Racing for the Gold: The Story of Lyle Shelton and the Rare Bear Review

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Racing for the Gold: The Story of Lyle Shelton and the Rare Bear ReviewWith the recent passing of Lyle Shelton (Apr 8, 2010)this book gives excellent historical information regarding a complicated, dedicated and driven pilot. The plane is another character of Lyle's charm, personality and purpose. From living in a dirt hole in TX as a kid and through to searching for the ultimate racer that will fulfill his destiny, Lyle Shelton made it happen.
Great book for anyone who doesn't know or has ever experienced Reno air races or any of the original race events this book brings to light and the complex nature of a man who wanted to make an ol fat plane be the best in the world. You will want to come to Reno to experience these old WWII planes in their modified madness. We call it NASCAR in the sky!
He did it by setting records, and making dreams come true for many many fans
Fly Fast, Lyle in the air race in the sky!Racing for the Gold: The Story of Lyle Shelton and the Rare Bear Overview

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The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville Wright Review

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The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville Wright ReviewNoah Adams took a year off from NPR and went in search of the Wright Brothers. He sought out the threads of their story in locations from Dayton Ohio to Paris France, as well as deep inside the many long letters that Orville, Wilbur, their father Milton and their sister Kate shared over the years. The result is a fresh telling of the Wright story that is well worth reading.
Adams' book caught my eye because I have been on my own Wright Brothers quest the last two years, producing a documentary for The History Channel. In reading his book I discovered we had unknowingly crossed paths twice. Once in October 2002 on the dunes of Jockey's Ridge state park, a few miles south of Kitty Hawk, watching military pilots try their hand flying the Wright Brothers 1902 glider, and once at the annual air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Having done a substantial amount of research into the Wrights' story, I wondered if I would learn anything new in this book, and was delighted to find that I did. No other book that I've seen details Wilbur Wright's first encounter with alphabet soup at a hotel dining room in France in 1908, which is a wonderful moment. Other little known nuggets also come to light here. The Wrights' sense of humor, hidden from the world and saved only for family and close friends, is also write large on these pages, which helps us see past the starched suits and pinched faces and come face to face with the real men.
Other parts of the story that I was familiar with were told with caring and detail that made them seem brand new. One exquisitely sad chapter deals in detail with Will and Orv's sister Kate. She and Orville were as close as two people could be, and came to rely heavily on each other after Wilbur's death. But when Kate fell in love in her 50's with an old college friend, recently widowed, and decided to marry him, Orville cut her off. He didn't attend the wedding, he returned letters, and never spoke to her again before she died of pneumonia two years later. Adams tells the story through Kate's letters, and the pain is palpable.
But it is Adams' own explorations that what really set the book apart, as he visits the dirt racecourse in Le Mans where Wilbur Wright astonished the world with his first flight, charters a boat to Kitty Hawk the same way Wilbur Wright did, or examines the original glass negative of that famous picture of the first flight.
Listeners to NPR are familiar with Adams' folksy style. You meet the people he does, be they curators, taxi drivers, whoever. He occasionally stumbles, rambling on too long about a moth collector at Huffman Prairie, or a stunt pilot flying at Oshkosh. But he hits far more often than he misses. His observations and his musings, and his weaving of modern day people and happenings into the story make this book unique among the many Wright books that have come out this year. You can learn the history well you enjoy the ride. I highly recommend it.
One other note: I downloaded the audio version of this book, something I had never done before, and it worked quite well. I was going to burn it to CD, but it would have required multiple CDs, so I just listened to it off my laptop, which was great.The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville Wright Overview

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Then Steve Said to Jerry: The Best San Francisco 49ers Stories Ever Told (Best Sports Stories Ever Told the Best Sports Stories Ever T) with CD Review

