Product Description
Chapters: Bradley Braves Basketball, Bill King, Peoria Civic Center. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 18. 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: Wilbur "Bill" King (October 6, 1927 - October 18, 2005) was one of the most prominent sports announcers in San Francisco Bay Area history, widely recognized by his distinctive handlebar mustache and beard and his broadcasting catchphrase "Holy Toledo!" King was best known as the radio voice of the Oakland Athletics baseball team for twenty-five years (1981-2005), the longest tenure of any A's announcer since the team's games were first broadcast in Philadelphia in 1938. Earlier in his career, he had been a member of the San Francisco Giants' original broadcasting team (together with Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons) when the Giants moved west from New York in 1958, had called University of California football and basketball games, and had served as the longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders football team and the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors basketball team. King was born in Bloomington, Illinois and was stationed on the island of Guam at the end of World War II when he began his broadcasting career with the Armed Forces Radio Network, converting play-by-play accounts of games as they came in over the wire and broadcasting them in a manner that made it sound as if he were actually at the game. After the war, he began his professional sportscasting career in Pekin, Illinois, broadcasting high school football and basketball games as well as minor league baseball games. He later announced basketball games for Bradley University and basketball and football games for the University of Nebraska. King moved to the Bay Area in 1958, when the San Francisco Giants hired him as an announcer. A major turning point in Kin...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1802251 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Chris Young, Bill Bradley, John W. Rogers, Jr., Craig Robinson, Will Venable, Richard Stengel, John Thompson Iii, Gary Walters, John Barres, Butch Van Breda Kolff, David Blatt, Sydney Johnson, Steve Goodrich, Dick Kazmaier, Joe Scott, Geoff Petrie, Chris Mooney, Mason Rocca, Armond Hill, Larry Lucchino, John Doar, Dave Sisler, Brian Taylor, Robert H. B. Baldwin, Charles Judson Wallace, John S. Palmer, Konrad Wysocki, Drew Hyland. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 142. 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: Christopher Ryan Young (born May 25, 1979, in Dallas, Texas) is a starting pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. He made his major league debut on August 24, 2004, for the Texas Rangers. He had previously excelled in basketball and baseball at Highland Park High School in University Park, Texas and Princeton University. Young helped Highland Park reach the Class 4A Region II basketball final in 1997 and the Class 4A Texas state basketball final in 1998. He tossed a no-hitter in 1997 while compiling a 60 record, helping Highland Park reach the Class 4A Texas state baseball final. During his senior year, he was District Most Valuable Player in basketball, and led his baseball team to the state championship, while pitching in two no-hitters. That year, he was a first-team All-State selection in basketball and baseball. After a high school career as an athlete and scholar, Young excelled in both baseball and basketball for Princeton University and became the Ivy League's first male two-sport Rookie of the Year. Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the June 2000 Draft, he had brief professional experiences in the Pirates, Montreal Expos, and Texas Rangers minor league systems before debuting with the Rangers in August 2004. Young's professi...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=5740330 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

NCAA Basketball Heaven
This is a great all around book. It has every single NCAA team, as well as their history, best player, etc. A lot of fun to read about your school and to learn about other schools as well. Great gift for anyone who loves college basketball.

Amazing Book
This book is so much fun to pick up and read.Packed full of NCAA hoops info.Must item for any college hoops fan.

Excellent reference guide for college basketball fans
For a sport that prides itself on its rich history and traditions, this book exemplifies much of what is great about college basketball.You have terrific stories, accounts of the many gripping games, and a profile of every season and school that has played Division 1 college basketball.I believe that this is the only book of its kind.

First about the book's format and content.The book begins with an introduction and several essays written by famous people from the college basketball world, both players and coaches.Then the meat of the book is the page by page alphabetical profiles of all the schools that play Division 1 college basketball.Each profile is concise and informative.Profiles provide the school's best season, coach, player, a game for the ages, a heartbreaker game to remember, notes about the fanbase, biggest rival, and then has a yearly breakdown of the team's record, as well as some stats on all-time won-loss record, NBA first round picks, All-American players, etc.This is the core of the book, and could entertain a fan for weeks.I have been reading this book during some mealtimes, going alphabetically and reading a few profiles in each sitting.It's a lot of fun to see the history that each school has, and one really develops an appreciation for how this great sport means so much to so many, and how it brings different people together.Regardless of how different the various fans are, each school has had heartbreak, triumph, and some tradition.

The next section of the book is an annual breakdown of every college basketball season.This includes the final standins of every conference, box scores of every NCAAT game starting with the Sweet Sixteen round, and final AP rankings.This helps me a lot, as I often forget who won the national title a few years back, so it's great to have a reference.Also, I can look back on my school's best seasons with interest and remember what things were like in that particular season of college basketball.

My only complaint about the book is the ranking system.These rankings were compiled by Jeff Sagarin of ESPN.His formula is very interesting and provides one objective measure by which to compare different schools.He gives a point for each win, and then two points for each NCAAT win.However, a school receives no additional credit for winning a title.While I can understand the rationale, I believe that a school should get at least some credit for winning a title.The result is that certain teams are ranked much higher than expected, while others are ranked much lower.I'm sure that fans of UConn, Texas and Georgetown will be upset to see their school ranked in the 40's and 50's overall.I've noticed that the rankings seem to favor Big-10 teams considerably, for example Iowa State, a team with fewer titles than Connecticut is ranked above UConn.Like them or not, the rankings will certainly generate conversation and controversy.

