Now, as we near the end of this century, Joe Falls has been a part of baseball for 50 years. His book, "Joe Falls: 50 Years of Sports Writing" recounts his love of baseball as a youth; his breaks as a rookie in the sports writing business from his job with The Associated Press in New York to "The Detroit News; " and his encounters with memorable sports personalities such as Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Jack Nicklaus, Walter Hagen, Gordie Howe, Michael Jordan, and, possibly his favorite, Secretariat. It also reveals his experiences of covering sports in various parts of the world, including seven Olympics, Wimbledon, the British Open and the Goodwill Games in Moscow. Although Joe Falls began his career in his birthplace of New York City, he became famous as the long-time sportswriter for several Detroit newspapers. Over the years, Falls has covered 40 World Series, 15 Super Bowls, 20 Kentucky Derbys, 25 Indy 500's, 20 masters and U.S. Open golf tournaments, the Rose Bowl, the Stanley Cup and the NBA championships, the Final Four tournament plus more than 5,000 major league games. Joe Falls: 50 Years of Sportswriting might be viewed by some readers as a rambling autobiography in which the author bounces back and forth through the decades. But a better description of the book might be that it's simply a collection of the author's sports memories written in the manner of a true sports columnist -- he types whatever is on his mind that day. With a writing style that might be described as blue-collar, Falls never tried to impress anyone with the use of the English language. No doubt Joe Falls: 50 Years of Sportswriting is a thoroughly enjoyable book because the author has thoroughly enjoyed his association with sports. Falls writes with an enthusiasm that seems to jump from the pages and keeps the reader wanting more. -- WWCD Sports Book Reviews Dan Albaugh Used Book in Good Condition