United States Books

I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped put my life into perspective. Sometimes we all run fast and live hard until we realize that there comes a point when we need to rest and come back home-----to God. I want to thank Lisa Whelchel for writing such a fine story. The title caught my eye since so many of us are familiar with the show that started off with so many memories. For me it was the beginning of the end of my elementary school life and the beginnings of my High School days and til It's last year (1987-1988) of my first year in college. I hope that with all of our memories and best times we also find the time to read Lisa's Book. Great book! Go get it! :)

I enjoyed this book and was moved by it. I am a fan of Lisa's since her "Facts" days; I did my research first and I knew that the book did not have a lot of detail about her work on the show, so I didn't have those expectations. The book is religious in nature but in my opinion it was a very accessible, breezy read and I think there is something in it for everyone. In fact, I read it, and then I read it AGAIN as soon as I finished it! It really made me stop and think. I laughed, I cried, I said, "oh yeah, I know *exactly* what she's talking about!" Give it a look, it will be worth your time.

This book was awesome....it was funny, entertaining, but also very spiritual and uplifting. I've been a huge fan of the TV show "The Facts of Life" since I was very young, and adored "Blair". Lisa Whelchel is a wonderful writer and I highly recommend this book.

This book basically told the story of Lisa's life, from her childhood, to acting, and then about her marriage and parenthood. The chapters were well broken down into various aspects of her life, with her telling us what God has taught her at the end of each chapter. I loved the humor in the book, especially the words of wisdom from Lisa's mother.

This book was a great read, and I have learned things from Lisa that are actually helping me get through the days. I didn't want to put it down until I finished it, and I want to get a copy for all my friends. She may have been a star, and she's different from me in plenty of ways. But she's also so much like me as a Christian woman, wife, and mother. When I'm having a rough day, I just remember reading about how she went through something similar and how she got through it, whether it be a major life struggle, or just dealing with my kids when they're having a particularly bad day.
I went to one of her Mom-Time conferences a couple of months ago, and there I learned that Lisa is so down to earth. The book shows that about her even more. It has been such a blessing to me already, and it's a book I plan to read at least once a year.

I felt better knowing that my fears with my illness are not mine alone.

I recently read this book, and I can't honestly say that I liked it. I too have been diagnosed with MS. I'm happy that Mr. Lander can find humor in his condition, however I find nothing he had to say not in the least bit funny.

MS is a terrible diease that affects the Central Nervous System and there's nothing funny about that. Even the title of the book is seriously upsetting(How Squiggy caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody). You can't catch MS, and to put that in print is misleading.

I take my MS, the treatment for it, and all the symptoms very seriously. I have no desire to joke about them.

Some of the information in his book were very informative and very much worth reading, however I believe his approach is less than ideal.

When my father finally told me he had MS (like David Lander, he kept it a secret), he suggested I read this book. The insight it gave me was priceless. Everyone will find their own path, but I can tell you that by sharing his experiences, Mr. Lander has helped me to be the best son (and friend) that I can be.

I just loved this book. It is a very quick read and very upbeat. For someone with MS or caring for someone with MS it is a story you can relate to. My husband was recently diagnosed with MS and has been very reluctant to read anything about the disease. I am going to have him read this book because while I whink it might confirm some of his fears, at the same time it does so in a positive manner.

The book is a quick read. Sometimes you feel very alone with MS. This book will help you feel better. And, it explains some of the MS symptoms that you are experiencing better than a medical text. It will put some words on your feelings.

Pat Jordan wrote this book about his three years playing minor league baseball trying to live up to the giant bonus the Milwaukee Braves had given him to be a pitcher for them. He chronicles what days he can remember spent in small towns, meeting interesting people, and going through the struggles any 18 year old boy must go through with the extra added pressure of having to throw a small white ball past a professional athlete.

What makes this book stand out from other such books is that Jordan is an extremely strong writer. Some of his landscape descriptions bring back Steinbeck and his tales of dankness Dreiser. He is very talented and I finished the book in about four days because of its easy flow.

The biggest disappointment was that many parts of the story are left unresolved. About halfway through the book he drops a major bomb after calling an old girlfriend and yet nothing more about it is ever mentioned. The ending too is sort of dropped on us, almost as though there is was another chapter that got cut off. I know this is a non-fiction book and sometimes real life is unresolved, but it seems as though there are parts left out. I only hope some of the answers are contained in his sequel to the book written almost 30 years later entitled "A Nice Tuesday".

