Basketball Books

Playing the Field is the first book I've read by Janette Rallison. Five minutes after I finished the last chapter, I ordered every other book that Janette has written.

The characterization and point of view made this book an incredible read for me. I love how the story is told through the voice of a boy and I love all the baseball talk. And . . . it's not just talk or references, this author knows her game! We actually get to go inside the mind of McKay, a teenage boy who is suddenly faced with the world of dating. More unsure than insecure, McKay watches and listens to his best friend, Tony, boast about his "going out" skills. Thank goodness McKay does not follow Tony's lead. McKay seems for the most part to like being who he is, a boy who likes baseball, has trouble with algebra, and wants his own room. We do see him go back and forth about dating, but the no dating until your 16 rule is pretty much iron clad as far as his parents are concerned.

Janette Rallison did an excellent job of making all the characters in this book 3-dimensional without using clichés. She is a great writer and gives her wonderful cast of characters unique and individual voices.

Hey like baseball, love, and helpful hints to be a teen? well playing the field has all of those and is very intertaning.
all of janette rallisons books are inspiering to all and are made for teens. I think this book is five stars and makes you feel like you can see the whole thing in your head. I think it is so good they could make a movie about it.

This book is a great resource for anyone involved in playing fantasy basketball. It provides insightful commentary along with per game statistics that let you know how even the most little-used bench warmer would perform if given a starting job in the NBA. Last year's book predicted great things for Zach Randolph and Michael Redd, and this year's book is packed with great articles and helpful info.

I wish I'd known about this book two years ago!

This is a detailed analysis of virtually every player (I can't think of any he missed, but there could have been one or two). Each team has a couple of pages describing where they are, what happened last year and what it expected next year.

Then it gets really interesting. Mr. Hollinger has developed a fairly sophisticated set of statistical standards that he then applies to each player on the team. This includes such things as analyzing the per-minute of play performance rather than the game performance. This says that a player getting ten points in ten minutes is better than a player getting 30 points a game (The results are something the NBA management should check out). Other statistics are likewise specially developed for this book. It makes you wonder if even the teams know this much about their players.

John Hollinger never played in the NBA, he never coached, he just has spearheaded this new more analytical approach to pro basketball.

this book is very detailed&a must for the Die-hard football Fan. very informative&does it's job on all teams&what laid ahead for the past year.

The Pro Football Guide is the next best thing of having all the media guides states the sporting news in one of its ads for the book, and I agree.
The guide starts off with team-by-team pages with 4 pages on each team including their schedule, the basic stats for the last year (not unlike the nfl fact and record book) key (player) won/losses and so on. Then it is a review of the year with every boxscore from every game of the year! If you want to know who was the best rusher in the NFC in week 3 here is the answer, then it is more stats such as player participation, passing and all those "regular" stats by position, and defensival stats such as tackles, assists and sacks. Then it is into the history with writeups of every draft, super bowl and such along with a record book, the book concludes with a team-by-team historical section which is great for every fan. Ever wondered how Jeff Fischers record against the Steelers is. Find out and enjoy. This is the perfect christmas gift for everyone that loves the pro gridiron!

I have to agree with Harvey Zucker from The Jersey Journal when he says every true basketball fans owe Chic Hess a great deal of debt for bringing to light the story of one of basketball's forgoten heroes. I found Zucker's warning to be accurate, "Once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down until finished." Prof Blood's biography is a masterpiece to be enjoyed by all coaches and fans.

If you like basketball to the extent you would like to know about how the game developed through the years this book is for you. The research and documentation by author Dr. Chic Hess is mind-boggling. It is a true story about a high school coach in New Jersey whose system of play was so far ahead of its time that his teams ran over opponents in such impressive fashion his teams were dubbed The Wonder Teams.There is no question the book should be made into a movie so as to acquaint people with the development of basketball and this great human interest story. Dr. Hess has made a valuable contribution to the world of sports and I congratulate him on his effort. Norman Jones - author of Growing Up in Indiana: The Culture & Hoosier Hysteria Revisited

Dean was an unbelievable coach who was able to participate in an incredibly competitive arena, yet make consistent decisions with his values and beliefs, never compromising those ideals, even in the heat of battle. The way he created the Carolina family, always remembering everybody who ever played, managed and worked with the team is truly amazing. Keep this book by your bedside and refer to it often.

