Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Vanishing Act, by John Feinstein

I'm very glad that Feinstein has started writing YA fiction. (See excerpt from the NPR Biography below)

Vanishing Act is about women's tennis. Set at the US Open the book not only shows the "inside" of tennis but also deals with the issues of sport "agents" and the PR tricks they play. You don't need to be a sports fan to enjoy these books (his first was about basketball) however a little knowledge will enrich your pleasure. I think I liked this one better because I know much more about tennis than basketball.

Feinstein is the sports commentator for NPR. He has also contributed to The Washington Post and Sporting News Radio since 1992, America Online since 2000 and Golf Digest and Gold World since 2003. Feinstein began his career in 1977, writing about politics and sports for The Washington Post. After an 11-year stint, he left the Post and became a special contributor to Sports Illustrated from 1988-90, and National Sports Daily from 1990-91. He returned to the Post as a contributor the following year. Feinstein first gained national attention when his book, A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers, topped The New York Times best-seller list for 16 consecutive weeks, from January - August 1987. (National Public Radio)

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