Review of "A Skating Life"

Since the Winter Olympics are drawing near and I am catching the fever, I have been reading more on Winter Olympic sports. I just completed the memoirs of Dorothy Hamill, the legendary American figure skater who won the gold medal in 1976. Here is my review on her autobiography. 

Title/Author: 
“A Skating Life: My Story” by Dorothy Hamill with Deborah Amelon 

Tags: 
Figure skating, autobiography, Olympics 

Publish date: 
October 7, 2008 

Length:
256 pages

Rating: 
3 1/2 of 5 stars (good) 

Review: 
Many people dream of winning an Olympic gold medal in a favorite sport, then going on to live happily ever after. Sometimes, however, real life may not live up to those golden expectations (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun!). Dorothy Hamill’s memoir “A Skating Life” is a vivid illustration of not only her life after winning a medal, but also of the sacrifices both the athlete and his or her family must make in order to compete at that level. 

The book can be considered to have two main sections, before and after the 1976 Winter Olympics when Hamill won her gold medal. In the chapters before the Olympics, she recalls her schooling, her training in Lake Placid and the relationships with her coaches with surprising detail when one considers the book was written more than thirty years after her victory. She also gives an interesting account of her relationship with her parents, especially that with her mother. 

The first chapter that discusses her mother’s absence from her winning program in the Olympics was wonderfully written. She expounds on that moment and it is evident that she was deeply affected by it. There is not a lot of detail about the sport of figure skating in the book. Hamill does talk about some of her routines in her training and has wonderful stories about other skaters at the time such as Janet Lynn, but the skating talk is basic. For those readers who would want to read this to learn something like the difference between a Salchow and a Lutz, that won’t be found in this book. 

Her story after the Olympics seems to be one heartbreak after another. She is twice divorced, her first husband is killed in an airplane crash and while it happened after the divorce, this is another event that is shown to have affected her deeply. She also filed for bankruptcy after buying and managing an ice show. All of these setbacks, while described in detail, are told in a conversational style instead of the same style as the first chapter. While this still makes for good reading, it feels like something is missing, especially when compared to the first chapter. 

It isn’t all doom and gloom. By the end of the book, it is apparent to the reader that Hamill is comfortable at this point with what life has dealt her and feels blessed to have not only her daughter in her life, but that she has been able to reconnect with her mother. Depression is a topic that is discussed for both herself and both her parents. That is done in a respectful manner that doesn’t come across as bitter or pity. This book is a good account of Hamill’s life and readers who like to read memoirs that are heavy on descriptions of life events and relationships will enjoy this one. If the reader wants to learn more about Hamill’s skating career and the sport, then avoid this one. 

Did I skim? 
No. 

Pace of the book:
It moved along well in most parts, but there were times that I felt it was tough to read, as it was very clear to the reader that Hamill was having difficulty trying to tell the story of a tough situation in her life. 

Do I recommend?
Yes, if the reader is looking for a book with descriptions of various relationships and family dynamics, this is a good selection. As a sports book, it doesn’t have a lot about the sport of figure skating, but enough that an avid fan of the sport will enjoy it. 

Book Format Read: 
EBook (Kindle) 

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Skating-Life-My-Story-ebook/dp/B000WHVS20/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391048032&sr=1-1&keywords=a+skating+life 

Review of "Hallways in the Night"

While this book is not technically a sports book, there are many baseball references and aspects to this outstanding legal thriller.  Therefore, when the author sent me a copy to review for this blog, I gladly accepted.  I wish to thank Mr. O'Leary for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Title/Author:

“Hallways in the Night” by R.C. O’Leary

Tags:

Fiction, legal, baseball, courtroom, murder 

Published:

December 9, 2013

Length:

311 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

A superstar baseball, Remo Centrella, player is chased into the parking lot of the stadium by a police officer, Dave Mackno, who leaves a stakeout to follow him there.  A woman is in the car with the baseball player and appears to be in distress. The officer tries to see if everything is okay, a scuffle breaks out with the Centrella in a rage and the end result is that he is shot dead by Mackno. The officer, while cleared by Internal Affairs, is charged with murder in Centrella’s death and that it was not a matter of self-defense.