Every year in March, many of us are gripped by the madness of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, one of the greatest sporting events in the world.This book captures much of the passion that goes into this sport, and serves as a terrific reference guide.One can try to read it cover to cover, as I am doing, or one can look up their favorite schools, read a little bit, put it down and then return whenever they please.I highly recommend this book to any fan of college basketball.

Great book!
Actually, this book wasn't for us, but for our 24-year-old college basketball fanatic son.He had mentioned wanting it, so we gave it to him for Christmas.He was thrilled and stopped opening gifts to look through it.The detailed current and historical information is perfect for him as his knowledge of the game is incredible and he said now he'll know even more!

Great Book for any NCAA Basketball Fan
I purchased this book for my husband for Christmas after hearing a sports announcer talk about it. My husband loves this book and was really excited to get it as a present. Perfect for the basketball fan! ROCK CHALK! ... Read more

Product Description
As the Presidential run heats up with the start of the primary season in New Hampshire on February 2, the attention to the candidates and their issues will become even more intense.Values of the Game is an ideal book to understand Bill Bradley, the man and the candidate.The values that Bill speaks of so frequently during his campaign speeches are reflected in Values of the Game--responsibility, discipline, passion, selflessness and respect.

Bill Bradley, candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination for 2000, former U.S. senator from New Jersey from 1979 to 1997, and a member of two championship New York Knicks teams, returns to the scene of his first career and his first great passion, basketball.

Things have changed since Bradley's championship days, but what separates winners and losers remains very much the same: No collection of players, no matter how good, can win unless they form a team. And no team can succeed unless it shares common values, among them courage, discipline, resilience, respect, and an unmitigated passion for the game. In this highly acclaimed and bestselling book, Bill Bradley offers his vision for how the principles he developed playing basketball can be applied to everyday life, be it at the office, at home, in public life--indeed, in any situation where values matter.

In ten essays, filled with intensely personal observations and reflections, Bradley revisits the basketball court with the fire of the competitor and the eye of the writer and explores these qualities in action: the dynamics of teammates on the court and off, the individual courage to risk the last-second shot, the responsibility to teammates, coaches, and fans to stay in shape, play hard, and honor the game. Values of the Game is one man's vision for a better world, and is a lasting statement of principle and commitment from one of our country's finest leaders.Amazon.com Review
Forget for a moment the hype, the overmarketing, theexorbitant ticket prices and salaries, the bad behavior, and thegreed. Instead, return to the simple basics of basketball: a court, ahoop, a ball, and a young shooter, sweating to make certain that noone is ever more prepared or confident when the game is on theline. Strip all else away, and you come to the core of the game. It'ssomething of a sacred place for Bill Bradley, and after a decade inthe NBA and three terms in the United States Senate, it's a place herevisits with real ardor and reverence in 10 gracefully illustratedessays that cohere into a marvelous reflection on essentials andvalues.

"The game is still full of joy and the lessons learned fromit stay with you," he insists, "even though the game has changed, theold values still flow through it." The values he writes about mayindeed seem antique beside the frenzied glitz of the NBA, but antiqueslike passion, discipline, selflessness, and responsibility continue toform the basis of character on and off the court. Of course, Bradley,with possible eyes on the White House, is writing about much more thanbasketball here. In some ways, this is a clear statement of hispolitical philosophy: a country that can understand, instill, andpursue the values he's praising is a country that can worktogether. It's in these values that he finds the antidote to thetawdriness and partisanship that's managed to sully the level of thenational debate. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

What everyone should learn from athletics
I had my college team read this book over Christmas break and they really liked it.Bills' insight to the lessons learned, both good and bad, throughout his playing days, relate to any level of the game.The "VALUES" he received through his experience in basketball have been an asset to him throughout his career.I highly recommend this book for anyone who truly loves the game and the lessons each of us can learn from being involved in it, whether player, coach, or fan.

Nothing But Platitudes
The book is separated into chapters on various values that Bill Bradley considers important in basketball, such as "Respect" and "Leadership."The values are then illustrated by examples of players exhibiting these values (not infrequently, the player is Bill Bradley himself).Unfortunately, the book is filled with turgid writing and platitudes such as "Some of the very best basketball players, through their athletic accomplishments, legitimize youthful aspirations and encourage committment."I've read several books by Bradley and know he is a good writer who, although sometimes a little dull, is usually insightful.This book is a big disappointment.It might be helpful to children or adolescents who are first starting to play basketball but if you're an adult looking for insight into the game, look elsewhere.

Must reading for basketball and/or Bill Bradley fans
I've long been a Bill Bradley fan . . . his talent on the
basketball court always impressed me, in large part because
he seemed to have to work so much harder than many
other players . . . then when he entered the political
arena, I continued to follow his career with interest . . . my
only regret is that he never got past the Senate . . . I still
think he would have made a fine President.

