Players Books

Any sports fan who picks up "Eagle Blue" will not be disappointed, although you should like this one even if you could care less about hoops....Basketball is the stage for the story, but not the story itself. This isn't your typical book depicting some world-weary NBA star or jaded coach. D'Orso makes you care about the players and coaches at a tiny school literally in the middle of nowhere, thus their wins (and losses) somehow become your own. If that were as far as this book took you, it would be satisfying just on that basis. But it doesn't end there.

By the time you're done reading "Eagle Blue", you'll likely become sympathetic with the people populating its pages. Theirs is a culture that has been decimated, and you can see very real defeat among many tribal members. Note: D'Orso interjects his own politics when he talks about ANWR, but it's not as much a distraction as it could've been. The real story is how a group of teenagers galvanizes a town with nothing else to cheer about despite the efforts of some people, mostly outsiders, to kill what they have, and he thankfully keeps the focus on that.

If you're at all like me (and God help you if you are), you'll fight to stay awake until 3AM because you literally do not want to put this book down and fall aleep.

Boldly honest, "insiders" perspective from an outsider. Interesting insight into modern Native life in Arctic Alaska.

D'Orso's honest, unembellished presentation of everyday life for the characters - team members and townspeople of Fort Yukon - allows the reader to gain an open true look at what everyday life entails in this part of Alaska. It brings out the difficulties of living in the outposts of Arctic Alaska, Native vs. modern culture, politics vs. the land/natural resources/hunting/etc., and of course the tale of a group of young men and women representing their town as members of high school basketball teams. The pressures faced by these young men as individuals, family members, and town members and how each deals with it and grows shows a great view of life as it unfolds for them. Their daily lives are woven around the story of the basketball team and the course of a season sharing the success and adversity over the course of the year. A wonderful mix of human interest and basketball.

Highly enjoyable read.

This review of a basketball team's season is about an entire culture and about life. You'll be rooting on the Eagle Blue as you read this true story.

I've read many books about a sports season that, in a boring way, review game highlights. D'Orso reviews the entire culture, what basketball means in bush country, Alaska, in prose that is wonderful and intelligent.

Excellent book on life and sports. I'd recommend this to everyone, especially players and coaches at all levels.

Wonderful, for those of us who are Packer-backers and even for those who aren't. Good history, honesty about his addiction.

As a Londoner, who learnt to appreciate American football at 21, I wanted background reading to enhance my enjoyment. I started by looking into favourite players of mine, so came this book!

I wanted to understand what goes on in players mind before a big game. How they react to the coach barking orders. How they conduct themselves on and off the field. This book helped me to do all these things and more. Favre is not a roboback, he is an individual with flair and creativity, which is why this book is so entertaining.

I seem to be able to climb right on into Brett's head, and into his personal life through the pages in this book, which is enlightening to say the least. We hear about his highs and lows, and he is frank about his addiction to Vicodin, and his relationships with players and coaches alike.

I think this book is for American Football fans only, which explains why this was my first Amazon purchase, (This book isn't in print in the UK) but for a fan of the Packers, or just a Football fan in general, you can do no wrong in buying this, which will no doubt increase your respect for the stress players endure every game.

This is a good book ,the problem came from the fixation they put on his painkillers addiction and the problems it bring with his wife and teammates.You also have a lot of details about the health problems this addiction caused to him,a little bit like "Drugs is bad to you,see what it do to me."His wife almost let him down for that,his teammates are tired of him asking for Vicodin and others painkillers.The two or three first paragraphs talk about that, but chapter after chapter they come back with it.The book talk to much about his "post popularity" life and not enough of him when he was unknown.His "post popularity" life are report in all the daily newspapers,that why I expect to learn more about Bret Favre before he was a star.They pass to fast on his teens years,his collegiate years.The reason to write a biography his to talk about the unknown parts of someone life,but in this book you just found what everybody read on the last five years newspapers.That a good but incomplete book.

Favre for The Record is the best book I ever read.It is totally a must buy.

