Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Josh Hamilton (Author), Tim Keown (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 2010

Josh Hamilton was the first player chosen in the first round of the 1999 baseball draft. He was destined to be one of those rare "high-character " superstars. But in 2001, working his way from the minors to the majors, all of the plans for Josh went off the rails in a moment of weakness. What followed was a 4-year nightmare of drugs and alcohol, estrangement from friends and family, and his eventual suspension from baseball.

BEYOND BELIEF details the events that led up to the derailment. Josh explains how a young man destined for fame and wealth could allow his life to be taken over by drugs and alcohol. But it is also the memoir of a spiritual journey that breaks through pain and heartbreak and leads to the spectacular rebirth of his major-league career.

Josh Hamilton makes no excuses and places no blame on anyone other than himself. He takes responsibility for his poor decisions and believes his story can help millions who battle the same demons. "I have been given a platform to tell my story" he says. "I pray every night I am a good messenger." Also, as part of the paperback edition of BEYOND BELIEF, Josh's journey has been updated to include developments in his recovery.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Josh Hamilton is currently the 28-year-old Center Fielder for the Texas Rangers. In the offseason he lives in North Carolina with his wife Katie and their three daughters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords; 1 edition (April 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599951606
• ASIN: B004X8W40Y
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (219 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Baseball

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

100 of 105 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Belief Connects October 11, 2008

By Stephen Lombardi

Format:Hardcover

I just finished reading "Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back."

Now, I know what you're probably thinking here; and, it's "How can someone who is just 27-years old author their biography?" Or, [if you know me] maybe it's "Aren't you a little old to be reading baseball `puff piece' books?" Then again, maybe you're thinking both of these things?

Well, let me tell you..."Beyond Belief" may only cover the first 27 years of Hamilton's life. However, there's a very interesting story to tell within those first 27 years. And, trust me, this book is far from being a `puff piece.'

As I was reading Hamilton's story, all I could think about was "Wow. This is `The Natural' - just like the movie. Except, as entertaining as that movie was, the story seemed too far-fetched to be true...and, now, here's the same story...and it's all true!"

First, some background on Hamilton. When he was six-years old, Josh was playing on youth baseball teams for boys between the ages of eleven and twelve. Picture that...a 6-year old playing against 12-year olds. And, regardless of that age gap, he was one of the best players on the field during the games. Hamilton's talent, even at that young age, was off-the-charts.

And, Josh Hamilton's talent never fell back to the pack. Related, he was the first overall pick in Major League Baseball's 1999 Amateur Player Draft - at the age of 18. At that time, Josh was considered as being as good as Alex Rodriguez was at the same age.

However, in 2001, when he was just 20-years old, Hamilton - who, up until this time, was a squeaky-clean All-American boy in an Opie Taylor type way - started abusing alcohol and using illegal drugs. And, his habits became so bad that he became low-life crack addict......hitting absolute rock-bottom. In the process, he nearly destroyed the lives of several loving family members and threw away millions of dollars.

And, we're not talking about a blip on the radar here. Josh Hamilton's slide towards destruction was a five year journey through hell. During this time, he went through eight different drug treatment and rehabiliation centers.

We've seen stories like this in baseball before...names like Rod Scurry, Steve Howe and Ken Caminiti come to mind...and many times they have ended in tragedy. Yet, through his faith, Hamilton was able to gain control of his life...and get back into baseball as a 25-year old (in 2006) and bring his career to the point where he was the highlight of the Homerun Derby at the 2008 big league All-Star Game.

But, forget the baseball-side of the Josh Hamiliton story. And, just focus on the "person" angle here...as that's what's so riveting when you're reading "Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back."

This book tells the story of a great talent - perhaps one of the greatest talents ever - falling so low, and out of control, to where the talent is wasted and its host becomes one of the dregs of society. And, once at the bottom, there are years of struggle to become whole again...with repeated rounds ending in failure after failure. And, then, finally, there's redemption. But, it's tempered with the fact that there's no guarantee of permanence - and that everyday is a new battle. Yet, on the flipside, everyday is also a chance to use lessons-learned to help others.

