Players Books

I can't begin to count the number of baseball biographies I've read over the years, but I do know that this is one of the best I've ever read. Most baseball biographies are long on facts and short on feel. For example, you will get a sense of what it was like to play hard and drink even harder with Johnny Logan, Burdette, Buhl, Spahn, and all the guys that made up the Brave family. You will learn how Frank Robinson bit off more than he could chew when he slid in with spikes high, and how Mr. Tough Guy Mathews was dragged from a fight like a baby by the unusually strong Gil Hodges, and you will learn another side to Davey Johnson when he was a player. These are the kinds of stories you don't get with the usual biographies, each more nondescript and sugar coated than the next. This is not an easy book to find, but it's worth the trouble.

I now have nearly 1,000 books in my baseball library, so I've read my share of ballplayer biographies and autobiographies.

Mathews has a reputation of being somewhat hard-nosed and unlikeable, but it hardly comes across here. He's forthright and honest in telling tales of both his positive exploits and negative habits. I came away with a higher regard for Eddie, who unfortunately remains baseball's most invisible 500-homer man.

If you grew up with baseball in the 50's-60's, you could do far, far worse than reading this one. I also recommend John Roseboro's autobiography for fans of this era.

I'm only 44 years old, yet fondest memories when growing up on the northwest side of Milwaukee were going to Braves games at County Stadium their last two years (1964-65) prior to moving south to Atlanta. Eddie Mathews was the idol of every eight or nine-year old in Milwaukee who had any interest in the game of baseball. I knew back then he was a hit with the fans (while not necessarialy so with the press), and this book reinforced my memories. Two sports memories that flash in mind daily involve Eddie Mathews. The first involving a game I attended at County Stadium in 1965 with the score tied in the ninth inning and two runners on with two out and Mathews stepping up to the plate. There as an eight-year old, I said to myself he is going to win this with a three-run homer. One pitch later, he did just that! The other involved his last game ever when he played third base in the 4th game of the 1968 World Series and went 1 for 3 against Bob Gibson (almost 2 for 3 had he been five more feet to the left of the right field foul pole when he knocked a Gibson fast ball over the right field roof of Tiger Stadium). This book is beautiful -- an absolute must for those having vivid memories of the Milwaukee Braves as I have. Word of caution: the book is highly addictive and the reader will find it to be nearly impossible to put it down. A true sports classic written on a classy, frank, and honest human being. Eddie Mathews with his book is indeed "UNFORGETTABLE"!

It was over 5 years ago that I met Eddie Mathews at a local restuaurant in Santa Barbara, California. I had heard so many stories about Eddie and how tough he was, but when he invited me to sit at his table and talk about the old families that he knew and I grew up with, it was a wonderful 4 hours of memories. This book tells of the Real Eddie Mathews and his love for the game of baseball and of course the Brave fans that were so supportive of the team! I enjoyed every minute reading the book and it was well followed in the sequence of his career. Eddie Mathews is what baseball is all about, a kid who wanted to win and be the best he could be in the Major leagues! I asked my cousin, Ted Williams of the Bo Sox if he knew of Eddie Mathews? Ted was very complementary about Eddie and said, " they ( Management ) knew he was going to hit 500 home runs for the Braves orgainztion and he did just that." On February 18th 2001 Eddie Mathews was laid to rest. The Baseball World Lost A True Baseball Player of the Game. Beleive me, " Only a handful like Eddie Mathews " This book is a fine tribute to the life Eddie Mathews in the National Pastime. Signed, MAHerrera

A VERY INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF A VERY UNDERRATED PLAYER IN EDDIE MATHEWS. EDDIE PLAYED IN THE SHADOW OF HANK AARON, SO HE DIDN'T GET THE TRUE CREDIT HE CERTAINLY DESERVES. HE DOES A GREAT JOB OF DESCRIBING LIFE IN THE 50'S TO THE 60'S WITH THE BRAVES. THE STORY IS SIMPLE, FACTFUL, AND HONEST. EDDIE'S CANDID APPROACH IS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND REFRESHING. HIS EXERPTS ABOUT BOB UECKER ARE HILARIOUS. HIS ADMISSION WITH ALCOHOL IS VERY OPEN BUT DISTURBING. I LOVE THIS BOOK. A MUST READ.

