a die-hard Pistons fan, and found this read very enjoyable.

On thing to point out: there's some swearing in this book (a few F bombs and the like), so if you're a parent thinking of picking this book up for a young Suns fan you may want to browse the pages beforehand. Otherwise, there really isn't anything worse than that, though.

I am reading this book again.. prob the 5 time and I have used about 3 different colors of hi-liter so far. I recommend it and even used the lesson and guidance to help me with my addiction issues this time around.

First time it was family issues, then 2nd time was work issues, third time was deaths in family and fourth time was post college work issues. Its been there for me everytime and this time along with Tx, I am using it again.

This is a book about how Pat Riley coaches to get out of the individual the Winner Within. There are 12 short chapters in this 271 page book with many quotes from many great individuals throughout history including this one from Sir Winston Churchill: "Success is never final."

Shaq has stated the Riley is the most motivating speaker he has ever heard and after reading this book I think you will get a feel for what he meant. Most of the book focuses on Basketball and the Lakers. But there are some good business principles scattered throughout the book that will inspire you to be the best. Riley lets you into his mind so you can see his thoughts and how he worked to get the most out of his team to bring home the championship. It's a great book that will prove a quick read.

I am a first year basketball coach and found this book very inspirational. It makes me want to work even harder than I have and set higher standards for myself. Pat Riley is an excellent motivator and role model. I like any coach who is willing to write about his major losses in his career as well as greatest triumphs. A must read for any coach. However, he needs to write a sequel since he won his new title this summer. Go Heat!

He is the ultimate strategist, always thinking ahead and planning every act of inspiration and conversation he might use to channel more out of his players than they were currently giving. In 'The Winner Within', Pat Riley shares his tactics for converting his basketball teams into units with an emphasis on the greater good. The highlights of this book came for me in the following:

* Pat Riley's acceptance of being in the right place at the right time when the Lakers needed a head coach and how preparation added to his own confidence that he could succeed at a high level.

* Riley's view on the strengthening process of one's mentality and how being thrown the wolves can be a very healthy experience.

* Making the LA Lakers a team instead a collection of self-serving, finger-pointing superstars. He mentions tactics he employed on each of his different leaders, including ways to use Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's moody eccentricities as a leadership tool.

* How embracing success hurt the Lakers in the mid-eighties and the ways Riley developed a plan to combat complacency on the team.

* How leaders in any profession must be willing to confront cancerous team members swiftly and thoroughly.

* Riley's methods of using strategic moments of temporary insanity and how this can be highly beneficial to the overall good of the team.

* When to know your time is done and move on, as he did when he left LA for New York in 1990.

* Setting reasonable goals that are both attainable and difficult. For example, his 1992 New York Knicks set the goals of being the most hated team in the league, the most conditioned team in the league, and the most professional team in the league. To a T, they succeeded in meeting all their goals.

Riley is very open and honest in this book. He admits that he knew his Knicks would have zero chance of beating the Bulls in a do-or-die game seven in 1992. He had predicted Jordan would get calls and go to the line, and that Ewing would get into foul trouble quickly. Both of his predictions became eerily true. He admits that you must know your place in the pecking order and follow this format:

#1. From nobody to upstart
#2. From upstart to contender
#3. From contender to winner
#4. From winner to champion
#5. From champion to dynasty

Riley's book is also filled with numerous quotes from histories great minds and leaders. Each quote helps highlight what Riley is trying to emphasize.

I recommend this book to anyone who is or hopes to be a manager in any avenue in life. Riley gives a clear-cut format to achieving goals as a leader.

The Winner Within actually gets 4.5 stars from me. If you like team sports, not even basketball, this book will get to you. When you're in business and are strongly dependent on good teamwork, his lessons can be transformed to business life.

Riley's success is known throughout the US. Being European and less familiar with the person itself it gives me good fundamentals for judging without strings attached. I think his methods work. His methods work, but they may not last or can be implemented in any situation. You have to take the best 60% of his method and mix it with your own beliefs and culture. This last 40% will be your adaptability withing your own situation.

I have learned a great deal reading this book, as I was soon to become a business owner with a team of programmers. Riley's methods definitly helped me in creating my own team and, as important, my own style.

Read it, absorb it, use it. Do not copy it.

A thoroughly enjoyable and motivating read. This is a remarkable collection of exclusive interviews with the best American sports coaches of the last 40 years. The author has packed a voluminous amount of wisdom, inspiration and facts into what amounts to a road map to a good life. "How to Succeed in the Game of Life" is a brilliant compilation of advice that offers inspiration at every turn.

