Travel World guide

I really enjoyed this book. Reads quick, but doesn’t lack substance as Charles has a lot to say.

My biggest surprise was in the political area: For years, I have heard that Charles is a conservative, and I always see GOP big shots try to capatalize on his fame. After reading the book, however, I don’t think Charles is as much as a GOP man as even Charles himself seems to think. His views on race, wealth, big business and several other issues are light years away from anything I hear republicans in power espousing these days. His positions are much more left leaning in everything but name- which is fine.

In the end, its all good no matter what your politics. Charles has much to offer here, and thankfully leaves the nuances of breaking down the pick and roll on the weak side to other books. He talks about things that matter, and for this I thank him and show up here to recommend his book.

I couldn’t put this book down once I started reading it. I have to admit I was a little taken aback by the way his father treated him while growing up. But I also had a deeper understanding of Shaq when I completed the book. I learned more of the “inner thinkings” of the game and business of college and NBA basketball as it gave me a brief look at Shaq the player. And it gave me a little clearer picture of him as a human being. It’s a must-read for any fan.

This book was about Charles Barkley and his views on what he thinks. He loves politics,racism, and religion. I’ve never known Charles Barkley so funny. Charles Barkley was born in Leeds, Alabama. He has played for 3 teams in his 14 years in the N.B.A. He has played for Philadelphia,Phoenix, and Houston. Durning that time he always spoke his mind. So he said “After his career, he would write a book about what he is thinking about everyday”.He did and this was a great book. I rate this book a 5 because I admire Charles Barkley. He is one of the greatest athletes ever. He always will make you laugh and will make you think. He doesn’t hold anything back in this book. He will get in trouble for speaking his mind; but its the truth. Frank, funny, and provacative, this is a book that will stir people to think. In this book, he always tries to assimilate the poor people in becoming rich by lending out money to them. I admire him for doing this. He’s a great guy with a lot on his mind.

Starts off light-hearted: why he’s writing this book. He wants to get people thinking, get discussions started from his comments and opinions on social issues and serious subjects. He talks about “keeping it real” for himself and the importance of the “star” of the game (any game) who’s often taken for granted. He speaks of his mother and grandmother, who played such an important role in his upbringing, his love of travel and meeting new people. He speaks strongly of the racial tension he knew growing up black in Alabama. “Prejudice and racism isn’t natural; you have to be taught it.” His personal mentors: Julius Erving and Moses Malone. There’s no fraternity more unique than that of the professional athlete. Young athletes should pay homage to the greats who came before them. He says “God doesn’t have a favorite team,” and “every minute of every day can’t be serious.”

What’s wrong with saying that parents and teachers should be the role models of our children, not celebrities? When priests abuse children, why are we holding “meetings” instead of tossing their butts in jail? Why do people say an athlete’s career is unfulfilled if he/she doesn’t win a championship? Young players need to finish High School and stay in college as long as possible before going pro. The reason the worst teams get first draft pick is to improve their team now. Not 3-4 years from now when the kid gets better. Charles touched on the September 11th tragedy briefly; how he felt, how it changed him, especially his sudden uneasiness with flying.

The book is edited by Washington Post Sports Columnist Michael Wilbon who also contributes a great intro., having known Barkley since 1983 when he first saw him play at Auburn. Much of the book addresses the problems with racism. That’s fine. The author IS black and has experienced racism his entire life. Most white people think, “I don’t worry about racism: I’m white. It’s a non-issue for me.” The fact that racism is still a topic of conversation now, in 2003, is sad. I knew what to expect when I picked up this book. I’m white AND I’m a woman, but I’m just a fan of Charles Barkley. (I’m just sorry you never played for us in Boston!) An NBA star for 16 years and a big mouth: That’s why I like him. He’s not afraid to speak his mind. I find his ideas and opinions so basic, simple and true. It’s unfortunate the rest of the world doesn’t see things as simply as he does. I also enjoyed the writing style: very casual and conversational. Other readers have said, “there’s not much that hasn’t been heard before.” Well isn’t that the point? Most of these deeper issues ARE old issues. But they’re STILL issues. Nothing’s resolved. And PS-If you didn’t like the book, you shouldn’t have given it 3-stars!

I bought this book for my son, who has been a Barkley fan for years. I started to read it and decided to order another one, as I don”t want to give this up. It is great. I have also been a fan. But I enjoy his honesty and being so forthright. He’s really changed my views on different things.

