Texas High School Hotshots: The Stars Before They Were Stars

Book Description

An entertaining look back at the high school days of more than 100 celebrities.

Amazon.com

After being cut by the Green Bay Packers during training camp in 1994, Kurt Warner found himself working the graveyard shift at the Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and living with his girlfriend Brenda and her two children in the basement of her parents' house. Just over five years later, Kurt completed his journey from supermarket to Super Bowl when he led the St. Louis Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.

In All Things Possible, Warner tells the story of his life both on and off the field, and the faith that keeps him going through bad times (scraping up $1.95 in change to buy gas to make it home in freezing weather) and good times (being named Super Bowl MVP). As an outspoken Christian, Warner peppers his gridiron reminiscences with expressions of his beliefs. Indeed, he sees this book--and his success--as "a forum from which to share the values, lessons, and faith that made it all possible." Add this to his list of achievements. --M. Stein

Book Description

NFL sensation Kurt Warner tells the incredible story of faith and perseverance that captured the hearts of millions and rocketed him from obscurity to become MVP and Super Bowl champion.

Customer Reviews:

Persistance Pays Off .......2007-02-24

I had read this book after INSIGHT FOR LIVING promoted it. And I did enjoy it since after the Atlanta Olympics the games had whetted my need for seeing exciting competition on TV and I started watching por football again for a few years. It also gave me and my therapist Lisa something to talk about besides movies.
I am reminded of a Vince Lombardi training film we had to watch in Army Basic Training at Ft. Dix, NJ on the subject on Second Effort, and how persistance pays off. That and how my Drill Sergeant had once told me "Stick to Your Guns when you know you are right".
I liked how the rich sucessful Kurt had shared with us that his wife and he got food stamps at one time. And like he said, people give you hate even over using them-not to mention little harassment by food Stamp cashiers like trying to deny your stamps because they thought your signature did not perfectly match the one of your ID card!
I know after I had read his book I used to joke to myself that if ol' Kurt has a bad season or two, he will find himself on food stamps again! And after that thought, he did injure a finger on his throwing hand, ended up a second stringer and then was traded to the Arizona Cardinals-a bad break!
I did feel bad for Kurt when Gordon Robertson had grilled him on THE 700 CLUB about him "living in sin" with his fiance Brenda. And how he met her in a bar. You can see that this man does not put on an air of pretend spirutality. I thought of a chapter from an INSIGHT FOR LIVING study guide "Portrait of a saint, warts and all!
When I wrote a Christian Witness for my first attempt at writing as was recommended in a John Irving novel, Word publisher was honest with me and said that Christian Witnesses do not sell very well unless the author is a celebrity or media minister. I am sure it is his pro football career that got his book in the door.
I was sort of propehetically thinking about the words of Solomon from Ecclesiastes "The race is not to the swift, the battle is not to the strong, but time and chance overtake them all!"
This is a good illustration of that as well because Kurt went to a small college, did not make it into the NFL right away,and had to gain experience in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe. If I remeber right he even said he sat the bench in college as well!
I thought maybe God was showing me from my hard times that anyone can find themselves on welfare, no matter how smart or educated they were. You might even just be somone suffering from some sort of discrimination-like you don't fit inb with the crowd! I had seen on a news magazine how a man from Europe with a PhD in Psychology had found himself on welfare for five years after a patient falsely accused him of sexually mollesting him! During the Clinton Administration even the News Radio station WCBS had a public service commerical FOOD STAMPS; CHECK IT OUT. And this was an all news radio station in New York City which professionals listen to.

Great book about a great guy. Buy it, read it, give it or recommend it to someone!.......2006-06-29

Kurtis Eugene Warner first came to my attention
when I saw him play in two ArenaBowls. I knew
right then that some brave NFL Coach (turned
out to be Dick Vermeil) would pick him up and
Warner would lead that team to the Super Bowl!

Rank this book up there with Roger Staubach's
First Down and Lifetime to go! Great shots of
Kurt during his Arena Football days, as well.

Brenda and Kurt are a fine couple which show
how good MOST ALL AMER-I-CAN couples used to
be before the Femininst-Facsist cabal & Playboy
mentality in Men took over the minds of a goodly
portion of the Americans of the last few genera-
tions.

