Bookshelf
| Tales from Q School, John Feinstein |
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Tales from Q School, by John Feinstein *** Feinstein has had a long and illustrious career as a sportswriter examining the behind-the-scenes secrets of everything from college basketball to the NFL. In my opinion, however, his greatest talents by far lie in his writing on golf. Just as golf is a mental sport where an understanding of the nuances is essential, Feinstein's golf writing is subtle, introspective and poetic. He examines individual players and their lives and weaves golf stories around them. In this manner he's able to impart just how important a particular round, shot or putt really is. His previous golf books (A Good Walk Spoiled, The Majors and Open) have dealt primarily with players on the PGA tour; the Woods's and Mickelson's of the world. This particular effort concentrates on Qualifying School, a brutal series of rounds played across the country every fall where wanna-bes and has-beens give their all to try to make either the PGA or Nationwide tours. The thing that really struck me about this book is that most of the players don't make it to where they want to be. It's a cautionary tale of giving your all to be a professional athlete and coming up just a little bit short. I've always enjoyed Feinstein's work and though this is quite different from the previous golf books (and I strongly recommend all of them), it is still a great read. The fact is, if you are remotely a fan of sports, Feinstein is right up there with Rick Reilly as the best in the business.
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 10:57 |