S. Riding

How much you will enjoy this book depends entirely on you. If you are a basketball fan looking for playing-days anticdotes, this is not for you! If you are a Charles Barkley fan seeking a little more understanding of this wondefully open individual, you are likely to enjoy this book.
Contrary to reviews of the book, what Charles has to say is by no means offensive but rather quite logical and fair. He has a wonderfully down to earth view of the world and his views on children are absolutely superb. He does drag on a little too much about racism but beyond that, what he has to say is interesting.
However, unless you disagree with his views, this book is not likely to make you think, and except for the intro, it is not particularly funny. Charles uses the book as a platform to discuss serious issues he can not speak about on television.
A great book, truly, but being a basketball fan I was dissapointed by the lack of basketball content and hence only 3 stars! But this does not mean it is a 3 star book, I can understand someone other than myself loving it.
Also, 250 pages of double spaced print, pretty short book, can be read in no time at all.

When I told someone I was reading Shaquille O’Neal’s new autobiography they laughed and said: “Why? His life has been an open book.” I had to chuckle because while that is true, and there is nothing particularly new in this book that hasn’t been reported on, maybe numerous times, it’s refreshing because it is clearly told in Shaq’s voice and on his terms.

So what to say about Shaq Uncut? (I have to wonder if this isn’t a play on words.)

For starters, as a general outline of his life story, he grew up with a stepfather in the Marines and lived a vagabond life, with a good part of his youth spent in Germany. He quickly grew to be oversized and wasn’t particularly athletic but picked up basketball and made it his life’s passion. Being in Germany wasn’t particularly easy for him but he learned the rough and tumble of hardnosed basketball playing with adults. That, and probably from a good dose of tough discipline from his stepfather that can only be described as a little on the violent side.

As everyone knows he went to Louisiana State University to play college basketball and found another father figure in coach Dale Brown. Three years later he was the number one pick in the NBA draft, and after leading the Orlando Magic to the playoffs eventually was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Los Angeles and the outsized body and ego of Shaq? What a match. But it took teaming up with the young phenomenon Kobe Bryant to win multiple NBA championships, and then the feud between the two of course. Fun stuff. Then heading to Miami to play second option to Dwayne Wade to win another.

All the while making rap albums, playing in movies, and being a cultural icon.

So what did I learn about Shaq in this book?

First off he has big ego and is very immature. But the most endearing thing about that is he not only admits it, but seems to relish in his immaturity. He admits to being somewhat of a bully as a kid. He talks about going into a car dealership to buy a Benz but if another sports star has bought one, he has to buy two just to one up them. The oddest story is where he had $200,000 worth of quarters from a string of car washes he owned mounted on his wall because he “likes to see his money.” His lifelong trusted agent/accountant started looking for the missing money and wondered where that money went and ultimately found out.

And that personality feeds into his feud with Kobe. He describes it as two alpha males who can’t coexist. He doesn’t trash Kobe at all in this book and in fact seems to admire him. Placing the feud into the context of two big egos, two alpha males on the same team, which just isn’t going to work, puts the entire episode in context. And he really lets Kobe off the hook a bit, because Shaq proved he can be a team player in Miami.

A second thing I learned is that Shaq is pretty smart. While he spends lavishly, he invested wisely and found a trusted adviser who had his back. There are plenty of examples of stars who made nearly as much as Shaq that went broke by overspending, bad investments, and stupidity. Not Shaq, clearly.

Third, despite the ego, Shaq has a big heart. While it is in his own words, he talks about spending money on charity as his way to give back and sometimes his spending is impetuous and not maybe the wisest decision. Most sports fans will recall when Shaq paid for George Mikan’s funeral? Who is George Mikan? The first big man in the 1940′s and 1950′s who helped carry the NBA. Some say the first great big man. Nobody asked him to do it. He just found out that the family was in financial trouble and volunteered to pay for the funeral. There is a brief mention of this in the book, but the episode is well documented.

Fourth, is Shaq’s self-awareness? He did rap and movies because he always dreamed of it. Part of that ego, but really part of his childhood dreams he lived out. He admits he’s not the best actor or rapper, but he notes that if you have the money and the celebrity to live out a dream, why wouldn’t you do it? He got great pleasure from both endeavors. So why not?

And the player he thinks is the greatest besides himself? Tim Duncan. It was refreshing to see Shaq recognize someone else for greatness.

Here Shaq tells his story, in his own words. It’s nothing new maybe, but here he tells his own story, and that makes it interesting.

Great insight on one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Jackie did a great job with all the insight on Shaqs experiences throughout his career. Highly recommend this book to anyone.

