Read the book in 2 sittings, even though I've never picked up a racquet in my life! Feinstein brings characters to life and provides great insight into the Pro Tennis circuit. Good read for any sports fan.

John Feinstein is such a fascinating writer and sports critic that someone should recognize his work in some way, shape or form. "Hard Courts" is a microscopic scrutiny of the men's and women's tennis tour throughout the entire 1990 calendar year. Though a bit outdated, it is a book for all ages and all sports fans. Feinstein's writing message is as effective as his many inteview appearances on National Public Radio. He is blunt, obsessed and even subjective, but also well-informed, uncontradictory and fair, and most definitely, never arrogant. Enjoyable reading!

I have copies of two books by John Feinstein...Hard Courts and A Season Inside. Both are fantastic. A fascinating look at a year (1990) on the professional tennis circuit. A must read for any follower of the game.

This textbook succinctly outlines and dicusses purchasing processes in the hospitality industry. It is therefore essential for any nonpurchasing agent who wants a comprehensive view of the purchasing function and activities to understand the management of a successful operation. The book has a lot of useful hands-on information and would be valuable to any person who will be assuming any purchasing related activities in the hospitality industry. As one who has studied hospitality management and worked in the industry, the detailed explanations are very precise and correct and very instructive. The book is recommended for nonpurchasing agents, but I recommend it for anyone who wants to understand one of managements' biggest headaches: purchasing.

This text is very easy to use. It covers just about every aspect of purchasing in the hospitality industry, and makes it simple to find what you're looking for. The information is very straight-forward, and it's written in plain english for anyone to understand.

This book is very informative and well-organized. It's very easy to find what you're looking for...and it's got it all when it comes to information that pertains to purchasing for the industry. Very up-to-date...I especially liked the "Technology Applications for Purchasing" chapter.

I was quite disappointed with this book of Feinstein. But to be completely fair about it, it may not be this book per se, but simply that I have grown tired of Mr. Feinstein's writing style.

I admire Mr. Feinstein's work as being extremely well-researched, and I enjoy his occasional appearances in the ESPN Sports Reporters show. In that Sunday morning show, he is forced to be much more critical and opinionated than he is in this or any other of his books.

I wished he could have used some of the edge from his book on tennis to apply to this book. Even some of the humor of "A Good Walk Spoiled" would have been appreciated.

But this book is simply a reporting of what happened at each of the 1998 Majors. In Feinstein's opinion, everybody with any connection whatsoever with the PGA or any golf tournament is a fantastic person, a veritable saint. Even John Daly comes across as a wonderful person.

That last treatment is extremely disappointing as the author grew up in a family beset by alcoholism, and knows full well what an alcoholic can do to destroy his/her family. Feinstein really blows it on Daly, who as recent events have shown, cares only about the bottle.

The only person who gets criticized is Matt Kuchar's father.

Feinstein knows full well about the business deals, the multiple conflicts of interest, the interesting political views of the people he talks about. He quotes often about the players complaining of the grueling schedules of the golfers, yet he never questions the greed behind many of these commitments.

I was hoping for an even-handed treatment of the subject manner. Not a book that criticizes everybody, but neither one that praises everyone. Unfortunately, by being so uncritical, the book became dull rather quickly and while informative, it wastes Feinstein's superb writing skills.

John Feinstein first tackled the PGA tour with his excellent book A Good Walk Spoiled. In that book he extensively looked at the lower end of the tour, Q School, in which golfers competed to gain a Tour Card that would allow them to opportunity to play on the PGA Tour. In his latest, The Majors, he dives into the other end of the spectrum as he dissects the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam and the elite golfers chasing the immortality of being a Majors champion. As usual, Mr. Feinstein's research is impeccable and we get some in depth information about the history of each of the tournaments, especially that of the Masters. While Tiger woods, David Duval, Phil Mickelson and other stars are profiled, the real star of the book is Mark O'Meara who won two majors in '98 after previously winning none. As he notes several times in the book, a golfer is never considered to be a truly great golfer unless he has a Majors victory on his resume. Mr. O'Meara had long been considered the best of the B's (golfers without a major) and the insight we get into his quest of a Major is superb journalism. The one negative of the book is that too often we get into the personal lives and relationships of the golfers and those sections start to read like a copy of Tiger Beat. That aside, this book is a good read and has the right balance that will appeal to both the hardcore and casual golf fan.

