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Summary: Lilly Fuller: Kobe's Biggest Challenge
Review: Jeffrey Shapiro's book detailing the many aspects of the Kobe Bryant case is a good source for those interested in following it.The book has a definite pro-victim stance....and gives an in-depth saga of the young woman (who is called "Lilly Fuller" to protect her identity). Shapiro tells us of the horrors the young woman has faced...from death-threats by crazed Bryant fans to being sold-out by so-called "friends" Also...Shapiro gives some indication of what Bryant said to police during an interview...and why Bryant's attorneys want to have the statements not admitted during the trial. This book will offend the die-hard "Kobe is innocent...girl is lying" crowd....but those who feel there is a lot more to this case will discover why the DA in Eagle, Colorado pursued this case.
Rating: 
Summary: A Tragic Story
Review: Jeffrey Shapiro's book is a fascinating account of what happened between Kobe Bryant and the alleged victim on that fateful night at a Colorado hotel last year. Filled with new information and interesting details, the book offers insight into what the victim has experienced since her terrible ordeal. It also reveals what Kobe and his family have been going through, and how the incident has negatively affected them. It's nice to see a book that doesn't trash the victim, because she has gone through so much trauma already, especially at the hands of the tabloids. Even though I believe that Kobe is guilty, this book almost made me feel sorry for him. Shapiro made it a point to show both sides in a favorable light. This is a tragic story for both parties involved. A definite must read!
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Summary: Hard to find -- but worth the read.
Review: Jennifer Stevens and Jeffrey Scott Shapiro's summary of the Kobe Bryant drama will most likely be immortalized since the case has been settled and all parties -- including Bryant, the victim and their lawyers are bound to silence. Stevens and Shapiro covered the case up until February of 2004, but very little happened afterwards, leaving the reader with all the pertinent information, including what happened the night of the alleged attack and the police interviews with Kobe. It's a fast turning read, but good luck trying to find a copy in an actual bookstore. Either they're all sold out or maybe there was a recall for a new edition or something. It's pretty hard to locate a copy now. I remember seeing them in Borders when the book first came out, but ended up borrowing a copy from a friend after I had a hard time relocating the book offline. This book reads easily, but almost all of the authors bombshells including the police interview and 3 other women Kobe had strange encounters with has been verified by other sources. It's a fun read and unfortunately it's all there is since no one else has written another book on the case. I'm glad there was at least one book out there that covers all the main points and stories. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in a broad overview of the case and an inside look at who the main players are.
Rating:
Summary: Cool Book
Review: Killer read. Kinda graphic in some places, but what do u expect?I still think Kobe's innocent.
Rating:
Summary: HELLA GOOD
Review: Phenom story. Great book. There have been some other Kobe books in the past and I'm surprised they never made a film about him. This guy is clearly the best player there is and he should be recognized for it. I don't know if he's guilty or innocent but there's no question Kobe's abilities should be recognized and not forgotten. I read the other day that Kobe wants to stay a Laker for life and so it's time he and Shaq got past their differences so they can finally take back their rightful place from the Kings.
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Summary: FANTASTIC!!!!! I can't wait for the movie!
Review: Shapiro has clearly brought Kobe Bryant to life in this fast paced high powered drama about America's greatest NBA player! I was a little worried at first that this book would slam him, but it doesn't. Instead, Shapiro focuses on Bryant's incredible past as an athlete and portrays his story as an almost Shakesperian tragedy. I think the authors are trying to say that innocent or guilty, Bryant having invited that girl into his room changed his life forever. I did some research on Shapiro and found out that he has a pretty wild past. He used to work for the Globe tabloid and then turned against them while working on the Ramsey case in Colorado. He seems like a pretty unusual guy and his writing is definitely inventive and unique. This is a well-written piece of hard news reporting and I totally recommend it!
