Larry Bird's Book a Must Read

"Bird Watching" gives a tremendous look on the life of former basketball player Larry Bird and his triumphs he went through in order to become one of the best.

Bird was born in West Baden, Indiana. He was very poor and the book does a superb job of explaining his situation. The family made it through, but barely. They didn't have many extra assets in life. The book's first few chapters evolve around this and more background. Bird loved basketball so much, one particular part of the book talks about how he quit the more popular sports in high school in the 1970's, Football and Baseball, to focus more on basketball and become a better player.

This book has a lot of funny chapters and quotes just as any good biography does. It starts out speaking about how Bird attended Indiana University for less than month and went back to the farm where he thought he was going to spend the rest of his life. He then had a scholarship to Indiana State, a smaller university, and went there to play basketball.

Bird's life was funny to follow in the pros as well. In the chapter "My First Year as Coach" Bird spoke about what he would do to the media when he was in Boston. The media were celebrities in Boston, much different than Indiana Bird said. While playing in Boston, he could only handle them one way.

"After a game I'd go back to the trainer’s room and get iced down. I'd drink a couple of beers, wait until everyone else got done, and then I'd go out and sit on this table in the middle of the locker room. I'd answer everyone's questions"

Bird said eventually the media would quit asking questions and let him go. He didn't care either way, they could ask questions all day and Bird would not have mind.

"Bird Watching" wraps up the career of Bird just as much as his story continues when he starts coaching and working with the front office. While the book shows the transition of Bird's life, a reader still won't be lost in the book because the book follows his life and the readers will be able to see that. The only negative about this book remains in the readers who choose to take their time to read it, it is not that long, but some may find it a little frustrating that this book takes out a lot of his rivalry with Magic Johnson both in college and in the pros, but it instead focuses so much on Bird and his life.

"I'm not going to be stupid about this heart condition, but I'm not going to live my whole life in fear of this thing either. If it goes, it goes." This sentence is one of many that will help you understand the determination in Bird and what he went through to be as good as he was. One of the richest athletes of his generation, Bird suffered from Atrial fibrillation but it didn't stop him one bit. And now that his book is out, it seems that he will be around the sport he loves for years.