John Feinstein's second golf-related book, "The Majors" is not as good as his first one, "A Good Walk Spoiled" which dealt with a broader number of topics related to the PGA Tour but it still is a pretty good (and fast) read.

Feinstein has picked about 12 golfers to follow for the majors of 1998 as well as small snipits about other golfers (such as club pros who make it into the PGA Championship). He doesn't really focus on any one golfer in particular, which I like because I was fully expecting this book to focus largely on Tiger Woods. This was not the case. You get to see the frustration of Mark O'Meara of not being considered one of the top players and then see him experience the joy of winning not one, but two majors in 1998. You see the frustration of David Duval who was considered the world's best player in 1998 lose a heartbreaker in the Masters and then not really contend in the other majors. And you see the much-maligned Vijay Singh survive a tough duel with Steve Stricker to win the PGA.

All-in-all, this is a good book with some fine reporting by the well-respected journalist. If you haven't read Good Walk Spoiled, read that one first before picking this one up.

An exremely entertaining book which takes you on a trip across the United States to examine the great venues and stories of college basketball. From the awesome early-season tournaments in Hawaii to the meccas of college basketball like the Palestra and Madison Square Garden to March Madness, from the Lute Olsen-Steve Kerr Arizona Wildcats to the Admiral to Danny Manning, Feinstein's book is a must for any fan of college basketball.

As a reader of John Feinstein's more popular works, such as A Season on the Brink, A Civil War, etc., I couldn't resist reading his attempt at fiction. This is a story about an unemployed sports reporter who stumbles across some disturbing information about a standout high school basketball player from the reporter's childhood town. The book is a fast read, and overall, good and entertaining. Although the ending is unrealistic, I recommend the book to those who enjoy Feinstein's anecdotes of real-life college sports.

Many readers may take issue with the fact that this series represents sportswriting at its best. THe editor, Dick SCHaap is really a hack writer, at best. I'm sure there are many other examples of fine sportswriting out there. The series seems to be making efforts to dig up newer, alternative writers who often become as much a part of the story as what they are writing about, though no one will do that better than Hunter THompson! The strength of this series is that its increasingly focusing on lesser known or alternative sports, or just on activities that are beyond our normal view of what constitutes recreation. There are pieces on cockfighting, long-distance swimming, poker playing, bullriding, ultra-running, and guns. In fact, there are only a few pieces of writing on the big 4 sports of football, baseball, hockey and basketball. While this may turn off many a reader who prefers to read about their larger than life heroes, to me its a strength in that we get to read about people who are just as dedicated to their craft (however obscure), perhaps more so, than those athletes in the well known sports. But just when we get comfortable with a new sport, there will be a piece written totally tongue-in-cheek, such as the one by Garirison Keillor. I've read the books in the series going back a number of years and the series seems to be going more and more in this direction. This to me is its appeal, though those of you who are fans of the more conventional sports may take issue. Its not the best of American Sportswriting, but is among the most diverse of American sports writing. Many of the pieces were interesting enough to make me wish there was more to read on the event or sport, or that I could find a longer version of the story by the same author. Looking forward to next year's book.

The 1997 edition of "The Best American Sports Writing" has plenty of moments that will enthrall avid sports fans and even those less avid who merely like a good story. The series is a national treasure, which collects the best sports related writing every year and puts it into a single easy-to-read volume. The sports included run the gamut from the traditional team sports of baseball and football to more extreme examples like mountaineering. The main requirement for inclusion is great writing, and that's wht this series delivers consistently.

