Spanning the World

Len Berman, a popular television sports personality, is best known for his "Spanning the World" segments on NBC's Today show. In this book he opens the doors to the dressing room and tells the stories of the athletes and games he has covered, moving between the odd and the historic. Readers get his personal memories of sports heroes, along with the celebrations that followed big wins, all told with his trademark humor.

The book is packed with anecdotes. Barry Bonds has little patience for the press and once threatened to slit the throat of anyone who pointed a camera at him. Mickey Mantle's most enjoyable time at Yankee Stadium had nothing to do with playing. Bobby Orr's temper flares, and chairs go flying from the upper decks. Bill Parcells reveals the approach he credits for his Super Bowl success, which he boils down to a two-word creed. Other figures who appear include John McEnroe, Muhammad Ali, Larry Bird and Derek Jeter.

Berman also turns to the more troubling questions facing modern sports, including steroid use, the salaries of top players, violence involving athletes, and the role sports plays in society. Throughout, he reflects on how sports and sports journalism have changed over the decades. The book is aimed at sports fans, and it reads like the work of a longtime fan who has watched it all unfold.