This book written by Charles Barkely was nice and good to read. This book is about how he just say what he thinks is in his mind. I really appreciated what he have done and shown. I have always thought he was a great player. After reading the book i felt like i even know him more and better. He was describing his life and later on helping children. He was saying how he want to make life better in Alabama. Very good book. I would recommand this book to anyone who likes to read bigraphy and people who enjoys hearing the truth. All those he said was just to the people who don’t know the truth. I was glad that he said what he thinks was right and can help others. Very good book.

Well, it was easy to read this book during my flight to Amsterdam. I read more than half of it when it got to me: ” There was no single word of his kids or wife”. He gives all these credits to all these people and parents, I udenrstand. Most of the chapters of this book pretend like there was no wife or kids. Seriously! I understand he has a new girlfriend and all, but MAN, you have so many kids and a woman who was through so much with you….Why pretend she doesn’t exist?! That’s what it look like to me…then he finally mentioned something brief in the end. Honestly, I don’t see the point of the book except attention. I really like Shaq , I do and everything we see with a public eye. But I really don’t see a point of this book. There was nothing new really. I didn’t have any expectations, but for such a big “accomplishment” I’d expect something more interesting and cooler…..I have seen some insights as a person who is in sports world, that’s why I like to read biographies of other athletes, but just like David Beckham’s one it didn’t leave with with much impression….Will totally forget this book by the end of the day. Moving on to Steve Jobs

Great book for Shaq fans or sports fans alone. Humerous and well-written for Shaq’s first book. Bought for a friend as a gift and had some time to read a few chapters throughout and was very impressed. Highly recommend!

I like the book, couldn’t put it down, it kept my interest and that’s hard to do. I will often start a book and if it has no life, I drop it! This book is very, very interesting. Like him or not, Charles always tells the truth. If I were to write a book, it would pretty much say what Charles said. I agree with every word.

Like many other professional sports today, professional basketball has its fair share of colorful, wild, and notorious players. However, thought to be one of the most controversial players in any sport, Charles Barkley personifies the unique and highly opinionated sports figure. I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It, by Charles Barkley, is an amazing autobiography, not only of the star’s life on the basketball court, but of Barkley’s opinions, goals, struggles, and triumphs in the real world.

I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It is a story of the career and personal life of one of the most talented basketball players to ever set foot in the NBA. Still noted as one of the only players, along with Wilt Chamberlain, to “total more than 23,000 points, 12,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists,” this sports legend now expresses his opinions, not by playing the game he was so talented at, but through his present position as a TNT sports commentator. As quoted by the book, “There’s nothing Charles Barkley shies away from here-not race, not class, not big money, not scandal, not politics, not personalities, nothing.”

Barkley infrequently utilizes literary devices. However, the author employs very personal and unique language that not only keeps the reader interested, but also enables the reader to feel as if he has known Barkley for a long time.

I thought I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It was an incredible autobiography. Although highly opinionated and in some instances controversial, this book is a must read for any sports fan. The book lacks a definite theme, but its purpose is to present the life of one of the most intelligent minds in all of sports today and the opinions and ideas that have molded this man into the “character” he is today.

Gotta love athletes like Charles Barkley. Unlike the MJs and Tiger Woods of the world Barkley isn’t afraid to speak his mind about things. It’s really nice to see some one who does take time and effor to actually know a little about politics and other stuff before speaking out about it. Definitely worth the read

As a so called jock myself, i particularly appreciated the locker room banter and inside stories. Locker rooms are soap opera’s unto themselves. And, being actively involved in sports my entire 50+ years, its refreshing to hear the cradle to grave perspective of how a professional athlete was able to reach the heights that Shaq did, i.e., what made him tick.

It was written in a manner that helped me to understand what drove him to succeed. I do however think Phil was a little over the top though. I’ve coached on the rec league level and he definitely qualifies as the parent from “hell” that coaches dread, but it worked for Shaq so who am I to criticize. Shaq is unique in that he could deal with that.

I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Moreso than other professional sports leagues, the NBA seems to be made up of a collection of very tight cliques and big personalities within them driving success or failure. The modern game can be very individualistic, however when it comes down to it these big stars do rely on each other in crunch time. It’s very interesting to get a sense of what it’s like when that dynamic goes well, and of course it’s interesting to hear about the friction that is generated. I thought this book delivered tremendous insight in this world. Shaq was always different somehow. He seemed to be one of those rare pro atheletes that came into the game with an inquisitive mind and a willingness to do things differently. He’s the ultimate insider but brings an outsider’s view. He is so secure in his status that he has no problem at revealing the good bad and ugly of how this fraternaty operates. He looks critically and honestly at organizations, teams, and the pro life itself. I recently read and enjoyed Ball Four, an insider’s look at major league baseball with a counterculture slant, written by a player. I thought this book was in the same vein. Surprisingly honest and personal.