Game of Life is an insightful book on the thoughts of many of the world's best known coaches. It provides a biography on each of the 34 coaches (which I recommend reading first to gain a better appreciation of the field and achievements of each coach) and asks them a number of questions that can relate to both on the field and life in general. I have gathered a number of relavant quotes that I will use both personally and professionally. A highly recommended read for sporting buffs and managers.

After buying a copy of this book for both myself and my father I was thoroughly impressed. The book was both an easy read yet very informative. I gave a copy of the book to my father, who is not one to read a book, and he was so taken back by how interesting he felt the content was. He picked up the book in the morning and had it finished by mid afternoon. He must have called me 15 times to tell me how inspiring he felt it was and how he was amazed at "all the tricks it taught an old dog"...He thought he had heard all there was to hear about inspirational quotes. We were both pleasantly surprised with how well written the book was. Both my dad and I would highly recommend this book with two thumbs up.

Having read only excerpts, I was shocked to read that Tony Dungy was hired as head coach by the Indianapolis Colts in 2002 by owner Robert Irsay. Irsay had been dead for five years (longer than that mentally). Hopefully the rest of the book does not contain such shoddy information.

This book went through various questions about succeeding in life and listed all the responses from each coach. It was interesting but somewhat repetitive in that many said basically the same thing. I enjoyed reading this book because it had a lot of good advice from a lot of successful coaches. The advice I remember most is to work harder than anyone else, never quit, always be honest, do your best, failure is opportunity for a comeback, and be passionate about what you do. All of them agreed that making a lot of money does not mean you are successful, but money can be a by-product of being successful. The last chapter included short summaries about each coach. My favorite chapter was the one of their favorite quotes.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in philosophy, or who is looking for some advice or inspiration about success.

Karen Arelttaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

This book is about allen iverson and his life growing up in newport, virgina. It talks about his hardships and his life. Larry Platt describes him as 4 people: a raper, basketball player, a hero, and a father. It also talks about his accomplishments and goals in life. This book surpases any other sports biography I've ever read.

This book is about Allen Iverson and his life and how it was like to grow up where he lived. Iverson lived in NYC where people that he hated would try to start a fight with him. His friends would have to keep an eye on him. Allen Iverson then tried out for a team to keep him out of trouble. Then he started to play basketball and that worked because they weren't able to mess with him. Then Iverson grew up to be a professional basketball player. Iverson then played for the Sixers and became MVP. His life was really hard because his mom would stay on top of him but his mom was nice. Iverson then met a girl and she became his girlfriend and then they had a baby. Iverson just kept playing basketball and his wife was proud of him because he played so well and that's all about Allen Iverson.

This book delivers the confidence needed to endure any obstacle set before you. Larry Platt digs deep into Iverson's history to give you the experience no else has. Excellent read on the life of Allen Iverson.

One of the things I look for in a basketball biography is a person with an interesting story. Allen Iverson certainly qualifies.

This biography is written by Larry Platt, the unofficial hip-hop hoops biographer and author of Keepin' It Real. Platt tells Iverson's story, starting with his mother's upbringing through Iverson's - starting with his life in the rough Newport News, Virginia ghetto, through his 2-year college stint at Georgetown and through first six seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The best part about the book is that it goes into detail on many of the controversial events of Iverson's life: the bowling alley incident in high school, his "practice" rant to the media, his arrest for allegedly throwing his naked wife out of his house, his rap album, his "disrespect" of Michael Jordan, and his relationship with Larry Brown. The media worked overtime to paint him as a 1-dimensional thug, but it never seemed to add up when you saw him dote over his children in interviews: this doesn't jibe for a guy who wants to be a thug at all costs. I mean, seriously, a warm spot for kids? Platt paints a more complete picture of Iverson, adding depth to the media characture. He exposes where the media screwed up by not correcting their own mistakes, and on occasion why they would hold a grudge. He explains Iverson's problems with Larry Brown (as well as Brown's with Iverson, which was mentioned numerously by the press). He also explains Iverson's close relationships with his friends and mentors.

