Review - The Greatest Moments in Sports by Len Berman

The Greatest Moments in Sports
Len Berman
Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky
Nov. 2009
138 pgs and CD

Readin'
I reviewed this book because we have a fair number of sports fans at our middle school. In our 6th grade nonfiction classes about a third of the students wanted to do some sort of sports-related research paper. This should be popular even if it doesn't have any snow- or skate- boarding.

Writin'
Each "moment" has a 2-page spread title page that includes a large picture of the subject. The text is in a box with a white background and superimposed over the background picture spread. The next 4 pages cover the "moment". There are several pictures and call-out boxes including captions and a Fast Fact. The book covers 1932 - 2008, so it's fairly up-to-date. There are 25 "moments" in the book and 10 of those are included on CD.

Each CD "moment" has an introduction, the original broadcast, and a follow-up. Berman also included an introduction and post-script.

The book is a nice size, hefty. The table of contents is laid out nicely and lets you know which moments are on the CD. The font is clear and easy-to-read. The graphics are colorful and over-sized. This edition includes a jacket but it's not needed since the cover looks like it's been library bound. Top-notch presentation!

Rithmetic'
Berman includes many of the obvious "moments": Micheal Phelps, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretzy, and others. He also includes some moments by lesser known stars such as Nadia Comaneci and Roger Bannister.

Berman's passion comes through in the writing. It's as if you were sitting there talking to him as he relived the event. He tells you why he chose that moment and then goes on to describe what happened on that day and doesn't repeat everything that's on the CD. Like any good non-fiction book - you don't have to read this in order.

Hank Aaron - The Greatest Moments in Sports does a good job introducing Hank Aaron and talks about his excellence in football that led to a scholarship. Berman tells how Aaron received hate mail for trying to break Babe Ruth's record and how Aaron decided to keep the letters as inspiration. He also mentions the introduction of the Hank Aaron Award. These are all things I didn't know.

CD excerpt - About the Author Len Berman is a veteran sportscaster and creator of “Spanning the World,” a monthly collection of sports bloopers, which was a 20-year staple on NBC’s Today Show. Berman is the recipient of eight Emmy Awards and is a six-time winner of New York Sportscaster of the Year. His daily Top 5 email is featured in The Huffington Post and is received by thousands around the country. www.thatssports.com I give The Greatest Moments in Sports by Len Berman, 5 stars. I'm sure it will be checked out constantly! Book provided by Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky. Amazon Associate link...