First I want to say something about the book. It's great!! If your a true fan of the Packers and want to know about one of the teams, and NFLs greatest players, buy this book. It shows you the kind of person Favre is on and off the field. He takes you through the ups and downs of his life and career that have made him the person and player he is today.Now, for the other reviews I read before writing this one. What promted some numbnuts to write about the packers loss to St. Louis in the playoffs in a book review?? They must be a Bears fan! Another one decided to write that Brett and his family were (...) That's intelligent. I know when I go to read a review about a book that interests me, I want to have to wade through the garbage that idiots like that jerk take up space with.For those of you with a brain in your head, trust me, Farve: For The Record is a great read!!

The point guard college was recommended by my daughter's high school basketball coach. At hundreds of dollars for one week of camp, I decided to read the founder's book and see if the camp would be worth the cost. After getting the book from the library, I realized that we NEED to OWN this book and also will be putting her in the point guard college. Division 1 colleges----look out for this midwest farm girl!!!

A must read and re-read for any hoopster. Devenzio was not only an incredible player and coach, but a very wise man. I had the privilege of knowing him and hope that his legend lives on. All of his other books are wonderful as well. If you want the live version, you should attend Point Guard College: www.pointguardcollege.com

Many of the items in the book are secret weapons, unknown to most players. Most of the items will give a player an advantage against other players. Excellent book.

I bought this book back in the early 80s when I was a wannabe player, and kept it through the years. Now my daughter is a middle school player & loves the book. It is simply the best basketball instructional book I have ever seen. It is truly sad that Dick Devenzio died so young.

Just as legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden described himself simply as a "teacher", so should Dick Devenzio. Over the last ten to fifteen years, the game of basketball has changed a great deal and not for the better. Yes, players today are bigger, stronger, quicker and more athletic then their counterparts of yesteryear but therein lies the problem. Today's players depend too heavily on their athleticism and consequently have never learned (or been taught!) the skills or developed the basketball I.Q. needed to reach their full potential. Devenzio's book is a powerfull vaccine against this disease whch has been looming around the hardwood for far too long. If you are a player or a coach at any level, this is a must read. A+

Where the heck did Clay Reynolds come from? This is one wild high-octane rush of Texas black comedy, betrayal and bloodshed. Tarrantino meets McMurtry. They'll never cram all this headlong action into a feature-length movie, and if they did it would fry you brainless. Read the book.

A fine plot,interesting,true to life characters and well paced make Players a super crime read.It is not yet up to the better Lawrence Block's or Elmore Leonard's,but I would rate it an 8 if not for the highly distracting use of colons in the punctuation.There are hundreds and hundreds of them.

1)This book is so far the only book that all the readers (including me) who tributed comments to the wonderful and so USER-FRIENDLY cool AMAZON.COM that from top to end, there is only an unique 10 or 10+ ratings. But why Amazon.com never included this wonderfully written book in their best recommanded 50 books? If all the readers of Amazon.com uncontroversially and wholeheartedly said this book is GREAT and only gave a 10~10+, it IS great, OK?! And you don't get any special credit by just writing a shallow negative review.

Players has got be one of the best books written in years. Reynolds ability to keep you thinking shines in this work. The plot is so well done and involved. It is one you will not be able to put down. A 10 without doubt!!!

I was recommended thru the e-mail for a chosen group to read this book. My God, this is the most wonderful book I've ever read, but I chewed it very slowly, because I didn't want to finish it too soon. For years I have been looking for such perfectly plotted, perfectly written, perfectly developed book! This is a real istant modern classic mystery+thriller, because it does not read like most of the so-called mysteries that actually written by retarded imbeciles & morons who dared to call themselves (mystery) writers and their mumbo jumbo craps mystery! This is a book written by a THINKING writer with mature logic. A very complex story twisted with plots within plots, but all were answered logically and completely, making the reading like watching a perfect onion peeled off grdually by a well experienced chef to the core. There was almost no flaw that I could find. This is the first book I could never guess what's gonna happen in the next page or next chapter. Like Carl Hiaassan in Florida, Mr. Reynolds por

With the backdrop of the emerging black middle-class in segregated Washington, D.C., during World War II, author Brad Snyder tells the compelling story of two baseball clubs and the push to integrate one professional league.

There is Homestead Grays founder Cum Posey, who is looking to relocate his franchise from Pittsburgh before the start of the 1940 season. And there is Clark Griffith, owner of the pathetic Washington Senators, who can briefly shuffle aside his racism for a business deal that will bring a new revenue stream to his bank account when the team is playing away from Griffith Stadium.

