Product Description
This volume is a collection of research, essays and interviews on the efforts of the religious right to undermine mainline churches.
Customer Reviews:
But it's really not that hard.......2007-10-11
What is right is still right, right? Do we accept the inspired scriptures or not? Do we honor the witness of the saints and martyrs of the Christian faith, or do we pacify ourselves with post-modern, revisionist histories and philosophies? Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience tell the clear truth. This book fails to do so.
Many of the accounts collected in this book have basis in fact, but are portrayed through lenses tinted with an agenda that deny the truth of scripture. They are presented with blinders that ignore the divisive, disruptive, and (dare I say it) well-funded backing of left-wing interests, like those open-minded, "inclusive" folks who demanded division from the church and sued to rip property away from the United Methodist Church for use by people who rejected the Discipline.
I would urge open-minded people to read the book, but not because it portrays an accurate or balanced picture of reality. Instead, recognize it for what it is. A biased, agenda-driven piece of propaganda that will be touted and hailed by liberals as a great work in forums like the General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Incidentally, there are equally biased works available that reflect an opposite view. Fortunately, John Wesley expressed a goal that was a little bit closer to the mark--to be a Bible Christian, not almost, but altogether.
Extreme left- and right-wing interests might be playing hard ball. This book is certainly trying to. So is Satan. God has given us a different opportunity, though. It isn't hard ball or soft ball. In fact, it isn't a game at all. It is grace. We have the opportunity to accept that grace and to learn about God's plan through the scripture. If our conduct conforms with scripture as our guide, we might be close to God's plan. Given a choice between scripture or the leftist introduction and articles in this agenda-driven, post-modern, right-wing-bashing book, I'll stick with scripture.
PNW Pastor.......2007-08-26
Swecker gives an excellent background of how organizations that are not the church, like the Institute for Religion and Democracy (IRD) have assulted mainline churches with agenda causing some of the issues mainline churches face today. He gives good historical background and the make-up of these organizations including the names of the board of directors, to illustrate how a few folk who are not within the mainline church organizational structure can infulence change. He also calls to accountability the church to "wake up" and see what is really going on. An excellent read .
STORY OF A HOSTILE TAKEOVER BID OF CHURCHES.......2005-06-08
In hierarchical and authoritarian institutions like today's Roman Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Convention, debate and dissent are discouraged. Mainline denominations are heir to forms of governance that are representative and transparent. It is the openness of the governance processes of these churches that the radical right has exploited to turn them into battle grounds in the culture wars. Attacks on mainline Protestant churches are meant to discredit these democratic bodies so to impose rule by strict dogma and autocratic governance. This tactic is often on view when the conservative "renewal" factions in the mainline denominations foment internal dissent and generate conflict. In some cases, unaware theologically conservative Christians seeking spiritual renewal are being used by the "renewal" factions for hardball political power designs.
The question remains, why would Richard Melon Scaife, Adolf Coors, Howard Ahmanson, the Bradley Foundation, the Olin Foundation, and other secular political operatives care about funding a multi-million dollar crusade against mainline churches and the National Council of Churches(NCC)?
Think about this: While the members of churches affiliated with the National Council of Churches account for about a quarter of the population, approximately half of the members of the U.S. Congress say they are members of these communions. NCC church members' influence is disproportionate to their numbers and include remarkably high numbers of leaders in politics, business, and culture. The prevailing ethos of American culture is and has been shaped by the leadership and membership of theses churches. Moreover, these churches are some of the largest land owners in the U.S., with hundreds of billions of dollars collectively in assets, including real estate and pension funds. A hostile takeover of these churches would represent a massive shift in American culture, power and wealth for a relatively small investment. If this sounds far-fetched, one need only consider how right-wing groups during recent decades have taken over and now wholly control the Southern Baptist Convention.
Theologically conservative Christians who are seeking spiritual renewal in mainline churches need to look carefully at the hard ball tactics of these secular operatives. The church needs spiritual renewal; what it does not need is more political hardball and takeover bids. If these secular operatives like Scaife and Coors achieve a hostile takeover of mainline Protestantism along with the dismantling of the NCC, they will have muted an important part of America's social conscience and significantly diminished its capacity for civic discourse. The soul of the church is at risk.
