Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams, and Adventures with Tiger [Hardcover]

Earl Woods (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 1998

In this outspoken and motivational memoir, Earl Woods, the father and mentor of golf superstar Tiger Woods and author of the bestseller Training a Tiger (270,000 hardcover copies sold), shares the inspiring story of the Woods family as well as his views on everything from Tiger's career and the PGA to racism and inner strength.

The Rise of Golfer Tiger Woods is the Most Dramatic sports story of the decade. From child prodigy to three-time U.S. Amateur Champion to record-breaking winner of the 1997 Masters in his first year as a pro, Tiger Woods has achieved more in his 21 years than most athletes will in a lifetime. But he didn't get there on his own. In Playing Through, Tiger's dad relates fascinating stories of Tiger's precocious youth; discusses the crushing difficulties of living in the camera's eye, dealing with fans, and coping with racial tensions; and gives a unique, behind the scenes look at the PGA tour. Part autobiography, part meditation on the care and nurturing of celebrity, and part ultimate insider's biography of Tiger Woods, Playing Through is Earl Woods's reflection on a lifetime of experiences as a father and a teacher in the center of a media firestorm.

With Earl Woods's straight-shooting wisdom and natural flair for storytelling, plus a revealing foreword by Tiger Woods, Playing Through will be one of this season's most requested books, succeeding both as a testament to the powerful emotional bond between father and son and an insightful look at what it takes to make a champion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The unusually close bond between golfer Tiger Woods and his father, Earl, former Green Beret and the young star's first coach, has already become part of the game's lore. Here Earl Woods, writing with Chicago Tribune sportswriter Mitchell, recalls his own life and the experiences that enabled him to train his son so successfully to excel on the links. An orphan at 13, he was raised by an older sister. He played baseball in college and chose the military as a career, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Woods so stresses the importance of hard work and human decency that at times he sounds almost theological. He emerges as tough-minded as well, as when he argues that the NCAA all but forced his son to leave college and turn pro, and he pulls no punches in labeling professional golf the most racist of all sports and private country clubs still the bastion of white supremacy. Brisk and likely to be controversial, Woods's memoir will be of greatest interest to his son's fans. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

The timing of this book's release would lead many to assume that Earl Woods is cashing in on his son's successand they would be right. However, this is no mere exercise in literary exploitation. Woods's new book (after Training a Tiger, not reviewed), with Chicago Tribune sportswriter Mitchell, asserts the power that self-reliance and positive thinking can have on one's life. The book's title refers to Earl's sort-of mantra. He writes that playing through ``is the ultimate manifestation of positive attitude; the belief that you can overcome, that you can keep going.'' Using his experiencesof raising a prodigy, of dealing with racism, of going through the break-up of two marriages, of going to warWoods shows how he has surmounted life's obstacles and how he has passed these lessons along to Tiger. If the younger Woods's success up to this point is any indication, Earl's advice is sound indeed. Of course, this book wouldn't be of much interest to Tiger fans if it didn't contain stuff about him. So, Earl tells of Tiger's carryings-on, both on and off the course, for instance, what it's like to deal with stalkerazzi and party down with celebrities, ranging from the golfers Jack Nicklaus and Arnie Palmer to the duchess of York. And having gained our attention, Earl holds forth on a variety of topics, including what a jerk he thinks Aussie golf pro (and perpetual hard-luck story) Greg Norman is, and what he thought of golfer Fuzzy Zoeller's racist remarks, made last spring after Tiger won the Masters. Earl even finds time to offer interesting theories about country clubs and white power, and young athletes' endorsement contracts. All this comes across as a proud fathers gushing. (b&w photos, not seen) (Author tour; television satellite tour) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (May 6, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006270222X
• ISBN-13: 978-0062702227
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,520,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars BEHIND THE TIGER, May 9, 2003

By 

Bonita L. Davis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams, and Adventures with Tiger (Hardcover)

Who was the man who was behind Tiger Woods to mold and shape him into the champion that he is today? The answer is Earl Woods, Tiger's father, friend and confidant. Playing Through is Earl Woods' own biography of what it is like to be the father of one of golf's greatest stars. One would expect a cohesive and comprehensive story about Earl's life and that of his son. Instead you are presented with a man who is uncapable of seperating himself from the persona of his son. Earl Woods spends the majority of the time speaking about his son rather than himself. How strange, since the book is supposed to be about Earl Woods. Unfortunately it ends up as a promotional text about Tiger.

