Well, I finished “A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez.” It didn’t end as badly, with all the heavy psychoanalysis, as it began. But it didn’t end well. The book didn’t really tell us anything about Rodriguez, it didn’t make a hard and fast case that he is a cheater, and it didn’t tell us why he’s so hot and cold as a player.
It didn’t really tell us much of anything. But that might speak more to the subject than to the writer, and the rush to get it out might speak more to the state of the publishing industry than anything else. Reading it cost us a contributor, but hopefully our eagerness to tear it apart, honestly and critically, didn’t lose us any readers.
The holes in the book’s assessment of him as a player and a person just made me want to read more about A-Rod, and now I want to see him in action. Maybe I’ll actually catch a Yankees game this year.
Reading the book also made us realize that Selena Roberts probably lives in Westport. Sorry, Selena.
We’re ready to close the book on the ill-fated match between Roberts and A-Rod. Then it’s on to “The Nine,” the 2007 book by New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin about the Supreme Court. Just in time for the Sonia Sotormayor confirmation hearings. Stay tuned.
Hey I grew up in Westport! And asked out only because I was going on vacation (and couldn’t make it through the book before!).
Comment by Dave Ruden — July 13th, 2009 @ 3:02 pm
I know Dave, you totally had a good reason. I was just making the point that that’s how not-engrossing the book was. And I totally appreciate you reading it for as long as you did!
Comment by Monica Potts — July 13th, 2009 @ 4:55 pm