Review of "Great Sports Stories From Sports Illustrated," edited by Robert Vitarelli

 Review of

Great Sports Stories From Sports Illustrated, edited by Robert Vitarelli

Four out of five stars

Stories not great, but coverage is

 There are seventeen short stories in this book, none of which can be considered great. Three of the stories cover some of the all-time greats, Babe Ruth, Red Grange and Joe DiMaggio. Those stories are of average quality. What makes this book interesting is in the coverage of other people in sports that most people have never heard of.

 There is coverage of the day when journeyman golfer Lee Mackey Jr. shot a record 64 in a U.S. Open tournament round, his only major achievement in golf. There is the game in 1895 considered to be the birth of professional football, Madame Anderson, a female marathon walker, Annie Smith Peck, mountaineer extraordinaire, the first ever rodeo with prize money in 1883 and Frank Lockhart who died trying to set a new land speed record.

 Some people try to restrict the definition of sports to those that are popular. One of the best aspects of Sports Illustrated is that they cover many different sports as well as both genders. This book demonstrates that characteristic.

Review of "Pro Basketball Factbook 1972-1973," edited by Jack Orr

 Review of

Pro Basketball Factbook 1972-1973, edited by Jack Orr

Five out of five stars

An interesting look back to an earlier time

 Modern followers of sports are not aware of how pro basketball has changed since the early seventies. Pro basketball was not very popular at that time, arenas were rarely full and franchises moved rather frequently. The team now known as the Sacramento Kings was the Cincinnati Royals until 1972, when they relocated to being the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. Unable to survive financially there as well, the team moved again to their present location of Sacramento.

 The game has also changed with the arrival of showtime stars with a great deal of entertainment value and speed. When it was first introduced, the three-point shot made little difference, but now it is an integral part of nearly every team’s offense.

 This book is nothing more than statistics about the players. There are some very key points regarding many of the stars of the time. I paid particular attention to Wilt Chamberlain and Karem Abdul-Jabbar. Wilt Chamberlain’s field goal percentage in the 71-72 season was 0.649 while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s was 0.574. Two other powerful centers of that year, Willis Reed and Wes Unseld had field goal percentages of 0.438 and 0.498 respectively.

 There are other interesting nuggets that can be extracted from this book. I had a great deal of fun searching for other items of interest.

Review of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Visual Dictionary"

 Review of

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Visual Dictionary ISBN 9781465438164

Five out of five stars

Clear explanations of the characters and their backgrounds

 I loved episodes IV, V and VI of Star Wars and was extremely disappointed in episodes I, II and III. Episode VII was a bit of an improvement, but there was a far more complex context in the story. The Empire was defeated and the Emperor killed, leading to the rebirth of the Republic. A new dictatorial group known as the First Order has arisen and there is a man with powers emanating from the force that is a wanabee Darth Vader. The heroes of the middle three episodes have been relegated to secondary status in the new political order.

 Into all of this complex political and relationship mix there is a genocidal battle where a village is wiped out by troops that appear to be imperial Storm Troopers. There is a lot of action with the two new characters of Rey and Finn but very little is explained. This book does a great deal to answer the logical questions about what has happened.

 It also gives some essential background on many of the supporting characters and groups that the new round of heroes encounter. This is a book that one should read after seeing the movie and then once you finish it, view the movie again. The story will make a good deal more sense the second time.

Review of "Black Like Me," by John Howard Griffin

 Review of

Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin

Five out of five stars

One of the most powerful novels ever written

 I read this book while I was in high school upon recommendation of one of my language arts teachers. After completing it, I thanked her for the recommendation. I firmly believe it should be required reading in American high schools. In approximately 160 pages, Griffin describes what it was like for black people in the Deep South before the Civil Rights Movement forced desegregation.

 Griffin used scientific methods and knowledge of the differences between the races to adopt the physical appearance of a black man. The change in his social standing was extreme. As a white male, he could go where he wanted, get a drink of water and speak to white women. Yet, once his skin was darkened, his movements were severely restricted, and he didn’t dare make the most generic of conversation with a white woman.

 No white person can ever truly understand what it is like to have dark skin in America and of course much has improved since this book was written in 1961. Yet, there is a great deal of racist residue in America and this book will raise your consciousness regarding the history of racism in America. Young blacks will benefit from the lesson on what it used to be like.

Review of "Laugh-In #2, Mod, Mod World," by Roy Doty

 Review of

Laugh-In #2, Mod, Mod World, by Roy Doty

Five out of five stars

Pop culture at it’s finest and most influential

 When the television show Laugh-In started, it was a sensation. Some of the phrases used on that show became instant popular phrases that all people were saying. Statements such as “Sock it to me,” “Here come the judge,” “Very interesting,” and “You bet your sweet bippy” were repeated often and by people in all walks of life. The jokes came fast and furious, with the joke wall being the signature event.

 This book captures the looniness of the show. The puns, the names that would result if two people were to marry or be crossed and the simple silliness are all revisited. It expressed many aspects of the counter-culture active at the time and pushed the lines of censorship with sexual innuendo and expressed a great deal of political satire.

 It was a show for the times, with roots solid in vaudeville and other forms of entertainment. The book reads easy and fast and is also a bit of a history lesson in humor before the censorship of profanity was lifted.

Review of "Danish Proverbs," compiled by Julie Jensen McDonald

 Review of

Danish Proverbs, compiled by Julie Jensen McDonald ISBN 157216087x

Five out of five stars

Proverbs in the tradition of Hans Christian Andersen

 This collection of short, simple sayings from the Danish culture are generally similar to those in other cultures. The wisdom present in a short sentence is extensive and valuable, worthy of being repeated and being hung on the wall.

 Some examples are:

“Sow little, reap little.
“Speech is oft repented, silence seldom.”
“A meager compromise is better than a fat lawsuit.”

 This is a book that is very appropriate for a coffee table or bathroom, anywhere where one needs a few moments of simple amusement. The contents can be read and reread without boredom or redundancy.

Review of "A Holiday in Hitlerland: A War Journal," by James F. Stone

 Review of

A Holiday in Hitlerland: A War Journal, by James F. Stone

Four out of five stars

A memoir of being a POW in Germany

 The author was the member of an American bomber crew flying missions over Europe in World War II. In early April of 1944 Stone was on board a bomber that was badly shot up and managed to execute a controlled crash landing in northern Germany. The crew was easily captured, and this book is a chronicle of his experiences as a POW.

 Relative to many others, his experiences and those of his fellow prisoners were rather mild. Stone mentions several times how the German guards were rather friendly. There was an instance where they encountered some members of the SS that seemed determined to punish the POWs. That attempt was thwarted when their German guard drew his pistol and backed them off.

 Other than the fact that the author lived through these experiences, there is little that is completely unique about this history. One exception is that the men interrogating the POWS had often spent significant time in the United States. One POW even met a man that worked with his father, used to bounce him on his knee and occasionally give him treats.

 Another amusing point is about the Ukrainian woman that shoveled the raw sewage into a wagon for transport to the fields to be used as fertilizer. She was a cheerful woman and when asked why, she said that her job here was easier than what she had at home, and she received better food.