Hal Hits It Out of the Ball Park!
922502
Hal Holbrook is not only a remarkable actor but he is a very fine writer who is not afraid to open himself up about his life and feelings. And he has had a most interesting and fascinating life. He has a way with words that was unexpected simply because he is so well know for his portrayal of another man's words, Mark Twain's. Once I started reading his book, I couldn't put it down, didn't want it to end, and wish he would write another one.
4298427
This book is an easy read and I'm anxious to get started.  Hal's story is amazing and inspiring.  I recommend this book for anyone struggling to fit personal development into their daily routine.
4140551
As an avid Halo fan I was pleasantly surprised with the unorthodox approach to this book. It reads more like a real-life history guide to the Halo Universe, rather than a snazzy tech manual you'd expect from a sci-fi game. The articles are broken up into various themes and formats making reading both exciting and very informative. I highly recommended!
4961346
I read this book and then read it again to my wife and daughter.  We all loved it!  Kevin takes us from his early years, giving a good chronology of how he went from being a typical 9-year-old kid to the FBI's most wanted hacker, and ultimately, a sought-after security professional.  Reading it was a good mix of suspense (how will he get out of this one and what will happen next?) and comedy (did he really just go and do that again?).  He takes you with him and if you're at all familiar with any of the cities, you almost feel like you're there with him. This writing team also does a great job of balancing the stories so that there's enough "geek talk" for my appetite on the "how he did it" and enough straight, clear talk for my family to follow along and enjoy the story as well.  Oh, and for those of us now working in the corporate IT world, it's a HUGE eye opener at just how vulnerable we still are in spite of our expensive security systems.
2725421
Reading this book gives me a new perspective on baseball and the men that played it. Michael Lynch delves into the lives of the players whether it be good or bad, proving that they were human. The writing is well detailed on stats and personal lifestyles. Michael, has put a lot of thought into how he wanted to classify each and every player and manager. This is one great read and I recommend all baseball fans pick this book up and read it!! I can't wait for the next book to come out.
3294794
First, I must admit I am a huge fan of Hal McCoy having read every word he's written since he's been covering the Reds. This book is something I have awaited with much anticipation and it has really exceeded even my expectations. Hal has always been able to give so much insight into the players and the game itself, often with tongue firmly planted in cheek, Reds fan? MUST READ. Baseball fan? MUST READ. Just enjoy a great narrative? MUST READ. Great work from a true Hall of Famer.
1129228
Holy Cow! is an excellent history of 50 years of Major League baseball. Harry relates his experiences as a broadcaster for the Cards, A's, White Sox, and Cubs.  Anyone who loves baseball will enjoy this book.  Fans of Caray will find it informative, witty, outrageous, and fun, just like Harry himself.
1742080
Al has written another hilarious (yet totally unrelated) book.  He's mentioned many of these stories over the years at the Early-Retirement.org forums, but now you can read them all in one place in a couple of hours.

He also talks about life events that he's only mentioned in passing before:  losing everything in a house fire, and Lena's bicycle crash.  I'm gratified that he had the courage to write about them and is willing to share them with his readers.

The book starts as a celebration of their daughter Jenny's graduation from college.  It quickly detours into reviews of campgrounds and bicycle trails all over the northwest & central U.S., where to find good WiFi on the road, the best repair methods for flat tires, how to handle bad weather and leaky air mattresses, and why camping is dead.  Just like Al and Lena start every day of this journey with a smile and a plan, you'll start every chapter of his book with only a vague idea of whether they'll arrive at their destination before nightfall.

Anyway I've known Al over the Internet for years and he's surfed the Hawaii waves with me a couple of times.  He's that neighbor who you always enjoy hanging out with over a frosty beverage or two.  He tells a great story, and it's worth at least $2.99 to read it at your own pace!
3897876
I got his book yesterday (Saturday) and I finished it this afternoon!

The book will completely wrap you up in the stories and the DETAILED descriptions of everything he went through. He doesn't pull any punches, even when it comes to some embarassing details and crazy self-depricating humor.

Even if you aren't a fan of his, or ever even watched American Gladiators, you WILL enjoy this book. There isn't a dull moment. I haven't read a book in ages, but this one made me keep going. I sware I stayed up past 3AM last night (or this morning, whichever way you look at it) reading it and I only stopped because my vision was blurring, I'm not kidding. I didn't want to stop.

This book made me feel kinda guilty, because I was an avid American Gladiators fan, I still am actually, I won't even miss a rerun I've seen hundreds of times! But all the things he did to his body to please the crowd, and to satisfy his addiction because he felt like he NEEDED to use drugs, is detailed and heart-wrenching. I read that somebody cried like four times reading it. I almost came to that, but there were people in the room, and I try not to cry in front of anyone.

His life is defined by the tragedies that he faced as a child and he explains it to the reader like he is TELLING it to you in person. You can actually picture the words playing out like it's a movie; a very sad, graphic movie that you can't look away from, even at the most detailed content that you cannot believe actually happened in his life.

