Customer Reviews

YAO: A Life in Two Worlds

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

You do not have to be a basketball junkie to love this book.
Its interesting to read about the language, and culture barriers Yao had to break to be successful in the NBA.

Stories from friends, families, coaches , GM's and fellow players are really funny, and gives you some insight on behind-the scenes NBA stuff.

Ric Bucher has done an EXCELLENT JOB--blending Yao's words,and perspective, with the words, and perspectives of people in Yao's inner circle.

Definitely, one of the better sports biographies ever written.
I was really impressed.

I am just finished this book. It has a great insight of Yao's life and his struggles in going to the NBA, his first allstar and his life as an NBA player. Some funny moments as you would have a peek into his humor and wisdom. What's great about this book is that Yao Ming personally speaks/wrote of himself in the book and most of the person's that know him well shared their insights in the book. The book (including a chapter about his girlfriend, Ye Li) really informs us of Yao's both world . I am now a Yao Ming Fan for life. Definitely worth its price.

Yao Ming comes across in this book as a refreshingly well-balanced young man who has his size 18 shoes squarely on the ground, dispite the fact that his head is almost (literally) in the clouds. Anyone who thinks that Yao has had it easy, will soon discover that he has worked very hard for everything he has and that his 7'6" frame has sometimes been as much a liability as it has been an asset. Yao describes a bit about his growing-up years and shows how his parents, although basketball players themselves, wanted something more for their son. They encouraged him to pursue a college degree, but when he opted for life as a professional athlete, they supported him in his decision. Although very committed to China and to playing for its national team, Yao shows a surprisingly independent spirit and has definite opinions which he shares in the book. Things bog down a bit during the chapters on the negotiations which brought him to the Houston Rockets and the NBA, and the multiple voices which tell the story are rather distracting and confusing at times. Yao is at his best when he uses his humor to contrast life styles between China and the U.S. Although he sometimes pokes fun at both cultures, he manages to show respect to the individuals he writes about. With his work ethic, competitiveness, and balanced outlook on life, Yao is sure to be a success in anything he attempts in life.

I wasn't sure how I felt about paying for a biography for someone who had only been in the NBA for 2 seasons, but I'm so glad that I did. This book is wonderful in the way that Yao lets us catch a glimpse of the giant heart that beats within him. It is very real, very open- and I feel that I understand him so much better now. Definitely worth picking up a copy if you're a Yao fan, or even just want a perspective of China from the eyes of probably the most famous Chinese person of them all!

The Houston Rockets spent the 2001 season's number one draft pick on Yao, a seven-foot, five-inch center from Shanghai, China. Yao's journey to the NBA has been chronicled in his autobiography, "Yao Ming: A Life In Two Worlds". He has proven to be a marketing goldmine for the profit-driven NBA. Yao appeared in a nationally televised Apple Macintosh Computer commercial (alongside the ubiquitous Verne Troyer, "Mini-Me" from Austin Powers) and being billed alternatively as the "Ming Dynasty" or the "Ming Emperor." Ticket sales and merchandising increase dramatically for Houston, trends that began before Yao had ever played a minute in the NBA. On the court, as well, he has made a huge contribution to his franchise. Ed Derse in a January 16, 2003 radio broadcast for American public media stated that "The Rockets, who finished in 2001 near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, now contend for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive west."

Yao's commercial success and basketball skills signal the dawn of a new era in the NBA game. While the league has historically had some international flavor (Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon, Lithuanian Arvydas Sabonis, and Sudanese Manute Bol being members of the old guard of international competitors in the NBA), the American game is now reaching new heights of global exposure and global presence. Truly, these trends are complimentary in nature. As the NBA acquires more international talent, global citizens from regions that nurtured this new NBA talent become ardent fans and supporters of a specific NBA franchise or simply of the NBA in general. Jon L. Wertheim wrote in a piece for "Sports Illustrated" that these fans buy merchandise, tickets, and a portion of American culture all at the same time." They often go to great lengths to show support for their hometown heroes. The NBA reaches new heights in the era of radio, television, and Internet exposure. "Yao Ming: A Life In Two Worlds" is a first hand account of the ongoing globalization of the NBA.

Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down until I was done .

I got this for my husband for Christmas and he read it in like 3 days. It was really informative and enjoyable.

This book includes many interesting stories and facts that fans will definitely enjoy about the Chinese sports hero. It alludes to Yao's experiences back in China as it shows how he learned to adjust to a life as an NBA All-star. The book is informative and entertaining while it keeps one in constant exclamation over Yao's height, sizes, dreams, and experiences.

The physical book itself provides a good read with its medium size and clear print. Yao's stardom also makes the book a worthwhile collector's item.

If you are not much of a Yao Ming fan, however, you will probably not enjoy this book. It talks about him almost exclusively, and glimpses into Chinese basketball and cross-cultural struggles are given only from his perspective. Still, if you are collecting athlete biographies, this is not one to overlook.

Great book to know more about the history of Yao and his roots. Highly recommend.

A good biography teaches you something not just about the subject of the book but about life itself. Yao Ming's book not only fails to do this but its narrative style is such that the reader is concurrently bored and frustrated whilst trying to reach the end of this rather dull tale.

Yao wrote his autobiography at too early a stage in his career. True character is forged through adversity and at twenty five years of age, Yao simply hasn't had any opportunity to undergo the proverbial trial by fire. Yao omits to mention or only tangentially scratches upon many of the issues that I would consider interesting. How does he deal with the sudden influx of new "friends"? What discrimination, blatant or otherwise, does a 7"5' Chinese man face when stepping out from mainland China into one of the hubs of the Anglosphere? How does his relationship change with his childhood friends and the people that he has grown up with? Although it may appeal to avid basketball fans, my appraisal of the content of the book is that it lacks anything of real substance.

Sadly the structure and narrative of the book fare no better. The book was co-authored with Ric Bucher, who endeavours to maintain as much of the authentic "Yao flavour" as possible. He succeeds in this venture too well and much of the books is written in simple, boring and pedestrian English presumably because this is the way that Yao himself speaks. The book is laced with commentary from key members of Team Yao and this is confusing because the reader has to constantly refer to the "Cast of Characters" in order to place a context around what is being said.

I cannot recommend this book to anyone other than the most devoted Yao Ming acolyte and even then the reading would be for duty rather than for pleasure.