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Advantage Disadvantage
A neighborhood bookie peddles athletes to college coaches and develops a sport betting operation centered on high school games. He recruits an accomplice to execute his last bet, one that could set them up financially for life but is fraught with danger. The Chicago Police investigate the greedy gamblers who might try to manipulate a high school basketball playoff game. A chance meeting between the father of a mediocre student-athlete and the bookie puts in motion a sequence of events transforming the player into a Division 1 prospect using unorthodox basketball training methods. Corrupt adults, who selfishly engage in risky and exploitive behaviors, surround the athlete: gangland profiteers, win-at-all-cost coaches, greedy street agents, shoe company representatives, college recruiters, disloyal lovers, and others. Advantage Disadvantage examines the motivations that drive the surrounding adults to corruption, betrayal, and greed.
252 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 6, 2009
If Money Is The Root of All Evil, Then Greed Must Come in a Close Second!!!
Perhaps this novel should have been called “Taking Advantage.” It seems that it would be closer to what is actually going on out there. Mr. Jaffe’s novel allows us to glimpse the seedy side of sports and learn things that we would never otherwise know. It does so in the framework of a story about compelling people that are caught up in their everyday lives, but on a course to collide.
Advantage Disadvantage is the name of a brilliant plan conceived by a one-time member of the disadvantaged and disenfranchised. The self-christened Bobby G was born into poverty, but was determined not to stay that way. He’s pulled himself up by using tricks, illegal activities and street smarts to get his. These have allowed him to escape what traps most in its malaise, but it’s not enough. He realizes that through tampering with statistics, he stands to make a killing – literally. Bobby G has cultivated all he thinks it takes to succeed, but what he’s left out are a sense of ethics and compassion. Without these components being alive and well in an individual, you have the makings of a ruthless, merciless individual that will do anything to get what they want. They don’t have the inner wherewithal to impose limits or tell themselves when it’s time to stop. Instead they tick away like a timer on a bomb set to go off. It’s this plan that ignites the fuse.
It’s Bobby G’s plan that intersects with the lives of seemingly disparate individuals and brings them into the realm of murky dealings, self-centered decisions and corruption of young dreams. The book works on many levels, but one of the most compelling is watching this evil spread like some sort of malignant virus. A gritty sense of reality runs throughout the heart of the story and because it’s not a fairy tale, we become involved – in the story and the outcome. While the novel focuses on the game of basketball, it reminds us that every game has rules. Abiding by rules is what helps define and make the game what it is. These rules also make the game fair – for everyone. When someone starts thinking they’re above the rules and breaks them for personal gain –the game starts taking on new and disturbing aspects.
Mr. Jaffe’s novel Advantage Disadvantage is a fascinating read! The author’s own experience and knowledge shine through and gives us a true insider’s view that allows us to see basketball for what it is – a game that is what we make it.
Perhaps this novel should have been called “Taking Advantage.” It seems that it would be closer to what is actually going on out there. Mr. Jaffe’s novel allows us to glimpse the seedy side of sports and learn things that we would never otherwise know. It does so in the framework of a story about compelling people that are caught up in their everyday lives, but on a course to collide.
Advantage Disadvantage is the name of a brilliant plan conceived by a one-time member of the disadvantaged and disenfranchised. The self-christened Bobby G was born into poverty, but was determined not to stay that way. He’s pulled himself up by using tricks, illegal activities and street smarts to get his. These have allowed him to escape what traps most in its malaise, but it’s not enough. He realizes that through tampering with statistics, he stands to make a killing – literally. Bobby G has cultivated all he thinks it takes to succeed, but what he’s left out are a sense of ethics and compassion. Without these components being alive and well in an individual, you have the makings of a ruthless, merciless individual that will do anything to get what they want. They don’t have the inner wherewithal to impose limits or tell themselves when it’s time to stop. Instead they tick away like a timer on a bomb set to go off. It’s this plan that ignites the fuse.
It’s Bobby G’s plan that intersects with the lives of seemingly disparate individuals and brings them into the realm of murky dealings, self-centered decisions and corruption of young dreams. The book works on many levels, but one of the most compelling is watching this evil spread like some sort of malignant virus. A gritty sense of reality runs throughout the heart of the story and because it’s not a fairy tale, we become involved – in the story and the outcome. While the novel focuses on the game of basketball, it reminds us that every game has rules. Abiding by rules is what helps define and make the game what it is. These rules also make the game fair – for everyone. When someone starts thinking they’re above the rules and breaks them for personal gain –the game starts taking on new and disturbing aspects.
Mr. Jaffe’s novel Advantage Disadvantage is a fascinating read! The author’s own experience and knowledge shine through and gives us a true insider’s view that allows us to see basketball for what it is – a game that is what we make it.
