Basketball Books

I enjoyed this book. The story line was easy to follow and entertaining. This book would be a welcome addition to any Library.

SCRUB MATCH by Bill Eisele is a wonderful coming of age story and boyfriend fiction at it's best. I started the book one afternoon read for two hours and then picked it up again when I went to bed and the next thing I knew it was 8 AM. Even if you don't care about the game of basketball you will get a lot out of this book. The story of Paul and his failed attemps at finding true love in the late 90's San Francisco is endearing and at the same time sad and hopeful. The Characters are all people I would want to have as friends, all flawed and all human. With one exception. But, hey what would good fiction be without a villain? When you read SCRUB MATCH, I would think that Paul and Twitch and the wonderful Campbell, Alvin, Jesse, Pual's parents and the others who enrich Paul's life will all become people you'd want to know as well. Yes, and love.

This coming-of-age novel about a gay bi-racialman Paul Carter learning to be true to himself. On his road to self discovery he not only falls in love but understand the measures off fighting for love. He learns how onniving people can be and still understand that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Eventhough I was bored all the way up to chapter 8. It picked up, love has not everyone breaks even their are winners and there are losers. Sadly not everyone in this story is a winner however everyone walks away with a lesson learned.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Its easy to read and a story I could relate to. I get so tired of novels where all the people are beautiful and successful.. Its about time we had a novel like this where everyone is not so "perfect" because thats more like real life.

To a mixed-race gay man still smarting from a failed relationship during his final year of college, San Francisco seemed like the best destination for Paul Carter after graduation. A city of ethnic diversity, where his red Afro would be less likely to elicit stares, and where a significant portion of the population was also gay, and far enough away from his father whom Paul felt was disappointed in him. If he could just make it through the sky-high rents, having to rent a room from a woman who constantly suspected him of stealing from her, and if he could only find a great boyfriend, like Twitch, the fellow he met on the basketball courts one night shortly after his arrival, and whom he has been "courting" ever since.

First time novelist Bill Eisele comes a coming-of-age novel about a gay man learning to be true to himself, rather than base his happiness on others' connections to him or their expectations. The diverse, colorful characters are mostly all members of a pick-up basketball team in a league at a local community center, where Paul seems to mistake their success on court with their ability to succeed at life. When his parents and younger sister come to visit him in San Francisco, Paul is worried about being caught in a lie he told about having a steady boyfriend, but finally allows himself to see his father through his friends' eyes, resulting in a cathartic reconciliation of sorts. Those who are not avid basketball fans (neither am I) should not be deterred by the novel's seeming preoccupation with the sport, since the "game" turns out to be much more than the one played under a hoop and net. Give it a try.

...Sonny Youngblood, a high-school all american shoots 100 free throws after every practice. Thats why he is the best. Sonny Youngblood is a Freshman at Southern Illinois Universtiy. His potential on the basketball floor is amazing. The book is about how his life is in SIU. This book is the best book I have ever read. Its got great excitiment and I can never put it down. If you have not read this book I suggest you do because you'll be on the edge of your chair when the buzzer goes off.

The Squared Circle by James Bennett, is a good portrayal of what life would be to be a famous NCAA basketball player. Up and coming basketball players are always being mobbed by reporters and newswriters. They never get a break. The plot of this story revolves around a person named Sonny Youngblood who attends Southern Illinois University(SIU.) It discusses the trials and tribulations of trying to be a basketball star throughout the book.
Sonny is involved with many characters throughout the book. Some of these characters are: Uncle Seth, his mother, and his cousin, Sissy. The setting of this book is Illinois, sometime in modern times. The entire book is based in Illinois.
About halfway through the book, Sonny finds out that he will not have enough credits to be able to play basketball. So, he asks his cousin, Sissy, if he can do some art work with her. It isn't real art work, it's just basically having Sonny move art pieces from an old abandoned building to another newer building. Sissy can't lift the art herself, so she asks Sonny to help her. Sonny's team does very well in the tournament. That describes probably about half the book.
The author used many literary elemnets in this book. One of those literary elements is irony. The author used irony by having the book go nice and easy, then all of a sudden, something ironic happens to Sonny. The author uses foreshadowing very well also. When Sonny is in the fraternity, he doesn't really like it. He quits the fraternity. Towards the end of the book, he meets up with them because he forgot to bring them their ring. He argues with them because they wanted him to join back. The setting was not a place that I could relate to. This is a good read for any basketball fanatic; or any sports fanatic in general. The ending by itself is worth the reading.