The best articles in the 1997 edition include New Yorker editor David Remnick's hilarous book review of Dennis Rodman's "Bad As I Wanna Be," Rick Reilly's revealing (and revolting) interview with former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott, Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," the Outside Magazine piece that later became a runaway bestselling book, Gary Smith's account of how Tiger Woods destiny was largely predetermined by his father, and Padgett Powell's biography of an American arm wrestling champion. As always, the quality of the reporting means that even if you have only a margainal interest in the sport described, you'll still find it entertaining.

Overall, another fine entry in an outstanding series.

The 2000 edition of "The Best American Sports Writing" has plenty of moments that will enthrall avid sports fans and even those less avid who merely like a good story. The series is a national treasure, which collects the best sports related writing every year and puts it into a single easy-to-read volume. The sports included run the gamut from the traditional team sports of baseball and football to more extreme examples like mountaineering. The main requirement for inclusion is great writing, and that's wht this series delivers consistently.

The best articles in the 2000 edition include Jeff Macgreggor's disturbing account of the violence that permeats Candian youth league hockey, Robert Hubert's sad biographical piece on Joe DiMaggio's only son, Michael Finkel's story about the cult of extreme marathoning, Allison Glock's entertaining biography of Robbie Knievel, and Charles Sprawson's tale of the feats of extreme swimmers. As always, the quality of the reporting means that even if you have only a margainal interest in the sport described, you'll still find it entertaining.

Overall, another fine entry in an outstanding series.

As graduate of Bucknell, I was very pleased when I heard that John Feinstein had decided to focus his next book on the Patriot League. For all Patriot basketball fans, I think the book provides a certain degree of vindication - The Patriot League does play entertaining basketball on the outskirts of the big time, without the felonious behavior and coddled athletes of the larger conferences. Better still, once a season we get to see ourselves on ESPN, in the conference championship. I'd venture that all of the Patriot schools quietly root for whoever makes the NCAA tournament in hopes finally getting that first elusive upset.

That said, is Feinstein's book a good read? For me, as an alumnus it was great to hear a respected journalist's perspective on the conference. However, when friends that didn't know anything about the Patriot League asked me about the book, I found it hard to recommend it. It occasionally reads like a long Sports Illustrated article, and the descriptions of game play are quite repetitive by the season's end. I bought the book as a gift for my college roommates from way back when, but I don't know if it could hold the attention of someone who wasn't as familiar with the league.

John Feinstein has proven himself to be a master of college basketball, writing great books such as "A March to Madness" and "A Season on the Brink". Feinstein outdoes himself this time. Being granted all-access to all 7 teams in the Patriot League, he writes an overview of the league, the teams, the schools, the players, and all that unfolds in the 1999-2000 season. From the lack of interest in college basketball at Army, to the high expectations put on Lafayette, the hopes of a championship banner at Bucknell, to the pain, suffering, and feeling of starting over at Colgate, the window of opportunity for Navy to jump into, to the crumbling of a season at Holy Cross, and Lehigh's belief in miracles, Feinstein paints a picture of college basketball in its purest form, one not viewed by the normal fan. Feinstein reveals that there are leagues around this country that don't offer scholarships, that don't receive million dollar tv packages, that aren't getting the top 100 prospect, that don't fly charter planes to games, and teams that only have one shot at a NCAA tournament bid; through the conference tournament. While the book occasionally drags along during Feinsteins recollection of a few games, this book is worthy of at least 4 stars because of its mission to show the rest of the college basketball world that there are still some schools where kids go to receive an education, and not to use as just a stepping stone to the NBA.