Platt is one of the best authors at explaining the hip hop generation. His writing is quick, easy, and entertaining. He goes into detail about the problems white middle class America has with embracing a hip hop superstar. However, his weakness is, just as it was with Keepin' it Real , is that he goes overboard in rationalizing his subject material. He adds depth to their character, but never paints a complete 3-dimensional picture. It appears he is too attached to his subjects to be objective. Once again, true to form, you find him reaching for straws at points - working a little too hard at canonizing Iverson. He mentions, but doesn't dwell on Iverson's unreliability to meet commitments, such as the aforementioned practice, or his skipping school, tutoring sessions, or even Magic Johnson's charity game. One of the worst sidestepping jobs dealt with Iverson's rap album. One of the excerpts from the song 40 Bars was "Come to me with faggot tendencies, you be sleeping where the maggots be." Platt does explain that rappers tell stories about life in the hood as 3rd person accounts as fictionalized characters and shouldn't be taken any more seriously than an author telling a story. Platt goes on to explain that Iverson was upset to think he offended people by his use of the word "faggot" which he says was a hip-hop synonym for "weak" without regard to sex, and he leaves it at that. I told this to a gay friend I know who likes hip hop and basketball and she said it is offense and if she used the "N" word and told Iverson, "Don't be offended by it. I use it to mean a stupid person, without regard to race" it would be equally as absurd, as Iverson's stereotype-based slurs supposedly surprised him. I believe Platt should have looked at the the gripes people had with the record, rather than just telling Iverson's rationalization and leaving it at that. This type of one-sided reporting pops up on more than one occasion.

The strength of book is Platt explaining how Iverson's rough and hard background shaped him into the player that he became in the NBA. The other strength is his explanation of Iverson's marketing appeal. Since Jordan had broke into the league, the sponsors had been looking for the next Jordan: polite, non-threatening, and photogenic - the kind of African-American athlete who transcends race and makes middle class white America feel comfortable. The search had turned up empty, as Anfernee Hardaway, Grant Hill, and Shaquille O'Neal were unable to completely fill the Jordan mold. Iverson refused to go along with this. He viewed the Nike-type opinion-less and harmless character like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods to be phony people who read what was handed to them and pretended to be somebody else in order to make money. Iverson insisted on "keeping it real." He was who he was and if you didn't like him, he didn't care, because making you happy isn't his priority. Reebok (his shoe sponsor) respected his wishes, and rather than find the next Jordan/Dr. J who would bridge the middle-class white America gap, they burned the bridge, but created a bigger bridge: to the youth of America, who liked the Anti-hero and could relate to Iverson, as their parents and authority figures didn't approve of their friends and their haircuts and/or tattoos. Reebok had done the unthinkable: they threw out the conventional wisdom of sports marketing and re-wrote the laws, and created the next big thing.

If you are a fan of Iverson, definitely read it. If you aren't a big fan of his, but find him interesting or intriguing, and would like to learn more about him - because believe me, everything you thought you knew was wrong - then read it. If you have made up your mind that he is a hooligan and represents all that is wrong in basketball and nothing is going to change your mind, then don't waste your time. I'm not saying you have to think the guy is a pure saint, because he isn't, but there is more to him than meets the eye.

This book on Allen Iverson just came far too soon.

Allen Iverson is my favorite current NBA player partially b/c he shakes up the status quo -- not necessarily because he wants to make that his objective, but quite poetically, he's doing it just by being true to who he is.

This book is a tale about a kid from the wrong side of the tracks, that basically struck it rich but admirably remains "the same" as opposed to "assimilating" just to make his economic & financial counterparts feel comfortable around him.

No true criticism of Larry Platt's writing style. If he wanted to go deep into Allen Iverson's undocumented youth and youth exploits, that's fine too.

Bottom line is this book, while it has several defining moments, just isn't a compelling enough read because it was written still TOO SOON.

A.I., love him or hate him, totally revolutionized the NBA and the image it projected to Middle America.

I'd love to read a book about his life when he's 50, 60 or 85.

I'm sure he'll be on "60 Minutes" doing a "My Life & times" segment.

Whoever writes the book about his life just before that interview will surely have a No. #1 best-seller.

I've long been a Bill Bradley fan . . . his talent on the
basketball court always impressed me, in large part because
he seemed to have to work so much harder than many
other players . . . then when he entered the political
arena, I continued to follow his career with interest . . . my
only regret is that he never got past the Senate . . . I still
think he would have made a fine President.

Hearing his book, VALUES OF THE GAME, impressed me
even more . . . it is not a standard spots autobiography, but
rather a collection of essays by Bradley that deal with such topics as
passion, discipline, responsibility, and resilience . . . he shows
how these all became key parts of his life, citing examples
of such greats as Cousy, Chamberlian, Iverson, and Pippen . . . I
got a particular kick out of what he said about Dennis Rodman: he
admired his rebounding tenacity, but noted that Rodman
"isn't everybody's cup of tea" because of his behavior.

