Before I begin, I want to give a little history on my relationship with this book.  First, I work in a bookstore.  I have seen this book before.  In fact, I think someone may have recommended it once.  Customers are always recommending books, but most of the time I just nod and say, “O.K.”  I don’t have time to read every book in the store, and there are some really interesting books.  I check some customers out so often at the cash registers that they wonder if I live at the store.  I joke and tell them that I have an apartment in the back and that I drink coffee and read after the store is closed.  Even if I did that, I still would not have time to read every book that I would like to.  Anyway, because I run a college football website, my manager asked me to make a display on football since season is almost here.  She gave me a very prominent spot in the periodical section with a large end-cap where I can display magazines and books.  I put up the display about a month ago.  The picture above is of the display taken by a co-worker (Amber) on Saturday.

Now about the book.  One week, when I came to work, somebody kept putting Season of Life: A Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood by Jeffrey Marx, the book I am reviewing, on my display.  Now, it wasn’t my idea, and I wasn’t the one who put it up.  And, I don’t think that a co-worker did it.  Each time I found the book on the display, I would grumble and remove it.  This happened about two or three days in a row.  The last time it happened, I grumbled again and took a peak at what someone thought was such a great book that they kept putting it–without permission I might add–on my football display!  I thought, maybe it’s a good book.  Someone sure thought so.  So, I read the jacket cover.  It seemed to have an inspirational ring to it.

Now, if you visit my website/blog regularly, you know that I value telling the positive side of things in college football.  There are enough people out there that talk about the negative things:  arrests, scandals, academic problems, etc.  I don’t need to rehash that stuff.  I am looking for positive, inspirational type of things to talk about.  So, I thought the book might be a good read to review for Collegefootballtopten.com.  I had just finished Hero of the Underground: A Memoir which was dark and difficult as Jason Peter retold the story of his heroin addiction.  I thought that Season of Life might lighten my mood a little bit, make me smile.

So, there you have it.  Someone–I don’t know who–kept putting this book on my display.  Maybe it was some kind of divine inspiration.  Maybe God wanted me to read this book.  Maybe it was just a big coincidence.  I don’t know.  It seems rather divinely initiated.  A book that I was upset with at first–for being on my display–was one of the best, most inspirational reads of the year for me.  If you work with boys, coach youth football, soccer, baseball, basketball, etc., I would ask you to strongly consider reading this book.  If you are a man and struggled in your relationship with your father, please consider reading this book also.

Continue to Part II