From Publishers Weekly
The unusually close bond between golfer Tiger Woods and his father, Earl, former Green Beret and the young star's first coach, has already become part of the game's lore. Here Earl Woods, writing with Chicago Tribune sportswriter Mitchell, recalls his own life and the experiences that enabled him to train his son so successfully to excel on the links. An orphan at 13, he was raised by an older sister. He played baseball in college and chose the military as a career, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Woods so stresses the importance of hard work and human decency that at times he sounds almost theological. He emerges as tough-minded as well, as when he argues that the NCAA all but forced his son to leave college and turn pro, and he pulls no punches in labeling professional golf the most racist of all sports and private country clubs still the bastion of white supremacy. Brisk and likely to be controversial, Woods's memoir will be of greatest interest to his son's fans. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
The timing of this book's release would lead many to assume that Earl Woods is cashing in on his son's successand they would be right. However, this is no mere exercise in literary exploitation. Woods's new book (after Training a Tiger, not reviewed), with Chicago Tribune sportswriter Mitchell, asserts the power that self-reliance and positive thinking can have on one's life. The book's title refers to Earl's sort-of mantra. He writes that playing through ``is the ultimate manifestation of positive attitude; the belief that you can overcome, that you can keep going.'' Using his experiencesof raising a prodigy, of dealing with racism, of going through the break-up of two marriages, of going to warWoods shows how he has surmounted life's obstacles and how he has passed these lessons along to Tiger. If the younger Woods's success up to this point is any indication, Earl's advice is sound indeed. Of course, this book wouldn't be of much interest to Tiger fans if it didn't contain stuff about him. So, Earl tells of Tiger's carryings-on, both on and off the course, for instance, what it's like to deal with stalkerazzi and party down with celebrities, ranging from the golfers Jack Nicklaus and Arnie Palmer to the duchess of York. And having gained our attention, Earl holds forth on a variety of topics, including what a jerk he thinks Aussie golf pro (and perpetual hard-luck story) Greg Norman is, and what he thought of golfer Fuzzy Zoeller's racist remarks, made last spring after Tiger won the Masters. Earl even finds time to offer interesting theories about country clubs and white power, and young athletes' endorsement contracts. All this comes across as a proud fathers gushing. (b&w photos, not seen) (Author tour; television satellite tour) --
Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
