Review of "In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People"

There are times when reading a book that you have to change the perspective of how you view the story.  I had to do that when reading this entertaining fictional story by David A. Todd.  Without the snark of saying that it had to be fiction since the Chicago Cubs are in the World Series, I will just note that some of the events don't seem that they could really happen...but it doesn't matter because they all work in this story.  Here is my review of this book.

Title/Author:

“In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People” by David A. Todd

Genre/topics: 

Baseball, fiction, Cubs, Yankees, family, crime

Published:

August 25, 2012

Length:

270 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

First a synopsis of the book: Ronny Thompson just wants to play baseball. He's good at it, and can pitch the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series victory in over a century. So why are all these Mafia-type events swirling around his life? How does he extricate himself from them? And how does he concentrate on winning games, rather than on his estrangement from his parents, his girlfriend, and an aggressive reporter, and on so much that his farm upbringing didn't prepare him for?

This is the perfect description of this story of baseball, the mob, an unlikely romance and the naivety of a young farm boy from Kansas. Ronny Thompson has wonderful pitching skills and is a once-in-a-lifetime pitcher who has an incredible rookie season for the Chicago Cubs.  With over thirty wins in the regular season, three no-hitters, pitching every game in the final weekend of the regular season and on two days of rest for the duration of the playoffs, the kid is just too good to be true.  So, going back to the synopsis – why is all this happening to him?

The reason is simply a high-stakes bet between crime organizations in Chicago and New York on the outcome of the World Series.  If the Cubs can actually beat the New York Yankees in the World Series (so you KNOW this has to be a work of fiction) the Chicago mob is set to gain eighty million dollars.  So both organizations get to work – one will do everything it can to distract Thompson to throw him off his pitching, the other will do everything to protect him.  This includes using of their call girls to pose as his “girlfriend.” 

Just like the baseball, the lengths these two otherwise street-smart organizations go to in order to make sure the outcomes are to their liking are far-fetched.  Staging auto accidents, planting a false story of Ronny’s dad taking money from the school where Ronny pitched college baseball and finally a planned shooting at Yankee Stadium during game 7 of the World Series are all events that seem over the top.  Also, there are events that just seem to happen that put Ronny in the wrong place at the wrong time, such as a drug bust, that are also captured by a reporter and photographer.

However, put them all together and it makes for a fun and entertaining read.  Sure, maybe the reader will have to suspend reality while doing so, but all of these elements are blended together in a manner that will have the reader cheering for Ronny throughout the story.  I was pumping my fist when he pitched his no-hitters just as if I was at Wrigley Field witnessing it.  I was touched on following him fall for Sarah, the girl planted by the Chicago mob to help him through the season, but realizing that she was falling in love with him as well. 

As I worked through the book and enjoyed the story for what it was instead of thinking that there is no way a kid will pitch with this kind of success while enduring all these terrible occurrences, I found myself appreciating this author’s work more and more.  By the time of the book’s conclusion, I realized I just read a very entertaining work of fiction that was meant to do just that – entertain.  It wasn't meant to be a lesson in baseball or crime family history.  It was just a good yarn that was fun to read and left you cheering.  I won’t give away the ending – but since this is fiction, I will let you come to that conclusion.  Or better yet, pick up a copy and you will find out for yourself.

I wish to thank the author for his generosity of providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

Did I skim?

No

Did I feel connected to the characters?

Yes, at least to Ronny, Sarah and Lind, the Chicago reporter who was following Ronny and “exposed” some of his shortcomings.  Of course, it is hard to find a “connection” with crime figures, but what was interesting about them is that Todd didn’t make them fall into the typical stereotypes.

Pace of the story:

Excellent – the baseball portions, the family issues and the final game all move along without slowing down, but at the correct pace so that it doesn't seem rushed.

Positives:

While I am certainly no prude, I found the lack of stereotypes, sex scenes, excessive violence and foul language extremely refreshing.  I don’t mind any of these in a story when they are tastefully presented or integral to the story.  However, when they are included just for shock value or to add something “extra” then they are a major turn-off.   By leaving them out, Mr. Todd concentrated on the story at hand, and that made it a good read.

Negatives:

I did find some of the baseball achievements unrealistic, even for fiction.  The amount of pitching Ronny does, on two days rest, the number of games he wins, and the number of no hitters he throws in a season – three - is a big stretch of imagination, even for a fictional book.  While calling this a “negative” might be too strong, I felt that if Ronny’s achievements were closer to realistic, the story could still have held its own.

Do I recommend?

Yes – for any baseball fan or crime fiction reader.  This book has excellent prose on both of those topics.

