Customer Reviews

Jonesy: Put Your Head Down and Skate: The Improbable Career of Keith Jones

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a WMU alum (class of '94) and hockey fan, I had the good fortune to have great seats for pretty much every home game for Jones during his junior & senior years in college. He impressed me as a player then. Given that connection, and hearing through John Buccigross' column that the proceeds for this book would go to charity, I pre-ordered this and read it immediately upon receiving it.

The life and career of Jones are told through his unique voice throughout. This makes for very easy reading - if it seems aimed at a slightly younger-than-adult audience - and the 200 or so pages, much like Keith's career, go by far too quickly.

Passages are both hilarious and touching.

Highly recommended!

I have anxiously awaited the release of this book since it was first mentioned in John Buccigross's column on ESPN.com, and it absolutely did not disappoint. As an avid fan of the Avalanche and Flyers as well as Jonesy and Bucci, it comes as no surprise that I'm giving the book an enthusiastic five-star rating. Both the stories themselves and the way they are presented made this book a fascinating, entertaining, and quick read--I devoured it from cover to cover the night I received it. It was great to get personal insights and "insider information" about the NHL through the years, the brotherhood of the team atmosphere, the highlights and lowlights of rivalries, and the hockey life in general from a gritty, hardworking player who truly loves the game. Interestingly, Keith Jones may end up being more known for his hockey commentary than his on-ice skill (sorry, Jonesy! <=]); if you get a chance, be sure to check him out between periods nationally on Versus or locally in Philly. He knows the game and does a really good job of making broadcasts interesting, relatable, and fun for those who can't attend games in person.

I especially enjoyed the fact that this book had some depth to it; although there were plenty of humorous and hockey-specific anecdotes that kept me engaged (tales about former teammates like Steve Konowalchuk, Joe Sakic, Eric Lindros, and other interesting characters are liberally sprinkled throughout), there were also excerpts fraught with compassion that really showed Jonesy as a considerate, loyal, good human being. Whether you're a casual sports fan or a die-hard hockey fanatic, I think you can't help but be charmed by this book. I highly recommend it!

P.S. As another reviewer has noted, there are many typos in this book, and they are a bit distracting; however, I just chalked up my awareness of them to the fact that I'm an editor. A friend of mine who borrowed this book noted that he didn't remember seeing any problematic items, so I think most people will be more caught up in the content than the grammar and spelling...

Just finished this book and I really enjoyed it. Some great stories that provide some insight into the life of an NHL player. There are a few actual laugh-out-loud moments in the book, and you have to love any book that references Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.

I have to agree with the one reviewer on here when it comes to the copyediting. The first chapter is just littered with grammatical errors. I hate to nitpick, but to see the words "to" and "too" misused in a published book is really crazy.

If you like this book, try The Game by Ken Dryden...incredibly well written account of the Canadians in their prime...

It appears that neither Jonesy, nor his co-author, spent a lot of time on this book. Or if they did, then their youths were not spent in school learning how to write. I bought the book because I am Caps fan. I put it down 4 chapters in because it was horribly written.

The book made me laugh alot and also made me appreciate MY life. I got the book early in the afternoon and finished it around 10PM the same day. It is a quick read and that is fine with me, it only cost about 16 bucks, what do you want? And, Part or all of the money goes to goes to "Alex's lemonade stand" a very worthwhile charity. Anyway, I loved the book and will make my sons read it. Buy the book, you will be glad you did.

I was very excited to buy this book, as I typically find Bucci I'd gone to college with "Jonesy" (never met him, of course) and I remember him and Mike Eastwood being the best thing about Bronco hockey games. Well, that and cheering "Lose weight, not hair" at visiting Spartan fans when they sang "Go green, go white."

Anyway, Bucci sets aside his wit in an effort paint a picture of a "regular guy who makes good." The huge flaw in the book, however, is that he continually paints Jones as a kid who never thought he had a chance and never really worked hard, while at the same time saying that he always had a dream of playing in the NHL and worked hard for it. Um, which was it? I came away thinking that Jones was bipolar.

Beyond that fatal flaw, there were scant few (maybe 3-4) real life stories from the locker room and even those few fell flat. Really? It seems like Jones and Bucci were keeping all of the best stories to protect the guilty, but the whole point of reading a biography is to truly to get to know the person. Leaving out the funniest, and probably most embarrassing, episodes made this a bland read.

I learned more about Jones and his path to the NHL. Bucci delivered on that much. But the only thing I learned about Jones the person is that his NHL career was kinda boring and he still can't decide whether he wanted it more than anything, or whether it was a complete accident. Please blog us the answer when you figure it out, fellow Bronco!

Wish the book was longer. Easy to read and you don't want to put in down. Keith was a favorite of mine with the Flyers and I only wish his career could have lasted longer. No matter what team you root for, you'll love this book.

Really good read for any hockey fan. Great insight into the life of a pro hockey player. Highly recommended.

This is the book you want to have with you on a winter afternoon by the fire or on a summer day at the beach. As a first time author John Buccigross does a fabulous job telling the story of Keith Jones and how he became the man he is today. It is a must read for young and old that leaves you with a smile.

This is somewhat unusual; an autobiography of a professional athlete who was a "fair" player at best. The book also is amateurishly written with a number of mistakes. The author is very self-effacing and admits he wasn't all that great, and all of the above makes this an interesting book. It's like "Jonesy" is sitting next to you, talking to you, warts and all showing. He's just a regular guy.

Yes, you can find a lot of things wrong with this book, yet it was a pleasant read and I was sorry it ended when it did. I could have read more.

To me, the best parts of the book are the beginning pages and the ending chapter: both brought tears to my eyes. The first brought tears of laughter: the hilarious story of watching TV in an airport one day and looking up to a story about mostly-naked guy he knew who had just gone over Niagara Falls in a barrel. The second was the touching story of his friend John Poor, who died at a young age of a terrible illness. The chapter on Poor, who was buried wearing a Keith Jones' Washington Capitals jersey, put tears in my eyes, too, but also was very inspiring.

If you doubt what a good guy Jones must be, just check the cover and see where the proceeds of this book go.