Last Dance : Behind the Scenes at the Final Four | John Feinstein, Mike Krzyzewski

Last Dance : Behind the Scenes at the Final Four | John Feinstein, Mike Krzyzewski | For one moment he raised the human race.

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Last Dance : Behin...

	Last Dance : Behind the Scenes at the Final Four John Feinstein, Mike Krzyzewski Amazon Remainders Account, 2006 - 384 pages average customer review:based on 30 reviews view larger image
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A slam dunk!

So, the Final Four is coming up the first weekend in April---and you say your brackets are in shambles.

Well, you can find great solace and enjoyment in John Feinstein's paean to March Madness, "Last Dance, Behind the Scenes at the Final Four."

Since he has been going to the Final Four since 1978 (before it went to 64 teams), he has plenty of wonderful tales to tell.

The focal point is 2005's North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan State and Louisville tournament.

However, he strays and presents a lot of magnificent history in the form of back-stories. Therefore, it not a play-by-play type of book---rather it reads like a novel.

He presents insights into the teams, the selection committee, players past and present, coaches, the officials, the fans and the legends.

It is all told in a relaxed, lyrical anecdotal fashion that is so easy to read that you never realize how much you learning.

Totally absorbing, and perfect for this time of year---or any time of year

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For one moment he raised the human race.

There is that silly cult movie about wrestling called "Vision Quest" where Elmo (J.C. Quinn) talks to Louden (Mathew Modine) who is not going to wrestle the meanest (you know what) wrestler in the valley, and J. C. Quinn talks about Pele, scoring an impossible goal, on his back, turned the other way, and he tells Louden that for one moment that effort raised the human spirit. Allright. Granted, kind of silly. And Louden eventually beats Shute which is a turnabout as if George Custer won. But don't forget the picture had a very hot Linda Fiorentino which made up for a few gaps in the believability quotient.

Well, anyhow, that's why we watch sports. It's not the Michael Jordon or the Emmit Smith or even (I'm trying to think of a baseball player but the sport is in shambles) . . . , it's Jimmy Valvano at the Wolfback never expecting to win. It's the autistic high school boy who plays in the last game of his senior year and scores more than 20 points in 8 minutes. It's the beauty of the sport, the tension, the pressure, the sadness. Hate to say it, but it really is the joy of victory and the agony of defeat.

I think Feinstein delivers. 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury

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Fun insightful read

As a big March Madness fan, I couldnt help but check this book out from my local library. I love college basketball and especially the "Big Dance". This book is a great look behind the scenes at the Final Four and is full of valuable insight and interesting side stories.
Feinstein does a great job of really capturing the essence of the Final Four and the magnitude of the event from a coaches and players perspective.
My favorite chapter is the chapter on the unsung players, the walk-ons the players that won't ever step foot on a NBA court and for them this is the pinnacle of their athletic career.
I also enjoyed reading about the coaches, officials, and players that make the Final Four the greatest weekend in sports. A must read for the college basketball fan and a highly recommended one for anyone that loves sports.

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A Bit Repetitive But a Good Read, Nonetheless

Make no mistake: this is not John Feinstein's best work. Other reviewers have correctly pointed out it is repetitive, a bit too long, and he has a tendency to name drop to the point of kissing arse.

That said, it is a quick read that gives the college basketball fan some interesting stories about this wonderful sport. He gives a good history of the Kansas-Duke-Carolina connections that inform much of the sport. He has some interesting observations on Bobby Knight. And he has some interesting ancedotes (e.g. George Raveling has the original 'I Have A Dream' speech notes because he served as a bodyguard for Dr. King during the speech).

This is a book you can read in a few sittings. If you like college basketball - and need a fix for it during the offseason - it is worth picking up.

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reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6

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