Book Format Read:

ebook (ePUB file)

Author Media Links:

http://www.amazon.com/David-A.-Todd/e/B005HJ4SNO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Front-Fifty-Thousand-Screaming-People-ebook/dp/B0092HB16Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383093693&sr=8-1&keywords=in+front+of+fifty+thousand

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-front-of-fifty-thousand-screaming-people-david-todd/1113049596?ean=2940044839595

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/220680

Review of "Inside the Winter Olympic Games"

Having been a long time fan of the Winter Olympics and still look forward to them every four years (nothing is important during those two weeks except curling and hockey) I was very excited to see a note from the author in my inbox requesting me to review his book.  I enjoyed reading this brief history on the Games by Marc Jenner, and the review is listed below. 

Rating: 

3 1/2 of 5 stars (good)

Review:

Having been a Winter Olympics fan since childhood, I was happy to see an offer from the author for a copy of this book on the history of the Olympics.  While I have watched many exciting athletes compete – from Peggy Fleming, Eric Heiden and the 1980 United States hockey team to Anton Apollo Ono, Lindsey Vonn and the 2010 Canadian hockey team – I was not familiar with the history of the Winter Games, especially the early ones. 

This book covers that history and more, with a section on the ancient Olympic Games as well.  There are also some Summer Olympic references but they complement, not overshadow, the Winter Olympic sections.   The history and recaps are brief, but descriptive enough for the reader to take away new knowledge of the Olympic Games.   I especially liked the sections on the Opening and Closing ceremonies.  The author researched these well by including a listing of the schedule of performances during each ceremony.   I learned that the International Olympic Committee is very strict about the order of these during the Opening Ceremony and that the artistic section of each one is the only part where the host city and country have a lot of freedom in planning the ceremony.

There were a couple of editing or factual concerns I had about the book.  These two examples I found may not be the only ones as I was not specifically combing each area for accuracy.  However, these two stuck out to me as ones that can be easily fixed.   One was found on page 15 of the PDF version.  It states that in the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, “two new events were added – ski jumping and speed skating.”   The latter sport was an Olympic sport before 1988 as Eric Heiden won five gold medals in speed skating in 1980, for example.   A check on Wikipedia had this exact statement, so it appears that is where the author got this information.  However, two other sites checked stated that SHORT TRACK speed skating was introduced in the 1988 Games as a demonstration sport.  This is noted later in the book on page 69. Therefore, I believe that is what the author meant to include if the accuracy was checked.

The other item that I found could be fixed was that in the chapter about the history of Olympic medals, Nike is mentioned on page 30 (PDF version) without an explanation of who or what Nike is.   An explanation in parentheses that Nike was the winged goddess of victory comes later in the history section.  This would have been better placed at the first mention of Nike.  Yes, kids, Nike is more than just a brand of athletic shoes!

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and did learn a little bit more about Olympic history.   It is a good quick read and would be enjoyed by those who want to learn about the Winter Olympics. 

I wish to thank the author for providing a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

Very good.  The format of the book makes each section easy to read and because the information does not get bogged down into minute detail, it is a quick read as well.

Do I recommend? 

Yes.  While hard-core fans of either the Olympics or history buffs may want more detail, the more casual reader will certainly enjoy reading this.

Book Format Read:

E-Book (PDF)

Author Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Marc-Jenner/e/B008J7AOFC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Winter-Olympic-Games-Olympics-ebook/dp/B008PE5MNI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382819000&sr=8-1&keywords=Inside+the+Winter+Olympics 

Review of "Red Rising"

Having followed Ted Starkey on Twitter and seeing from his tweets how knowledgeable he is about hockey and the Washington Capitals, I decided to pick up his book "Red Rising" when I saw it at a local bookstore.  I am very glad I did, as it was a very good read about the rise of the Capitals in the last decade.  Even though I am not a Capitals fan (go Wild!) this was a pleasure to read.  Here is my review on this book.

Title/Author:

“Red Rising: The Washington Capitals Story” by Ted Starkey

Tags:

Ice Hockey, professional, history, Capitals

Published:

September 1, 2012

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

At the end of the 2002-2003 hockey season, the Washington Capitals were in bad shape.  Their play on the ice was poor as they missed the playoffs, finished with the worst record in the NHL, their fan base was shrinking, their status in Washington was quite low on the sports totem pole and the future was not looking good for better days ahead whether in the standings or in ticket sales.   How the team transformed itself from this situation to become one of the more exciting and respected franchises in the league is chronicled in this book by Ted Starkey.

Not only does the book describe month-by-month each season of the improvement of the franchise, it also mixes wonderful stories shared by players with matter-of-fact interviews with front office personnel of the team.  These interviews, not previously published elsewhere, explain what player moves and organizational changes the Capitals took to gain respectability.  Of course, the most prominent of these moves was signing Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin but there was much more than just signing one player. 

