Chasing Tiger

June 1, 2002
Somewhere in the world, there must be people who haven't heard about Tiger Woods, but the odds are slight. Editor Stout (Red Sox Century) notes that over 1400 stories were written about Tiger Woods before he won the Masters, his seventh major title. While Stout could have simply given us a flattering portrait, he has attempted to present the good (poise in competition), the questionable (snubbing a presidential invitation), and the not so good (tasteless jokes). Of course, even Woods's not so good really isn't all that bad. As one might expect, the anthology is heavily in debt to sportswriters (such as Charles Pierce, Gary Smith, and Frank DeFord). But Stout has gone out of his way to include commentary from Ellen Goodman and Maureen Dowd, writers not usually associated with the world of sport. Since Woods's career could easily go on for another 20, 30, 40, or more years, this might seem like a somewhat premature purchase. Given Woods's popularity, however, it is reasonable to assume that he will be a steady research topic for school students and a subject of leisure reading for their golfer parents. Recommended for general collections. Steven Silkunas, North Wales, PA

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2002
This collection of newspaper and magazine pieces written over the last 10 years provides a fascinating, you-are-there glimpse of Tiger Woods' remarkable accomplishments as they were reported at the time by a wide range of journalists. Beginning with a 1991 " New York Times" piece by Jaime Daiz ("Fore! Nicklaus Beware of Teen-Ager"), written after the 15-year-old Tiger had just won the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, and extending through Michael Wilbon's August 2001 column in the " Washington Post" ("Being Great Isn't Good Enough"), in which the author marvels at talk of "Tiger's slump" in a year when he won only six tournaments, these essays record not only what Woods has done over the last decade but also how sportswriters and cultural commentators have reacted to it. A fine overview of the first years of the Tiger Era.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)