The Matheny Manifesto

A Young Manager's Old-School Views on Success in Sports and Life

Mike Matheny, Jerry B. Jenkins

Mike Matheny was just forty-one, without professional managerial experience and looking for a next step after a successful career as a Major League catcher, when he succeeded the legendary Tony La Russa as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012. While Matheny has enjoyed immediate success, leading the Cards to the postseason three times in his first three years, people have noticed something else about his life, something not measured in day-to-day results. Instead, it's based on a frankly worded letter he wrote to the parents of a Little League team he coached, a cry for change that became an Internet sensation and eventually a “manifesto.”

The tough-love philosophy Matheny expressed in the letter contained his throwback beliefs that authority should be respected, discipline and hard work rewarded, spiritual faith cultivated, family made a priority, and humility considered a virtue. In The Matheny Manifesto, he builds on his original letter by first diagnosing the problem at the heart of youth sports−hint: it starts with parents and coaches−and then by offering a hopeful path forward. Along the way, he uses stories from his small-town childhood as well as his career as a player, coach, and manager to explore eight keys to success: leadership, confidence, teamwork, faith, class, character, toughness, and humility.

From “The Coach Is Always Right, Even When He's Wrong” to “Let Your Catcher Call the Game,” Matheny's old-school advice might not always be popular or politically correct, but it works. His entertaining and deeply inspirational book will not only resonate with parents, coaches, and athletes, it will also be a powerful reminder, from one of the most successful new managers in the game, of what sports can teach us all about winning on the field and in life (from Netgalley)

My Thoughts

Disclosure: I was born and raised a STL Cardinal baseball fan. I live my life and will die as a STL Cardinal baseball fan. Some might argue that this would bias me to give a favorable review of a book written by the current manager of the STL Cardinals baseball team. Duly noted.

I liked Mike Matheny when he was the catcher for the Cardinals. I was sad when he left the team. I, like many others, was a bit surprised when he was hired to be manager since he had no prior experience as a manager at the major league level. I think this book is evidence of why he does so well in this position. The message that he outlines in the book for coaching young baseball players seems to be the way he handles adult players. There are many interesting examples of successes and failures, along with the thought process behind his decision making.

You don’t have to be a baseball fan or even a lover of sports to be able to learn something from this book. It was very well written and has lessons that can be used in everyday life.

My thanks to Crown Publishing, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

At The Water’s Edge

Sara Gruen

In this new novel from the author of Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. At the Water's Edge is a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young woman's personal awakening as she experiences the devastations of World War II in a Scottish Highlands village.

Madeline Hyde, a young socialite from Philadelphia, reluctantly follows her husband and their best friend to the tiny village of Drumnadrochit in search of a mythical monster—at the same time that a very real monster, Hitler, wages war against the Allied Forces. What Maddie discovers—about the larger world and about herself—through the unlikely friendships she develops with the villagers, pens her eyes not only to the dark forces that exist around her but to the beauty and surprising possibilities (from Netgalley)

My Thoughts

 

Madeline is married to Ellis Hyde. They live with his parents, who feel Ellis married below his status. When his parents cut off financial support, Ellis comes up with the idea to go in search of the infamous Loch Nest monster. Maddie tags along, as does their best friend Hank. This is the story of how the adventure changes Maddie’s life.

At the beginning, I did not like Maddie, Ellis or Hank. They were uppity, snooty, can’t lift a finger to tie their own shoelaces kind of people. But as the story progressed, I was able to warm up to Maddie and was cheering for her at the end. She makes a total turn around with her attitude towards the working class people she encounters in Scotland. I even shed a tear for her, but I’m not going to tell you why ;)

Another fine tale from a very talented author.

Thank you to Random House Publishing, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

What Stands in a Storm

Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South's Tornado Alley

Kim Cross

Immersive reporting and dramatic storytelling set you right in the middle of the horrific superstorm of April 2011, a weather event that killed 348 people.

April 27, 2011, marked the climax of a superstorm that saw a record 358 tornadoes rip through twenty-one states in three days, seven hours, and eighteen minutes. It was the deadliest day of the biggest tornado outbreak in recorded history, which saw 348 people killed, entire neighborhoods erased, and $11 billion in damage. The biggest of the tornadoes left scars across the land so wide they could be seen from space. But from the terrible destruction emerged everyday heroes, neighbors and strangers who rescued each other from hell on earth.

With powerful emotion and gripping detail, Cross weaves together the heart-wrenching stories of several characters—including three college students, a celebrity weatherman, and a team of hard-hit rescuers—to create a nail-biting chronicle in the Tornado Alley of America. No, it’s not Oklahoma or Kansas; it’s Alabama, where there are more tornado fatalities than anywhere in the US, where the trees and hills obscure the storms until they’re bearing down upon you. For some, it’s a story of survival, and for others it’s the story of their last hours.

Cross’s immersive reporting and dramatic storytelling sets you right in the middle of the very worst hit areas of Alabama, where thousands of ordinary people witnessed the sky falling around them. Yet from the disaster comes a redemptive message that’s just as real: In times of trouble, the things that tear our world apart also reveal what holds us together. (from Netgalley)

My Thoughts

Having lived in the Midwest most of my life, I am no stranger to tornado warnings. Thankfully, I have never experienced a tornado and hope I never will. Recently, it occurred to me that I have become a bit too lackadaisical with regards to heeding the tornado warnings. Not long ago, I was actually getting mad at the weather person for interrupting my TV show (Sponge Bob).

This book is a prime example of why we should all take tornado warnings seriously. People who did everything they were supposed to still lost their lives. How stupid of me to think something as simple as going to the basement is too much trouble. Not anymore.

This is an intense - educational - heartbreaking yet uplifting story. We learn about how tornados are formed and a brief history of the national weather service. We get to ride along with storm chasers. And we spend time with individuals as they ride out the tornado - some who survived and some who did not,

The author did an outstanding job of making this a very interesting story. I learned alot and I have a new respect for tornados and tornado warnings.

Many thanks to Atria Books, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Stranger

Harlan Coben

The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.

Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life.

Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them. (from Netgalley)

 

My Thoughts

Adam Price is approached by a stranger who tells him a secret - a secret that could ruin Adam’s marriage. Who is this stranger and how did he learn the secret?

I look forward to new Harlan Coben novels like a kid waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. I just know I’m going to get something good and The Stranger was just what I was hopinh for.

Mr. Coben has a knack for taking normal. everyday people and putting them in very tricky situations where they have no option but to rely on their own wits and intelligence. This book went right down to the last page with the suspense. As always with this author, a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to Penguin Group - Dutton, via Netgalley - for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.