Earl Woods is a man who dealt with many obstacles in his life. As a teenager he lost his parents, struggled with a career choice, dealt with the racism in the Army and a failed marriage. Then after his divorce and remarriage a child was born and Earl devotes his life to him even at the expense of his own marriage. At this juncture we hear no more about Earl. Tiger becomes the focus which is a shame since Earl's life is far more interesting.

Throughout the work Earl tends to put people on a pedestle to the point where they become unreal ( his mother, his brother-in-law, and the orignial Tiger, his friend). He is defensive about any criticism about his son and doesn't tell us much about his relationship with his other children. Earl is so emeshed in his youngest son's identity that he becomes a bore. Surely he could have told us more about himself rather than going on and on and on about Tiger.

Despite his faults Earl Woods raises some interesting questions regarding the role of the NCAA on student athletes. He intimates that the NCAA controls the athletes who make money for their schools but receive nothing in return. Earl also shows the impact that Tiger's status has made on the game. Tiger's presence has made the game more accessible to people, raised the purses, tightened security and inspired more minority children as well as their parents to take up the game. Tiger's impact is immeasurable as he continues his career.

If you can tolerate Earl's egotistical meanderings and defensive posture, the book is a good lesson in how not to make the mistakes Earl made and become a better parent. It is filled with Tiger's triumphs and challenges. Earl comes across as your controlling parent of an exceptional and talented player. It is worth the read for those who are Tiger fans and collectors of books written about thim.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars my review paper for english class, March 30, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams, and Adventures with Tiger (Hardcover)

(...)
9th English
24 March 2006
"Playing Through"
In the book "Playing Through" written by Earl Woods telling how to play through life's challenges, to dream big, and to work hard.
"Playing Through means getting down to business, not letting anything get in your way, dealing with the task at hand, and accomplishing your goals." Tiger had to go through lots of racial discrimination when he first became a pro golfer. His father Earl Woods went through some of the same things when he was a young man. His father was the first African-American to play in the Big Eight Conference, Which is a Baseball League. So he also had to play through all of the racial discrimination.
Dream Big, that is what Tiger Woods has been doing seen he was a little boy. Earl wanted him to be a baseball player like himself, but Tiger had other plans. Tiger wanted to be a golfer; he has been playing golf since he was around the age of three, when he was hitting balls in his garage. Then at the age of eleven he beat his dad for the first time 71 to 72.
Work Hard, even though Tiger is a pro at what he does he still has to practice at his game. He really had to work hard at his game when he was younger or he would not be as good as he is now. Working hard also goes into playing through if he could not focus on his own game he could not play as good as he does.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Man's Got Me Down, March 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams, and Adventures with Tiger (Hardcover)

From this book, I get the feeling that Earl Woods is one of the most egotistical people I have ever come across. He does nothing but talk about how good he is at this, how good he is at that, what he did to bring up Tiger, etc. He even says his separation from his wife Tida is due to affluence, not that they are simply separated. Also, he takes no responsibility for anything that has ever happened to him. Every negative experience in his life was due to him being a minority. Give me a break.

He also feels the NCAA was out to get he and his precious Tiger. NCAA rules are rules, just like in golf. Get over it. Tiger was not treated any differently than any other college athlete. Tiger was offered a country club membership at the Olympic Club while he was at Stanford, and Earl can't figure out why the NCAA wouldn't let him take it. Because, believe it, or not...Tiger has to live under the same rules as everyone else on this planet.

I do have to say the book is an easy read, and keeps you interested, but only because Earl's "thumb on my back" mentality keeps you laughing.