As a lifelong Red Sox fan, David Halberstam’s The Teammates was an interesting read. In a nutshell, it tells the story of Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr, and Dominic DiMaggio – the four core members of the Boston Red Sox throughout the 1940′s. These guys came up together, played almost their entire careers together, and became lifelong friends in the process.

I do have to first give it up for this book in the sense that it was the perfect distraction during the off-season from what is the modern-day Red Sox organization – talk about a good time to catch up on teams of Red Sox past (one benefit of the current squad being in shambles is I got 28-1 odds of them winning it all this year – check out your odds here before placing your bet on your favorite team in MLB.)

The book is set with a backdrop of Johnny Pesky and Dominic DiMaggio driving down to Florida to say good-bye to Ted Williams, who is essentially on his deathbed. My knock on the book is that Halberstam is clearly writing about his boyhood idols – he’s much to quick to heap praise upon each of the men, while limiting his criticisms, and the whole book reads much like Tuesdays with Morrie in the sense that it has a gushy, reflective feel to it.

That said, it’s clear to me that these guys were all great players, and Williams aside, humble, genuine people. Growing up with parents who were fans of a different generation of Red Sox greats, I learned at a young age all about the games of Carl Yastrzemski, Fred Lynn, Dwight Evans, Carlton Fisk, and Luis Tiant. While I was well aware of the names of Williams, Doerr, Pesky, and Dimaggio, aside from Ted Williams I couldn’t tell you much about these guys as players except for their position. This book was a great read for me in the sense that I learned a lot more about the Red Sox organization as a whole in the 1940′s, and these players in particular. I’ll leave you with one point of interest with regards to each:

Johnny Pesky – A lifelong Red Sox in one capacity of another, Johnny Pesky was known as “The Needle” because of his pointy nose. He led the American League in hits his first three seasons in the league, despite taking three years off after his rookie season to serve in World War II.

Bobby Doerr – A 9-time All-Star, Doerr averaged 19 homers and 108 RBIs per 162 games for his career – as a second baseman.

Dominic DiMaggio – At 5’9 and 168 pounds Dominic lacked the size and grace of his more famous brother, Joe. Best known for playing a feverish variety of center field, most historians believe the Red Sox would have won the 1946 World Series had Dominic not been injured late in game seven. A 7-time All-Star, Dominic averaged 121 runs per 162 games for his career. Ted Williams, for one, thought he should be a Hall of Famer.

Ted Williams – A 17-time All-Star, Ted Williams would undoubtedly be close to unanimous pick for the title of “Best Hitter Ever” had he not missed nearly five years in his prime while serving in both World War II and Korea. One of my favorite baseball stats of all-time is Williams’ career on-base percentage – .482, good enough for best all-time (ahead of Babe Ruth). That included 5 seasons where Williams had an OBP over .500.

All in all, The Teammates was a nice winter distraction, as well as valuable read for historical perspective it gave me on the Red Sox teams of the 1940′s.

If you have any interest in organized crime, Southie, or Whitey Bulger this book is an absolute must read. This genre aside, this book is one of the most enthralling books I’ve ever read. Eddie McKenzie’s story is brutal, remarkable, and amazingly honest. While “Eddie Mac” will never be able to erase his past, this book is an achievement in and of itself – one which should give McKenzie something to be proud of. You definitely get the feeling that that’s what the publication of this book and the honesty within its pages was all about.

Eddie McKenzie was raised in a series of foster homes, where he was separated from his siblings and frequently beaten. Sodomized by the age of 9, Eddie Mac ran away from foster care and raised himself on the streets of Southie from age 13 on – often sleeping outside. Eddie would go on to get himself into some trouble at a young age, and was forced to enroll in the Marines to avoid serious jail time. His Marine recruiter, who was in many ways his savior and friend, would rape him the night before he was about to head off to camp – another secret he couldn’t reveal without landing himself in jail.

McKenzie eventually found his way back to Southie, where he focused his energies on becoming a brutal fighter. A New England boxing champion, McKenzie would also go on to teach himself judo and kung fu. Despite being only 5’10, he became nearly untouchable in any fight. It wasn’t long before Whitey Bulger came calling, and Eddie Mac became one of his true disciples – an enforcer fiercely loyal to his boss who wreaked havoc on Whitey’s victims with nothing but pleasure. After knocking his victims out, he would often break all of their ribs as well as a leg or two – sometimes he’d even bite off a victims ears or fingers. This would eventually parlay itself into a serious stint as a drug dealer, which afforded Eddie Mac a lifestyle few could ever imagine.