I have had the opportunity to read all of Mr. Fienstein's work and while I do not think it is his best in terms of story telling because of the amount of people introduced to the reader, the message is an uplifting one for anyone of us who have ever dreamed of playing sports. I will admit to playing at one of the schools featured (many years ago and in a different sport), but what Mr. Feinstein captures is exactly the reason that to this day I think that there will always be a place for the Patriot League. The indivudual stories within the book give the reader a glance of how difficult it is to even participate on a college team, let alone ones that have high academic standards. Irrespective of those high standards, the object is the same as at any other program and that is to win. But the difference is that at the end of the competition, real life still must go on-studies, social life, job interviews, career choices, etc. This is the essence of this very entertaining and courageous book. Yes, there could have been more character development with fewer characters to have arrived at the same message, but the fact that seven schools with ideals as high as these have competed atheletically against the giants of the game and still maintain their academic integrity allows for some overindulgence in exposing the reader to as many of these student atheletes as possible. It's a great book to share with with your children, particularly those who love the game, but also know the games place in their lives.

Having read and admired several of Feinstein's earlier works (notably A Good Walk Spoiled, A Season on the Brink, and The Majors), I was eager to read this account of an event which occurred on December 9, 1977, when Kermit Washington threw a punch at Rudy Tomjanovich during an otherwise forgettable NBA game. I seriously doubt if that incident "changed basketball forever" but it certainly had a great impact (no pun intended) on Washington and Tomjanovich. In my opinion, Feinstein's greatest challenge was to provide an analysis of that incident within the historical context of the almost 25 years since "the punch" was thrown. He had several options. Here are three: Focus primarily on the two principals; or focus primarily on what he views as the larger significance of violence in competitive sports; or focus on the society within which such violence is tolerated, if not admired. For whatever reasons, he seems to have elected all three and the results are disappointing.

The narrative is excessively redundant, the coverage is generally superficial, and worst of all, Feinstein (if only by implication) suggests to this reader a number of questions which are worthy of thoughtful responses. Why, for example, are the NFL and NHL now imposing more serious penalties (fines and/or suspensions without pay) on athletes for what are viewed as acts of violence? How does the behavior of certain athletes reflect their socio-economic background? And what about the violent behavior of fans (even those attending their children's games) who attack officials as well as each other? During a recent college football game, an assistant coach was arrested on the field after allegedly injuring a fan. What's going on? What does it all mean?

Given the opinions I have just shared, my rating is explained by the fact that I think Feinstein has at least refocused attention on a distant event which invites thoughtful analysis in books yet to be written. That alone is worth an additional Star. My hope is that someone else (John Updike? George Will?) will come forth with a book which Feinstein could have and should have written.

John Feinstein is one of the preeminent sports writers in the country and his new book, The Punch, is yet another solid work. The story centers around a game on December 9, 1977 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets at the Great Western Forum in LA. At the time, the NBA was not the institution it is today. Drug use was rampant, fighting was commonplace and the league was really an afterthought to most fans. In fact, the NBA finals were not even broadcast live on TV. So, the game between the Lakers and Rockets was just an average early season contest between two mediocre teams. The incident started when Laker center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Rocket center Kurt Kunnert got tangled up at center court. Being that Abdul-Jabbar had hurt himself in a fight earlier in the week, Laker forward Kermit Washington got involved to protect Abdul-Jabbar. Rockets forward Rudy Tomjanovich, who was at the other end of the court, saw the melee and ran down to try and break it up. As Tomjanovich was running at full speed, Washington felt his presence, turned and delivered a crushing blow to Tomjanovich's face. The force was so severe that it basically broke Tomjanovich's face. Tomjanovich was rushed to the hospital, where it was discovered he was leaking brain fluid and actually if not for the good sense of the Laker trainer to call a head trauma specialist, he may have died. The book is at its best when it details how due to this one brief instance, the lives of two men were irrevocably changed. Tomjanovich's career got back on track, he returned the next year and was a starter on the Western Conference All-Star team, and he eventually became coach of the Rockets and won two NBA titles in the 1994 & 1995. But the physical and emotional trauma that he was left with still haunt him. He could never seem to accept accolades as he felt they were bestowed on his out of pity. He also became an alcoholic. Kermit Washington fared far worse. His career never was the same. He was suspended for an indefinite period of time and his career became defined by the punch. Even though he was an enforcer and tough guy on the court, off the court he overcame many odds to succeed in life. He was from a tough neighborhood in Washington, DC, but went to American University and not only was a star basketball player, but an Academic All-American and class valedictorian. But since the punch, he was virtually been blackballed from getting a job in the NBA. Mr. Feinstein does a great job of detailing the lives of the two men and how their colors, Tomjanovich is white and Washington is black, helped play a role in how the incident was received. What The Punch fails to do though is to explain how this incident really changed basketball. Outside of adding a third referee and scaling back on the fighting, Mr. Feinstein glosses over that aspect. Basketball was changed and elevated to the level it is today basically due to Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. The Lakers and Celtics rivalry in the 80's and Jordan's pure athletic excellence propelled the sport and helped to overcome any stigmatism left from the 70's. Mr. Feinstein does a good job of getting into the effects on the two players, but he takes what is essentially an ugly footnote in league history and tries to make into a pivotal, league defining and altering event.

