Paterno

Sep 08, 2012 Brenda Benedict rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

I read this book in an effort to understand how Joe Paterno could be such a polarizng figure. He was seen as a great coach and person by some and evil by others.

This book offered some insights into the man. But my questions weren't fully answered. The author paints the picture of Paterno's relationship with Sandusky as strained from the beginning. But some things didn't make sense. If he really disliked Sandusky, why did Paterno allow him on his staff for so many years? Why did he allow him such...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biographies, booksiveread

I'm going to start this review with some stories.

1. When I was learning how to drive, we drove out to an area of the Penn State campus that is far away from everything, but in walking distance to Beaver Stadium. It was a Sunday in late spring and no one was around. I went around a corner and slammed on the brakes. I almost hit Joe Paterno, who was out for a walk. He shook his fist at me angrily. My husband rolled down his window and apologized, telling Joe I was just learning to drive, and Joe...more I'm going to start this review with some stories.

1. When I was learning how to drive, we drove out to an area of the Penn State campus that is far away from everything, but in walking distance to Beaver Stadium. It was a Sunday in late spring and no one was around. I went around a corner and slammed on the brakes. I almost hit Joe Paterno, who was out for a walk. He shook his fist at me angrily. My husband rolled down his window and apologized, telling Joe I was just learning to drive, and Joe laughed, saying, "Good luck with that." He shook his fist at me again, but this time he was laughing.

2. My family was at a Lady Lions game, and Joe was there. We often saw him at women's sporting events in the 90s. It was half time; he went to the concession stands, and he got mobbed with people wanting autographs. My son wanted one in the worst way, but my husband said no, you respect his right to go to a game and out in public. Joe finally tore himself away from the crowds and stopped at my son. "Give me your program," Joe said, and signed it.

3.In the summer of 2011, my husband was riding his bike home from work and came across Joe walking along the golf course bike path. My husband hopped off his bike and walked a bit with Joe, telling him that he looked good. The two of them had a good chat about being grandfathers. My husband saw Joe frequently at that time of the day, until the hip accident, and Joe always waved.

These are just a few Joe stories out of many we have. I read a lot of biographies. A LOT of biographies, but this is the first time I've ever had a personal connection to the subject. I knew the story of the author spending a year in State College; I read an essay Posnanski wrote as the whole Sandusky affair blew out of control. Let's just say this, I gave this book 5 stars. I rarely give books 5 stars. This is one of the best written biographies I have ever read. More importantly, Posnanski got it right. He got Joe right. He got Penn State right. He got State College right. (What he got wrong was his assessment that all Penn State fans were calling for Joe's head and thought he'd never turn things around in 2004. He wasn't with me, my son, and some friends watching that Indiana game in 2004. We knew we had a great defense, and the people in that room were not fans of Fran Ganter and were calling for his head, not Joe's. When we had that goal line stand, I turned to my son and our friends and said, "This is the turning point. We are going to be an amazing team. This is the break they needed." We whomped Michigan State the following week, and then came the 2005 season. And that damn cheat Lloyd Carr.)

I think the only thing that surprised me about this book was that Joe realized going to the Big Ten was a mistake. Most of the fans thought that in the early 1990s and virtually every Penn Stater I've spoken with since 2011 would be more than happy to bag out now. The Board of Trustees turning on Joe in favor of Graham surprised me, yet didn't surprise me because those people had a perverted love affair with Spanier. Reading this book made the night of November 9, 2011 make sense.

There were a few things that I think Posnanski skimmed over, for instance. I think he should have gone deeper into the Adam Taliafaro story. What was left out was how Joe kept Adam on scholarship. He made Sue Paterno a little too saintly -- and trust me, no one around here thinks of her that way. She is a generous lady, but she is the one with the iron fist and the "I am Queen of State College attitude."

I read a few reviews of this book where people were angry that Posnanski didn't get more details on the Sandusky story. I think this is the one point where the book failed because he focused too much on it. One review said that Posnanski didn't pry enough to get the answers she wanted. I made a comment to her, and I'll make it here -- can we accept that what we know is all there is to know? And Posnsnaski missed a key point from his own book as he talked about the emails that mention Coach. Posnanski wrote that Paterno insisted that his players and people around him call him Joe, not Coach. Sandusky was always called Coach. Tim Curley probably never called Paterno Coach in his life.