This would be a great gift for any basketball fan, young or
old . . . nevertheless, I'd recommend giving the book rather than the
audio version that I heard . . . though the narration by John Randolph
Jones was fine, I would have much preferred Bradley doing the reading
himself.

Bill Bradley has led a remarkably distinguished and successful life -- an All-American at Princeton, an Olympic gold medallist, a Rhodes Scholar, a two-time world champion as a member of the New York Knicks, a Hall-of-Famer, a Senator for 18 years, and a Presidential candidate. Not to mention author, educator, husband, father, and Eagle Scout. It's been a full life.

In "Values of the Game," Bradley credits much of his success to the game of basketball and the life lessons he learned on the court. Passion, discipline, selflessness, respect, perspective, courage, leadership, responsibility, resilience, and imagination -- these are the qualities that separate the celebrated players from those who have been forgotten. And those same values that brought success on the court can do the same in life.

Full of brilliant photographs and Bradley's own recollections and insights, "Values of the Game" is a real treat for anyone who loves and respects the game of basketball. Bradley obviously does. He peels away all the greed, glamour, fame and infamy that clouds the NBA today and shows us the bare essence and beauty of this uniquely American game, reminding us why we ever liked the sport in the first place.

This book is about the values of basketball, and is divided into chapters with titles of values. There is a chapter called discipline, for example. The names of the chapters are passion, discipline, selflessness, respect, perspective, courage, leadership, responsibility, resilience, and imagination.

I really enjoyed this book because of it's easy readability and the wonderful pictures. There were many interesting anecdotes about basketball. Bill Bradley talks about his development as a player, and about the values of the game. The importance of teamwork and hard work is stressed. I found Bill Bradley's story fascinating, because of how the values of the game helped him win. This book related the values to many contemporary and old players, like Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and many others. If you are a basketball fan, I strongly suggest this book.

The Values of the Game
By, Bill Bradley


The Values of the Game is very motivating. It is about what you get out of sports (specifically Basketball). The book talks about why you get these values, too. The values it talks about (each a chapter) passion, discipline, selflessness, and many more. It teaches people what is important in life. I think it is a spectacular book to learn from.
I really enjoy the book the values of the game, but some people wouldn't. Mostly basketball players would like it because it's about basketball. Also, I think in most cases it is geared for 18-50 year olds, but in some cases it may vary. Also, to understand it you must be someone who knows a tiny bit about present and retired famous basketball players. I think many people will like this book.

PUTTING NATURAL ABILITY ASIDE, BRILLIANT BILL BRADLEY DIPLAYS FOR US WHY HE WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYERS AND TEAMMATES THAT EVER EXISTED, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME SHOWING US HOW THESE SAME QUALITIES CAN SERVE AS THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE. INTERESTINGLY, HE TELLS US OF CERTAIN OTHER PLAYERS (ALBEIT FEW) PAST AND PRESENT, WHO POSSESS THESE INGREDIENTS. MARVELOUS, THOUGHT PROVOKING BOOK.

Beyond Basketball is a collaborative effort by 2008 USA Basketball and current Duke University Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski and one of his three daughters, Jamie Krzyzewski Spatola. The National Bestseller is Coach Kzyzewski's third book and first after his successful "Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life (2001).

In 171 pages, Coach K shares his personal experiences and learning's as a coach, husband, father, friend, teacher, and leader through forty solitary words--Adaptability, Adversity, Balance, Belief, Care, Challenges, Collective Responsibility, Commitment, Communication, Courage, Crisis Management, Culture, Dependability, Empathy, Enthusiasm, Excellence, Failure, Family, Friendship, Fundamentals, Giving Back, Guidance, Imagination, Integrity, Learning, Love, Motivation, Next Play, Ownership, Passion, Poise, Pressure, Pride, Respect, Selflessness, Standards, Talent, Trust, Will, and Work.

Overall, the beauty of this book is that Coach Krzyzewski invites his readers to embark on a journey to write their own book using these forty words as a baseline. Coach K adds that by writing one's own personal experiences and learning's through these and other solitary words, these words would then hold a special meaning to that person.

So don't delay. Read Coach K, and start one today!

Coach Krzyzewski and his Daughter write a wonderfully inspiring book that is so true. Write-on Krzyzewski's!

