The Rest Of The Iceberg: And Insider's View On The World Of Sport And Celebrity

by Robert Smith, John Wiebusch (Editor)

See Robert run. See Robert take you behind the curtain of a violent game. See Robert, on his own, write the book of his life. See Robert run and break a metaphorical tackle...burst once again into the clear...and head for a literary touchdown.

------ For everyone who has yearned to read the complete story of Robert Smith, for everyone who has wanted to get special insights into one of the wisest men ever to play the game, for everyone who has wondered why he walked away from that game at age 28...it's all here in an unforgettable book. In candid language, Smith talks openly, good and bad, about his days at Ohio State and his eight years with the Minnesota Vikings, about his relationships with Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Dennis Green, the late Korey Stringer, and many others. You haven't read a sports autobiography like this because there hasn't been a sports autobiography like this. The Rest of the Iceberg is the real thing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Sports

244 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2004

About the author

There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads' database

Played football for Ohio State and the Minnesota Vikings.

Reviews

[Dave S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book about the inner workings of the NFL, how things are really solved in the locker rooms and how RS struggled to find his place in football, then walked away, smarter than the others he played with.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I'm employed by Inkwater Press, the book's publisher.

Thoughtful autobiographic account of the life of a pro football superstar. The book covers most of Smith's life, not just his pro career. Smith is humble and thoughtful. He's as open about his failures as his successes.

(Note to Robert Smith: call your publisher; we're having difficulty reaching you and we need to speak.)

[David Marciano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content good for football fans but attempts to be intellectually simulating flop

[Paul Schulzetenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fantastic football memoir, but also not terrible. I'm a Vikings fan, and remember well when Robert Smith was the running threat that set off the deep passing game during those great offenses of the late 90s. I always liked him as a player, and thought that he was erudite and professional. I was looking forward to reading his autobiography, as I had heard generally good things.

The book failed to live up to expectations. I admire that Smith wrote this entirely himself, without a ghostwriter, and using a small press. Unfortunately, it suffers for it. The flow of the book is sometimes choppy, and it switches abruptly from topic to topic at times. The copy itself sometimes has very unprofessional typos. I can't help but feel this book could have been a lot better with a better editor, to smooth out some of the rough edges.

As for the theme and content of the book, I was also disappointed. It promises an in depth examination of sports and celebrity, and I was really looking forward to reading a fresh view from an intelligent athlete. Unfortunately, Smith mostly avoids wider analysis of the league-wide or culture-wide situation, choosing to focus instead on his experiences. It's certainly interesting to read about Smith's trials and tribulations with fans and the media, but I wish that Smith had made the jump from how these things impacted his life to how they impact athletes in general. I think that Smith could have some very interesting things to say about these issues, but it's mostly missing from this book.

What is left is a very basic sports memoir. As far as sports memoirs go, this is a fine effort. It's interesting, it keeps moving, and it does get the reader to both empathize with the player and find interest and understanding in the career arc of the player. What it does, it does well. I just wish it could have done more.

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

If that was really "The Rest of the Iceberg", the Titanic should still be afloat. There is nothing life-changing in Smith's personal memoir, and he chooses to address major topics of race in America in the most superficial, inane way, all expressed in bursts of short sentences that made the later chapters feel like Smith's twitter feed from the 90's. He comes across as a well-meaning decent guy, but if this is the rest of the iceberg, telling hard truths and digging deeper intellectually than he thinks most Americans can handle, if this is "good enough" then I begin to understand why Smith never pursued his dream of medical school any further than keeping a stethoscope in his locker, and why we haven't heard much from him in the years since his retirement.

[Trevor Waldorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good non-fiction read! I liked it so much because it showed the life of the star running back Robert Smith and how he made it to te NFL. He also shared all of the hilarious behind the scenes moments that you didn't see while watching a game! My faorite part is when he scored a touchdown and his Teammate headbutted him and knocked his 2 front teeth out! I recomend this book for an aid sports fan.

[Jeff Koeppen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am a huge sports fan, I usually couldn't care less about the personal lives or beliefs of athletes, much less want to read about them. Robert Smith is a different kind of athlete, however. He is a science enthusiast like myself and laments the lack of importance this country places on science and science education.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While somewhat narrow in scope, this book is informative and enjoyable, covering one man's successful journey from high school football to a successful NFL career, and life after the NFL. Fans of Smith would probably really enjoy this book, as it is well-written and easy to read.