**** James Bennet1s The Squared Circle

Reviewer: Josh Rosenthal

He drives to the hoop, pulls up shoots and scores, and the Salukis win the game. Do you like basketball stories with a realistic twist to it? If you do I would recommend this book. It is about a college student named Sonny Youngblood, who is a freshmen at Southern Illinois University. Sonny was an all American high school basketball player he goes to SIU to stay close to home because his mother is battling an unknown sickness. While in college he encounters a number of obstacles like dealing with the media , and his education. He also finds out what it is like to be in the college atmosphere dealing with two hours of practice each day and a couple of hours of homework every night. On top of that he has to travel for games to other states and still complete the homework and tests the next day. During the road trips he day dreams about how easy his life was when he was in high school: he had a great girl friend and easy school work. He also finds out what it is like to not have people always telling him what to accomplish for the next day and being on his own and growing up. While on a road trip a scandal breaks out commenting that the university was giving money and gifts to get players to come to SIU. While dealing with his mothers sickness and the scandal Sonny takes a nose dive into the real world. The story is a great example of what happens at the collegiate level to people and how greedy people are in the business world to come out on top. It also shows how hard it is on the players dealing with the stress and school plus the media also breathing down there back. In the end it teaches the reader a lesson that winning is not everything and being an honest person will get you much farther in life.

This book is based on a high school basketball star going into a college league playing with peers that have skills that match his and some even greater. This book shows determination and ambition can get you far as it did to Sonny, a basketball player that doesn't want fame but wants to play the game of basketball. Although the cursing level is a bit high, this book may be a great book to all readers.

Snell: "Did you shoot free throws after pracice?"

Sonny:"What d'you think?"

Snell: "How many?"

Sonny: "What d'you think?"

Snell: "hundred right?"

Sonny: "Yeah"

Snell: "How many did you make?"

Sonny: "I just told you."

Snell: "So you shot a hundred and made a hundred?

Sonny Youngblood, a high-school all american shoots 100 free throws after every practice. Thats why he is the best. Sonny Youngblood is a Freshman at Southern Illinois Universtiy. He's potential on the basketball floor is amazing. The book is about how his life is in SIU. This book is the best book I have ever read. Its got great excitiment and I can never put it down. If you have not read this book I suggest you do beacause you'll be on the edge of your chair when the buzzer goes off.

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ALL CELTIC AND BASKETBALL FANS. THIS BOOK COVERS THE HISTORY OF THE CELTICS UP TO 2002. IT HAS SO MUCH INFO AND STATS IT WILL TAKE AWHILE TO GET THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. IT IS ALSO A GREAT BOOK TO USE OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO CHECK YEAR TO YEAR STATS OF EVERY CELTIC WHO EVER PLAYED. ALSO HAS EVERY SEASON TO SEASON COVERAGE AND ANALYSIS AND A GREAT COLLECTION OF PHOTOS OF OWNERS, PLAYER AND BROADCASTERS. A MUST FOR ALL CELTIC FANS.

Despite being from Basque Country, Europe, i've been a big Celtic fan since 1985-86, when i was a child and became watching on tv the greatest team my eyes have ever seen. In the following years, despite all the sufferings, i've continue being a big fan, and tough i'm from Vitoria, where plays one of the greatest team in Europe, a team where have played for example Calderon, Nocioni, Macijauskas and right now are playing future NBA players like Scola and Splitter, my only team are the Celtics.

I bought this book despite knowing all the history of the Celtics, but i thought that it would be interesting to have all it in a book ordered and with nice photos and stats.

So when i put my hands on the book, i was pretty happy. The encyclopedia looked serious, with chapters embracing all the Celts history, with a lot of images ( in black and white, only 8 pages of the book are in colour, in the middle of the book ), a lot of stats, description of the Hall of Famers, other Celtic important players....