Like so many baseball books, this really isn't just about baseball. It's about a young mans' journey growing up. It's about what happens to a "can't miss" prospect when he does miss. Pat Jordan looks back 15 years after he threw his last pitch--trying to figure out what happened. He's still not sure-I got the feeling he wrote this book for theraputic reasons. But we learn a lot about Mr. Jordan, and some of it is not too flattering. It's obvious he's still searching for the answers, and that's what I like the most about the book-because YOU understand while reading that he just didn't have what it takes to be a big league pitcher. A wonderful peek inside Mr. Jordan's "coming of age." Highly recommended!

I first read excerpts from "A False Spring" about 30 years ago when they appeared in three consecutive issues of Sports Illustrated. From the moment I began reading that first installment, I was entranced. It is hard to describe exactly why, but I am sure that the baseball action in the book was not the reason. Instead, I remember Jordan's vivid portrayls of such seemingly mundane things as a prarie thunderstorm, an afternoon fishing in the swamplands of Florida and the glow of the instruments on his dashboard. These depictions riveted me, I'm convinced, because they put into words how I saw the world. As an 11 year-old, this was a unique and novel experience for me.

Jordan's portrayal of his own feelings of dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, rage and finally resignation also resonated with me. Most of the reading I had done up to that point portrayed life's events in a linear fashion that was totally at odds with what I had already experienced. I was fascinated that Jordan could take an accessible subject matter and weave all of these other elements into it.

Mind you, all of this came to me from reading the three SI excerpts. I never did read the book until, by chance, I was searching on this site and came across a name I remembered. So, 30 years later, I got a copy and tried to find out whether this book would have meaning for me anything like what I experienced as an 11 year-old.

Some pompous windbag spoke at my college graduation ceremony about the test for what he called "clahsic stahtus." According to this guy, any writing qualified for that status if one could read the work at widely spaced intervals and still feel the same spark as in the previous readings. He assumed, I guess, that peoples' perceptions and interests change over the years and that only writing that had a certain breadth would be able to appeal to a reader who had undergone those changes.

"A False Spring" certainly passed the test. All of the vivid descriptions -- the hand-me-down uniforms, the barracks-like atmosphere of minor league spring training, the experience of pitching in frozen northern outposts-- remained as vital and gripping as before, as did Jordan's portrayal of the unravelling of his baseball career. With the benefit of 30 years' experience, I was able to understand the author's struggles in more than the visceral way I did as an 11 year-old. Further, I got the strong sense -- confirmed in Jordan's later memoir, "A Nice Tuesday" -- that Jordan himself had not figured out exactly why things had gone so wrong for him.

At times, reading this book was like watching someone reliving some horrible nightmare. At other times, it was simply a pleasant experience to read Jordan's description of day-to-day life in small town America in the late 50s. Throughout, the book was just as gripping as those SI excerpts that grabbed me 30 years ago.

I have read that Pat Jordan set about to create a persona in this book and that the portrayal of that persona was calculated and not always accurate. Even so, this book reveals enough of the real experiences of the man that it withstands the test of time. I'm not so interested in absolute historical accuracy when I come across a book that can hold my attention and bring me back for more 30 years after the first reading.

Those of us who are profesional sportswriters spend a lot of time in press boxes with other writers who criticize what they see on the field, but either never played the game or never played it well. "The Suitors of Spring" is brilliantly written by Pat Jordan, who did play the game. It also brings to mind some of the best sports books ever. "Ball Four's" Jim Bouton played the game. "North Dallas Forty's" Peter Gent played the game.

Having stood on the mound, facing down a hitter with the bases loaded, the crowd yelling, the opposition hurling insults, your future on the line and the hair standing up on the back of his neck, is an experience known by few. Jordan knows it.

Here he writes about pitchers, his specialty. He writes about superstars like Tom Seaver, playboys like Bo Belinsky, hardthrowing drunks like Steve Dalkowski, 6-6 lefties who never lived up their potential, like Sam McDowell, and prep phenoms from his home state of Connecticut who met the same fate as the author.