Customer Reviews:
The Truth Will Set You Free.......2005-07-05
I am reluctant to give and am usually suspicious of gushy, mushy reviews about books, but I have to make an exception for this extraordinary book mostly because of the risk that Bouton and his courageous friends were willing to make to their families' personal risk and financial future. I was also delighted by the details of the interchanges between the unstoppable guys and their pragmatic wives. And the support they gave each other. As with all of Bouton's books the story that is told is much more inclusive of our society as a whole than the mere retelling of a particular episode in the lives of teams whether in Seattle or in Pittsfield, MA. They are really books about what 1)we value as a society, 2)about our need for idolatry with sports persons, and 3)With the amount of denial we want or need to maintain our personal self-images. If someone needs a bogus hero-worship identity to maintain their self-esteem then they should not blame or demonize the people who show them a mirror. They should look clearly in the mirror and take responsibilty for their own lives rather than living vicariously.
Ballpark stays while city decays.......2005-02-15
As a resident of Pittsfield and a fan of baseball I fully supported building the new stadium. Pittsfield is awash in drugs, crime and economic stagnation. A new stadium would have brought in a new minor league franchise, a venue for concerts and other sorts of activities. In the end a great thing for Pittsfield. But thanks to Jim Bouton and other non residents (or part time "summer" berkshire residents) the initiative was defeated, Wahconah park was never renovated it can't attract any minor league teams because it is so far under code it is helpless. So now it sits there unused and decaying like the rest of our once great town.
Thanks alot Jim.
Great Book - Read It.......2005-01-21
I couldn't put this one down and read the entire book on one long day of traveling cross country. The book is about a lot of things. Love for the game of baseball, if not the business of baseball. What kind of crooked nonsense goes on in thousands of small towns across the US every day with bogus politicians defying the will of the people they are supposedly there to serve. How companies that screw all of us somehow convince people and politicians that they are looking out for our best interests. But most of all, this book is about the absolute need all American citizens have for a free press, and a free press that is intelligent, well-informed, willing to take risks, and willing to do its damm job. When the press rolls over, there really is no hope of outing the kinds of crooks and morons Bouton smokes out. It's a very compelling read and I comend Bouton for writing it (even if his originally publisher wimped out).
You will pull your hair out.......2004-04-10
This book is Erin Brockovich, the Insider, It's a Wonderful Life, A Civil Action, and Field of Dreams all rolled into one awesome book. I just read this in two days. It is both fantastic and infuriating. I am so mad I want to go up to Pittsfield and shoot some of these people. The situation faced by Bouton is so frustrating; yet this kind of behavior goes on every day all over America. The book is both inspiring and discouraging. It makes me want to go full bore for a similar cause; but it also reinforces what I already know: That it's almost impossible to change anything. But this book has an unknown (at the time of publishing) happy ending. Read the book and then check out Bouton's www.foulball.com for the latest news. Anyway, this is an absolute must read for ANY AMERICAN. You don't have to be a baseball fan, or even know what a bunt is to appreciate it.
A Great Book.......2004-02-18
For years, I'd always intended (and still do intend) to read Bouton's classic baseball book, "Ball Four." But I hadn't even heard of his new book until I received it as a Christmas gift from my father. "Foul Ball" is not simply a great book for people who love baseball and what makes the game so wonderful (hint: it's not skyboxes or retractable roofs). It's one of those rare books that takes a relatively small story (small-town corruption and greed) and ends up revealing an awful lot about human nature (mostly bad, some good). Bouton's voice is very engaging--once you read the first few pages of the Intro, he's got you, and you're in it for the long haul. And the story is as compelling a drama as it is an unbelievable tale of the lengths some people will go to line their own pockets or grab a little bit of power--as well as the lengths the author and his partner will go to try to do the right thing.
I was particulary interested to read Bouton's account (in the Epilogue) of how his original publisher, Public Affairs, jerked him around at the eleventh hour. As an editor and author who has worked in book publishing for the past 10 years, I was disgusted by the behavior of his editor and publisher, whose actions were inexcusable.
I would highly recommend "Foul Ball" to anyone interested in baseball, the media (particulary local media in smaller markets), or the ways that big business can corrupt public affairs and discourse. It's a great read, and even though it sheds light on some dark and disturbing aspects of American society, you feel good knowing that there are people like Jim Bouton, and his friend and partner, out there fighting the good fight.