A Fantastic and Inspiring Book. Elston Howard was a great man who had guts and charisma. This is a must read for ALL baseball fans and even non baseball fans! Enjoy!

MRS HOWARD AND MR WIMBISH DO A SUPERB JOB IN TELLING THE LIFE AND CAREER OF FORMER YANKEE GREAT ELSTON HOWARD. ELSTON DESERVED A MUCH LONGER LIFE. THIS IS WRITTEN WITH MUCH HONESTY AND SENSITIVTY. . FROM THE JIM CROWE LAWS TO ARROGANCE AND PREJUDICE, ELSTON HOWARD FACED MANY BARRIERS ALONG THE WAY TO STARDOM. HE WAS QUITE A PLAYER AND DESERVED MUCH MORE RECOGNITION. THIS BOOK BEAUTIFULLY DESCRIBES THE TRADGEDY, TURMOIL, AND TRIUMPHS THAT CAME TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY. A MUST READ FOR ALL YANKEE FANS AND HISTORIANS OF BASBALL. A GREAT READ.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. It's not just a well written story, but it seems to give true insight to life inside the Yankees during one the franchise's most notable eras. Mickey, Yogi, Elston and company made history together. Arlene stood tall in her role as the first black Yankee wife and Elston prevailed with honor and sportsmanship during these difficult transitional years. Mrs. Howard and Mr. Wimbish's collaboration deserves kudos and more readers. Even long suffering Red Sox fans (just like me!) won't be disappointed.

The story of Elston Howard's climb through the baseball ranks during the height of the Jim Crowe laws is not to be missed by anyone who likes baseball or history. His widow Arlene sees his great rise and tragic end to a debilitating disease with the eyes of an old-fashioned story-teller: passionate and dispassionate, an actor on the stage and an observer from the audience. A must read for baseball fans, black history buffs, and those who want to know what it was like to live inside a separate America during one of its greatest and worst eras.

For those of us who grew up in the 50's with the Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants all in New York, it is a great story evocative of those days told from with a fine eye and keen perspective. A must read for young and old alike - a story that should never be forgotten. Elston Howard's widow is direct and unsparing in this straight forward narrative of their life together with Baseball.

I first saw this book and thought, okay, well, it's about some little Canadian hockey players in the eighties, that's weird. But having never played hockey nor lived in Canada or the eighties, I thought, well, I'll give it a try. And I loved it. Stephen Galloway's first novel is a remarkable story of two boys growing up together with a common love. The characters were wonderfully quirky. I've read this book about 3 or 4 times and I cry every time. It would make a beautiful movie as well.

Finnie Walsh. A book not only fun, but informative as well. This book, written by Steven Galloway is an awesome, book. Unlike the usual canadian books, it just great... If you like Hockey you'll love this book. If you don't like hockey you'll love this book. The book has relationships, between family, friends, and beaus. A wonderful, outstanding read.

Finnie Walsh in my opinion was an eye opening experience it is by far the best book I have ever read and everything about it made me feel more interested. There is not a single bad thing I could say about it! The characters alone made the book, how you understood how they felt at diferent times, how they were perfectly described! This book made me laugh, cry and made me feel emotions that have never occured before in my mind! I couldn't put it down and I will continue to read it over and over again because everytime I am sure that I will recieve more and more happiness sadness and information from the text! I am getting it for everyone for Christmas and I hope that everyone will enjoy this story as much as I did!

I picked up this book mainly because of my job working with high school teachers and students and ended up reading parts of it out loud to my own kids during a car trip. My 12 year old son was hooked, he read the book, then I finished it. It was amazing to have that 'secret book conversation' with my son. I/we both loved the book.

Are you looking for a spanky good read? Look no further than this sly little Canadian book about a couple of kids living in the middle of the province of British Columbia who play hockey. This book is a swift, delicious thing that has a devilish way of not letting you free of it. You'll want to read it until you arrive at the last page--it is, in the classical sense of the hyphenated word, a "page-turner". I loved it. It was touching, heartfelt, and uncommon. A novel with an elegant plot, developed synchronously with its characters' motivations. Galloway is a secret talent ready to explode on the scene.

