Third Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. Revell, 2004. Genre: Biography Novel

On the way home from a conference in Texas Don Piper’s car was hit by an 18-wheeler. When EMT’s arrived at the scene the pronounced him dead and that he was killed instantly. Don’s body was stuck in the crushed remains of his car so they had to cut him out with the Jaws of Life. While they were waiting for the jaws of life Don Piper was experiencing heaven. 90 minutes later he came back to life and shares his story.

“A friend handed me this book at about midnight, and come two or three in the morning, I was still reading. It’s a wonderful and inspiring story that brightens your perspective, giving you a sense of security, clarity, and warmth. - Donald Miller”

Don Piper’s 90 Minutes in heaven gave me a whole different perspective on religion and believing in heaven. The way he describes is the one place that is always happy, always peaceful, and always calm. The writing style was very descriptive and throughout the book he kept mentioning that he could not describe what he was seeing in human words. I haven’t read any other book like this before but I would like to because it was a great experience reading this one.

“As strange as it may seem, I could clearly distinguish each song. It sounded as if each hymn of praise was meant for me to hear as I moved inside the gates of heaven.” (pg.31)

Don Pipers story was a excellent read and I loved the story because not only was it good but it was a true story which really made me think. If there are other books out by this author then I would definitely read them because of what this man went through.

Commitment

Choices are made every day of our lives whether we should get a cup coffee this morning or a glass of juice. The decisions we make affect our lives. There are certain decisions that may betough and others that are tolerable to but you must make a decision and stick with it. I remember when I had to choose between a new phone or a dirt bike. I chose the dirt bike and it was the better choice for me because I love riding my dirt bike and turns out that the phone I wanted wasn’t even that good and they cam out with a new edition of that model the next week. In The Old Man and the Sea the main character Santiago faces tough and suspenseful decisions in which affected his life. He made a decision and he stuck by it. Unfortunately for him some of these decisions did not work out the way he planned.


One decision that Santiago decided to make was that he left the shore without the boy in his skiff. This was a bad decision because later on in the story he will acquire the boy’s help that he has offered him numerous times before he has left the shore. The boy seemed some what anxious to help the old man and disobey his parents. He was a devoted worker and never dishonest. He made this decision not for his gain but for the boys because he doesn’t want the boy to get in trouble with his parents and was wary about him coming to fish with Santiago. This shows how much the old man is compassionate about the boys well being. The consequences of this decision were that it took Santiago longer to reel in the fish and that there was a bigger chance of Santiago not reeling in the fish at all. “It is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than are abilities.”-Joanne Kathleen Rowling


Santiago choice of risking starvation and dehydration cost him his strength after he has caught the fish and planned to have a soothing ride home. This prevented him from fighting off the sharks that come to devour his fish. He cannot do this because he has wasted all the strength he had on catching this fish and none for after to go home or fight off enemies of the sea. This part of the story shows to always think ahead and prepare for the future. The old man is very talkative about his decisions to himsef. The old man did not prepare for the sharks so he focused all his energy on reeling up the fish. The man was intelligent when he used his oar and knife after losing his harpoon but did not prepare for after that. “ I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and love today.”-William Allen White


Santiago had a decision of letting this big fish go and deciding that it will be to hard to reel up and bring home. The old man is to amazed by its size and beauty that it will bring in a lot of money back home and he can’t even think about letting this thing go. He decided to keep trying to reel the fish in waste all this hard work and time that he put in to capture this beast of a marlin. Santiago was more sad than upset about losing the marlin to the sharks. The moral of this is that something you work at can easily be taken away and that you keep working through the good things and the bad. “Find a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”-Confucius


Santiago made some wise choices throughout the story some beneficial and some not so much but he made a decision and stuck with it. Decisions are made everyday and you might not even know you made a decision but you did. You could just automatically do your homework when you get home but you decided to do it instead of watching T.V. For Example, in the old man and the sea Santiago had some easy decisions and some hard ones. Some of them won’t always be easy but when they are hard you must pick something and go with it.