Book Description
In a fascinating, behind-the-scenes, no-holds-barred autobiography, college football sensation Keyshawn Johnson, presumed savior of the New York Jets, offers a candid look at his life on the field and his rookie season in the NFL.Wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was a high school and college football superstar in California and an All-American who led the USC Trojans to a Rose Bowl win. He was the first player chosen in the 1996 NFL Draft, and Adidas has crowned him their new national spokesperson, complete with a specially designed signature shoe. He is being heralded by the New York Jets as the savior who will lead them from the cellar to the Super Bowl. In this autobiography, Johnson gives readers a look at his first season in professional football -- the exhilaration of winning, the despair of losing, the fickle fans, the relentless New York media, the money, and the extraordinary pressure placed on you when you're 23 and expected to perform miracles on the gridiron.
Customer Reviews:
Not for the faint of heart........2006-01-21
Great guy! Mr. Johnson is gutsy. He's not afraid to take on the sacred cows of the NFL. His numbers would tell you that he is an above-average receiver, while Keyshawon will tell you that he's the best receiver of all time. Who's right? I'm not sure, but reading this book will have you laughing in recognition. What a ride! His infectious smile will melt your heart and his double-talk unedited stream of consciousness logic will confound you. I only hope that Mr. Johnson will finish his career in Canada or possibly NFL Europe, which appears where he's headed. By 2007. my guess. Thank you Key! Stay hot and don't let bad stats get you down. You're a winner in my book. Which, I'm thinking of titling "Keyshawon Johnson: Genius and Scholar."
Keyshawn just trips me out.......2004-03-18
First of all let me start off by saying that i'm not the biggest fan of Keyshawn, as a matter of fact he is probably my least favorite NFL player, I always found him to be arrogant, and this book just proved my point even more. The whole book he complains that he is not being paid enough, he hates on his coaches. When he gets the ball, I have yet soon him to put up the numbers he claims he can get. I always wondered why Shawn King was benched, even though he led tampa bay pretty far the season he started, I was not surprised to hear rumors that keyshawn had something to do with it. He proved in this book that its all about the money for him, not the love of the game. If I was a coach I would not want him on my team. The only thing I liked what Mr. Johnson had to say, especially with the new ruled that was pass allowing guys to enter the draft to play football without playing college football, is that there is nothing like playing college football. Again, this is just my opinion of Mr.JOhnson, I could be totally wrong, he could be the most humble player in the NFL.
understated, bold, brilliant.......2003-09-11
Keyshawn Johnson's memoir, Just Give me the Damn Ball, is a chronicle of one man's journey to understand himself. The "Ball" as every reader of Johnson's prose understands, is not an actual leather ball, but a metaphor for the unnameable phatom that evades all of us, and the thing that can give us, if we could just get our hands on it, a true spiritual balance that could once and for all stop the longing we all feel and that some people attribute to our being made in the image of a creator to satisfy this creater's longing. Using a musical and lyrical style, he paints a portrait of the difficulties and obstacles faced by many of our young men in this country today. And he pulls no punches; make no mistake, Keyshawn writes like he plays: often dropping the "ball", but rarely failing to dwell in those small moments of triumph. While the narrative is first person, the voice Johnson achieves can give an impression of almost total detachment. He describes his battles as uphill conquests, relaying little detail other than those of his own ability to catch the "ball", though we all know no one can hold on to the ball forever. Johnson understands this, though he never comes to the point where he feels comfortable saying it. The idea that one thing, the ball in this case, can satisfy a being, one made of skin and nerves and thick red blood, is nothing new, but Johnson is able to breath life into it by creating a world where we, while, at our core, understanding that the grasp of one object could never satisfy our depths, the pursuit of this object could give a life purpose and, ultimately, could satisfy the pointed ends of the "ball" which would only leave the middle, and though the middle could never be satisfied, the pursuit of it all, the endless journey we put ourselves in, is one that will one day be rewarded. But when will we know for sure?
A must.......2000-10-08
while i'm a big time Bills Fan i give Keyshawn Johnson madd Props for this Very Honest&Open Book.it details a Season&the Politics involved in the NFL.I'M Pulling for The Bills Vs Tampa Bay in The Superbowl.THe JEts were Dumb for Letting KeyShawn go.after what he had to deal with Growing up, The NFL is like Sesame Street by Comparison.
Big Ups to Keyshawn.......2000-04-12
Keyshawn brings the funk in this astonishing literary triumph. I laughed; I cried -- it was better than "Cats." It's clear Keyshawn is misunderstood -- he has the eye of the tiger and heart of a champion, and he can't be faded. If you are seeking the 4-1-1 on the real, G, this is the book for you. Mad props to Keyshawn and a shout out to all the J-e-t-s Jets Jets Jets.
