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Editorial Review Book Description
Man in the Middle chronicles John Amaechi's extraordinary journey from awkward,overweight English lad to jet-setting NBA star. Along the way, he endured endless obstacles to his hoop dreams#151;being abandoned by his father, being cut from his first college team, recovering from a life-threatening injury, playing for abusive coaches, and losing his mother -- while also protecting a vital secret that could have ended his career: John Amaechi was gay. Now in this poignant and intimate memoir, Amaechi takes us into the hypermasculine world of professional sports and into the very center of his soul. As tender as it is brutally frank, Man in the Middle follows him from the rough streets of Manchester to Penn State (where he first achieved basketball stardom and began to recognize his sexuality) to the cities (Orlando, Houston, Salt Lake City) and countries (Greece, France) in which he played. A moving story of adversity and diversity, Man in the Middle is a testament to the power of one man's convictions and to the universal desire to make the world a better place. ... Read more Customer Reviews (28) 
autobiography
a great book. shows what happens when a person can't be their real authenic selves.
Amaechi Quite the Humanitarian
I purchased this book prior to attending a presentation that Mr. Amaechi made to a large group of educators (I didn't get to read the book until after hearing him speak). He is an outstanding orator and not quite as good a writer. I enjoyed his book, but was disappointed that he didn't spend more time discussing his struggle with his sexuality. The book spent too much time talking about his b-ball career and his time with the NBA. I found his work and efforts to help kids to be of note. I also appreciated his openess to speak of his relationship with his mother. Additionally, I enjoyed where he writes of not having the natural talent to play b-ball and yet how hard he worked to achieve the success that he found on the court as a pro player. Not my favorite read but one I appreciated nonetheless.
Fine, cliche is the new black; But, what about the bigotry within?
This is the memoir of an NBA stars that came out of the closet, John Amaechi. Mr Amaechi tells his live story of a child growing up overseas. He also discusses his NBA career and his eventual (and very predictable) acceptance of his own sexuality. Of course, he also describes the homophobia he faced on a daily basis.
But in 2007 this story is somewhat of a cliche, isn't it? Think about it. Macho man decides to come out of the closet and tell everyone that he is a homosexual. He expects America to welcome him with open arms because we are all created equally. Right?
Do you want to know what type of book I would like to read? I'd like to read a book that candidly discusses all of the bigotry within the homosexual community. All of the self-hatred, all of the socioeconomic bigotry and all of the blatant ageism and racism. Just like most of America, the homosexual community is not different in this regard.
If you're not a rich, w-h-i-t-e, attractive person with a nice home and a nice car then you're nothing. And there's the real rub, because the same people that are screaming about equality are the same ones that will back-stab their own.
Maybe one day someone will have the courage to write a real book about homosexual issue, because this a real problem that is plaguing the homosexual community. Until then, we will get stuck reading about millionaire basketball players.
"So What..."
From reading this book, it was not clear as to why Mr. Amaechi took the time to write it. He appears guarded about most of his life experiences except those involving his mother. A positive aspect about this book was that he spared the reader salient details about most of his personal sexual activities.Amaechi being an interacial mixture was of far more interests to me.
Better than I expected
I originally thought this was another tell-all book on the secret lives of downlow basketball players. But it wasn't and this is a good thing. John goes into great detail explaining his distraught childhood in Manchester to becoming one of the best players in the NBA. It is quite inspiring reading his life experiences. This is a great book for someone who may think they don't amount to anything great. Pick up this book and begin a new outlook on life.
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