Reading this book about the men who call the races was a journey into the field of horse racing as seen through the eyes and voice of the men who are linked by a common passion....horse racing. The author's research of the men is evident and their brief biographical sketches of what makes each announcer unique are interesting. Even a non horse-racing person such as myself, can appreciate the excitement and enthusiasm each has towards the sport. Terms unique to the sport are also explained for us novices. The author has made each man's childhood to adulthood story focus mainly on how they come to the position of announcer, but sprinkled with words of wisdom, techniques of their craft, and family anecdotes to make each story a lively and often humorous account. I found myself wanting to youtube the various races to hear the calls for myself to appreciate the choice of words, the cadence, or accent unique to each caller. I found it interesting how many of them would practice calling a race into a recorder when very young, much like a youngster might hold a pretend microphone or dance in front of a mirror to satisfy a desire to perform. I came away appreciating the preparation, and work ethic of these unique "performers" that bring each race alive for the rest of us. Ms Dickenson has a nice appendix at the end with some questions for the 11 announcers to answer....such as "Will there ever be another triple crown winner?" I found the comparison of answers a great way to end the book with each man's perspective side by side. I would like to ask the author if the ceiling has been broken by a woman caller....and that would be an interesting story to write next! I am sure that horse racing enthusiasts, and especially ones that visit the tracks that feature the announcers written about would be both informed and entertained. The writing itself flows easily and makes use of great metaphors and similies. There are many photos as well, of announcers, jockeys, and of course horses, including this amazing Zenyatta who now is 17 wins for 17 starts. This is a quick read, and though some of the stories overlap a bit, one would not need to be sequential in reading it.