BOOKS THREAD

This book is excerpted in the lastest issue of Runner's World, if you're interested. It reads pretty well.

 

I just finished "I Am Charlotte Simmons" and wanted to throw in my two cents:

In a lot of ways I was able to relate, and it was a nice trip down college-memory lane. There was a lot he got right.

There were also big chunks missing. And I could never shake the feeling that I wasn't reading a story about a college girl, I was reading a story about an old man watching a college girl. And all the college girls around her. Kinda creepy.

I also recall when the book was released a lot of people were 'shocked' at this 'true life' portrayal of college life. Maybe it's because I'm not part of the original Tom Wolfe readership generation, but I found nothing shocking about any of it. It was ho-hum.

Did appreciate the gladiator/cheerleader diatribe, though.

 

Mr Goalmouth, Ms Cadet

Re: Kenny Moore

The best thing he ever did was his first SI piece, a first-persoin account of his fourth-place finish in Munich. (I'm not sure if that's the piece in which he cdescribed Shorter as a vertical hyphen.)

I'll bet the most enjoyable thing he ever did was Personal Best. If I had a chance to coach young Mariel Hemingway, I'd go for it. Even old Mariel, now that you mention it.

I've recently done Kindred's Ali/Cosell book (highly recommended). I found an English book about the Great White Hope era circa Jack Johnson that was incredibly well researched but poorly, poorly written.

YHS, etc


YHS, etc

 

Reading this slowly (mostly between periods at hockey games) and thinking I must have gone to the wrong school.  Or maybe music faculties are just different.  Enjoying the book and it's typical Wolfeian characters.

 

As per a suggestion by Fenian Bastard on another thread (about the Chinese prez getting heckled ... don't ask), I'd heartily recommend the ENTIRE series of The Bathroom Reader. Published by The Bathroom Reader Institute, these books (there's over a dozen of them, at least) are fabulous. Short sections for short visits, medium ones for those nice sit-down sessions and really long ways for the "lock-the-door" visits. It has trivia (mainly American pop culture), quotes, lists, funny courtroom excerpts, stupid criminals, legends and myths and more.

Take the time as you're "taking your time" and you'll enjoy it, I bet.

 

That's the shittiest recommendation I've seen on this thread.

 

OK, so I'm doing financial crap on my day off. Yahoo!!

To add a couple of non-sports related books that I've enjoyed in life for different reasons. One religious/spiritual -- another true (too true for me) and damned scary.

First: "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey. No, I am not mentioning the book to become an Elmer Gantry on here. It just helped me in a lot of ways that touched my heart, spirit and soul. And don't joke that journalists don't have hearts, spirits and souls -- because WE do. Or I'll just say I do. But my sense is that WE all do. (Enough caps ... my head's hurting. ;D ) Just a good read that talks frankly about Christianity and its blessings and burdens.

Second: "People of the Lie" by M. Scott Peck. Peck also wrote "The Road Less Traveled" and is probably more known for that book. But "People of the Lie" talks about family members and/or friends or associates who overtly/covertly look at a person one way, say something then acts or responds in a totally different way. The dynamics talked about in the book ... God, it was so real and so true to my own environment as a youth. Settle in, saddle up and get ready for a ride if you read this book. It's damn good.

Thanks for letting me share on the board. I enjoy reading the posts.

Uh-Oh ... Jimi just hit the Sirius on my PC with "Fire." Gotta go air guitar. Later.

Grace and peace,

healingman

(Joe)

 

Dittos on the Bathroom Reader series. One thing FB and I can agree on, I suppose.

I read Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity" in about two hours the other night. Once of those books I keep meaning to read and never got around to. My wife had a copy for her book club and I devoured it whole. Very nice.

 

I miss the book club.

 

Ahem.