The problem started when i began to read the book. I don't mind that the writter won't be a diehard Celtic fan. Is an encyclopedia, so i expect objective facts wrote without passion. The problem is that the writer wrotes with passion, but with ANTICELTIC passion. Yes friends, Peter C. Bjarkman is the most Anticeltic person you could ever know, specially AntiBird era, and he has wrote a Celtic Encyclopedia, for the money, of course. The stupidities start soon; for example, he accuses Red Auerbach of be a racist ! Ok, you will say, sure he will have a lot of information about this unknown fact, no? No. His only proof is so surrealistic that you will understand by this guy is so pathetic. Red said one time that if he would have to pick a player to build a champion team, he would chose Larry Bird. Ok, maybe you would pick Magic, Russell, Jordan, Chamberlain... Maybe Jabbar... But is very clear that Larry, the most complete player of the NBA history along with Magic Johnson, is one of the clear choices. But for our writer, this Red's afirmation is so stupid, that this proves that is a racist, because for him is so obvious that Russell was a much better player that the only reason to not chose him proves that Red, the person that give Russell the opportunity to became the first black coach in NBA, is a racist. Unbelievable. Of course his ration of garbage don't finish here. He also says that any person would choose Robertson (?), Wilt or Jordan and not Bird. Then he continues his AntiCeltic attacks saying that " The Big Three " (almost unanimously considered the best frontcourt that has ever played the game ), isn't by any means the best. He cites the Minneapolis Lakers frontcourt of the beginning of the 50s, one in which played Mikan, and his main reason is that they won 5 NBA championships. Yes, but quantity and quality are equal terms? Of course not. In that era, there were only 10 teams in the league, the clock possession doesn't existed, and the basketball average level of play was quite low.

He continues his attacks saying that the '86 Celts, considered by all the experts to be the greatest team ever along with the '87 Lakers, isn't the greatest Celt team. He says that the 60's Celts were a better team.... Well, i don't know if in the 1985-86 season you were in coma or watching only the Bulls games, but any person that watched that level of play knows that that team was probably the best team ever. I will die and that 50-1 record at home will continue unbreakable.

The conclusion i reached after reading all the book is that the writer hates the Bird Celtics. He tries to minimize the importance of Bird in the develop of the NBA, the excellence of that team, and most pathetic, he forgets that he is writing a book that surely only Celtics fans will buy, and tries to convince the reader that his anticeltic statements are the only truth. For all of this, if you are a diehard Celtic fan, i don't recommend this book, you will feel hurt.
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... during the Golden Era of American professional sports, 1955-70, featuring it's greatest, most hard-nosed performer (Bill Russell) and its greatest, most successful statesman (Red Auerbach). Plus a few other "pretty good" players .... my memory is fading but I do remember a couple of last names starting with "H" and a couple of them starting with "J."

As a sports-hungry kid back then, I was a Jerry West fan but the Celtics were so damn good I actually thought them to be cheating.

Though in hindsight I guess I was really a "Celtics fan in Lakers clothing" because I have finally admitted after all these years that things turned out just the way they were supposed to.

Too bad we didn't have the video technology back then that have today; in which case I would be watching tapes of the Old Celtics 24/7 .... starving, but very, very happy.

At any rate the NBA, at the very least, will never be the same.

I help run a website (http://www.celtic-nation.com) and we got a ton of good information from this book. Great for the die hard Celtics fan! Highly recommended for anyone in your family or life who wants to know everything about the Boston Celtics!

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK. IT ABOUT THE CELTICS THE NBA.

i give this book 4 because i like the way how coach carter coach the teamand how he puush them up to get strong.and the things that i like about the story wa that it was nonfiction and how the team won 12 to 0 but when the coach learn that some of the member of his team are cutting class and failing a academical he lock them out of the gym.and the 1 thing that i do not like about the book was that the players does not like coach

The book Coach Carter is a very interesting and inspiring book. It motivates young readers and basketball players to never stop believing in themselves. It helped me to realize that no matter what the situation is I should never give up. The characters in the story are very realistic and so are the situations. I have never seen the movie of Coach Carter so I would really like to go see it soon and see all the characters come to life. I give this book 5 star because it kept me reading the whole time wanting to see what was going to happen next. This is a really good book and I recommend it to anyone that could have a dream in life. If you've never read Coach Carter before you should diffidently go read it.

