By Charles Barkley and Roy S. Johnson
Ranking:
If you like Charles Barkley, you will like this book. If you don't, you won't. It's vintage Barkley: giving his witty and common-sense opinion on everything and telling the story of his life. He tells about growing up, playing in high school, not being highly recruited, playing in college, trying out for the 1984 Olympic team, and playing with the Sixers. There is a chapter added in later editions about being traded to Phoenix and playing in the Olympics.
He is obviously frustrated at the bad trades and draft picks that the Sixers made as well as the stupidity of sports writers. He talks about the infamous spitting incident and punching out the fan in Milwaukee. He tells of Bill Laimbeer and his (lack of) fondness of him. He talks about his teammates from his early NBA days: Dr. J, Moses Malone, Andrew Toney, etc. He tells of his disdain for whining teammates and he tells of the problems that his brother had with drugs. He talks about the riches bestowed on athletes and he makes keen observations about why people should quit complaining about how much money athletes make. He also tells of playing with injuries, marrying a white woman and how there are idiots in every race, and why athletes should not be role models.
I always get a laugh when I think about this book because Charles claims he was misquoted in his autobiography (comments concerning Manute Bol). Heh.
The book, like John Lucas' has other people telling parts of it, such as his mother, grandmother, and such.
One of the funnier books and one of the more opinionated ones out there. At the same time, the guy makes many valid points and, with his commonsense approach, changed the way I think on some issues.
Introspection: 4
Insight: 2
History: 1984-92
Readability: 5
Outrageous!. Charles Barkley and Roy S. Johnson. Avon Books. 1992.