Hearing his book, VALUES OF THE GAME, impressed me
even more . . . it is not a standard spots autobiography, but
rather a collection of essays by Bradley that deal with such topics as
passion, discipline, responsibility, and resilience . . . he shows
how these all became key parts of his life, citing examples
of such greats as Cousy, Chamberlian, Iverson, and Pippen . . . I
got a particular kick out of what he said about Dennis Rodman: he
admired his rebounding tenacity, but noted that Rodman
"isn't everybody's cup of tea" because of his behavior.

This would be a great gift for any basketball fan, young or
old . . . nevertheless, I'd recommend giving the book rather than the
audio version that I heard . . . though the narration by John Randolph
Jones was fine, I would have much preferred Bradley doing the reading
himself.

Hard Lessons From The Hardwood
Bill Bradley has led a remarkably distinguished and successful life -- an All-American at Princeton, an Olympic gold medallist, a Rhodes Scholar, a two-time world champion as a member of the New York Knicks, a Hall-of-Famer, a Senator for 18 years, and a Presidential candidate. Not to mention author, educator, husband, father, and Eagle Scout. It's been a full life.

In "Values of the Game," Bradley credits much of his success to the game of basketball and the life lessons he learned on the court. Passion, discipline, selflessness, respect, perspective, courage, leadership, responsibility, resilience, and imagination -- these are the qualities that separate the celebrated players from those who have been forgotten. And those same values that brought success on the court can do the same in life.

Full of brilliant photographs and Bradley's own recollections and insights, "Values of the Game" is a real treat for anyone who loves and respects the game of basketball. Bradley obviously does. He peels away all the greed, glamour, fame and infamy that clouds the NBA today and shows us the bare essence and beauty of this uniquely American game, reminding us why we ever liked the sport in the first place.

My 7th grade book review
The Values of the Game
By, Bill Bradley


The Values of the Game is very motivating. It is about what you get out of sports (specifically Basketball). The book talksabout why you get these values, too. The values it talks about (each a chapter) passion, discipline, selflessness, and many more. It teaches people what is important in life. I think it is a spectacular book to learn from.
I really enjoy the book the values of the game, but some people wouldn't. Mostly basketball players would like it because it's about basketball. Also, I think in most cases it is geared for 18-50 year olds, but in some cases it may vary.Also, to understand it you must be someonewho knows a tiny bit about present and retired famous basketball players. I think many people will like this book.
... Read more

Product Description
During his terms in the U.S. Senate, Bill Bradley won a national reputation for thoughtfulness, decency, and a willingness to take controversial positions on issues ranging from tax reform to the rights of Native Americans. All these qualities inform this best-selling memoir, in which Bradley assesses his political career and the experiences that shaped his convictions, and looks beyond them to consider the state of the American union on the eve of the 21st century. Time Present, Time Past offers an intimate portrait of the day-to-day working of the Senate: how legislation gets passed and sometimes thwarted; how money is raised and at what cost. But Bradley also writes about deeper questions: What does it means to be an American in an ago of dwindling opportunities and increasing inequality? How much can we expect from our public servants? What do we owe our fellow citizens? The result is a genuinely revelatory book, informed by intelligence, compassion, and unprecedented candor.

"Strikingly reflects the realities of modern politics, what it looks like, feels like, from the inside."--New York Times Book Review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Surprisingly tolerable
Particularly for political conservatives, it is easy enough to walk into this book expecting a partisan neo-leftist Democratic slant on everything in U.S. history, but this is a remarkably well-thought personal accent on the last seventy years' history of the United States, building upon the legacy of the past and seen through the eyes of one who lived through it all--and who was well-qualified to make an intelligent commentary on the meaning of it all.

Is this a perfect book?By no means.Bradley's partisan biases do show through quite evidently, although it should come as no surprise that a sitting Democratic senator (as he was at the time) would be more critical of his Republican colleagues.There are, of course, instances when Bradley, while lamenting (though always in reserved and mature tones) the destruction sweeping over the country (he is too gentlemanly to use such terms, though it would not be altogether dishonest to do so), nevertheless apologises, perhaps unwittingly, for the forces behind them.For example, Bradley supports a monetary policy of devaluation as a solution to the hardships posed by "free trade," seemingly impervious to the fact that our trading partners do not want such a situation and are often willing to take drastic steps--up to and including currency--to prevent it.He also has a tendency to become rather Pollyanna and flighty when it comes to issues of race, multiculturalism or immigration, and seems evidently uncomfortable talking about his religious views--a former fervent born-again Evangelical out to change the world, he has since retreated into a silent non-critical post-Presbyterianism, practicing but not fully believing--something which is understandable but which underscores the stiff-necked Calvinist mentality that Bradley has a hard time overcoming.

Still, given the author's curriculum vitæ as an ordinary American, an historian, a Rhodes scholar, a professional basketball player and a politician, it is difficult to argue that he does not deserve a voice about the current state of the country.I have many political disagreements with Bradley, but if there was ever a WASP Renaissance Man in the 20th century, it was he.I caution the reader not to accept all his more positive ideas at face value, but I recommend this book for those willing to take his criticisms and general cautions seriously and to explore the potential solutions for our country.