The book got my attention when the coach said, "You have to keep a C average." And they have to ware a suit and tie on game day. Someone gets shot in the chest three times and dies, but I do not want to give away who dies. They are 17-0 and are going to the championships. This book is good. This is the only book I ever read cover to cover, and I recommend this book for book report last resort.

Coach Carter is about nine basketball players and their coach named Coach Carter. The players don't earn very good grades, so coach Carter locks up the gym for about three games. I didn't mention that the Oilers were 16-0. When the Oilers finally got to play, they played against St. Francis, the hardest team. The Oilers have never been 16-0 since 1973. This was the winning championship. The book has a very good ending.
I liked this book because every time you put the book down you want to read more. But if you don't like bad language this isn't a good book for you.

Inspired by the life of Coach Ken Carter, the coach with a tough-as-nails approach. Set in the late 1990s and in California, Carter becomes the basketball coach of his former high school, Richmond High, where he excelled on the team when he was. The team he now coaches has had dismal seasons for years and he's here to bring the team and school to new heights. Part of his approach is to get his team to believe in something and that's education and discipline. Some of the kids on the team come from single parent families and the kids and have to hustle and get by on their own for financial support. Ken's son, Damien, has always played basketball under his father's guidance and transfers from a prestigious school to be on Richmond's team. The first day of practice is a day of reckoning for some players who are not used to being coach by a tough person; and Cruz takes his street mentality to challenge Coach Carter, which proves useless. Kenyon is a good kid and really believes that if the team starts winning, he could be looked upon for an academic scholarship for college. This doesn't go well with his girlfriend Kyra, who might be expecting, and put his future in a tailspin. To achieve success is to have goals, and Coach Carter has each player sign a contract stating that they will attain a 2.3 GPA in class in order to play. Everything is going good when the team starts winning and the spirits are high everywhere within the school, until the grade reports come in with unsatisfactorily results. Not only does Coach Carter stops the team from playing, but he has also locked the doors to the gym, forcing the school and the community to challenge him and his authority.

Inside look on the greates basketball programs eve

Art Chansky has been a close associatr of the Carolina Basketball program for yaers. He gives in depth background about many situations I had always wondered about. This in no way a book which sugar coats UNC. I love Carolina, but it shows a that Coach Smith is human like the rest of us. Reccomended reading for any TRUE basketball fan.This book gives you a sense of what it took to become a long term success and what were some of the events that defined the program.

Nice companion piece to Smith's own memoirs ("A Coach's Life"). A less complete portrait of Smith's inner life and interests off the court than the autobiography, but a more complete, and in many ways a more compelling, account of his public life as coach/power broker of what amounts to a multimillion dollar franchise. In this sense it is more entertaining than Smith's book -- a more open treatment of the recruiting process (including the ones that got away), the management of the Nike contract, the rivalry with Duke etc.

Like the Smith book, it at times gets bogged down in season by season recapitulations of win-loss records. It also includes some material (such as a few paragraphs on the murder of Michael Jordan's father) which presumably are worth mentioning, but don't really fit into the thematic or narrative flow, and seem to be inserted in a kind of obligatory fashion. But these are quibbles.

Unfortunately, the book ends with Smith's retirement and the installation of his hand-picked successor, Bill Guthridge, and, as a consequence, misses the surely interesting story of Guthridge's resignation two years later, and Smith and Guthridge's apparent inability to again stage manage the selection of the next long-run leader of the Carolina men's basketball program. Nevertheless an interesting and worthwhile read.

I have been a tarheel fan for my whole life, I met "THE MAN" as a kid. He is just as portrayed in the book. This was a book that I could not put down. The best book I've read. Great work Art.