Sounds like a typical legal novel, right?  Well, yes and no.  While many of the usual aspects of a good legal thriller are present in this novel, author R.C. O’Leary adds even more layers of topics to this fast paced and riveting story. One of the topics addressed in the book, and why it is being reviewed for this blog, is the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball. Centrella could be considered much like Barry Bonds for the home run records he set and how fast he did it.  Like Bonds, Centrella is never “caught” by a formal drug test.  Like Bonds, he gets in a fight with teammate (later used as the trial as evidence) and has a not-so-sterling reputation. The trial’s testimony also included an expert in the use of PED’s.  Part of this section talks about “roid rage” that allegedly is why Centrella was so angry during the altercation. 

The writing on this and other controversial topics, such as race relations, adultery, excessive force used by police and courtroom process. Legal experts may find some passages do not conform to standard practice, but the author does acknowledge this. As I don’t consider myself an expert in the field, I would not have known this without reading that part.  

The story moves along well and flashbacks to past events that were relevant to the story were well written and well placed.  However, what really set this legal thriller apart from others I have read for me was that after the verdict was reached, Mackno and the district attorney Maurice Bass got on the same elevator.  The conversation that took place there was an even better finale to the story than the verdict.  Outstanding story that should be read by all fans of legal thrillers.

Did I skim?

No

Were the characters realistic? 

Yes.  While some may feel that several of them would fall under stereotypes, I felt each one of the main characters – those that were in the courtroom for the trial as well as Remo Centrella – were portrayed in a realistic manner and they fit what many people would imagine they would be like.  Dave was portrayed as one would expect for a police officer, Maurice Bass and Whitney Taylor as attorneys and Tina Manning as well.  They each were developed well throughout the story.

Pace of the story:

Excellent 

Do I recommend?  

Yes.  Not only will readers who like legal stories will be engrossed, those who like baseball books or stories on racial issues will enjoy this as well.

Book Format Read:

Ebook (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Hallways-Night-Novel-R-C-OLeary-ebook/dp/B00HCLRPPS/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hallways-in-the-night-rc-oleary/1117718052?ean=2940149054954

Review of "A Nice Little Place on the North Side"

There are two ball parks which are on nearly every baseball fan's bucket list - Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.  Fenway Park just had its 100 year anniversary in 2012, this year it will be Wrigley's turn and to honor the occasion, award winning author George F. Will, a lifetime Cubs fan, wrote an outstanding book on the park and Cubs history.  Here is my review of that book.

Title/Author:

“A Nice Little Place on the North Side” by George F. Will

Tags:

Baseball, Cubs, history, stadium

Published:

March 25. 2014

Length:

160 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (Outstanding)

Review:

Wrigley Field, the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs, will turn 100 in 2014.  Well known columnist, author and die-hard Cubs fan George F. Will wrote this book as a tribute to the park which has become a shrine, a museum, or a place where good baseball goes to die, depending on your viewpoint.

Will pieces together many stories and facts about the Cubs and various people involved with the team into an entertaining, easy read. He describes the ballpark as a frame which Cubs games are played within. The writing is eloquent but flowing and easy to read, a staple of Will. There is even some sidebar information that ties in with Wrigley Field history. One that was particularly interesting and funny at the same time was a story about how humans have always had a hankering for beer, sometimes even believing that it was more healthy than drinking water.  Why would this be included in this book?  Will refers to a study that concluded that even more than the won-loss record of the Cubs, the price of beer at Wrigley Field affected attendance at Cubs games. It concluded that the attendance was four times more sensitive to beer prices than the baseball team’s performance. That snippet had me laughing and shaking my head.

Speaking of laughing, there are plenty of humorous moments in this book.  Many of them are jabs at various entities.   While they are not harsh insults or demeaning, they do make a point.  Again, this is similar to Will’s other writing, whether other books or his column.  Here are two of my favorite examples of humor in the book.  When describing the lack of piped-in music at Wrigley Field other than the organist’s rendition, he compares it to an NBA game, stating that “The NBA experience – strobe lights, lasers, smoke and cacophonous music – is like being held prisoner in a Wurlitzer jukebox.”    Later in the book, when Will is writing about the Tribune Company, which also owned television superstation WGN, he believed the Cubs were “attractive for this purpose (televised on WGN), particularly because television has never been fastidious about filling time with excellence.”