I'll say this again, this was one of the most honest biographies I've ever read. I nodded a lot while I read it. It refreshed my memory on some points. There were a couple of times, when I was getting to a certain point in the book, I paused to consider my own experiences, opinions, and reflections on a certain situation, and then read on to find that Posnanski confirmed my thoughts.

I will say the book wasn't perfect. The ending was rushed and weaker than the first half of the book, largely because Posnanski was rushed to finish it months before the original deadline. It felt that way. I suspect his editors insisted on the heavy-on-Sandusky ending, despite the fact that there is no way in hell that should dictate Paterno's legacy (although there are many who will only ever see that and think the man was a phony). The one time when Posnanski messed up, I thought, was at the very end of the book, when he said said that Joe should have done more because he was Joe Paterno. Posnanski got sucked into the Saint Joe media vortex. By that point, I would have thought he would have been past that, because he was the first writer to show Joe as a man, as a resident of State College, as a guy who made his career as a football coach.

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Dec 06, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Joe Posnanski did an excellent job of telling the Joe Paterno story. While the controversy continues to swirl around the Penn State pedophile scandal, it is critical to understand that the convicted criminal is Jerry Sandusky and not Joe Paterno. Clearly, Joe could have done more, he could have followed up, coulda, woulda, shouda.

But the real story here is the profile of the type of man we rarely see anymore in the public light. Classically educated, brilliant strategist and football coach and s...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Kyle Tait rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All too often we are drawn in by mob mentality. We believe everything the national media tells us, and in today's viral society one media member's thoughts become the thoughts of ten media members, a situation that feeds and fuels itself until it grows into an uncontrollable and unfathomable monster greater than any one individual or group. We are infiltrated and consumed so deeply by the saturation of Twitter and television news that we entirely lose sight of the once clear line between our own...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Seth Kolloen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Joe Posnanski's work, but this is the wrong book at the wrong time. He's a storyteller, not a biographer--he reflects his subjects rather than investigate them. Posnanski spends the last 1/4 of the book on the Sandusky scandal, mostly trying to minimize Paterno's role. He even claims that the story of Paterno's firing is "beyond the scope of the book," and he goes into zero detail about the scandal itself, except in how Paterno saw it. This isn't biography, it's a gracefully-written "as-t...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Jorge rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Paterno by Joe Posnanski

“Paterno” is the fascinating story of Joe Paterno’s life. It’s the truth of his life. “The only thing he ever asked of me was to write the truth as I found it.” Mission accomplished, talented author and sports journalist Joe Posnanski, takes the reader on a life’s journey, the life of Joe Paterno. With unlimited access to Joe Paterno’s personal files, family, friends and former players, Posnanski weaves a captivating life that impacted many: his childhood, war, college li...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Raeden Zen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Controversial, Uplifting, Somber, Portrait of Joe Paterno

JOE PATERNO. Perhaps the most controversial sports figure. Ever.

Let me first point out that Joe Posnanski's style is such that you forget you are reading a biography of the most hated and/or loved person in America, right now. I wanted to read this book, but not to learn more about Joe Paterno; I've read it all; "No Ordinary Joe," "The Lion in Autumn," etc. And to be honest folks, there isn't much new about Joe Paterno, the human, in thi...more A Controversial, Uplifting, Somber, Portrait of Joe Paterno

JOE PATERNO. Perhaps the most controversial sports figure. Ever.

Let me first point out that Joe Posnanski's style is such that you forget you are reading a biography of the most hated and/or loved person in America, right now. I wanted to read this book, but not to learn more about Joe Paterno; I've read it all; "No Ordinary Joe," "The Lion in Autumn," etc. And to be honest folks, there isn't much new about Joe Paterno, the human, in this book. But, Mr. Posnanski has a way with words to make us realize that Mr. Paterno was a person. He had a mother and a father; his own children, and grandchildren. And then he had his football team, which was his life. Football is ultimately what made Joe tick. If the various biographies written about him didn't drill that point, Mr. Posnanski did, whether he meant to or not.

