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Describes the life and basketball career of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. ... Read more

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The life story of the most prolific scorer in the history of the National Basketball Association. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set a standard for all-around excellence that is unlikely to be surpassed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Black men sure can jump
This was a very short but interesting book on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.I did not know how involved he was in academics before.He has proven that being smart does not block your chances for being a great athlete.Although Kareem has been retired from basketball since 1989, all athletes should study his star performances.He is a perfect role model for athletes of any sport.Naturally, all basketball player should study his life story by reading this book. ... Read more

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Chapters: Male Basketball Centers, Male Basketball Forwards, Male Basketball Guards, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, Steve Alford, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Antoine Wright, Christian Laettner, Micheal Ray Richardson, Mark Aguirre, Rick Fox, Rafael Araújo, Bison Dele, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Hank Biasatti, Maurice Ager, Carlton Aaron, Joe Vogel, David Rivers, Pervis Ellison, Cole Aldrich, God Shammgod, Zaid Abdul-Aziz, Marvin Barnes, Antonio Lang, Courtney Alexander, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, Mike Smrek, Jeff Sheppard, Mike Mitchell (Basketball, Born 1956), Kevin Brooks, Monty Williams, Jim Zoet, Don Adams, Mike Mitchell (Basketball, Born 1967), Jerome Anderson, Pat Durham, Woody Campbell, Chuck Dalton, Red Curren. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 171. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:Center item Info Page Bison Dele (April 6, 1969 presumed dead July 7, 2002) formerly known as Brian Carson Williams , was an American professional basketball player who finished his career as a center for the NBA 's Detroit Pistons . He is believed to have been murdered at sea by his older brother in 2002.Basketball career Dele was born in Fresno , California , the second son of Patricia Phillips and of singer Eugene Williams of the musical group The Platters . He attended Saint Monica Catholic High School in Santa Monica, California , where his jersey is retired. He began his collegiate basketball career at the University of Maryland , playing there for one year. He sat out the next season while transferring to the University of Arizona . After playing for two seasons at Arizona, he was drafted in the first round of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic . He saw limited action during two seasons in Orlando.After playing for Orlando, Williams joined the Denver Nuggets , for whom he played for two seasons. In 1993-94, he played a career-high 80 ... ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955?56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president)[a] of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963. MVP voting takes place immediately following the regular season. Until the 1979?80 NBA season, the MVP was originally selected by a vote of NBA players. However, since the 1980?81 NBA season, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Voting is conducted by 125 members of the media; three from each of the 30 cities in which NBA teams are located and the rest a mix of national writers and broadcasters. Since the 1982?83 season, every player who has won the award has played for a team with at least 50 regular-season wins (except for Karl Malone in the lockout-shortened 1998?99 season, in which the regular season was only 50 games long). ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Christian Laettner, Rafael Araújo, Bison Dele, Carlton Aaron, Joe Vogel, Pervis Ellison, Cole Aldrich, Zaid Abdul-Aziz, Mike Smrek, Jim Zoet. Excerpt:Center item Info Page Bison Dele (April 6, 1969 presumed dead July 7, 2002) formerly known as Brian Carson Williams , was an American professional basketball player who finished his career as a center for the NBA 's Detroit Pistons . He is believed by most to have been murdered at sea by his older brother in 2002. Basketball career Dele was born in Fresno , California , the second son of Patricia Phillips and of singer Eugene Williams of the musical group The Platters . He attended Saint Monica Catholic High School in Santa Monica, California , where his jersey is retired. He began his collegiate basketball career at the University of Maryland , playing there for one year. He sat out the next season while transferring to the University of Arizona . After playing for two seasons at Arizona, he was drafted in the first round of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic . He saw limited action during two seasons in Orlando. After playing for Orlando, Williams joined the Denver Nuggets , for whom he played for two seasons. In 1993-94, he played a career-high 80 games and averaged 8.0 points per game. He subsequently played one year for the Los Angeles Clippers , earning increased playing time and averaging 15.8 points per game. Due to a contract dispute and reports that Williams' asking price was too high, he could not find a team at the beginning of the 1996-97 season. He was then signed by the Chicago Bulls nine games before the end of the season and became an important backup player in the Bulls' run to their fifth championship. He finished his career with two seasons with the Detroit Pistons, where he set caree... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Deep thoughts basketball book
More than any other basketball books, what it actually is, this book has lots of deep thoughts of a respected and serious person.