It was interesting to catch a glimpse into the world of Shaq. From growing up, until the time he retired. I would reccomend this for any fan of basketball to read. I however find Shaq to be a giant cry baby when things do not go how he wants it and this book just gives proof to my opinion. I am not a big fan of Shaq never have been but I do respect what he has done for the game and the community.

Love him or hate — you’ve got to respect Charles Barkley. This book is written in true Barkley fashion — To The Point. He takes on subjects that too few athletes or men of prominence are afraid to tackle. The book is exactly what I expected — providing his opinions on today hottest topics. It is easy to read. The reader feels like Sir Charles and he/she are having a cocktail and talking. If you aren’t prepared the answer, don’t ask Barkley the question. One thing is for sure — Charles calls it the way He see it.

Shaquille O’Neal writes an amazing book about his basketball career. `Shaq’ writes this book and tells stories about growing up, loving his Mom and Dad, and playing with some of the best basketball players in the league. Shaq is bigger than life in this book as he explains some of his Shaq-ism nicknames: The Big Shamrock, The Big Exchange, and going on Shaqfari.

Shaq talks about his time at LSU while in college. Playing for Orlando, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix and Boston. As well as how he feels about coaches, players, staff members, and owners. He has many great things to say about many great players, as well as a few players that he doesn’t care for.

Shaq loves to talk about himself, his playing career, his movie star status, and his rap career. This book is nicely written and keeps your attention throughout. Shaq has a big personality and loves to express it as much as possible. At times this book isn’t able to express who he is on TV.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves basketball, anyone who is interested in the player known as Shaq-Diesel, Big Shamrock, Superman…etc. and to those who are looking for an easy read with not to much `heady’ information. This was a fun read and enjoyable.

I found this book to be interesting, but somewhat repetitive. On several occasions, Barkley repeats points brought up in previous chapters. His premise for the book is to bring up subjects of a socially sensitive nature, and in that he succeeds, although not consistently enough. I found the book to read like a long ramble. There are many good points and thought-provoking statements made, but you have to sift through the ramble to find them. The book is an easy read (big print, big margins) and can be knocked off in one evening.

Barkley’s book “I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It” isn’t the most well written literature of the time by any stretch, but it is full of common sense thoughts and language that most people can agree or disagree about without being disagreeable. It’s like being at a bar and hearing his toughts on the various subjects and controversies that have come up in his career and in our society in the lats 20 years. I found myself shaking my head up and down and ha a hard time putting the book down.
It is an easy, relaxing read.

Shaq Uncut is simply Shaq being Shaq even with the zillion nicknames and the humping into other arenas besides basketball like movies and rapping. Gregarious, Mr. O’Neal grew up impoverish, but had steady role models who he credits for keeping him straight without breaking his spirit. Although literally the big man on campus his time at LSU was short and ended in defeat in the NCAA tournament. In the NBA, he started in Orlando; won championships in Los Angeles and Miami, and finishing in Cleveland and Boston. However, the fascination with the NBA travels is how Shaq paints his departures and his intriguing relationships with other superstar teammates and coaches such as Wade, Bryant, Jackson, James and the Celtic trilogy (plus Rondo). Still proving in retirement he remains Mr. Charisma with a Shaq Attack wink, this is a fun autobiography as the Big Aristotle understood he wore the bulls-eye when a loss occurred like the Magic losing in the finals and shared the triumphs with Kobe and Dwayne.

Harriet Klausner

I can see why Shaq felt he needed to write this book… okay no I don’t. I think professional athletes should wait at least ten years after retiring before writing a book. Writing this book so soon has caused Shaq to portray himself as always the good guy which we all knew he was’nt always. Ego vs. Ego they both lose but I guess we win cause we get the mud-slinging. Hey at least in ten years there will be another Shaq book telling the truth and looking back on stories and able to say that was my fault.

First, this is not a book about basketball — nor is it meant to be a collage of funny stories. Rather, if it has a theme, it is that Barkley wants people to discuss truly important issues; topics like race and discrimination that need conversation rather than political correctness. His goal with this collection of 25 “essays”, running about ten pages each, is to get people out of the comfort zone and table subjects often pushed to the side by polite society.

While we think Michael Wilbon {in his foreword} went a little overboard in citing some of the ideas as “in-your-face” provocative and occasionally profane, Barkley tries hard in at least half the articles to stir somebody’s pot. Current events like the Augusta National Golf Club issue with women (and Tiger Woods), child abuse at the hands of priests, and September 11th get his thoughts, alternating with fairly folksy chit chat about his Dad, his Grandma, the Dream Team, and so on.

