Slap Shots : Hockey's Greatest Insults

Rating:
Summary: light, easy & fun to read
Review: A book of slap shots literally - loaded with interesting and amusing bits about Hockey. It is really a collection of the author's favourites - lots of clever and witty things said by, and descriptions and stories of famous and notable players (lots of stuff about Gretzky), as well as goalies, coaches, team owners, media commentators and fans. But what is especially notable about this little book is its celebration of the culture of machismo. Kevin Nelson (author) clearly relishes the drama, and especially the brutality which seems to be an integral and inextractable part of this game. This is revealed in rounds of descriptions of tough players, vicious game tactics, violent teams, fights, injuries, and coaches and team managers who were/are (frequently, it seems) abusive and usurious. What is important to be aware of however, is "Slap Shots" was published in 1995, during a dark period in Hockey when aggression and violence mattered more than the game. Nevertheless, interesting, simple and entertaining reading. Overall, carefully, but not in itself cleverly written.

Rating:
Summary: Great Topic, Good Stories, Mediocre Delivery
Review: I really enjoyed Slap Shots, partly because I always love reading about hockey. Though dated, it delivers solid entertainment and a nice look back at some humorous moments in hockey history. Nelson takes a wonderful collection of quotes, stories, events and memories, and puts them in a satisfactory, yet lacking presentation.

It's not that Nelson delivers a poor product, its that there are a lot of very fine books out there dealing with hockey that have set very high standards. The facts are there, but the stories for the most part don't have that extra spice to them that other authors have managed to create. He also put himself in a position of obsoleteness by identifying teams as they were in 1995, such as the new expansion teams of Ottawa and San Jose. The few pages dedicated to making fun of how the Red Wings can't win a cup is also pretty lame since they have won 3(as of 2002) Stanley Cups since then. And on a final note, using different fonts and punctuation would have also helped separate ideas better, but instead the reader is forced to fight through ideas that seem to run together at times and tend to be confusing.

I felt that Nelson wrote a very fun book that had a lot of good qualities, but he set himself up for failure in the long run. This is still a very good read for any hardcore hockey fan such as myself, but understand that it does not compare to some of the others in the genre.

Rating:
Summary: Another fantastic and fun book from Kevin Nelson.
Review: I've previously enjoyed such sports classics from Kevin Nelson as The Greatest Stories Ever Told about Baseball and Football's Greatest Insults. Slap Shots is another in a similar vein, and is not to be missed by the sports or humor fan!

Rating:
Summary: Humor for the true hockey fan
Review: This is a wonderful book. You can find stories about your favorite hockey hero and your first Jr "A" coach. A must have, also makes a great gift.