A Thousand Goodbyes: A Son's Reflection on Living, Dying, and the Things that Matter Most

by Jim Huber

Overview

In this beautifully written, reflective, and sometimes humorous book, Jim Huber, host of CNN's The Sporting Life, tells of his precious final months with his father. His recollections of those last days include moments that brought him to tears-both from crying and laughing-as he discovered what matters most in life. Along the way, he recalls the stories of athletes who have faced overwhelming odds or triumphed over personal tragedies-offering spiritual insight into the lives and deaths of such noted sports figures as Payne Stewart and Walter Payton.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785297369
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	02/01/2009
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jim Huber is the Emmy-award-willing essayist and commentator for Turner Sports -- TNT and TBS -- covering Wimbledon, NASCAR, the NBA, golf tournaments, and figure-skating competitions. Huber was with CNN for sixteen years, during which time he won a national Emmy, two Cable ACE awards, and an Edward R. Murrow award. He has been in the media through newspapers, radio, and television since 1964. He and his wife, Carol, have been married for thirty-five years and have one son, Matthew.

Editorial Reviews

The death of a father, a hero or a mentor (or someone who is all three) has long been a catalyst for men to contemplate the meaning of life. Men who revel in sports are not often considered the best equipped for such contemplation, but books from Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie) and David James Duncan (The Brothers K) among others, show us that jocks can think, cry and pray and some can even write. Huber, award-winning commentator for Turner Sports, joins this first-string team as he reflects in this volume on the last months of his father's life. Huber tells his own story, his father's story and a thousand other stories along the way; there are tales of hope and inspiration, of overcoming overwhelming odds, of tragedy and of triumph. He doesn't lecture or drone on about what he's learned, but teaches inductively. ("Dad worried in his later years, as almost everyone does these days, about developing Alzheimer's, the insidious disease that burrows into the brain and scrambles all the wiring into chaos. `Don't worry, pal,' I teased him, `you'll never know you have it. It's us who have to worry.'") The stories are crisp, the chapters short, the insights hinted at. Not without flaws, the book sometimes feels disjointed and betrays hints of thin sentimentality and self-absorption. But Huber is a good soul and tells a good story and, especially for those dealing with loss, these stories are important to tell. (Aug.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly