Customer Reviews

All Things Possible: My Story of Faith, Football, and the First Miracle Season

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading this book, I truly do believe that all things are possible. Kurt Warner has a truly remarkable story to tell.

In All Things Possible, I knew the final outcome. Unless you live in a cave, eveyone knew that Kurt Warner had a super season, capped off with a Super Bowl victory, picking up the game's MVP award. However, this book did more than go behind the scenes of that incredible season. It introduced us to Kurt Warner, the person.

He has had one incredible life. In this book, he touches upon everything, from his personal life struggles to being cut by the Green Bay Packers and having to work at a supermarket. We also meet his family, including his wonderful wife, Brenda. His story is one of overcomming seemingly unbeatable odds. Warner was constantly having to battle serious problems that always seemed to be hurled at him at the most difficult times. He never gave up, and his faith in the higher power is one that should not be taken lightly.

In this book, Warner is incredibly candid and does not hold anything back. He is straightforward and always honest. He hides nothing, and that is what truly makes this book an inspirational and enjoyable read. The personal stories add feeling and sometimes humor to the wonderfully written account of him and his family.

All Things Possible has something for everybody, including a nice romance in the background. His marriage proposal still brings a smile to my face. Kurt Warner tells his interesting story in a straightforward, yet nicely detailed language that allows you to keep turning pages as fast as he racks up passing yards. This book is more than just another athlete's story. It serves as an inspiration to keep pursuing your dream, whatever that may be, by believing in yourself. Any, if not all, things are possible.

An easy and enjoyable read; not a Hemmingway or Vonnegut by any stretch but it certainly tells a compelling story. I told people to draft Kurt Warner for their fantasy teams when he became the starter for the Rams because I had seen him play (in person) for the Iowa Barnstormers and his accuracy was unreal. I already knew a lot of his background but the book really examines in detail the hardships Kurt faced and the perserverance and faith he possessed on this wild ride. Simply put, Kurt Warner's story is a story for the ages and possibly the greatest underdog sports story of all time. What he did in 1999 and early 2000 is almost incomprehensible but he did it, and the NFL will never be the same. Plus, he is a genuinely nice guy. Sometimes nice guys do finish first.

Kurt Warner is an outspoken Christian, and not everyone appreciates that. However, this book demonstrates that faith in a higher power can lead someone to unimaginable heights.

As a St. Louis football fan, I remember the sinking feeling we all had when Trent Green was injured. I watched in amazement as our second-string quarterback not only rose to the occasion, but proved himself to be the best there ever was. I am proud that my city is the home of both Kurt and Mark McGwire.

In this era of the "National Felony League", Kurt Warner is a bona fide role model. Non-believers will scoff, but I say that part of God's plan was to put this talented man on top as a message. Anyone can be great, and without having to sacrifice character.

The one thought that kept coming to my mind as I read about Kurt's circuitous path to NFL stardom and the various setbacks along the way was: "Man! THIS is where I would have given up!"

This inspiring first-person account of Kurt's high school and college career, the rejection by the Packers, the humbling supermarket job to make ends meet, the Arena League, NFL Europe, the last-place Rams, and finally the "Story Book Season" was amazing enough. Intertwined in Kurt's amazing story is the equally amazing story of Kurt's wife Brenda and her children, her son's freak accident, her divorce, meeting Kurt, living on food stamps, the death of her parents.

Through it all, they grew in their faith in God. If ever there was a story that validated Romans 8:28, it would have to be this one.

Kurt represents all that is execellent in the NFL today. The NFL needs more Kurt Warners!

Anyone who's trying to succeed in any thing in life faces adversity and doubt. Even those people who are close to you seem to lose faith in goals that you're trying to achieve. Sometimes it's just you against the world. Kurt Warner describes how he turned rejection into triumph. Even when his dream seemed unattainable, Kurt took whatever positives he could squeeze out and used it as fuel for his fire. A fire that burns inside like a volcano. I haven't been motivated like this since Rocky. I can hardly wait for the movie.

This book is a must have for any and all fans, If you've ever had a doubt about where this man came from and where he's going this book will answer it . A true "Cinderella story" in modern day sports, This book shows why this man is capable of even greater performances in the future, I loved it !

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I truly admire Kurt Warner conviction to his Faith, his family and perseverance. Kurt seems like a down to earth guy who has a strong support system. Kurt was given an opportunity and he took full advantage of it. In truth, this book is about an Every Day Guy who makes it to the Big Time and hasn't forgotten who he really is. Nothing out of the ordinary here, very easy to read.