MVB (Most Valuable Book).......2004-09-27

In general,I don't review biographies of athletes, because they are what you'd expect them to be, self-serving. So, other than Deion Sander's book, this is the only one I've reviewed.
The reason for this review is simple...I highly respect Kurt Warner, and his book is actually pretty darn good. Is the fact that I respect and admire him the reason I rate this book so highly? Perhaps, but I'd like to think it's more to do with the actual story than the man.
This book isn't self-serving to the degree that one would anticipate, largely because I think Kurt was a little overwhelmed with what he accomplished in the miracle season (this book was written just after the Ram's Super Bowl victory, so I believe Kurt was still under the afterglow). Having said that, however, I do believe if the book was written now that it would be quite similar, due to the fact that Kurt's faith has kept him humble.
The background on his life and his days in the Arena League were surprisngly interesting, but the highlight of the book is his time with the Rams during the 1999 season. If you are a Rams fan, it's a great way to re-live a monumental moment in St. Louis history that, at the time of this writting, looks more and more like it will not be duplicated.
I would, in light of the last few seasons which have seen Kurt hurt, benched, waived, and in a new uniform in New York, like to see Kurt write ANOTHER book, detailing how his faith has helped him through those ordeals that took him from the King of the Hill in St. Louis to baby-sitter for Eli Manning in New York. THAT would be a hard read, because as I mentioned before my fondness for the man, but it would be MUCH more interesting, and I think would have a larger impact in terms of people looking for faith inspiration in the midst of turmoil.

The Rise of a Star.......2004-01-27

All Things Possible is the autobiography of football star Kurt Warner. Though in the media his story is often related as a meteoric rise to stardom, we learn that it was only through time, perseverance and God's grace that Warner ever got a chance to live out his dream.

I was drawn to Kurt Warner's story for several reasons. First, I am a fan of the St Louis Rams, the team with which Warner has had his success. Second, I love stories about underdogs, and Warner's story is just that. Third, I love to read about other Christians and the experiences that shaped them.

Kurt Warner was an underdog and no stranger to rejection. For years he faced rejection as he tried to live out his dream of playing professional football. He was turned down by the major colleges, eventually ending up at the University of Northern Iowa where he spent three years being a backup and only one year leading the team. When he graduated he went undrafted in the NFL entry draft and was passed up by every professional league. This went on for several years until finally he accepted a position as quarterback in the lowly Arena League. After two seasons of leading the Iowa Barnstormers, he was given a chance to play in NFL Europe and finally, at the age of twenty seven, was picked up by the St Louis Rams. He spent his first season in the big leagues as a third string quarterback and saw action in only one game. By the 1999 season he had moved up to the position of backup quarterback, and after an injury to the primary quarterback, found himself right where he wanted to be. He was untested, unproven and no one believed he would make an impact.

Who could have foreseen the season Warner would have? Warner's 1999 season was one of the most successful seasons ever for a quarterback and the most successful for the Rams as Warner led the team to a Superbowl victory while picking up the league's Most Valuable Player award.

Kurt Warner is a Christian and credits his faith for his success. He never misses an opportunity to tell others about his faith and is probably the most vocal Christian professional athlete.

Though I enjoyed the story, I found the book poorly written. It used many colloquialisms and it is not unusual to read sentences such as, "They were like, `Yeah right.'" He also speaks about being "totally bummed out." Warner also comes across as a tad pretentious and proud. I believe he is a humble man who is well aware of Who is responsible for his success, but does not always convey that as accurately as he might like.

All-in-all this is an enjoyable book and represents what is hopefully only the first chapter of Warner's career. He is a man who has faced countless hardships and has persevered in faith. If sports figures are to be role models in our society, I am glad that there are men like Warner who proudly proclaim their faith.

Note. The book ends at the end of the 1999 season. The next season Warner was very good, but missed several games due to injuries. In 2001 he again led his team to the Superbowl but lost the big game when New England scored a last-second field goal. In 2002 he missed more than half the season to injuries and looked very bad when he was playing. In 2003 he won the starter's job, but played terribly and was benched after the first game. It is expected that 2004 will find him on a new team where he will have the change to be a starter once again.

