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Post by fatmenace on Nov 2, 2009 21:52:47 GMT -6
If you're a fan of Simmons and you like basketball, I recommend this work. This book isn't just his old columns republished, but the themes are very familiar, like his Hall of Fame Pyramid, love of Boston, etc
Won't give too much away, but a nice blend of entertaining stories, analysis and talking about topics most in the mainstream media don't.
At 700 pages it's quite a hefty read.
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Post by fatmenace on Nov 2, 2009 21:53:35 GMT -6
You can call me the Peter King of book reviews: say absolutely nothing and stamp it with approval (FJM pegged him with that description).
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Post by gk on Nov 2, 2009 22:40:23 GMT -6
Got it a few days ago in the mail. I'm about 150 pages in. So far so good. Although there are always a few annoying Simmons-isms that bother me:
1) The footnotes are incredible distracting. They're funny if used occasionally, but it's giving me a headache having to scan down to the bottom of the page and scan back every other paragraph.
2) He keeps referring to the cocaine era of basketball in throwaway lines. He cites no stories, reporting, or bothers to conduct his own reporting. Maybe more is on the way in the next 550 pages but he seems to just toss out stuff like that.
3) Blatant Boston homer-ism. It's getting worse. Case-in-point: why make the Russell-vs-Wilt chapter Chapter 2??? That's the second chapter in the book! A whole chapter devoted to telling us how much better Bill Russell is? Yeesh.
/rolls eyes
Still, very entertaining and I'm learning a ton about the first 40 years of the league. I can't wait to read the chapter where the Cavs won the championship in 2009 over the lakers.
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Post by fatmenace on Nov 3, 2009 1:07:54 GMT -6
Yeah, his overuse of footnotes is baffling.
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Post by gk on Nov 3, 2009 12:02:13 GMT -6
I'm debating going and getting it signed in Denver on 11/20. It might be fun, but is it really worth an hour drive and maybe an hour+ wait?
It would make a nice X-mas gift for people...
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