This is the crafty tale of Luke the Hun, a fearsome warrior and a pretty good option quarterback, who decides to go straight, to become a man of peace and dreams, and to find the one right answer. He searches the world, gathers words of wisdom from dragons and trolls, cavemen and farmer's daughters, finally meets Jesus and returns home healed: with strength of kings and words of praise of his own.This book has almost everything. Dragons, Genies and Trolls; princes and fair maidens; talking animals and a really tough fish; Huns and Vikings; Cavemen and Canadians; bread and circuses; fistfights and fishermen; brass knuckles and basketball, euchre games and lacrosse battles; the snows of Baffin Island and the swamps of Atlantis; bus chases and space travel; angels and aliens; bluesmen speaking softly and sea serpents speaking Portuguese; the biography of a king, and the journal of everyman; and last and best, Jesus Christ our Lord. All pleasantly garnished with slogans and banners, sestinas and limericks, haikus and knock-knock jokes, an aroma of postmodernism and a hearty portion of old-fashioned values, simmered in a tasteful sauce of joviality, spirituality, and Cornhusker references. It has everything but surprise endings, that is. Coz I’ll tell ya now: ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.’This book is for almost everyone. For Christians, may you find something in it, some stories or phrases, to stretch your faith, steel your resolve, strengthen your commitments. Or, just dig on the corny humor (it’s harmless). And maybe it’s the kind of book you could lend to a friend.For skeptics and searchers, may you find something in it, some poems or sermons to challenge your faith--to create some questions, or to answer some, and to encourage an open and willing spirit: so that you may begin to seek God, and in seeking, to find! (Remembering the wise words of Hans Denck: “When you hear your brother say something that is strange to you do not immediately argue with him, but listen to see whether he may be right and you also can accept it. If you cannot understand him you must not judge him, and if you think that he may be in error, consider that you may be in greater error.”) For the gospel of Christ is true. Don’t be afraid to at least consider it. Begin with that. I was a scoffer once too. It wasn’t until I seriously searched, not until I first humbled myself enough to admit ‘Maybe I’m wrong’, that I finally saw truth I never could have dreamed of, miracles I always would have missed! But mostly I write this book for myself: Any lessons I would pass on, I must first hear myself. When I write another man’s story, I doubtless project a little of my own, and when I read of another man’s life, I must evaluate my own life as well. If anything in these pages blesses you, know that it has blessed me also. I have written what I have written. Each chapter began as an act of faith, and ended by drawing me closer to God. It’s always that way.So here it is: the story of Luke the Hun, a fearsome warrior and a pretty good option quarterback, who decided to go straight, to become a man of peace and dreams, and to find the one right answer.His story takes place on the pretty planet of Timnalauren, which is kinda like Earth in some respects, different in others. As the legendary Bertralamus J explains it, Timnalauren was the world he designed for a fantasy role-playing game, with monsters and treasures, and middle-ages technology...except then they couldn’t help sprucing it up with all the good stuff they liked from Earth! We’ll have fun there too. Not everything is where you would expect it to be, but everything is where it needs to be.Whether the pretty planet of Timnalauren and its people are real or merely a clever fiction I know not. I only know that I have been among them: driving buses, cracking jokes, and eating sandwiches. The one thing I am sure of is, wherever they are, whether in some strange corner of the mind, or in some far-off corner of God’s creation, they are perpetually working out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Should not we who certainly exist do likewise? Views: 793
The Hunter's Burden, a two act play written by Jamie McKinven, follows the Birmingham Brahmas, a minor league hockey team starving for relevance in the midst of an economic downturn. An endless string of pranks, cantankerous trainers and eccentric goalies highlight this hilarious tale as the Brahmas walk a fine line between budding potential and swift demise in the dog-eat-dog world of pro sports.The Hunter's Burden, a two act play written by Jamie McKinven (author of "Tales from the Bus Leagues" and "So You Want Your Kid to Play Pro Hockey?"), follows the Birmingham Brahmas, a minor league hockey team starving for relevance in the midst of an economic downturn. Led by their grizzled captain, Charlie Magill, and well-travelled coach, Jack Norton, the Brahmas walk a fine line between budding promise and swift demise in the dog-eat-dog world of minor league sports. An endless string of pranks, grumpy trainers and eccentric goalies highlight this hilarious ride through hockey’s unique culture. Views: 205