This initial tenuous partnership delivered a surprise to Griffith; the Grays exemplary play on the field found them outdrawing the cellar-dwelling Senators and galvanizing a new generation of baseball fans. That success - even with onerous stadium leases common when NLB teams played in facilities used by Major League Baseball clubs - helped propel the integration of MLB in 1947.

The era is also seen through legendary sportswriters Sam Lacy & Wendell Smith, Buck Leonard - the greatest pro first baseman - and in the offices of MLB, especially the Senators.

Griffith - who certainly could have worked out some type of agreement with the Grays for players to bolster the Senators before the Dodgers signed Robinson - was only a pioneer in segregation, integrating his team seven years after Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers and ultimately fleeing Washington, D.C., relocating his team to the whiter Minneapolis-St. Paul market.

With the success of Robinson came the slow disintegration of NLB - the league that was truly integrated on the field, in the stands and in the front offices - as MLB teams raided the club rosters for established stars and began scouting & signing younger players to contracts.

Snyder has brought this forgotten period beyond the shadows of the simplistic retelling of the past that plagues all levels American history.

Let me be clear, this is a great book, rather than just a very good one. In nine chapters, plus an introduction and conclusion, Washington, D.C., based attorney turned writer has told the powerful and sometimes provocative story of how the Homestead Grays moved to Washington, D.C., and set the stage for the breaking down of the color line in Major League Baseball (MLB). In this important book Brad Snyder moves beyond the singular actions of Branch Rickey's Brooklyn Dodgers and Jackie Robinson, which most people are familiar with, to explore the broader implications of race relations in baseball during the 1940s.

In telling this story, "Beyond the Shadow of the Senators" is filled with heroes and villains. The most significant hero is unquestionably Sam Lacy, a black writer with the "Washington Tribune," a weekly oriented toward D.C.'s large African American community, who consistently called for the desegregation of MLB. Also heroic are the great stars of the Negro Leagues, especially Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson, all of whom came to Washington to play before large crowds in the nation's capital. They demonstrated through their exploits the quality of talent in the Negro leagues, especially when juxtaposed against the hapless play of the Washington Senators of the American League. The villains include Clark Griffith, the financially strapped owner of the Senators whose willingness to rent Griffith Stadium to the Grays proved lucrative, and Grays owner Cumberland Posey who shifted his team from the Pittsburgh area to Washington to cater to the large middle-class African American community in Washington. Both Griffith and Posey had every reason to keep the segregated system intact because of the money they made. Moreover, Griffith was a blatant racist who integrated reluctantly and eventually moved the Senators from Washington to Minneapolis-St. Paul because, as he said in 1978, "you've got good, hardworking white people here" (p. 289).

Ranging broadly from social history to baseball and back, Snyder captures the essence of the history of the Senators, the Grays, and wartime Washington's racial situation. It is a story of love and hate at the same time, as well as the quest for dignity of the minority population in a divided city. "Beyond the Shadow of the Senators" is a powerful book. Enjoy.

Brad is an excellent researcher and writer. This book is not only enjoyable but educational. I met Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe and Lester Lockett, two former Negro League players, a few years ago and their stories started my interest. Brad fed that interest beautifully. I look forward to Brad's next book on Curt Flood and the reserve clause. His attention to detail is consistent with his legal background.

Tim Moreland, PhD
Salisbury, NC

"Beyond the Shadow of the Senators'' is a must read for any serious student of baseball history. The author put a massive amount of research into this engaging account, of which I knew nothing even though I grew up in Washington not long after these events took place. This is an outstanding work in every regard. I have never met the author and I am not an African-American (not that anybody should care); I am just a fan of baseball and its history. If you are, too: Read this book.

This is a great, and true-to-life (i.e., "complex") story about the institution of 'Negro' League baseball and the various parties who profited and railed against it.

Key people that are introduced and brought to life are:
Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson -- three of the greatest ballplayers who ever lived;
Clark Griffith -- the pioneering, penurious and controlling owner of the Washington Senators;
Sam Lacy -- the ahead-of-his-time, DC-native who tirelessly advocated for the integration of Major League Baseball; as well as
Cum(berland) Posey -- the shrewd owner of the Homestead Grays -- the dominant team of the loosely confederated Negro Leagues during the late 30's and 40's.