This is a really great book - not just about football. Rather a story of quirky life events and a string of tragedies you will never forget. It's gut wrenching story of pain, but yet a bautiful story none the less. Beautifully written. I can promise you won't forget. I am not a huge football lover (i am a fan just not a maniac) but it's not neccesary to love this book. It's truly a great read that you should MAKE the time to read.

The book gives a unique look into college football. I didn't want to put it down once I began reading. Football provides the setting for the story, but it goes far beyond that. You don't have to be a football fan to love this book. Give it a chance. I felt the characters were interesting, and those who would criticize them as stereotypes don't know a good read when they see it. I wonder if the reviewers that blasted it even read this book?

A great book for anyone who likes to read about football or just reality and how the real world is from another persons perspective. It almost feels like you are in the persons shoes walking in their yard playing football or full grown in college playing the big game against ole miss. I gave this a five star rating for many reasons besides the descriptions though. I loved the way he thought about how c.p. was not just centered around football and that he actually liked to read poetry too and was good at something besides football like in many books that i have read that are about a football star. this book is great and anyone that can get their hands on it should read it

I was a 14-year-old in 8th grade when I read this compelling book, "The Forever Season", by the ever-so-talented Don Keith. To me Don was a devious Spider, weaving his finely spun web (The Forever Season). And I, I was the defensless fly, struggling to get through the cobbwebs of suspens and mystery, only to find myself being hooked deeper into the relm of twisted strands leading their way to a shocking and unbelievable douple ending. Once I picked up this book of books, I just could not put it down. It was as if it were glued to my hands. I really related to this book, for Don wrote the majority of it in Southern slang and I'm partly from the South. When Don had put down his pen, what he had infront of him was an elaberate maze, one which you must be prepared for the unexpected to be able to escape its walls of words, and its traps of enigmatic conclusions. I truly recommend this book, for even my words don't do it justice.

I was a 14 year old in 8th grade when I read this compelling book " The Forever Season", by the ever-so-talented Don Keith. To me, Don was a devious spider, weaving his finely spun web (The Forever Season) and I, I was the defensless fly, struggling to get through the cobwebs of suspense and mystery, only to find myself being hooked deeper into the realm of twisted strands leading their way to a shocking and unbeliebable double ending. Once I picked up this book of books, I just could not put it down. It was as if it were glued to my hands. I really related to this book, for Don wrote the majority of it in Southern slang and I'm partly from the South. When Don had put down his pen, what he had in font of him was an elaborate maze. One which you must be prepared for the unexpected to be able to escape its walls of words, and its traps of enigmatic conclusions. I truly recommend this book, for even my words don't do it justice.

This is a book that my husband just had to have! It is out of print and it took awhile for me to find it. If you are a George Brett fan, it is a must have!!

Steve Cameron's latest work with George Brett is a must for any fan of the greatest game. For everyone who has thrilled to George's accomplishments and admired his blue-collar, headfirst approach to the game he loves, "From Here to Cooperstown" is a joy indeed. This book captures the entire story of Brett's career where he had a lifetime average of .305, 3154 hits, and 1595 runs batted in. Great photos and layout compliment the authoring by Steve Cameron. It includes a great section that has quotes and comments from players, coaches, and writers, that have watched George Brett move from a shaky Single A player to the Hall of Famer that he is. Another feature in this book is that George Brett shares his thoughts, emotions, memories, his recollections, and his feelings about the long journey. It captures the entire story of Brett's career from childhood through his many years with the Kansas City Royals. It also does an outstanding job of building an understanding of why Brett is so passionate about the game of baseball. Here is a quote from George on how he would like to be remembered. "I'd like to be remembered as the guy who always played hard and ran out every ball." Although George has made it to the Hall of Fame he thanks many for his success. George would later add in his Hall of Fame speech a thought about his parents. George said," To my parents, Jack and Ethel. Thanks for the endless hours of support and love. You taught me the qualities of life that I will pass along to your grandchildren, Jackson, Dylan, and Robin. I would recommend this book to all players in high school, College, and the Minors because of the lessons it teaches about respect for the game and a personal commitment to excellence.

This book is the heart and soul of George Brett. If you are a fan of George Brett or a lover of the sport this book is a must have addition to your collection.

