Next time, Tiger, write it yourself
593924
Tiger Woods is among the premier ball strikers in the game today, and this book - which is credited as authored by him "With the Editors of Golf Digest" - is profusely illustrated with the reasons why.
It's all here in full color - page after page of glorious photos of that even-more-glorious swing, from every conceivable angle. The photos pinpoint each swing movement Tiger talks about in the text, which is conversationally written and easy to understand. Reading and studying this book will expand your knowledge of the golf swing and force you to think about your swing in new ways, both of which are positive things.
The only cautionary note I would sound, in terms of how to use this book, is this: Don't dip into it before a competitive round of golf. Your mind will be crammed with so many thoughts about swing mechanics that you'll find it tough to concentrate on the task at hand, which in competitive play is picking the most appropriate target and hitting the ball accurately toward it. "How I Play Golf" is much better suited as a practice range companion - and after all, who wouldn't love to spend a few hours on the range with Tiger?
So why not five stars? In two words, "Tiger Tales." "Tiger Tales" is a recurring feature in the book, and it is here that the reason for the "With the Editors of Golf Digest" authorship credit becomes most obvious.
The "Tiger Tales" purport to share Tiger's own story of how he learned this or that shot or technique. The stories, written in the first person, are usually set in tournament play. To be blunt, they are related in a kind of smarmy, narcissistic, promotional style that just doesn't sound like Tiger. Instead, "Tiger Tales" mostly sound like somebody took a "for instance" example that Tiger related and sexed it up with a little too much drama and way too much ego.
These "Tales" would be much more appropriate as third-person journalistic reportage in a golf magazine than as the written-as-told-by-Tiger pieces they are presented to be in this book. By his own admission Tiger is a pretty introverted guy, and I just can't imagine him expressing these stories in this way.
This may not seem like a big deal in terms of the overall quality of the book, but I much prefer the total lack of ego Ben Hogan showed in "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf." (See my review of this classic guide to the golf swing here on amazon.) The Hogan book is a much better volume for those seeking the sense that they are being taught by a master, rather than victimized by a master's promotional machine. The inability of Golf Digest's editors to allow the "real" Tiger to come through was, for me, a big disappointment.
Nonetheless, this book is a tour de force of instructional excellence provided you take what you need and leave the rest.
3034201
I'm glad I picked this up; however, it wasn't ready to be published. As nearly as I can tell, it appears to be the effort of either a young person or a writer new to the English language. Perhaps attempting a short story as a class assignment? Or just sketching out the bare bones of a story? Nevertheless, go ahead and get it for free if you can, as I did. Then enjoy it as a cheerful toss off. It'll only take five minutes of your time. I gave it three stars instead of one--in spite of falling rather far short in most ways--because: (1) I liked the twist in the ending where reward is given for something positive and is not derived from revenge, (2) the story idea succeeded brilliantly in lighting up my imagination, and (3) it made me laugh! I sincerely hope that this author will continue to study both English and the craft of writing. The basic story-telling instinct is definitely there. It will just need skill and polish to produce the finished stories that will draw appreciative readers.
1854767
Good advices, really liked it. What I didn't liked is that sometimes author repeats something over and over again to obviously create more contetnt. Like if the publisher said: Jeff, that's cool but we need 50 more pages. So sometimes there are 3 senteces made from one, or a naive story about a frog told like from 3 angles. But worth reading!
1061385
It is a funny write up and a good one time read. Even though at times, the author goes beyond logic, once you assume that this is supposed to be a mockery and comedy, you can read through. One caution though: use your own discretion before even thinking to practice any advises given in the book. Remember, this is fiction.
434289
I was wondering if the writer is still in the mental loop of "i love myself" or wrote something worth writing
371256
As a golf teacher "The Big Miss" has given me insight to teaching both better players and players who have"attitude". Tiger definitely has both talent and attitude. When his attitude is at least receptive to constructive criticism he has a much better chance of unleashing his talent. In this he is no different from anyone. He was fortunate to have Hank for an important period in his career but it seems as if he wasn't willing to acknowledge it to himself or Hank. It's a shame Tiger couldn't humble himself enough to allow someone who obviously cared deeply about him as a golfer and a person to get closer and allow that trust to produce better results both on and off the course. Hank never abuses the relationship he shared with Tiger with the reader, yet manages to convey his personal insights in an enlightening manner. I'll enjoy re-reading it soon to gain more insight into the technical side of teaching advanced players.
2115058
I thought it was pretty well written from the perspective of someone who dreams of major championship golf glory. But, when I finished reading it, all I could think is, "Is that it?" Left a little to be desired at the end.
4242200
Thank you for sharing, Herschel. I think you wrote this book relatively short into your healing process. I would be curious how you would have edited it now.
3220586
I think it's well written and I'm a HUGE Tiger fan. You can tell the author did a good job of doing his research prior to writing and that shows. I highly recommend it if you're at all a golf fan
3810444
This is a golfer's good read. Especially golfers always looking for excuses for why they play lousy - equipment especially. The key is practice, and Hogan's life story is a great testament to that.