Some of the characters he writes about during the history of the ballpark include a tale of a program vendor who would drop a program into the hands or lap of an unsuspecting fan and then demand payment for the publication.  This vendor was named Jacob Rubenstein, who later changed his name to Jack Ruby – yes, THAT Jack Ruby.  

Ernie Banks is the subject of another well researched story that is important to the history of Wrigley Field.  After all, what would a book about Wrigley Field be without mentioning Mr. Cub?  I found this snippet in the passage about Banks the perfect way to illustrate Will’s writing throughout the book.  “Banks embodies the post-1945 franchise, for two reasons.  First, his disposition, win or lose – and it was mostly lose – was as sunny as the ballpark in which he never performed at night.  Second, his play demonstrated that even in a team game, a player can achieve greatness with precious little support from his teammates.”  

Overall, I felt that this was an outstanding book for its ease of reading, its humor, its research and for the baseball history.   Any baseball will love this book, and at 160 pages, it will be a quick read, but one that will linger in the reader’s memory.

I wish to thank NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

Excellent.  After the first two chapters, which I started while finishing another book, I flew through the rest of the book.  With short, entertaining stories, enough stats and baseball history to make hard core fans like me happy and enough wit throughout the book, it was a very fast read.

Do I recommend? 

Yes, enthusiastically.   Any baseball fan or Chicagoan, whether a native or transplant, will like this book on a ballpark that is treated like a museum and has a rich history.

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Nice-Little-Place-North-Side-ebook/dp/B00FIN0UT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390150946&sr=8-1&keywords=a+nice+little+place+on+the+north+side

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-nice-little-place-on-the-north-side-george-will/1115696830?ean=9780385349321

Review of "Tales of a First Round Nothing"

Most of the time we figure that a first round draft pick in any sport will go on to become a star.  As any fan knows, that isn't always the case.  One of those not-so-much-of-a-success stories turned his experiences into a book that will be published this spring.   Here is my review of that book written by Terry Ryan. 

Title/Author:

“Tales of a First-Round Nothing: My Life as an NHL Footnote” by Terry Ryan

Tags:

Ice hockey, autobiography, professional, Canadiens

Publish date (anticipated):

May 13, 2014

Length:

252 pages

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (good)

Review:

Terry Ryan was supposed to take the National Hockey League by storm.  He was the eighth overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft and even better, he was selected by his favorite team, the Montreal Canadiens.  His career with the team may not have been what he hoped it would be on the ice, but he took with it great memories.   That is evident as he shares many entertaining stories in this memoir.

The book covers every aspect of Ryan’s playing days, from his time in youth hockey to the junior leagues to his many stops in professional hockey.   In each one, he has plenty to say about his teammates, coaches, and life in general.

While reading this book, it should be noted that Ryan does not follow a strict timeline.  He will at times skip back to a funny incident prior to the chapter in his career that he talks about.  He never comes across as angry or bitter.  A good example would be his memory of certain coaches or teammates with whom he did not get along.   While there could have been some trouble with those people then, he writes about them and his interactions with them with respect.  Given that many of these interactions occurred as a young age, this is something that is very commendable.

Speaking of youth, many of these stories would be the type you would expect from young men who are learning the ways of the world.  Yes, there are plenty of stories about drinking, picking up women and partying.  But there are also some serious thoughts as well, and this shows how much this time of his life means to him now.

This is not to say there are no hockey passages in the book.  They are plentiful as well, and some of them are downright funny.  I chuckled at the story of during Ryan’s first encounter with Tie Domi, the well-known fighter for the Toronto Maple Leafs.   As a rookie trying to impress his coaches and also to fulfill a promise made to some hometown buddies, he ASKED Domi to fight him during an exhibition game.   Ryan wasn’t disappointed as Domi did so on the very first shift of the game.    

All of these stories are woven together to make for an entertaining read.  By the end of the book, I was glad to see it come to a conclusion as they were starting to all be jumbled together in my mind and some felt like they were similar to others with different characters.  Despite this, I do believe that a hockey fan who enjoys stories about the players’ antics off the ice will especially like this book. 