Human nature being what it is, "these types of stories" just resonate well with us...and Josh Hamilton's story is one of the best out there...in terms of "these types of stories."

I would recommend "Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back" to anyone who wants to read a great, true, and inspirational tale - regardless of whether or not they're a baseball fan. I was very happy to read Hamilton's book. It's extremely well done.

This one connects - and it goes a long way. Read more ›

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gallagher's Beyond Belief Review March 28, 2009

By Chris Gallagher

Format:Hardcover

Beyond Belief: The Josh Hamilton Story

I had never heard of Josh Hamilton until the Home Run Derby last year. His massive swings of the bat hit a record number of baseballs of the fence and the name Josh Hamilton found its way into the homes of baseball fans across the country! Even though the Home Run Derby set Josh Hamilton apart, there is a better story behind the man.

Beyond Belief is a thrilling story of a man seeking to find peace and grace in the eyes of God. His journey from a highly touted High School baseball prospect to a drugged out- tattooed-trouble soul is clearly projected in the words of Josh Hamilton. Even the places and people are brought to life through the story of Mr. Hamilton's rise and fall then his rise again.

Josh Hamilton could be called the "Prodigal Son" of baseball. His life as headed for the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mi, until a fateful day when he allowed the troubles of the world to infect his life. His parents struggled with their child as they saw his troubles and his bank account quickly dwindling because of addiction. His wife struggled through the years, but she kept hope in this North Carolina baseball star. Young children had looked up to him, his drug habits caused young people to read his suspensions, and slowly his name was fading from the books.

One day, his life was going to change. The ways and ideals he had grown up believing were coming back...but how long would it take? His family was behind him and his wife was praying...then the day came! The crack of the bat felt the way it used to and the story was changing. He looked at his wife, saw her face and he knew he was back!

Josh Hamilton's story is an amazing one and every year it seems to get better.... His life is becoming whole with the grace of God and he is still seeking the presence of the Savior. Beyond Belief is an excellent book for baseball fans and anyone who has a passing interest in reading true stories of the possible!

Take a moment and enjoy the story of Josh Hamilton. When you are done you will say, "Yes, it is Beyond Belief."

A special thanks to Faith Words for allowing me to have a copy of this book. Also thanks to my brother Aaron, who stood hours in a line at Barnes and Noble to meet Josh Hamilton and get my book signed. Read more ›

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable rebirth of talent October 12, 2008

By diet pepsi

Format:Hardcover

This was a fabulous book that I had a hard time putting down. I knew most of the story, from magazine articles, but I had missed the religious component of the tale. I could even recommend this to a men's bible study.

It was awful that so many people misunderstood the relationship between Josh and his parents. How numerous rehabs could blame his parents for Josh's addiction amazed me.

He was and is a prodigy. That was a big part of his problem. No one seemed to realize that and MLB wanted him to fit into a cookie cutter experience. He couldn't do that.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "HE FELL IN LOVE WITH CRACK... AND SPENT $100,000.00 IN 6 WEEKS WITH HIS NEW BEST FRIEND!" October 17, 2008

By Rick Shaq Goldstein

Format:Hardcover

When Josh Hamilton was six-years-old he could throw a baseball FIFTY-MILES-PER-HOUR... when he was eleven-years-old he could throw a baseball SEVENTY-MILES-PER-HOUR... when he was twelve-years-old in Little League in one game he batted five times... and FIVE TIMES HE HIT A HOMERUN... in his senior year in high school... he threw a baseball NINETY-SEVEN-MILES-PER-HOUR... and batted SIX-HUNDRED... upon graduating high school in 1999 Josh was the NUMBER-ONE-DRAFT-CHOICE in the Major Leagues... he signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and received a record *$3,960,000.00 signing bonus... he was the minor league MVP... and consensus choice as the BEST PROSPECT IN BASEBALL...