I had read this book after INSIGHT FOR LIVING promoted it. And I did enjoy it since after the Atlanta Olympics the games had whetted my need for seeing exciting competition on TV and I started watching por football again for a few years. It also gave me and my therapist Lisa something to talk about besides movies.
I am reminded of a Vince Lombardi training film we had to watch in Army Basic Training at Ft. Dix, NJ on the subject on Second Effort, and how persistance pays off. That and how my Drill Sergeant had once told me "Stick to Your Guns when you know you are right".
I liked how the rich sucessful Kurt had shared with us that his wife and he got food stamps at one time. And like he said, people give you hate even over using them-not to mention little harassment by food Stamp cashiers like trying to deny your stamps because they thought your signature did not perfectly match the one of your ID card!
I know after I had read his book I used to joke to myself that if ol' Kurt has a bad season or two, he will find himself on food stamps again! And after that thought, he did injure a finger on his throwing hand, ended up a second stringer and then was traded to the Arizona Cardinals-a bad break!
I did feel bad for Kurt when Gordon Robertson had grilled him on THE 700 CLUB about him "living in sin" with his fiance Brenda. And how he met her in a bar. You can see that this man does not put on an air of pretend spirutality. I thought of a chapter from an INSIGHT FOR LIVING study guide "Portrait of a saint, warts and all!
When I wrote a Christian Witness for my first attempt at writing as was recommended in a John Irving novel, Word publisher was honest with me and said that Christian Witnesses do not sell very well unless the author is a celebrity or media minister. I am sure it is his pro football career that got his book in the door.
I was sort of propehetically thinking about the words of Solomon from Ecclesiastes "The race is not to the swift, the battle is not to the strong, but time and chance overtake them all!"
This is a good illustration of that as well because Kurt went to a small college, did not make it into the NFL right away,and had to gain experience in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe. If I remeber right he even said he sat the bench in college as well!
I thought maybe God was showing me from my hard times that anyone can find themselves on welfare, no matter how smart or educated they were. You might even just be somone suffering from some sort of discrimination-like you don't fit inb with the crowd! I had seen on a news magazine how a man from Europe with a PhD in Psychology had found himself on welfare for five years after a patient falsely accused him of sexually mollesting him! During the Clinton Administration even the News Radio station WCBS had a public service commerical FOOD STAMPS; CHECK IT OUT. And this was an all news radio station in New York City which professionals listen to.

In general,I don't review biographies of athletes, because they are what you'd expect them to be, self-serving. So, other than Deion Sander's book, this is the only one I've reviewed.
The reason for this review is simple...I highly respect Kurt Warner, and his book is actually pretty darn good. Is the fact that I respect and admire him the reason I rate this book so highly? Perhaps, but I'd like to think it's more to do with the actual story than the man.
This book isn't self-serving to the degree that one would anticipate, largely because I think Kurt was a little overwhelmed with what he accomplished in the miracle season (this book was written just after the Ram's Super Bowl victory, so I believe Kurt was still under the afterglow). Having said that, however, I do believe if the book was written now that it would be quite similar, due to the fact that Kurt's faith has kept him humble.
The background on his life and his days in the Arena League were surprisngly interesting, but the highlight of the book is his time with the Rams during the 1999 season. If you are a Rams fan, it's a great way to re-live a monumental moment in St. Louis history that, at the time of this writting, looks more and more like it will not be duplicated.
I would, in light of the last few seasons which have seen Kurt hurt, benched, waived, and in a new uniform in New York, like to see Kurt write ANOTHER book, detailing how his faith has helped him through those ordeals that took him from the King of the Hill in St. Louis to baby-sitter for Eli Manning in New York. THAT would be a hard read, because as I mentioned before my fondness for the man, but it would be MUCH more interesting, and I think would have a larger impact in terms of people looking for faith inspiration in the midst of turmoil.

Just a great book. The message of never giving up should be carried out by all who have dreams! From getting cut time and time again to stepping in after Trent Green got hurt..Warner had one of the most productible and amazing seasons a professional athlete could ever have!

Yup, it's true, he's not a heisman winner, no first round pick, worked at a grocery store while playing semi-pro ball just so he could pay the bills! His love for his wife and her son was compelling, this guy is noble and it's to bad there are not more athletes out there like him!

All things possible...Kurt Warner took the impossible, ate it up, spit it out, kept on truckin, and ended up going all the way to being regular season and Super Bowl MVP. That superbowl was one of the greatest ever, a nail biter in which Kurt never waivered, taking his team to victory! Read this book!!