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"You Can Quote Me On That" is more than just a wonderful compilation of great, funny and both brilliant and absurd tennis quotes. It is a history lesson of the changing social, moral and political mores of the times as seen through the eyes of those who knew tennis the best and the least.As well as containing some fine bits of univeral and timeless wisdon, it really provides a glimpse into human nature - it truly is amazing how off base and mean spirited some of the most revered tennis pros have been in the course of tennis history.And the book is also funny.A great read for all and must read for tennis fans.
This book is like freshly squeezed orange juice. Many of the quotes reflect personal philosophies and insights of those we normally know only in a sporting context.It's hard to imagine how someone culled the best of the best without spending a lifetime to put it in one book. AND lots of surprises as to who said what.While the book tackles serious and age old topics, it also tackles views on some of tennis' greatest controversies.
Right to the point on topic after topic -- from the profound to the profane. And you'll get the sweet and wise observations of true authorities. It's fresh, pure and delicious, and you didn't have to pore over long interviews or entire books to get to the juicy parts.
You'll get a feel for some of the most popular and infamous characters in the tennis world. It's an easy ready with quotes of the most famous, and sometimes, least likely people in and around tennis. There are probably quotes from some of the people you've most loved and some who you've least liked.
And tennis, like sport generally, is a part of, and a reflection of, life. It has fairly been called the Barlett's Quotations of Tennis - except it's probably a more fun read.
Paul Fein's "You Can Quote Me On That" isn't a classic page-turner, full of mystery, plot and intrigue. Is that fair. Does it makes tennis more popular. You have to have it all, the talent, the looks, the brains and the drive."The next chapter, "Paeans To the Champions", starts with this praise for Pete Sampras from Jim Courier:"He can hit shots the rest of us can't hit and don't even think of hitting."And then continues as Becker, Agassi, McEnroe and Emerson assess Pete's standing in the tennis pantheon.What makes the book more than a sum of its considerable parts is the sense of history that pervades it. There has been little change since the rules were settled upon and possibly improvement can be had by changing some rules, but a game so stylized as tennis should be treated with great restraint. Nineteen twenties star Bill Tilden, who wrote several books on tennis, is quoted regularly, and we hear from Jack Kramer on early professional men's tennis, Bille Jean King on the struggles of the women's tour, Arthur Ashe on the class and race barriers, Martina Navratilova on sexual orientation. It's just what it sounds like--a collection of quotes about tennis.Although it consists of 35 chapters, a necessity for organizing the vast material, I still found it difficult to stop when reaching a chapter's conclusion.Under the chapter entitled "The Feminine Mystique" for example, Fein ends with a quote from Anna Kournikova saying:"You cannot just be a great tennis player, or just be a beautiful person anymore to succeed in the game. Does it advance the sport.
Not to mention Gussie Moran's panties and Suzanne Lenglen's rock star status in the 20s.It.s a whirlwind tour of tennis history in doses as small or large as you like and it's also a reminder that the more tennis changes, the more it stays the same. I'll close with two of my favorite quotes:"Under these absurd and antiquated amateur rules, only a wealthy person can compete, and the fact of the matter is that only wealthy people do compete. or does it tend to suppress and hinder an enormous amount of tennis talent lying dormant in the bodies of young men and women whose names are not in the social register."and "Certainly there does not appear to be anything much wrong with the game of tennis itself, although proposals for changing it always are with us. One of the things wrong may be that so many people keep trying to alter it to suit other people who do not really play it."The first quote is from Suzanne Lenglen, circa 1920s; the second from Al Laney in 1968.
Want to know what the tennis world is talking about. This is one great book. Why. Check it out. You would have to work for years to capture all the wonderful tennis quotes in this compendium. It's virtually the tennis Smithsonian of insights into the minds of players, coaches, officials, the media, administrators, the intelligencia and others from the world of tennis.Want to know what your favorite tennis star is thinking about on and off the court.
I was really excited to get my copy because as Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (IMGCA), I am always searching for new quotes on sports psychology that I can put in our members articles, training programs and our IMGCA Certification programs.This book is loaded with 1700 quotes ranging over 35 chapters from tennis stars, legends, champions, celebrities, also-rans and the rest of the world's tennis denizens. Paul Fein's You Can Quote Me On That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights And Zingers is one of the most unique tennis books ever published. Read on. It's here. Want to know what the media think about the players. Try finding all these quotes yourself, from the hundreds of sources that Paul used in constructing this masterpiece.
Come to think of it, that's probably exactly what Paul did in writing this book.You Can Quote Me On That is the perfect gift for the tennis lovers in your life.
But my favorite quote, coming from Martina Hingis is "I like everything about tennis; the games, the courts, the competition, and doing everything you can to win. "I've got more talent in my pinkie than Lendl has in his whole body."--John McEnroe.(so politically incorrect these days).
From the Foreword by Billie Jean King in which she states " No one and nothing is spared", to the 35 chapters dealing with various topics such as #6.-The Fame Game, and #15. You Can Quote me on That by Paul Fein is loaded with entertaining quotes from all the great tennis players, many of their coaches, their families, and even other celebrities.
I especially liked the nasty comments between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl--i.e. - You've Come A Long Way, Baby., I was hooked.
The quotes are quick and easy to read, with remarkable documentation of who said what to whom and when. Arthur Ashe's 1970 quote that "Women's tennis won't draw flies.", couldn't have been more wrong, surprisingly coming from one of the greatest endorsers of the game.
It's such a beautiful sport." Anyone who enjoys playing tennis, watching tennis, or hearing about the good and bad boys and girls of tennis will truly enjoy this book.
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