Average customer rating:
- Hard Ball
- my review on hard ball
- Going Going Gone
- One Great Baseball Book!!
- One of the Best
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Hard Ball
Will Weaver , and
Michael Koelsch
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ASIN: 0064472086 |
Book Description
Battle in the Bullpen
For as long as Billy Baggs can remember, rich townie and ace pitcher Archer "King" Kenwood has been his nemesis--both on the field and off. And the summer before they enter high school, their long-standing rivalry explodes into violence. Desperate to keep the peace between his two star players, Coach Anderson comes up with a plan: If they want to play, they have to pay--by spending a week together, twenty-four hours a day.
But will Coach's plan make things better? Or just a whole lot worse?
After a family tragedy on the farm, Billy Baggs's life is finally back on track. He's starting high school. He's caught the eye of the baseball coach and even a few college scouts. He has prospects for a girlfriend—Suzy Langen, the catch of the ninth grade. But blocking Billy's path is King Kenwood, town rich kid and ace pitcher. As the two boys' rivalry turns violent, it is left to Coach Anderson to find a solution. In the process, both Billy and King come to find their real problems might lie closer to home—with their own fathers.
Customer Reviews:
Hard Ball.......2006-05-17
I give this book 4 stars because the author explains the area they are at so well I feel like I am there. I also liked it because it had some very funny parts. This book caught my I when i first saw it becasue it is about baseball and baseball is my all time favorite sport.
my review on hard ball.......2006-04-01
I think you should read this book because it teaches you not to like someone just becausewhere they come from. It's about a fram boy that has to leave in the city for a week and acity kid that has to live in the city so they can paly for there baseball team at school.which they both fight over a girl which you tries to protect the other one and one tries to go out with her. over the week there relationship get strong and the under stand each other
Going Going Gone.......2005-09-28
Billy Baggs a 15-year-old kid loved baseball and as long as he could remember King Kenwood and him have been archrivals. They both play on baseball teams, Billy plays for the farm team and King plays for the town team. Billy and King both like this girl named Suzy Langen. Suzy and King had a thing for each other but then Billy broke it up. There baseball coach for next year is Mr. Anderson the high school coach. He heard that Billy and King don't really get along with each other so he makes them spend one week together. He does that because he wants them to get along better so they don't fight on the team next year. If they don't get along they don't play. But before that happened Billy and Suzy did some things to get closer and closer. You will have to read to see what that is and see if Billy and King get along better.
Some things that I liked were that the book was about baseball, and baseball is one of my favorite sports. I also liked that Billy and King had to send a week together because at some points it was pretty funny. I like that Billy and King were fighting between a girl because it was funny to see what they were going to do to get Suzy's attention. I didn't like it because some times I would lose track of what was going on. But other than that I really liked the book.
I think that anyone that likes baseball and friends would like this book because it is mostly about baseball and friendship. I thought that it was a pretty good book because it was funny and it was about baseball. So if you like those things I would read this book. If you like Matt Christopher and other sports authors I would read this book.
One Great Baseball Book!!.......2005-09-28
One Great Book!!! It is about a kid named Billy 14 that lived on a farm and a kid name King Kenwood that lived in town. They both are great pitchers and they both have their own baseball team. Billy's team is a farm team and King's is a town team. They both like a girl named Suzy Langen.
They go to a game to Minneapolis to watch the Twin's play. Billy really likes Suzy so he stares at her most of the game. King Kenwood likes her just as much as Billy does and asked her if she wanted to sit in the box seats instead of outside, because he has an extra ticket. Suzy says not now maybe later. Jake goes instead to the box seats. Later on in the game King Kenwood comes back up and says does anyone else want to go. Suzy got up and went down there with King to the box seats. Billy stated to stare at King and Suzy. A batter on one of the teams hits a hard line drive foul. Billy gets hit in the mouth by the ball and is sent to the hospital at the stadium. Billy's lip is really messed up and two of his teeth are broken. Billy is then taken to a the Twin's loker room. Jim Kaat a pitcher for the Twin's and puts his signature on his old glove and gives it to Billy.