The book covers the scandal; the last hundred pages or so. Perhaps not as many as some would have hoped. Perhaps too many to others. But, it had to be covered. It's part of Joe's legacy. While in the past the controversy that surrounded Joe Paterno focused on questions such as: is this man for real? Does he really care about his players? Is he real or is he faking? How could he possibly want to do it the right way? Why hasn't he changed those ghastly uniforms? Why hasn't he stopped wearing white socks with Khaki pants yet? Why does he still wear those god-awful glasses? Now, the questions are: what did he know? When did he know it? Why would he have possibly covered for a child molester?

Mr. Posnanski answers some of the former questions, pointing to the simple life in which Joe Paterno had lived, but doesn't, and can't, answer the latter ones. Ultimately, he wrote this biography with the blessing of the late Mr. Paterno and his living family. Ultimately, he could only probe so deeply to answer the questions that all of us--even those of us who had always looked up to Mr. Paterno, such as myself--wanted to know. Why would someone who had been so morally good, and lived that morally good, simple, life, do something so clearly wrong? Why Joe why? And so as I read this book I couldn't help but tear. Not because I feel sorrow for JoePa. But, because I always thought he was good, and now I'm not so sure, and this book didn't really answer that for me.

Why 5-stars? Because this book is extremely well written and I was able to read about all the good times. Still, I realize that as of today, outside of Nittany Nation, Joe isn't going to be remembered for any of that. He's going to be remembered for the last 100 pages of this book. And that makes me incredibly sad. So I wept for Joe. I wept for the victims. And I wept for PSU. Because none of what Jerry Sandusky represents is what any of that place has been about; and those kids lives are ruined--forever. And it all makes me very sad.

So, approach this book with an open mind. Don't expect earth shattering revelations; it's more of the same in regard to Joe's life and his collapse. But, do expect to read an extremely well written biography on someone who may be the most controversial man in US sports history.(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Tracy Jenkins rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been a fan of Penn State football since my birth in 1963. A pretty good time to follow a program and it's legendary coach. My parents both graduated from Penn State as did my grandmother, my aunt and uncle and other relatives. I never attended PSU, but have always felt like State College was a second home. Until now I'd never read a book about Paterno. I'd always had my own feelings about him based on his coaching techniques and his desire to focus on the larger parts of a student-athletes...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: about-real-people, fun-or-frivolity

The whole Sandusky scandal seemed so utterly opposed to everything I understood Joe Pa to stand for, I couldn't understand it at all. I picked up this book because, according to the description, the author was with the Paterno family during the last few months of his life, including the whole mess. I wanted to understand his perspective.

So far, it's everything I wanted to hear, so much so that I'm having a hard time believing it. I do want Joe to really have been the hero I looked up to. The ne...more The whole Sandusky scandal seemed so utterly opposed to everything I understood Joe Pa to stand for, I couldn't understand it at all. I picked up this book because, according to the description, the author was with the Paterno family during the last few months of his life, including the whole mess. I wanted to understand his perspective.

So far, it's everything I wanted to hear, so much so that I'm having a hard time believing it. I do want Joe to really have been the hero I looked up to. The news reports sure make it seem like he couldn't possibly have been, though. An interesting read, in any case.

Inspirational: Joe Paterno was a horrible football coach for his first two years! He completely sucked before he got great. Even in 1979, after coaching 20+ years, he thought long and hard about quitting. Woohoo! There's hope for me yet!

***

Having read the news accounts, I can't believe Joe Paterno didn't know what was going on and help cover it up. Having read this book, I can't believe he did.

Obviously, they can't both be true. Although I do believe he should have done more to follow up on what he was told--and he believed that himself--I lean toward believing he really didn't know what was going on. Here's why: many of the quotes that make Joe look horrible were reprinted in this book, but with surrounding sentences that were left out of the press reports that change the whole meaning of what was said. The reporting was clearly misleading. Also, the press made it sound like Joe was covering for his long-time friend and buddy, when apparently Joe and Sandusky hated each other for years.

