By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Mignon McCarthy
Ranking:
If you are going to read this, you should first read Kareem's autobiography, Giant Steps. If you don't this book will come across as very shallow. It's an ok book. Upon re-reading, it comes off less than I remember. The book is a diary of his final season (1988-89) and also a personalized look at his career. He spends the first part of the book in denial that he's out of shape and makes up a lot of excuses and blames it on everything under the sun. Then he finally gets his rear into gear and starts playing better.
Kareem is an intelligent guy, so it's not a book of 3rd-person jock talk. Still, he's not as introspective as you would hope (like Bill Bradley's book, for instance). His "Open Letter" to Wilt Chamberlain is also shallow and contains falsehoods.
Introspection: 3
Insight: 3
History: 1988-89 mostly, with various other parts from 1965-1989
Readability: 5
Kareem: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Mignon McCarthy. Random House. 1990.
