Bob Verdi of the Chicago Tribune is the best sportwriter working in the Windy City. This book is a collection of his best columns from over the years. There are many here to treasure, from all the major sports. Ther downside is that the book was published in 1988, and there has been no follow up edition including Verdi's more recent columns. Nevertheless, this is a book that is well worth searching out.

The late Mike Royko was the best newspaper columnist in America, largely because he was funny and because he used the power of his column to champion causes no one else would touch. He had a strong sense of justice and fair play that shines through in his written words. "Dr. Kookie" is the last of the original books collecting his columns and covers the latter half of the 1980s. His was a voice of moral conscience during that go-go money-making period. Anyone with an interest in journalism should read this book and take a lesson from the master.

"Like I Was Sayin'" is another collection of great Mike Royko newspaper columns, these drawn from the 60s, 70s and early 80s. Royko was the best newspaper columnist in America because of his humor and his strong nose for justice. Any of his collections of columns are a must read for those interested in journalism.

What's not to love? I discovered Mike Royko's column when I was only nine years old (I was a precocious child), and enjoyed his columns even after I left the Chicago area. I think I snickered through every single one of these compiled columns. His biting satire and insider's view of the Second City kept me hooked for years. And I certainly applaud his dig on Rupert Murdoch. It takes courage to stand up to the Corporate Giant. My only question: he was only 69 when he died?? Good heavens, I thought this man was about 80!!

This is a very funny and thought-provoking collection of newspaper columns from Royko, Chicago's great everyman. Includes such classics as: how to cure a hangover; an amusing rebuttal to a threatening letter from Frank Sinatra; and the story of a guy who climbed onto a stopped flatbed freightcar in order to get to his commuter train, only to have the freight train start into motion and carry him almost all the way to Iowa.

I rememeber when Mike Royko died Terry Gross of National Public Radio replayed an interview she did with Mike and he told a wonderful story about one of his best friends, Studs Terkel -- the man who wrote the Intro to this book.

As Mike tells it: it seems as though one day Studs was walking home and he was mugged. And the guy doing the mugging all of a sudden RECOGNIZES Studs Terkel! And Studs being an oral historian, par excellence, starts talking to the guy!

One could only imagine the inquisitiveness of someone like Studs Terkel. ... "Where are you from?" ... "How did you come to be a mugger?" ... "Could you describe the alienation that drove you to a life of crime?"

I can't remember if Mike said that Studs pulled out his ubiquitous tape recorder, but it must have been quite a moment.

Mike Royko and Studs Terkel -- two American originals! Two boats on the River of Redeeming Grace.

The book gives glimpses of his personal life, his upbringing, along with his professional life as a journalist for the Daily News, Sun Times, and finally the Tribune. I have read the Tribune for many years but never did read Royko's columns. I read this book to get an idea of why he was such a revered journalist.

I found that the book had some great stories in it and overall it was an enjoyable read, but I did not emerge as impressed with Mike Royko as I thought I would be. A good book for a nice overview for someone trying to figure who Mike Royko was. If you are not interested in learning about Royko this book will bore you out of your mind.

My oldest son,now in his thirties,greatly suprised me earlier this year when he responded to my question of what book had the most impact on him when he was growing up.He said it was more than just a book;it was the columns of Mike Royko,particularly those describing the views of Slats Grubnick."They countered all the dining room table"liberalisms"you and mom always were urging on me".While Slats and his creator,Royko,are no longer with us to directly influence my son's son on a regular basis,they are brilliantly brought back to life in this loving and honest book by Madison newspaper columnist,Doug Moe.I don't recall reading if Moe ever met Royko in person,but in this absolutely enjoyable gem,written with the cooperation of Royko's family and cohorts,Moe writes with an authority and wisdom that The Great Royko himself would love.See for yourself!As for me,I'm planning atrip to The Billy Goat tavern where I plan to hoist a few:to Slats,Royko,and Doug Moe.Thanks for the memories and inspiration.

This book is a wonderful look at one of the great journalists of the 20th century. Whether you are a long time fan of Royko or are just curious about who he was and why his writing had such an impact on readers, you are in for a great read. The photos and text work very well together as Doug Moe masterfully takes you from the humble beginnings of Royko's life down through the years to his final days as the most syndicated columnist in America. Royko's story is fascinating. He was not your typical journalism school product since he, in fact, never went to journalism school. He was a self-taught, street-smart genius who learned his craft while on the job. As this book makes clear, he quickly mastered the fundamentals of sound journalism and then went on for decades entertaining and informing us all with his great writing. The book covers the highlights as well as some of the intriguing details of how it all unfolded. I recommend you read it and pass it on to a good friend.

As a native Chicagoan, I'm probably predisposed to Mike Royko's no-b.s., cut-to-the-chase style. But I won't let that stop me from recommending his book to any American, or any human being with an interest in print journalism. This meticulously selected collection of columns manages to encompass the essential Royko in just 275 pages, from his ardent belief in the Civil Rights Movement to his inexplicable love of the Cubs (I'm a White Sox fan myself, not that that's much better these days). My only complaint is with the dearth of columns responding to reader letters and phone calls. While "One More Time" only includes one, it was in these (generally monthly) columns that Royko really unleashed his razor-sharp, inarguably blunt wit and conscience. But that's that most minor of objections. Any budding journalist or big-city dweller will love this book.

Mike Royko had a gift. He was able to put into words what many of us either thought, or didn't dare to think. There were no subjects too tough for him to tackle-the Daley Machine, prejudice, or even the love of a good woman. His biting wit left us laughing, often uneasily. He captured the feel of Chicago as no one but perhaps Studs Terkel could. This book spans his whole career, and is entertaining from cover to cover. I have loaned this book to friends more than any other in my collection, but I make ... sure I get it back. A must have.......

The most entertaining book I've read this year. Surely this one calls for another. Those of us who miss Mike would like to see another 100 or more columns in a book. If you abjure the Politically Correct attitudes of our time, you'll love this. I'm reading it over again. I miss Royko's wit and sarcasm. Always on point.

I recall Mayor Daley's last years, and found this 1970 book by our best columnist a biased but informative look at Chicago and it's politics. Royko covers Daley's rise and years in office, faulting him as suspicious, vain, racially insensitive, tied to machine politics, and wrong in 1968 (not knowing Daley was anti-Vietnam). But Royko ignores Daley's achievements, which slowed Chicago's decline (1955-76) when other cities nose-dived. Many liberals and media folks detested Daley, never grasping how effectively he led. Years later, Royko backed Daley's son as mayor. Big-city machines? Yeah, but it's nice having a precinct captain nearby.

Yup, I too was alive and kicking during most of The Mayor's reign, and I have to agree, it's got the ring of truth to it. I haven't read such an intriguing documentary-style book since I read Boss. Civics classes AND journalism classes should be required to read this. Royko succeeds in taking a verbal still-life of Chicago during the Boss's tenure.This is right up there with Caro's "The Power Broker" What's really wild is that I read this book right after I read "The Godfather" and both of the titular characters operated in much the same way!

Royko's "Boss," lamentably the only book-length work of his brilliant career, is also one of the absolute best books ever written about urban politics. Royko knew Chicago. The city was in his blood. As such, he knew Mayor Daley the elder better than anyone who was not a family member or a member of his administration. Royko shows how the since-deceased Democratic machine ran Chicago, both for the good and the bad. Read it, and you will understand the likes of Congressman Dan Rostenkowski, who ended up in jail because he continued to practice machine politics long after the machine had died. Hats off to Mike Royko. This book is his masterpiece.