The Final Season
Do you think you are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's biggest fan? If you are, this is the book for you to read. This book is a diary of Kareem's last season in the NBA. He played an unheard of twenty years.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decided he was going to retire after the 1989 season before it started. He thought of it as a farewell tour considering all of the other team's crowds would be secretly cheering for him in his final season of a fine NBA career. One thing he didn't realize right away was how he wasn't concentrating as much on the game but on his special honors he received at away games.
Some things I liked were how Kareem had a diary kept for the whole season starting in training camp all the way through the finals. Also the diary wasn't just about the games as it included some talk about his family. A dislike was how it kind of became repetitive after reading the book for a while because Kareem's schedule was the same.
This is another chance for all of you hardcore Laker and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar fans to relive the 1988-1989 season through Kareem's eyes. This is a classic season. Could the Los Angeles Lakers win their third championship in a row? Find out by reading Kareem.

REFLECTIONS FROM KAREEM'S LAST SEASON
JABBAR AND AUTHOR MIGNON MCCARTHY COME UP WITH A SOLID AND INTERESTING MEMOIR ON THE LAST TIME AROUND FOR NBA GREAT KAREEM. I FOUND MOST OF THE INFO INTERESTING AND WELL TOLD. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT JABBAR'S PRIVATE LIFE BUT THAT IS WHY IT IS CALLED PRIVATE. HE WAS TRULY A LEGEND ON THE COURT AND SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY DECENT GUY OFF IT. I RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL FANS WHO FOLLOWED HIS CAREER AND WERE SAD TO SEE IT END. I REMEMBER HIM AT UCLA AND WAS HOPING SOMEONE WOULD BLOCK HIS SHOT RIGHT BACK IN HIS FACE. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, I ALONG WITH KAREEM MATURED. I REALLY CAN APPRECIATE AND RESPECT THIS LEGEND OF THE GAME.

Kareem's diary of his final season in the N.B.A.
"Kareem" is based on a personal diary written by the legendary center during his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1988-89 campaign.As the quote from Jackie Robinson in the front of the book reminds us, "Athletes die twice."The Lakers were the two-time defending N.B.A. champions and going for a three-peat.However, in the finals against the Detroit Pistons the Lakers lost both of their starting guards and were swept in four straight.Suddenly Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career was over.Knowing that ending becomes important as you start reading this book, because, as Kareem says, "we were going for writing our names in the sky."

This is not a great sports biography, but it is certainly interesting, mainly because you get the private reflections and personal memories of a man who was also introspective and usually aloof.When his home burned down and his priceless collection of jazz records and Persian rugs was destroyed, Kareem was touched by all the people who sent him records to replace what he had lost.I think it is obvious on at least one level opening up like this was Kareem's way of returning the favor, a "written good-bye" to the fans, his fellow players, and the game for which we was one of the greatest players ever.His final season provides the framework for the book, but Kareem does cover his entire life and playing career, so you will also read about John Wooden and Oscar Robertson as well as Pat Riley and Earvin Johnson.Fans of the game are well aware of what he had done on the court all those years; this book lets us know what he has been thinking. ... Read more

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has always been fascinated byhistory-nineteenth-century American history in particular. Tired ofL.A., restless and looking for new adventure, challenge, anddiscovery, he decides to go live among the Apaches he's read about.

He encounters a complex reality. The kids on the Alchesay Falcons teamdon't easily embrace what he's trying to teach them on thecourt. Gradually they begin to learn from him as he begins to learnfrom them. He teaches them to push out of their comfort zone and trynew things, both in sports and in life. They give him something hedidn't quite expect: a way to reconnect with his passion forbasketball.

