andrea_baker's review against another edition
4.0
The way the book weaves the perfect game with the story of his life is excellent. It's a great balance of life, baseball, and growing up. I really enjoyed it. An epilog of what he went on to do after retiring from baseball would have been a great addition. Even if it wasn't complete.
bobbo49's review against another edition
3.0
An inspirational autobiography, written in a rather pedantic athlete's style, this is the story of Jim Abbott, the one-handed pitcher out of Michigan who won an Olympic gold medal and pitched in the major leagues for 10 years, including a no-hitter that winds through the book. The description of his life-long struggle not to be defined by his handicap - while allowing the struggle itself to define him - is at the heart of the story.
socraticgadfly's review against another edition
4.0
Nice, solid book. Nothing spectacular, but a good overview of Jim Abbott's life. Doesn't pull punches about himself, doesn't get overly sentimental. The one missing thing is info about his post-baseball life, since, at the end of his book, he seems to be "finding himself" more in part because he is accepting the need to move beyond playing baseball. Probably, if fine tuned, the rating would be a hair below a full four stars.
mamanaja's review against another edition
1.0
It started off and ended inspirationally, but the middle was extremely laborious. I understand Jim is a humble person, but he came off as constantly down on himself, wallowing and it got tiring after a few chapters.
leeann20's review against another edition
3.0
more than baseball, overcoming adversity and crises of confidence
clarkso6's review against another edition
5.0
Hearing my favorite ball player recite his experience and life. Man. It was great ❤
rebeccalm's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed learning more about this baseball player whose name I've heard before but who I didn't really know much about. Jim tells his story with a lot of honesty and humility - it was very interesting (even for someone like myself who is not too interested in the minutiae of baseball). Jim was a man with a lot of character, grit, and determination - talent and hard work took him very far in life. Despite, and perhaps because of, a noticeable missing limb that caused most people to underestimate him, Jim always chose to persevere and make sure to prove to himself and others just how capable he really was. A very interesting read.
mhdtim's review against another edition
5.0
Accepting a personal bias (as a Disabled person), this book is a well executed cross-section of baseball and Disability