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Paperback
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Chris Bull
Last spring Billy Bean, the only living openly gay former major leaguer, gained national attention with his breakthrough memoir, Going the Other Way—an unprecedented chronicle of America's national pastime that went on to sell more than 25,000 copies. Bean brings us inside the clubhouse and onto the playing field, offering dead-on insight into the game and the physical and emotional demands it makes on players. Bean faced an agonizing choice, in secrecy and solitude, between continuing to play the game he loved and the honesty of a loving relationship. By turns heartbreaking and farcical, ruminative and uncensored, the book culminates in a respectful, deeply felt appeal to Major League Baseball and other professional team sports to live up to their promise of equality and opportunity. A testament to the power of the single voice, Going the Other Way is an exemplary American tale that points the way toward a more perfect game, one in which all men and women can pursue their athletic dreams free of prejudice and discrimination. An eight-page photo insert is featured in this New York Times bestseller.
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| Billy Bean |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Great story by a guy that wasted a lot of years not being himself to balance his high profile job. he went through lots of the same tribulation I did.
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| Fascinating glimpse into the closeted world of major league baseball |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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This is a heartfelt story that has not been told before -- a glimpse inside the world of major league baseball from the perspective of a perceptive and sensitive gay man. Billy writes with real passion about the sport he loves, the incredible pressure to excel, and the high personal price a gay man pays for remaining in the closet. He has a lot to say about the culture of professional sports, how players relate to each other both on and off the field, and what it takes to excel in a very demanding job. And for those who are not baseball fans, a useful glossary of baseball terms and slang is included at the back of the book.
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| Show's yet another reason for needing gay marriage |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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GREAT story. I am not a sports fan, but couldn't put the book down once I started to read it.
I think Billy helps to prove that the stereotype that gay men are vain is wrong. Here is a man that could have any gay guy he wants and is more interested in love.
Having to miss his partner's funeral almost brought tears to my eyes. This story right there provides yet another reason as to why we need gya marriage in the US>
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| A solid base hit! |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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Billy Bean played for 3 major league baseball teams (the Dodgers, Tigers and Padres). He was never a star in the majors, but he had a decent career. Would Bean have a story to tell if he was not gay? Maybe, because it seems everyone writes an autobiography these days. This isn't just the story of a gay man. This is the story of a man struggling to discover who he really is.
Bean discusses his childhood, his high school playing days and his years in the minor leagues. While he progressed through life, he always seemed to feel as if something was missing or not quite right. Still he got married and thought he was living the 'right' life.
Eventually and painfully, Bean realized what he was and decided to act upon it, even though he was not ready to go public with everything. Tragically and much too quickly, his first meaningful gay relationship ended with his partner's death due to AIDS.
Bean's story of coping with this loss, while coming to terms with his sexuality is an engrossing story. You can feel Bean's pain. Gay or not, we all go through our own identity struggles. I guess that is one thing that makes Bean's book good. We can all relate to his struggles. Yet, on the other hand, I have no idea what he must have endured, but Bean paints a vivid and often painful picture of his journey. This makes the book a good read for all people.
I won't totally kill the ending, but I will say that it is uplifting and positive.
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| A baeball education and a good story. |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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I am not a baseball fan. I read a review of this book and there was just something that intrigued me about the story. I was prepared to be disappointed but, once I started, I couldn't stop turning the pages to see how all this was going to work out. Of course it was interesting to read Billy's take on the gay part of the story but, I think even with that removed from the picture, this is a moving story of a boy's dream and his struggles to achieve it. It certainly was a most pleasant sojourn into the baseball business and the life of a ballplayer.
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