Before reading his book, I knew steroids were bad, I knew about the "glorified side-effects", but I never knew the more inner personal side-effects. Steroids are NO JOKE, using steroids is NO JOKE. It's not a joke, they will [..............]! Dan Clark exposed his most inner secrets in incredible detail to PROVE that steroids are NOT GOOD, they are REALLY NO JOKE, he tells his story to help people understand the more unknown side-effects of steroid use, that people might try to look away from, turn a blind eye to. He DOESN'T depict himself as a victim, he knows he did it to himself. The Epilogue is extremely powerful, extremely powerful. He actually offers up his own advice to parents of athletes.

This book is a great read. It's real, it's detailed all the way through about his using, trying to overcome it, becoming a father, being an American Gladiator, growing up, everything is here, and I recommend it to anybody. If you are thinking about buying this book, don't THINK about it, BUY IT, BUY IT NOW! Definite 5 ***** STAR book, definately.

Review by - The Robin.
3249120
I am truely blessed that I stumbled onto this book.  I have never gone through such an emotional rollar-coaster while reading a book.  I felt like I was right next to Hal as he went through his many experiences.  This book will truely inspire you to do great things.  It will also make you appreciate every second you have on this world and encourage you to make the best of the time you have.  Thank you Hal for sharing your story!!
297352
Hal Croasmun is a MASTER of this field and I'm THRILLED to finally see a how-to book from him! I've been a follower of Hal's and his ScreenwritingU for over three years and his insights and understanding of the industry are always spot on! He consistently proves that he is a master in this field. I've read all the other books, gone to lectures from "insiders", but I've found no one that packs more USABLE information into any class I take. His expertise comes not only from a producer viewpoint but in his amazing analytical talents as an Expert Model Consultant. This is a KEY BUY!
1569338
Loved it.  Totally original.  Can't wait for the next one from Hal!
3761098
Jayne's passion and dedication for baseball and especially the Houston minor league system have overflowed, literally, into this book. A must have for any minor league baseball nerd. Having all this searchable info at my fingertips and in one place is about as wonderful as pancakes in bed on a Saturday morning.
4467264
"Catching Lightning Without The Bottle" by Timothy F. Bouvine is a great read for any baseball fan, it is a fictional account that is as real feeling as hotdogs and apple pie.  The book takes you through arguably the greatest season in Chicago Cub history to disaster and death through a plane crash that takes the lives of the entire Chicago team, save one, Blake Benson, an alcoholic Over-The-Hill catcher who goes from the depths of alcohol abuse to a renewed zest for baseball and most importantly life.  From a marriage of love and betrayal the story Tim weaves will keep you on the edge of your seat, not really sure of what will come next.  Tim will then set you up for what you will think is coming in the finale only to pop you in the face with an ending you won't see coming.  The book is crammed with baseball lingo and strategy on seemingly every page, great for the baseball purist, then with great stealth he goes against baseball norm in a way that captivates your inner soul, and makes you think, do I really know baseball?  Tim Bouvine knows his baseball and it shows throughout his wonderfully written book.  Tim has cleverly woven an ever present reality of alcohol abuse and how it can be overcome without departing from the great Chicago Cub triumph in the world of baseball.  Well done and  a must read for so many reasons.
4833803
This book was given to me by my friend Jim prior to having Hal Elrod on as a guest on my radio show. I found the book to be inspiring. Hal was very down to earth on the interview. Definitely positive motivation! I highly recommend this book!
2845967
I loved this book!  It was such a fun read that I read it in one sitting.  Having gone to college in Chicago and attended many Cubs games, I thoroughly enjoyed Scott Simons stores about the Cubs and his lifelong support for (obsession with) the team.  Simon outlines the history of the team, highlights the franchises outstanding players, and elaborates on how the team finally made it to and actually won the World Series.  He spends time on the Cubs reluctance to provide lights at Wrigley Field so that night games could be played.  I was in college when that debate raged and the lights were finally added so I very much enjoyed that section.  Throughout the book, he relays humorous anecdotes as well which made the book even more entertaining.  My only change to the book would have been to not go into quite so much detail about the World Series games.  Other than that, My Cubs: A Love Story was outstanding.  Thanks to First to Read for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2470873
I grew up in The Heights and when Dennis wrote to me that he was planning on writing this book, I was thrilled!  I went through school with most of the guys in the band, went to their dances, and even bought their 45 from Steve Small!  To see the photos and read what went through Dennis's mind during these times was priceless.  As one of the few girls in neighborhood garage bands at the same time as The Moving Violation, I appreciate the insight Dennis provides into their actual instruments, gigs, management (yes, I am still in touch with Lee Abrams!), group dynamics, and what all of this meant - and still means - to him.  Dennis and R.J. Furth wrote a book so good that I literally sat down and read the whole thing in one afternoon.  Haven't done that with many books, but this one was so good I literally could not put it down.  Many thanks!