Steve Cameron's latest work with George Brett is a must for any fan of the greatest Game. It does an outstanding job of building an understanding of why Brett is so passionate about baseball.

There is a great section containing comments from players, coaches, writers that have watched George Brett move from a shaky Single A player to the Hall of Famer that he is.

I almost think this book should be required reading for all players in high school, college and the minors because of the lessons it teaches about respect for the game and personal commitment to excellence.

Until reading this book, I was sure that no one could love the game of baseball more than I did. George Brett is the one man that does.

Steve Cameron's latest work with George Brett is a must for any fan of the greatest game. For everyone who has thrilled to George's accomplishments and admired his blue-collar, headfirst approach to the game he loves, "From Here to Cooperstown" is a joy indeed. This book captures the entire story of Brett's career where he had a lifetime average of .305, 3154 hits, and 1595 runs batted in. Great photos and layout compliment the authoring by Steve Cameron. It includes a great section that has quotes and comments from players, coaches, and writers, that have watched George Brett move from a shaky Single A player to the Hall of Famer that he is. Another feature in this book is that George Brett shares his thoughts, emotions, memories, his recollections, and his feelings about the long journey. It captures the entire story of Brett's career from childhood through his many years with the Kansas City Royals. It also does an outstanding job of building an understanding of why Brett is so passionate about the game of baseball. Here is a quote from George on how he would like to be remembered. "I'd like to be remembered as the guy who always played hard and ran out every ball." Although George has made it to the Hall of Fame he thanks many for his success. George would later add in his Hall of Fame speech a thought about his parents. George said," To my parents, Jack and Ethel. Thanks for the endless hours of support and love. You taught me the qualities of life that I will pass along to your grandchildren, Jackson, Dylan, and Robin. I would recommend this book to all players in high school, College, and the Minors because of the lessons it teaches about respect for the game and a personal commitment to excellence.

This book is great. Each match has several pages of lead-up between the players, the players' histories, everything. There are many quotes and interviews with the players included in the sections and what happened during the match, and the players' careers afterwards. It is a nice selection of matches, no player gets more than 2, every decade gets 2, it is by and large Slam finals or others of higher occassion. It is a nice book. If you are a avid tennis fan, this is a must-read. I bought it and after reading it, I really do not look back on it much and it is pricey, though can function as a coffee table book. You might want to get it at the library.

If you love tennis, this book is for you. This is a great book and has a great autho.

This book is a must in any tennis fan's collection. Since the first day I got this book, I have been unwilling to read anything else before going to bed. The book not only describes some of the most memorable matches this century, but it gives background details related to the matches. This books certainly resembles a "who's who of tennis greats". Some of the big names in the history of the sport appear in the book time and again. The ranking for the 25 matches listed is a good comparision for the matches.

This marvelously researched book put me "courtside" to capture all the exciting moments in these 30 historic matches. I was rewarded with informed insights into the emotions and the psyches of the great champions of tennis during these tense and dramatic encounters.

I especially enjoyed reading about the pre-match dynamics as well as how the outcome impacted the careers of the players. Plus there are great photos of the players in action.

I enjoyed this book and read it over the course of a few nights. It was a treat to go back and revisit (or visit for the first time)these great matches. I was disappointed because the women's matches did not seem to be as interesting as the men's matches. I was also concerned that some great matches were left out b/c they did not involve the dominant players of a generation. Overall, though, a must for any tennis player who wants to be entertained for hours.

This book was a popular success and it inspired the production of first rate documentary film. Hank Greenberg was a phenomenal baseball player, who perfected his hitting techniques through long hours of practice. As one of the few Jewish athletes in professional sports, Greenberg, who was largely secular in his personal life, became a target for anti-Semites and a symbol to Jewish children and sports fans. Although raised in New York, Greenberg was signed by the Detroit Tigers and spent most of his career in the Motor City. He played on four pennant teams, including two World Series champions. He served in World War Two and rejoined the Tigers in time to help the club win 1945 pennant by hitting a grand slam on the last day of the season. Greenberg won the American League MVP award at two different positions, first base and outfield. He was a productive slugger who drove in runs constantly. Greenberg felt RBIs were the most important statistical category for hitters. After his playing career concluded with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Greenberg became a baseball executive, but the book does not dwell on that too much. Nevertheless, this autobiography is most enjoyable. Greenberg died before completing the manuscript, but a capable baseball writer, Ira Berkow, was able to finish the book.