For example,
Press: why did Joe let Sandusky have continued access to the facilities?
Book: Joe never wanted Sandusky to have access in the first place (once he was off the coaching staff) and recommended against it. The athletic director ignored him and gave Sandusky the keys anyway.

It's hard to believe anything in Penn State football was out of Joe's power, but it appears this was.

Meanwhile, both Joe's and McQueary's statements to the grand jury agree that McQueary never told Joe anything specific about what he saw. Joe never saw anything himself; all he had was the fact that McQueary was upset and worried that some vague bad thing might be going on.

It's tragic that Joe didn't follow up after McQueary came to him in 2002. It's also tragic that the multitudes of social workers and child welfare workers didn't catch on to anything about Sandusky when they trusted him with dozens of foster children and kids through his charity, and that McQueary and other witnesses who saw things happening didn't go to the police, and that the head of Penn State police didn't do anything about it when Joe reported to him about what McQueary said. All of those people let the kids down. In particular, Joe should have done more. We expected more of him. But I don't believe he realized the seriousness of what was going on or tried to cover anything up. He wasn't a villain, he just dropped the ball.(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Brian Katz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great book. Starting with Joe in his early days in school, working up through the many years as coach at Penn State. It was great to re-live some of those years - I attended Penn State from 1979 to 1983, where the team was national champion - and to hear from those that knew him and that he coached. He worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others, with no hint of self recognition for his actions. He and his family gave millions to the University they loved in order to enhance their lives t...more A great book. Starting with Joe in his early days in school, working up through the many years as coach at Penn State. It was great to re-live some of those years - I attended Penn State from 1979 to 1983, where the team was national champion - and to hear from those that knew him and that he coached. He worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others, with no hint of self recognition for his actions. He and his family gave millions to the University they loved in order to enhance their lives through eduction and opportunity. Joe had a significant positive impact on the lives of many of his players and the Penn State community and will be missed. Over the many years he clashed with the media and the board of trustees, so much so, that in the end, it was them that threw Joe under the bus without proper due process. Very sad.

As for the Sandusky matter, interesting to learn that Joe and Sandusky never liked each other. Sandusky for Joe as he believed that he should have succeeded Joe, and Joe for Sandusky because he believed that Sandusky was lazy and unorganized. Some believe that the reason the Penn State team's of the early 2000's did not do well is because Sandusky was no longer defensive coordinator.

The 1998 incident with Sandusky was properly handled by law enforcement. Joe should not be in the cross hairs for this.

The 2001 incident with Sandusky was reported by Joe to his superiors at the University. The book & Joe states in retrospect, "I should have done more." With 20-20 hind sight, we can all see this - it is as clear as the blue sky. Morally, Joe should have done more. During that time, however, I would argue that it was not so clear. Sandusky was a master mind at covering up his obsession. I am still of the view that we need to see the cases of Schultz and Curley litigated and the facts presented to better understand what happened during 2001 before judgement can be rendered. That includes (i) taking games way, (ii) fining the University; and (iii) punishing the existing students and players under the recent NCAA sanctions.

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Sep 28, 2012 Pauline rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've always wanted to know more about JoePa's life obviously but more from a historical background. I didn't know who he was or what Penn State football was until I went there. I wanted to know about the history of the team and the greatness etc. But I never got around to actually buying a book on him. Now with the timing of this new book after the scandal, it seemed appropriate. But again, I didn't necessarily seek out to get this book. I happened to see it on the new shelf at the library and d...more I've always wanted to know more about JoePa's life obviously but more from a historical background. I didn't know who he was or what Penn State football was until I went there. I wanted to know about the history of the team and the greatness etc. But I never got around to actually buying a book on him. Now with the timing of this new book after the scandal, it seemed appropriate. But again, I didn't necessarily seek out to get this book. I happened to see it on the new shelf at the library and didn't have anything else to read so I borrowed it.

How does one fit a person's lifetime (85 years!) in a few hundred pages? As the author noted towards the end "there are 2 books left on the cutting floor." Joe Posnanski has a nice voice, very easy to read and was allowed a wealth of access to JoePa's files and those close to him. I liked learning about Joe's childhood, youth and early times as assistant coach. I loved hearing him grow up in Brooklyn and how he was at first averse to the farms of State College. It was lovely to read about him and Sue getting together. I learned a lot about him that I didn't know.

