kmelchior's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Willie Mays is an incredible baseball talent. His wisdom, humor, and life experience combine to inspire every reader. Not just for baseball fans.
frogcatcher3's review against another edition
5.0
Really cool take on an inspirational book. Each of the 24 chapters(for Willie's uniform number) starts with a Mays quote and follows by giving a lesson told by stories from his career and life. Told almost in interview form this book was inspiring and informative without being preachy.
Great book by argueably the greatest baseball player to ever walk the Earth.
Great book by argueably the greatest baseball player to ever walk the Earth.
naomi_branham's review against another edition
4.0
As a fan of the game and SF Giants this was a must read. I enjoyed how Willie's story is woven through his co-authors words nicely. You can hear his voice throughout. He had to overcome so much. What's so great is his overall love of the game and just wanting to play, be his best, and mentor new players. He was instrumental in desegregating the NL with his calm demeanor and getting along with everyone. I love how involved he remains with the community to help inspire others; there is a lesson to be learnt in how he commands himself.
jfranco77's review against another edition
5.0
Not intended to be a biography or an autobiography, but a book that nonetheless highlights some key times/moments in Willie's life. The format is Mays quotes interspersed with a couple pages of explanation/commentary from John Shea, or quotes from other players/famous people. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are featured prominently in the later chapters. The overall effect is incredibly positive and inspirational - and Shea even says that was the goal he and Mays had set out to achieve. Not a biography, but something that could be used in a classroom. Willie has been blessed to have an incredibly positive, mostly controversy-free life, and he shares it here. We're lucky to have him.
havebookswilltravel's review against another edition
3.0
My daddy raised me to be a Giants fan, and there isn’t anyone more Giant than Willie Mays. I started this book on audio way back in September, read half of it, and then had to give it back to the library before I was done. I recently got the ebook which I liked much better. The audio narration isn’t very engaging.
This is a story about Willie Mays’s career in baseball. The acknowledgments say that Willie wanted it to be a self-help, inspirational book, but I don’t really think it’s as much about the “life lessons” as it is about the “stories.” Fans of baseball (any team, but especially the G-men) will appreciate the stats, recaps of famous moments in his career, and anecdotes from on and off the field. Those looking for a self-help book probably won’t find much here.
And one more thing: BEAT LA!!
This is a story about Willie Mays’s career in baseball. The acknowledgments say that Willie wanted it to be a self-help, inspirational book, but I don’t really think it’s as much about the “life lessons” as it is about the “stories.” Fans of baseball (any team, but especially the G-men) will appreciate the stats, recaps of famous moments in his career, and anecdotes from on and off the field. Those looking for a self-help book probably won’t find much here.
And one more thing: BEAT LA!!
sheenalaine's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
mugglemom's review against another edition
4.0
3.5stars
The style of writing or either the intended audience made this book a bit of a chore to read. I would lose interest many times - I think this was for pre-teens with little knowledge.
As an adult, it was interesting to get a sense of Willie Mays but it is (pardon the pun) a bit of a soft throw. Maybe that was Mr. Mays intent?
The style of writing or either the intended audience made this book a bit of a chore to read. I would lose interest many times - I think this was for pre-teens with little knowledge.
As an adult, it was interesting to get a sense of Willie Mays but it is (pardon the pun) a bit of a soft throw. Maybe that was Mr. Mays intent?
nsperry92's review against another edition
5.0
If you read just one book about Willie Mays, make it this one. John Shea’s writing paired with Willie’s commentary made this an entertaining and engrossing read.
This is an inspirational book and I’d recommend it to everyone. You don’t need to know a lot about baseball or Willie Mays to love this book. You’ll love it for the outstanding man that is Willie Mays.
This is an inspirational book and I’d recommend it to everyone. You don’t need to know a lot about baseball or Willie Mays to love this book. You’ll love it for the outstanding man that is Willie Mays.