Billy's mom wants to get Billy some new school clothes and his teeth fixed. The town have one more hame left on Friday. Suzy had not been to any of their games, but she went to this one. Billy and King are the starting pitchers for the night. Billy does good for awhile, but then gets bad. King on the other hand does good all the way. Billy gets pulled out and goes over to Suzy. Suzy wants a kitten Billy has many of and is trying to get rid of them. Billy and Suzy go to get a kitten. Suzy sees a swing and wants to swing on it. Suzy wants Billy do join so he does. Later on the swing breaks and they fall to the ground. They then begin to kiss each other. King Kenwood then arrives and is mad as all get out. King and Billy start to fight against each other. Suzy then calls for help and everyone comes over. The coach says if they want to play baseball for him that they have to spend a whole week together. They end up learning what it is like in other areas of someone's life. They drawl closer to being friends then they ever where, but they would never be friends. Their dads both disliked one another. Billy and King end up doing something about it and their dads become to like each other better.IF YOU LIKE BASEBALL READ THIS BOOK ITS GREAT!!!
One of the Best.......2004-06-09
I have to say, this book is the best about Baseball that I have yet read, and believe me, I've read alot of them. Hardball is the third book in a series of novels featuring farm boy Billy Baggs who has to deal with, puberty, his father's jailing and parole and school. The book shows increased relationships between Billy and Suzy than the previous two. However, this book kind of leaves readers hanging. What will happen to Billy and Suzy? Will Billy and King ever become friends? I don't know. I hope Will Weaver will write another book to finish things off.
Customer Reviews:
A book that changed the sports book genre for the better.......2006-12-05
Books about sports stars can be dated in two ways. BBF (Before Ball Four) and ABF (After Ball Four). Before this book came out, sports stars were mythologized in print and the books had a cardboard-style sameness to them. According to the BBF books baseball stars such as Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams did nothing but pull for their team and engage in some occasional boyish antics. In other words, heroes through and through.
The reality was quite different, Babe Ruth was an incorrigible woman chaser, heavy drinker and was verbally cruel to people. There is the classic story of a group of baseball writers playing a game of cards on a train taking the Yankees on a road trip. A naked woman followed by an equally naked Ruth ran past them. One writer remarked, "It is a good thing I didn't see that because otherwise I would have to write about it." Mickey Mantle was a heavy drinker; he often played so heavily hung over that he had trouble keeping his eyes open. Williams was not a team player, he was at times an indifferent fielder and he refused to enlarge the strike zone by even an inch in order to drive in a run that would tie or win a game. There is a classic story that he once hit a home run that got his team back in the game. However, rather than accepting the accolades of his teammates, he sat in the dugout cussing himself for swinging at a pitch that was a ball.
Bouton's book changed all that. He described the players as human, with all their faults. In the early sixties Bouton had one of the best fastballs in the game, his pitching helped propel the Yankees to the American league pennant and some argued that in 1964, he was the best pitcher in baseball. However, in 1965 he hurt his arm and could no longer throw the heat. In 1969, he made a semi-comeback throwing the knuckleball for the expansion Seattle Pilots. Even on a marginal team he was at best a marginal player. This book is a combination of his actions with the Pilots as well as a reflection of his time with the Yankees. Therefore, it is easy to detect a strain of bitterness at the loss of the glory days of the 1964 Yankees. Nevertheless, while many people have decried the book, no one has ever come forward to disprove his statements about the escapades of the players. Many drank heavily and took drugs, most were sexually promiscuous, and at times they were contemptuous of the fans.
Since "Ball Four" came out, the books about sports stars have been more honest. This, in my opinion, is good for the fans, the games and even the players. The nation has become much more knowledgeable and realistic in how it views heroes. It would have been impossible to continue the artificial presentations of the people who so fascinate us when they play for pay.
Average customer rating:
- Engaging Story
- Toll Road
- Toll Road is a great Book!!!!
- Wow!!
- Toll Road
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Toll Road
Donald L Ball
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
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Book Description
A kidnapping in a small town in California's Central Valley begins a series of events which forces Detective Jason Carmichael to brush aside standard investigative protocol.
Following conventional procedures would involve a candid dialog with the media. But because of a diabolically unique and unpredictable ransom demand, in which the police have no way of apprehending the kidnappers, Jason believes the result would be multiple "copy cat" events. The flip side is, by not keeping the public appraised of the potential danger; children would still be at risk. With either decision, Jason realizes he will be judged wrong.