Of course, the author is getting a lot of slack for not being able to be bias. He worked on this for years before the scandal was made public. It must have been extremely difficult for Posnanski to change the direction of the book without compromising his initial goal. He wanted to write a book about Joe. And then a curve was thrown his way when how can you write a book about Joe and not include the terrible scandal. Maybe he rushed it - fitting in just a 100 pages or so at the end? Or maybe he kept it short purposely. This book was about Joe, not the scandal. Although I feel many people will say that the scandal defined Joe's life because that's the last thing people knew/remember before he died.

Going back to the actual book, I think it was great that Posnanski was able to meet with so many former players, coaches, family members and childhood friends to try to get a picture of Joe down on paper. As with any biography, I don't think he truly captured Joe, but he did the best he could. It was interesting to read how JoePa evolved from media friendly to cranky anti-media into the 21st century. It was sad to read how bad my years there were. Really? Out of this great history, I could only have 1 good year and 3 terrible years? But football didn't define my time at PSU. Non Penn Staters will say w're football obsessed and a cult but not me. Not us. We love our team, yes but that isn't why I love PSU.

I got sad looking at the pictures and at some stories that I connected with (Adam Taliaferro, 324th win, 2000-2004 years) because I was there. I miss Joe even though I never met him. I never thought of him as a "saint", that makes no sense. But he did so much for PSU (building the library!) It was great to read former players saying how much he had an impact on them. But times changed and he didn't. He may have been old school and ignorant ("What is sodomy?") but he did say or testify) that McQuery said something "of a sexual nature". He didn't do enough. It's sad that as aforementioned, this will what most people will remember him for. Not for all the other things that he did. Which I am glad I finally learned about.(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book will not change your opinion on Paterno, so don't read it if you want to be swayed in either direction. The author pretty much states that: in one chapter, Joe goes to recruit a future Heisman trophy winner when he realizes the kid brother has leukemia. He abandons the football player and his parents; leaving his colleagues to do the recruiting. Instead, he spends the rest of the evening sitting with the brother. As the author states, "you can see the beauty or you can see the self-int...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Brian Prosser rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Disclaimer: I've followed Penn State football and Joe Pa since I was a young boy...grew up listening to the games on the radio. Had read a few other books on Paterno, but wanted to read this book because 1) I think Posnanski is one of the best sports writers in the country, and 2) he was living at State College researching this book when Paterno was fired; he shared conversations with Paterno in those few months between his firing and death. For those looking for a research project which definit...more Disclaimer: I've followed Penn State football and Joe Pa since I was a young boy...grew up listening to the games on the radio. Had read a few other books on Paterno, but wanted to read this book because 1) I think Posnanski is one of the best sports writers in the country, and 2) he was living at State College researching this book when Paterno was fired; he shared conversations with Paterno in those few months between his firing and death. For those looking for a research project which definitively answers questions about Paterno's knowledge and involvement with the Sandusky affair, you'll be disappointed. This is a book about a man with a complex personality, a fiery disposition, and an insatiable desire to succeed. I credit Posnanski for not "boiler plating" Paterno; he appreciates the complexities and doesn't write to make our mind up. He instead provides history, facts, stories, etc. and allows the reader to come up with his own conclusions. That will be uncomfortable for some; interestingly enough, many of Posnanski's peers slammed him over this book for just that reason. A lot of new information in this book, at least for me. Great stories and reflections from many of Paterno's former players, although I expected more from coaches that had served with Joe. The book also provides an appreciation of how the media painted Paterno as "larger than life," which Joe was uncomfortable with but still used as a pulpit of sorts to share his vision of college sports; it also became an albatross and resulted in a fractured relationship with the media later in his career. Let's just say the media was more than willing to knock Paterno from the pulpit when he was fired. I give this book five stars; Posnanski did a great job providing a window into Joe Paterno's life. The most powerful moment in the book for me was the conversation between the author and Joe at his kitchen table after Paterno was fired. I think Posnanski spoke for many of us. I'll let you decide for yourselves.(less)

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Feb 07, 2013 Ken added it · review of another edition

I enjoyed the writing in the bio of Joe Paterno. I enjoyed Joe Mantenga's performance of the book. I enjoyed hearing about the coach, and the qualities of another person who has striven for and come close to the goal of excellence.

As we all do, Paterno had inconsistencies in his life, but he generally stuck to some demanding and solid principles, some of which are:
Take care of the little things, big things take care of themselves.
One your way down, think about getting up.
You cannot be afraid to...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Simply an amazing book. This is a must read that allows the reader to further understand how Joe Paterno worked, thought, and lived. His mind was always active, always thinking two steps ahead - "think about getting up on your way down". A concise view of a genuine human who was only ever really afraid of one thing. A human who never got along with someone that the general public had always thought were best friends. A human who put the lives, education, and futures of the players first -- he di...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sports

The book has been napalmed by critics determined to prove how outraged they are about the scandal that engulfed Paterno's final days. And to be honest, it feels a bit rushed. If Posnanski had been given the extra half year of work originally allocated, I think this would be a much better book. It's a bit sloppy in parts and needed a lot more interviews with Paterno critics but ran into the problem that very few of the people who knew him well had bad things to say about him and those who did wer...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Reedz0r rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So, this book, about Paterno's life, had some difficulties. It was mostly written before the Sandusky scandal broke and i could tell that the writer had to go back over the narrative and give it a belated treatment in consideration of the scandal. as such, the first half of the book felt a little awkward. the biography went in chronological order, as expected, but the author would cut into the story with asides that referred to the recent scandal. the back and forth felt a little uncomfortable,...more So, this book, about Paterno's life, had some difficulties. It was mostly written before the Sandusky scandal broke and i could tell that the writer had to go back over the narrative and give it a belated treatment in consideration of the scandal. as such, the first half of the book felt a little awkward. the biography went in chronological order, as expected, but the author would cut into the story with asides that referred to the recent scandal. the back and forth felt a little uncomfortable, probably reflecting how the author felt about it. obviously, he wanted to make sure to address the scandal, but didn't necessarily know how best to go about it. the second half of the book took the sandusky scandal head-on. once the narrative caught up to the modern timeline, it went smoother. it still felt troubled, but was more appropriate. the treatment of paterno's last days and last thoughts had me bawling my eyes out.

the greatest strengths of this book were the reminders of paterno as a man with a full life. he was neither as perfect as the media portrayed him at his peak, nor as villainous as they would portray him in the end. just a man, flaws and all. it was good to be reminded of all the positive things paterno had done throughout his life. it was good to see that, toward the end, the media already had a bias against him because he had been pulling away from them for years. it's hard to remember that at the base of every newsstory is a person with their own prejudices, no matter how much they try to stay objective. joepa was never quite the man that the media said he was, for good or ill. it's important to understand that, especially now. he had good intentions and for the most part, he lived up to those intentions. i don't know the truth behind the scandal and joepa's role in it, but this book helped me to reconcile some of my feelings. what penn state needs is to remember the good, live up to the good, and begin to heal. for me, this book was a helpful reminder of what was good and that paterno's grand experiment wasn't a fraud, it wasn't a failure, and we can still hold its ideals in our hearts and minds. paterno, the grand experiment's engineer may have been flawed, but his idea wasn't and we can still hold it up as our standard. We are Penn State.(less)

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Sep 12, 2012 J rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have no idea what this book's purpose is - particularly because I know that before the Sandusky scandal rocked Penn State, Posnanski was writing the book anyway. The author suggests that he was writing the book because he had reason to believe Paterno was going to retire at the end of the season, even before disaster struck. If he was writing a swan song book, he abandoned that mission, maybe because the scandal rendered it moot, and maybe because the last season of Joe Paterno's life just was...more I have no idea what this book's purpose is - particularly because I know that before the Sandusky scandal rocked Penn State, Posnanski was writing the book anyway. The author suggests that he was writing the book because he had reason to believe Paterno was going to retire at the end of the season, even before disaster struck. If he was writing a swan song book, he abandoned that mission, maybe because the scandal rendered it moot, and maybe because the last season of Joe Paterno's life just wasn't that interesting, sexual predators aside.