Dodson, though, is a surprisingly undisciplined writer. Far too often there are hard to follow run-on sentences. A few of them I read three times and still didn't understand them. All too often the subject-verb agreement is unclear, muddled. He also uses the verb "to be" far too often, and also uses far too many buried verbs; that is, verbs that get their energy from the verb "to be". In fact, there isn't really much strong verb usage in this book; overuse of the verb "to be" makes for very flabby writing. Dodson's writing isn't downright dreary, but it's too often lackluster for such a rich subject. (Want to read a master of good verb usage - try Caputo's "A Rumor Of War"). For Dodson, I'd recommend a copy of Strunk and White.

(No, I'm not an English teacher, I'm a lawyer.)

Nothing is better than an engrossing story that's beautifully written. Here, the story (content) is certainly engrossing, but the writing style (the form) is below average.
2050132
Picked it up over the weekend.  Really like the tips on how to find something to write about.  If your like me, your stuck wondering what in the world anyone would be interested in that you could write about.  Well he has an interesting exercise to start with.  I have a few ideas now, that I am actually looking forward to.
2380554
Caveat emptor: I have been keeping journals since elementary school, and only recently started looking into the genre of journal prompts, so this is a rather nave review in span.  I was looking for daily prompts to guide my writing during dry spells, and while this book does have a fair few such prompts, it's not designed for lengthy responses in the book itself.

Do NOT mistake this for a self-help or life-changing mantra kind of book; sorry about the title.  Many of the prompts are not the sort of thing for a gullible reader looking for a self-help book, or even just a fun self-challenge-mix-it-up page-a-day book (Jour 209: Smoke 60 Gauloises is certainly an expensive challenge, to say the least.  This book does not help you quit smoking).

This Book Will Change your life is a fun read -- and I mean en-ter-tain-ing -- but it is not exactly inspirational writing material.  While all the prompts are hilarious (see Day 53: Return Your Junk Mail), only a few (like Day 320: Posterity Day) might get your creative writing flowing.

If you tend to write a long narrative or stream of consciousness journal, this book can help you get there, but you'll need a blank book (I recommend anything from Moleskine to Eccolo to legal pads) to flesh out everything you might like to say in response to things like Day 271: Today, Talk to a Child, or Day 349: Today, Don't Answer the Phone.  The book provides small, post-it sized "Notes" areas, which again speaks to a fun read, but not much to write.

The Writers Benrik get 5 stars for entertainment value, but I give this 4/5 because I was looking for more of a writing journal.  On the other hand, if you need something to spice up a party or even just enliven your coffee table, enjoy!
4806001
This is another example of a dope writer. Another classic under his belt. I aspire to have a successful career like K'wan with my own books as well.<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/By-Any-Means-2-The-Ghetto-Gospel/dp/1467550698/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">By Any Means 2: The Ghetto Gospel</a>
634260
How this guy ever got published is a lesson in itself!
I read this book back in 2000 before the crash and agreed with
some of his reasoning as to the mechanics and ideas which would be implemented in the New Millenium, but disagreed with his
belief that there would be such great prosperity,as history ALWAYS repeats itself.
But alas, no one wants a pessimist. Then he came out with the "Roaring 2000's Investor", which again was creative and showed brilliance, but proved to by flawed on many levels. Now he has another book slated to come out
"The Greatest Bull Market in History: 2003-2008: Investment, Business and Life Strategies - For the Great Boom Ahead and the Great Bust to Follow"
If his past predictions are any indication, this title itself is already filled with hindsight and error. I can tell you there will be no sustainable bull market on any of the indexes for at least the next decade.
I must admit I would like to speak with this guy. With a few real life experiences under his belt he may really hit the target, but so far the best title for a book would be "The Roaring 2000's: How to prosper by making the best seller list by publishing books that make people believe you have the answers."
Lession #1: Don't put dates in the titles of your books that try to predict the future"
1736011
Heartening to see an endorsement of the natural flow that writers have in the draft stages. Some of us think in pictures but some in sounds . I actually think in dialogue. Telling is natural for me. But editors theorise about show and tell as if all stories are meant for movie screenplays. In the process, the creativity sulks in a cranny trying to show what it wants to scream out...