Tangential to this story are:
the decimation of the post 1933 Senators, mostly due to finances and an inadequate ballpark;
the relative prosperity of Washington DC during the years of the depression and WWII and the partial equality of African-American government workers that led to a vibrant culture and ability to spend on entertainment;
the move by Posey and his "partner" (many of the Negro League baseball teams were financed by numbers entreprenuers) to Washington from their Pittsburgh home and the welcome of their rental payments and gate pctgs. by Clark Griffith;
Judge Landis' death, the increasing awareness of America's incongruity in its fight for freedom and democracy in Europe while maintaining a virtual apartheid culture at home; and
the greed/opportunity of baseball owners to find the best talent at the lowest price which ultimately led to Rickey's "great experiment");

This book also fleshes out the background and conflict around Jackie Robinson, who was rightly judged to be a great man and the right vehicle for Rickey's efforst, and the shared opinions that he was a good, but not all-time great Negro baseball player. [Check out how well a 42-yr old Satchel Paige pitched for the World Championship Indians in 1948.]

The shifts in attitude between "separate but equal" and complete integration by the various parties reveal primarily self-interest. Judged by the standards of our time, I share many others' great respect for Sam Lacy and his tireless, moral advocacy and feel sorry for the Negro League baseball owners who were mostly left with nothing as they rarely had enforceable contracts that protected their relationship with their players.

Clark Griffith was an "innovator" in attracting inexpensive talent from Cuba. Many of these players represented themselves well on the ballfield but would only be acceptable if they were of "Spanish" descent.

Utterly inconceivable now, but the norm for over 60 years (since Cap Anson helped institute the "gentleman's agreement" against employment of African Americans in the early 1880's) was to allow a Major or Minor League ballclup to employ pretty much anyone (Swedes, Germans, Irish, Italians, Jews, etc.) anyone, except African-Americans.

It has often been discussed that without Jackie Robinson (& the parts played by Branch Rickey, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Ben Chapman, etc.) the 1954 "Brown vs. Board of Education" decision would not have happened as quickly.

This book provides a wonderful companion story to the integration of major league baseball which, in my opinion, is one of the most significant stories of 20th Century United States.

After reading several excellent reviews of this book, I purchased it for
my nepbew's birthday. I have not read the book myself since I lived through that period.

It was a year of Fire and also the year of Grace for Jackie Robinson!! It is an amazing book to read about a great person who changed history and loves baseball!! It is more than just baseball and it has so many things to show that shaped Jackie's life so much. It is also spiritual and emotional book that leaves you to become a stronger person to make a great difference in the world.

I really liked this book and normally I dont like reading. Ijust wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. I think Jackie Robinson is a vary good romodel because no matter what, you should never give up. Because Jackie never gave up he ended up being one of the best baseball players to ever play the game. But most of all he broke the color code for all professional sports.

This biography does an outstanding job of giving an overview of Robinson's life and times, from his early, awnry but talented years in Pasadena, through UCLA, then the military, and then the Brooklyn Dodgers and beyond. It paints a picture of a strong willed gentleman with enormous pride, dedicated to his family, and dedicated to the idea of racial integration and equality. The influences of his mother on his early, somewhat (understandably) confrontational character, that allowed him to ultimately be the individual who paired with Branch Rickey to integrate "America's Pastime" are clearly laid out.

Some reviewers have faulted the author for not being more interpretive of Robinson's politics - specifically, that he was a Nixon supporter in 1960 and a Rockefeller supporter in 1968 (while also being a strong supporter of Civil Rights, active in almost every civil rights organization) and Humphrey supporter as well. I think the book lays out all the facts for the reader to see for themselves. Robinson's coming of age - in an era when a Dixiecrat from a Jim Crow state (LBJ) led the passage of the Civil Rights Act - was a time of a shifting political landscape that didn't settle out until near his death (he also broke badly with Nixon later in Nixon's career). The Republican party's mantra of self-reliance, and Robinson's determination to succeed in business in the same way he did in sports, made his attraction to the party not a big leap; the alienation of this country's African American establishment from big business was not a pre-ordained fact in the time Robinson lived.

Finally, Robinson's own family struggles were also a reflection of the confusing and troubling times in which he lived.