Slightly Above Average Athlete's Autobiography.......2004-01-14

I generally dislike autobiographies in general, and athletic autobiographies in particular. I just believe it takes a really unique individual to convey their story as objectively as possible. But, my wife's best friend, Sarah, gave this book to me about a year ago (she loves Warner and the Rams) and I've finally gotten around to reviewing it.

To his credit, Warner is very upfront about a lot of things, notably his religion. He is a very devote Christian and it is nice to see someone stand up for their beliefs in an age where a lot of people literally hide their beliefs. And his story is rather compelling; a quarterback who came from nowhere to lead his team to an NFL championship.

But, there's a recurring problem with these books. They always seem very rushed and it seems that either the winning coach or the winning quarterback from the Super Bowl each year is expected to hurry their life story onto the market. The problem is, these guys generally still have a lot of life left to live, so why not wait until they are retired (as in retirement age, not just retired from their sport) to tell us their life story? I know, I know, in fifty years no one may even rember Kurt Warner, so I guess you strick while the iron is hot. But I would almost much rather read about how he is dealing with his current struggles in the NFL, rather than culminating with his crowning moment.

Like most of these type books, it's relatively short on intropestion. But it is a bit above average for an athlete's autobiography, made more interesting by the struggles Warner and his wife faced before he finally made it in the NFL. If you are a fan of Warner, you'll love it. Otherwise, its an okay read on a day at the beach.

Average customer rating:
All Things Possible : My Story of Faith, Football, and The Miracle Season
Kurt; Silver, Michael Warner
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF9CF0

Average customer rating:
Masked Men: Masculinity and the Movies in the Fifties (Arts and Politics of the Everyday)
Steven Cohan
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Informative for three generations

Gentle Genius: The Story of Felix Mendelssohn
George Richard Marek
Manufacturer: Apollo Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0815203748

Customer Reviews:

Informative for three generations.......2006-09-21

Not only is this a very well-done biography of the musician Felix but the chapters on his grandfather, Moses Mendelssohn, and his father are also of much interest and carefully composed. The account of Felix Mendelssohn, who was a child prodigy and had an amazing career, is very readable and anyone who wants to know about it will be glad to read this book. I am not 'into' classical music, but yet I found this book worthwile.

Book Description

Welcome to Dragonstar, a boundless universe of magic and machine, science and sorcery. Intrepid adventurers explore the Outlands in starships powered by fusion fire and arcane rituals. Dwarven prospectors work veins of pure adamantite in remote asteroid belts, and elven loremasters conduct secret experiments in living space stations. Grizzled mercenaries augment their bodies with bioengineered spellware, and orc raiders armed with pulse lasers massacre innocents on isolated colony worlds.

Dragonstar is a unique space-fantasy campaign setting for the d20 System from Fantasy Flight Games. Written by verteran designers Matt Forbeck and Greg Benage. Prepare to take your adventure to the stars!

Customer Reviews:

The Evolved Form of SpellJammer.......2002-12-28

well, maybe not totally as SJ relied more heavily on magic than hard core science and Dragonstar reverses this trend, but it still fits to some degree. In someways this is SpellJammer advanced in timeframe to the era of Star Wars or Star Trek. The people at Fantasy Flight Games continue to push for their Thug NPC class, which could just as well be served by the generic Warrior NPC class but I digress. The ranger has been altered from a mellee to a missile specialist and fighting with two guns has been relegated to a seperate feat away from two weapon fighting. Wizards now have the option of trading in their spellbooks for a datapad. New stuff is in abundance in this book and in this settings. New skills, new classes, new races and new feats, including one that for many classes is a freebie feat that serves as a gateway into the new toys away from the traditional sword and sorcery fare. Fans of Brent Spiner's role in the ST series he starred in with Levar Burton, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Merina Sertis and Michael Dorn, will be pleased to note the offering of a new type of construct, the SoulMech which in many ways is science fantasy version of the android. The two new core classes are the Pilot and Mechanist both of which are pumped up Experts but offer a unique flavor to the game and to any party that includes them. All in all a wonderful setting that offers a real alternative to the tried and true formula of the D20 genre. If you prefer the future to the past and don't mind a bit of whimsy Dragonstar is a good setting to explore however a word of caution: Much of the setting is designed as a dark and scary place so if you are turned off by that sort of thing you can still work with it, although alterations may be necessary.