Coach K scores a 3 pointer with this book. Words indeed have power to lift up or to tear down. The coach lifts us up to new levels with his short chapters on important words to anyone who aspires to greatness. This is a well written and inspirational book that encourages us all to look at the words that shape a well lived life.

Coach K is a great leader and coach, he thinks beyond the apparent and tries to reach to the need, which many leaders do not ever seek to see. His insight is valuable.

Learn great leadership skills that apply in the business world, sports world, or anywhere else in life. This book makes a great gift.

This is a follow-up to Bird's book Drive. It takes up at the end of his playing career and focuses on his post-playing career. He goes into the Olympic experience and the back pain that ended his career long before his skills had eroded.

He goes into detail about his figurehead jobs with the Boston Celtics and what ultimately led him to leave and eventually take up the head coaching job with the Indiana Pacers. Most of the book revolves around his first year coaching: he dispels myths and propaganda about his coaching and his life and h explains how he selected his coaches and his coaching philosophy, and his team.

The book was just a very enjoyable read.

Bird Watching (by Larry Bird)
Reviewer: Known as one the of the best basketball players to have ever stepped foot onto a NBA court, Larry Bird's book will teach you many things about himself as well as the game. Larry brings the reader into some of his most personal things that he has never shared with anyone. He gives you a first class view on all of his experiences of playing professional basketball in the NBA. He shows you the downsides, positives, but most of all the victories. You'll find out first hand all of the injuries Larry has encountered that until now he has kept as a secret.

Through this book Larry will share with you information of his hometown, French Lick, Indiana. You'll learn about his family, about his fathers' death and the way up to his mothers' death. Larry talks about more than just his parents he introduces you to his wife, Dinah and his two children, Conner and Mariah.

Larry will walk you through his entire career. All the way from his high school career, where one of his favorite coaches, Jim Jones coached him. Jim Jones was the coach who really taught Larry all of the fundamentals of the game. Larry didn't seem to have that many coaches that he didn't care for. Larry is also a very hard worker, he really appreciated it when coaches made him run hard. He believed that every basketball player should be conditioned to play the game. Then later on in his career when he ends up becoming a coach he incorporates all of the coaching skills that he has gathered from his previous coaches and uses them on his players. He brings you through some of his most exciting journeys and some of his most famous friends and players.

Just about everything in this book flows together. Larry explains everything that you know about him and a lot of things that you have no idea of. The only thing that I disliked about the book is that none of it was put in order from the beginning of his life to the end of his career, it seemed to jump around a lot. Another big thing was that each chapter was long in itself, but it seemed to talk about the same thing and just ramble on and on. For example one of Larry's biggest problems was his back and he talked about it for a whole chapter then he talked about it more in a few different chapters. Although there some very good and interesting chapters in the book that taught me many things about Larry Bird.

Overall I thought the book was very good, but somewhat long for me, but if you read often then it will be just fine. I would recommend this to anyone who has a great liking of either Larry Bird or basketball. You also need to have a pretty good understanding of basketball to be able to understand some of the topics Larry teaches you.

Bird Watching, an autobiography by Larry Bird, is a story for any lover of sports. Bird Watching is a detailed account of the life of Larry Bird, from his NBA career with the Boston Celtics to his coaching position with the Indiana Pacers. After reading the first page of the book, the reader realizes there is more to this NBA legend than meets the eye.
Unlike most professional basketball players, Larry Bird never regretted the day he left the NBA and even says that the day he retired was "one of the happiest days of [his] life." Faced with chronic back problems and an irregular heart, Bird was happy to see the day when he no longer had to endure the pain of playing the sport he loved more than anything. Coming from the man himself, the story describes Bird's life in a detailed and personal manner. From beginning to end, the reader easily notices the uniqueness of this man's character and not only sees, but feels the impact this incredible man left on so many fellow players, fans, and loved ones.
I thought this was a great book, especially for a sports fan. I felt that for a sport's book, it was particularly well written. The author's style allows the reader to get a personal glimpse of the life of Larry Bird and causes the reader to feel as if they knew this NBA legend. Because of the story's subject, the author employs very few literary devices. However, the author uses many similes in describing Bird's injuries, allowing the reader to appreciate Bird's choice in leaving the NBA. The book lacks an overall dominant theme, but simply wishes to convey the story of one of the greatest and most unique basketball players of all time.