The details of the book are excellent in both the recap of the seasons in which the Capitals improved their record, but also their playoff adventures each season, whether they resulted in a heartbreaking first round loss or an exciting 7 game series.  The best of these playoff recaps was for the 2012 season when they played two series that went the full 7 games and each game save for one – one in the second round against the New York Rangers – were decided by one goal.  Interviews with many of the players gave extra insight into what was going on down on the ice, which added to the excellent reporting of these games.

The best parts of the book for me were the chapters on what the organization was doing to promote itself beyond putting together a winning team.  Chapter 11 was my favorite one in the book when Starkey wrote about the Capitals embracing the new digital media by allowing members of this media such as bloggers access to the press box and locker rooms.  The resulting publicity by allowing writers and bloggers to write about the teams has been credited as aiding the team with its marketing.  That marketing was the subject of another chapter that was a refreshing read between recaps of seasons on the ice.

Red Rising is a book that will be enjoyed by hockey fans, a must-read for Capitals fans and overall a very good book that should be added to reading lists of anyone who loves the game. 

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

Excellent.  The seasons fly by as Starkey recaps the important games and details on each one.  The reader will be able to read through each season and/or chapter quickly.

Do I recommend? 

Yes.  Hockey fans, especially those who follow the Capitals, will enjoy this book on the recent history of a franchise that rose from poor play and attendance to one of the more exciting teams to watch.

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Nook)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Rising-Washington-Capitals-ebook/dp/B0092G18C2/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1382048834&sr=1-2&keywords=red+rising

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-rising-ted-starkey/1110982142?ean=9781770411050

Review of "Unfinished Business"

This is another excellent time of year to be a sports fan - baseball playoffs, NFL and college football are in full swing, the NHL season is just getting underway.  So, of course, in between watching all these games, what is my latest read?  Why, an book on the NBA, of course.  I was fortunate to obtain a copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review, so here is that review.   I wish to thank Netgalley for the copy. 

Title/Author:

“Unfinished Business:  On and Off the Court with the 1990-91 Boston Celtics” by Jack McCallum

Tags:

Basketball, professional, history, Celtics

Published:

September 29, 2013

Length:

274 pages

Rating: 

4 1/2 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

The 1990-91 season was a time of transition in the National Basketball Association.  Michael Jordan was becoming the face of the league.  The reigning dynasty would shift from the Detroit Pistons to Jordan’s team, the Chicago Bulls.  One of the teams that was the powerhouse, the Boston Celtics, was going through a time of transition itself much like the league.  How the franchise dealt with that season is portrayed in this excellent book by Jack McCallum. 

McCallum has shown to be one of the best authors of books on the NBA and this one is no exception.   His style of portraying the season through equal parts of game recaps, anecdotes about the players and coaches, and even some commentary on social issues of the day will grab the reader’s attention and won’t let go. 

The writing and story mirrored the Celtics is many ways.  While the “Big Three” of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were getting older, a new crop of talented players were trying to make their own mark on the storied franchise.   While the attention of fans and the press was naturally paid to Bird and his back issues, McCallum adds many interesting stories on these younger players such as Dee Brown (that year’s slam dunk contest winner, something that certainly did not fit the usual Celtic image) and Brian Shaw.  

The franchise was also facing other transitions, such as a new coach for that season in Chris Ford, the retirement of legendary radio play-by-play man Johnny Most and the realization that the Boston Garden had outlived its usefulness and would soon have to be replaced.   Add that to the play of the team on the court and you truly have a franchise in transition. The team was trying to become more athletic while still playing the style that the three future Hall of Fame players enjoyed that produced three championships and three more trips to the finals in the 1980’s. 

This was the best season in which to write an interesting story on this franchise, and McCallum does in an entertaining manner.  Readers who enjoy books on basketball history or are Celtics fan will want to read this one.

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

Excellent.  In typical McCallum fashion, he stuck with the timeline of the season in chronological order, and anecdotes were not ones that required flashbacks or staggered the pace of the story.

Do I recommend? 

Yes.  Basketball fans will enjoy this recap of a proud franchise during a season of transition

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Business-1990-91-Celtics-ebook/dp/B00FJ4L21I/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1381675978&sr=1-4&keywords=unfinished+business

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unfinished-business-jack-mccallum/1117004239?ean=2940148775669

Review of "The 33-Year-Old Rookie"

Although I also mention this in the review, I found it very refreshing to read a book about an athlete that didn't mention substance abuse, performance enhancing drugs, infidelity or anger issues.   Truly a remarkable story of perseverance to make it to the major leagues.  Here is my review of one man's journey to the major leagues.

