Review of "Buried in the Sky"

While the specific mission to climb K2 in this book has been written as the topic of other books, this one specifically is told through the eyes of the Sherpas and it was a fantastic read.  Here is my review of "Buried in the Sky"

Title/Author:

“Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2’s Deadliest Day” by Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan

Tags:

Mountaineering

Publish date:

June 11, 2012

Length:

286 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Much has been written about the tragedy on K2 in August 2008 in which eleven souls were lost.  However, this book tells the story of the Sherpas on that expedition, whether they were among the dead or survived the mission.  Their stories as well as their culture and beliefs are discussed in this excellent book by Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan.

The book begins in the Bottleneck, which is located on the most dangerous section of the mountain known as the Death Zone.  There one of the Sherpas, Chirring Dorje, finds fellow Sherpa Pasang Lama stranded without some of his vital equipment. Instead of continuing onward, Chirring stays with Pasang and becomes part of a very famous rescue.  From there, the book is a page turner, alternating between descriptions of this particular climb and subsequent disaster and discussions on the lifestyle of the Sherpas.

These passages are some of the most fascinating in the book as a reader will learn about the Sherpa culture, their beliefs, their myths and the strong bonds many of them have to family.  One of the most fascinating aspects of their mythology is that it is believed that their supreme goddess sustains herself on human flesh and that deaths of climbers occur when she is hungry.  Their simple lifestyle when not climbing and their substantial financial windfall when paid by climbers (especially those with commercial sponsors, such as those on this mission) was also discussed in excellent detail.

While the climbers’ fates are also featured, other books on this expedition usually provide more details about their stories.  This book was written to show the work of those who usually do not get the credit they deserve and was told through their viewpoint – which was a joy to read as it told of this tragic day from a completely different perspective.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Buried-Sky-Extraordinary-Climbers-Deadliest-ebook/dp/B007HX899C/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/buried-in-the-sky-peter-zuckerman/1110771662?ean=9780393084085#/

Review of "The Russian Five"

When the Detroit Red Wings had five Russian players skate together for the first time, they made history in several ways.  That history is captured in this book by Keith Gave. Here is my review of "The Russian Five"

Title/Author:

“The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage” by Keith Gave

Tags:

Ice Hockey, History, Politics, Red Wings

Publish date:

March 20, 2018

Length:

328 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

For the first 75 years or so of its existence, the National Hockey League consisted mostly of Canadian and American players.  Slowly, European players started playing during the 1970s. But when five players from Russia who played for the famed Red Army team helped restore glory to the Detroit Red Wings in the 1990’s, the hockey world took notice. The stories behind these players and the extraordinary danger to get some of them to Detroit is captured in this very good book by Keith Gave.

As a journalist who spoke Russian, Gave had a role with Red Wings personnel by traveling to Helsinki to speak with one of the players. Because of this, he was able to provide a viewpoint that makes the stories terrific.  They would be intriguing enough as some of the methods used to get the players out of Russia were straight out of Cold War spy novels, such as faking a cancer diagnosis for Vladimir Konstintinov. 

These pages were even better than the hockey passages, which were decent but often repetitive.  The reader will be reminded several times, for just two examples, that the New Jersey Devils swept the Red Wings in the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals and that the author introduced the reader to the “Green Unit” several times.  The chapters on the hockey team felt like they were previous articles put together for the book instead of written as one story.

That doesn’t take away from the riveting stories of the five Russians, the danger they faced when leaving Russia and the sheer joy they felt when they and the Red Wings won back to back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998.  The latter one was especially touching as the team brought the Cup to  Konstintinov in a wheelchair.  He, along with a team masseuse, were seriously injured in a car accident soon after the 1997 victory and the team wanted to let him know that he was still a part of the team.Those stories are why this book should be on the shelves of all hockey fans, especially Red Wings fans.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Russian-Five-Espionage-Defection-Bribery/dp/1947165178/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-russian-five-keith-gave/1127425924?ean=9781947165441#/

Review of "The Hole Truth"

In order to avoid a rut, I wanted to find a book on a sport that isn't one of the four major North American games.  Fortunately, the latest catalog for review copies from the University of Nebraska Press included two on golf that arrived earlier this month.  Needing to diversify my reading for this month, I chose one of them and enjoyed it very much.  Here is my review of "The Hole Truth"