Reading this book gave me a good understanding of Hank Greenberg the ballplayer as well as Hank Greenberg the man. In terms of the former, Greenberg's words as well as the words of others make it quite clear that he was extremely competitive and incredibly hard working as well. These attributes, as well as his size, strength, and intelligence were undoubtedly of the utmost importance in the making of a Hall of Fame performer.

Of course, Greenberg was more than just a baseball player, and one thing that impressed me as I read this book was his ability as a businessman. It's obvious that he handled his own contract negotiations quite well when he was playing, and as we learn in this book, he also became an accomplished baseball executive as well as a capable stock market investor after his playing days were over.

I assume that most people know about the anti-Semitic taunts that Greenberg had do deal with when he played, and this is certainly one aspect of his experience that is captured in the book. However, more importantly, his story allows us to understand that while he hated those taunts, he also used them to motivate himself. This I found most impressive.

Hank Greenberg was certainly not a perfect man, and reading between the lines I can see how his competitive nature and his pride might have rubbed some people the wrong way. Yet, all in all, he comes across as a thoughtful and generous person, and as a role model for past, present, and future generations.

This revealing autobiography of slugger Hank Greenberg (1911-1986) makes for excellent reading. Greenberg was baseball's first Jewish superstar, a massive (6-4, 215 lbs), popular, intelligent player. Greenberg's immigrant parents disliked his decision to play baseball, but by the mid-1930's he was slugging the Detroit Tigers to pennants and his mother found herself a celebrity in her mostly-Jewish neighborhood in the Bronx. Greenberg's popularity probably reduced the amount of anti-Semitic abuse he faced - abuse that he often answered with his bat. Greenberg lost nearly five seasons to military service during World War II, and he left the game after 1947 to become a talented baseball executive and later an investment broker. All is described in these readable pages, along with Greenberg's views on famous controversies. Did opposing hurlers purposely walk him as he closed in on Babe Ruth's home run record in 1938? Was he unfairly drafted prior to Pearl Harbor? Should he play on major Jewish holidays? His answers ("no") are given at length. In his last year with Pittsburgh, Greenberg also encouraged a rookie named Jackie Robinson who faced similar but much greater abuse.

Greenberg was intelligent, dedicated, and surprisingly modest. He passed away before this book was finished, at which point journalist Ira Berkow filled in the gaps with interviews and anecdotes. This is an intelligent and readable biography about one of baseball's most impressive men.

Hank Greenberg's parents and the people of his neighborhood thought he would be a 'bum' because all he wanted to do was play ball. As a child and young man he played and practiced. And awkward because of his unusual height and size he in a way hid from the world by being on the ballfield. As a result of this practice he became one of the greatest right- hand hitters the game ever saw, and the first great Jewish baseball star.
This book tells his story with clarity, and frankness. It very much captures the spirit of a more innocent time. It too is an example of the American dream come true, of how through hard work and application one can rise to the top.
Greenberg missed four years of his career because of the Second World War but when he came home he again led his team to a world - championship.
He also proved himself a person of character in the way he dealt with the many insults he received from other ballplayers. He used them to help further motivate himself to excellence on the playing field.
His parents again feared that he would become a 'bum'. But instead he proved to be one of the greatest long-ball hitters the game has ever seen.