Bulger would eventually rat on Eddie Mac, as well as the rest of the “Southie 51,” in order to save his own ass. With a stable of little kids at home, Eddie Mac was forced to make his own deal with the FBI. Yes, he is a rat – a distinction that he struggles with to this day. But as opposed to the rest of the guys Bulger brought down, Eddie Mac cut his deal with the FBI without providing any information whatsoever on Bulger or any of his boys from Southie – he’s one of few who maintained his code of silence. Instead, he started dealing with the Medellin drug cartel and helped the FBI seize 318 kilos of coke – valued at an estimated $25 to $40 million dollars. To date, it’s still one of the biggest drugs busts in US history, and it bought Eddie Mac his freedom.

Realizing the break that he caught, Eddie’s life soon became focused on his daughters and turning his life “legitimate” – something he admits that he still struggles with to this day. Despite McKenzie’s current age and the fact that he successfully put himself through college, he admits that he still occasionally accepts “collection” jobs, unable to turn down the fast and easy money. As he puts it, “..we all would love the chance to live life without any restrictions, without any fear of consequences. You want that car? Take it. You like that liquor store? You now own it. That guy down the street, the loudmouth with the hot wife and big paycheck? He gets a beating the first time, and if that doesn’t quiet him down, he gets whacked.”

 Following his deal with the FBI, Eddie Mac turned down a spot in the witness protection program, despite the fact that the FBI and all of his neighborhood friends warned him that “the Colombians never forget.” As Eddie writes, “Sure, someday they may find be wearing a Colombian necktie (a common technique where your neck is cut and your tongue is pulled out through your neck). Until then, I’m going to live my life to the fullest and take care of my children.”

McKenzie’s life is truly fascinating – few have been through all that he has endured. But despite his crudeness, his absolute brutality, and the fact that he was what my friends would refer to as “a grade-A sicko,” you find yourself rooting for him. He was an underdog from the get-go, and got himself in deeper than one could ever imagine. But he’s also bounced back remarkably, putting his children and his education first while taking responsibility for a past that will never go away. Eddie sums up his journey with, “As for my future? I hope that when Kayla and Devin (two of his daughters) are grown, they can understand the truth about their daddy. That he was a bad man, but he wasn’t the worst man; and he even managed to improve himself and do some good.”

In many ways this is the ultimate redemption story, told by a truly tortured soul. But for me it was the most in-depth look I’ve ever had at the Southie of the 70′s, 80′s, and even 90′s that I never knew myself. Don’t get me wrong – I hate Southie today. It’s isolated from the rest of Boston, and there’s a constant clash between the “locals” and the “yuppies” who have started buying up condos there. The beach is gross, and everyone thinks they’re a tough guy. The last time I drove through Southie I had 3 different groups of guys approach my car and give me a hard time. Put it this way, I drive a Mazda and am not one to roll around Southie in my favorite pastel colored polo. This new generation of Southie “tough guys” seemingly think they can get by on their neighborhood’s reputation alone. I suggest they read Eddie Mac’s book.

Anybody who knows me knows of my affection for the movie The Departed – surprise surprise, the Boston kid likes The Departed, I know. But while Jack Nicholson’s character is based on Whitey Bulger (in surprisingly accurate detail), my interest in all things Whitey Bulger doesn’t end there. I live in Somerville, just up Broadway from Winter Hill – the initial home to Bulger and the notorious Winter Hill gang. I even semi-seriously considered buying a condo that was for sale directly across the street from the garage that served as home base for the Winter Hill gang. As of late, I’ve been reading up on all things Bulger – and yes, I can’t wait for Ben Affleck’s upcoming movie based on Bulger’s life.

For anyone truly interested in learning the ins and outs of how Bulger was able to elude the FBI for basically his entire life, this is the book you should read first. Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill, the authors, are Boston Globe columnists who have covered Bulger and his activities throughout their respective careers. In Black Mass they go to painstaking lengths to stick only to the facts as they explore the “Unholy alliance between the FBI and the Irish Mob.”

In short, FBI agent John Connolly threw out the rulebook for cultivating informants when it came to Bulger. He didn’t file required reports about their meetings, tipped Bulger off to potential stings against him, and generally protected him from prosecution claiming Bulger’s importance to the FBI in taking down the Italian mob and their activities in Boston’s North End.  While Connolly was Bulger’s primary contact in the FBI, he in no way acted alone – and the book includes all the juicy details about friendships, dinner parties, and lavish gifts exchanged between the FBI and Bulger’s Irish mob.

The strength of this book isn’t its glorification of Bulger or its prose – it’s the fact that it may represent the most historically accurate account of Bulger’s activities and his methods of avoiding prosecution despite being wanted on 19 accounts of murder, extortion, money laundering, and drug trafficking.

The relationship between John Connolly and Whitey Bulger made the FBI completely rethink their strategy and requirements for handling underworld informants – and this book will certainly make you contemplate whether or not law enforcement should be turning a blind eye to obvious crimes in exchange for information on other wrong-doings. Check it out.

I’ve read a lot of golf books in my day – frankly more than I’d like to admit. Everything from Tiger Woods: How I Play Golf to the nearly 400-page gem that is Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible. I’ve read books detailing struggling pros trying make a living on the European Tour, and I’ve read whimsical stories about falling in love with the windswept links in Scotland. Classics like Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book and Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons couldn’t escape me. And of all the golf book’s I’ve read, Hank Haney’s The Big Miss was easily the biggest page-turner, and perhaps the most insightful.

Hank Haney was Tiger Woods’ coach for about 6 years, and The Big Miss is his account of their years spent together. The duo would eventually split shortly after the Tiger Woods scandal broke. Haney’s account of his time with Woods is absolute gold for any golf nerd – there’s all the detail you could ever want in there about Hany’s coaching strategies and his work on Tiger’s swing. But at the end of the day what makes this book so remarkable is the insight it provides into the person that is Tiger Woods; a person so often veiled from the public as a result of his self-inflicted invisibility cloak. There’s no doubt that after reading this book I feel like I have a better understanding of Tiger Woods than I ever did before.

Before I dive in and give you a few juicy teasers, let me first address the critics of this book. Many assume that Hank Haney was fired by Woods, and that the publication of The Big Miss was a move made out of spite and an attempt to make a quick buck. If you read this book, it seems as though nothing could be farther from the truth. Trust me, I’m not one to be easily sold – I’m about as skeptical as they come, and I certainly was as I began reading. “You can’t talk shit on Tiger!” was my general mind-set. Remember the look on your dad’s face when the 25-year-old came to pick up your 17-year-old sister to take her on a date? Double that. That’s how skeptical I was when I began reading this book. And having finished it, I truthfully believe that Haney’s honesty was what makes this book such a great read. He shares many actual e-mails and texts that he exchanged with Tiger, and if he was lying I’m sure that it wouldn’t take long for a major lawsuit to come down on him. Let’s face it, Tiger is uber protective of his image. And at the end of the day, Haney readily admits that the publication of The Big Miss likely won’t win him any points in Tiger’s eyes.

Moving on.

The picture that Haney paints of Tiger Woods is generally what I had always suspected, but much more severe. Essentially Tiger has been surrounded by people from a very young age that have wanted a piece of him, typically for at least partially selfish reasons. Because of this, Tiger lives a life very much in a bubble. But what’s so surprising is that even those close to him, even those within his “inner circle,” are not immune to the bubble. Tiger, even after years of working with Haney and spending 100+ days a year with him, would routinely be incredibly moody and would give him and everyone else around him the silent treatment. He wouldn’t return phone calls. He generally seemed to show little regard to those who were loyal to him and offered their friendship.

One minute example, which Haney goes back to many times in the book, is the issue of the popsicle (I know you can just feel the suspense building). Haney spent many a night with Tiger and Elin, and he recalls that in the beginning the TV was almost always on during dinner. Elin decided to instate a rule whereby the TV could not be on during dinner, only to have Tiger instate a rule that when he was done eating he could leave the dinner table. He would subsequently scarf down his dinner, leave the table, and go watch TV.

While watching TV after dinner, Tiger often sat with Haney and treated himself to a post-dinner sugar-free popsicle. For years he’d do this, and he never once offered or asked Haney if he’d like a popsicle as well. One day Haney wanted himself a goddamn popsicle, and he sat on the couch in bewilderment because of how uncomfortable he felt asking Tiger simply for popsicle. He finally asked Tiger, who looked at him like he had 5 heads then muttered, “Sure.” It’s this sort of thing that was very unbecoming to Haney.