This book explores the post playing days of arguably the best forward to ever play the game of basketball. Bird recaps his days of playing in the olympics, his time in the front office of the Celtics, and his coaching days of the Pacers. I have been a huge Bird fan since I was a kid, yet I never knew much about him, except for what I saw on the court. This book gave me a lot of insight into Bird's dynamic work ethic as both player and coach and showed how he was able to use his winning attitude to take the Pacers from 39 wins to 58 wins in one season as well as to the infamous clash with Jordan and the Bulls in the 98 Eastern Conference Finals. Bird also reveals his thoughts about the NBA today. If you want to know about the legend that is Larry Bird, you should read this book.

Larry Bird has always been Straight&to the Put.from His Playing days with His Classic Battles with Magic Johnson to His Coaching Career&His Overall View on the NBA&it's players.I enjoyed the Book.Larry Bird is a Very Tough Minded Cat.

book with tremendous depth, dedication and ideas.. America is unfortunate to not to have man like Senator Bradley as President

This is a very well- written and thoughtful book. Bill Bradley wrote it just as his third Senatorial term was coming to a close. Unfortunately close to that time he had to deal with a number of personal tragedies, including his wife's breast cancer, the severe illness of both of his parents. Bradley tells of his Chrystal City childhood, the only child of his arthritically disabled Presbyterian banker father, and his strongly Methodist mother. He does not revel in his own personal athletic feats and accomplishments. Rather he presents us with a picture of small- town life in that era, and the kind of world he grew up in.
One of the strengths of the book is that it tells much about different regions and populations of America. As a Senator and Presidential candidate he visited eventually every state in the Union and he for instance in his chapter on his Scotch- Irish family background describes the economy and social world of the Appalachians.
Bradley is eager to present to the reader his vision of what America should be. He speaks a lot about responsibility and discipline, and communal obligation. These are virtues he himself personally exemplifies, and one feels how strongly he is repelled by an America gone too soft and self- indulgent, too hedonistically obsessed with short- term pleasures.
He tells of his work in bringing about the Tax Reform Bill of 1986 which eliminated many loopholes, and simplified the system so that it had only two tax brackets. He talks about other public initiatives of his related to helping the poor, the one - parent families. He gives a chapter of the book to considering the difficulties the great American middle- class has faced over recent years.
One has the sense in reading the book of his being a thoroughly decent, hard- working and fair person.
Bradley has an amusing little section in which he talks about his efforts at improving his own public speaking. Here of course was his major failing as a political figure, his lack of charisma. He was eclipsed almost instantaneously by the charismatic Clinton.
Bradley is the work- horse of Orwell's fable. The solid honest good person who does the drudgery and certainly does not get a final good reward for it.
This is not to say that Bradley complains . He doesn't. He does not in fact put great emphasis in the work on his own feelings. He does however show how much he cares for America, and is devoted to its well- being.
This is an outstanding political autobiography not because it overwhelms emotionally but because it rationally clearly gives a 'picture' of what America is and might be. And it tells the story of a highly devoted public servant who did his best to make a better America.

Bradley takes a thoughtful look at his life and many issues that face America. I liked reading of his Missouri youth and NBA days, plus his analysis of economic change, media sensationalism, and the corrosive influence of money on politics. Bradley's superb (if short) discourse on the inner workings of the U.S. Senate provides the type of useful information one never gets from our sound-bite media. Bradley even takes issues like water policy and shows why they matter. The Senator's blame-whites-only view of racial divisions was rather naive, but even here he makes some points. This book is more than a readable memoir; it's a compassionate, thought-inspiring look at America.

In this intelligent, thoughtful, witty,and captivating memoir Bill Bradley tells stories about America and indivdual Americans while espousing his beliefs about what the nation has become and what it should be. The book transcends the traditional memoir of a politician as it chooses to speak more about the effects of policy rather than what particular policy can benefit our society. The reader feels the former Senator's compassion for the human condition and understands why he would be a wonderful leader. It is a must read for anyone who believes the hardships that face the nation can be overcome.

Bill Bradley and John McCain may go down in history as the two smartest men who should have been President, but could not get elected. This is an extraordinarily thoughtful book, and it makes one almost cry out in despair. America has given up the idea of an informed democracy led by informed representatives of the people, and as the author concludes his book, given over all the power to two kinds of technocrats: political technocrats like Karl Rove who will do anything to get their man elected, including unethical misrepresentations against Republicans like John McCain, never mind Democrats; and corporate technocrats, who will kill off the middle class and increase the working poor in the name of corporate bottom lines that pass off the social and economic costs to the very taxpayers being disenfranchised.