I recommend this book to true, long-time dedicated UNC fans. Probably no one else could read the whole thing. You will remember each game from your own perspective but Chansky gives you the details from behind the scenes. Many tid-bits and juicy morsals to satisfy your curiosity about the program and about the man. If you like Smith, this book will affirm your respect for him. If you don't like him, this book will not change your mind. Smith is presented mostly sympathetically, but his flaws are too numerous to hide, yet for the true fan, they are expected and when seen within the contaxt of his life, they are forgivable. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Also, I recently read "Playing for Keeps" about Jordan. There is no redundancy here.

This man was an excellent leader, he did it by keeping things simple and basic. Most of all he put people first and placed high value on giving 100% all the time. Coach would be upset if you won and only gave 50% while on the other hand he would be proud of you if you gave 110% and still lost. Great guy, good book.

This book is a great book on leadership and life in general. I am just a little too young to remember Coach Wooden's great teams, but I have always heard of them. Coach Wooden's philosophy is that winning will take care of itself if you will always give your best effort and just do the best you can do. This book is different because so much of the time teams today only care if they win and not if they did their best and this book takes the exact opposite view. GREAT BOOK on leadership, teamwork and effort!

A book to familiarize yourself with Wooden's Pyramid of Success. The down to Earth view of what it takes to be successful in anything you engage in is laid out in this book. Coach Wooden used the ideas here to mold his basketball teams but the underlying ideas can be applied to anything in life and allow you to be successful and fullfilled. Following the ideas he presents will make you a good person and who could ask for more then that.

Here is a book that is sure to inspire you. From the first pages it grips you, then keeps your attention until the very end. Wooden's philosophy emphasizes that sucess is not measured in "bottom-line" results -- such as games won, sales figures, or other analogous metrics -- but rather on reaching the maximum potential one can achieve -- either individually or as a team. The measure of this becomes self-evident through honest preparation, intensity of practice, selflessness, and so-on. End results, then, are simply byproducts of hard work that was paid up front. Other discussions center around concepts of teamwork, and how to handle people. These have value for everyone, not just leaders and players.
The book is an easy read, and very well written. You won't be disappointed with this one.

Each page in this terrific book offers nuggets of wisdom from one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time. John Wooden's UCLA teams won 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in 12 years, including 88 consecutive winning games, setting legendary and enduring records. But the way Wooden's players behaved was even more impressive than the number of games they won. Never arrogant, the Bruins epitomized self-control and teamwork - unselfish, disciplined and intense. An outstanding tactician, Wooden recruited superbly talented athletes. However, he always believed that basketball was merely a vehicle for teaching his players about life and what really matters, hence this book of maxims and advice. Coach Wooden's principles about leadership and individual potential extend far beyond the basketball court. He does not define success just as victory, but as a full, complete team effort. We recommend this book to everyone, no matter what game you play or lead.

I may be biased being from Valpo but this book was extremely well worth reading. It is filled with a behind the scene's look of the special team that brought great joy and memories. Even if you don't know of our Valpo team or program you will truly enjoy this fantastic story of a tiny school from Northwest Indiana that achieves the impossible dream.......ENJOY

They got to go the length of the court with 2.5 left.
Sykes, long pass, Bill Jenkins, Drew three for win...
Valpo wins!
Valpo wins!
Valpo wins!
Bryce Drew hits a three pointer and the Crusaders have moved into the second round!
Bryce Drew hit three pointer to win this game 70-69!
The kid performs another miracle!

A definate must have for those who love the underdog at tourney time. It's hard for me to devote continuous attention to a book, but I refused to put this one down, and that is an accomplishment. I could feel the excitement and goosebumps in the book's descriptions of "the shot" and stories of tourney time. It's a sense of relief that stories like this do exist in a time when business seems to be overtaking the sports we love.

A definate must have for those who love the underdog at tourney time. It's hard for me to devote continuous attention to a book, but I refused to put this one down, and that is an accomplishment. I could feel the excitement and goosebumps in the book's descriptions of "the shot" and stories of tourney time. It's a sense of relief that storeis like this do exist in a time when business seems to be overtaking the sports we love.

I loved the behind the scenes look at big time college basketball. I also learned a lot from Coach Drew about successful ways to raise children that have the potential to be college athletes. The book has a lot of value because of the messages in it. It's especially a great read for basketball fans.

