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An insiders look at the goings and comings and issues surrounding the best team in sports.
I agree with both Michael Pearsall's 5-star review and C Baker's 3-star review. Like Pearsall, "I loved this book." Like C Baker, however, I too believe "It does a poor job of building drama and excitement."If you're a Patriots fan, you will definitely enjoy this book for its many revealing stories about your (and my) favorite team. But the book doesn't quite tell the team's miraculous story (which is so incredible that Hollywood would have rejected a script based on it as unbelievable) in a way that draws in readers who are not already fans of Belichick's Patriots.
Teamwork was the key to the Super Bowl victory and by reading this book, you can see that it was much more important than some might have thought. I am biased, being a season ticket holder and fan, but if you are looking to find out about being a coach in the NFL, this is the book for you. Even if you are not a fan of the New England Patriots, this book has a lot to offer. This Patriots team had to overcome many obstacles during the season to win it all, and this book describes how the team came together and won as a unit.Pepper Johnson also describes the rigors of being a coach in the NFL, the long hours (5am to midnight or longer) and hours of watching game tape. Pepper Johnson has been there as a player and as a coach, and he fills the pages of this book with stories from both his playing career and his time as a coach with the Patriots. Obviously this book focuses on the incredible run to the Super Bowl that that Patriots made in 2001, but more than that it talks about the inner workings of a team, motivation, and the importance of teamwork. If you have ever wondered what NFL coaches do to game plan, you can find out right here. Pepper also talks about the importance of the scout team, something that I think many people over look.All in all this is a great football book, not only for Patriot fans, but for all football fans.
With a solid rewrite, Pepper Johnson's unique insight could be very effectively conveyed, and this book would earn a 5-star rating. But he is definitely not a writer.
But the writing style, paragraph structure and grammar in this book leave a lot to be desired. The writing (and I mean no offense in any way, shape or form to Mr.
I am a dyed in the wool New England Patriots and NFL fan, and I really wanted to LOVE this book. Even if you are OK with his conversational style of writing, Johnson occassionally meanders, going off on a tangent back to his playing days on the Super Bowl champion NY Giants.No one will question Pepper Johnson's love for football or his expertise in, and dedication to, the finer points of the game that many other coaches will never fully understand.
Pepper Johnson) is maybe junior high school level.I know, I know, some will say "So Pepper Johnson isn't an English teacher. Get over it" - I reply that the poor writing style and paragraph structure is so much of a problem, it sometimes gets in Pepper Johnson's way of effectively telling the incredible success story of the New England Patriots, particularly in the early going of the book.
This is the type of problem that a seasoned "co-author" is supposed to take care of, but there is no evidence of any such meaningful editing work by Bill Gutman. Even in its current state, you will still enjoy Johnson's insider view and perspective for the most part.
I have never been more excited to read a book in my life. I loved this book. I hate to read but found that this book was just what I was looking for. I am a big New England fan and so wanted a book to bring the whole champion experience out for me. If you are a hige Patriots fan this bookk is for you.
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