The current Congressional and Executive systems do not work as intended. Congress has become insular and corrupt, and the Executive--at the political level--has become ideological and corrupt. Bill Bradley's writing makes it clear that there are solutions, but men like Bill Bradley will not get elected--nor even heard--until sufficient catastrophe befalls America and the people rise up in desperation to reclaim their heritage.

The index is helpful in looking up specific views of the author, e.g. on health care, national security, etcetera.

The New American Story
Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming

I loved Tramble's first "Maceo Redfield" book, The Dying Ground, and was glad to see this successor finally come out three years later. In that first book we were given a street-level view of the violent streets of Oakland circa 1989, as teenage Maceo Redfield tried to avenge the death of one of a childhood friend. Now it's two years later, and Maceo has returned from a self-imposed exile bouncing around the U.S. with only a dog for company. Two more old friends are deep in trouble with the law, and Maceo feels an obligation to try and help them.

Unfortunately, this second outing with Maceo isn't nearly as interesting as the first. Part of the problem is that one of these old friends, Cotton, is now a massively famous professional basketball star, and the depiction of his high-roller lifestyle isn't very interesting. The story revolves around a dead woman found in Cotton's hotel room one night, and the question of who she is, who killed her, and why. Prints on the scene point to Cotton and Maceo's childhood pal Holly, who is now a fairly large player in Oakland's narcotics distribution industry (and a key figure from the first book).

Another major problem is that while Maceo is all fired up on doing his duty to his old friends and helping them, it's not at all clear what he can actually do that's useful. He spends almost the first half of the book wandering around Oakland, looking for Holly (who is in hiding) and trying to pick up the word on the street. As he catches up on the neighborhood, from barbershop, to diner, to nightspot, to rec center, to hair salon he passes the time with all kinds of local characters. These interactions and people are the best part of the book, as they feel totally authentic and believable -- if not particularly useful in terms of helping his friends.

But once he does get together with Cotton and Holly, it's pretty anticlimactic, since Cotton more or less disappears from the book until the end, and there isn't a whole lot Maceo can really do for Holly. It's also kind of strange, because for all the precautions Maceo takes in some areas, he leaves himself wide open in others (most notably, getting involved with a sexy woman who was close to the dead woman). The plot gets awfully convoluted, and is deeply intertwined with events of the first book (you really need to read that one first), so much so that I started to lose interest about two-thirds of the way through.

The storytelling also isn't helped by Maceo spending a fair amount of time sermonizing on the ravages the drug trade has taken on Oakland. This generally comes across as the author using Maceo as a somewhat banal mouthpiece, rather than observations that would organically occur to Maceo. I'm all for using crime stories a a vehicle for social commentary (George Pelecanos is probably the best contemporary writer at this), and I seem to recall it working pretty well in the first book, but it's just really heavy-handed and somewhat empty here.

Ultimately, the book just never caught fire for me in the way the first did, and it's hard to imagine there's any life left in this series now that Maceo has "helped" all his childhood friends.

This book is incredible. I thought "The Dying Ground" was amazing, so I was excited to get this sequel to find out what had happened to Maceo and all the other colorful characters. It did not disappoint.

I was surprised to see the negative Washington Post review on this website, since the Post was so positive about "The Dying Ground" and - as great as "Dying Ground" was - I thought the "Last King" was even better.

Nichelle Tramble is more poet than author.

Nichelle Tramble's damaged but heroic Maceo Redfield makes "The Last King" pulse with gritty realism. Brilliantly capturing the mean streets of Oakland, Tramble keeps us tightly in her mystery's grip until the last page. This is a true literary achievement.

Excellent follow-up to the Dying Ground. Maceo is back and determined to save his childhood friend Holly from a crime he didn't commit. Believe me, you will not be disapointed. I hope Ms. Tramble isn't finished with Maceo and that we will see him in the next book.

The Last King is Nichelle Tramble's follow-up to her debut novel, The Dying Ground, which unfortunately I have not read. However, the author provided enough background to establish the history and torment of the novel's hero, Maceo Redfield, with little redundancy. The Last King opens with Maceo returning from a two-year self-exile to help childhood friends and foster brothers Cotton, the professional basketball player and Holly, a local Oakland gangster. Both men are wanted for questioning in the murder of a high-priced call girl in a posh hotel room rented by Cotton. With Cotton being a star NBA player, a media scandal is brewing. Maceo's instinct is to protect his family at all costs and mend the broken relationships and open wounds suffered in the aftermath of The Dying Ground events.