Throughout this juggling act, nothing can override his biggest concern-what will happen when the kidnapper's leverage runs out?
As Marie Gallagher and Jason stand side by side listening to tapes of tormenting phone calls from the abductors, she begins a back door entry into his empty private life.
TOLL ROAD traces the multiple paths of an investigation, even resorting to an unwitting conspiracy between the least likely of sources.
Of all the cases Jason had worked on, he could never have imagined a clue as important as, "Uh-huh."
Customer Reviews:
Engaging Story.......2007-06-07
I was intrigued by the title of the book & became thoroughly engrossed in finding out how the title came to be. The author captured my curiosity from the very beginning. It was hard to put the book down as I felt compelled to find out what would happen as the story progressed. A great read!
Toll Road.......2007-05-27
Get your summer reading list out and add, Donald Ball's, Toll Road to it. Once I started this book I could not put it down. I am really looking forward to more books by this author.
Christie Petty
Toll Road is a great Book!!!!.......2007-05-23
Toll Road is well written and you don't want to put it down, can't wait to find out what happens next. The clever plot holds your attention and relates to current technology. A gripping mystery that belongs on your must read list. Read it now!!
Wow!!.......2007-05-09
Wow! Toll Road is an impressively written novel filled with knuckle-biting suspense. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this reading!
Toll Road.......2007-04-30
Toll Toad picks you up on the first page and doesn't let you down until the last. I read it in one sitting,unable to put it down. This is a book that makes you look at the ordinary in a different way and reminds you that you are not as safe as you think you are. The characters will take you along on their journey and it will be a very exciting ride. Just hold on to your seat. Detective Sergeant Jason Camichael brings justice as we would like to see it administered. His compassion and sense of duty is in perfect balance. There is heart and some touching moments but ultimately
this is a first rate crime story first and foremost. It will not disappoint.
If you read James Patterson you'll love this book. I highly recommend it.
Book Description
John Ball has written an intimate and inspiring story of his life with Parkinson's disease. Living Well, Running Hard provides the reader with insights into Ball's growth from isolation into a leadership role in the Parkinson's community. His long struggle to understand the disease provides the reader with an in-depth look at the complexities of Parkinson's. His transition is triggered by a childhood desire to run a marathon. His love of running, his desire to take action, and his willingness to take on challenges come together in the formation of Team Parkinson. In spite of his diagnosis, Ball has continued to run the Los Angeles Marathon each of the last ten years, raising more than half a million dollars toward research for a cure.
Customer Reviews:
Upbeat and Hopeful!.......2006-03-09
My husband, age 67 with Parkinson's, spotted a mention of the author John Ball in his monthly Runner's Magazine. We "googled" John and found this book. Since my husband is a runner he related tremendously with John and was very uplifted by reading his book. This story stresses the benefits of both exercise and community in battling Parkinson's Disease. A good read, especially for anyone interested in running. I am not, but wanted to share the book with my husband. I'm glad I did as John is all about not only hope, but enthusiam for life.
Amazon.com
Here's what you probably know about Jayson Williams: as of 2000, he has been in the NBA for 10 years, played in one all-star game, is one of the league's best rebounders, and has a seven-year, $100 million contract. He also has a reputation as a loudmouth with an attitude problem.
Here's what you probably don't know: he comes from a mixed-race family, lost two of his sisters to AIDS, adopted their children, and became a grandfather at 28, plus he calls his mom and dad a few times every day. Here's another thing you might not know about him: he's funny.
Williams shows off his sense of humor in Loose Balls, an irreverent look at life in the NBA. His style is conversational and snappy, with short vignettes strung together into brief, loosely themed chapters. One chapter, "What's Young & Skinny & Can Do a 580-Degree-Double-Pump-Backward Jam but Doesn't Know How to Shoot a Jump Shot or Set a Back-Side Pick? Meet the Future of the NBA" is all of eight pages long. However, by the end of the book Williams has dished the dirt on dozens of his colleagues--who is the biggest flopper (Rodman, of course), who is the worst trash talker (Gary Payton), and who is the dirtiest player (not John Stockton, but his tight shorts are a problem: "Someone should tell the man the ABA days are over.").
