Excellent book!!!! Five stars!!! I'm a musician .....a drummer, like Johnny. It gave me hope for my own career, and I'm no where near as bad off as Johnny was, close (minus the drugs), but not as bad (and I thought I was bad off till I read this book). And Billy, Johnny's friend also was inspiring. This book kept me in suspence through out. I can relate to Johnny and the stuff he went through. At the end, I just cried. Very well written by John Michael Austin. He is also a drummer and, that made it all the more special. I'd like to shake John's hand for a book well written :o) One more thing, John. When's the movie coming out???? This book is definitly movie worthy!

This book is everything for everyone. Inspirational, motivating. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Johnny Covini makes us realize that no matter how low we are in our lives, there is a drive deep within ourselves to make it. We have to love ourselves first before we can take on the task of achieving anything else. Excellent read. These are the kinds of books that movies are made of.

I bought the book on John Milliman and the companion book on Aaron Milliman a few years ago. I refer to them constantly and have provided information to other family members doing Milliman family research. A great compilation of names and information and WELL indexed. If you have a Milliman in your family tree this is the book for you!

Ms. Austin did a supberb job in researching and compiling information on the decendants of the first known Milliman in America. If you are researching the Milliman family line you will be absolutely thrilled to obtain this book. She even included pictures when available. What a treasure!!!! Thank you Ms. Austin!

ITS ABOUT TIME co-authored by Austin and Irwin, based on cutting edge research,
is the single most important book on the problems with American imprisonment. The authors use orginal research
to discuss the imprisonment binge, who goes to prison, imprisonment of children and women, private prisons,
doing time, super max, release, and three strikes and you're out. The book has been widely adopted for
both undergraduate and graduate courses at universities across the country. This is the book every lawmaker should read and consider before they vote to spend another dime of the taxpayers money on new prison construction. The research demonstrates that the dramatic increase in prison population is predicated on the imprisonment of individuals for petty crimes, drug offenses, and technical violations of probation and parole. Meanwhile, the inner-city schools of America are denied adequate funding, the streets are no safer, and millions of children wait for the parents to return home from prison.

At last I have found a book which takes a realistic look at the problems of crime and prison. I taught Texas inmates for eight years during the recent prison expansion. People were usually surprised when I told them how much I enjoyed teaching inmates. The longer I worked in prison, the more I became concerned about the misinformation, based on fear instead of fact, which the public had been receiving from the news media and politicians. In order for our society to survive, we must stop reacting emotionally and start thinking rationally about solutions which will make a lasting difference in a positive way. Prison expansion in the United States has cost taxpayers millions of dollars for the buildings alone. But the price in human terms is far greater. This book is essential reading for every citizen who is concerned about how our government is spending tax dollars. Lorna Rios

I just purchased the new softback edition today. Great color photo of Johnny on the cover - 1964 style. I read the chapter "Callison for President" twice. It's a complete reliving of the 1964 season, which was my favorite even though we lost. The book takes us through the entire decade of the 60s, which brought back a lot of good memories for me. It's a must read book.

Mr. John Sletten's biography of Mr. Callison is not your typical baseball 'fact' or 'stats' book. It is a truly marvelous story of a pre-million dollar contract player and his rise from poverty to MVP. Anyone with an interest in the 'old' baseball and its heros will love it!!

Martin Brandise Fan

If I had to recommend one philosophy book to the layman, this would be it. It's a lucid and entertaining look at the various arguments made for sensory skepticism. The first philosophy book to make me laugh out loud.

Austine is one of the greatest philosophers that came out of Oxford's ordinary langauge school of philosophy. His text is both aggressive but pleasant to read. Much of his critique of logical positivism is still convincing, however there have been those who criticize his method (not unfairly). I highly recommend this book to any one interested in seeing an example of how to use language, as the first step, in analyzing complex positions.

My Husband and I visited Houston, San Antonio & Austin, we only had a couple of weeks in which to fit in as much as we could. This book was a brilliant way to get the most from a short time. It helped us to enjoy our visit to the full. We hope to visit more of the USA and shall certainly use this type of book again.

I really enjoyed using Day Trips from San Antonio and Austin to plan several recent weekend excursions. I found the book very helpful and used it to plan a trip to Corpus Christi and another to the Hill Country. Even though I have lived in this area for over 20 years, I found many hidden treasures thanks to this guide!

What can i not say about this book.... none of us really have the time to get into extensive research in huge hardcover books on the mundane details of electricity.. so what more could you ask for in a comprehensive thorough yet easy-to-read and understand book on electricity for any age...

I love this book. As a parent as well as a high school Science teacher, his book is priceless. I have learned over the years that children learn faster when they are learning with a sense of humor, combined with facts. This book combines both beautifully. It is a must for every educator and parent who wants their children to know about the wonderful world of science, and wants to help unfold the mysteries underneath the why's

I came to Wheelwright, as I suppose many do, after coming across John Ashbery's various references to him. One can only say that he should be read, while understanding that he won't be. A weird, risk-taking poet, whose best lyrics achieve a kind of negative comprehension.