January 21, 2009
An interesting trip, traveling with Yale R. Jaffe’s “Advantage Disadvantage”
I recently had the pleasure of reading Yale R. Jaffe’s “Advantage Disadvantage”. Although I finished the book a few days ago, it has taken me some time to collect my thoughts to post a review.
The first chapter hooked me from the start, as one of the characters finds himself being booked at the Cook County lockup in Chicago. Okay. The cover of the book implies that I was to read a tale relating to basketball. Hmm….
By the end of the chapter the proverbial whistle is blown and the game begins. We are introduced to characters from all walks of life: single mothers, people with dreams of the future, people who take their stations of life for granted, and those who abuse the positions they created. There are people that are desperate, scared, seeking revenge and hopeful. There are those who are white, black, rich, poor, educated, not educated, job holders and those seeking work. There are gang members, basketball players, parents, detectives, referees, scouts and newspaper reporters.
For me, I was reminded of the first time I saw the movie “Pulp Fiction”, where the viewer is met with random, yet completed scenes, which at times jump from one place to the next. The audience is forced, perhaps without realizing it, to figure out where everything is connected. By the end of the movie, the audience realizes that we are all in fact connected, and each move we make not only affects ourselves, but also affects someone else: for good or for bad, whether we know it or not. Each second of the clock seems to bring a new ethical decision. The question is: what would you do?
Mr. Jaffe’s book is not as “random” as “Pulp Fiction,” but this referee does point out a lot of different things that were going on at the same time, which made me think. Many times with books, I have been able to predict the ending. Mr. Jaffe’s tale however, took me by surprise: it was as though the entire world suddenly fell silent, as though we were watching a basketball player sink a 3 point basket at the buzzer.
J.R. Reardon
Author, “Confidential Communications”
I recently had the pleasure of reading Yale R. Jaffe’s “Advantage Disadvantage”. Although I finished the book a few days ago, it has taken me some time to collect my thoughts to post a review.
The first chapter hooked me from the start, as one of the characters finds himself being booked at the Cook County lockup in Chicago. Okay. The cover of the book implies that I was to read a tale relating to basketball. Hmm….
By the end of the chapter the proverbial whistle is blown and the game begins. We are introduced to characters from all walks of life: single mothers, people with dreams of the future, people who take their stations of life for granted, and those who abuse the positions they created. There are people that are desperate, scared, seeking revenge and hopeful. There are those who are white, black, rich, poor, educated, not educated, job holders and those seeking work. There are gang members, basketball players, parents, detectives, referees, scouts and newspaper reporters.
For me, I was reminded of the first time I saw the movie “Pulp Fiction”, where the viewer is met with random, yet completed scenes, which at times jump from one place to the next. The audience is forced, perhaps without realizing it, to figure out where everything is connected. By the end of the movie, the audience realizes that we are all in fact connected, and each move we make not only affects ourselves, but also affects someone else: for good or for bad, whether we know it or not. Each second of the clock seems to bring a new ethical decision. The question is: what would you do?
Mr. Jaffe’s book is not as “random” as “Pulp Fiction,” but this referee does point out a lot of different things that were going on at the same time, which made me think. Many times with books, I have been able to predict the ending. Mr. Jaffe’s tale however, took me by surprise: it was as though the entire world suddenly fell silent, as though we were watching a basketball player sink a 3 point basket at the buzzer.
J.R. Reardon
Author, “Confidential Communications”
March 16, 2012
Wow... Taking advantage of absolutely anyone possible is the name of this game. It was amazing how much lives changed based on the simplest decisions in this book. I have looked at high school sports in a completely different vein as I did before since picking up this book and have always known that there are several things that do not meet the eye on the college scene. When is anything just innocent, a good form of exercise, and good sportsmanship - in pre-school?
At times the story can be a little difficult to read. It is definitely geared towards the reader who is an avid sports fan that talks bball language in real life. But, for the rest of us, if we can fight through the details, we will get to enjoy this read for what it is. An opportunity to open your eyes and realize that everyone who comes to support a team is not simply a fan, they are looking for personal gain. Not every parent simply has a kid with talent, but they might need that kid to hone the talent to help keep the family unit in tact. Oh, what a tangled web is weaved!
I will say that from the students that I know who are athletes, many of them would fail the family because their dedication level just is not up to par with what is demanding. I would have enjoyed seeing the story from that angle.
At times the story can be a little difficult to read. It is definitely geared towards the reader who is an avid sports fan that talks bball language in real life. But, for the rest of us, if we can fight through the details, we will get to enjoy this read for what it is. An opportunity to open your eyes and realize that everyone who comes to support a team is not simply a fan, they are looking for personal gain. Not every parent simply has a kid with talent, but they might need that kid to hone the talent to help keep the family unit in tact. Oh, what a tangled web is weaved!