The Game of Anxiety

It was mid April when the first day of the Masters began and Kevin couldn't believe how far he had come from being a little kid wishing to play in the masters to actually qualifying. He beat Tom Dowd to qualify for the masters and now has to focus on playing the first round even though he was a neophyte compared to the other professionals. The first day of the masters Kevin had trouble focusing because of the intense atmosphere. He wishes his dad was there to quell him but he could not make the first round due to a buiness trip. Seeing all the professionals distracted him from the task at hand. The only golfer that he had not seen was the one he lionized the most. Ben Hogan.

After three days of golf Kevin was 2 behind the lead at 15 under. Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer were tied for the lead at 17 under. Today was the final round to go for the green jacket. Ben Hogan had already finished the front nine and so had Arnold Palmer. Ben was at 3 under for the day and Arnold Palmer was even for the day. Kevin was just finishing the 9th hole that was a par 5 and he pared it. Kevin finished the front nine at 2 under which would put him in second place so far. After finishing Ben Hogan ended up finishing his round at 3 under and Kevin finished at 5 under by sinking a 34 foot putt for birdie on 18 which would put him and Ben Hogan into a sudden death playoff for the green jacket. The crowd was ecstatic after he made that putt but he tried to rebuff them as he talked with his caddie. "Good putt kevin that was a big one", his caddie Eric said. On his way to the scores table Ben hogan came over to him and said," That was a nice putt over there on 18."" Thanks Mr.Hogan. Looks like I'll being playing against you tomorrow." Kevin stated. "It appears so. Well I wish you good luck for it should be a good fight," Ben said to him. Kevin felt a little less nervous after hearing Ben's benediction. 

It was raining all last night and went into the next morning so the course was going to be wet. When Ben and Kevin met at the first tee at 8 in the morning. Ben Hogan was selected to tee off first. Kevin had to quiet his loquacious caddie while ben was hitting. "Eric shut up! his hitting"' said kevin in a angry whisper. Ben Hogan was a three time champion at the masters and Kevin had never been in the masters before. They were matching each other shot for shot no one was pulling ahead or behind. When they came upon the 11^th hole which was a 190-yard par 3. Kevin decided to hit a 3 iron, which put him 20 feet away from the hole. Ben Hogan hit the same club and was 15 feet away from the hole. Kevin was up first to hit since he was farthest away from the hole. "It looks likes its left to right but whatever you do don't leave it short" Eric said. After finally concuring with Eric, Kevin steps up to the putt and strokes the ball. The crowd is hushed as they slowly watch the ball roll towards the hole and wait for the ‘clunk’ of the ball hitting the cup. Kevin is ecstatic and is now 3 under and leaves Ben Hogan to make his putt to stay tied with Kevin. Ben just misses his putt to the leave of the cup to put Kevin at a one shot lead.