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

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

Good.  It moved along well and was a fairly quick read.  For me, it started to drag near the end, but overall it was a good read.

Do I recommend? 

Yes, if the reader is looking for a book with personal stories and recollections. This book has plenty of entertaining stories. If you are looking for a book that is more about hockey or the career of a player, this may not be the one you want to read.    

Book Format Read:

EBook (Kindle)

Buying Links:

None at the time of this review.

Review of "Senna Versus Prost"

Continuing the goal of increasing the variety of sports about which I read, I found a great book on one of the fiercest rivalries in the history of Formula 1 racing.  Here is my review of "Senna Versus Prost."

Title/Author:

“Senna Versus Prost” by Malcolm Foley

Tags:

Auto racing, Formula 1, biography, rivals

Published:

May 7, 2009

Length:

420 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (Outstanding)

Review:

Auto racing in all forms has had many fierce rivalries between drivers over the years, and one of the most bitter rivalries came in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s between Aryton Senna of Brazil and Alain Prost of France in Formula 1 racing.   This rivalry is documented in a book by Malcolm Foley in which he captures the rivalry through research and personal stories and recollections by many of the personnel involved with the two drivers as well at Prost himself, the surviving driver of the two rivals as Senna was killed while on the course in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

The writing in this book is very good as the reader will learn much about the workings within the various driving teams in Formula 1. The casual fan may know that a driver is part of the McLaren or Lotus team, for example, but the negotiations, contracts, and interaction between the parties is illustrated in the segments about the two drivers either changing teams or stating that they wish to do so. There are also other great passages about what took place during races between the two rivals, what teammates remembered about the drivers and even some personal moments shared.

Some other reviewers of this book have been vocal in their opinions that this book was heavily biased toward Prost, mainly because the author was allegedly grateful to just be able to speak with the French driver. This review is not going to state any opinions on this matter as being a casual fan of the sport at best, I do not have the extensive knowledge of the history of the sport or the two drivers, so this review is simply one of the book itself.  Because I was enjoying these stories and did know of the fierce rivalry, I wanted to simply read the book for pleasure and see if I could learn anything new about the drivers – without looking to see how balanced the stories would be.  

The closest I would come to making any statement toward this would be that I believe the book would have been better if any of Senna’s surviving family members would have been willing to share their stories. Most of the stories that were shared to the author were not complimentary to Senna. Getting more stories that portrayed Senna in a positive light might have helped avoid some of this criticism, but the book overall is still one that I enjoyed reading and would recommend for anyone who wants to learn a little more about the sport or the drivers.  Personally, I felt it was an outstanding book

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

Excellent.  The story of both drivers moves along well, doesn’t drag when personal stories or recollections are written, and the reader will feel he or she is living the rivalry. 

Do I recommend? 

Yes, especially for new or casual F1 fans.  I say this because while the book does give good insight into both drivers and the history of the sport at that time, long-time or hard-core fans of the sport may feel the book is tilted too much to show sympathy for Prost.   While part of this would simply be because Senna is no longer with us in order to share his recollections, reviews and editorials at various book sites and blogs do have some negative reviews stating the author’s bias toward Prost. 

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Senna-Versus-Prost-Malcolm-Folley-ebook/dp/B0031RSAVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389664947&sr=8-1&keywords=senna+versus+prost

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/senna-versus-prost-malcolm-folley/1111616361?ean=9781409061922

Review of "Six Good Innings"

As I tend to read baseball books most often for my sports reads, I usually try to find books on different areas of the game.  I found this one about Little League baseball, so naturally I was curious.   Glad I picked it up as it was a very interesting read.   Here is my review of "Six Good Innings."

Title/Author:

“Six Good Innings: How One Small Town Became a Little League Giant” by Mark Kreidler

Tags:

Baseball, Little League

Published:

July 1, 2008

Length:

258 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (Very Good)

Review:

When the Little League baseball team representing a small town becomes the Little League World Series champions, life in that town will never be the same. This is captured eloquently in a book by Mark Kriedler about the town of Toms River, New Jersey  Beginning with their improbably 1995 championship over the Japanese team, Toms River has been “on the map” for Little League excellence, and this book covers the 2007 Little League team for the town.  This is not just a recap of the season, as there are many anecdotes of past teams, what has happened in the town and to former players and coaches.