Title/Author:

“The Hole Truth: Determining the Greatest Players in Golf Using Sabermetrics” by Bill Felber

Tags:

Golf, history, statistics

Publish date:

January 1, 2019

Length:

328 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

No matter the sport, fans often will argue about who is the GOAT, or greatest of all time. When it comes to golf, that has been difficult to measure – after all, how would Tiger Woods fare with the mashers and other clubs used in the days of Harry Vardon?  How would Patty Berg do against Anika Sorenstam?  Author Bill Felber has attempted to answer this question using a common mathematical function and a little extra work with advanced statistics in this very interesting book.

While the title touts the use of “sabermetrics”, the tool used to measure golfing greats across the entire history of professional golf is the standard deviation.  Felber does explain this and other statistical terms in the book and how it is similar to a popular new statistic in baseball, wins above replacement or WAR. Even if a reader is not a mathematician, he or she will enjoy reading about many of the sport’s legends and how that golfer stacks up against others using the measure of standard deviation.

Fortunately, the rankings are fairly simple and straightforward, as Felber explains in the beginning of the book.  Like the number of strokes, the lower a golfer’s standard deviation from the average of the field, the better the ranking.  There is a formula for number of strokes derived from the standard deviation if the reader wants to compare strokes since that is how the score is kept.  That is not necessary to enjoy this and understand the accompanying charts for each golfer portrayed.

Felber covers all eras of golf, both men and women and because the standard deviation is measured for each golfer against his or her peers, a fair comparison can be made between Kathy Whitworth and Bobby Jones, for just one example. There is a measure for each golfer for their career and their peak, which is defined as the best five year stretch.  No spoilers here to reveal who ranked at the top of those two categories, but like with any other list, statistical or otherwise, it does produce some expected results, some surprises and a huge source of information that can be used to settle debates.

Because the book is formatted to give the reader a short description of each golfer’s career success or failure in the major tournaments (noted at the beginning that the statistics are limited to majors) it is easy to read and has plenty of accompanying charts and statistics. It can easy be digested at one sitting or used as a reference for quick information on a golfer.  Golf fans will certainly want to add this one to their bookshelves.  

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchanged for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Hole-Truth-Determining-Greatest-Sabermetrics/dp/1496206541/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9781496206541/

Review of "Undefeated"

I am always up for a good reading challenge and this book about the 1972 Miami Dolphins' perfect season helped me with two challenges I have going - one to finally read books that have been sitting on my shelf or e-reader for a while (this one nearly five years) and to gain extra points in a monthly challenge by reading a book on football.  Here is my review of "Undefeated"

Title/Author:

“Undefeated: Inside the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ Perfect Season” by Mike Freeman

Tags:

Football (American), history, championship, Dolphins

Publish date:

August 21, 2012

Length:

463 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Only one team has completed an entire NFL season, including playoffs, undefeated since the 1970 merger between the NFL and AFL. That team, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, is the subject of this interesting book by Mike Freeman.

Just about everything and everybody associated with the Dolphins during that historic season is covered in the book. Whether a reader wants to learn about the penny-pinching ways of owner Joe Robbie, the brilliance of general manager Joe Thomas in putting the team together (he was fired before the season ended by Robbie), the intensity of head coach Don Shula or more about many of the star players on that team, there is excellent material about these topics. 

The players’ stories are some of the best in the book. Two of them who played key roles in the success of the 1972 Dolphins were running back Mercury Morris and defensive lineman Manny Fernandez.  These two were chosen to be mentioned in this review because the combination of their stories on how they became key components to the undefeated season combined with their interesting personal stories make for excellent reading.  Of course, this isn’t to shortchange other players highlighted such as Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield, Bob Griese, Jake Scott and so many others. Morris and Fernandez are merely two examples of the players who are portrayed in a complete manner in this book.

Of course, the actual game on the field plays an important role in the book.  However, this is not a simple recap of each game, rehashing of important plays or wins, nor does it follow a chronological, orderly history lesson about the season.  Instead, everything that played a factor in the team’s historic run was mentioned.  That begins with in the locker room after Super Bowl VI, a crushing loss to the Dallas Cowboys.  Shula tells the team they will be back to the big game with a different result.  The journey ends with Miami proving their coach right by ending a perfect 17-0 season by defeating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.  That game is the one that is described with the most detail.  Even if a reader knows little else about the game, team or season, he or she will get a good sense of just how dominant this Dolphins team was in the game and over the entire year.