With regards to Tiger’s game, Haney writes quite a bit about Tiger’s fear of “the big miss” – a big miss right or left, particularly with the driver, that would lead to bogey or worse. He sees this as Tiger’s biggest hurdle, and one he worked tirelessly to provide Tiger with a solution to. His solution was a stinger with a driver, as well as a fade with a driver that would cost Tiger distance but guaranteed him that he wouldn’t miss left. Tiger was reluctant to put either in to play. Haney also vividly recalls one of Tiger’s first victories that Elin was around for. Elin met Tiger after the round and suggested that they throw a little party to celebrate the win because “that’s what Jesper (Parnevik) used to do,” when Elin worked for him. Tiger’s response was along the lines of “I’m not Jesper, and we’re not having a party. We’re supposed to win.”

Obviously the book is filled with details about the days leading up to and immediately after the Tiger Woods scandal broke. Haney vehemently states that neither himself nor Steve Williams had any idea of the goings-on. But the scandal aside, there are plenty of other glorious first-hand details in the book. For example, Haney shares a text that Tiger sent to him after Ian Poulter bummed a ride back to Florida on Tiger’s plane. Yes, Tiger thinks Poulter is a d-bag.

Haney is also particularly protective of his record as Tiger’s coach. Many reflect on Tiger’s best years as being in the early 2000′s, and they undoubtedly were. And while Butch Harmon coached Tiger to 8 major championship victories, Haney managed only 6 in his years with Tiger. That said, it is true that the swing Haney taught Tiger won a higher percentage of the time.

Ultimately it would be Haney’s call to break off his relationship with Tiger. He felt he had been as loyal as could be, and had genuinely tried to be the best friend and coach to Tiger that he could. But Tiger’s stand-offish nature, his reluctance to implement Haney’s ideas, and his general treatment of others drove Haney to end their relationship – an engagement for which Woods paid Haney only $50,000 per year.

But while much of what I’ve written about thus far sounds like sour grapes, Haney makes very deliberate efforts to not focus only on the negative. Haney is a man who has studied the great golfers in the history of the game as much as just about anybody, and he has no doubt that when Tiger plays at his highest level he’s far and away the best golfer that has ever lived. But perhaps more importantly, he holds himself and the others in Tiger’s inner circle accountable – accountable for not putting Tiger in check and pushing him to be less guarded, more honest, and generally a more well-rounded human being. In Haney’s eyes it was always all about Tiger with everybody around him, to the extent that no one dared question him or his actions. Tiger insulated himself, and ultimately if someone around him  had stood up to him and prompted him to be better, perhaps “The Big Miss” that we’ve seen as of late could have been avoided.

If you love golf or Tiger Woods, read this book. It’s fantastic insight into one of the most enigmatic athletes to ever reach the highest level of sport.

It’s been a while since I’ve written a “Worthy of a Read” column and with good reason; James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales’ Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN is nothing short of 782 pages of interviews with ESPN executives, anchors, reporters, and writers. The book traces ESPN’s roots back to day one, when the Rasmussen family had the idea to create a network that would show sports 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. From this humble beginning a series of investments, acquisitions, and largely a bunch of 25 years olds were able to grow ESPN into the major media icon it has become today. ESPN is now worth more than the entire NFL, and is worth more the major league baseball, the NHL, and the NBA combined.

So why is this book worth reading? First and foremost, I knew little of ESPN’s “rise to world dominance.” The back story behind the creation of the company chews up the book’s first couple hundred pages, and any sports nut will be interested. But the book itself was hugely controversial, largely because so many ESPN employees went on the record sharing extremely candid opinions about one another, the company, and life at ESPN in general. Nearly every monumental sporting event in the company’s 30 year history receives at least some commentary, and ESPN’s early days are painted as something of a frat party turned orgy hidden away in lowly Bristol, Connecticut. Complete with ESPN executives legitimately selling cocaine and pimping out their executive assistants, all the juicy details you could want are in there.

Far and away the most interesting aspect to me was the opportunity to hear opinions straight from the mouths of many of the ESPN personalities I’ve come to know over the years. One major takeaway was that the majority of ESPN personalities (especially the longer tenured employees) are divas, and generally they think the place they hold in society is far more important than it actually is. As many of you won’t take the time to read such a lengthy book, here are a few highlights with regards to specific ESPN personalities.

