Disclosure: I regularly listen to Bill Simmons B.S. Report podcasts and I usually read his columns on espn.com thus I'm a fan of his work.

That being said, I was somewhat disappointed with TBOB. Overall it was very insightful, but parts of it were a little tiresome. I found myself skimming certain portions - especially if they dealt with players that played in the NBA during the 50s and 60s. Other than a few interesting tidbits about the history of the NBA (evolution of the shot clock, 3-point shooters, etc.), I found these parts of the book somewhat boring.

I did, however, enjoy reading about the players and teams that I remember watching as a child and up until now, i.e. from the early 80s through present day. Mr. Simmons does an excellent job of discussing some of the inner details of many of the NBA players and teams from the past and present.

Another detail of the book that bothered me was Mr. Simmons frequent use of curse words throughout the book. I understand using a few intermittent curse words to get a point across, but to continuously use them throughout the book was a bit of a turn off. Simmons does not "swear" during his podcasts or in his columns on espn.com so I know it's possible for him to do so in a 700 page book.

At 700 pages this book is definitely a sizable read. Only recommended for those that are fans of the NBA and all the drama that it regularly brings each season.