This is a story about the qualities we have in common and the thingsthat still divide us in terms of race, culture, and history. Along theway, we get to know the kids, the coaches, the town of Whiteriver andAlchesay High, the tribe-but most of all, we get closer to Kareem, aman well into middle age who wants to pass along his knowledge andexperience in basketball and life. Kareem gives something back, and inso doing receives more than he ever imagined.Amazon.com Review
Nearly a decade after leaving professional basketball, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decided to return to the sport he loved by becoming the assistant coach of the Alchesay Falcons--a high school team composed mostly of White Mountain Apaches. But in A Season on the Reservation, he may have actually learned more than he taught.

An outsider at the beginning, Abdul-Jabbar found ways to learn more about his athletes and the tribe. He discovered cultural traditions that made it difficult to coach the team (discomfort at being singled out for criticism, for example) and became more sensitive to the special challenges faced by young Native Americans. As Abdul-Jabbar notes, by working with the students he moved from a historical appreciation for the White Mountain Apaches as a people to an understanding of them as individuals. That said, Abdul-Jabbar can't quite seem to shake his romantic image of the young Apaches: "Sometimes I would glance his way and imagine him sitting astride a paint pony two hundred years earlier, ready to ride off into the mountains and hunt."

Through his players, Abdul-Jabbar finds himself getting caught up in the competition--his passion for basketball obviously rekindled. Readers may find the end of the Falcons' season rather abrupt, but perhaps that's the nature of high school sports. They also may be a bit put off by Abdul-Jabbar's occasional arrogance, especially when talking about his professional days ("The 1985 Lakers would have taken [Jordan's Bulls] in a championship series.") or when dissing later NBA stars such as Shaq ("He's publicly referred to the way I used to play as 'old man's basketball,' which it may have been, but it earned me six more rings than he's got so far."). Overall, however, A Season on the Reservation is infused with an obvious love of the White Mountain Apaches, their land, and the sport of basketball. --Sunny Delaney ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Interesting Story
This book is a record of Abdul-Jabbar's first season as a basketball coach.When Abdul-Jabbar's mother died, he became quite distraught and didn't know what to do with himself.One of his friends at the White Mountain Apache reservation in Arizona invited him to come to the reservation to try out coaching by working with the high school basketball team on the reservation for a season.Abdul-Jabbar found the invitation attractive for a number of reasons, and decided to give it a go.Once on the reservation, he had to learn not only how to coach rather than play basketball, but he also found himself trying to lead teenagers who weren't always looking for his directions, all while operating in an unfamiliar culture.

After reading the first chapter of the book, I stopped to re-examine the title and cover page to find out who the ghost writer was.After all, most books by sports figures are "told to" rather than written, especially books whose prose flows as well as this one.I was surprised to find that this volume had no ghost writer listed at all.As I read further along in the book, the reason became clear-unlike many other sports figures, Abdul-Jabbar has a number of academic interests and writes quite well.In reading this book, one finds that Abdul-Jabbar is a thinker, a person who brings his analytical skills to problems and new situations.He tries hard to get kids to appreciate the mental aspects of playing basketball.He is quick to pick up on the cultural characteristics that make the Apache kids react differently than other kids in mainstream America.He is occasionally carried away with emotion at games, but afterwards analyzes his inappropriate actions and chalks them up to lessons learned about coaching. Abdul-Jabbar explains how he happened to make a connection with the reservation, describes the kids on the team and the other coaches, and recounts hoop-by-hoop stories of several key games.In a few places, the tale bogs down a little in detail, but overall, it's well written and very enjoyable to read.