George Bodenheimer – You don’t know who George is, do you? He’s been ESPN’s President since 1998. Generally the man is beloved (rather than feared, as his many of his predecessors were). His mantra seems to be we’re going to use the latest technology to best serve the sports fan, and as long as ESPN doesn’t waiver from that equation all will go well. So far, he’s been right.

Bill Simmons – I love Bill Simmons. I think he’s great writer, albeit a long-winded one. Grantland is awesome. But he comes off in this book as a pretty big ass, and his co-workers at ESPN tend to dislike him. It’s my way or the high way with Simmons, and he seems to go out of his way to make the point that everyone except for him sucks. I was disappointed with how Simmons is portrayed – it definitely made me less of a fan.

Chris Berman – Chris Berman first went on ESPN’s airwaves at 24 years old, basically just spitballing as best he could. He’s now one of the longest tenured employees at the company, and he clearly thinks he’s special. Again, Boomer is not painted in a favorable light.

Michelle Beadle – Who? I didn’t even recognize the name to be honest. She’s an anchor, is relatively babish, and apparently has something of a feud going with Erin Andrews.

Tony Kornheiser – Entirely too much time is spent talking about Monday Night Football and the on-air personalities that bring the games to us. I know I’m in the minority here, but frankly I don’t care all that much about who the commentators are. You’d think that these guys were electing the President when deciding on the team of commentators. Get over yourself.  Tony Kornheiser is first discussed with regards to his role announcing MNF, and it certainly seems like he got the raw end of the deal. That said Kornheiser is painted as a high maintenance, overly-opinionated drama queen (Wilbon is painted in a favorable light). He’s afraid of planes, afraid of being on air, and generally seems whiny as could be.

Mike Tirico – There’s really three things I remember about Mike Tirico after finishing this book. First, he apparently used to be something of a sexual predator, even while married. We’re talking a drunken Tirico forcing his hand up a female employee’s skirt as she was trying to back out of a company party to get away from him. Second, he purposely refused to talk to Tony Kornheiser on-air in an effort to drive him away from MNF. Third, in response to all of these allegations, he says “I think most people I’ve worked with over the years have enjoyed working with me immensely. I hope so at least.”

Keith Olberman – Cited as ESPN’s original pain in the ass, this guy was the best Sportscenter anchor they ever had. He’s unanimously cited as being a huge pain in the ass, but amazing talented. Frankly I don’t remember watching him all that much.

Dan Patrick – Olberman’s original partner in crime on Sportcenter, Dan Patrick is one of the few painted in a very favorable light in the book. After being overworked for 15+ years, Patrick eventually left ESPN because he wanted to spend more time with his family and they refused to ease up on his schedule.

Erin Andrews – Commonly known as ESPN’s babe, Andrews is also an extremely talented reporter. Her looks are discussed very openly, and as much as they’ve likely helped her they’ve also been something of a hindrance to her career. The infamous peep-hole incident, in which a stalker videotaped a nude Andrews through a peep-hole in a hotel room door then posted the video on the internet, was a devastating event for Andrews. On College Game Day she’s often thrown in the midst of tailgating frat boys with too much liquid courage – almost everyone is impressed with the way she carries herself in these situations, and how she carried herself post the peep-hole incident. I’m now more of a fan than I was previously.

All in all, this is a great book for any sports fan but especially for anyone interested in sports media. For the amount of time I spend watching ESPN, I really knew startlingly little about the company that delivers my sports to me. Knowing more of the background story has absolutely made watching the network more enjoyable for me.

Peter Heller‘s Kook: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave is the author’s account of a mid-life crisis turned ridiculous Mexican surfing adventure. It’s also, as the title suggests, something of a semi-sappy feel good adventure story – I’m sure every surfing soccer Mom is Orange County curls up in their $600 hammock and reads a few pages each morning after finishing their yoga class and a bowl of Grape Nuts. Yum!

That said, for someone like me who semi-surfs, this book was one of those nice, relaxing reads. Heller, like Anthony Bourdain, is one of those bastards that you want to hate because you know it’s literally impossible for them to ever fully appreciate how lucky they are to make a living as they do – Heller is an “adventure writer.” That said he’s an endearing guy, and his introduction to surf culture, the act of actually surfing, and southern California and Mexico is first-rate.

