Customer Reviews

Sports in America

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This book came on the scene in the middle seventies and Michener covers the gamut of the problems and excitement of sports dealing with beginners to the pros. Most of what is written can still be adhered to today as the ideas and concerns seem to occur now just as they did a few years ago. This book should be must reading for all sports minded people and applying the suggestions to today's market. A great book.

This book is well worth reading by everyone: players, viewers, or to know more about the subject. James Michener loved sports: they made the difference between life and death. As a youth he drifted into a bad crowd, but was saved by athletics. His skill in basketball led to a scholarship to college, rather than prison. Later in life he suffered a heart attack, and was delayed in getting to a hospital. He survived because his robust exercise helped his heart to develop alternate feed lines (p.8).

Chapter IX discusses "The Inescapable Problem" of aging and the decline in physical ability. Walking, swimming, and tennis are doable from ages 5 to 85 (pp.274-5). Most other sports peak at ages 24 to 32; forty is the usual limit. The author notes that athletes are provably in better shape than the general public; but their life expectancy is worse. Could this be a side effect from the fame and glory?

He discusses the case of those who get a sports scholarship. They spend their college time in sports, play professionally for a few years, then disappear. He shows that those who study in college (like accounting) can earn far more onver a lifetime than those who quickly burn out.

michener was a very intelligent man and a great writer. this book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the dark side of america's obsession with professional sports. it is well-researched and chock-full of useful and fascinating ideas and information. michener was a visionary and so much of what he wrote in 1976 is still very relevant today. it took me a couple of weeks to read the book but i thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to read more of his work.

im using this book for a current issues in sports class at college, at first i thought it wouldnt be at all like what todays issues are about but i was surprised. some of this issues that go on in the book still go on today (ex: playoff system in college football, recruiting violations, and the alumnis influence on the school and athletics) it is also a very interesting book to read, i would recommend it

One of the few books that when I reflect on past books I have read, that I am grateful that I have read. Much easier to read then some of his others such as Hawaii for example. Good book to reflect on how things came to be such as his historical order of how boxing was hugely shaped by minoriites of all races.

This is a very nice book which again shows Micheners diversity of knowledge, the man knows everything about everything.