Huge undertaking fairly well done.......2002-06-11

Very nicely done system. Taking D&D to the stars in a fairly hard science way. I really have been impressed with what they came up with, but DAMN they need the next book shipped printed...

Tied for Best Third Party D20 Product.......2002-05-09

This product, along with The Witchfire Trilogy from Privateer press, are tied for the best D20 products by third-parties on the market - and may well come out on top of ANY D20 product, barring the core rules.

Dragonstar is a game that takes D&D to the stars. Unlike spelljammer, it isnt magic that drives the starfaring races, but hard sci fi - but magic is there, still, and often integrates with technology seamlessly.

The setting is very compelling; with the rise of technology, Dragons formed a great empire and conquer the rest of the galaxy. Each Dragon clan, good and evil, rules for 1,000 years. The first 5,000 saw the rule of the 5 good dragon clans. Now, it is mere decades into the first rule of the first of the evil dragons, Mezzebone the Red. He has formed a Secret Police Force of Drow, and the galaxy groans under their lash.

The rules are excellent, the setting is incredible. As with any product, there are a couple of weak points. For instance, the lack of Spellware, and the lack of variant gravity rules, both of which are referenced in the book. They will be included in the upcoming Galaxy Guide, as magic items were in the DMG, so this is understandable, but a tad frustrating. Nevertheless, if you like the D20 system, and if you like the Sci Fi genre, you cannot go wrong with this product.

The artwork does leave a little to be desired, but I don't buy products for their artwork - I buy them for the content, and this product has that, in spades.

Yeah! Fanstay Sci fi!.......2002-04-08

An actual working ranger class! I just about had a heart attack at this one. The races and equipment are cool as well. The new classes are great, I like the mecyhanist best. All in all hte only truely negative thing is that there are no description of the spell ware, but regaurdless, it is a good book.

Good.......2002-04-02

An interesting, if brief set of rules for running DnD in outer space with futuristic weapons and vehicles. Now, I realize that Fantasy Flight Games is probably a smaller company with limited resources, but please, GET SOME REAL ARTWORK. The sketch of the soul mech looks like a cross between a bi Mr. Rogers and some reject from the band REM. The pictures consistently look something I might draw on my notebook out of boredom during class. Also, they could have included more pictures of the vehicles. More and better artwork may cost more, but I know I am glad to pay extra for it.

Book Description

A proactive new strategy for removing anxiety, and regaining control, throughout the job interview process

"Marky Stein's book is wonderful. She gives us a thorough analysis of the whole interviewing process. Fearless Interviewing is clear, kind, and full of good advice.... Highly recommended."Barbara Sher, author of Live the Life That You Love

A job interview is one of life's most stressful and challenging experiences. Fearless Interviewing presents a strategic approach to interviewing, one that tips the scales back in favor of the job applicant. It provides useful advice on all aspects of the interviewing process, including how to:

• Dazzle interviewers in the first 20 seconds

• Handle tough interview questions with ease

• Command a salary up to 20 percent higher

Customer Reviews:

Feraless Interviewing.......2007-05-25

This book was very helpful. For the first time I went into an interview feeling well prepared and confident and left feeling good about myself. I knew even if I didn't get the job, I interviewed well. I loaned this book to a friend and she got a call back for a second interview.

Your personal interview coach.......2006-10-27

I'm a college student seeking internships, and this guide to interviews has been a great investment. Previously, I had a few bad interviews where a question caught me off guard and my brain froze up. After reading this book, those problems were no more! Fearless Interviewing is a terrific "coach" that will help prepare you for all job interviews.

Fearless Interviewing will get you prepared for almost any tough question by helping you organize your personal strengths and skill in an easy-to-remember format. Its process is so simple, that you will wonder why you didn't think of preparing this way! But the best part of this book, is that it takes you through the tiniest level of details in the interview and tells you the proper thing to do; everything from preparing a packet to hand the interviewer, etiquette and body language, understanding what the interview wants to hear, open-door salary negotiation, and how to write an effective follow-up letter. I found the salary negotiation tactics exceptionally helpful.