An Honest Look at the Man and his Passions
The honesty with which Kareem Abdul-Jabar's "A Season On The Reservation" is written is quite refreshing. In this age of spin control, especially when it comes to athletes and other public figures, it's nice to see a high-profile individual such as Mr. Abdul-Jabar share his insights and interactions with no noticeable smoke or mirrors. He begins his journey to an Apache reservation with hopes of uncovering some history (Mr. Abdul-Jabar has a fascination with Native-American history) and of sharing his wealth of basketball knowledge with the resident high school basketball squad. There are many bumps in the road, though, and "A Season On The Reservation" speaks eloquently about the cultural differences Mr. Abdul-Jabar encounters when dealing with the Native-American basketball players. They are not comfortable being singled out for criticism and they are not necesarily open to learning techniques that may make them better players. Over the course of the book, however, they learn from Mr. Abdul-Jabar and he, in turn, learns from them. One scene in particular, a confrontation with a player named Tony, is amazingly honest. "A Season On The Reservation" paints Mr. Abul-Jabar as a fellow human being, not a sculpture standing on a pedestal. The history lessons in the book, often drawing a parallel between Native Americans and African Americans, get a bit cumbersome occassionally, but "A Season On The Reservation" is well worth the cover price thank to its honest approach.

Very good book!
This book was very interesting and was filled with a lot of information in many ways.Abdul-Jabbar told us the history of the surroundings, the Apache tribe, and also told of his daily challenges and joys.

Call Him Coach
After being frustrated in his attempts at beginning a coaching career ateither the collegiate or professional level, circumstances led the NBA'sall-time leading scorer to an Apache reservation in Arizona where he becamethe assistant coach of the boys high school basketball team. In addition torelating the chronology of that season, Kareem also provides a fair amountof history while he's at it, and offers more of himself than he typicallydid during interviews throughout his playing career. As might be expected,Kareem gained as much from his year on the reservation as his players did.

Excellent, thoughtful book
Kareem tries to impart the difficulties of introducing a western culturalideal to a group of young men that are trying to keep their own culturalideals intact while at the same time competing within the majority culture. This book reflects Kareem's own difficulties in aculturation, and hisconflicts in trying to impart his basketball culture on another group. This is a thoughtful though imperfect work, less about basketball thanabout the difficulties of blending different people in the world today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Decent
This is a decent book. Being an autobiography, it focuses more on the personal than the big picture, which is what most people would be interested in. However, while it often spends an inordinate amount of time on minor episodes in Kareem's life it is a solid book. My only big criticism of the book is that it glosses over his career after around 1977. He says little about Magic Johnson, his relationship with him and the great Lakers' teams of the 1980's and their dominance of that decade, their legendary rivalry with the Bird-McHale-Parish Celtics. Far more time is spent on his time in high school. All of this said, if you are interested in learning about perhaps the greatest basketball player ever I would recommend reading this book.

Take a closer look at a private man
Giant Steps is an auto-biography of Kareem's first 30-35 years.A lot of people know Kareem as a sullen and bitter man and with good reason.But after reading his perceptions on his own life, you start to get an idea of what shaped Kareem and made him the man he was and how it shaped the man he is today.Raised in NYC, he was always a hoops phenom, always the tallest kid around, and after a few years, he became acutely aware of his blackness.A high school coach spitting a racial slur at him for "motivation" and a bus ride to racially insensitive North Carolina opened Kareem's (at the time his name was Lew Alcindor) eyes to racial inequality.He developed a keen interest in Islam (Kareem mentions the differences between the Islam he believes versus the Nation of Islam that Muhammad Ali believes in--very interesting take on this) and his own race.
After high school, it was on to sunny California and UCLA to play for John Wooden.The UCLA campus, chock full of white folks and scholars, was a bit different from the jazz joints he'd be hanging out at in Harlem.
From the US's two greatest cultural epicenters to Milwaukee?From the year-round paradise-like weather of LA to the frigid temps of Wisconsin?From the shelter of John Wooden's hoops program to the spotlight of the NBA and its aggressive media?Life can't change a lot more than that.And Kareem definitely had his difficulties, which he addresses and doesn't attempt to excuse.
You can feel Kareem's edge throughout the majority of the bio.The unforgiving chip on his shoulder weighs heavy on him, and after reading and understanding what pushed a bit more you can begin to sympathize with his personal struggles.
Near the bio's end you can literally feel weight sliding off of him.It's slow, it's gradual, and it's not complete, but it's the start of something.The "Giant Steps" title can refer to a lot of things in Kareem's life, New York to LA, LA to Milwaukee, college hoops to pro hoops, Wilt Chamberlain's friend to Wilt's enemy/competitor, but I believe the biggest steps Kareem takes are the steps toward acceptance of himself and others.
A companion book to Giant Steps is "Kareem"."Kareem" is a bio/diary Jabbar kept during his final season in the NBA.The second book picks up right where "Giant Steps" left off.His remarkable growth after his 35th birthday is clear to the most unobservant reader.
Kareem and his co-author clearly express his development in rich language.This isn't just for hoops fans."Giant Steps" is for anyone curious about race relations in America.Anyone curious about what it means to be truly different (7'1" black Muslim/basketball player in America in the 60s-80s--not too many of them around) and be forced to feel those differences every second of your waking life should take a look.
"Giant Steps" shows an angry, but passionate young man develop into a thoughtful, (somewhat) outgoing adult capable of contributing much of what he's learned to younger generations.