Review"The sports book of the year, or maybe the decade, or maybe the century."—The Globe and Mail"A work of art that defines and represents our game."—Hockey News"[Dryden] has written a very special book, possibly the best [hockey book] I have ever read. His affectionate yet realistic portrait of the players is unrivalled in hockey writing."—Mordecai RichlerThe Game has lost none of its luster since its original publication in 1983, and remains the one book every hockey fan must know....This backstage look at one of hockey’s greatest teams remains one of the best books ever published on any sport."—David Gowdey"An enduring classic, Ken Dryden's The Game has lost none of its luster since its original publication in 1983, and remains the one book every hockey fan must know...This backstage look at one of the best books ever published on any sport."—David GowdeySports Illustrated: One of "The Top 100 Best Sports Books of All Time" (number nine).· Top hockey book.· Top Canadian sports book.· Top book written solely by an athlete.University of Toronto Review: One of "The Top 100 English-Canadian Books of the 20th Century."Named by Sports Illustrated in 2002 as one of the Top Ten in "The Top 100 Best Sports Books of All Time." It was the number-one hockey book on the list.9: "Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden was always different. A Cornell grad, he led Montreal to six Stanley Cups, then at 26 sat out a year to prepare for the bar exam. His book is different too: a well-crafted account of his career combined with a meditation on hockey’s special place in Canadian culture.""The best hockey book ever written."—Quill & Quire"If you haven’t seen hockey through Dryden’s eyes, you should."—The Toronto Sun"A [hockey] book so rare that there is actually nothing to compare it to."—Scott Young"A first-rate discussion of hockey by one of hockey’s first-rate players and first-rate minds....Essential reading for anyone serious about hockey as an important part of Canadian life."—Hamilton Spectator"_The Game_ is a beautifully written, insightful, perceptive, revealing look at hockey."—Toronto Star"A book about Ken Dryden, about Quebec, about the rest of Canada, and most of all, a loving book about a special sport."—New York Times"We always wondered what he was thinking about whenever the play stopped and he struck his characteristic pose resting his chin on his goal stick. Now we know. He was composing one of the best hockey books ever written....There is a ‘you are there’ quality to the prose as the author-goalie lets you see everything through his eyes, spicing his vivid descriptions with personal reflections and observations...._The Game_ succeeds both as an inside look at hockey and a portrait of an articulate athlete who knew when to quit."—Winnipeg Free Press"_The Game_ is a brilliant adventure into ourselves. It makes all other books about the sport look preliminary."—Calgary Herald"The best Canadian sports book in years."—Calgary Sun"An incredible memoir, a poetic journey through the life of Les Canadiens. It rises above being just a book about hockey. It’s a book about people, the fragile, delicate moments on the edge of fame and glory, failure and disillusionment. Dryden’s The Game is the complete hockey book."—Windsor Star"As Dryden reminisces, we are presented with a portrait, in broad and vivid strokes, of the players who comprised the best team in professional hockey....All the ingredients of a winner."—Victoria Times-Colonist"No one has ever delivered an account of our national sport as deep as this. On a scale of 1 to 10, give the guy his sweater number—29."—Regina Leader-PostProduct DescriptionWidely acknowledged as the best hockey book ever written and lauded by Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 10 Sports Books of All Time, The Game is a reflective and thought-provoking look at a life in hockey. Intelligent and insightful, former Montreal Canadiens goalie and former President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ken Dryden captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans. He gives us vivid and affectionate portraits of the characters — Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard, and coach Scotty Bowman among them — that made the Canadiens of the 1970s one of the greatest hockey teams in history. But beyond that, Dryden reflects on life on the road, in the spotlight, and on the ice, offering up a rare inside look at the game of hockey and an incredible personal memoir. This commemorative edition marks the 20th anniversary of The Game's original publication. It includes black and white photography from the Hockey Hall of Fame and a new chapter from the author. Take a journey to the heart and soul of the game with this timeless hockey classic. Views: 148
From the bestselling author and Hall of Famer Ken Dryden, this is the story of NHLer Steve Montador—who was diagnosed with CTE after his death in 2015—the remarkable evolution of hockey itself, and a passionate prescriptive to counter its greatest risk in the future: head injuries. Ken Dryden's The Game is acknowledged as the best book about hockey, and one of the best books about sports ever written. Then came Home Game (with Roy MacGregor), also a major TV-series, in which he explored hockey's significance and what it means to Canada and Canadians. Now, in his most powerful and important book yet, Game Change, Ken Dryden tells the riveting story of one player's life, examines the intersection between science and sport, and expertly documents the progression of the game of hockey—where it began, how it got to where it is, where it can go from here and, just as exciting to play and watch, how it can get there. Views: 141