Ira Berkow did a great job writing about Hank Greenberg's life. He has written several books on sport figures. Because of his career as a sport writer and book reviewer I feel he did a nice job with interviewing people and getting information about Hank Greenberg. The book takes a great look at Hank Greenberg life with all his accomplishments. Not only should it be read by every Tiger fan but also every baseball fans in general. Although he missed time through injuries, military service, and early retirement, Greenberg still ranks as one of the most fearsome sluggers in baseball history. The powerful right-hander played only the equivalent of nine and a half seasons, yet produced outstanding career totals as well as exceptional season marks. A native New Yorker, Greenberg was the son of Rumanian born Jewish immigrants who owned a successful cloth shrinking plant. Hank graduated from James Monroe High School in the Bronx, the attended New York University on an athletic scholarship for one semester before beginning his professional baseball career. The 6'4 215 lb. Greenberg's athletic success stemmed from size, strength, and hard work, more than native talent. His high school coach explained: "Hank was so big for his age and so awkward that he became painfully self conscious. The fear of being made to look foolish drove him to practice constantly and, as a result, to overcome his handicaps." Greenberg also took a lot of cruel comments about his religion which made him even a stronger person. He played for the majors from 1933 - 1947 first with the Detroit Tigers and one year with Pittsburgh Pirates. One of the most important decision he had to make was whether to play on a Jewish holiday. He choose not to and that was a very important statement about his heritage. Hank Greenberg retired in 1947 and becomes a smart business man and an excellent Farm Director for the Indians. I feel Hank Greenberg was a success in many things in his life, a truly one of a kind man and a book everyone should read. I applaud Ira Berkow for his commitment to the book.

Shel and Neville's book should be required reading for anyone who does a podcast, everyone who's thinking about doing a podcast, even for anyone who listens to podcasts.

They cover all the "nuts and bolts" in an easy-to-read, conversational style. They cover all the tech stuff, like hardware and software, making it understandable for even the non-techies among us. They explain the actual recording and editing process as well as how to get your efforts heard.

More important, at least for me, they go into great detail about the reasons WHY to podcast. They discuss podcasting as a business tool and how it fits into the overall communication plan.

If you wonder about Shel and Neville's credentials, check out their "For Immediate Release" podcast. It's produced twice each week (Monday and Thursday) with Shel normally being in California and Neville in England. But, both men travel for their respective businesses, so they're likely to both be in hotel rooms, halfway around the globe from each other. Yet their podcasts come off without a hitch (usually).

I can't imagine anyone getting into podcasting without reading this book.

This is an excellent, valuable, thorough, well-written resource. No reflection on the authors or the book, but I made the mistake of paying for an "Amazon Upgrade" for this title (supposedly enabling online reading and use of the book in addition to the physical book). The text looks like somebody hosed it down (blurry, and the more you zoom, the blurrier it gets). Ditto for the images (text within the images is totally illegible.

What can podcasting do for a business? That's the wrong question to ask, say Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson. Like any communication tool, podcasting should be applied as a solution, not as a goal in and of itself. "Podcasting ought to come up in larger discussions about ways to reach audiences, to convey particular messages, or to address specific situations and problems," they advise.
Hobson and Holtz are internationally known business communicators, bloggers, and consultants.
Besides detailing all the technical aspects of podcasting, Hobson and Holtz preach the gospel of strategic planning. Thinking about producing a podcast? First, address the question: What outcomes are you trying to achieve? Would it serve as a marketing vehicle, or to supplement public relations and financial communications, or to enhance customer relations, or to enhance customer support? And how will you measure the success of your efforts?
They offer many examples of podcasting done well. Purina's Animal Advice podcast, for example, provides information pet owners can use; it does not `sell product.' Stanford University podcasts offer faculty lectures, interviews, music, and sports content. Target groups include students and alums. IBM's The Future Of .... Podcast reaches investors and features interviews with engineers, product managers, and others in the trenches--not with PR or marketing staff.

This book was all I needed to get set up for my first podcast. I am one of those types who can't just settle for the basics, which can be an expensive problem. But this book will get anyone who is budget-conscious up and running with less than $100 out of pocket, assuming you at least have a computer.

If you are looking for some expertise about equipment or how to set up your rig in the studio, this is not the book for you. You might want to look for a book about home recording or even professional broadcasting. I have to give these authors big kudos though, this really is everything you need to know about *the basics* of podcasting. If that's what you need to know, you won't go wrong with this book. Oh yeah, it is very well-written and easy to read also.

Disclaimer: As a contributor to the authors' podcast, For Immediate Release, I might be expected to have a biased opinion. I do, but I also held the book to the standards of their podcast and their blogs. If it hadn't been good, I would have been seriously disappointed.

But not to worry, it's good.

Naming a book "How to Do Everything with Podcasting" is ambitious, but that was the publisher's choice. They have a whole series of "How to Do Everything" books. And while there might be things you can do with podcasting that aren't covered in the book, it's impressively comprehensive.