Title/Author:

“The 33-Year-Old Rookie: How I Finally Made It to the Big Leagues after 11 years in the Minors” by Chris Coste

Tags:

Baseball, autobiography, Phillies

Published:

March 18, 2008

Length:

199 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Chris Coste’s account of his baseball journey through an independent league, the minor league system and finally to the major leagues as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies is one of those stories that make you want to stand up and cheer for the man.  His story is not unique as there are other players who make it to the major leagues after toiling many years in the minor leagues.  This story, however, is a refreshing read for people like me who have grown weary of reading about athletes who have one or more of the following traits:  massive ego, massive libido, substance abuse, use of performance enhancing drugs, or poor handling of large amounts of money.

Instead, Coste takes us through his trials as a member of the Fargo team in the independent Northern League where he was not only a very good player, he also performed other tasks, including a stint as the merchandising manager in the off season and hosting a sports talk radio show.  As a native of the town, he was contemplating settling in for a career with the team when he would no longer be playing, but when he was offered a contract with the Cleveland Indians, he decided to go for it.  

Through many trials and tribulations, times when he would wonder what he had to do in order to make it to the next level, and with love and support from his wife and daughter, Coste’s story is truly one that has a happy ending when he finally makes it to the majors in 2006 with the Phillies.

Coste writes as if he is truly humbled by the entire experience and he also states in various ways that he is grateful for his chance.  One of these expressions comes when he states that he made a vow to never complain about the amount of taxes taken out of his paycheck as he realizes that as a professional baseball player he is luckier than most.   There is NO mention of performance enhancing drugs, a wild lifestyle off the field, or any of the other trappings that often are the life of the professional athlete.  For that reason alone I found this book to be refreshing. 

If you like to read about one of the “good guys” who makes it big thorough hard work, you will want to read this book - a fast paced, inspiring book of someone who really was able to fulfill his dream.

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

Excellent.  It was a quick read.  It was detailed enough to be informative but so much so that it dragged.   

Do I recommend? 

Yes.  Not only baseball fans will enjoy this book but anyone who loved a good story of an underdog who was able to accomplish his dreams through perseverance and hard work.

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/33-Year-Old-Rookie-Finally-Leagues-ebook/dp/B0013TPXWM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381093099&sr=8-1&keywords=33+year+old+rookie

Review of "Sons of Westwood"

Between catching up after vacation and writing a poem a day for the October poetry challenge (shameless plug: you can read them and follow all month long at http://ljssportspoems.blogspot.com/ ) I neglected some of my book reviews.  To get back on track, here is the review of an advance copy I recieved from NetGalley of "Sons of Westwood" - a little different book on John Wooden and UCLA basketball. 

Title/Author:

“The Sons of Westwood: John Wooden, UCLA, and the Dynasty That Changed College Basketball” by John Matthew Smith

Genre:

Basketball, College, history, politics, society

Published:

September 30, 2013

Length:

344 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

John Wooden is considered by many to be the greatest college basketball coach in the history of the game. His run of 10 national championships in 12 years at UCLA is a feat that may never be achieved again. He has had his Pyramid of Success reprinted for not only coaches in sports but many business people use this model to help their businesses succeed. He achieved this during the turbulent social times of the 1960’s and 1970’s.  Many of his players considered him to be like a father to them.

So one would figure that this book would be another glowing recap of Wooden’s life and career, right?  Well, it does look favorably on some aspects of those topics.  However, John Matthew Smith’s book also digs deeper into the man’s thoughts and beliefs through quotes, interviews with former players and assistant coaches and research.  This is not to say that Smith shatters all of Wooden’s legacy with embarrassing truths or that he is trying to diminish Wooden’s accomplishments. 

What Smith does address is the aura of “integration” and “racial tolerance” that was part of the UCLA and Wooden image during the 1960’s.  Smith refers many times to the fact that UCLA was used as the model institution to show the racial integration taking place in Southern California when the reality was that it wasn’t any different than other parts of the nation when it came to civil rights and the mounting tension.  

Wooden is part of this discussion as well when some of his lesser known thoughts about civil rights and what young men he is coaching should and shouldn’t be doing with themselves while playing basketball and studying while at UCLA.  It bears repeating that the author is not writing this in any judgmental way, nor is he trying to tarnish the image of either UCLA or Wooden.  He is simply shedding new light during this time.

The book helped me learn a lot of new information about not only the UCLA basketball dynasty but also more about the civil rights movement and some pockets of unrest that one may not know about.   I enjoyed reading this book and would encourage anyone who enjoys basketball or reading about the civil rights movement to pick this up. 

Did I skim?

No

Pace of the book: 

Excellent – the narrative never was bogged down with unimportant information or overloaded the reader.

Do I recommend? 

Yes.  For college basketball fans, readers who are interested in the social changes of the 1960’s or those who like books that tackle controversial topics will enjoy this book.

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Sons-Westwood-Dynasty-Changed-Basketball/dp/0252079736/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381003991&sr=1-1&keywords=sons+of+westwood