The testimony of a dedicated responsible effective American Senator
This is a very well- written and thoughtful book. Bill Bradley wrote it just as his third Senatorial term was coming to a close. Unfortunately close to that time he had to deal with a number of personal tragedies, including his wife's breast cancer, the severe illness of both of his parents. Bradley tells of his Chrystal City childhood, the only child of his arthritically disabled Presbyterian banker father, and his strongly Methodist mother. He does not revel in his own personal athletic feats and accomplishments. Rather he presents us with a picture of small- town life in that era, and the kind of world he grew up in.
One of the strengths of the book is that it tells much about different regions and populations of America. As a Senator and Presidential candidate he visited eventually every state in the Union and he for instance in his chapter on his Scotch- Irish family background describes the economy and social world of the Appalachians.
Bradley is eager to present to the reader his vision of whatAmerica should be. He speaks a lot about responsibility and discipline, and communal obligation. These are virtues he himself personally exemplifies, and one feels how strongly he is repelled by an America gone too soft and self- indulgent, too hedonistically obsessed with short- term pleasures.
He tells of his work in bringing about the Tax Reform Bill of 1986 which eliminated many loopholes, and simplified the system so that it had only two tax brackets. He talks about other public initiatives of his related to helping the poor, the one - parent families. He gives a chapter of the book to considering the difficulties the great American middle- class has faced over recent years.
One has the sense in reading the book of his being a thoroughly decent, hard- working and fair person.
Bradley has an amusing little section in which he talks about his efforts at improving his own public speaking. Here of course was his major failing as a political figure, his lack of charisma. He was eclipsed almost instantaneously by the charismatic Clinton.
Bradley is the work- horse of Orwell's fable. The solid honest good person who does the drudgery and certainly does not get a final good reward for it.
This is not to say that Bradley complains . He doesn't. He does not in fact put great emphasis in the work on his own feelings. He does however show how much he cares for America, and is devoted to its well- being.
This is an outstanding political autobiography not because it overwhelms emotionally but because it rationally clearly gives a 'picture' of what America is and might be. And it tells the story of a highly devoted public servant who did his best to make a better America.

Thoughtful and Depressing--American Does Not Elect the Smart Ones
EDIT of 19 August 2009 to downgrade to 4 stars.Bill Bradley, like Al Gore, sold out.He accepted the Wall Street lures and chose not to blow the whistle on the two-party tyranny that has betrayed the public trust and mis-spent the public monies for special interests.He is, though smart and good as a person, part of the problem.Shame on him, shame on all of them.

Bill Bradley and John McCain may go down in history as the two smartest men who should have been President, but could not get elected.This is an extraordinarily thoughtful book, and it makes one almost cry out in despair.America has given up the idea of an informed democracy led by informed representatives of the people, and as the author concludes his book, given over all the power to two kinds of technocrats: political technocrats like Karl Rove who will do anything to get their man elected, including unethical misrepresentations against Republicans like John McCain, never mind Democrats; and corporate technocrats, who will kill off the middle class and increase the working poor in the name of corporate bottom lines that pass off the social and economic costs to the very taxpayers being disenfranchised.

The current Congressional and Executive systems do not work as intended.Congress has become insular and corrupt, and the Executive--at the political level--has become ideological and corrupt.Bill Bradley's writing makes it clear that there are solutions, but men like Bill Bradley will not get elected--nor even heard--until sufficient catastrophe befalls America and the people rise up in desperation to reclaim their heritage.

The index is helpful in looking up specific views of the author, e.g. on health care, national security, etcetera.

The New American Story
Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming

A great look at America
Bradley takes a thoughtful look at his life and many issues that faceAmerica.I liked reading of his Missouri youth and NBA days, plus hisanalysis of economic change, media sensationalism, and the corrosiveinfluence of money on politics.Bradley's superb (if short) discourse onthe inner workings of the U.S. Senate provides the type of usefulinformation one never gets from our sound-bite media. Bradley even takesissues like water policy and shows why they matter.The Senator'sblame-whites-only view of racial divisions was rather naive, but even herehe makes some points.This book is more than a readable memoir; it's acompassionate, thought-inspiring look at America.

Great Book
book with tremendous depth, dedication and ideas.. America is unfortunate to not to have man like Senator Bradley as President ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Perfect for my MJ collector!
This was the perfect addition to his MJ library collection.He just absolutely LOVED it! Bonus points for the wifey! ... Read more

Product Description
Follows the life of William Bradley, from his childhood in Missouri through his basketball career to his life in politics. ... Read more

Product Description
Almost two decades after its original publication and more than 15 years after its author retired from the New York Knicks to become a U.S. Senator, Bradley's account of 20 days in a pro basketball season remains a classic in sports literature. Readers are taken from the teamwork of a winning game to the loneliness of a hotel room in a strange city. With a new introduction by the author.Amazon.com Review
Almost two decades after its original publication and more than fifteen years after its author retired from the New York Knicks to become a United Statessenator, this account of twenty days in a pro basketball season remains a classic in the literature of sports, unparalleled in its candor and intelligence.Bill Bradley is also the author of Time Present, Time Past, a memoir of his years in theU.S. Senate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

What I Liked, What I Didn't Like
What I Liked:

-The way Bradley considers the existential bleakness of the professional athlete's life
-The casual ambivalence with which Bradley justifies one-night stands

What I Didn't Like:

-There was one stream-of-conscious passage during a game situation that I remember not liking very much.Or, like, I could imagine Bradley writing that passage and thinking it was really good and creative and that made me feel a little sorry for him.Whatever, he's human.