Jordan's talent is not one that can be learned in a literary class. He is of the school of hard knoocks, rough hewn, real, human. Bravo, Pat.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM

"A False Spring" is so good I cannot do it justice here. It is, along with "Ball Four", "The Suitors of Spring" (also by Pat Jordan) and "Bo: Pitching and Wooing" by Maury Allen, one of the best baseball books ever written. This book describes minor league baseball, the hopes and dreams of a young athlete, youthful sex, raunchiness, crushing disappointment, and Americana. I read this book and memorized it, then went off to play minor league ball myself and totally lived all of it. My experiences in the Cardinal and A's organization did not resemble Jordan's, they rhymed. This book tells the story of thousands of young hopefuls who live amongst us, and many more of us can relate to it than can relate to the superhuman life and accomplishments of Barry Bonds.

I am the wife of a Fire Captain and I could relate to so much that Susan writes about. Thank you Susan for telling such a wonderful story! I read this book over a 24 hour period, no easy task with a 7 week old baby and a 3 year old, and with my husband at the fire station. I could not put the book down and didn't want it to end, I laughed and cried and totally enjoyed every page. This is a must read for any wife, or family, of a fireman.

Loved this book. It was past around for the wives of the fire academy to read. With my brother on for a few years, I thought I knew a lot about what this journey would entail. But this book was insight, funny, heart wrenching. It was a easy, quick read. I will know give this to all the new wives entering this department. It really opens you eyes on what to expect, from the shift to your husband's second family. Worth your time.

This is one of the best books that I have read! Susan really knows how to express what all fire wives feel. This book made me laugh, cry, and say "yep, I've seen (heard, felt, done) that!" so many times. I think anyone married to a fireman would love this book. I really appreciate the awareness it has given me. I only wish I read it sooner. As a 9-year fireman's wife myself, I highly recommend it!

This book was given to me by my firefighter fiancee soon after he proposed. What a Godsend! I consider this my "bible". Susan summed up the feelings we as wives have about our firemen husbands and does it in a funny, thoughtful and wonderful way. I recommend this be required literature for every fireman to hand out when they decide to propose!! LOL. Thanks Susan for sharing our side of the story!

A funny, insightfull, and often scary look into the life of a firefighters wife.

"It's a comprehensive and exhaustively researched offering and a fine addition to Wolf's career in helping Pennsylvania anglers better know and respect their home waters. With its detailed maps and hatch charts, it also will help traveling anglers find and fish their way around the Keystone State."

"Over the years, a number of books have been written offering insight to the best places where (fishing) opportunity can be found. However, none is as complete as recently released, Dave Wolf's, Flyfishers Guide to Pennsylvania. This book is complete and provides tidbits of information overlooked in the past, but not in this book. The book can not only serve as a fishing guide, but for travel as well, covering where to stay, restaurants, fly shops and much more."

"Wolf, although an ardent trout fisherman, includes in this book information for the ever-growing number of anglers that have taken to fishing for cool and warm-water species using buggy-whip techniques. And it doesn't end there. It is a great reference to the special waters of Pennsylvania even for bait and spinning tackle anglers....

I've had this book for several years and I've found it to be a very useful resource. The hatch charts are extremely helpful, especially for trout anglers. While the author made a better than average attempt to cover the warmwater opportunities in the Keystone State, for the most part only the most well known sites were covered. Certainly Pennsylvania has some world famous trout streams, but the variety and quality of our warmwater fisheries is truly extraordinary. Some of the streams that were covered specifically for the trout they hold probably offer better bass fishing over most of their length. Trout centered thinking is far too prevalent in the fly fishing community and as a result this sort of overemphasis on trout is typical of many fly fishing guides. Indeed, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is guilty of killing thousands of trout annually by stocking them in waters so warm they are almost certain to all die by Memorial Day. I know that Mr. Wolf is a skilled and avid warmwater fly fisher. I hope in the future he will update this guide and give our warmwater fisheries the coverage they deserve.

If you are looking for a book to give you general knowledge on better known trout fishing streams in Pennsylvania, then this book will meet your needs. Unfortunately, the author does not do a good job of covering remote streams in many parts of the state that are excellent producing streams and beautiful places to fish. I was especially disappointed in his lack of coverage of streams in McKean and Warren County. I would not recommend this book to an avid Pennsylvania fisherman. The book is adequate for an out-of-state fisherman who is looking to fish some of the more popular streams in PA.