What struck me the most about this book was how in very different ways, the author has shown what is right with Little League baseball and what is wrong with it at the same time.  The pride that the kids have for their team and town, the beauty of the game itself (after all it is still baseball) and the incredible following that this level of baseball can generate are all great and illustrated in this book.  

But there are drawbacks as well.  The players seem to not be just kids any longer and are carrying a whole town on their back.  In order to play for the Toms River All-Star team, which is who will eventually represent the town in tournaments, the players have to sacrifice a lot of their childhood for daily practice and drills as well as travel and games.  While the author doesn’t share the horror stories of overbearing parents, some of the sections and passages bear out what seems to be more of a trend of treating Little League baseball like the Major Leagues.   One passage that seems sad to me is about the baseball training facility opened in Toms River.  An instructor at the facility tells of parents who are asking him to teach their 9 year old son to throw curveballs.  Curveballs at NINE?  Maybe I am old fashioned but this just seems to be detrimental to the purpose of kid’s sports. 

Kriedler does a nice job of describing the important games of the 2007 season and that struck a nerve with me as well.  It felt like an analysis and breakdown of the game, something that is often seen during the telecasts of the Little League World Series on ABC and ESPN.  (It should be noted that the author has done work with ESPN)   To me, this is another example of treating kid’s sports as importantly as adults and I don’t agree with that philosophy.

Because the book generated these kinds of feelings and opinions from me while reading it, I do give it good marks if that was the author’s intention. At the very least, the book does accomplish the mission of illustrating what a small town will undergo when it becomes the home of a championship team.   Baseball fans and readers who enjoy stories of small towns will like reading this book.

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

The pace was very good, both in the recap of past glory for the Toms River teams and the 2007 season which was described.

Do I recommend? 

Yes.  This book is a great blend of both what is right and what is wrong with Little League baseball and youth sports in general.        

Book Format Read:

e-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Six-Good-Innings-Mark-Kreidler-ebook/dp/B001BANJZ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389474713&sr=1-1&keywords=six+good+innings

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/six-good-innings-mark-kreidler/1111739442?ean=9780061473586

Review of "Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football"

I always am interested in learning more about great teams in each sport's history and since the 1985 Bears are considered to be one of the greatest teams in NFL history.  So when I was able to obtain a copy of this book on that team, I jumped on the chance to read it.   Here is my review on "Monsters."

Title/Author:

“Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football” by Rich Cohen

Tags:

Football, professional, history, Bears

Published:

October 29, 2013

Length:

321 pages

Rating: 

3 ½  of 5 stars (Good)

Review:

The 1985 Chicago Bears are considered by some to be the greatest team – for one season – in NFL history.   Between the storied legend of the team, the loyal fans and the reputation of the “Monsters of the Midway”, this was a team that was certain to have a book written about them.  Rich Cohen has done just that with “Monsters.”  In the book’s description, it states that this book is “a portrait not merely of a team but of a city and a game.” This is an accurate account of the book, as well as adding personal stories from both Cohen and members of that team.

Cohen writes this book as a fan, not as a journalist or historian. That has both its good and bad moments in this book. He does share some great stories about the players, especially Gary Fencik, for whom the team’s famous “46” defense is named and also the team’s head coach Mike Ditka. The quarterback, Jim McMahon, was always good for great stories and they are shared here as well. I also thought that Cohen’s stories about his fandom, the city of Chicago, and what he would do when he was interviewing the players were entertaining. Like I said, this book was written from a fan’s point of view and that is always a refreshing viewpoint. 

By doing so, the sections that talk about the football on field were entertaining and anecdotal.  What these would lack in analysis and statistics, they made up for with rich descriptions of the atmosphere, the action on the field and the thoughts of people who were there.  I felt that the two chapters on the one loss the team suffered in Miami and the game in Minnesota where McMahon came off the bench to rally the Bears to a victory were the best stories about games during the season.