Austin Murphy is a gold-medal decathlon winner among authors. He has finished in the money in each of these writerly categories with his book "The Sweet Season":

1) He displayed a craftsman's use of language: Murphy's subtle alliterations and "bordering-on-erudite" vocabulary (sending me to the dictionary at least a dozen times over the course of the book) were highly effective.
2) He wielded a crafty (and crackly dry) sense of humor: Even (or especially) if you're not a retired Irish Catholic from the Rust Belt, this book is, at times, "pee-in-your-pants" funny.
3) He dug deep for his facts, particularly about the background of St. John's monastery and university.
4) He was sensitive without being maudlin when discussing the things that really matter in life -- family, faith, and (not) football.
5) He nailed the human interest angle: The stand-up, wise-acre QB, the quirky but lovable Gags, the beer-drinking, cigar-puffing, down-to-earth monks, Saint Frosty Westering.
6) His use of dialogue rocked.
7) He captured the physical and emotional setting of St. John's with ease.
8) He gracefully inserted just enough bathroom humor and (at least dreaming about) sex to keep my primitive forebrain interested in the storyline.
9) He skillfully wove together disparate elements into an eminently satisfying whole.
10) Did I mention yet that the whole damn thing was "fall-down" funny? Oh, I did? But I wrote "pee-in-your-pants" funny? Uff da! Sorry for the profane use of "pee".

Signed,

A 1983 graduate of St. John's, fellow author, and the 1978 long-snapper for dear old Hastings (Minnesota) High, the 2001 Class AAAAA Minnesota state champions.

I had a football coach my senior year in high school who set our priorities for us at the beginning of the season. They are listed here in decending order:
1. God
2. Family
3. School
4. Football
This book explores all these priorities and does it with a hilarious but insightful twist. Reading the stories, learning about the people and being privy to what make St. Johns so "Sweet", makes me believe my high school football coach had it right all along. Murphy must be exceptionally well paid to go back to what he describes takes place in the big leagues on a consistent basis. This book restores my faith in the game. The negative sports news we hear so much about, the throat slashing antics, the war dances are all performed by a very small percentage of bafoons who drag sports down to their level. I would like to believe the majority of people who play this game are like the folks at St. Johns. It is fantastic that Murphy spoke out for those who have been seeing the game deteriorate over the years. This book props up the sport of college football, puts God and family at the top of the heap and is a great advertisement for what sounds like a neat place to go to school.

This book is a joy to read. It reminds those of us sports junkies that there are still places where the "student" in "student-athlete" truly comes first. Murphy has written a jewel of a book, the kind that any fan will devour and at the same time savor. Stories about the legendary Coach Gagliardi are recounted with the same reverance that one might give, say, Vince Lombardi. And Gagliardi deserves it.
This is an amazing book, written in the style of John Feinstein and told with the emotion one might hear when listening to Bob Costas. Read it now . . . once you stop, you'll want to get yourself to Minnesota and experience the magic that is St. John's for yourself.

"City Smart Austin" is an indispensable guide to aculturally-rich and multifaceted city.

Austin natives EleanorS. Morris, Paris Permenter, and John Bigley wisely present the city in six geographic zones. And they cover everything from Austin basics (weather, homes, people, etc) and day trips to recreation areas and where to shop/eat/stay.

Whether they are writing about "BookPeople" (one of the largest bookstores in the U.S.) or the 'Dillo Express (one of the city's laudable forms of public transportation), the authors speak with warmth and home-town credibility.

I was especially pleased with their accessment of Austin's accommodations. Yes, they duly point out the grandeur of the historic Driskill Hotel. But they also note the convenience and affortability of the La Quinta at the Capitol, which not only has a gracious new manager, but renovated "Gold Metal Rooms," which have new decor, 25-inch TVs, and speaker phones!

The book's maps are clear and helpful, with inset-captions for easy referral; and the b&w photos--while a tad too small--are often bright and sharp.

An added treat of "City Smart Austin" are the valuable coupons in the back of the book. Don't miss them!

Like the last reviewer, I too was considering a work-related move to Austin. I wanted a guide book that could give me a quick and easy entry into what Austin had to offer a tourist and potential resident. This guide book gave me a good overview of Austin while I was there -- it wasn't just an index or list of area attractions and businesses: It contained a lot of useful 'tips' interspersed through out the book and the maps were clear and well integrated with the text.

I had some reservations before I bought this because the maps were not in color. However, the maps were clear and concise. Rather than clutter up 1 map with icons for restaurants, attractions, etc., the maps were repeated in each section of the guide, and contained only the relevant data for that section; this made using them very easy. I'd also say that the authors of the book were very generous with the number and variety of maps.

Overall, the design of the book made reading and finding information easy. Good use of bold type made flipping through and finding stuff easy too.

In the end, I got the Austin job and will be moving there soon. As a future Austin resident, I think this will still be the only guide I need.

I am considering a move to Austin and found a lot of useful information in this guidebook. I used it to plan my freetime following a job interview in the city and found it right on target regarding the restaurant reviews. Good buy!