The only downside to this book is that it does not cover the mathematical puzzle-type questions you may face in a real hardcore interview, where the employer wants to test "how smart you are." Most investment banks, consulting firms, and Silicon Valley companies ask seemingly silly math problems to push your brain to the limits, for example, "How many pennies do you think can fit in this room?"

Fearless Interviewing is an excellent general gameplay book for all job interviews, but if you are interviewing to be among the top 1% firms, the best of the best jobs, you may need some additional books to give you some more practice!

Do you realize how skilled you really are?.......2006-10-01

Having been self-employed for the past several years, and then being contacted by a major pharmaceutical company for a face-to-face interview, well, needless to say, I was extremely nervous. This book showed me how to break down my skill set, define exactly and precisely what I am good at, how to frame it in my mind and then pitch it during the interview. It also shows you how to negotiate for a better salary, better compensation package, more vacation time...wow! You need to leave some time to read this book through once and then go back through to do the exercises. It took me quite a while to decide exactly which skills I thought would be prudent for the job I was contacted about, so you will definitely need to be willing to spend time on this. But once you have, you will be able to rewrite your resume in a strong fashion and feel confident about who you are and what you are capable of. I decided to read this book based on a recommendation off the Ask The Headhunter website. That guy has lots of great ideas, you can google him to check out the site for more business related topics.

Great Book for anyone going to interviews.......2006-06-16

This book will take the fear of interviews out of your mind and heart. It made me confident and brave when facing interviews. It gave me the tools i needed to make a good impression, to ask good questions, how to deflect a question and how to take control of the interview. I have successfully applied the methods in this book. Must have for anyone looking for a job.

Very helpful advice for a stressful time!.......2005-06-20

FEARLESS INTERVIEWING: HOW TO WIN THE JOB BY COMMUNICATING WITH CONFIDENCE by Marky Stein was recommended to me by a friend who felt she had gained some useful knowledge from the book. I was intrigued by the title, and as I sometimes work with students applying for jobs, I thought it could be an interesting read.

I was a little skeptical, though. These things often seem to promising but are really about situations that don't translate into daily life, or into one's own life, very well. However, I was won over by Stein's book. She gives the reader real things to do in an interview (particularly during that crucial "first impression" phase) that are really helpful. For example, she writes that interviewers are often nervous about the task of hiring someone; therefore, their primary goal is to discern whether the interviewee is friend or foe. There are some particular ways she advocates of making sure the interviewee demonstrates that he or she is a friend: Arrive early; don't touch or put things on the desk of the person interviewing you (that is a personal space, and putting your things, or even your hands there, can be read as threatening); make sure you smile, it shows that you are friendly; don't take a seat until you are invited to do so, and if you are not, ask if you may sit; sit forward on your chair to show energy and enthusiasm, etc. She gives tips on dress, what to bring, etc. She also gives very helpful tips on how to answer common interview questions and what their purpose is (content questions vs. stress questions), how to follow up, including an example of a thank you letter, which she calls a "focus letter," and how to negotiate a good salary.

The best part of the book, though, is how she coaches the reader to find his or her own "Q statements" to use in an interview to demonstrate his or her effective work history. Q statements are quantitative statements of qualities the applicant has. For example, instead of saying, "I'm a good salesman." Say, "I increased my department's sales by 30 percent the first year I was on board," etc. The last section of the book is basically a work sheet in which Stein poses likely questions interviewers will ask applicants, with blanks to write in your own answers, preferably in the form of those Q statements. I found it really enjoyable after reading the book, and it made me really enthusiastic about my career. Because you draft your own statements, it isn't cheesy or fake or scripted. She just shows you how to be at your best in a stressful situation.

As I said, I like how she gives the reader pointers on things to do so that one can feel confident that one is meeting important standards in the interview and application process. I will definitely recommend this book to my students; and I heartily recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new job!

Average customer rating:

Fearless Interviewing (How to Win the Job by Communicating With Confidence)
Marky Stein
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG3V0Q

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