We follow Maceo into Oakland's seedy underworld: the docks, dirty hole-in-the-wall diners, and crack houses. Tramble writes with familiarity of the city - vivid descriptions and imagery, local political challenges and social ills of the late 1980's and early 1990's resonate throughout the novel. The major drawback of the book is Maceo being in reactive mode during most of the novel. He is no super-sleuth and seems a bit too trusting of strangers (perhaps that's supposed to be part of his charm). He does not appear to have a clear strategy on how to resolve the murder except to find Holly - which largely involves collecting clues by visiting old haunts and sleazy contacts. He seems to accidentally discover who the real murderer is - which wasn't too difficult for the reader to figure out early on - I kept reading to figure how it was done. Nonetheless what was lacking in the mystery/suspense aspect, Tramble makes up for in creating colorful characters, insightful societal commentaries/observations , and a couple of unforeseen revelations in the end.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub, The Nubian Circle Book Club

My boyfriend bought me this book for Christmas and I loved it! I love my biographies chock full of details, and MARAVICH doesn't disappoint. For serious fans, it even has game stats. I especially loved that Pistol Pete's widow and sons collaborated with the authors, which gives the writing a personal touch. Better yet, the book has personal letters and diary entries from Pete. What more could you want?

The guy had an amazing life and died way too tragically, and I really enjoyed reading everything and more in MARAVICH.

I bought this book for my dad (at his request). He read it in only a few days. I have never seen my dad read anything that quickly. So, it must have been really good. If you know a basketball fan that was born in the 40s or the 50s - this is a great book for them.

Pete Maravich would have been my age had he lived. It was one of the worst days in my life when he died. The man could do things with a basketball and to his opponents that no other player could do during his time...and he did things that were not even imagined by those with whom he played with or against. Were there better shooters? Yes, but only one...Jerry West. Were there better ball-handlers? No! Was there anyone more fun to watch play this wonderful game of basketball? No! Think about it. He averaged 44 points per game in a 4-quarter college basketball game with no time clock and no 3 point line. This is the only significant sports record that will NEVER be broken...at least not during this century.

It is frankly boring to watch the NBA now since Bird, Jordan and Johnson have left the game. I don't care to see the countless tatoos with gang-related symbols on most every body. Maravich put out 100% every time he played. So did Jordan, West, Bird and Johnson. Now we have the prima-donnas demanding higher and higher salaries and then complain about earning only 14 million per year. The NBA is in trouble and will only make a "come-back" when someone like Maravich comes along again. So what is the new "new" thing that will bring the fans back to the NBA? My guess is that it will be someone who can inspire us again...just like Pete Maravich did. Read the book. If you know anything about basketball, you will thoroughly enjoy it.

I can summarize by saying that MARAVICH is a very
quick read. Each chapter's end makes you eager to
start the next. Once you pick it up, it is very hard to put it down.

"True" Pistol Pete fans and readers
who approach the book with some background
knowledge and genuine interest in Pete Maravich will
like this book. In MARAVICH,
readers get depth, meaty research and relevant
detail. I've read other accounts of Pete's life and compared to MARAVICH, they only scratch the surface. MARAVICH has all
the basic ingredients you'd expect....plus a lot more.

The highest compliment I could give MARAVICH (the book) is this....
I believe that Pete himself would have wholeheartedly endorsed it.
He would appreciate and be able to relate
to the extra-effort and attention-to-detail that was
over-and-above the basic minimum research that all
good authors must do. That's because Pete approached life
the same way. If he was committed to something
(basketball, Press, family, Christianity, fitness,
diet, etc.) he wasn't satisfied with cutting corners. Instead, Pistol Pete gave it his all,
dove into every aspect of it, got into the details,
and went the extra mile.

It only makes sense that an author who is writing about Pete's life would need to do the same. Wayne Federman did.

I give it an A+. Great subject, well-written book and a very smooth read. I highly recommend it.

This is the first Maravich biography that I have read, and I was impressed by the thoroughness of research. From the story of Pete's grandparents in Pennsylvania to his untimely death on a church basketball court to the current status of his wife and children, this book tells it all. Though he failed to achieve his ultimate dream--winning a championship--he ended up with something much better during the last five years of his life--inner peace as a gift from God. I witnessed Pete's final freshman game in Knoxville, Tennesse in 1967, and it was the most stunning sports event that I have ever seen. I had not seen such magic on the court before, and was immediately awed by his unforgettable performance. His freshman game-by-game statistics are not given in the book, and neither is the date of that game. I do know that he scored 741 points his freshman year, and those are not included in his college records. This is a wonderful book.