This well written book is a must read for all pilots. When you read this you will be taken back in time to WWII, to landing on the moon, breaking the sound barrier, and the first man in space. Mr. Hoover has been an active participant in many historical events, he even tells why he was not the first to break the sound barrier. The book chronicals his exploits and then he backs up the stories with photos. I gave the book to my youngest son, who is going to fly in the USAF, and he could not put it down. If you like flying or airshows or history you need to read this book.

BUY IT !!

You'll love it. This is a page turner if ever there was one.

I did not know who Bob Hoover was before I started reading this book. Wow! What an amazing human and pilot. It's on my A list of autobiographies.

And, if you are a pilot, you will definitely want to read Forever Flying.

Some years ago I was at an airshow and watched Bob Hoover do things with a Shrike Commander that no twin-engined commuter airliner should be able to do. Afterwards he was amazingly modest and easy to talk to. Hoover is one of the greats - a life dedicated to flying and as a war pilot, a test pilot and an air display pilot he's done it all. Everything is faithfully recounted in this book. Yet there's something missing. True, it's an easy read. But it's also a bit sterile and I don't think it truly captures the man. Sadly the 'ghost' writer has done a less than brilliant job and the endless testimonies that appear would have been much more convincing had they been incorporated in the text. Also, they keep saying Lindberg was the first man to fly the Atlantic, but of course Alcock and Brown did it many years earlier. It's a great story but might have been better told.

I looked at the negative reviews complaining of the writing style before reading this book. I'm happy to observe they are in my opinion off base. This book is written in an easy-going conversational style. It's filled with anecdotes and adventure. Bob Hoover is an aviation icon. To get a feel for who he is (if you don't already know), one of the pictures in the book shows Bob sitting next to Neil Armstrong, with Bob's wife sitting next to Charles Lindbergh on the other side of Neil. Hoover was buddies with Jimmy Doolittle. He's friends with Chuck Yeager (Hoover was chase pilot to Yeager's X-1 sound barrier flights). If you know who all these guys are, you'll love this book. If you want to find out who they are, this is a great book.If you don't care about such fine details of US aviation history, from pre-WWII to the jet age and the moon, you'll probably be happier reading something else.

Good book, if your looking for furniture deals. Some of the information is not as updated especially websites addresses but there is a lot of great sources in the book.

With this guide, we were able to save 40% over the price at a local Flexsteel dealer for some custom ordered furniture. We wouldn't have known where to order from without the guide. We saved several hundred dollars, offsetting the investment in the book many times over.

The author details many stores, their policies, pricing, shipping and product selection.

I've bought this book twice - it's a must have before you shop for furniture. You save so much money the book really doesn't cost you anything. It will make you an informed shopper when buying furniture. Kimberly tells you what brands are sold where, and the discount you can expect. Information on stores to visit, stores to just call in your order, or stores to avoid are given - saving both time and money. Four years ago I wanted a sofa from a not so well known manufacturer and this book gave the info on the one place that carried that brand. I saved so much time and money, and knew what to expect when buying.

She also has a website referenced in the book that provides the lastest updates to the book, as well as comparing some prices, and lots of other great information. There is also very helpful information regarding purchasing fabrics for decorating.

Don't shop without it!

Have not actually travelled to NC yet, but plan to in October. This book is very helpful in planning the trip and deciding where to go. It's exactly what the description is and I'm sure will be very useful.

Too often we read and hear of women with eating disorders. This book was very enlightening. I think it took a lot of courage for Ron Saxen to write this book and disclose so much of his life -- the good as well as the bad. Thank you, Ron, for taking the time to write. I hope many women and men that deal with the same issues will find answers, hope and help for themselves reading this book.

When I read a blurb in NEWSWEEK a few months ago about Binge Eating Disorder and Ron Saxen's book, I was quick to pre-order the book. Binge Eating Disorder (BED)is becoming more and more common, yet, very few books address this problem. I expected THE GOOD EATER to be the salvation that held all the keys to unlock the mysteries of BED. THE GOOD EATER was a very different book than I expected. It is really the story of Ron Saxen's life and struggles and his use of food for comfort. A very difficult childhood left him emotionally vacant and lacking in self-confidence. He turned to food and gained and lost weight for years. At one point, he lost enough weight to be signed with a modeling agency and the chance for a promising career. Despite the successful start to his career, he was still overweight and unattractive in his mind. For an emotional eater, handling success can be harder than handling failure. Ron turned to food and gained weight and left his modeling career behind him. For the next 20 years he struggles with various careers, including as a stand up comedian. He even briefly joins the Marines. In a search for love and acceptance, he enters into an unhappy marriage. 20 years after his modeling career, he finds the strength and the love to turn his life around and have a proper relationship with food. The book really is not self-help in nature but the brutally honest story of one man's struggle with food. Ron tells it like it is and rarely is the story pretty. There is hope in his dedication and determination. It's hard to let go of the past and our childhoods can haunt us forever. Only in the last few pages is the issue of binge eating addressed. If you suffer from binge eating disorder, THE GOOD EATER isn't your salvation but there is comfort in knowing you are not alone. It's easy to relate to Ron's downward slide into uncontrollable binge eating. Food was his best friend and gave him temporary relief from the emotional pain of life. His journey is heartbreaking but there is hope around the corner for all of us.