I like this new book about Dean Smith a lot. Smith was famous in his press conferences for rambling on and on and not saying much of anything quotable, but the author (David Scott) has painstakingly culled Smith down to a point where the excellent coach sounds funnier, blunter and more insightful than he is often given credit for. This book would be a superb addition to a Carolina fan's library, and Lord knows there are a few of them out there.

He loves this author, and was pleasantly surprised to receive a signed copy of this book.

WOW! What a refreshing read! This is exactly what our world needs today...literature with a positive message for young girls and boys. The Real Slam Dunk allows children to dream and explore the many possibilities of what they can be when they grow up. This easy reader is a valuable asset in the classroom and at home. It puts a positive look on school, careers, friendships, and family life. I have recommended it to many friends and collegues. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

Crystal Hicks
Elementary School Educator

If there was a word better than Fantastic then this book would be it. These books are great i love them. I'm also a basketball fan and this is mostly all it's about. I went to the libary and there they were i had one book to read for a week so i thought to myself, hey why not. So i picked up 1 & 2 and Surprise i Just simply LOVED them. but it dosnt come off as a surprise that is seem to have a little (boy to boy love) i had my friend look at it and he said the same thing but we liked it. I would advise everyone who's like basketball to pick it up!

The Rebound series is a continuation of the Harlem Beat series. And where it is nice to read the Harlem Beat series you don't have to. The Rebound series is by far the best. These books are great for boys and girls. And for girls out there who don't believe me some of the charcters are damn hot, Sawamura,Yuta...just to name a few. So go read them!

Reading Rebounding From Death's Door I found myself crying, laughing & cheering. Most of all, I was left completely inspired. A must read for the entire family!!!

Rebounding From Death's Door is an inspirational book that tugged at my heartstrings from every direction! From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down.

Dan Klores nailed the Frank McGuire years at the University of South Carolina. From the mid 1960's until the bitter end in 1980, the complete story of Gamecock basketballl is told. Klores holds nothing back in sharing as we see the good and bad sides of running a major college basketball program. Want to learn why the University of South Carolina left the Atlantic Coast Conference? Klores describes the action. Frank McGuire was a fascinating man and his story is told with great respect by Klores. All the great Gamecock hoop stars of the McGuire era are included: Alex English, John Roche, Kevin Joyce, Mike Dunleavy, Bobby Cremins, and Brian Winters. No other book tells the story of Frank McGuire at South Carolina better than Roundball Culture. Get ready to laugh if you can find a copy. It is worth the price.

The author wrote a breakthrough and humorous expose that showed all the contradictions and hyprocrisy which surrounded a big time college b-ball program.It featured insights into Frank McGuire,recruiting, racism and numerous All-Americans ranging from John Roche to Brian Winters to Alex English. The book was published in 1980. It got the author thrown out of the state of South Carolina

My daughter and I read together regularly. She, like myself is a Bulls' fan. We both missed Scottie during his absence from the sport in the 97-98 season after being injured. I was not surprised when she brought this book home for a book report. To my delight, I found that Mr. Schnakenberg writes for children without talking down to them. While she learned more about her favorite basketball player, I found the author engaging and insightful. I know how Scottie plays. After reading Mr. Schnakenberg's book, I now feel I know WHO Scottie IS. I'll be looking for more Schnakenberg. I suggest other parents do the same!

Scottie Pippen: Reluctant Superstar is an engaging, informative look at the life of this NBA great. My son and I read it together and enjoyed it thoroughly. It compares favorably to the other books I have read on the subject. In fact, it's the best of the lot!