AND THEN IT ALL WENT WRONG... AND IT WENT WRONG FAST! Josh came from a close knit family in North Carolina and the entire family's life was built around baseball. Josh was the proverbial "ALL-AMERICAN-BOY". He had a dream that he would sign a rich Major League baseball contract and reward his parents for coming to every game he ever played and driving him where ever he needed to go. He said when he signed his dream contract he would pay off all his parents' bills and buy them a house, so they could travel with him all over the United States and see him play. He signed the dream contract... he paid off their bills... they traveled with him to his minor league games. He kissed his Mother on the cheek in front of his teammates before every game. The other players... and then management and ownership... thought it was a little strange having a young ballplayer's parents traveling with him, and made him stay in other lodging. Then Josh started getting a number of injuries, some obvious, some possibly imagined. For the first time in his life he couldn't play baseball, and he was away from his parents....

All of a sudden milk-toast clean Josh showed up with a tattoo... then he decided he wanted five more tattoos. As his injuries mounted he started spending more and more time at the tattoo parlor... with his parents gone... it became his home away from home. "I SAT IN THE CHAIR AND GOT TATTOO AFTER TATTOO. SOME DAYS I'D GET THREE OR FOUR. SOME DAYS I'D SIT IN THAT CHAIR ALL DAY LONG, FEELING THE NEEDLES MARK UP MY BODY." And then the fateful day came when his "friends" asked Josh if he wanted to go out with them that evening. Josh said yes... and his life... his world... and the world of everyone that loved him changed... his life changed from a dream to a nightmare. Their first stop was a strip club... something Josh had never done before... then they ordered some beer... Josh drank one, "something I'd never done before. And then I drank several more." Then they went to one of his "friends" house... "SOMEONE PULLED OUT A MIRROR AND BEGAN TO CUT UP SOME COCAINE. SOMEWHERE INSIDE ME AN ALARM WENT OFF, BUT I IGNORED IT. I ASKED THEM, "WHAT IS IT?" "I KNEW, BUT I'D NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE." "IT'S COCAINE, MAN." "WHAT'S IT MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE?" "IT MAKES YOU FEEL JACKED UP. TRY IT, YOU'LL SEE." "I STARED AT IT. I WAS WEAK. I COULDN'T IMAGINE LETTING THESE GUYS DOWN. THEY HAD BECOME THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN MY WORLD. OR MAYBE I JUST DIDN'T CARE. WHATEVER THE CASE, I WAS IN. I LEANED OVER AND INHALED A LINE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, BUT BY THE TIME I'D LIFTED MY HEAD UP I KNEW I LIKED IT. THE FOG IN MY BRAIN LIFTED. I HAD ENERGY AND LIFE. I WAS A NEW MAN."

From this point on... this is a book about something much more important than baseball. Josh became lost to the world, and more importantly to himself. He bottomed out to where all addicts either straighten themselves out and give in to a power greater than themselves... or... THEY ALL WIND UP THE SAME... JAILS... INSTITUTIONS... AND DEATH! About fifteen years ago my best friend in the world hung out one night with the wrong crowd... just like Josh did... my best friend made the same decision Josh did... the tale Josh tells when he threw baseball away for a trip to the living hell- on-earth that addicts inhabit is exactly the same road map my best friend took. The fact that Josh started with a $3.96 million dollar contract, and my best friend was just a "working-stiff" made no difference. DRUG HELL IS DRUG HELL!

I congratulate Josh on this book even more than I congratulate him on his comeback to fame and sobriety. I have read many other books by famous ballplayers and entertainers who tell their story of addiction... but literally all of them make the getting high and loaded sound like an exciting orgy of drugs and women... rather than the debauchery of a human soul and the destruction of their loved ones hearts. There is not one segment in Josh's descent into drug addiction that he tries to make glamorous... and for that I applaud him. THE BRUTAL "UNVARNISHED" POWER OF THIS BOOK RESIDES IN ITS UGLY TRUTH... And because of that I recommend this book highly to everyone. Read more ›