I will say that from the students that I know who are athletes, many of them would fail the family because their dedication level just is not up to par with what is demanding. I would have enjoyed seeing the story from that angle.
December 6, 2008
high school sports unveiled
Yale Jaffe's "Advantage Disadvantage" weaves a plot around the money, politics, economics, and dreams of high school basketball.
Advantage/Disadvantage is the name of a con that a bookie has strung together with the help of a sports writer. But that's just one small piece of the book: Jaffe spins his story not only through their points of view, but also through the eyes of a player's parents, a referee, a newpaper editor, and a coach. He shows us snippets of their lives and puts them all together in this fascinating tale of the ecosystem that supports high school sports.
The characters who most grabbed my attention were Jamal and Marcus, the basketball team captain and his father. I enjoyed following their lives and watching both of them grow and overcome their obstacles.
I learned a ton of stuff about how the athletic systems work. Jaffe took me to jail, up and down a referee ladder, through summer leagues, and around coaching career dreams. If you're interested in seeing the guts of how high school sports work in a big city, you'll enjoy this book.
Yale Jaffe's "Advantage Disadvantage" weaves a plot around the money, politics, economics, and dreams of high school basketball.
Advantage/Disadvantage is the name of a con that a bookie has strung together with the help of a sports writer. But that's just one small piece of the book: Jaffe spins his story not only through their points of view, but also through the eyes of a player's parents, a referee, a newpaper editor, and a coach. He shows us snippets of their lives and puts them all together in this fascinating tale of the ecosystem that supports high school sports.
The characters who most grabbed my attention were Jamal and Marcus, the basketball team captain and his father. I enjoyed following their lives and watching both of them grow and overcome their obstacles.
I learned a ton of stuff about how the athletic systems work. Jaffe took me to jail, up and down a referee ladder, through summer leagues, and around coaching career dreams. If you're interested in seeing the guts of how high school sports work in a big city, you'll enjoy this book.
February 4, 2012
This book is a story of high school basketball...but it is about so much more than that. It is about inner city life, it is about coming of age, it is about gang wars, it is about family dynamics...there is A LOT to this book.
And yet, it works...mostly. It is an interesting story, and I did enjoy it. The characters were well developed and the story really had a lot of good about it. But, the dialogue was a serious struggle for me. I found that the dialogue didn't fit the characters at all...it felt forced, weak, out of character, and just wrong...I don't really know how to describe it, but it just seemed like the words didn't belong in the particular character's mouths...
Overall, it was a good story, but once again, I found myself wanting an editor to take a red pen to it...I've been reading a lot of these lately...unfortunately.
And yet, it works...mostly. It is an interesting story, and I did enjoy it. The characters were well developed and the story really had a lot of good about it. But, the dialogue was a serious struggle for me. I found that the dialogue didn't fit the characters at all...it felt forced, weak, out of character, and just wrong...I don't really know how to describe it, but it just seemed like the words didn't belong in the particular character's mouths...
Overall, it was a good story, but once again, I found myself wanting an editor to take a red pen to it...I've been reading a lot of these lately...unfortunately.
October 28, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed Advantage Disadvantage. Mr. Jaffe reveals the dark, ugly, almost evil side of high school basketball while also portraying the game in its truer side of passion, determination and drive to be one's best. Even as a writer of sports mysteries my stomach churned as I read some of the revolting shenanigans that Jaffe describes behind the scenes of the game. Fiction or not, it is clear that Jaffe's story is based on his experience and understanding of what goes on both on the court and off.
Whether you enjoy sports or not, Advantage Disadvantage is a compelling read and will keep you turning the pages as sub-plots within the twisted main plot are all tied together in the end.
Whether you enjoy sports or not, Advantage Disadvantage is a compelling read and will keep you turning the pages as sub-plots within the twisted main plot are all tied together in the end.
January 30, 2012
This book by Jaffe is an interesting read. It is a story a two cousins and what happens to them over the period of a few years. Normally they watch out for one another. However on the biggest score that one of them makes, does the other cousin really watch out for him or is more involved than that? The one cousin is a numbers man and runs his numbers on the local high schools. He is able to work both sides of many streets. That's enought of the story. I liked this book.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
November 24, 2009
Although I had some issues with the dialogue, the story line was interesting and engaging. I felt the characters were well developed and enjoyed the look inside the prep basketball world in the Chicago area.
waiting-2-be-read-kindle
June 11, 2011Note: Provided free by Amazon.com
June 24, 2012
I'm not sure if I had any expectations with this book. It was fine; just nothing super-noteworthy.
April 4, 2016
liked the story, didnt like that the guy got away with murder .. good character development in watching a young man mature into a good leader
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews