Customer Reviews

Slo Mo!

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

 

 

This is the untrue autobiography of Slo Mo, a boy who grew up underground in a cave as part of a strict religious cult where he was not aloud to journey to or mix with the outside world. Being extremely tall meant he was really unsuited to cave life and the elders and other cult members didn't really want him around so he was often punished and spent his time shovelling human waste.

One day the septic pipes clogged up and the cult was forced to allow an outsider plumber in to repair them. Upon seeing the freakishly tall Slo the plumber handed him a basketball and wanted to see him dunk it. Having never seen one before Slo couldn't perform this task but hid the basketball from the man so he could play with it later to relieve boredom. He becomes a crack shot and when the plumber returns to fix the pipe again he knows he can make some serious cash off of Slo and since the cult doesn't really like Slo they have no problem with him going and playing basketball for a hefty commission on his payments.

Slo isn't that up to date with the world so this book is sort of a Forrest Gump joins the NBA type thing. His naivety is sometimes stretched beyond plausible limits in some cases but it does help the book flow along. You don't have to follow the NBA (I don't) to enjoy this great book. If you don't take it too seriously you'll really enjoy this light, fun read.

As a rabid basketball fan, I really appreciated the in-jokes about the various sterotypical characters of the NBA, both the real names and the thinly veiled aliases like Mr.Dedman. Anyone whos ever found themselves out of their depth will identify with SloMo as he struggles to fit in with the big boys. Wickedly funny, but with a real message about friendship and being true to yourself....a great read

I read Reilly's back page column every week in Sports Illustrated. It's sometimes the only page I read. Slo Mo! rules. It's funny and well written, as we have come to expect, but maybe a little wilder.

I bought this book because I thought Missing Links was GREAT. It was the first time that I wanted to return a book because it did not come close to expectations.

If there were ever a "Forrest Gump" of the sports world, it's Slo Mo. I overheard Rick Reilly talk about this book on the Jim Rome show and purchased it a month later. A lot of the stories are based upon true NBA stories that Reilly had heard, and he didn't need a shoe horn and mounds of super glue to fit them into the short NBA career of Maurice Finkerstein, better known to the world as "Slo Mo."

Forget the fact that the real characters involved have never been affiliated with the team (Charles Barkley, Bryant Reeves and Phil Jackson aren't associated with Houston, Vancouver or Chicago/LA like they were in real life), it's a great read from start to finish. The first 2/3rd of the book based on funny stories... and the last 1/3rd you don't want to put the book down.

At 7'8", rookie Maurice (Slo Mo) Finsternick is taller than Chuck Nevitt, Shawn Bradley, and Manute Bol! He has a deadly sky-hook that he can shoot left-handed or right-handed from the 3 point line! This innocent teenager grew up among a cult of cave dwellers and he has never eaten a McDonalds hamburger. Do he and his New Jersey teammates, Charles Barkley, and Bryant "Big Country" Reeves have a chance to make the playoffs? Team owner, Donald Trump and head coach Phil Jackson are counting on it!

Sound like a tall tale? It is, and Rick Reilly pulls it off with style mixing whacky fictional characters together with whacky real-life cahracters! Will former cave-dweller Slo Mo lead the Nets to the brink of an NBA Championship? Read the book and find out for yourself!

A funny book with a great ending!

If laughter is good medicine, then this is truly an investment in your well-being and should be part of every sports fan's health plan.

I've read all of his books without any disappointments at all, but this time Rick Reilly has out done himself. I can't remember ever laughing so much, so hard for so long, - even out loud! at a book or even a movie.

It is a farce! Or maybe not! It is more than just a fictional story, it is a commentary on a wide range of topics, if you let it be. It can be a fast read, or one you can savor; the later yielding the commentary. It is written in a journal-like format so there are natural break points - it is a perfect read for lunch breaks or other short free periods.

There are two main themes in this book that are carried to absurd extremes. First, the main character, Slo-Mo, is a ridiculously naive boy/man. This is to the point of having a woman undress and want to sleep over... and Slo-Mo thinks she actually wants to sleep. The second theme is that NBA players are vulgar and immoral. While there is no doubt some truth to this, again it is carried to an extreme that goes beyond fiction.

I found it odd that Reilly wrote a book that is so over the top that it might appeal to more juvenile readers, yet is so coarse in its subject matter that makes it inappropriate for younger readers.

This is, especially in the beginning parts, a very funny book.
There are many "put it down and laugh out loud" statements.
It is clear that the author is very familiar with the NBA. I believe that sports fans will enjoy the book a lot. That said the plot of the story is just so weird. The main character, Slo-Mo, is extrememly naive, to the point of absurity. Also, the story turns kind of dark at the end. Overall, though, a fun read.

I remember when I was a kid there was an 8'2" man know as the Corn King Giant that came to our grocery store promoting bacon and giving out bacon samples. My sister and I thought he was on stilts because he was too tall so to check we kicked him in the shin. This really funny book by Rick Reilly is loosley based on the Corn King Giant's 7'8" nieve son "Slo Mo". The high school junior turned basketball pro can make nearly all his 30' hook shots but won't play defense or take the ball to the hoop. Never dunks and that drives fans crazy. I just want the coach and fans to accept him for what he is and get him the ball at 30' and let him shot his shot but it's just not that easy. There are coaches and sleezey agents and shoe contracts to deal with. Stories so funny they probably really happened while Rick was writing about the NBA for Sports Illustrated I loved the elevator scene and it has a perfect shake your head ending.