Insightful and thoughtful

Bill Bradley's Life on the Run is an insightful and thoughtful account of what it was like to be a professional basketball player in the mid-1970s.Bradley writes about a bygone era--one where all the players weren't multimillionaires, teams traveled commercial, there was no ESPN and media oversaturation and players roomed together.While some things have changed since the book was published nearly 35 years ago, many of the things are the same.

Bradley, a star at Princeton, chose to attend Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar for two years before joining the New York Knicks in the NBA.He thought he wouldn't play professionally, but he realized he missed the game while at Oxford.

Bradley was the symbol of the Christian, scholar/athlete, but he says much of that image was overblown."I studied, practiced and went to church, but the media exaggerated each facet of my life until expectations were such that I could never fulfill.The greater the acclaim, the more certain it was that the public appetite could never be satisfied.The only way out, I thought, was to reject basketball and become a lawyer or businessman."

Bradley says being a professional athlete is a mixed blessing.He shows both sides of the coin in his book.He tells how players spend their days (and yes it's boring much of the time), how they cope with physical exertion, travel and constant aches and pains.He provides interesting profiles of his teammates and says that on many teams friendship is overblown and even hypocritical.

Unlike most players today, Bradley was obsessed with team basketball and not individual statistics."I do not depend on the outside for recognition," writes Bradley."The press and public approval mean little to me.What is important is my own judgment as to whether the team plays according to my estimate of how an ideal team should."

The 1970 championship Knicks vindicated Bradley's concept and approach to the game.

"Success of the group assures the success of the individual," he writes, "but not the other way around."

It's truly a pleasure to rub shoulders with Bradley and his Knick teammates for 230 pages.

Enjoying and Informative
This book was both enjoying and informative. If your a basketball fan of the late sixties and seventies you will enjoy this book. I'm sure todays players would have a completely different lifestyle than their predecessors, but Bill gives you a picture of his day and insight into his cast of characters/teammates. I enjoyed this book.

A GOOD READ
FORMER NBA PLAYER BILL BRADLEY TAKES US THROUGH SOME OF THE 1973-74 KNICKS SEASON, AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF BRADLEY, EARL MONROE, WILLIS REED AND DAVE DEBUSSCHURE. MOST OF IT IS INTERESTING AND WELL WRITTEN. IT IS NOT A TELL ALL OR CONTROVERSIAL BOOK BUT PRETTY MUCH A FACTS ONLY BOOK. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE HOW THE PLAYERS SPEND THEIR DOWN TIME ON ROAD TRIPS, THE AVAILABILITY OF WOMEN WHO WILL SLEEP WITH JUST ABOUT ANY PLAYER, AND THE INNERPLAY OF THE KNICKS IN PRACTICE AND ON PLANES. I LIKED THIS BOOK BUT IT IS NOTHING GREAT AND IT IS BORING AT TIMES BUT STILL WORTH A PEEK.

Kind of dry
He writes about being in the NBA but it's during the 70's when it was so different from now. Players didn't make mega millions then. I can't believe they would still have to do their own laundry and share a hotel room with someone on the team. But it's a nice glimpse into the 70's and professional basketball, I guess. The basketball writing is okay, I've read much better. His writing is pretty dead. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Bill Bradley, Larry Brown, Jānis Krūmiņš, Walt Hazzard, Jeff Mullins, Lindsay Gaze, Jaak Lipso, Teófilo Cruz, Gennadi Volnov, Mel Counts, Lucious Jackson, Joe Caldwell, Wlamir Marques, Amaury Pasos, Armenak Alachachian, George Wilson, Ubiratan Pereira Maciel, Valdis Muižnieks, Carlos Domingos Massoni, Brendon Hackwill, Jim Barnes, Manuel Raga, Uolevi Manninen, Eduardo Schall Jatyr, Antonio Salvador Sucar, George Stulac, José Edvar Simones, Sergio de Toledo Machado. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: William Warren "Bill" Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election. Bradley was born and raised in a small-town suburb of St. Louis and excelled at basketball from an early age. He was a member of the Boy Scouts and did well academically, and was an all-county and all-state basketball player in high school. He was offered 75 college scholarships and did not finally decide on attending Princeton until three days before the 1961 fall semester began. While a student at Princeton, he earned a gold medal as a member of the 1964 Olympic basketball team and was the NCAA Player of the Year in 1965. After graduating in 1965, he attended Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, delaying a decision for two years on whether or not to play in the NBA. While at Oxford, Bradley played one season of professional basketball in Europe, and eventually decided to join the New York Knicks in the 196768 season, after serving six months in the Air Force Reserve. He spent his entire ten-year professional basketball career playing for the Knicks, winning two championship titles. Retirin...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=288047 ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 545 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