Williams also offers observations on coaches, refs, cheerleaders, and fans across the NBA--as well as events from his childhood, early career, and well-publicized days as a wild man. Williams's candor and charm are apparent throughout the book, as is his love of basketball. Hoops fans will love this book. --M. Stein
Book Description
The first candid report from a land of fragile egos, available women, unexpected tenderness, intramural fistfights, colossal partying, bizarre humor, inconceivable riches, and desperate competition,
Loose Balls does for roundball what
Ball Four did for hardball. From revelations about the meanest, softest, and smelliest players in the league, to Williams’s early days as a “young man with a lot of money and not a lot of sense,” to his strong and powerful views on race, privilege, and giving back,
Loose Balls is a basketball book unlike any other.
No inspirational pieties or chest-thumping boasting here—instead, Jayson Williams gives us the real insider tales of refs, groupies, coaches, entourages, and all the superstars, bench warmers, journeymen, clowns, and other performers in the rarefied circus that is professional basketball.
Customer Reviews:
Ironic & quite poetic.......2006-06-15
This book is just an okay read ... nothing great, but not bad either. I've already read more than my fair share of NBA sports books, so the tales of casual sex, egomaniacal exploits, drugs and this insatiable feeling of invincibility that colors so many of today's pro athletes is nothing fresh and new.
I think the fact that this book came out in 2000 and just a matter of months later, Jayson Williams experienced that "fateful" day in history when living life on the edge and a bit recklessly caught up to him.
I gave this book 5-stars only because given the context of what went down & because of the context of the tales of this book which I'm sure were written to be humorous -- that combination makes this package quite gripping.
It's like was there/is there any doubt life would catch up to Mr. Williams?
I'm not at all calling Jayson a bad person. But, in the end, we all get our just desserts for the life decisions we make.
This book foreshadows the fall of a semi-celebrity who scaled the heights of NBA stardom and faded into relative obscurity.
If this guy wasn't 7 feet tall...........2003-01-08
....he'd be flipping burgers. Like Charles Barkley (who -- big surprise -- is one of his best buddies), Jayson Williams is a self-important blowhard who uses his status as a minor celebrity as a platform to dispense his childish anecdotes and mind-numbing personal opinions. Here's an example of his brilliant insight: if you turn out the lights, any woman can be Cindy Crawford. Wow! Thanks for the tip, Jayson!
I canýt wait for his memoirs about prison life!.......2002-08-20
I can't wait for Jayson Williams' to describe his prison sentence, from his takes on soap on a rope, to prison food; it will be a laugh riot.
Seriously, this book provides insight to Williams' personal and professional life, along with life in the NBA. This book is full of one to two page stories concerning a wide range of stories, from truly touching, to laugh out loud.
One story describes how he was about to kill the murderer of his two sisters, only to let him go. Another story tells how he was so drunk, he woke in Phoenix thinking that he was in New York after a bomb blast. When meeting the GM of the Suns for the first time, he asked if he could call his Mom to see if she was alright, in which afterwards he was promptly traded.
This book is full of very interesting tales that turn this into a great page-turner. This is truly one of the greatest sports books of all time. He doesn't glorify or vilify anyone, he just tells it how it is.
If he comes out with another book, I'll be the first one to pick it up at the store. You can drive, while I'll take shotgun (get it?).
This is the ultimate book for anyone who likes sports.
Not quite a three-pointer, but still a passing effort.......2002-06-30
Morbid curiosity led me to the pages of Jayson Williams's autobiography/NBA primer. The former pro star's current legal matters made me want to know the man behind the sports/news headlines.
The author/basketball player details many anecdotes contrasting growing up in the rural South and the urban Mid-Atlantic. His tales of his years in the NBA are reflective and very revealing as he tells about fellow well-known icons of the sport from Michael Jordan to Phil Jackson to Charles Barkley. Williams pulls no punches in describing what really makes up life in the NBA, from rookie to established star.
The book is chocked full of fights, contract negotiations, fights, character analyses, fights, extravagant expenditures, rowdy fans, fights, parties, practice sessions, grandmotherly interventions, championship games, and fights.
Oh, did I say "fights"?
The book is a simple read and should satisfy the fan and non-fan alike.
The one part of the work that stands out in light of Williams's current situation comes at the end of the segment entitled "Never Trouble Trouble". The author states in this section that he avoids trouble on the road by staying in his hotel room.
He writes: "Now if people want to get wild and throw a party, get crazy, they have to come do it at my house. I'm not always an angel. But if I'm a devil at home, no one gets hurt."
I'm sure that the author now regrets those particular words.