I particularly appreciated the details about sound editing in Chapter 9 when I had to assemble the interviews from the iMeme conference. (It helped, but with background noise as bad as that, there's not a lot you can do if you don't use a directional mic in the first place.) The only omission I'm aware of in that section is a reference to the Levelator, an amazing tool every podcaster should have. (It's free, too. Gigavox invented it in self-defense.)

I imagine many people will head straight to Part IV, "Make Money with Your Podcast," but I really appreciated Part V, "Use a Podcast as a Business Communication Tool." These 65 pages are pure gold for any podcast evangelist operating in either the corporate or small-business world. Shel and Neville start by pointing out that creating a podcast is not a business goal. Rather, podcasting is a tool that can serve a purpose in the business' overall strategy. If your company starts podcasting "because everyone else is doing it," the podcast is not likely to be a success.

There's also an appendix about legal considerations for podcasters, one listing podcasting resources, and a podcasting glossary to help you sort out the jargon. And to keep up to date (because things on the Web change so quickly), there's a website for the book at EverythingwithPodcasting.com. You can find Shel's mix-minus instructional video (for recording Skype calls without echoes) and a whole lot of other good stuff--including a long list of links to podcasts.

Three cheers and five stars, guys.

SRG

Over the past few years we've seen an ever-growing number of scandals involving professional sports stars. Whether the scandals have involved drug-abuse, sexual offences, violence, right up to murder charges, I always get the impression that these sports stars all think they are above the law thanks to the hero worship of which they are the object. A good proportion of these real life stars are rolled into the character of Zelmont Raines in THE JOOK.

THE JOOK is a modern hardboiled novel that contains a healthy (or should that be unhealthy) dose of violence, drug-taking, swearing and sex scenes. It's a tremendously fast-paced story set in Los Angeles amongst the seedier members of the cities rich and famous. As mentioned earlier, the story is told from the perspective of Zelmont Raines, an ex-NFL wide receiver used to living the kind of life a multi-million dollar salary could provide. But those high earning days are over. He has found himself short of money and decides that a return to football would provide him with the cash injection he needs.

The problems standing in the way of Zee and a return to the NFL are many and significant. The first is his chronic hip injury that forced him home after an attempt on the European NFL. The next is his womanising that has landed him with an unwanted paternity suit and an even less desirable statutory rape suit hanging over him. The last and definitely not the least problem is his use of drugs, the original cause of his retirement from the NFL.

Thanks to his appalling past record of behaviour and the wish of Julian Weems, the NFL commissioner who is trying to clean up the game's image, Zee is cut from the team he is trialing with and expelled from the NFL altogether.

Predictably, Zee is a seething mass of hatred, ready to lash out any way possible at his tormentors, namely Julian Weems and the owner of the new NFL franchise team the LA Barons, Ellison Standanko. As it happens, Zee's best friend Napoleon Graham is planning to rob Standanko of around 6 - 7 million dollars. Not only is Standanko the owner of the LA Barons but he is also a big time crook and Napoleon has information about how and when he moves his ill-gotten gains. This information comes courtesy of Wilma Wells, the lawyer for the new team and the love interest for Zee.

Zee, Nap and Wilma then set about putting their bold plan into action, but of course, nothing in the life of Zelmont Raines seems to run smoothly and with every win in the operation comes a loss. Without giving away any of the ending, it's one heck of a wild ride for all involved.

So, while in essence this is a hardboiled crime story featuring a robbery, it's also a detailed look at the hard living done by a high profile sportsman. It's a tremendously fast-paced book. Raines lives the life of a celebrity sports star and so always has a party to go to or a girl to meet. But he also dabbles in shady street deals and brawls in pool joints, not to mention his role in the main game - the robbery. Keeping up with Raines may leave you a little breathless by the end of the book.

Gary Phillips uses language to great effect in helping to describe the type of person Zelmont Raines is. He has obviously risen from a life in the poorer parts of town, a fact that is confirmed when he muses about how his life may have turned out if he hadn't become a pro ball player. The tone created by this constant use of slang is one of barely contained violence. It seems that at any point in the story, all hell is about to break loose. Because the one big problem with Raines is that, although he acknowledges all of his problems - drugs, alcohol, womaniser etc, he appears totally powerless to overcome them.