Product Description
When John McPhee met Bill Bradley, both were at the beginning of their careers. A Sense of Where You Are, McPhee’s first book, is about Bradley when he was the best basketball player Princeton had ever seen. McPhee delineates for the reader the training and techniques that made Bradley the extraordinary athlete he was, and this part of the book is a blueprint of superlative basketball. But athletic prowess alone would not explain Bradley’s magnetism, which is in the quality of the man himself—his self-discipline, his rationality, and his sense of responsibility. Here is a portrait of Bradley as he was in college, before his time with the New York Knicks and his election to the U.S. Senate—a story that suggests the abundant beginnings of his professional careers in sport and politics.
Amazon.com Review
First published in 1965, A Sense of Where You Are isthe literary equivalent of a harmonic convergence, a remarkableconfluence of two talents--John McPhee and Bill Bradley--at thebeginning of what would prove to be long and distinguishedcareers. While McPhee would blossom into one of the best nonfictionwriters of the last 35 years, Bradley segued from an all-Americanbasketball player at Princeton, to Rhodes Scholar, to NBA star, tothree terms in the U.S. Senate. McPhee noticed greatness in Bradleyfrom the start; the book is an extension of a lengthy magazine profileMcPhee wrote early in Bradley's senior year; the title comes fromBradley always knowing his position in relation to the basket. What'sso noteworthy about the book is the greatness it promised--both forwriter and for subject, a greatness both have delivered through theyears again and again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A very good journalistic work
Bill Bradley was born in a small Missouri town, the son of the town's banker, who taught him discipline, hard work, and a love of learning, and his wife, a fiercely competitive but loving former athlete. Their son was one of the most celebrated schoolboy athletes in Missouri history, and was offered scholarships to over 70 colleges to play basketball. However, he chose to attend Princeton University, which did not provide athletic scholarships and was not known for its basketball team, as he had higher aspirations beyond sports.

He began to play with the varsity team as a sophomore, as freshmen were not allowed to participate in varsity athletics at that time, and immediately became the star player of the team. Princeton quickly became an Eastern basketball powerhouse, culminated by the 1964-65 team in Bradley's senior year, which reached the NCAA Final Four before losing in the national semifinal to Michigan. Bradley's last collegiate game was against Wichita State in the third place game, and Bradley, normally a pass first, shoot second player despite his immense talent, was given free rein by his coach to shoot and score at will. He finished the game with 58 points, which is still the record for the most points scored by an individual player in a Final Four game.

After his collegiate career he attended Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship, and then became an NBA star with the New York Knicks, helping them win two championships, in 1970 and 1973. After his retirement he entered politics, and served as the junior U.S. Senator from New Jersey for three terms. He retired from the Senate in 1997, and ran an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. presidency in 2000, losing to Al Gore. After that defeat he left politics, but he maintains an active public life, as he has written six nonfiction books and hosts a weekly radio program.

John McPhee grew up in Princeton, as his father served as the physician for the university's athletic department. He attended Princeton, and while working as a writer in New York his father called him to come see a kid on the freshman basketball team, who his father described as possibly the best basketball player, bar none. McPhee attended a game with his father, followed Bradley over his career at Princeton, and wrote his first book about him, in 1965.

"A Sense of Where You Are" describes Bradley's upbringing in Missouri, and his basketball career at Princeton, including his work ethic and approach to the game, which was far beyond even the best players at his level and allowed him to surpass his modest physical abilities. McPhee also portrays Bradley as a well rounded student athlete who participated fully in campus life and maintained a sense of modesty and humbleness that seems archaic, yet refreshing. The latest edition of the book contains numerous photos of Bradley in action, along with addenda written in 1978 and 1999.

I would highly recommend "A Sense of Where You Are" for any sports fan, but this would be of interest for anyone who appreciates good journalism or wants to learn about an inspiring and influential man, who has been one of my heroes since I was a child.

What I Liked, What I Didn't Like
What I Liked:

-Felt inspiring.
-Bill Bradley.

What I Didn't Like:

-The chapters after the "Profile" chapter seemed to 'lose steam'/didn't seem as good as the "Profile" chapter.

Good Reading! Felt Like I was With Frazier & Debusschere on a fast break!
Dollar Bill never really lived up to the hype of his pro career.
But he did have success on the court. His life at Princeton was interesting.
This is a fine book that keeps your interest. No doubt old Knick fans like myself
enjoy this more than other basketball fans. Thinking about how much Bradley has accomplished
in his life is quite a feat!

Classic McPhee: exploring the minds of men at work
This was John McPhee's first book, so it obviously holds a lot of interest as a glimpse at the man's later style. I'm happy to say that while this is obviously McPhee -- you can tell it's him within a page or so -- it's one of the weaker McPhees. Which is praising by faint damns: McPhee's style seems to have emerged fully-formed from his forehead at The New Yorker, and moved continuously upward in small, methodical steps. By the time we get to Uncommon Carriers, which I'll review soon, the McPhee style has been honed to a keen edge.

A Sense Of Where You Are is also notable as a first glimpse at Bill Bradley: future Rhodes Scholar, future New York Knicks basketball player, future senator, future presidential candidate. One wants to say "All of the future Bradleys were there when McPhee wrote A Sense of Where You Are," and that may be true: not only a great athlete, Bradley was the most admired man on the Princeton campus. And this isn't just retrospective I-knew-him-whenism: A Sense of Where You Are came out in 1965, before anyone could know what Bradley would become.