For someone who knows little about surfing aside from how to wobbly stand up on a board, I actually felt like I learned a lot just from reading this book. I also want to run down to half of the locations he visits in Mexico, and probably would if I felt like I had any decent chance of making it out of there alive.

Whether you’re new to surfing or a surfing addict (as Heller becomes), you’ll really enjoy this book if you can tolerate a bit of environmentalism and “if we let the ocean’s die, we die” type of talk. Check it out – it obviously it would be a great beach read.

Jon Krakauer’s bestseller Where Men Win Glory is one of those books that most sports fans have heard of – it’s “the Pat Tillman Book” – though I know very few people who have actually read it (sort of like the new ESPN book). I picked this up a month or so back at the recommendation of my father, and initially struggled through the first couple of chapters. At first, the book seemed to be both A) more of a description of the goings-on in Afghanistan than I was looking for and B) more Pat Tillman worship than I had bargained for. Having now finished the book, I can tell you it’s easily one of the most important books I’ve read in quite a while. And it’s certainly changed my perspective on the marriage between our political leaders and the armed services.

Everybody knows the basic story – Pat Tillman walked away from a multi-million dollar NFL contract and a new bride in order to go serve in Afghanistan following the attacks on September 11, 2001. You should read this book to learn about Pat’s life and the person he was – undeniably an admirable one – but you should also read this book for the extensive research and the actual field time that John Krakauer put in while in Afghanistan. Krakauer’s analysis of the sketchy circumstances regarding Tillman’s death, and of the Afghan war in general, are presented in a very unbiased fashion which I certainly appreciated. But as more and more disturbing information is revealed, the conclusions you draw for yourself are clear. Without giving too much away, some aspects of the book I found particularly interesting were:

1) Tillman was undoubtedly killed by friendly fire, by a comrad of his who had never seen combat and was a bit trigger happy from about 100 yards away. The Taliban had engaged Tillman’s convey, but shooting had stopped long before. Tillman had been standing up and waving his hands to signal that he was a friendly when he was shot in the head. The handling of Pat’s body and gear once he was killed broke all military protocol, in an effort to throw those responsible for determining his cause of death off track. Some of his brain matter, which was actually scrapped up off the dessert floor by one of his comrads and stored in a canteen so that it could be buried with his body, is still missing to this day.

2) Under pressure from the US government and well as internal pressure, the friendly fire aspect of Tillman’s death was covered up throughout the course of multiple follow up investigations. His family, as well as his brother who was serving with him, were blatantly lied to. Essentially, the US government wanted to use Tillman’s death for propaganda and knew that the story would be much less effective if the fact that he was killed by friendly fire was known. Krakauer also reports disturbing details on how the rescue of Jessica Lynch was smeared similarly in order to raise the morale of the American public with regards to the war in Afghanistan.

3) Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney, and George Bush all continuously expressed doubts about the extent to which Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban were a threat. On August 6, 2001 the CIA presented a report to Bush entitled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike US.” The report included the following passage, “information gathered by the FBI indicates patterns of suspicious activity consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.” This report was the 36th time in the preceding 8 months that Bush had directly been warned by the CIA of an imminent threat by Al-Quaeda or Bin Laden himself. The CIA officer who pitched this report to Bush was subsequently told by the president in a sarcastic tone, “All right, you’ve covered your ass,” before he dismissed him. After this occurrence, Richard Clarke, the Cheif Counter-Terrorism Advisor to the National Security Council and President Bush, desperately sent Condoleeza Rice a a scathing email asking how her White House colleagues and her would feel when “in the very near future Al-Qaeda has killed hundreds of Americans…. what will you wish then that you had already done?” Clarke’s email was sent on September 4, 2001.

Regardless of your political leanings, Krakauer presents an incredibly well written portrait of the man that Pat Tillman was – as well as some eye opening insight into the War in Afghanistan. Check it out.

howiGit.com has landed at long last — sexy ain’t it? The internet may never be the same, and we’re certainly planning on stirring up the Boston sports blog scene (sorry BarTool).

While you can still visit the old site (http://howiGit.wordpress.com), that site will soon be set to automatically redirect you to howiGit.com. If you’ve got the old site saved or bookmarked somewhere, do me a favor and change the bookmark to howiGit.com.

