| What Time Is It? You Mean Now? by Yogi Berra |
| From the Publisher Could Confucius hit a curveball? Could Yoda block the plate? Can the Dalai Lama dig one out of the dirt? No, there is only one Zen master who could relay his wisdom while gloving a relay, ponder perfection while catching a perfect game, and contemplate the circle of life while rounding the bases. Who is this guru lurking in the grand old game? Well, he's the winner of ten World Series rings, a member of both the Hall of Fame and the All-Century Team, and perhaps the most popular and beloved ballplayer of all time. And without effort or artifice he's waxed poetic on the mysteries of time ("It gets late awful early out there"), the meaning of community ("It's so crowded nobody goes there anymore"), and even the omnipresence of hope in the direst circumstances ("It ain't over 'til it's over"). It's Yogi Berra, of course, and in What Time Is It? You Mean Now?, Yogi expounds on the funny, warm, borderline inadvertent insights that are his trademark. Twenty-six chapters, one for each letter from A to Z, examine the words, the meaning, and the uplifting example of a kid from St. Louis who grew up to become the consummate Yankee and the ultimate Yogi. Included in this treasury of inspired and inspiring Yogi-isms are such eloquent and thought-provoking pearls of wisdom as: "I ain't in a slump. I'm just not hitting," encouraging us to stay positive even in the face of adversity. "Why be jealous over things you don't have?" counseling us to take joy in all the good things in our lives -- without envying others. "You can observe a lot by watching," reminding us to be open to the possibility of surprise and wonder in the world around us. "It's like d�j�-vu all over again," because, after all, you don't have to believe in reincarnation to know that history repeats itself. Touching on all things great and not so great, Yogi imparts to us his one-of-a-kind wisdom and famously quirky humor, illuminating the subtle truths at work in our lives. Overflowing with improbable insight and enlightening advice, What Time Is It? You Mean Now? is the essential guide to the world according to Yogi. From The Critics Publisher's Weekly Offering advice that does and doesn't make sense, baseball-great-turned-author Yogi Berra along with coauthor Dave Kaplan has penned a new tome, What Time Is It? You Mean Now? Advice for Life from the Zennest Master of Them All. For Berra, it's apparently not over yet; he appears to have plenty of knowledge to share on subjects as diverse as the importance of attitude in life to the plusses of exercising regularly. Each short chapter begins with a quote, such as "I Ain't in a Slump. I'm Just Not Hitting" and "It Gets Late Early Out There"; the strange quips are followed by brief anecdotes that explain to some degree just what Berra means. For example, his statement, "It Was a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity, and I've Had a Couple of Those" leads off the chapter on chances and breaks. According to Berra, opportunities are "always going to be out there" and may appear out of the blue. The short, sweet advice in this book will appeal to the young and old. Agent, David Vigliano. Library Journal Not a memoir, exactly, this book rests somewhere between humor and good advice. |