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Then Steve Said to Jerry: The Best San Francisco 49ers Stories Ever Told (Best Sports Stories Ever Told the Best Sports Stories Ever T) with CD ReviewI received this book as a Christmas gift from my parents and finished it in just a couple of days. It is easy to read in the sense that it doesn't require a great deal of thought, but the poor writing and random tangents that the author takes will leave you scratching your head. I was thoroughly disappointed with this book and I discourage anyone from purchasing it.
To start, there is almost no "new" information I received from this book. Any true 49er fan will already know the majority of the stories that are discussed in this book. If you are looking for a better "behind-the-scenes" look at players and coaches, I would suggest watching the America's Game documentaries. They do a great job of making the viewer feel apart of the action. This book falls tragically short in actually telling "the best San Francisco 49ers stories ever told."
The next problem is the poor writing and factual errors throughout the book. The author would just finish a section on a specific game, and two paragraphs later would reference that same game like it was brand new information. The book seems to have been written in sections without regard for how it flows as a whole. Furthermore, he goes off on random tangents during a chapter that really had nothing to do with 49ers history (a section on Dan Marino as an example).
Adding to the poor writing is the incorrect information that the author provides. He states that the 49ers beat the Cowboys with a score of 21-15. It was actually 21-14. I realize this is a minor error and can probably be attributed to an incorrect key stroke. However, in that same paragraph, he says, "It was a game plan that neither Aikman nor head coach Jimmy Johnson knew the Cowboys could live with (p. 136)." This sentence is referencing the NFC Championship game from the 1994 season. I am quite certain Jimmy Johnson didn't care about the game plan considering he wasn't coaching the Cowboys that season! Barry Switzer was the head coach during the 1994 season. If the author can't get basic facts right, how can I trust the validity of anything else he says in this book?
To make matters worse, he doesn't cite a single source. Eighth graders know the importance of citing anything that is not your original idea...a concept apparently lost on Steve Silverman. There is no reference as to where or when Mr. Silverman acquired his information, and since he already proved he can't handle getting the facts right, how can I believe that these are the actual words of the players and coaches?
Perhaps my favorite sentence in the book is, "The 49ers were single-minded in their effort was sensational (p. 167)." Mr. Silverman, did you or anyone else actually proof-read this book before it was published? This is not the only example of a complete lack of ability to properly utilize the English language - just my favorite. I would be embarrassed to have put this work on the shelves, and Triumph Books (the publisher) should be equally humiliated.
As if the body of this book isn't bad enough, Mr. Silverman decides to end with a truly abysmal conclusion. The final section is a discussion on the hiring of Mike Martz last year to serve as Offensive Coordinator. While it's clear the author does not care for this move by the 49ers (a rare good point in this book), I don't see the reason for dedicating several pages to talking about it. Nor should this have been the wrap-up portion of this book. Mr. Silverman ends his work by effectively saying that the great history of the 49ers is nice to reminisce about but that there is little to look forward to in the future. That serves as the knock-out punch after being jabbed in the gut for the rest of this book.
I don't want to sound completely pessimistic, however. The one good thing about this book is that it encouraged me to pursue a career in sports writing. If this book is reflective of the kind of writing that leads to several accolades as a brilliant sports writer, then I should have no problem succeeding. If any sports editors read this review and are interested in hiring a young, aspiring writer, please let me know! Now, Mr. Silverman, I will end with something you failed to do...cite my source:
Silverman, Steve (2008). Then Steve Said to Jerry: The Best San Francisco 49ers Stories
Ever Told. Chicago: Triumph Books.
Then Steve Said to Jerry: The Best San Francisco 49ers Stories Ever Told (Best Sports Stories Ever Told the Best Sports Stories Ever T) with CD OverviewThe City of San Francisco nested its candlestick Park atop Candlestick Point, and christened the venue in 1959. Unlike the transplanted teams that once called the West Coast home, the 49ers have always belonged to San Francisco- and remain the city's most beloved sports team. From their early days in the All-America Football Conference to joining the fledgling NFL following the 1949 season, the Niners established themselves as a team of contenders. Five trips to the Super Bowl in the 1980s and 1990s earned the team five championships. San Francisco's rocky road to immortality, however, was paved with years of beatings at the hands of its archrivals, the Los Angeles Rams, and playing local second-fiddle to their widely popular Bay Area neighbors, the Oakland Raiders. Chronicles more than four decades of the greatest San Francisco 49ers stories as told by coaches, players, rivals and even fans- from the hiring of legendary coach Bill Walsh, to the unrivaled dynasty established in the 1980s and 1990s, to the promise of today's rebuilding efforts. Veteran NFL writer Steve Silverman presents a fascinating insider's view of the most important people and moments in Niners history. Along the way, devoted fans will enjoy reading about the greatest stars from the team's lively past- including Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, Steve Mariucci, Jesse Sapolu, and Terry Owens- and learning what made their achievements in the red and gold unforgettable.Dedicated Niners fans will enjoy exploring the team's early history and glory years. Learn the story of the 1979 third-round draft pick who went on to earn four Super Bowl rings, "The Catch" against the Dallas Cowboys in 1982, the discovery of the greatest receiver of all time, and the fabled transition from one Super Bowl MVP quarterback to another. This book is a tribute to the lasting legacy of the San Francisco 49ers.

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