Barkley seemed at his best to us in three segments: (1) discussing religion and why it is totally irrelevant to sports — the title says it all: “God doesn’t have a favorite team!”; (2) debunking the myth that only players on championship teams can be truly great; (3) and that “Making a Difference” is his (and should be everybody’s) calling having “made it” — indeed, the last stanza is entitled “If the Playing Is All You’re Going to Do, You’ve Missed the Boat”.

Don’t read this cover to cover in one two-hour session. Read a few, let it sink in, then read a few more. Then TALK about it; otherwise, as Sir Charles says, you’ve missed the boat !

Charles does a fine job of conveying his own view about the world, sports, whites, blacks, rich, poor, just everything under the sun. He does a great job in expressing a view for people to take a stand on, and opens reader’s minds to acknowledge differences and problems in society. I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking to discover views that maybe they haven’t taken the time to look at.

I’ve always liked Shaq and his book is no different. He always tells it like it is. The parts I enjoyed the most were telling he went from obscurity to being good and then being a star. That was cool. He also talks about Kobe a lot, so that was interesting.

Enjoyed the book and it was easy reading. It did however, get a little boring going thru game after game, team after team. I think Shaq is a fun personality, and quite a character. It was a good read.

Barkley is funny, but this book could tone down the lecture. We get it. Humor is a good way to teach. I like this book, but Barkley needs to chill.

As a fan of both Charles Barkley and Michael Wilbon, I would like to recommend this book. Unfortunately, I cannot do so. The book is a definite disappointment. I was waiting for Barkley to tear down the altars of political correctness. Maybe he will someday, but not in this book. About 75% of the book pretty much restates the same theme: racism is bad. I think most of us already understand this concept. Not exactly the stuff controversy is made of. There were about four chapters of the book that were vintage Barkley. He makes some good jabs at poltical correctness, although not nearly enough. The chapter on John Drew was outstanding. He also takes up the issue of high school kids leaving too early; he says high school players should go to college to improve their game. I’m not sure he’s thought the issue through completely, though. It seems to me somone who grew up in poverty should understand that a poor kid in high school might need to get a NBA paycheck immediately to help their family, even if they miss out on a year or two of instruction in college.

However, a few good chapters aren’t enough to justify buying this book. It’s a disappointment. I hope Barkley will try again. I know he can do better. Oh, and one more thing: Barkley’s analysis of Bob Gibson just doesn’t hold up. Bob Gibson wasn’t mean because he grew up black in a white man’s world. Gibson was mean because he was mean. Willie Mays was black, too, and grew up in poverty; yet he became a nice person. Things aren’t quite as black and white as Barkley would have you believe.

this is a great book. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recomended.Makes a great christmas present or stocking stuffer. Buy this book you won’t regret it

Charles talks about basketball, life, politcs, racism, etc… thought provoking book he uses as a platform to speak his mind and impact people. if you enjoy listening to him and watching his show this book will not disappoint you.

This was a really good book because Charles talks about his controversial topics and gives background for his stands. He gives a brief biography on his life and his upbringing in Leeds, Alabama, where he was poor and had to work hard.

There are many interesting anecdotes in this book. Charles talks about race issues and the plight of blacks in this country, and how they need to become more education.

There are many funny events that Charles talks about also, and there’s a chapter that is talks about how you can’t be serious all the time. He also talks about politics, travel, being rich and famous, and being unafraid to speak his mind. Overall, this book is a nice addition to your sports bookshelf.

As a lifetime fan of Shaq’s since his days at LSU… not only for what he accomplished on the court… but also for his childlike enthusiasm… and even though I’m older than “SHAQ”… as a single Father I used his respect and honor for his parents as a teaching tool for my young son. With that being said I still owe a completely unbiased review for all the people out there who are considering whether to buy this book or not. First of all the average person has to wonder if “Shaq”‘s second autobiography in ten years logically makes sense to purchase. Obviously the facts of his life up to 2001 haven’t changed. In my opinion it would have made more sense to start this book off more as a sequel to his earlier autobiography than another autobiography, because anyone that has followed “SHAQ”‘s life knows that there has been more than enough success… intrigue… controversy… and all around entertainment in the last ten years to fill two more books.

There are two categories of people who might buy this book… “SHAQ” fans… and non-”SHAQ” fans. The reason I mention that, is if you love and enjoy “SHAQ”-Daddy… you’ll read most of his comments knowing and imagining “SHAQ”‘s big giant goofy smile is imbedded between every sentence. If you’re not an unabashed “SHAQ”-Diesel fan… you’ll probably find much of the commentary massively egotistical. (Or as my dear departed Mother used to say to me: “Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back!”) “SHAQ” constantly brags about the money he’s made… the houses he’s bought… the cars he’s bought. Oh man! The cars he’s bought… and the egomaniacal reasons he bought most of them.