This follow-up to "One More Time" includes more of Mike Royko's Tribune and Sun-Times columns. Although there were a few gems that had been missing from "One More Time", most of the installments here fall flat. If "One More Time" whet your apetite, it would be better to find a copy of "Boss" and see Royko at his best.

I liked this book better than the first volume but don't really know why. I found myself wishing for more follow-ups. ie. What happened to the lady who had to go to court to prove she wasn't a mother?

This book is for those of us who love Mike Royko. It is a sequal to the superb "One More Time," collection that came out last year. This time the introduction is written by former collegue Roger Ebert, who delivers an appropriately poinaint snapshot of the man. Then Royko's own words take over. As always, he is at his best when deflating puffed up politicians or defending the little guy against big corporations and big government. This book adds a bonus of also including the verbal sparring that Royko would occasionally do with readers who outraged by a particular column. It also singles out individual Royko sayings for easilly quotable repeating. Royko was a true Chicago original and perhaps the best newspaper columnist of all time. Reading this book is another reminder of how the void of his absence has yet to be filled and perhaps never will be.

You should read this book until a better one comes along.

Very few writers have ever personified their time and place like Mike Royko did Chicago. I guess the best thing about this book is that it reminds us of what we are missing. It also gave me a bit of detail in the life of a man that I had only known through his columns.

Like most of us, Mike had some serious shortcomings (what appears to have been a serious alcohol problem stands out as number one). He also had a heart and drive for perfection that made his column so great, and (probably) his private life so sad. The 'daily demon,' and the inability to settle for less made him the best columnist of his generation.

This book was obviously written by an admirer. Perhaps someday there will be a more objective biography. For today if you want to understand Chicago in the last half of the twentieth century this book and a collection of Mike Royko's columns is a good place to start.

Like everything else in life, Mike Royko would have loved and hated this book. I do not dispute that Mike Royko was one of the greatest columnist of this century. I was in one of those god-forsaken journalism schools Royko despised when he passed away, and I was truly saddened his column would never appear again.

But I would have to wonder how Royko might respond to Ciccone's tribute, which is what this book was more than a biography. Like another reviewer, I was taken back by all the editing errors, particularly the many left out words. I believe Royko, a stickler for the small details, would have ranted.

This is a tribute more than a biography because the author isn't the least bit objective. I don't know how many times he lauds Royko for being the greatest and for his longevity (33 years and more than 8,000 columns).

Yet for all the slobbering, Ciccone paints an honest portrait of a gruff, hard drinking and harder working ethnic who made a mark despite a tough beginning.

I enjoyed Royko's story not because I am a journalist but becasue I am an American and nostalgic for stories that exemplify the American boots-straps mentality. But more than that, Royko became so popular because he was so human. He had his share of triumphs along with his share of problems, most notably drinking. He was the conscience of a city when it did not want to recognize its racist problems, and he eventually became the nation's straight-talking uncle who told it like it was.

Royko is a clearly a love-him-or-hate-him figure and so is this book. If you were a fan, it gives you an insight behind the byline. If not, it gives you more ammunition.

Something tells me Royko would feel both ways.

I haven't read any of the other reviews for opinions, but author Richard Ciccone covers the life of Chicago icon Mike Royko in a lengthy 439 pages from his years of writing for the Chicago Daily News, the Chicago Sun Times, and the Chicago Tribune. Unlike columnists of other newspapers who wrote one or two columns a week, Mike Royko wrote five columns a week before finally cutting down to four per week near the end of his career. Mike struggled with the demons of alcohol and tobacco during his life which caused him to have health problems that may have led to the brain aneurysms that took his life in 1997, the year he was to retire. This book may tell you more than you want to know about Mike Royko, but I never found the book to be boring. He could be loving and kind, but he also could be crude and profane. Nevertheless, he could write a column that could be biting with sarcasm as well as humor. I have read both of his books on favorite columns he wrote and found them both informative and entertaining. This book by Royko friend Richard Ciccone also qualifies as informative and entertaining. Read and enjoy!