Something that was not done well with this book was proofreading.  I did find a couple of grammatical errors and this error that surprised me by not being caught.  During the section on Gale Sayers, Cohen shares a story about nearly hitting a deer with his car.  He avoided the deer by “slamming on the breaks.”  These kinds of errors I find to be distracting and can take away from the value of a story or even the book as a whole.  Because this was such an obvious error that wasn’t caught, I felt this and the few others I found were a distraction.

Now, you might also be thinking, “What does hitting a deer have to do with football?”  That is a fair question, and my other main issue with the book – at times, I didn’t believe the personal stories that Cohen was sharing were relevant to the team or the season they were having.  Because I am not a Bears fan or a Chicago resident, I may have missed something that would connect these together. I found myself trying to connect these instead of concentrating on the pages at hand which was another distraction for me.

Despite these, I still found this book an entertaining read and I believe that anyone who is a Bears fan or a Chicago sports fan will enjoy this book.  Well worth the time to read it.

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

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

While it didn’t have any slow or tedious sections, I did have trouble connecting the author’s personal stories with what was being discussed about the Bears or the NFL at times.   When this would happen, I would re-read certain passages trying to make the connection.   That would slow down my reading pace for this book.

Do I recommend? 

Yes - fans of the Chicago Bears or pro football history will enjoy reading this book.     

Book Format Read:

e-book (ePUB)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Chicago-Bears-Heart-Football-ebook/dp/B00CVNNPEC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389146183&sr=1-1&keywords=monsters+chicago+bears

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/monsters-rich-cohen/1115225391?ean=9780374298685

Review of "Qualifying Times"

For the first review of 2014, I decided to make good on one of my New Year's resolutions for this blog.   When I reviewed the list of posts in 2013, I saw that I reviewed only one book on any woman or women's sport.  Therefore, I resolved to seek out more books on women's sports or athletes.  Lo and behold, I found this book on the progress made by women in sports.   So far, so good on one resolution!    Enjoy this review of "Qualifying Times."

Title/Author:

“Qualifying Times: Points of Change in U.S. Women’s Sport” by Jaime Schultz

Tags:

Sports, gender issues, politics, society

Publish Date:

March 31, 2014

Length:

351 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (Very good)

Review:

The role of women in sports has increased exponentially within the last few decades, and this insightful book by an assistant professor of women’s studies and kinesiology is a very good look into whether all these changes have really improved the status of women in both sport and society.  

It does so by examining the role of certain items in women’s sports that one would not think of researching for this topic.  The first chapter was my favorite of these – it was the role that the ponytail has played in women’s sports.  The premise was that the athletes who would wear their hair longer and in a ponytail were portraying their femininity and heterosexuality.  This was written in a nice style that was part academia, complete with references, and part anecdotal. 

This first chapter would set the tone for the rest of the book as Schultz explores the role of tampons, fashion, sports bras and the “New Ideal of Beauty” in women’s sports.   They are written in the same manner as the first chapter.  There are also discussions about Title IX, the emergence of competitive cheer (or cheerleading) as a sport and gender testing.  While Schultz does raise valid arguments about whether these developments have truly shown progress for the role of women in sport, the gender testing chapter is one that the reader will really want to absorb.  Why this is done for women and not for men is a valid question that Schultz raises and makes for great reading.

Overall, I thought that this was a very good work of research that raised serious questions about just how far the female athlete has come.  While not dismissing the advances that have been made, Schultz raises many excellent points that many of the changes have been for the sake of sex appeal (read male interests and desires) instead of truly athletic advancements.  This book will make the reader stop and think about this issue.  It isn’t written in a manner to criticize any one person or organization, nor does it criticize males.  It simply questions just how far women athletes have truly progressed.  Anyone interested in sports or women’s studies will enjoy this book.

I wish to thank NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I skim?

I did skim through one section – the history of the tampon.  I did read all the parts of that chapter when its role in women’s sports was included, but for just the discovery and mass production I skimmed. 

Pace of the book: 

For a scholarly book, I felt that it read very well.   While it wasn’t like reading a fictional story or a history book, it still moved along well and didn’t drag, even if the reader

Do I recommend? 

Yes. This is a very well researched look into women’s sports and how topics like gender equality and sexuality have played an important role in this area.

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

None at the time of this review.