I read this book concurrently with "You Cannot Be Serious" by John McEnroe.

One of these books is about a star who admits his foibles and, without attempting to justify them, explains why he acted the way he did, and the consequences of same. Put more simply
1. He did it
2. He accepts reponsibility for it.

The other is a hagiographic account of how one young basketball player almost killed another player with a single blow. The victim eventually recovered and went on to moderately great heights in the NBA. The other carped and whined his way through life, and despite all the spin this well-regarded sports journalist put on the story, two inescapable facts come out in the book.
1. He did it.
2. He doesn't accept responsibility for it.

It's certainly disappointing what happened, not least for Rudy Tomjanovich, the victim. But get a life already. There was only one victim that night, but Kermit Washington has spent the rest of his life attempting to pursuade anyone who will listen that there were two.

Of all of the Tiger Woods books that have been written this one is the worst I have encountered. Why? Instead of giving a thought provoking analysis of Tiger Woods as a player and his personal impact upon the sporting world, you end up reading a personal vendetta that the author has against Team Tiger.

John Feinstein starts out with the question of who is Tiger Woods and then proceeds to break the myths surrounding the personality. There isn't anything wrong with breaking myths except Feinstein has nothing good to say about Tiger (except for his game). He accuses Earl Woods of exploiting his famous son, he castigates IMG for being Tiger's management agency, and shows his hatred for Tiger's agent, Hughes Norton. He paints a portrait of Tiger being immature, greedy and totally insensitive to his fans. If that is the case, why bother slapping together a work dealing with the greatest player in the golf world?

In all fairness to the author, he does expose Tiger for what he was at the time; a young immature player who makes mistakes. He also shows the myths that the media have perpetuated about the young man. He also points out how greedy sponsors and management agencies can ruin the careers of young players. That is good information in understanding Tiger Woods the icon but says little about him as a person.

What is lacking in the book is Feinstein not really knowing Tiger personally. His diatribes against the player and his cohorts have prevented him from getting to know the other side of the young man who will make a great contribution to golf. Feinstein is caught up in an axe to grind against Tiger's handlers and misses the champion. You don't gain any insight from his musings. If you are a Tiger fan and want to collect books about him regardless of what is said about Tiger by all means pick up a copy. Otherwise leave it on the shelf.

If Mr. Feinstein thought this deliberately self-serving effort to drag Tiger's name (and his family's) through the mud would gain favor throughout the sporting world, and throw Tiger off his game, he thought dead-wrong. Tiger's string of top-10 finishes in 1998 (his worst year, when this book was released), his $7-million 1999 season, and now the biggest blowout in majors history (winning by 15 strokes at the 2000 U.S. Open, the only one under par), is an absolutely fitting response, by Tiger, to Feinstein's effort to manufacture scandal from almost nothing. One guy said it best when he said that there are other golfers on tour who are no different, if not worse. Amazing, it seems, that we haven't heard from Feinstein since Tiger's 1999 PGA Championship win. His crow is getting cold.

I submit Feinstein would be better served to consider Woods' family dynamics, rather than skewer them. And no, you can not consider them by skewering them.