Every year the surviving members of this team celebrate whenever the last unbeaten NFL team loses its first game of the season.  They have good reason to do so, and readers who want to learn more about this special team should add this book to their libraries to find out why they have been celebrating for over 45 years.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Undefeated-Inside-Dolphins-Perfect-Season-ebook/dp/B007ED713U/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/undefeated-mike-freeman/1111397997?ean=9780062201546

Review of "The Ultimate Cleveland Indians Time Machine"

Whether or not I am a fan of the team, it is always fun to read about the history of a sports team.  This is especially true of those teams who have had a long dry spell without a championship and the Cleveland Indians certainly fit that description right now.  This book captures some of the more memorable and crazy moments in the history of the team.  Here is my review of "The Ultimate Cleveland Indians Time Machine"

Title/Author:

“The Ultimate Cleveland Indians Time Machine Book” by Martin Gitlin

 

Tags:
Baseball, history, Indians

Publish date:

April 1, 2019

Length:

224 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

As one of the charter teams of the American League, the Cleveland Indians have a long list of exciting seasons, interesting stories and wacky moments.  This book by veteran writer

Martin Gitlin relieves some of them in a fun, page turning book.

Most baseball fans know that currently the Indians have the longest title drought in major league baseball, having gone 70 years since their last championship in 1948.  That of course leads to many heartbreaks and frustrations for the team and its fans. I mention this because while the book certainly tries to remain upbeat, it was puzzling to me to see so many negative or embarrassing stories about the team.  Even when a season or player was successful, some part of the chapter was less than positive. 

 

One example of this was the chapter describing the 1920 season, one in which Cleveland won a thrilling pennant race over the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees and then they easily defeated the Brooklyn Robins (later the Dodgers) five games to two in the World Series.  However, what produced the most talk in that chapter was the death of Ray Chapman after being beaned by a Carl Mays pitch.  This story, like many others in the book, was described well in this book and if a reader wants to learn more, there are other books that go into greater detail about this and some of the other stories.

 

It should also be noted that the many seasons in which the team did well in the regular season and postseason only to fall short in the end are covered and a reader will feel either frustrated or sad, depending on the ending.  Many memorable eliminations from postseason are shared in the book – the demoralizing World Series defeats in 1995, 1997 and 2016 are all there, but told in a mostly positive tone as the wins are fondly remembered as well as the soul-crushing losses.

 

This isn’t to say that all is doom and gloom in the book.  Indeed, even some of the less-than-positive stories are told in either humor or good cheer.  One example of this is the story of “Super Joe” Charboneau, a one-season wonder who was the Rookie of the Year for the Indians in 1980 and never was a productive player in the major leagues again.  By the end of the chapter, the reader should be happy to learn that he has done well for himself after his baseball career flamed out.  These types of stories and that type of writing make the book a very fast read.

 

Indians fans will certainly want to add this book to their shelves as will any other fan who wants to relive highs and lows of the team.  It does include the absolute low, which came before the team was named the Indians. The first team described in the book is the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who still hold the record for the worst winning percentage in baseball history. That does set a tone that at least doesn’t stay quite so sad.

 

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

 

Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1493040227/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1493040227&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultimate-cleveland-indians-time-machine-book-martin-gitlin/1129321192?ean=9781493040230#/

Review of "Let's Play Two"

Ernie Banks is considered to be one of the greatest shortstops in baseball history, but much of his story aside from his sunny disposition is lost to many fans because he played on some very bad Chicago Cubs teams.  His story is told in this excellent biography.  Here is my review of "Let's Play Two".

Title/Author:

“Let’s Play Two: The Life and Times of Ernie Banks” by Doug Wilson

Tags:

Baseball, biography, Cubs

Publish date:

February 15, 2019

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Ernie Banks was a Hall of Fame player for the Chicago Cubs know primarily for three things: his happy demeanor, his joy for the game of baseball, and oh, by the way, he was a pretty good hitter as well.  Banks’ story is told in this excellent, complete biography by author Doug Wilson. 