It's not difficult to believe the final season was less than compelling because the picture I got from reading this book was of an extraordinarily ordinary man who did the same thing day after day, year after year, decade after decade. I couldn't imagine reading a biography of a more boring person than the Joe Paterno described in this book. For all the inside access supposedly provided to Posnanski, the quotes from Paterno, most unforgivingly when they pertain to Sandusky, are superficial and wholly unenlightening. Paterno asks Posnanski how he feels about the whole scandal. Posnanski reveals that he told Paterno he should have done more. Yeah, I shoulda, Paterno said. That is the extent of his interior monologue revealed.

Few biographies, even those whose authors aim to be comprehensive, actually are comprehensive. A biographer has no mandate to be impartial and of course most are unapologetically biased. Let the next writer tackle the dark side, the one with that agenda. Strangely then, Posnanski dwells extensively on just how over the hill Paterno was in the late 90s and early 2000s - and when Paterno rallies - apparently only because Spanier threatened to force him to retire - there is no explanation of what Paterno actually did to turn things around. It's curiously inside out. I'm happy to see that the author could see both sides, but it's actually on the positive side that he lets us down.

The turnaround of the late 2000s is summarized in a few paragraphs - he modernized! He revitalized! He allowed offensive players to - do what, exactly? What did Joe Paterno do? Why did he do it? Why did he change? Why didn't he change sooner?

Unfortunately, really the whole book is like that. Important moments are glossed over, while seemingly minor anecdotes are given whole chapters. David Paterno has a life-threatening trampoline accident and, if it's mentioned, it's so brief that I missed it entirely. George Paterno dies - of what, exactly? It's hinted that it was drink related (it was a heart attack), but never stated. This kind of lack of detail is surprising, coming from a working journalist, and even knowing that the book was hurried onto shelves.

Not that George Paterno's cause of death is important in the overall scheme of a Joe Paterno biography, but it's just one of many examples of how the book fails to reveal the details that, for me, make a biography worth reading. Several times, Posnanski writes that something is not for him to say - such as what the board of trustees was thinking when it decided to fire Paterno. Well, nobody made him write the book, so it's up to him to say whatever the heck he wants to say. He didn't not delve more deeply into the board's actions because it was out of his jurisdiction. He didn't delve into the board's actions because he decided not to. End of story.

Posnanski writes that Paterno didn't like Sandusky, and later restates it with emphasis, implying that the poor relationship between the men somehow provides Paterno some cover. It's weak, desperate, and in any case, the case is poorly made. If Paterno wanted Sandusky gone so bad, he had the perfect opportunity to get rid of him.

Given that Paterno throughout the book is portrayed throughout the book as confrontational, egotistical and single minded, his failure to report Sandusky actually becomes more sinister: it becomes almost impossible to believe that Paterno did not decide that reporting Sandusky would be worse than not reporting him. For all that Posnanski does to suggest that Paterno's personal notes contained no mention of Sandusky, and therefore indicate that he did not really know what was going on, they ignore the equally likely possibility that the coach who had his hand in everything simply got rid of any references he had made to Sandusky, or never made them in the first place knowing they would be incriminating. Paterno did, after all, go to Brown.

If you don't know much about Joe Paterno, this book will introduce you to him at least. It will be up to you after that to go out and find other sources that hopefully can give you a fuller picture. If you're here to know how Joe Paterno felt about the scandal that ruined his life - or heck, even how Sue Paterno felt - keep looking.

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Oct 15, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have always been a big Penn State fan and have appreciated Joe Paterno's dedication to academics, hard work, his longevity, and his plain uniforms. I was deeply saddened by the horror stories coming out of State College last year. I long-term love and more recent sorrow led me to read this book.

It is a good biography. It started with Paterno's childhood in Brooklyn, covered his academic career at Brown University, retold many tales of his 60+ years at Penn State, and dealt with many events of...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought is was a very good book by someone who had amazing access to Joe and those who knew him best. I do believe firmly that this man who stood for integrity and academic scholarship coming before football did not know anymore than he said. I believe if the creep had been working for Joe, at the time of the incidents, he would have followed up more and I believe he regretted leaving that up to others. This man made millions at the end of his life but he walked away from countless more millio...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Many people have criticized this book because it doesn't uncover the entire truth of the past few years. We still don't know for sure what Joe Paterno knew and what he didn't. Given that so much has happened in the past year, I think it's premature to publish this book, but here it is.