FOR EXAMPLE: One day after practice while still sweaty and wearing sweats he stops by a Rolls Royce dealership and is looking at a beautiful Bentley. It so happens Mike Tyson is there and “NEXT THING I KNOW TYSON HAS PICKED OUT TWO. HE’S BUYING TWO OF THESE CARS, SO YOU KNOW WHAT I’VE GOT TO DO. I’VE GOT TO BUY THREE! I GRAB THE SALESMAN AND I SAY, “I WANT THAT SILVER HARDTOP ONE, AND I WANT THE GREEN ONE, AND GIVE ME THAT RED ONE OVER THERE, TOO.” I CAN’T REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY COST, BUT I THINK THEY ALL RAN ME ABOUT $200,000.00 EACH. SO THERE’S $600,000.00 FOR THREE CARS THAT I CAN’T FIT INTO.”

These types of incidents whether regarding cars or houses are rampant throughout the book. But there are also great behind the scenes stories regarding his famous feuds with Kobe Bryant… including when “SHAQ” had to literally be restrained from “killing” Kobe after Kobe broke a promise made to Lakers management by bashing “SHAQ” in an interview with Jim Gray. “SHAQ” also comes clean about some of his phony feuds that he played up to the media… including his made up story that Bill Russell gave him the sage advice to make up with Kobe. All of this reminds me of a comment “SHAQ” once made during an interview on TV… when he said: “YOU KNOW WHAT “NBA” STANDS FOR? NOTHING BUT ACTORS!”

Despite all the almost nauseating amounts of accumulated wealth and spending habits that would embarrass a drunken sailor who won the lottery… the most beautiful and touching “heart” interspersed throughout this gentle giant’s life (if you put aside all the people a younger “SHAQ” punched out when he practiced his “hit’em” first mantra) is his unabashed love and respect for his Mother and Father. His real Father, Philip Harrison (“SHAQ” will eloquently explain to readers the difference between “real” and biological) raised him with an iron fist… and “SHAQ” has never forgotten where he comes from. The declarations of love and respect that “SHAQ” etches on these pages… are the same exact feelings I saw him portray courtside before and after games and in countless interviews for the last twenty years. And as I said… that’s one of the main reasons I’ve loved “SHAQ” all these years. And the fact that like “SHAQ”… I’m a kid that never grew up!

The average fan will also have their feelings reinforced regarding selfish, spoiled athletes… who when they go on strike lose our sympathy… when you hear $20 Million Dollars a year in salary isn’t enough… along with endorsement deals like “SHAQ” had before he played a minute in the NBA. $13 Million with Pepsi… $15 Million with Reebok… and $20-25 Million from Kenner, Spaulding, and Scoreboard training cards.

The author definitely tells it like it is (at least from his point of view) regarding the end of his Magic career… Lakers career… Heat career (Look out Pat Riley!)… and so on. I guess that’s why an individual writes a book… to get his side out… *UNCUT* … without interruptions.

Though this book won’t win any Pulitzer Prize for literature… it is certainly an interesting read.

the thing about the book that stands out the most, is that charles barkley took out time to ” write a book ” on some things that were important; not only to him, but to the average person that relates and understands those concerns. how many pro sports figures even care to do something like this???

I’m neither a huge basketball, nor a Shaq fan, but nonetheless found this to be a great read. The book gets better as it progresses and provides a first hand perspective on how the college and professional recruiting works, the financial side of being a ‘superstar athlete’, and the dynamics of the NBA league, as well as the individual rivalries. However, beyond just the business and the league, you also get to know Shaq – a unique personality, that’s for sure – and his immediate circle.

Overall, great read, and definitely something any basketball or sports biography fan would enjoy.

Charles, I loved your book. I thought it was going to be a pure sports book. However, it turned out to be a life and living book. Hey, one gets what they want out of a book. What Charles says is that people don’t want to talk about real issues of life – I agree. I most especially love the fact that this man wants to help kids and people in need.

Charles is a funny guy (so is Wilbun) & his humor comes through in this. His pokes at political correctness are worth the price alone. (If you like jabs at political correctness, you may also like “No One’s Even Bleeding” & “Delano”.) If you’re a Barkley fan, definitely check this out.

“Once I started dunking I couldn’t stop. I loved the power of it, and I was addicted to the looks of terror on guys’ faces when I slammed that sucker over them,” has to be one of my favorite quotes from the book.