Every aspect of the life of “Mr. Cub” is covered, from Banks’ childhood in Dallas to his life after baseball which included health and financial problems up to his death in 2015.  Even then, one of the most enduring personality traits of Banks, his genuine desire to make others happy, still can be evident despite the less-than-happy late stages of his life.  Wilson illustrates the difficult childhood of Ernie and the other Banks children as they grew up in segregated North Dallas. 

As for the baseball aspect of Banks’ life, that is completely explored and brought to the reader in excellent detail as well.  Banks was the first player to go from the Negro Leagues, where he was playing well for the Kansas City Monarchs, directly to the major leagues.  Signed by the Cubs, Banks immediately made his presence felt on field, winning the job as the everyday shortstop for the Cubs..  It was common practice to have black players roomed together at the time and Banks was roomed with another shortstop, Gene Baker, when they were called up to the Cubs. Banks beat out his roommate for the shortstop position, forcing Baker to learn how to play second base.  

From there, Banks took off, winning back to back MVP awards and becoming one of only eight men at the time to hit 500 home runs. The Cubs’ penchant for losing is also on display in the book with a chapter on their failed experiment with a “college of coaches” running the team instead of a manager.  Their 1969 collapse after leading the National League East division is also well documented – enough that a reader will either remember the events well or will feel like he or she was there.

One other aspect of this time frame in baseball and society that is covered well is the racism and prejudice that Banks and other players of color faced at that time, especially in Florida during spring training.  Not only will the reader learn about the mistreatment of black players by many (including white teammates) but he or she will come away with a deeper appreciation of Banks’ disposition through all the racism.  But, as Wilson also notes in the book, some of Banks’ measured comments about civil rights were taken to mean that he wasn’t a good role model to use his status as one of the best baseball players to speak out.  This issue is written with a good amount of sensitivity and insight and are stories that should be told.

Any reader who is a Cubs fan, interested in baseball history or wants to learn more about “Mr. Cub” needs to add this to his or her library.  It is a thoroughly enjoyable, easy read that should bring a smile to the reader as big as Ernie’s.

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

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Play-Two-Times-Ernie/dp/1538112299/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lets-play-two-doug-wilson/1129123771?ean=9781538112304#/

Review of "K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches"

It isn't often that a book will make me realize how little I know about a sport, especially baseball, but this one did just that.  I thought I understood the history behind many different pitches, such as the origin of the split-finger fastball - but by reading this book, I learned SO much more.  Here is my review of "K"

Title/Author:

“K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches” by Tyler Kepner 

Tags:

Baseball, history

Publish date:

April 2, 2019

Length:

614 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

In order to be a successful pitcher in Major League Baseball, it is highly recommended that a pitcher has more than one type of pitch he uses to consistently get batters out.  Through the history of the game, ten pitches have been used most frequently and a discussion on each one of them is the basis of this excellent book by Tyler Kepner.

 

Pitches that are popular in today’s game, such as the fastball, cutter and slider, as well as pitches that are now phased out or given a new name, such as a screwball or splitter, are all discussed. Everything about a particular pitch is discussed. Kepner’s thorough research is on display each time he writes about pitchers in the early history of the game who threw the pitch being discussed without it being called the current name.  Interviews with pitchers who threw the pitch with much success, such as Sandy Koufax and Bert Blyleven on the curveball chapter, add valuable insight into the specific pitch as well. 

 

However, what really made this book a joy to read was the smooth and easy flow this book takes.  The writing is outstanding in that it keeps that balance that a non-fan who wants to learn about pitching can do so without feeling overwhelmed, yet it is technical enough so that hard-core fans are not bored or disappointed because it is too simple for their tastes.  Humor is spread throughout the book, both from pitchers being interviewed and the author himself.  The information is also thorough since pitches that are no longer used or legal (such as the spitball), there isn’t an era, pitch or pitcher that isn’t covered. 

 

No matter what level of fan a reader is or what is his or her favorite era of the game, this book is one that should be added to the collection of baseball books.  If pitching is supposedly 90% of the game, then every baseball fan needs to read this to be informed of that 90%.