It was funny how my feelings changed for Zelmont as the story progressed. At the start I felt as though he was the misunderstood hero of the story who was smart enough to get his act together and had some sort of control over his life. Then gradually, it slowly dawned on me that he wasn't the great thinker that I first assumed he was. By the end it became obvious that he was simply grabbing at any life saver that was tossed to him in a bid to prolong the good life that he had grown used to. Rather than rooting for him to win, I just felt sorry for him.

It's rough and it's violent and it's definitely hardboiled. For those who don't mind getting down and dirty amongst some of the more depraved sides of life, then this will be a very enjoyable read.

Realisitic characters that you love to hate and hate to love, Gary Phillips brings them to life with a descriptive style that few could match. The non stop twists and turns in this book kept me turning pages and the descriptions were so vivid I could almost smell the garbage truck! Best of all, I wasn't cheated at the end, Mr. Phillips kept it real.

I haven't read any of Phillips' previous books but this one is compulsively readable. The protagonist is not particularly likeable (he's a sexist, for one) but he has his redeeming qualities (loyalty to his friends), and many of the people he runs into are worse than he is. He's a complex character, a has-been who had it all and threw it away and is trying for a comeback, or if not that, just to survive. If you want an enjoyable read that has sex, violence, drugs, sports, and the inevitable LAPD, pick up this book.

Zelmont Raines blew an All-Pro career in the NFL with drugs and sex. Now he's trying to crawl his way back to the top, one way or the other. When he hooks up with a crooked lawyer and a bi-sexual club owner, they put together a scheme to rip off the mob and make one last big score. With incredible characters, crackling dialogue and a plot so hard-boiled it'll curl your hair, this is crime fiction at its best.

Phillips' first crime novel easily outdoes his previous books. I'm an admitted fan of his Ivan Monk mysteries (especially Violent Spring), but the author's real calling was creating this volatile character, Zelmont Raines, a has-been football star trying to get his game back. Full of action, suspense, and intriguing conflict, The Jook is easily the best book I've read all year (sorry Oprah). If Hollywood had any sense, The Jook would be next year's Christmas blockbuster.

I picked up this book to read while waiting for an oil change, and I laughed out loud. You wouldn't peg me for a person who would get such a "kick" out of a book on football--I'm a female English teacher. But the author does a great job of describing how he felt when he joined a semi-pro team made up of people who don't run in his usual social circles. I have given copies of the book as gifts to a wide range of people (a lawyer, a college coach, my mother, my aunt, and a friend who also played semi-pro football, for example), and all of them have called to tell me how funny the book is. They each recount a scene or two, laughing as they describe events from memory in great detail.

This book would also make a great birthday gift for any guy who fears he's headed over the hill.

This is a funny, inspiring, wonderfully readable book. It's about love, sports, human nature, team, and one person's growth. Highly recommended.

Anyone who enjoyed the movies Rudy, Invicible, The Rookie & Hoosiers will want to read this book by Mark St. Amant. Once again the ordinary guy succeeds when he fufills his dream with hard work & determination. That's how a 37 year old author was able to become a place kicker for a minor league football team, even though he never played a game of organized football on any level. Mark accepted an unexpected invitation to place kick for the Boston Panthers of the EFL. You'll enjoy his journey from a struggling doubting Thomas to a league all-star his second season. His insight to human nature & racial tensions is worth the read as well.

This is just a terric book--exciting, well-written, and smart. It gives hope to all armchair athletes, besides being a really detailed and wise study of human hature with sports as the backdrop. This is the kind of memoir everyone can relate to--an "everyday, normal" person doing something out of the ordinary and writing about it with depth and insight. This book would make a great gift for the thinking sportsperson.

"Just Kick It" is an excellent follow-up to Mark St. Amant's first book "Committed". I found myself laughing out loud on the train ride home from work. But it is more than just a funny story of an ex-soccer player becoming a place kicker for a semi-pro football team. Mark St. Amant does a wonderful job bringing the reader close to his teammates, each taking a different path to semi-pro football. In describing their stories, I felt closer to the team. "Just Kick It" is about much more than just a football season. And the members of the Boston Panthers are much more than just football players. It is about decisions, priorities, and looking at life from the perspective of others. Keep writing mark, you have a unique talent.