Otherwise, if you are looking for an in-depth look into Shaq’s personal life or behind-the-scenes as an adult, you might be disappointed.

He does introduce you to his childhood and upbringing, which the casual fan might not know about.

Otherwise, most of the book is a review of his career, so if you followed Shaq’s career, there might not be a lot here for you that you don’t already know. He covers his NBA career, team moves, makes sure you remember his statistics and what cars he has bought over time, but not much deeper than that. I was surprised by the number of NBA players he mentioned that he doesn’t get along with (besides Kobe).

For as likable as Shaq seems to be on TV, his fun, big personality doesn’t translate as well to a book.

The book is a gift and would have received 5 stars but a part of the cover was bent when I received it out of packaging not bad enough to send back but aggravated me bcuz it looks not as nice. Never the less I’m looking forward to giving it to my husband for Xmas and I’m sure he won’t notice the bent cover. I received this very quickly.

There’s nothing negative to say about this book. The narrative flow is great, Shaquille is a very entertaining storyteller and the stories he has to tell are both very informative and fun. The book does not center about the controversies with Kobe, his run-ins with Pat Riley or gossip on LeBron; those are there too, but Shaq is always fair and gives you both sides of the coin. His personality shines in the book and it certainly helps that he was such a multi-talented person, and not just a basketball star. I always respected him as a basketball legend and thought he was a goofball, but after this book I’m a fan.

Charles wrote this book mainly to talk about his life and how he thinks of stuff in is perspective. It’s very interesting in how he can just say about racism and what he wants to do. I thought it was veyr nice in how he will just go out there and speak the truth. It’s just very nice of him when he did this. This book tells you about who he respect as a player and how he think that young player should just go to college first because most of them come out of high school uneducated. I thought that it was a very good book. How he went out there and said what he thought was needed to say. I would recommand this book to anyone that likes to read the truth and likes to read biography. Well i can give you 1 comment. Just to take things seriously when you read it. He’s not trying to offend anyone but just trying to say what he wanted to say.

Shaq Uncut, though a very entertaining read, provides no new insight into the man with a thousand (mostly self-penned) nicknames, especially to those that have even only casually followed the league in the past 20+ years.

We all know of his clashes with former teammates, coaches, GM’s, owners, sportswriters and whoever else dared to question his methods throughout his career. To read Shaq Uncut, every time he had to change teams it was never due to anything on his part. Penny wanted more money and the spotlight in Orlando, Kobe wanted likewise in LA, Wade was cool until he apparently sided with Pat Riley etc etc. You see he becomes more humble as the story unfolds (though not too humble, this is The Big Aristotle after all), which usually shows some form of maturity and personal growth, to me it was a result of diminishing skills equating to less weight to swing around in the locker room.

Is the story entertaining? Absolutely. Shaq was/is a unique character and could always provide a hilarious soundbite for his entire career. But the reality is, he probably should’ve retired 5 years ago and at times he was more focused on the sideshow aspect of pro ball than the game itself. We was more WWE wrestler than serious ballplayer with all his self-promotion.

In summary, Shaq Uncut is a decent read but sheds no light on what made the most charismatic and enigmatic NBA superstar of the past two decades really tick, which is fine for the casual follower but not so great for the hardcore ball fan that followed the stories as they happened.

In this book he talks about how he is making the transistion from basketball to something else, political commentator or something like that, now that he has retired from the NBA. He is at his best AWAY from basketball in this book, and even though he talked a lot about wanting to move beyond it he still talked about it a lot.

I recommend this book because of his comments on racism, which I found interesting in that they would be hard to characterize as liberal or conservative. I hope Charles does do something political because based on what he says here I think he could be a valuable inbetween sort of person that both sides could trust to help sort some issues out. He talks frequently about the need for more discussion and I agree with him. This book really did make me think, I tend to be conservative on the race issue, but I did not find his views about where racism lies to be at all race baiting like so many black leaders out there, or excessively small minded, but rather thought provoking and things I have gone back to in my mind since reading the book and noticing racial things on TV, etc.

All in all a good read, easy reading, and enough juicy basketball stuff if that is what you are up for to go with the meatier stuff about social and racial issues.

I was never a Charles Barkley fan during his days at Philly and Phoenix. I always thought he was somewhat abrasive. I’ve ALWAYS been and STILL AM, a Julius “Dr. J” Irving fan. But now that Charles is older and wiser, he’s actually one of my favorite people. I love his candid and frank demeanor. Although he could use better choice of words when displaying his forwardness on certain individuals.