This is a very good book for all coaches. If you like to work all the basic stuff for your team, you can get some ideas from this book. I managed to work some of the exercises in my team [youths at age of 13 (boys)] and I have very good results...
A "must have" book!!!

This book offers a plethora of drills and advice for parents who want to coach their kid's team. The diagrams and explanations are thorough and the drills can be adapted for children ages 11 and up.


Alan Safani

Excellent drills, easy to follow. Plus many tips on managing the young players. A must read for coaches working with young people.

This book and Coaching Basketball by Jerry Krause are the two best coaches books out there. 5-star has drills that we use daily in our practices and coaching basketball as some great plays and ideas regarding the game. Get both these books ASAP!

This book is a classic. I can not believe that there are not more reviews giving this book the priase it deserves. If you want to become better at basketball you must not only practice consistantly, but you must know the correct techniques and moves to practice. This book is basically a complete reference of drills for every position that have been used at the nations premire basketball camp - five star. When Trajon Langdon started out as a freshman at duke this book recieved a lot of attention because Trajon, being from Alaska, did not have great exposure to a wide variety of basketball camps. Trajon bought this book and used the drills in it to make him the player he became. Every highschool player and coach should own a copy of this book if they are serious about improvement.

Fantastic read. Amy, this is excellent for those who need to know that others go through what they go through --- and are VICTORIOUS. God is REAL!

Author Amy Hammond Hagberg wanted to help teens--her own and others--answer questions about God, including the big question: "How do you know he's real?"

Hagberg wrote to sports stars, recording artists and other celebrities, asking them to reflect on their life experiences and share how the reality of God was making a difference to them personally and professionally. The responses she received--from NBA players, Christian musicians, 'American Idol' contestants and others--are honest, revealing, and often compelling.

The resulting book is a collection of celebrity essays: mini-bios that focus on the reality of God in the midst of media attention, success and failure, and broken relationships. Contributors include Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic basketball team, quarterback David Carr of the Houston Texans, and popular Christian recording artist Clay Crosse.

Some of the interviews are especially helpful for Hagberg's original target readers: teens. Among these, Chrissy Conway of 'Zoe Girl' talks about her parents' divorce, the party scene, and the twists and turns along her personal career path in ways that connect with teens and with anyone who has ever considered attempting a career in music.

Hagberg is a gifted and skilled writer who keeps readers turning the pages as she unpacks celebrity affirmations of the presence of God in their lives. A great gift book for readers from teens through Gen X, but the stories here will interest readers of any age!

Note: Reviewer Dr. David Frisbie is an author and Executive Director of The Center for Marriage & Family Studies in Del Mar, California.

Armchair Interviews says: Anything that can help teens understand their role in living a good life is good.

This is an ideal book to give to people who have questions about becoming a Christian, and who love sports and music celebrities.

44 extreme sports and music celebrities tell their stories in this book, from Jonny Lang (recording artist), to Barlow Girl (rock group), Kimiko Soldati (Olympic diving), CJ Hobgood (surfer), Dwight Howard (NBA player, Orlando Magic), Mick Hannah (downhill mountain bike racer), Jimmie McGuire (professional motocross rider) and more.

They share hard times they faced, how they became Christians and how their paths are more joyful due to their faith. Being a Green Bay Packer fan I turned to Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila's story of growing up in South Central Los Angeles with a tough background, a Muslim dad and a Christian mom, and how his becoming a Christian led to his current happy family life and NFL career. Christian Hosoi, professional skateboarder, after serious drug problems, is now leading a skateboarding ministry.

The two page "God's Road Map" at the end of each celebrity's story contains perceptive questions and Scriptures. Sports and music lovers will enjoy this book, and it can even be a "past watchful dragons book" that will steer doubting people on a new clear path.