Giant Book
The only thing bigger than the chip on Mr. Abdul-Jabbar's shoulder in this text is the grand and engaging story he tells.For fans or just the curious observer (as I was), he takes us on an insightful journey into his motivation, his doubts, his difficulties, and his dreams.It sometimes seems that the persona behind the person is revealed more to the reader than to the writer.

A NICE READ FROM SPECIAL K
KAREEM TELLS OF HIS LIFE GROWING UP IN NEW YORK IN GREAT DETAIL IN THIS BOOK. BUT I THINK HE SHOULD HAVE TOLD US MORE ABOUT HIS PLAYING DAYS AT UCLA, MILWAUKEE AND LOS ANGELES. THIS HAS A LOT OF GOOD STUFF LIKE HIS FIRST MEETING WITH WILT, HIS TEAMMATES AT UCLA, AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH CHERYL PISTANO. I REALLY FOUND HIS BUDDAHISM AND ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED TO BE VERY WEIRD AND UNINTERESTING. KAREEM IS AN INTELLIGENT GUY WHO ENJOYS THE MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL THINGS IN LIFE. HIS PIECE AT THE TIME CHERYL PISTANO, HELPED HIM TO BE MORE OUTGOING AND CORDIAL TO PEOPLE AND HELPED OPEN HIS LIFE MORE. JUST WISHED HE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DETAILED ABOUT HIS SEASON TO SEASON CAREER AT UCLA AND THE NBA. A GOOD READ. ... Read more

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A brief biography of the tall, black basketball player who has won many honors in that sport. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Nathaniel "Nate" Thurmond (born July 25, 1941, in Akron, Ohio) is a retired American basketball player, feared and praised by legends including Bob Pettit, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain. His nickname during his playing years was "Nate the Great". He played in high school with another future NBA star, Gus Johnson, at Akron Central. Their powerful team went undefeated before losing to Middletown, led by Jerry Lucas, in the Ohio state high school playoffs. Passing on a scholarship offer to Ohio State, to avoid becoming Lucas's backup there, the 6'11" Thurmond chose Bowling Green. He was named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News in 1963, and was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors later that year. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Vlade Divac (born February 3, 1968 in Prijepolje, Serbia, Yugoslavia) is a retired Serbian professional basketball player who spent most of his career in the United States' NBA. At 7'1", he played center and was known for his passing skills. Divac was among the first group of European Basketball players to transfer to the NBA in the late 1980s and was named as one of Euroleague's 50 greatest contributors. Divac is one of four players in NBA history to record 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocked shots, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Garnett and Hakeem Olajuwon. ... Read more