Thanks, boss, I am going back to my ways.
131762
The Authentic Swing is more about writing as art than writing as craft. This came as a surprise to me, but not an unpleasant one. After all, there are hundreds of books on the technical side of writing but precious few about finding your path, yourself, your soul, as a writer.

Finding Your Writing Soul

I have a confession: I've never golfed. Not once. Ever. Yet I found Steven Pressfield's account of the game riveting. He gave me new ways to think about it.

It turns out that golf is a lot like writing. Here's an excerpt:

"[T]he struggle of the golfer ... is the same as the struggle of the writer.
"It's the struggle of any artist or entrepreneur, any athlete or warrior, anyone engaged in a spiritual pursuit, as meditation or the martial arts, yoga, dance, calligraphy; any person, male or female, in any creative or ethical field.
"What is this struggle? It's the quest to connect with one's true ground. To become who we really are.
"It's the search for our true voice."

Steven Pressfield holds that trusting ourselves, trusting our own deeper nature, is the key to writing:

"This is how writing works.
You start with instinct.
You plunge in.
Good things happen."

And that's what The Authentic Swing is about, it's about finding yourself as a writer and then having the courage to trust yourself. For example, Pressfield writes (and this is a paraphrase):

The struggle of the golfer is the same as the struggle of the writer or of any other artist. We must connect with our true ground. We must "become who we really are". In other words, writing, like golf, like any other artistic pursuit, is nothing less than "the search for our true voice".

That's not the entirety of Steven Pressfield's writing advice, but it does tie into his instructions for how to write a first draft.

First Drafts And How To Write Them

In a word: Quickly!

All Steven Pressfield's advice resonated with me, but his advice about first drafts made me want to spring out of my comfy reading chair and do a happy dance. "Yes!" I thought. "Someone else who thinks like I do." It's always nice to know you're not alone.

Here's Steven Pressfield's advice for first drafts: Don't stop, don't think. Write.

He holds that "our supreme priority is to get SOMETHING down from Page One to The End--no matter how incomplete and imperfect".

He also writes that:

"The enemy in the first draft is not incompleteness or inexactness or imperfection. The enemy is resistance. The enemy is self-sabotage."

You have to dig deep, trust yourself and then dive in.

The Authentic Swing is a slim volume of only 150 pages, with the lines widely spaced. But that's okay. No complaints. It's not about how many pages a book has, it's about what's on them and this one is bursting with writerly goodness.

The Authentic Swing is a quick, enjoyable, read and a valuable addition to any writer's library. Five stars.

FYI, I was sent an ARC of The Authentic Swing.
2944249
I avoid authors who frequently use profanity or obscenities so I do not read Stephen King's novels.  This book was lent to me by a member of my Critique Group who thought it was worth breaking my rule. (She was right).

  If you are like minded, skip this author's memoir which makes up the first one-third of the book and begin with the TOOLBOX section in the middle.  Here you will find basic instruction for getting off on the right foot in your writing career.  King knows how to teach and his examples are down-to-earth.  Bits of humor make the medicine go done like that spoonful of sugar. They also keep you reading to see what he will teach your next. His topics are based on questions posed to him by "wannabe" novelists.

  After being struck by a maniac driver that left him in excruciating pain and a long recovery, this tough guy forced himself back to his writing and completed this book. I am glad he did.  King writes from his own experience with many references to his novels and explains what he is doing with transferable concepts.  The lesson that he hammers home is the importance of reading a lot and writing a lot.  Then, when one has crafted his manuscript to the best of his ability, he learns to make the best possible professional presentation of his work to his potential publishers.

  "On Living: A Postcript"  is the final portion of this book where we learn the details of King being mowed down by that insane driver running on the shoulder. It's a you-are-there description of what happened and how his precious wife encouraged him through what happened thereafter. This section was written with very little profanity or street language.  Thank you Mr. King.

  The book concludes with a portion of one of his raw manuscripts, followed by an edited version with explanations for the changes...and a reminder that the first thing one should do is to reduce the length of that first draft by 10%.

  To get the most out of this how-to-learn-to-write-for-publication, I suggest  you purchase a secondhand copy and then sit down with your highlighter in hand and go out it.

-Hope Irvin Marston, author of EYE ON THE IDITAROD:  AISLING'S QUEST