Joe Paterno was a complex man. He strived to be morally straight, generous with his money, someone who molded the lives of so many young athletes as they became men. The way his last few months played out is shame...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sports-biography

I enjoyed this book because I was always a Joe Paterno fan. The book is not a literary masterpiece by any means but it was thorough retelling Paterno's professional career. I would have like to have heard more about his family life and how his kids handled being the child of a legend.

The crux of the book and narrative will continue to be the Sandusky response and whether he should have done more. As Paterno said, "in hindsight I wished I had done more." Is something we all say about any failure...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Bill Gable rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

Interesting and informative, but as usual, I struggle to know how much credibility to assign to the book and author.

If I take the book as legit, it confirms some things, introduces some new Stuff(intensity of the Paterno/Sandusky rift, and provides new possible interpretations of events surrounding the scandal.

Puts a very diverse spectrum of character and personality traits out there for Joe - from extreme good/admirable to very disappointing and questionable.

Great to read about the evolution of...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Riley Cooper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Keep in mind that this book was begun before the Sandusky scandal hit the news, so it was never intended to be just about that. For fleshing out a picture of a man, this book was excellent. Since my knowledge about Joe Paterno as a person was nonexistent and my knowledge of his football career was sketchy, I learned a heck of a lot about the man behind the "legend".

As far as the scandal is concerned, don't read this book if you want gory details or if you are looking for solid blame to be laid a...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Informative and passionate biography about a man who saw his lives work blow up in a horrible sex scandal brought on by a trusted associate. The book was finished and ready for publication when the scandal broke. Causing the author to scramble to put a new end to Coach Paterno's life. The book kind of left up to the reader to draw their own conclusions. As for myself I think he was a man betrayed by people he trusted. Should he of done more in reporting the incident?-- probably, but he did follo...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Kevin Dermody rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book, as a life long Penn-State fan I admit my bias towards the subject. But in all honesty it was an amazingly written book. I was struck at how even though I knew the story it all still seemed fresh to me, and it painted a perfect picture of Joe. He stopped being iconic in my mind and started to become a tangible being. As a journalist I loved the frank and direct matter in the book, there wasn't any embellishments or speculations, unlike what you saw on the 24 hour news channels....more

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Sep 07, 2012 Bill Kratzer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was average, at best. As a long term Penn State Nittany Lion fan (and Paterno fan), this book didn't tread any major new ground. Like everyone else in the country, I was hoping for some insights and reflection on Joe's life, his decisions, and the scandal that rocked his legacy. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to reveal here either.

The entire book has the feel that it was "rushed out" in time for College Football season.

It appears to be that the author just didn't get the chance to r...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Lenore rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this to be a good biography, not great. I would have liked fewer descriptions of Penn State games, and more insights about the man. Joe Paterno was afraid of dying, and that was one reason given, for his long tenure as the Penn State coach. He also was extremely stubborn, and did things his way.
He wasn't complicated - he was a man of his time, a World War Two veteran, with strong values for his definition of success. Overall, this is a sad story and it shouldn't have been.....we all know...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Kerry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, non-fiction

I don't read a lot of biographies, but this one was close to me. It may not be as compelling if you are just wanting to accept the current media interpretations (and I am including the Freeh report here because it is just a very skewed interpretation). This helped me to understand Joe Paterno much better than I had before. He was not a god, but a man that wanted to do his best for his university, his kids, and his family. He was not perfect and not a demon either. This book made me laugh and cry...more

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Jan 14, 2013 L.C. Fiore rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was looking forward to this book. Joe Posnanski is one of my favorite sportswriters. And who knows what this book could have been had the scandal not broken as he was finishing it. Suddenly he had to tell Paterno's story through the lenses of the scandal instead of writing this book he'd probably originally planned. The result is a mess. Nothing gets stated without Posnanski reminding us what it means in the larger historical context, and Posnanski can't get himself (as the first person "I") o...more

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