Rating: 
Summary: Update to a 1999 Sports Headliner
Review: In 1999, the Orange County, California newspaper ran a front page article about Billy Bean. Not knowing a thing about him (but being a baseball fan), I read the story and found out that he came out of the closet. I was so deeply hidden in the closet, that only when he revealed that "I wish I had done this sooner" did I look inward and tell myself that this could be me. He was my inspiration to come out. And when I learned that he wrote a book, I snatched up a copy as soon as I could get it. I was not disappointed. And through an often painful story, Billy portrays what it is like to be in a world that is very much anti-gay. What is disturbing is that while this is MLB, this could be many aspects of our society. After reading what he went through, it is my hope that people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs read this book to understand that it is not being gay or straight that matters. It is about being human beings to one another and Billy has given the gay community a visible and positive example of what good can come with determination, strength, and above all, support. I recommend this book to everyone, especially those that don't know a thing about being gay for it is you that may be called upon next to help and listen to your own son, daughter, brother, sister, or friend tell their own tale like Billy did.
Rating:
Summary: Update to a 1999 Sports Headliner
Review: In 1999, the Orange County, California newspaper ran a front page article about Billy Bean. Not knowing a thing about him (but being a baseball fan), I read the story and found out that he came out of the closet. I was so deeply hidden in the closet, that only when he revealed that "I wish I had done this sooner" did I look inward and tell myself that this could be me. He was my inspiration to come out. And when I learned that he wrote a book, I snatched up a copy as soon as I could get it. I was not disappointed. And through an often painful story, Billy portrays what it is like to be in a world that is very much anti-gay. What is disturbing is that while this is MLB, this could be many aspects of our society. After reading what he went through, it is my hope that people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs read this book to understand that it is not being gay or straight that matters. It is about being human beings to one another and Billy has given the gay community a visible and positive example of what good can come with determination, strength, and above all, support. I recommend this book to everyone, especially those that don't know a thing about being gay for it is you that may be called upon next to help and listen to your own son, daughter, brother, sister, or friend tell their own tale like Billy did.
Rating:
Summary: Wow.
Review: Just when you thought you didn't need to read another story about someone struggling with coming to terms with being gay.. along comes Billy Bean.While Mr. Bean's story is fairly "common" in the sense that many, many men have gone through similar things, they did not have the dubious honor of going through them all on the MLB scene. Imagine the average level of homophobic jerks on the playground in school and multiply it by 1000 and you may have the idea of what it must be like to go through life as a gay man in our completely heterosexualized sporting environment. I've read a number of articles written about and by Billy in the last few years, and was hoping that one day he would put it all into a book. Thankfully, he has. You can never get too much inspiration or encouragement, and even for those of us already out of the closet, it's an affirming story that reminds us why we did it in the first place. Highly recommended. (May also want to check out "Becoming a Man" - the autobiography of famed gay fiction/poetry writer Paul Monette.)
Rating:
Summary: An inside look at an unbelievable story
Review: This book is a simple masterpiece. It is far from being just a book about baseball, however, if you are a baseball fan this is a must read. It is a look inside the game of baseball that I guarantee has never been told. Billy Bean was the All-American boy. Great athlete, straight "A" student, you couldn't even make up a character that more closely fit the description. Living out his childhood dreams of playing major league baseball, even playing with players he grew up idolizing. Marrying the perfect girl from a well to do family, he had it all. Or at least what many would consider all. How Billy Bean managed to keep his secret from everyone including friends and family while dealing with the pressures of competing at the major league level is hard to imagine. Especially when you factor in his fear of what would happen is his secret was found out while he was still playing. What would the teammates and management think? How would the fans react? I can tell you no matter how open minded even the majority of fans might be, it would have been ugly. Every game on the road and even at home they would take any opportunity to scream out insults and be especially unforgiving when he failed to come through with a big hit or defensive play. This book will challenge you to come to terms with how you feel about someone's sexual orientation. It is obvious from the years he had to keep this a secret that there are still too many people who are not ready to accept it. This is a great story, and this book will be talked about for years to come. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: An inspired life
Review: This book is about a kid who grew up in America with basically the same dreams as most of the rest of us. However, he had the benefit of a determined spirit that pushed him to acheive those dreams. Oh ya, and he happens to be gay and played major league baseball. So it is also a unique inside look at what professional athletes go through to remain competitive and "fit in". His decisions have clearly been based on his love for the game, the people in his life, and his deep felt convictions. I enjoyed going on this journey with Billy Bean and think this book brings a new and untapped perspective to the American literary world and professional sports alike. Bravo Billy for telling it like it is!
Rating:
Summary: Great telling of gay life in a hetero world
Review: This book is very well written and really hits home (pardon the pun) about the stress and hardships faced by any gay man in public...especially when you are know by many people and are in the spotlight. I believe the book shows everyone gay or straight exactly what gay people go through trying to fit in to a straight world. Billy Bean's story is very inriguing and poignant.
Rating:
Summary: You're life will come to a standstill while reading this.
Review: This is such a compelling read. I finished it in a day. It gives you a good look inside MLB and a sense of how much fun it must have been and how stressful it must have been. Billy Bean and Chris Bull have done an awesome job crafting this. I'm only sorry I'm done reading it. Maybe there'll be a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Strong and Honest.
Review: When I first saw an ad for this book, my eyes swept right over it without a pause. I'd never heard of Billy Bean, and know little about baseball (more of a hockey fan), so it really didn't grab my attention. However, a couple days later I saw that he was signing his book at the local gay bookstore, so thought I'd pop in to see what the big deal was . . . and grab a copy just in case. I was not disappointed. In "Going the Other Way," Billy Bean takes you through his sports career, from humble beginnings as a kid in several sports (like most of us) to the ups and downs of a major-league career in baseball. The first half of the book does not deal much with his sexual orientation, but you see hints of his inner struggle. Later on, Billy explains the fear, shame, questioning, and hiding that most gay men face at some time in their lives. He is very honest about the difficulties he faced as he attempted to deny being gay, later tried to live two different lives, and finally gave up sports to find love and happiness. And even then his struggles were not over. I wish that everyone could get to meet Billy Bean, hear him read his story, and just listen to him for a short while. From the short bit I saw in person, the honesty and feeling in the book are truly reflected in the author himself. His is a story that both straights and gays, athletes and non-athletes can enjoy. And it's a story that needs to be told.
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