Ron Saxen's The Good Eater is one of the first, if not first, books written about binge eating from the perspective of a male. When reading the book I could vividly see the events playing out and the impact on Ron and his family.

Ron's work has inspired me to move forward in my own personal journey to confront binge eating and the emotions that drive me to binge. That alone should be the true test of the book and in my opinion it passes with an A+.

The inspirational book, The Good Eater, is a candid and absorbing memoir of author Ron Saxen's struggle with BED (binge eating disorder). The author's revealing recollections of his life are often hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking. The Good Eater is well paced and written in an entertaining conversational style. Highly recommended!

This book is about a man who grows up in a dysfuntional home and tries to make something of himself by going after all the wrong things. Number one being food and then girls, sex, jobs and even marriage. In the end though he realizes that the only thing that makes him well is realizing he will never be perfect and learning to accept himself with his flaws. I found the book very interesting. The only reason I gave it a 4 is becuase of the constant swearing. Ok, I am not a prude and I understand that at times swearing can get across the point of pain. But, the F word was used constantly and I got tired of it in the end.

This short book is an excellent source for meditation, or just general spiritual reading. Behrens uses events and common items to create a jumping off point for his short reflections on, of which, all is useful whether you are an "aspiring Monk" or not. He is very good at taking the everyday and making it uncommon.

The book was well written and came from the author's heart. It offers peace and healing to those who are stressed and in need of the calming hand of God.

GRACE IS EVERYWHERE is a collection of short essays by Trappist monk James Stephen Behrens. Trappists are Catholic monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict living most of their religious lives in one place, believing that while the mystery of God is great, very often God can be found in the simplest of places and situations. Life has a certain pattern and a regular schedule of work and prayer is the stuff of Trappist life. Behrens, who worked in parish ministry prior to joining the order, takes basic daily events of life, many rather routine, and shows ways that God can be found in a variety of situations. The essays contain insights Behrens gained from his life in parish ministry as well as his training in the traditions of the Trappists. The essays and stories are meant to help the reader find God at work in the daily events that we all experience. An added bonus of the book would be the personal touches found in Behrens' writings. Throughout the reflections he shares bits and pieces of himself, his life, musings on family and friends and the like which helps readers see that while Behrens may live a life that is cloistered, his joys and struggles, successes and failures are not unlike those of so many others and we find not so much a spiritual guru as much as a companion.

James Stephen Behrens writes with disarming simplicity and unerring poise. He sees the wonder of life in the tiniest detail; like all true artists, nothing is lost on him. And his gift is to share that with his readers in these short, sweet meditations about life in and around his monastery in Georgia. The people he meets, the wonder he encounters, the miracles he enjoys -- all are beautifully filtered through his pen.

Grace is everywhere, and so is God, and we have Behrens to thank for reminding us of that, again and again.

On my many retreats to Monastery of the Holy Spirit, I've received God's gift of grace through the community of brothers. Fr. Behren's "Grace is Everywhere" allows us to look into the cloister life, and bring monastic grace all the way home.

For another title on monastic spirituality, a book written specifically for parents and families, look at "The Family Cloister: Benedictine Wisdom for the Home", by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad, May 2000).

I thoroughly enjoyed GROWING UP BASEBALL. It was definitely a memorable reading experience. --David Dewse

A new book is out that takes an original approach to baseball. "Growing up baseball, an oral history," lets players tell their stories in their own words. Among those who write about their childhood baseball memories: Mark Grace, Bob Feller, Dom DiMaggio, Sam McDowell, Don Larsen and Mike Scioscia, manager of the Anaheim Angels, who vanquished the Giants in the World Series.

