This week I am posting the book review early as Friday is a holiday. Happy July 4th everyone! Enjoy the BBQs!

Andy North has won two US Open titles and went on to become one of the most respected commentators on the game. It was pretty much a given that someday he would write a book and although there was a lot of hype surrounding this volume, it's sad to say that it was undeserved. There are many mistakes throughout the book that make you wonder whether the editor was asleep or was simply lulled into a stupor by the content. The mistakes are glaring, such as misspelling Callaway, and I wish I could say that they were forgivable. But, when you add in the other problems with the book, it was really hard to get past these most basic errors.

If you're looking for a book on how to become a better golfer, than this is definitely a title you can miss. However, if you're a fan of Mr. North, you'll probably get at least some enjoyment out of reading his anecdotes. The book reads more like a biography that was thrown together from a bunch of little snippets, and at times, a lot of the content reads as though it was simply filler that was brought in to keep the book from falling into the category of a novella.

While it's nice to hear that the man always traveled with two pairs of pants, it's not really useful information that you can turn around and put into action, unless of course you hate wrinkles. It's best to keep the right mindset when reading this book and focus on the fact that it's really about packaging North and has little to do with the game itself. When you keep this in mind, it's a lot easier to wade through the book, but I'm not sure it's a read that shouldn't be missed.

The author himself admitted in the beginning of the book that he really didn't know why he was writing it. He considered it to be a "where's the beef" situation and this turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. There's just a lot of air here when you get right down to it and the tone feels forced throughout the majority of the book. While North is an incredibly talented man, he may not want to quit his day job to become an author.

It's always tough to pan a book, especially when you were really hoping for a good read. I cannot however recommend this book, unless you're simply looking to find out more about North. Most of us can do without anecdotes of his many surgeries however, and sometimes that air of mystery should never dissipate.

While it would be too harsh to call this book a waste of time, it just isn't a title that you have to read. If you already have every golfing book under the sun and enjoy collecting titles, than perhaps this would be a good fit. Otherwise, there are far more interesting titles out there that will provide you with much better information.

Originally posted 2008-07-03 05:48:07. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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