Later on at the 17^th hole which is a par 5. Ben Hogan drives his shot 260 yards. Eric says to Kevin"Alright, Your in the lead. Just relax and hit the ball.  Ben Hogan then hits his next shot on the green for a lengthy eagle putt and Kevin plays it safe and lays up just short of the green.  He asks Eric for the loft wedge and puts it to 5 feet for a birdie opportunity. Ben lets him finish his putt so his ball marker isn’t in the way. He now has to make this putt to become tied with Kevin again going into the 18^th hole. After stroking the ball Kevin is thinking that it has no chance but for some reason the ball just kept rolling and the sound of the ball hitting the cup ended the crowds laconic state. Going into the 18^th hole they were tied at 4 under par. Kevin was first to tee off and now has trepidation running through his mind. Hogan hit his driver about 10 yards farther.Ben's clubs were vapid and used compared to Kevin's new driver he recently purchased. Ben’s approach shot was on the green but yet again another lengthy putt. Kevin’s approach shot was about a 20 footer for birdie. Ben had to putt first and he spent a good amount of time looking at this putt. All you could hear was the whispering of Ben and Kevin talking to their caddies. He finally stepped up to it and hit that ball with the smoothest looking stroke Kevin have ever witnessed. Putting requires a lot of dexterity. The ball was heading right for the hole and it was dead on but it started to slow down a little earlier then he expected and stopped 10 inches short of the hole. The crowd sighed and was in shock that he missed that putt but he tapped the ball in and they started to applaud him for finishing 4 under on the day. Kevin had his putt left and was the biggest putt of his life. There was now a myraid of people surrounding the green. He spent about 30 minutes looking at this putt from every angle. Eric was trying to give him an assuaging pep talk but it wouldn't stop Kevin's hands from shaking. He stepped up and stroked the ball towards and the whole and the crowd was just starring at that ball which was headed straight for the hole. He started to walk towards the hole and once he saw that ball drop he jumped in the air as high as he could jump. This would surely be the apex of his career. “Kevin Garbacik, a Cinderella story, has just won the Masters ladies and Gentlemen.” The announcer screamed. The crowd was going wanton and was rushing on to the green. They all thought Kevin was a paragon of golf. They were chanting his name. 

After the round of golf Ben Hogan and the head of the master association holding the trophy and the green jacket. Now it is a tradition that the previous winner of the Masters would give the new winner the green jacket. The previous winner just happened to be Ben Hogan. Kevin walked up too Ben and as he congratulated him he put on his own green jacket.” The one player that no ever thought of winning has done the impossible today Ladies and Gentlemen”, stated the announcer.

2nd Quarter ORB Reveiw

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger. W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. Genre: Nonfiction

 

The Perfect Strom takes place in Gloucester, Massachusetts were sword fishing was a popular occupation. Billy Tyne the captain of the Andrea Gail, his fishing vessel, goes out on a voyage with his crew to bring home a big catch after his recent miss. But with big catches comes big dangers. As it shows in the weather he would be sailing into a hurricane otherwise known as “The Perfect Storm of 1991.”

 

“During the long drawn-out and wholly convincing climaxes one reads with the most intense concern, anxiety and concentration; and if one knows anything at all about the sea one feels the absolutely enormous strength of the hurricane winds and the incredibly towering mass of the hundred-foot waves.”-Patrick O’Brian

 

Captain Billy Tyne is heading towards the Flemish Cap, which is almost of the chart of fishing grounds, but he believes that where the fish are. The crew and all the other fishermen think he’s crazy to go out there but the crew needs the money if he’s right s they agree to go on this journey with him. After a couple of days they’ve been having some bad luck with Murph going overboard and a rogue wave hitting the boat the crew is thinking of turning around and heading home. But Billy wants to keep going to find the fish. Sebastian Junger writers in a very suspenseful way and in a lot of ways I find that he leads up to a lot of stuff in his writing.

This book reminds me of another book I read about fishermen. They have a very ruff live and they go out on the ocean for 3 months at a time away from their friends and family. They also never have control over the sea so anything could happen out there.

 

“All chemical reactions and metabolic processes become honey-slow and the brain can get by on less than half the oxygen it normally requires.”(146)

 

Sebastian Junger really reminded me about how these fishermen risk their lives so we can eat seafood. I think after reading this book I have more respect for these fishermen. I liked this book because it always kept me guessing and never got boring in my mind. I enjoyed the fact he didn’t just put a bunch of facts together but actually made a story of it. I think the theme of this book is that if you don’t take risks than life will pass you by. He is saying to live as much as you can now and not to regret it later.

 

           

 

 

First Quarter Book Reveiw

Bringing Down The House by Ben Mezrich. Free Press, 2002. Genre: historical fiction

 

Bringing down the house is a story about six M.I.T. students were brought together by one of their professors to count cards in Vegas. Once they learn how to count they take trips to Vegas on the weekends and make hundreds of thousands of dollars. In Boston they were jus six regular students but in Vegas they could be who ever they wanted to.

