From The Cheap Seats: Not Quite Goal Reached

Goals are good to have. Written down goals are even better. Every year, I try to have some personal goals of some sort. This year’s goal was to read more. More specifically, one book a month, which comes to 12 a year. I got the idea of reading a book a month after reading a book in 2008 by Orlando Magic Vice-President Pat Williams. Williams challenges people to read a book a month. If you read an hour a day, by the end of the week you should have read an average 300-page book. In theory, you could read four books a month that way, so when I put a goal down, I aimed low, after all, I am a busy man.

I fell short. I have read eight books this year. All have been fun and I would suggest them to anyone. This next year, I will try again with 12, knowing that reading eight is very possible to do.

Some of the books that I read are at the Tipton Public Library, some books I have and some books I have bought. Here is the list of my eight books, with a brief summary to hope to draw you in to want to read one:

Playing For Pizza, by John Grisham

A fictional NFL cast-off resurfaces in Italy playing for an Italian professional football team. Not your typical law-type Grisham story, however, it was a quick read and pretty descriptive on what life playing for a football team could look like.

Have a Little Faith: A True Story, by Mitch Albom

Albom is a sports columnist for the Detroit Free Press. He has written novels like Tuesdays With Morie. I actually listened to this as a book on tape. First one in a while for that matter. Very entertaining and a non-threatening, religion hammering, you must do this to get this type of book. Follows a rabbi and pastor around and tells how they came to their present day jobs.

Hayden Fry: A High Porch Picnic, by Hayden Fry

This is one of my favorite books. It gives a detailed account of Hayden Fry’s coaching career. It takes you from Baylor, SMU, North Texas and to Iowa and it is well written. Good book for Hawkeye fans.

Around The World In 80 Days, Jules Verne

I don’t read many non-fiction books, however, this is the second one that I read this year. I am a big Back to the Future fan and Verne is mentioned as a favorite author by Emmet ‘Doc’ Brown. I saw this book at a Tipton Public Library book sale and bought it. Read it, liked it and would highly suggest it be read. It’s a good adventure book.

Covering Iowa: The History Of the Des Moines Register, William B. Friedricks

Being in the newspaper business, this book is really interesting to me. I think that if you like to know about how businesses come to be successful, you would like this book. With the current state of the Register, you would be shocked at how far the paper has fallen from its early and even as late as 1980’s days.

How Do Be Like Rich DeVos: Succeeding With Integrity In Business And Life, by Pat Williams

Pat Williams is a good story teller and this book is a good look at a successful business man and how he got to be successful. DeVos is the owner of the Orlando Magic and the co-founder of Amway products.

Cinderella: Inside The Rise Of Mid-Major College Basketball, Michael Litos

This book is a behind the scenes look at mid-major basketball. The best part about this book is how they tell the story of the struggles to fill out a schedule. Why won’t D1 teams play them home and home? Also what struggles they face as they try to get up the respect ladder of basketball is a highlight of this book.

Insanely Great: The Life And Times Of Macintosh, The Computer That Changed Everything, by Steven Levy

If you want to know how Apple came to be, this is the book for you. It starts back in the 1970’s and goes up through the IMac computer.

I have already got a list of books to read for this next year. It stars with the book that I am reading now, Brand NFL, Making And Selling America’s Favorite Sport. Other books that are on my list are: The Last Amateurs by John Feinstein; Last Dance by John Feinstein; Coaching Your Kids To Be Leaders by Pat Williams; From Six-On-Six To Full Court Press by Janice Berans; E.Wayne Cooley And The Iowa Girl by Chuck Offenberger; The Games Do Count by Brian Kilmeade; Dave’s Way by R. David Thomas; Team Of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin; and When The Game Stands Tall by Neil Hayes.