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Summary: Origami
Review: The only thing more "brilliant" than the content of this book is the design on the cover. Upon the moment one comes upon it in order to behold, he or she is immediately struck by the "brilliance," for lack of a better word, of it. (It being the cover.) You may ask me, "Why?" I'm gonna tell you exactly why there is brilliance on the outside of this book moreso than inside the cover. It's because of the secret meaning you can discover if you look really hard for a long time at the cover. (It took me even longer to see this than it used to take me to see the picture in the 3-D pictures at the mall.) Anyway, I saw a documentary on tv once that talked about a famous painting with a secret triangle in it. It was by a very, very, very famous painter who was kind of a "Renaissance Man." And they explained about the triangle in a lot of his paintings in this show I saw. At the top of the triangle was Mary. On one side of the triangle was Jesus. On the other side of it was a heavenly angel. Now given, on the cover of this book, there is only a two-sided triangle. But nevertheless, you still have the line that connects two very, very important parts of the human body. That would be none other than yours truly, the eyes. If you look at this cover, you see that you can draw a straight line from the eyes of Vanessa across the page of the cover to connect with the one eye of Kobe. And everyone knows that if you try hard enough, you can make love with the eyes. So anyway, like in the paintings, this is suggesting that Kobe is like Jesus because he is making love not physically but with the eyes. This is the concept of the type of love that my high-school teacher called "origami." There is no higher love than this type of love, which is the type of love that God has for all the sheep of his flock. That's why we have to stick to the thing that was proven in this Great Country of Ours with so many court cases over the past. And that's the idea of innocent until proven guilty. In actuality, there is no proof that Kobe is guilty of adultery, which is one of the seven deadly sins. I mean, give the guy a chance in the "court" of public opinion the way you give him a chance on the basketball "court." After all, he is a world-class athlete. And that is nothing to sneeze at. It's certainly nothing that God would sneeze at. Not that the Almighty sneezes because obviously he doesn't because he isn't human. (I didn't mean any disrespect talking about sneezing and God.) But anyway, as a human being I'm not going to sneeze at him and if you all know what's good for you, you won't either. Because we should all strive our hardest to be like the very, very great painter from olden days and like Jesus and Mary and our President and not like Osama Bin Laden and, in the immortal words of Rodney Dangerfield, give the guy "a little respect."
Rating:
Summary: GROUNDBREAKING
Review: This account of the Kobe Bryant case is an eye opener into what has been a confusing story from the start. Just last night MSNBC reported that the prosecution has outright accused the defense team of fabricating information about the alleged victim by filing "frivolous motions" that falsely paint her character. Shapiro's account of the alleged victim is a sympathetic one, characterizing her as a young woman under attack by Kobe Bryant's dream team who are banking on trying to put her on trial as the victim. There's an incredible wealth of information about the investigation conducted by Kobe Bryant's defense team and how they tracked down the alleged victim to her rehabilitation center in Arizona, hoping to find a confession that she'd framed Bryant which never turned up. MSNBC reported yesterday (two months after Shapiro's book came out) that the prosecution is now accusing the Bryant investigators of using "illegal tactics" to get that information. Another fascinating dimension of the book are some of the broad strokes concerning Kobe Bryant's police interview inside of his hotel room. You'll never guess what he told police when they asked him what happened with the alleged victim. Overall, the book is a fascinating read and flows quickly. I picked it up at Barnes and Noble and finished it in two days. The writing is quality and information is pretty good considering it came out way before there's even been a trial date scheduled. There aren't any pictures, which could have spiced it up, but the material inside is worth your while.
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Summary: A DARK BUT INTRIGUING PORTRAYAL OF KOBE BRYANT
Review: This almost novelish/screeplay style manuscript reads quick and easy like a Clancy book but offers lots of facts and details into the world of Kobe Bryant and the man who is prosecuting him. I got it from a buddy of mine who picked it up and flipped through it for a plane ride from Boston to Dallas and was able to get right to the end 20 minutes from landing time. I was parituclarly fascinated with Shapiro's inside look at what happened inside the hotel room between Lilly Fuller and Kobe Bryant. The details are so specific that if they're accurate, there's no question Shapiro somehow got his hands on police reports. That alone makes you wonder what else he got his hands on and how many other reporters are following suit. Part of the book is sort of a series of flashbacks to Kobe's career and was all public information already, but then again, what's a Kobe book without taking a long hard look at the man himself? The good stuff is sort of tied in between with info on Fuller and a most unusual look at Kobe's private investigators and how they work. It also talks about Kobe's secret world and the other women he may have been with. It's a great read and if you're looking for something smooth that flows, go for it.
Rating:
Summary: WUNDERBAR!!!!
Review: This book changed my life. I had things all wrong. I was going through life thinking only of myself. I had the walls built up so high that no one could get in, and I was complacent with that existence for quite some time. But that was before I discovered the latest in Shapiro's line of self-help books. His step-by-step instructions and attainable goals were just what I needed to begin leaving my apartment again. I devoured his message, and was born anew. It is as if Shapiro's voice took me and raised me like a pack of wolves in the wild, helping me painstakingly unlearn my former ways. I have nearly forgotten my old life of solitude and Kraft singles, and thanks to Shapiro's beacon of hope, it has been almost three days since I have wet the bed. Thank you, Jeffrey Scott Shapiro. Thank you.
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