Rating: 
Summary: Blades of Glory-Perspective from a non-sports fan
Review: As a non-hockey fan (for that matter, a non-sports fan), John Rosengren's Blades of Glory seemed something of a long shot gift when a friend gave it to me. But what's important about this book has little to do with sports. I was appalled, and riveted by this fascinating book, which tells the personal story of children deprived of their childhoods by a must-win culture that forgot what is important about growing up. There's little fun or joy in their experiences in high school hockey, and the proof is the human toll: performance-enhancing drug use, and stress-related teenage dysfunction. For the kids Rosengren describes, hockey replaces what should have been a high school education and the broader learning that goes with it. Virtually none of them will make a living in hockey, but each of them focuses on the sport as though they were. This isn't a book just for sports nuts (though they will love the minutiae about the games themselves); it's for anyone who's concerned with affluent society's current preoccupation with the "success" of their children, and the lengths parents will go in pressuring children and teachers to produce winning specimens, whether it's in sports, academics, art, or music.
Rating:
Summary: Blades of Glory-Perspective from a non-sports fan
Review: As a non-hockey fan (for that matter, a non-sports fan), John Rosengren's Blades of Glory seemed something of a long shot gift when a friend gave it to me. But what's important about this book has little to do with sports. I was appalled, and riveted by this fascinating book, which tells the personal story of children deprived of their childhoods by a must-win culture that forgot what is important about growing up. There's little fun or joy in their experiences in high school hockey, and the proof is the human toll: performance-enhancing drug use, and stress-related teenage dysfunction. For the kids Rosengren describes, hockey replaces what should have been a high school education and the broader learning that goes with it. Virtually none of them will make a living in hockey, but each of them focuses on the sport as though they were. This isn't a book just for sports nuts (though they will love the minutiae about the games themselves); it's for anyone who's concerned with affluent society's current preoccupation with the "success" of their children, and the lengths parents will go in pressuring children and teachers to produce winning specimens, whether it's in sports, academics, art, or music.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping expose of a high school sports dynasty
Review: At face value, this book is an account of a season at a perennial high school hockey state champion. But at its core, the book describes the hard work, pressure, sacrifice, glory, and heartbreak that America's youth are subject to when they compete to be the very best at their chosen activity. Once I started the book, I had a hard time setting it down. I am a sports fan with a passion for hockey, but while reading the book I found myself looking through the eyes of a parent with a talented child. What would I be willing to do help them become a champion? What beliefs and values would I sacrificed for my child's victory? The author is a great storyteller, who holds nothing back in his account of what these boys encounter as they seek a championship.
Rating:
Summary: Great Story of a Hockey Powerhouse!
Review: For the hockey enthusiast or the novice reader, this book has it all. From the historical references of Minnesota High School hockey's past to the dynasty and powerhouse that was the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars, Rosengren recounts Tom Saterdalen's storied program perfectly. As a Jefferson grad in the mid-90's, I can honestly say I was hooked on this book from the get-go. Hockey was THE sport to be in at our school. I witnessed first-hand what was written about in this book, and it brought back some great memories. My hockey-playing friends and classmates went through a ton of pressure to make the program what it was. But you need not have been a Jaguar to appreciate such a legend as "Sats" and the awesome domination during his thirty-eight-year career behind the bench. He expected a lot out of his players, sometimes too much, but got results that yielded him immortality in the high school hockey coaching ranks. This book also goes in-depth into the lives of these high school hockey players: on the ice, in the classroom, and in their private lives. It explores substance abuse, suicide, peer pressure and other facets of teenage life on and off the playing field. It is truly an inspirational and well-written story, even if you've never heard of the Jefferson Jaguars.
Rating:
Summary: Great Story of a Hockey Powerhouse!
Review: For the hockey enthusiast or the novice reader, this book has it all. From the historical references of Minnesota High School hockey's past to the dynasty and powerhouse that was the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars, Rosengren recounts Tom Saterdalen's storied program perfectly. As a Jefferson grad in the mid-90's, I can honestly say I was hooked on this book from the get-go. Hockey was THE sport to be in at our school. I witnessed first-hand what was written about in this book, and it brought back some great memories. My hockey-playing friends and classmates went through a ton of pressure to make the program what it was. But you need not have been a Jaguar to appreciate such a legend as "Sats" and the awesome domination during his thirty-eight-year career behind the bench. He expected a lot out of his players, sometimes too much, but got results that yielded him immortality in the high school hockey coaching ranks. This book also goes in-depth into the lives of these high school hockey players: on the ice, in the classroom, and in their private lives. It explores substance abuse, suicide, peer pressure and other facets of teenage life on and off the playing field. It is truly an inspirational and well-written story, even if you've never heard of the Jefferson Jaguars.
Rating:
Summary: Humor, History, Controversy
Review: Humor, history and controversy: Blades of Glory has it all. More important, Rosengren taps into truth from a variety of perspectives, including those parents, players, coaches--and scouts whose livelihoods depend upon not just upon a prospect's potential but also his circumstances. But these aren't the reasons I selected the book in the first place. No, I picked up Blades of Glory because I'm a hockey fan (of all levels) and a hockey player; I selected the book because I have lived in Minnesota and have coached hockey (and other sports). I didn't know I'd learn so much about things I thought I knew about, and I didn't realize I'd get more than just a fleeting glimpse of the big hockey picture. There is a wide variety of hockey books sitting on the virtual shelves at Amazon.com: NHL autobiographies, training manuals and minor league misadventures. I have read many of these books. I'll continue to read them--and will enjoy them for what they are. But these other books won't likely be laced with the same doses of humanity and history as Blades of Glory. Jim Dwyer
AMHL Color Commentator
Rating:
Summary: Great story-telling
Review: I have to admit I'm not impartial. My two sons graduated from Jefferson and I am a long-time hockey fan. I finished the book in two days--I found it to be as much a page-turner as a John Grisham book. The author captures the personalities of the players and Sats, and he brings each game to life. I attended the heart-breaking loss to Eastview and felt the shock and sadness first-hand. His description almost brought me to tears, again. The book is funny, suspenseful, sad, and entertaining. He is a gifted author.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping expose of a high school sports dynasty
Review: I realy like this book, I just started reading it and I'm totally hooked. I'm not a big hockey fan so I think a little bit is lost on me, but this book really draws you into the characters in the traditions of the best sports stories. The whole "parent of student athlete" is captured well and that's probably something we all need to be talking more about.
Rating: 
Summary: Seabiscuit on skates
Review: I realy like this book, I just started reading it and I'm totally hooked. I'm not a big hockey fan so I think a little bit is lost on me, but this book really draws you into the characters in the traditions of the best sports stories. The whole "parent of student athlete" is captured well and that's probably something we all need to be talking more about.
Rating:
Summary: Blades of Glory bare Sharp Edges!
Review: I've been taken somewhere I've never been, and shown something we all need to see. Rosengren starts this story where others leave us hanging. If nothing operates in a vacuum, why does the desire to win suck us in? What is lost in winning? Rosengren puts you in a front row seat and let's you decide. For me, the answer is painful. What a read.
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