Robinson died too young for us all. This is a great book and I would highly recommend it..

i'm not particularly interested in baseball, but i am particularly interested in American history from the human perspective. i could have read a much more dry account of the turmoils that dominated American race relations throughout the middle of the 20th century, but instead i've read this fascinating account of those terrible, backward days from the perspective of a true pioneer, Mr. Jackie Robinson.

of course he is looked back on now as a symbol, a mythological figure. i always knew peripherally of Jackie as the same thing most people do: the first black man to play major league baseball, a step forward & up in the painful struggle of the times. but this book presents him as a human being, a fallible man who lived most of his life not on the baseball field, but in a relentless pursuit of his ideals and desire for a better life for himself and everyone around him.

the reviewer before me questions the biographer's lack of judgement of Robinson. i am curious as to why he feels Rampersad should insert his own analysis; the biography presents analyses of Robinson by many of Robinson's contemporaries, and then presents the recorded facts available to clarify incidents & statements. yes, this is an intensely personal biography, perhaps too personal in places. it is very much centered on Jackie's private correspondences. it is absolutely told from Robinson's persepctive, as best can be reconstructed from his widow Rachel & the papers he left behind, but it feels very honest, not at all like an airbrushed bit of hero-polishing. it is in places very blunt about Jackie's shortcomings as observed by his peers & contemporaries.

before i stretch this out any longer, i'll just say that this is the most engrossing biography i can ever recall having read. it's an account of a fascinating life in an amazingly recent time, in an America that seems so long ago but is still discouragingly recent. readers will learn not just about Jackie Robinson, but about two American eras as well.

This book is set in the time between the formation of the Negro League by Rube Foster in the 1920's and Jackie Robinson's cross over to the majors in 1947. This was the era of the Negro League's time of greatest activity and fame.
Black baseball had its own superstars. These included Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and the great Satchel Paige. This was a period when Negro players frequently couldn't find hotels that would let them stay overnight or restaurants that would serve them. Frequently, they spent nights sleeping in their buses or in tents beside the road.
Not only is this book an intriguing account of Negro League Baseball, but Kadir Nelson's illustrative paintings are outstanding works of art.
The bind black players were caught in is illustrated by baseball's great white pitcher Walter Johnson's comment about the talented catcher Josh Gibson, "He can do everything. He hits the ball a mile. And he catches so easy he might as well be in a rocking chair....too bad this Gibson is a colored fellow." Gibson was so good that some people said Babe Ruth should have been called "the white Josh Gibson."
Nelson portrays the "triumphs and defeats on and off the field," as well as adding intriguing facts. Did you know that Satchel Paige had a wonderful singing voice? That Oscar Charleston was such a mean son-of-a-gun that he once snatched the hood off a Ku Klux Klansman? Or that Louis Armstrong owned the "Secret Nine" ball club and that Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was part-owner of the New York Black Yankees?
An especially moving part of this book deals with the exhibition and barnstorming games members of the Negro League played against white major leaguers: "I guess we beat those major leaguers as often as we did because we could out-think them. Baseball is a game of intelligence. For a long time, a lot of people thought Negroes could never play major league ball because they thought we weren't smart enough. It took them a long time to realize that nothing was further from the truth. Those major leaguers learned a lot by playing us, and we learned a lot from playing them. They learned we were men just as they were, and they would shake our hands and look us in the eye after we beat them, as did we. Maybe we did help change a few minds by playing baseball, after all."

In We Are the Ship, the story of the Negro Baseball League is told through the eyes of one who lived it. It has all the facts and figures to surely be a historical baseball book. It also has all the stories and personalities to be a very personable and emotional read. The voice of "We" tells the story from the very conception of Negro League baseball through Jackie Robinson's joining the Braves. The author takes care to describe all the important characters - building their legends with vivid language.
If this book were its story alone, it would be fascinating. But it is also filled - and I do mean filled - with paintings of the league and its players, owners, umps, and bus trips. The paintings are GORGEOUS. I don't remember any children's book that had illustrations that made me stop to study them for so long. The portraits are so intense - Nelson has most of the subjects looking right at you - THROUGH you - and I felt drawn in to look at them as hard as they were looking at me.
As a book club book, I think Negro League Baseball would be a wonderful subject to study and discuss as a club. There are many situations in this book that would be wonderful discussion - even debate - material. It would be interesting to figure out how to read it together, due to its length and the fact that it is so gripping it demands to be read straight through. It is so good I will absolutely HAVE to share it with my students.
This is sure to be at the top of the list of Newbery contenders for 2008!