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Chapters: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Darryl Dawkins, Eric Musselman, Kevin Mackey, Cliff Levingston, Wallace Bryant. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 45. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Selected by Milwaukee Bucks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Arabic: Karm Abd al-Jabbr; born Ferdinand Lewis "Lew" Alcindor, Jr., April 16, 1947) is an American retired basketball player, coach, actor, and author. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar scored more points than any other player in league history and won a record six MVP Awards and six NBA championships. In college at UCLA, he played on three championship teams, and his high school team won 71 consecutive games. Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis "Lew" Alcindor, Jr on April 16, 1947, and grew up in Manhattan in New York City, the son of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Sr, a transit police officer and jazz musician. He was their only child. At birth, he weighed 12 pounds, 10 ounces (5.73 kg), and was twenty-two and a half inches (57.2 cm) long. He was raised as a Catholic and attended St. Jude School in the Inwood section of Manhattan, but later converted to Islam. From an early age he began his record-breaking basketball accomplishments. In high school, he led Power Memorial Academy to three straight New York City Catholic championships, a 71-game winning streak, and a 792 overall record. He scored 2,067 points in his high school career. Alcindor (Jabbar) with the reverse two hand dunk.Lew Alcindor played three seasons for the UCLA Bruins from 1966-67 to 1968-69 under coach John Wooden, contributing to the team's three-year record of 88 wins and only two losses: one to the University of Houston (see below) and the other to crosstown rival US...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=16899 ... Read more

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Chapters: Jackie Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Reggie Miller, Bill Walton, Kevin Love, Baron Davis, Denny Crum, Jordan Farmar, Brad Holland, Trevor Ariza, Gail Goodrich, Matt Barnes, Arron Afflalo, Jason Kapono, Tracy Murray, Kenny Easley, Ed O'bannon, Jon Crispin, Tyus Edney, Mark Eaton, Don Barksdale, Russell Westbrook, Kiki Vandeweghe, Walt Hazzard, Sidney Wicks, Luc Mbah a Moute, Marques Johnson, Ryan Hollins, Earl Watson, Jamaal Wilkes, Darrick Martin, Darren Collison, Swen Nater, Jelani Mccoy, Michael Warren, Ike Nwankwo, Dijon Thompson, Steve Patterson, Henry Bibby, Jrue Holiday, Dan Gadzuric, Don Maclean, George Zidek, J. R. Sakuragi, Michael Holton, Toby Bailey, Darren Daye, George Stanich, Jérôme Moïso, Ralph Drollinger, Greg Foster, Cameron Dollar, Brett Vroman, Cedric Bozeman, Raymond Townsend, Keith Erickson, Frank Lubin, Corey Gaines, Charles O'bannon, Gerald Madkins, Pete Trgovich, John Vallely, Willie Naulls, Josh Shipp, Travis Reed, Jaron Rush, David Meyers, Pooh Richardson, Jack Haley, Lucius Allen, Sam Balter, Mitchell Butler, Larry Farmer, Tj Cummings, David Greenwood, Richard Washington, Trevor Wilson, Mike Sanders, Stuart Gray, Alfred Aboya, Omm'a Givens, Curtis Rowe, Richard Petruška, Carl Knowles, Kenny Fields, Ralph Jackson, Donald Piper, Carl Shy, Darrell Allums, Rod Foster, James Wilkes. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 355. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Negro leagues Major League Baseball Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 October 24, 1972) was the first African-American Major League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. As the first black man to openly play in the major leagues since the 1880s, he was instrumental in bringing an end to racial ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=16193 ... Read more