If I tell you that this is a McPhee book, and if you've read McPhee, I can basically stop there. A McPhee book is characterized by a gentle forward motion propelled atop sentences that have no right to work as they do. The sentences are largely staccato, and in books other than this one they tend to feel like a sequence of random observations. In The Curve of Binding Energy, for instance, you feel like you're reading a mere litany of facts about nuclear fusion which seemed interesting to John McPhee, yet by the end you really have learned a lot about the construction of a nuclear weapon, and the sentences more than merely hang together; they flow. It's the strangest thing; McPheee routinely pulls off a nonfiction magic trick.

McPhee studies men at work. He quickly falls into their lingo, which is both one of the greatest irritants of his books and one of their key charms. It's irritating because McPhee will often use a long string of disciplinary buzzwords before defining them; this reaches its nauseating pinnacle in Annals of the Former World, where we've absorbed a couple hundred pages of dense geological concepts before McPhee gets around to telling you what those concepts mean. It's charming because you feel like you're right in the thick of the action with citrus pickers in McPhee's Oranges; with truckers, ship captains, and UPS employees in Uncommon Carriers; and with basketball players in A Sense of Where You Are.

McPhee follows Bradley on and off the court; when not watching Bradley -- the greatest basketball player, apparently, at the time McPhee wrote, and by some measure the fourth-best athlete on earth -- he's asking Bradley to walk, step by step, through how he negotiates difficult problems on the court. Standing in McPhee's kitchen, one imagines, Bradley pivots, feints, dodges and leaps to show McPhee exactly how his mind works. It's absolutely captivating.

It's also a lot of hero-worship. It's a beautiful work, but a bit adulatory for my tastes. Orangemen, truckers, pilots, and nuclear engineers surely fascinate McPhee, and he respects them for the difficult tasks that they get done, and moreover he writes about them from the thick of the action, but somehow he manages in those later works to stay above the fray. By contrast, John McPhee is godfather to Bill Bradley's daughter.

Don't let that dissuade you, though. If you love McPhee -- and if you don't, you must not have read him -- dive into A Sense of Where You Are and observe two great men at work.

New Journalism Classic
Whether you like sports or not, McPhee's book is so well written that it carries you along. Bradley at Princeton seems so ancient compared with the sports scene today, but the story reveals unknowingly how much we have lost in the culture when it comes to heroes. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography emphasizing the career of the basketball star of the New York Knicks. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1852 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
"Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball." -- Phil Jackson

One of the most successful coaches in NBA history, Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson provides an inside look at the higher wisdom of teamwork with Sacred Hoops -- Jackson's philosophy of mindful basketball and his lifelong quest to bring enlightenment to the competitive world of professional sports.

A new paradigm of leadership based on Eastern and Native American principles, Jackson's approach flies in the face of the egoistic, winner-take-all attitude that has changed the face of American sports. Rather than winning through intimidation, Jackson -- who describes himself as a Zen Christian -- stresses awareness, compassion and most of all selfless team play. Filled with stories about Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc and other members of the Bulls, Sacred Hoops reveals how Jackson directs his players to act with a clear mind; to respect the enemy and be aggressive without anger or violence; to live in the moment and stay calmly focused in the midst of chaos, so that the "me" becomes the servant of the "we."

In Sacred Hoops, Jackson takes us inside the mind of the thinking man's coach as he builds one of the greatest teams of all time. Not just for sports fans, this inspiring memoir is for anyone interested in the potential of the human spirit.Amazon.com Review
An inside look at the higher wisdom of teamwork from ChicagoBulls' head coach Phil Jackson.At the heart of the book is Jackson's philosophy of mindful basketball -- and his lifelong quest to bring enlightenmentto the competitive world of professional sports, beginning with a focus onselfless team play rather than "winning through intimidation".Sacred Hoops is not just for sports fans, but for anyone interested in the potential ofthe human spirit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (74)

Great book
This book provides great insights on Phil Jackson's philosophy and some of the things he does with his teams.
A very good pick for anyone in the coaching business.

Amazing book
Amazing book with a lot of great points that really brings the best out of the reader, Great for athletes and coaches...

Basketball and Buddhism
A great read - rereading right after just finishing it. Raised as a buddhist but attending catholic school most of my life, I could easily relate to Jackson's upbrining, only in reverse. Also having grown up and watched the NBA during the 90's has made me appreciate what Phil has done for the game as well as the teams he has coached through out his career. I highly recommend this for anyone who is interested in a sports book that is more than just that.

17 Sentences You'll Like
If there were a Mount Rushmore of basketball coaches, Phil Jackson would have to be there (along with John Wooden, Dean Smith, and Wilbur Flatch). Phil Jackson is like tacos de tripa - either you like him or you don't; but unlike tacos made from the stomach of a cow, there's always something you can learn from him.