Although I am far beyond young, I initially purchased this book because of striking Kadir Nelson artwork I have on a jazz cd cover, "The Heavy Hitter," by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, an excellent, underrated 50s sax player. The cover features a Negro League slugger belting a long one, and that was what caught my eye. The music is fine, too.
Then, last spring, Sports Illustrated featured several more examples of Nelson's artistry, and I decided I had to have this work of art. The copy, though secondary and somewhat elementary for adults, still contains solid information on the leagues and players. Most baseball fans will still learn much they did not know about these unappreciated players and their times. For younger readers, it will be an impressive introduction to a part of baseball history they should know.
The art is superb, and the large pages make it even more impressive. I highly recommended this collection for all baseball fans and art lovers. This is one I will pick up frequently just to page through, and use as a reference for Negro League information. The price is right, too.
Overall, this is a labor of love, and the love shows clearly.

Mr. Nelson's illustrations/paintings are breathtaking. This book is absolutely gorgeous and a place I go when I need some inspiration.

I heard an interview with the author on the radio a few months ago and kind of tucked this book into the back of my mind as possibly interesting. Then when I ran across it in the bookstore I had to buy it. Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball in a wonderful way that highlights both the joys the players had in playing as well as the challenges they faced - everything from lumpy ballparks and crowded team buses to the difficulties imposed by segregation and prejudice. He tells it from the "we" perspective that gives it an atmosphere of a voice speaking from the past but also makes it sound personal. He introduces us to many of the greats, men who would have been stars in any league, like Satchel Paige, "Cool Papa" Bell, "Judy" Johnson, Josh Gibson - the "black Babe Ruth" (or was Babe the "white Josh Gibson?") - and many, many others. He includes information on those who made the Negro League possible, like Rube Foster, and some of the team owners. I also thought numbering the chapters as Innings (with "Extra Innings" for the final chapter) was a clever touch.

But the text alone isn't what makes this book so great. The artwork is stunning in this oversize book, and hardly a page goes by that doesn't have a full page painting (including one fold-out). Some are simple poses of the men on the field and a few show them getting off trains or riding on the bus, but my favorites are the ones that show the action of the game. Several would be good enough to hang on the wall (as reprints, of course, not cut from the book). It has a look and style of the old depression-era artwork that was used in murals and public places.

My little-league son and I have been reading the book and have both learned a lot. Of course, segregation is a recurrent theme, and it's embarrassing to me that this is how things used to be, but I think it's important that my children understand how it affected real people. But we both enjoy reading not only of the challenges faced, but also the joys they had in playing the game we both love and their triumphs. The forward by Hank Aaron and the part about Jackie Robinson are nice in that regard. This is a beautiful book that baseball fans of any color will enjoy.

Having my own collection of "baseball letters" similar to Swirsky's thoroughly enjoyed this book. I even envied a few of his responses that I was never able to receive and was relieve to find that I was not the only baseball fan to journey into letter writing.

It is a collection of responses to letter's Swirsky sent to baseball players in a varied range of topics. Some answers are short and simple while others provide a more interserting response. Either way, if you are a baseball fans or have even written to a baseball player, past or present, you should enjoy this simple and enjoyable book.

. . . this would have to be it. I actually started getting jealous that HE was the one who wrote to all these players, and HE was the one who got letters back from them. But I got over it quickly and just shared in the joy and the fascinating discoveries. What a treasure trove, made even better by the author's showing us copies of the actual handwritten letters from the players! Also it's gutsy how he shares with us the story of how this project resulted from a period of emotional difficulty that he went through. The style is casual yet flawless -- as easy to read as anything you'll ever find.

I *love* this book. It's a great compilation of some of the most interesting questions one can ask his heroes. Mr. Swirsky doesn't just stick to the basics, he asks players who played in the 1930s what baseball was like in that era, he asks legends to put together their all time All-Star team, and asks players their impressions of up and coming (soon to be legendary) rookies! I was very impressed by Mr. Swirsky's knowledge of the game, and his ability to ask questions we wouldn't have thought of.