 

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

 

Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

 

https://www.amazon.com/K-History-Baseball-Ten-Pitches-ebook/dp/B07FC2SHGR/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr
 
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/k-tyler-kepner/1129054048?ean=9780385541022#/

Review of "Brainwashed"

Concussions in football are a hot topic and it is always educational to read anything about the topic.  Most of the news has been bad as far as football's role in this issue has been concerned.  This book is a very good account of another viewpoint.  Here is my review of "Brainwashed."

­

Title/Author:

“Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football” by Merril Hoge and Peter Cummings, MD

 
Tags:
Football (American), injuries, politics

Publish date:

October 22, 2018

Length:

337 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Even if one is not a football fan, that person will probably have heard about the deaths, some by suicide, of former football players who were suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).  Because of the studies that have been published about links between the collisions in football, concussions and CTE, some are concerned about the safety of the game, especially at the youth level.  This book by Merril Hoge, a former NFL player and analyst, and Dr. Peter Cummings, a board-certified neuropathologist, provides a different perspective on the issue.

 

Let me get the bad points out of the way first – I felt that Hoge kept repeating the same points over and over in a way that made it feel he was forcing the reader to believe the same way he did instead of simply providing information.  During the book, he states that the science of football causing CTE has been hyped by a willing media, but yet the title of this book is just as much a hype by stating that this is a plot to “destroy football.”  While reading this, I never got that impression that the goal was to destroy the game. 

Those, however, don’t overshadow the excellent research and narrative that the book truly provides, namely that there are flaws in not only the science, but the presentation of the results of that science. It was interesting to read Dr. Cummings’ views on some of the findings and also his opinion on how some of the more famous deaths of football players such as Junior Seau and Aaron Hernandez were most likely NOT caused by CTE.  This is an excellent counterpoint to the news in the media now and offers a balanced viewpoint. 

 

It should also be noted that Hoge repeatedly states that he does not underestimate the concern for safety and does not criticize any families of deceased players who wanted the brains of their family members sent for study.  He simply wanted to present a different perspective and he does a good job of that.  This is a book that needs to be read by anyone interested in this topic.

 

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

 

Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwashed-Science-Behind-Destroy-Football/dp/168401865X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brainwashed-merril-hoge/1129445818?ean=9781684018659#/

Review of "Circle of Hope"

While looking for an older book that got buried in my TBR mountain, I also wanted to read about one of the so-called "niche" sports.  This inspiring book written by a Christian author during a difficult time in her own life was one that I am glad I dug out.  Here is my review of "Circle of Hope."

Title/Author:

“Circle of Hope: An Inspiring NASCAR Journey” by Deann Alford

Tags:

Auto Racing, NASCAR, underdog, faith

Publish date:

October 23, 2013

Length:

221 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

No matter the sport, fans love the underdog.  When an athlete, a team, a driver overcomes long odds to achieve something that seemed impossible, there is often an inspirational story behind.  This book by journalist Deann Alford, who writes about people like this in all walks of life, captures that spirit with stories about several NASCAR personalities who overcome long odds.

The book starts out with an improbably win in the then-Nationwide series by David Gilliand in only his seventh race in the circuit. From there the author writes about other NASCAR drivers such as the legendary Morgan Shepard, who was living week-to-week with no sponsor but still traveling to each track every week in order to qualify for that weeks’ race. Brett Rowe and Eric McClure are also portrayed and each one has their own stories of inspiration and hope.

Alford writes about these stories as she was going through her own dark period, losing a child due to a miscarriage. This insertion of herself into the story as well as the drivers was a nice touch because it added to the overall theme of the book of not only hope but that of faith as well. Faith is a central theme in many NASCAR events and Alford provides numerous examples of how this is evident in the sport. The best examples are during the stories about Shepard needing to find money for equipment such as tires. Superstars of the sport such as Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick would often contribute money or equipment to Shepard’s team in order to allow him to compete.

Whether the reader is a NASCAR fan or is inspired by underdog stories, this book is one that is not only a quick and inspirational read, it is one that illustrates that no matter the odds or how dark the present may seem, there is always a Circle of Hope that will watch over that individual. 

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Circle-Hope-Inspiring-NASCAR-Journey-ebook/dp/B00G5JMM6K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=