Here are 17 sentences from SacredHoops by Phil Jackson that I think I like:

1. "... success comes from being awake, aware, and in tune with others."
2. For the raindrop, joy is entering the river - Ghalib
3. "One day my mother wasn't home when I returned from school and I got so frightened the rapture had started without me that I ran all over town looking for her."
4. "Lesson one: Don't let anger ... cloud the mind."
5. Lesson two: Awareness is everything."
6. Our own life is the instrument with which we experiment with the truth. - Thich Nhat Hanh
7. "Arguing isn't where faith is. That just feeds the ego. It's all in the doing."
8. "Awareness is the seed of compassion."
9. "My brothers and I ... dug my father's grave ..."
10. One of the most important qualities of a leader is listening without judgement, or with what Buddhists call bare attention.
11. If we rage and resist, our angry, fearful minds have trouble quieting down sufficiently to allow us to act in the most beneficial way for ourselves and others.
12. One of the most important qualities of a leader is listening without judgement.
13. Vision is the source of leadership.
14. The acceptance of boundaries and limits is the gateway to freedom.
15. One instant is eternity.
16. If you have a clear mind and an open heart, you won't have to search for direction. Direction will come to you.
17. When I understand that this glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious. Impermanence is a fundamental fact of life.

An Inspirational Read
Sacred Hoops is mainly about a coach's legacy and the struggles he's been through. Not only that, but all of the accomplishments he has been through mentally and physically. The main idea of Sacred Hoops is about Phil Jackson and the techniques and strategies he uses to be successful as a coach in the NBA. Phil Jackson always finds a different solution whenever a problem occurs whether it is a personal problem or a coach able issue.

This book is basically all about Phil Jackson's life and the struggles he's been through, and all the accomplishments he has achieved. I am very impressed with this book because I love the sport and it catches my attention. The reviews on amazon.com and King County Library System's [...] all have good reviews about the book. They all have positive feedbacks and positive descriptions of the book that they enjoy. This book isn't only for people who play sports, but for anyone interested in the potential of the human spirit. All of the reviews give this book a pure satisfaction and an excellent feedback.

Sacred Hoops is briefly over-generalization, for example, as Scottie Pippen moves the ball up court, he and two other players form a triangle on the right side of the court floor about fifteen feet apart from each other-Steve Kerr in the corner." This passage is over-generalization because it is portraying every little detail that they are doing. Also, "Here's a typical sequence: the point guard brings the ball up and passes it inside to one of the big men, who will either make a player move to the hoop or kick it out to somebody on the wing after drawing a double team." And lastly, "when we won the championship, and we were in the locker room, while champagne bottles were being lit left and right, it felt like it was pouring rain from the sky with thunderous cheering from everyone. This passage is showing over-generalization because the author is over exaggerating with this statement saying how loud his teammates are and how the champagne feels like rain.
It is also biased towards Michael Jordan, for example, "Jordan could do things with a ball nobody ever seen before: he seemed to defy gravity when he went up for a shot, hanging in for days-sometimes weeks." Clearly no body could be able to defy gravity and be able to hang in the air for weeks, not even days. The author portrays Jordan (the greatest player to play the game in history) to be invincible and unreal. To hang in the air when he shoots or jumps, the author conceives Jordan to be a mere illusion.

The author wrote Sacred Hoops with accuracy: Hugh Delehanty felt that this book would be influential to the readers from his thoughts on "[...], [...], and [...]." Sacred Hoops isn't the only sports book he has written, "The power of purpose", another type of Sacred Hoops and "Caring for your parents". The similar traits about all of his books Is that they are all non-fiction and they are inspirational to whoever reads it.

I've done research on his books, and almost all of his reviews on them are positive.Most of the reviews from people said that it has influenced them in many ways. Sacred Hoops has honestly inspired me as well, not only in a type of retro view of sports, but with the patience it shows. It helps me when it comes down to situations when stress or anger is involved. Sacred Hoops was definitely one of a kind of book. I'm my opinion, hands down the best book I've read.

Danny Shin, TJHS student ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Larry Bird, Jim Thorpe, John Paxson, Pete Maravich, Jerry West, Tyler Hansbrough, Bill Bradley, Jason Kidd, Kirk Hinrich, Larry Brown, Rick Barry, Bill Walton, Kevin Love, Jason Williams, Joe Alexander, Steve Alford, Shane Battier, Keith Van Horn, Brent Barry, Christian Laettner, Drew Gooden, Al Mcguire, Scott Skiles, Wally Szczerbiak, John Stockton, Joakim Noah, Chris Kaman, Shavlik Randolph, Mike D'antoni, Steve Kerr, Matt Harpring, Kyle Korver, Chris Mullin, Kris Humphries, Troy Murphy, John Kuester, Jason Kapono, Joel Przybilla, Ryan Bowen, David Lee, Chris Andersen, Rex Chapman, Luke Walton, Chris Mihm, Dave Debusschere, Nick Collison, Vinny Del Negro, Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Fred Roberts, Chris Quinn, Brian Scalabrine, Jeff Foster, Michael Doleac, Brad Lohaus, Goran Suton, Luke Ridnour, Kent Benson, Ryan Anderson, Josh Davis, Cole Aldrich, Dick Mcguire, Aaron Williams, Jon Barry, Jason Smith, Tom Tolbert, Craig Ehlo, Jeff Sheppard, Travis Knight, Mark Acres, John Abramovic, Drew Barry, Mark Alarie, Steve Henson, Brian Evans, Scooter Barry, Tom Abernethy. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 448. 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 Los Angeles Lakers Jerry Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nicknames include "Mr. Clutch" for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation; "The Logo" in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo; and "Zeke from Cabin Creek" after the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia. Playing the small forward position early in his career, West was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University, leading the WVU Mountaineers to the 19...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=331363 ... Read more