A fun, light read for any basketball fan.......2002-04-03
I think most any NBA fan or casual follower will find this book entertaining. And it's certainly interesting now, given the trouble Jayson's in for some of the same kind of wild behavior he talks about in the book. It's hard to think of him as anything other than a fun loving guy who (allegedly) caused a horrible accident through wreckless actions. In the book he talks about partying at his home so no one gets in trouble or fights.
The anecdotes in the book are usually funny and offer a close and lighthearted insight into a lot of things big time basketball players encounter. My instinct is that there's a lot of exaggeration in the stories, but I suspect they're generally true. Jay comes across as a good guy, as you'd expect, and he seems to be genuinely thankful for his family and his talent. It's hard to not like him and it's easy to enjoy this book. Not great literature by any means, but a fun, light read.
Book Description
In his first diary since Ball Four, Jim Bouton recounts his amazing adventure trying to save an historic ballpark in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Host to organized baseball since 1892, Wahconah Park was soon to be abandoned by the owner of the Pittsfield Mets who would move his team to a new stadium in another town---an all too familiar story.
Enter Bouton and his partners with the best deal ever offered to a community---a locally owned professional baseball team and a privately restored city owned ballpark at no cost to the taxpayers. It was a dream come true for the vast majority of the people of Pittsfield.
But Bouton’s plan was opposed by an elite group of power brokers who wanted to build a new $18.5 million baseball stadium---a stadium that the people had voted against three different times!
In what one reviewer called "that same humane, sarcastic voice," Bouton unmasks a mayor who brags that "the fix is in," a newspaper that lies to its readers, and a city government that operates out of a bar.
And that’s just Part l.
Part ll is the even more amazing story of what happened after this book as self published---a story in itself---in hardcover. Invited back to Pittsfield by newly elected city officials, Bouton and his partners raise $1.2 million, help uncover a document that dates Pittsfield’s baseball origins to 1791, and stage a vintage baseball game that is broadcast live on national television.
Who could have guessed what would happen next? And that this time it would involve the Massachusetts Attorney General.
Customer Reviews:
Sequels are sequels.......2007-01-09
Bouton does not quite duplicate his early successes, but he is a lively, witty, and informative writer, and makes the best of the material he has to work with. I'd like to see him tackle sometning new, like the current drug scene in baseball.
Refreshingly Honest and Relevant!.......2006-11-04
I teach college and have used this book many times in my political science classes. My students have really enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. It is written well and has great documentation.
The story is essentially about Bouton and his business partner (and friend) Chip Elitzer's efforts to inject openess into how political decisions are made. Unfortunately, they are met with most of the typical roadblocks to political change: needless obsfucation and endless delays justified by government procedures and rules.
What makes the story so compelling is their infectous sense of humor, core optimism and sheer drive. Just when you think all is lost (which occurs early and often), there is suddenly new hope to keep their efforts alive.
Bouton's description of the colorful characters involved makes you think you know them. He shares with his readers some of his thinking about his family, politics and life in general. These observations add to the book's authenticity.
The book is also about how political power operates in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Even though there are some large political and economic forces involved (General Electric and the commonwealth of Massachusetts), the critical actors involved are people you might recognize in many small to medium sized cities: local politicians, journalists and editors of small newspapers, small business owners, local lawyers and average citizens. This allows the reader to identify the complexity, invisibility and weight of how local political power can be exercised.
Conversely, The book also reveals a very simple bias of the author: He loves the game of baseball.
It is an inspiring book which I recommend to anyone who believes in the political transparency and how it ultimately can reform our political instituions.
Book Description
John Ball has written an intimate and inspiring story of his life with Parkinson's disease. Living Well, Running Hard provides the reader with insights into Ball's growth from isolation into a leadership role in the Parkinson's community. His long struggle to understand the disease provides the reader with an in-depth look at the complexities of Parkinson's. His transition is triggered by a childhood desire to run a marathon. His love of running, his desire to take action, and his willingness to take on challenges come together in the formation of Team Parkinson. In spite of his diagnosis, Ball has continued to run the Los Angeles Marathon each of the last ten years, raising more than half a million dollars toward research for a cure.
Books:
- His Princess: Love Letters from Your King (His Princess)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- How We Became the Little Einsteins
- In a Far Country: The True Story of a Mission, a Marriage, a Murder,and the Remarkable Reindeer Rescue of 1898
- Indigo Slam: An Elvis Cole Novel
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