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On the Shoulders of Giants: An Audio Journey which is more than an adventurous odyssey into the Harlem Renaissance. It's about how a place and time influenced today's society, from politics and music to one of its favorite all-time sports. As a sports legend looks back on his boyhood, he discovers what made him the man he is today. The 4 volumes offer a compilation of intimate stories; personal interviews with talented people from the world of literature, film, music and sports; snippets of history; and of course jazz. Basketball icon and historian Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shares narrative duties with Avery Brooks, Jesse L. Martin, Bob Costas, and Stanley Crouch. *Volume 1: How Harlem Became the Center of the Universe: Avery Brooks tells how a world war, prejudice and an insect conspired to build a new community. Includes an original rendition of the classic "Stompin' at the Savoy," arranged and performed by Herbie Hancock, and sung by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and Nikki Yanofsky. * Volume 2: Master Intellects and Creative Giants: Jesse L. Martin recounts the fascinating stories of Harlem luminaries as Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, Countee Cullen, Zora Neale Hurston and more. Also features "Vote for Mr. Rhythm," newly arranged and sung by Nikki Yanofsky, as well as the classic "Lift Every Voice and Sing," sung by Ray Charles. * Volume 3: Basketball Comes to Harlem: Bob Costas explains the rise of basketball in Harlem, and of the greatest team you've never heard of: the Harlem Rens. Also includes two Ray Charles classics, the infectiously joyous "Sweet Georgia Brown," and "Lift Every Voice and Sing." * Volume 4: Jazz Lights Up Harlem: Now it's jazz critic Stanley Crouch's turn to narrate. You'll hear about such legendary composers and musicians as Billie Holiday, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and more. For his part, Kareem rhapsodizes on the musicians that jazzed his world, from Miles Davis to Thelonius Monk. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores again.
This master piece is a must have. The whole set is a beautiful journey through the Harlem Renaissance, where jazz was king. ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sandy Koufax, Denzel Washington, John Beilein, Bob Cousy, Jim Boeheim, Ron Artest, Larry Brown, Angie Paccione, Stephon Marbury, Louis Gossett, Jr., Julius Erving, Jim Valvano, Adonis Jordan, Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, Bobby Cremins, Sue Bird, Lenny Wilkens, Brent Barry, Christian Laettner, Jason Mcelwain, Jennifer Rizzotti, Rafer Alston, Lance Stephenson, Joakim Noah, Sebastian Telfair, Richie Guerin, Jim O'brien (Basketball, Born 1949), Julius Hodge, Mike James, Mike Dunleavy, Sr., Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, Smush Parker, Kenny Anderson, Darryl Mcdonald, John Salley, Chamique Holdsclaw, Charlie Villanueva, Nate Archibald, Jonny Flynn, Renaldo Balkman, Andy Rautins, Jamaal Tinsley, Rod Strickland, Bernard King, Connie Hawkins, Seth Greenberg, Billy Cunningham, Devin Ebanks, Channing Frye, Andray Blatche, Etan Thomas, Paul Harris, Stephen A. Smith, Roy Hibbert, Quincy Douby, Speedy Claxton, Bob Lanier, Malik Sealy, Lloyd Daniels, Ike Diogu, Alfred Lee, Pete Gillen, A. J. Price, Mitch Kupchak, Will Brown, Allan Ray, Shannon Bobbitt, Terry Dehere, Jeff Mullins, Jamal Mashburn, Al Skinner, Wendell Alexis, D. J. Strawberry, Andre Barrett, Pee Wee Kirkland, Carlton Aaron, Phil Sellers, Omar Cook, Ralph Kaplowitz, Sam Perkins, Lenny Cooke, Dolph Schayes, Chucky Brown, Royal Ivey, Walter Berry, Cal Bruton, Todd Cetnar, Derrick Alston, Ron Behagen, Rick Brunson, Hilton Armstrong, Lionel Chalmers, God Shammgod, Troy Jackson, Nicky Anosike, Conrad Mcrae, Kenny Smith, Robert Rose, Kerry Keating, Jimmer Fredette, Danny Schayes, Zaid Abdul-Aziz, Roy Tarpley, Len Elmore, Roger Brown, Neal Walk, Kemba Walker, Ron Rothstein, Ossie Schectman, Francis Mahoney, Duane Martin, Chris Taft, Derrick Phelps, Sidney Green, Geoff Huston, Curtis Borchardt, Tavorris Bell, Sammy Mejia, Ly... ... Read more

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Listen to 'the voice' Bob Costas as he takes us on a audio journey through the history of professional basketball. Listen in on private and fascinating conversations between basketball legends; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Coach Wooden, Bill Russell, Jerry West, Dr. J, Charles Barkley and James Worthy as well as current players such as Michael Redd, Lamar Odom and Luke Walton. Samuel L. Jackson, Jesse L. Martin and Maya Angelou also the share their thoughts. Filled with original music by Herbie Hancock and will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas and Nikki Yanofsky as well as Ray Charles who sings a never heard version of Sweet Georgia Brown. ... Read more