What's also interesting is that 99% of the responses are handwritten! In this day and age of email, it makes the book more intimate and personal!

This is a great coffee table book, too, as it's great for reading in small portions--when you want a slice of baseball history! The companion book, Every Pitcher Tells a Story, is also wonderful and features more great letters. I highly recommend!

This book is rich and full of exciting baseball history, as Swirsky writes to professional baseball players of all decades and teams and poses questions to them on their careers and reflections of America's Pastime. Not only is this book interesting in a historical prospective, but it's very fun to read and analzye. The work that went into this book is noticeable, and both the letter to the player and the response from the player (as well as many great pictures) make this book a timeless classic. Bravo to Seth Swirsky for such a job well-done.

I bought Mr. Swirsky's new book "Every Pitcher Tells A Story" and was so taken by its originality that I bought his first one "Baseball Letters". They are quite different and it's hard to tell which one I enjoyed more. I was glad he didn't write to the same players--every letter was a new 'experience'.Great reads.

I found the information to be very helpful in understanding the worlds of working in the entertainment industry. Having insider information on the Hollywood industry should provide guidance for people deciding if this is the work career place they want. I got the book out of curiosity about the industry that provides the public with amusement products. The information is well arranged and easy to understand. The publication does not hold back from warnings about making mistaken moves while working in Hollywood.
It comes across as a very useful workplace guide.

This book is very funny with practical experience for just about everyone! I brought it on my honeymoon and both my husband I couldn't help but read it aloud. The book has great tips for anyone, not just those looking to work in Hollywood. It is very well written and really keeps your interest.

Absolutely hilarious. If you work in the biz, everyone will be jealous when you bring this book to the office. They will all want their hands on it. Taking the quizzes out loud in a group is the most fun you'll have. Unlike some books, it's not just a clever title/idea- it's perfectly executed. You'll be laughing out loud. You'll be learning too. A must if you're are an asst, want to be an asst, used to be an asst, or if you just feel sorry for your asst friends and want to feel so glad you're not one.

It's 85% humor and 15% real sold advice. Seems like the 15% could be extremely helpful and the whole thing goes down like candy.

I received the book right away in the mail and read it one day! It has great advice about people wanting to move to LA and doesn't beat around the bush. You get honest suggestions and advice through experienced people. There is a great sense of humor throughout the book to keep you laughing while you realize the crazy things you do if you want to become a Hollywood assistant!

What a light and extremely entertaining read! The authors do a great job of explaining the "true" life of a Hollywood assistant, which definitely debunks the glamorous notion we all assume to be reality. This hilarious book had me laughing every time I picked it up! I highly recommend The Hollywood Assistants Handbook to anyone, whether you're looking to enter the entertainment industry or are simply just curious about it!!!

I purchased for my wife to better understand iPod and iTunes. She likes it, therefore I'm happy with it.. Nuff said..

to have to admit that I knew absolutely nothing about iPods other than what they were and that they looked rather cool.

But I'll never have to admit that again. This book is great for those of us who are "absolute beginners". I think it may even prove helpful to people who have a good understanding of the function of iPods but get really messed up in the organization of their iTunes libraries.

The book is broken down into three sections; iPods, iTunes, and iTunes store. The author covers each section thoroughly and yet keeps it light and entertaining.

The book has really helped to get me started with a good basic, maybe even advanced?, understanding of all things iPod.

I knew absolutely nothing about iTunes or iPods..... This book is excellent - it's helped me sort everything out. It's clear, written in as simple language as you get with anything to do with computers and what I really love is that my screen actually matches the illustrations in the book. I'd recommend it to anyone starting out.

I am new to the ipod experience. All the kids have had them for sometime. I was confused on all the little details which now seem simple due to this easy to read and understand book. Recommend it to all.

The iPod is an intuitive device and most folks need only play with it to use most functions. The same thing is true for iTunes. It's when you have gone beyond the obvious and hit a snag or an annoyance that you find whether a reference is useful or not. This books does well at anticipating "second level" issues and provides good guidance. A good example is"compilations" which affects how you browse and hot music is organized. Through the index, I zeroed right in on how this works and setting it to my preference. I would recommend you start with this book whether an absolute beginner or just in need of a reference.