Customer Reviews

Best That I Can Be

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Everyone these days seems to be bemoaning the lack of heroes. We're treated to sex-and-politics scandals with plenty of bad guys and no good ones, sports stars on strike for more millions, etc., etc. Rafer Johnson's book is a wonderful reminder of what real heroism is: working hard, playing fair, doing the right thing. As a high school teacher, I value having real role models to show my students. At the same time, the book really does evoke the spirit of the times and a first-hand sense of the amazing variety of events that Johnson experienced.

Rafer Johnson's book contains that rare commodity: truth.

For many years it was my privilege to live next door to the Johnson family's summer retreat. Rafer's days passed pretty much normally, so far as we (his neighbors) could tell. Except for one thing: I doubt that Rafer Johnson allowed a single day to pass without performing some act of generosity or kindness; in one case which I actually witnessed, he saved a neighbor's life and then sat with us to help ease the trauma of the incident.

Raymond Aron once said, "Racism is the snobbery of the poor." Well, there is no snobbery evident in this world-class human being. If nothing else in life had served to teach me that skin color is immaterial, my acquaintance with Rafer Johnson certainly did the trick.

This book will most certainly do the same for its readers.

A fascinating man with an incredible life story. This book should be a must read for all high school students, athletes or not. Rafer Johnson proves what determination, character, and true grit can accomplish. I loved the book and hope his story is heard through generations. Rafer Johnson is one class act.

It was nice to learn about what has happened to Rafer Johnson over the years. The Best That I Can Be was a wonderful reminder of a marvelous athlete and competitor from years past plus an added bonus of hearing Rafer's incessant optimism and enthusiam. Gold Medalists come and go but few do so with the class and human decency that Johnson has displayed over a long period of time. If ever one is looking for a role model who demonstrated overcoming adversity with a smile on his face, it was Rafer Johnson. I only wished I had read this sooner.

I loved this book. It covered so many interesting things that I can't begin to list them. My utter excitement in the passages about the Olympics surprised me as I'm generally not a big sports fan. The book was so full of life that I felt like I was there, literally at the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. I was also very moved with other parts of the book - particularly the chapter on Bobby Kennedy. Reading this book is like watching history up close. I'm not surprised that "The Best that I Can Be" was number one on the L.A. Times Bestseller list this week. Absolutely worth reading!

Rafer's story demonstrates that great talent combined with great determination and a grand attitude is a winning combination. This is a book that a coach could easily recommend to a talented athlelete --even in today's world because everyone likes a winner.

Rafer Johnson, to me, exemplifies the perfect American athlete. Besides winning the 1960 Rome Olympics Decathlon in record points, he also won gols at the 1955 Pan American Games and took silver medal at Melbourne, AUS Olympic Decathlon! Rafer was known for promoting special olympics, and won numerous awards for sportsmanship over the years! Mr Johnson was one of those few in every million or so that truly set and still sets the standard of what being a true American, athlete and humanitarian is all about!!!!!!!!!! Rafer excelled in high school in football, averaging 17 yards a carry, batted .400 in baseball, averaged 17 points a game in basketball and averaged over 9 yards a carry in football while in high school. But Rafer's specialty was track and field. Going to UCLA, Rafer was offered a scholarship to play football but his real love was track and field. His high school coach took him to a decathlon meet near where 2 time decathlon winner Bob Mathias lived in Tulare, CA. Rafer told his coach:"gee coach, I could have beaten most of those guys there"! Rafer took on and beat such greats in the 50's as Russian decathlon whiz Vasily Kuznyetsov and fellow UCLA teammate and later his arch rival in '60 Rome Olympics CK Yang. Mr Johnson was flag bearer for USA Team in '60 games and also lit the torch at '84 Olympics in Los Angeles Games. Mr Johnson also acted and has done much in his lifetime promoting great charatible events and things for America's youth and good sportsmanship!!! Rafer Johnson is about the best example, to me, of an American, a true American and sportsman. A real leader, sportsman and humanitarian now and always!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has always and will continue to always inspire my life and millions of others the world over now and forevermore!

I was so glad to learn that you've finally come out with a book, Rafer! I have always been fascinated with your decathalon vs CK YANG, and wish that there could be more films and pictures (book) just on the 1960 Decathalon, alone! I remember old tv ads with you in them years past and your roles in TARZAN movies. I knew from watching you that you would always be my life's role model! The "new" generation we live in today has so much technology and modern tech toys; but something "REAL BIG" is lacking! True greatness and love of (SPORT) for the love of it, from your heart, and not big money! Men were real men then, and athletes were real athletes! I have always dreamed of meeting you in person oneday! You and Ethiopia's ABBEE BIKILA were, are and always be two of my all-time favorite role models and athletes, forever! Sure wish that more could be done and written(pictures and films) of 1960 Olympics, especially the decathalon and marathon! You're truly a "great" man, and a "fine" american athlete of our time and the 20th century! write more books soon!

I grew up hearing and reading about Rafer Johnson all of my life. Track was never a sport I paid much attention to before Johnson. He made it bigger than life for me, as Tiger Woods does for golf. A few years ago I was introduced to Rafer and was stunned to find him remarkably shy and guarded, very much unlike the dynamic man I saw as an athlete. I could tell that he was warm, but very, very careful. It wasn't until I read THE BEST THAT I CAN BE that I understood the man, that I understood how much one's background can flavor an entire lifetime. This book not only gave me his remarkable story, it left me with an insight that I carry with me everyday.

I was expecting much more from this book