 

“ This book made me wants to gamble! Vegas! Vegas!”- Bill Simmons

“ A lively tale that could pass for thriller fiction… Mezrich’s skilled yet easy writing draws sweat to the reader’s brow.”- Rocky Mountain News

 

These six M.I.T. students form a team with a brilliant math professor as the leader of the pack. They go and count cards in a game call Blackjack. The goal in this game is to add up your cards and beat the dealer’s hand and receive double the amount you bet. The point of counting cards is to know what card comes next without it being flipped over yet. This way they knew whether to bet a lot f money or bet the minimum. The casino’s had caught wind of the team and kept a close eye on them. Technically they couldn’t do anything about this because counting cards isn’t illegal but if they caught a counter they would bring them down into the basement and tortured them until they stopped counting at their casino. The writing style of Ben Mezrich is that he writes in suspense and after reading a chapter of the book you have to put it down and replay all the events that occurred in that chapter. His writing is very suspenseful and I read five chapters in a row because they were so jam packed with action and adventure that every chapter leaves off on the most exciting parts of the books.

After reading this book it is similar to a book I read on Texas Hold’em poker. They are both suspenseful because when you are gambling and playing for a lot of money there seems to be more action and more grudge against other players. I feel thought that Ben Mezrich’s book is written more maturely and uses better word choice than the other book uses.

 

“ Kevin a rush of adrenaline. It was the feeling he got when his father approved of something he had done. His father would not have approved of Mickey, an adult who hung around with brilliant kids, turning them into gamblers. Kevin’s father never would have understood. Card counting wasn’t gambling. It was arbitrage”(52).

 

I enjoyed this book because I too am I gambler. I play Texas Hold’em poker with my friends. This is why I enjoyed this book because I have always imagined what it would be like to gamble in Vegas and this gave me a clear picture. Also I enjoyed this book because it is a dream of mine to go to M.I.T. I hope he comes out with another book like this one because I read it in a heartbeat.

Riding the Dirt Bike of Sucess

Objects or priceless moments can be rank on all kinds of different value scales. Personally I don’t value things by cost or how fancy it is. I know other people can value things on how expensive they are or how fancy they are but not me. I couldn't put a price on the feeling i got when i had won the championship game or when i ride my dirt bike and listen to the way the engine gears climb as the speed increases. There is no price for that and you can't find in a store. Today I will share with you items that i value and price is not a factor.

It was just an ordinary fall day. It was windy and nippy out when a black and white tow truck was backing in to the driveway of 6 Sunrise Circle (My Driveway) and on the back was a black Dr-Z 125cc engine Suzuki dirt bike and it was mine. Once I realized that that was mine I almost hit the ceiling when I leaped out of my seat to go check it out. I have been begging my parents for one for ever but they finally came to their senses. I put on my shoes and bolted outside faster than Usain Bolt in the 100 meter dash. After the man came out of the tow truck got all the paperwork done and after all of that boring stuff I sat on the bike and the black leather seat felt a fluffy white cloud in the sky. I decided to start of the beastly 125cc engine. I pulled out the kick start and gave a kick. The engine purred like a tomcat. I value my dirt bike because when the engine is shifted into fifth gear and your traveling so fast everything else is a blur then it is a peaceful environment.

This was my last year playing CYO Basketball for St. Patrick’s Church and my basketball team made it to the championship game. We were playing a team that had lost to us by about two points when we last played them in the regular season. They had a center that was about 6’2” and a guard that could make it rain from downtown. Let’s fast forward to the fourth quarter. There is about 2 minutes left on the clock and we are up by five. As Though last 2 minutes whine down they score a lay to decrease our lead. Then all of a sudden the make another lay up and we are only up by one with a minute left. After them stealing the ball and putting up a third 2 pointer we are down by 1 with 30 seconds left in the championship game. Our coach calls a timeout to think up scheme on how to score and be the champions. After coming up with idea we hustle back on to the court and wait for the clock to start. We pass it in and the crowd is roaring we pass it to our point guard who then takes it down the lane to score a lay up with 10 seconds left and by the time the other team passed the ball in time had expired and we had become the victors of this championship. I value this win because the work and effort we had to put into it made the victory feel that much better.

I value my dirt bike because when I drive it the engine climbing and the speeding increasing it is almost soothing except for the occasional bump here and there.. It is a rush of adrenaline to drive my dirt bike and to be going 50 miles per hour. I value wining my basketball championship because after the whole season to win the championship is the best feeling in the world and the feeling of success is like no other and can't be taken away from you either. I value these items/moments because they mean a lot to me and without experiencing them now i probably never would have. So having lots of money and just buying anything can not compare to something you have truly worked for or something that is like nothing else on the planet.

To Be A Contender...

The Contender, Alfred Brooks
A Child Called It, David Pelzer
Donatelli's Gym in New York

One Day in the state of New York at a small beat up gym called Donatelli’s there was an African-American teenager working out at peanut bag. Around this time the teenager finished his workout and was wiping his face when a little skimpy boy asked him “ Is this Donatelli’s gym?” The Teenager responded, “Yeah. Were you looking to join and workout?” “Yes I was. My name is David Pelzer I heard this is where champions started to box.” “Well you have to become a contender first before you are a champion but anyways my name is Alfred Brooks. Have you ever boxed before?” “Um. No but I would like to start. Could you help me out?” “Sure. I’m always around here just pop in when you want to start and ill show you the ropes around here. First, you need to start running in the morning because the core is key boxing. Is that Ok?” “Yeah I can start doing that. Could I start working out tomorrow?” “Yeah ill meet you here bright and early at 7 a.m.” “Ok. Sounds good,” Replied David anxiously.

“Good morning Alfred. I ran at 5 this morning just like you told me to do” “Good that’s good start as early as you can. Now, the first thing we’re going to try is the big bag. The big bag is to work on your power and to strengthen your arms. Give a couple punches and lets see how ya’ do.” David punched it as hard as he could and it felt like punching a solid brick wall. Alfred starts to chuckle, “Not so easy is it? That’s ok you’ll get it sooner or later.” David thought to himself, “My hand stinks of sweat and leather from punching the bag but that’s what the whole gym smelt like anyways. The gym was always dark because it only had two windows by the front door but there was always a light bulb in the middle of the ring in the gym. You could always see the dust when the light shined through the windows. “This is the peanut bag,” said Alfred interrupting David’s thought, “after practicing you should be able to keep hitting the bag repeatedly to work on your rhythm.” David Watched Alfred hit it. It sounded like a machine gun bouncing off of the wooden board that the little bag was attached to. Alfred stopped punching the bag and said,” And after practicing these two things enough we can get into sparring but you’re nowhere near that so don’t worry about it. Ok, Alfred said exhaling, this is pretty much what you’ll be doing here to work out so if you don’t have any questions for me we can start getting into a rhythm of working out constantly and really start to improve. So... I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Ok. I just have one question?” “Yeah? What is it?” “Were you ever a contender?” “I got close but my coach, Mr. Donatelli, thought I didn’t have the passion of boxing anymore and that I was only going to get hurt out there so I stopped boxing after that and now just workout here.” “Alright well thanks for showing me around I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Alright get home safe.”

“Alright first we start with some push-ups and sit –ups.” So David did as he was told. “Good, good. Now we move on to chin-ups and dips.” David struggled a bit in that workout. “Ok not bad but you’ll improve the more and more you do it. Next we work on strength at the big bag and speed and rhythm at the peanut bag and we just repeat all the workouts again like a rotation. Did you run today?” “Yes,” David said in between punches to the big bag. After one rotation of the workout routine David was sweating more and breathing heavier than he ever had before. After working out for a couple weeks at Donatelli’s David became stronger and stronger as Alfred and David’s friendship grew as well. Soon it would be time for David to start sparring and then he would have his shot to see if he has what it takes to be a contender just like his new best friend Alfred was.