Thank you Charles for writing this book. ALL PARENTS WITH POTENTIAL STUDENT ATHLETES NEED TO READ THIS HIGHLY INFORMATIVE BOOK.

I checked out this book because I enjoy listening to Charles Barkley on TNT and am also a big fan of Michael Wilbon (who provides the introduction to this book) and his ESPN program Pardon the Interruption. In fact a few of the issues brought up in the book are used by Wilbon a lot on his television show like PETA, the lack of African Americans on the popular reality shows, DWB (Driving While Black), the wonders of the Dish etc.

Barkley writes about many issues, but does not get into too much depth on anything. Even his reflections on his childhood in Leeds, Alabama jumps around. Insights from being in the NBA so many years are mostly general and only really touch the surface. Tidbits that piqued my interest, like the fact that NBA players get a new pair of basketball shoes for every game and that many of the younger players today do not listen to the advice of Barkley and other statesmen of the game are only mentioned. His experience as member of the legendary Dream Team would benefit from more depth, though he does mention an eye-opening moment with Magic Johnson not long after Johnson announced he was HIV positive (pg. 190).

Other times, I think he takes the safe route on issues. He devotes significant space to his belief that Catholic Priests found guilty of sexually abusing children should be put in jail…OK. He also stops short of controversy. He will make a statement like: “Bobby Knight pretty much just wanted to keep guys he could control [on the 1984 Olympic team]. There were a lot of good players who were cut, guys who were better than ones who made the team” (pg 177). Well, how were the players who made the team more controllable? Who made the team who was not better than some who were cut? Alas, these questions are never answered. He mentions players who should have made the Fifty Greatest NBA players list (pg. 187). That’s easy, but the harder more controversial part, mentioning names who should be replaced by these players, is not touched on.

He does discuss important issues like racism (“people rarely talk about race until something tragic or ugly happens,” pg. 42) and topics that make you think, like the idea that professional athletes can have a greater impact through business than through athletics or media double standards for players surrounded by controversial situations like Patrick Roy, Jason Kidd, and the late Darryl Kile. (pp. 89-90). Other times, he skips around to all sorts of topics from militias to African Americans winning Oscars. The book is written in a chatty manner with a lot of repetition and no strong attention to organization. Some of his comments are already dated (i.e. that Kobe Bryant has not done anything to embarrass himself or his family and that no high school student or one-year college student coming into the NBA has made an immediate impact). Still, for the most part, it is a fun book that most Barkley fans will enjoy. Just don’t expect to be amazed.

I’ve always enjoyed Shaq as an entertainer going back to his days in Blue Chips. I used to play Shaq-Fu on Sega and I’m pretty sure I started eating double deckers because of him. All this said I am a fan of the Knicks and he disses my squad a few times, but hey he said Pat threatened him first so…… Great read, love the locker room facts the blunt honesty and the insight to his mind. He treads lightly on personal issues would have liked a little more insight to the Kobe issue and his own divorce but he didn’t skimp on personal details and acknowledged his mistakes. I’m glad that he’s on TNT any fan of Shaq this is a must have, also 90s NBA fans it has some nice behind the scenes info.

I received this book as a gift, and I had heard about it so I decided to begin reading it. As I read I really became unable to put the book down. Barkley isn’t just another ignorant athlete that only cares about how big the rims are on his car. His views and beliefs that he talks about in this book are things that I really agree with. Some of the facts he talks about are really shocking and really make you see things from a viewpoint that you may not have seen before. At the end, the book becomes a bit repetitive, but overall, though not perfect, it is really a very good read.

Heard SHAQ UNCUT: MY STORY (Hachette Audio), written by Shaquille O’Neal with Jackie MacMullan and narrated by Dion Graham.

It’s an entertaining look at the career of one of the NBA greats, and there are many behind-the-scenes stories that fans of the game will appreciate . . . it seems that if you were liked by Shaq, you came across looking great in this book–such as was the case with Jerry West . . . but if you were somebody who he didn’t like, including Kobe Bryant and several other well-known ballplayers, you weren’t discussed in particularly glowing terms.

Shaq also wasn’t too hard on himself . . . negative things that happened never seemed to be his fault . . . somebody else was always to blame.

What I perhaps liked most about the book were the stories of his childhood . . . they were presented with both candor and humor. I also got to feel like I got to know his mother, as well as his father, and I came away with a great deal of respect for them.

His children, on the other hand, get hardly any mention in SHAQ UNCUT . . . and I would have liked to have seen more about them, as well as about his relationship with his then-wife.

Graham’s narration was fine . . . yet somehow, I think I would have liked the book had O’Neal narrated it . . . you do get to him briefly in an introduction, as well as with a conversation with the authors.