God Unplugged by Ammy Hagberg was very interesting. It is 403 pages long and was published in 2006 by Destiny Image. In the story top athletes, musicians, and also stars tell how god helped them get where they wanted to be and changed their lives.
In the story there were 44 celebrity reflections on true life experiences with god. Many of these celebrities have been extremely low in their lives and god has pulled them out of them. Also in some cases they have had no luck in there lives and finally achieved their goals after they gave there lives god. All of these people believe that god has either given them opportunities or even the strength to work through where they were to get to where they want to be.
I thought that this was a good book. I enjoyed reading it and seeing how god has changed all of these people's lives. The strengths of this book are that it has top named celebrities that people actually want to read about. The weakness of this book is that there is nothing to find out nest so you don't have a reason to keep reading. I did like how god actually gave them the strength to continue and succeed in life. The writing was very boring to me, but I liked the idea.
The book gave a lasting effect on me because I have a saint Christopher necklace that my grandma gave to me before she passed away and that keeps me safe when I race motorcross. So, I think that god has a great power on us. I would recommend this book, it will make you think.

Truly, this, and the book before this, are really awesome books!
** Why?
Because they give some very good insights into other peoples way to God. Not only that, if you don't know the Bible inside and out (and even if you do, actually!), there are quotations from the Bible explaining the why and hows, depending on the story of the person interviewed.
All this, with Amy Hagbergs very nice way of writing (down to earth serious mixed with a nice blend of humor) makes this book a pleasure to read!
Personally, I strongly recommend this book to everyone. It might be those who Seek, or those who have found, it doesn't matter, in my opinion! :)

FORMER NBA PLAYER BILL BRADLEY TAKES US THROUGH SOME OF THE 1973-74 KNICKS SEASON, AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF BRADLEY, EARL MONROE, WILLIS REED AND DAVE DEBUSSCHURE. MOST OF IT IS INTERESTING AND WELL WRITTEN. IT IS NOT A TELL ALL OR CONTROVERSIAL BOOK BUT PRETTY MUCH A FACTS ONLY BOOK. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE HOW THE PLAYERS SPEND THEIR DOWN TIME ON ROAD TRIPS, THE AVAILABILITY OF WOMEN WHO WILL SLEEP WITH JUST ABOUT ANY PLAYER, AND THE INNERPLAY OF THE KNICKS IN PRACTICE AND ON PLANES. I LIKED THIS BOOK BUT IT IS NOTHING GREAT AND IT IS BORING AT TIMES BUT STILL WORTH A PEEK.

He writes about being in the NBA but it's during the 70's when it was so different from now. Players didn't make mega millions then. I can't believe they would still have to do their own laundry and share a hotel room with someone on the team. But it's a nice glimpse into the 70's and professional basketball, I guess. The basketball writing is okay, I've read much better. His writing is pretty dead.

After reading John McPhee's account of Bill Bradley's years at Princeton, I put the book down and thought it was too good to be true. No NBA player I've ever seen is THAT smart. But after reading Bradley's own Life on the Run, I recant. Bradley IS that smart, and he's a hell of a writer to boot. This one can be spoken about with the same kind of respect due the classic sports profiles, including McPhee's own Levels of the Game. I'm glad I took a chance on this book. It was a real pleasure.

Bill Bradley's account of three weeks in the life of an NBA team in the '70's is as much a stunningly insightful social commentary as it is a nice, easily-rambling, "On the Road"-style ride. Beautiful.

Bradley's memoir of the waning games in the New York Knicks' 1973-74 season (the season after they won their second NBA championship) contains many observations about professional sports that, unfortunately, continue to ring true today: the shameless exploitation of undereducated athletes by agents and comparable parasites; the intrinsic harshness of an itinerant existence during a roadtrip on the West Coast; the grueling physical and mental demands of the NBA regular season; the evanescent nature of fan support. Given all of the above, why then would anyone want to play NBA basketball? Well, Bradley also does a fine job of describing the many thrills an athlete can derive from, among other things, being exhalted by home fans; winning a championship; and being part of a selflless team unit that manages to sublimate individualistic tendancies in its pursuit of greater goals. Bradley's book, from what I can gather, was revolutionary for its time in that it eschewed the type of hagiographic approach that many writers took toward the world of professional sports and ablely demonstrated the myriad difficulties associated with being a player in the nation's largest media spotlight. It should be a must- read for all aspiring NBA players -- especially those players who are considering foregoing several (or all) years of their collegiate eligibilities to make a fast buck. They should be forewarned: "All that glitters isn't gold."