One on One

Behind the Scenes with the Greats in the Game

By: John Feinstein

Narrated by: David de Vries

John Feinstein's illuminating recollections from two decades of interviews with sports legends.

John Feinstein's career is a sports fan's dream-a lifetime of encounters with the great figures in sports, not just on the field, but in the locker room and behind the scenes with legends like Bob Knight, Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and John McEnroe.

Since his days as a young Washington Post journalist, Feinstein has written twenty-eight books and countless magazine articles and newspaper columns, covering college basketball, golf, tennis, baseball, and very nearly every sport in between. He has told us of victory and defeat, of athletes and coaches we love -- and love to hate. But some of his best stories have been left untold, until now.

One on One is an incredible portal into the sports we love-from the box scores and the pageantry of game night and into the hard work and intensity that turn players and coaches into legends.

Big Time Sports Stories and Bigger Egos

The most interesting people in this book have the smallest egos. The ones with big egos come off as brutes and bullies...including the author. If you like sports and can remember some notable games and or stars from the last 20 - 30 years then you should like this book. If you dislike boastful athletes, coaches AND journalists then you might want to pass on this book. It is somewhat evident that one needs to be singularly focused to achieve a lot. Whether sports, JOURNALISM, politics or business, often the "stars" do not actually have it all but do achieve the pinnacle in their chosen endeavor. So if you like in-depth sports stories from the 80's and 90's and you can put up with some spoiled brats then you'll like this book. PS: don't miss the epilogue because that is where Feinstein redeems himself. By the way, I am a Bob Knight fan and really like the direction that they're taking under Crean.

Great book

Thoughtful and provocative the stories resonate on many levels. John Feinstein is the master of framing sports and sportsmanship in a context that lets you both know and understand athletes

Love the stories

Anyone older than about 35 or a sports historian will love this book. It was a walk down memory lane of so many of the great sport figures of my youthful days!

Very misleading title

I've read most of Feinstein's work and I'm a fan but very disappointed with the content of this book. It's more about the author's struggles to get his ideas accepted by bosses, colleagues, subjects, etc. I would not have purchased this title if I had known the content. I was expecting in-depth interviews with the "greats of the game" not discussions on how the author was granted "full access". On the plus side, the narration is first rate.

If you're looking for a book on John Feinstein, then this is your book. If you're looking for "One on One Behind The Scenes" I'd look somewhere else.

Not for the general reader (listener)

I very much enjoy and find perceptive John Feinstein when talking sports in a 5-minute segment on NPR. However, a book full of his interactions--often as not with obscure sports figures I've never heard of--does not make for compelling reading or listening. Also, given that much of the book is about John, himself, I think the book would have more of a positive impact if John had read it himself.