By Harvey and Frederic Frommer, the book is a quick and satisfying read about the innocent youth of baseball stars.

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The title and premise intrigued me. A series of mini-bios told in the first person by men who had actually made it to the "Big Leagues". I was looking for an answer, into my own psyche perhaps as to why the game is so compelling. Why do I stay up late for Opening Day and to watch every possible minute of the World Series? Why is Opening Day for my home team so important that I consider it a national holiday and have not missed an opening day game most of my adult life, even traveling over 300 miles to be there.

Why are celebrities like Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Kostner and Billy Crystal so obviously obsessed with the game. Even presidents are drawn to the game, our current president owned a team, Bill Clinton is said to be "bonkers about baseball". It is not just America that is taken with the game. The Japanese passion is well documented as well as Cuba and the Dominican Republic. I thought if I could hear in their own words what brought many major leaguers to the game I could find a commonality and understand why I am so gripped by the game.

In Growing Up Baseball players from the past and present, ones who had afleeting time in the major leagues to ones who are icons- discuss their intimate childhood memories of the game. Players who grew up with and without TV and /or in areas where there was no access to major or minor league teams and areas where cities have several major league teams all have the same passion for the game.

Chuck Stevens - Played three years for the St. Louis Browns. Grew up occasionally hearing games on the radio and reading ticker tape reports of World Series games. But spent 23 years in the Browns organization.

Scott Brosius - NY Yankees third baseman, knew he wanted to be a major leaguer from age three, but never saw a major league game until he was drafted by the Oakland A's at 22-years old.

Jose Cardenal -Native of Cuba whose whole family's life was devoted to baseball. His father played, his older brother played for the Army League, his cousin is Bert "Campy" Campaneris and his sister was the only female official scorer in Cuba. Signed by the Giants but couldn't get very much playing time due to the existing outfield of Mays, McCovey and the Alou brothers, was later traded and played 18 years in the majors.

The stories recount tales of parents who encouraged, parents who discouraged. Idols who became mentors. Boys who became men.

While Growing Up Baseball was not able to give me insight into my own obsession it does give intimate details and takes a peak into the childhood of majors leaguers who we love so much and always wanted to be.
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"Ambitious, very interesting. The wonderful oral histories humazine the players so much."

The title and premise intrigued me. A series of mini-bios told in the first person by men who had actually made it to the "Big Leagues." I was looking for an answer, into my own psyche perhaps as to why the game is so compelling. Why do I stay up late for Opening Day and to watch every possible minute of the World Series? Why is Opening Day for my home team so important that I consider it a national holiday and have not missed an opening day game most of my adult life, even traveling over 300 miles to be there?

Why are celebrities like Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner and Billy Crystal so obviously obsessed with the game? Even presidents are drawn to the game. Our current president owned a team. Bill Clinton is said to be "bonkers about baseball." It is not just America that is taken with the game. The Japanese passion is well documented as well as Cuba and the Dominican Republic. I thought if I could hear in their own words what brought many major leaguers to the game I could find a commonality and understand why I am so gripped by the game.

In Growing Up Baseball players from the past and present - ones who had a fleeting time in the major leagues to ones who are icons - discuss their intimate childhood memories of the game. Players who grew up with and without TV and/or in areas where there was no access to major or minor league teams and areas where cities have several major league teams all have the same passion for the game.

Chuck Stevens - Played three years for the St. Louis Browns. Grew up occasionally hearing games on the radio and reading ticker tape reports of World Series games. But spent 23 years in the Browns organization.

Scott Brosius - NY Yankees third baseman, knew he wanted to be a major leaguer from age three, but never saw a major league game until he was drafted by the Oakland A's at 22-years old.

Jose Cardenal - Native of Cuba whose whole family's life was devoted to baseball. His father played, his older brother played for the Army League, his cousin is Bert "Campy" Campaneris and his sister was the only female official scorer in Cuba. Signed by the Giants but couldn't get very much playing time due to the existing outfield of Mays, McCovey and the Alou brothers, was later traded and played 18 years in the majors.

The stories recount tales of parents who encouraged, parents who discouraged. Idols who became mentors. Boys who became men.

While Growing Up Baseball was not able to give me insight into my own obsession it does give intimate details and takes a peak into the childhood of major leaguers who we love so much and always wanted to be.