We’ve still got a few kinks to work out on the new site, but readership is growing faster than Joba Chamberlain’s gut — keep tuning in and keep your eyes out for a Philly writer joining the team soon.

-G

By Alan Weeks, howiGit Music Writer, Boston, MA

The book sleeve says “This is the Life. Believe it or not I haven’t forgotten any of it.” The best rhythm guitarist in Rock and Roll history has decided to grace us with all the stories that we’ve wanted to hear about since we saw Kurt Cobain drunk on MTV at twelve years old. What do rockstars do when they aren’t on stage? This shockingly candid and surprisingly well written autobiography from Keith Richards is nothing short of a MUST read for anyone who has ever cared about The Rolling Stones. Have you ever wondered about the rumors of Keith having annual blood transfusions or heard that when his father died he mixed his ashes with cocaine and snorted them? Well ponder no longer, friend. Keef starts with his childhood in Dartford, England, befriending Mick Jagger, up until the death of his mother and his cameo in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. He leaves no Stone unturned.

What is special about this autobiography is that it mixes all of the scandalous and absurd stories about fame and fortune in tandem with a very pure musical narrative. We see the maniacal party animal of Rock and Roll folklore, while also seeing the meticulous guitarist that could spend 24 hours without leaving a studio, or even taking a piss. Keith Richards presents himself as the righteous demon, the wingless angel, basically the anti-hero. But you love him, and feel for him in every page.

The book touches on many facets of his life — of course all of the arrests, acquittals, and drugs to fill a federal penitentiary — but also some very emotional accounts of his friends, lovers, and family. The story behind the story is the relationship between Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Their friendship has deteriorated over the last 50 years. They go from the “Glimmer Twins,” an inseparable musical duo, to fellow employees who rarely speak. The reader can very much tell from Keith’s words that their distance weighs heavily on his mind. In both the number of pages that he dedicates to speaking about his lost friend and in the words that he uses to describe their friendship over the years, it is translucent to the reader that no matter what has happened, he and Mick are still brothers, though not friends. “There is too much wear and tear for that,” Keith says.

Have you ever wondered what the song “Jumpin Jack Flash” was written about? Did you ever think it was possible for a human being to snort 8 grams of narcotics in one sitting? How about where Jimi Hendrix found the song, “Hey Joe?” Well this book will be your Rolling Stones Rosetta Stone. For me, the most enjoyable part of this book are the stories about Keith’s friendships with other musicians — John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Gram Parsons, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, and many more. Every story has criminal charges and drunken debauchery attached. The only problem with this book is that after reading it, you have the strong urge to call Keith up and ask him to come over with a carton and some vodka, but you can’t. I strongly suggest you pick it up, grab an ashtray, and get ready for a ride. I un-quit smoking because of this book. Check it out.

I am not an avid tennis fan, nor a frequent reader of autobiographies. That being said, Andre Agassi’s Open is a book unlike any other that I have read — a book where I actually felt like I got a real life glimpse into a person I’ve never met outside of media coverage.

Open chronicles Andre’s life from his childhood to the end of his playing career. We meet 7-old Andre, drilled unwillingly for hours a day on the backyard tennis court his violent father built for his training. We meet a rebellious adolescent, who dies his long hair, pierces his ears, and plays tennis in jean shorts. We meet both Brooke Shields and Steffi Graf, the women whose marriages to Andre shape much of his life.

Ultimately, it is the revelations in this book that define it. We found out that Andre’s father used to tape a ping-pong paddle the his son’s hand while he was put to sleep in his crib, so that he could effectively play with the tennis ball mobile hanging above him. We learn that Andre has always hated tennis (really). We learn of Andre’s meth use, and we learn that while we thought he was running around with long, wild hair he was actually wearing a hairpiece. And of course there is the tennis. As Agassi puts it, “Always, tennis.” Andre’s memory recalls each of his matches in perfect clarity, his relationship with Pete Sampras given special treatment.

This book is special in its honesty — Agassi seems to be holding little back. He reveals himself as something of a lost child, a complete headcase with perhaps a twinge of severe OCD. But at the same time he reveals a person that is completely likeable, completely cheerable. And you get the sense that if his head had been on a little straighter, if he’d had a modern-day metal guru, his talent would have put him on par with the Sampras’ and Federers’ of the tennis world.

If you’re a sports fan, you can’t help but enjoy this book.

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