Rating: 
Summary: Kentucky's Domain of Power,Greed and Corruption
Review: I believe Jim Murray is doing a tongue in cheek- he actually gives the book a high rating so I think his comments are teasers to get the readers in Ky to think and read the book no matter if it lowers the opinions of the Big Blue Zealots etc Honesty is never out of style-Truth can always bear being examined-Ky has had glorious times in sports but it has also had its dark ages and pages-the fans cannot just claim the good and disclaim the bad- it is all of one cloth- Ellison merely tells it like it was found in her research and definitely allows the reader to see when she has her own interpretation and leaves the reader to make their own judgements -honoring their own intellect integrity and dignity
Rating: 
Summary: Freedom of Speech and Opinion or Expression is Wonderful
Review: It is nice that we have a difference of opinion on the book in question or it wouldn't be worth the paper it is printed on or the years of work researching and writing the book -controversy sells more than complacency-the reviewer is right Ellison knows nothing just something about the topic she chose to write about since she attended the school for both BA and MA degrees,researched in school's libraries,archives,presidential papers as well as the other resources like newspapers and other books on the subjects-no it was not written from inside of the program for it is seldom that a person deeply involved with something of this nature can be honestly critical of the subject even when trying -that is human nature -maybe a little more seasoning in this reviewers life will give him a different perspective not only on UK Sports but Life itself-but at least it appears he did learn to read before he entered college which is a plus many students do not have in today's educational enviroment-they can play ball but cannot read and write -a fact not a fiction because of the sports programs eating up monies needed for academics and children raised more to play games than to work and earn their way in life -but we all enjoy freedom of speech in this nation so far so thanks for sharing yours with us
Rating: 
Summary: Good references...bad attitude
Review: Ms. Ellison's book is an interesting one, from the sheer fact that it tries to tackle head-on Kentucky's past, exposing the scandals, corruption and deceit which has occurred during the course of more than 100 years. It is true that quite a few of the issues and information Boles brings up have not generally been reported in the [relatively vast] literature which has been published on the most successful college basketball program in history. It also no doubt took courage for Ellison to examine more recent events and to force the powers that be to divulge this information.However, despite the courage and despite the years she spent researching and writing the book, it doesn't make it an extremely reliable one, nor one which should be considered objective. Ellison's tone and assumptions about distant people and their motivations strain any credibility the book might otherwise deserve. According to her, anyone and everyone who was ever associated with UK athletics automatically joins the "good old boys," a undefined and apparently timeless network of morally corrupt people she refers to throughout the text who, according to her, do nothing but drink, gamble, swear and spend their time trying to cheat and swindle money from the University, break amateur regulations and otherwise undermine academic progress at the University. One example is her characterization of John J. Tigert, who was a distinguished graduate of Vanderbilt, a Rhodes Scholar, chair of Philosophy at UK, Commissioner of Education for the Harding and Coolidge administrations, President of the University of Florida where he played the key role in expanding the university while strengthening the academics and research and also helped plan India's system of higher education. Despite these seemingly impressive academic credentials, Ellison lumps him in as just another of the "good old boys." Tigert assumed athletic director and coaching responsibilities in the teens for the UK men's basketball team (and later women's basketball team) when the head coach abruptly quit. This type of characterization of those associated with UK athletics is repeated time and again in the book. In lieu of facts, she often intersperses her own personal commentary and assumptions. Items such as "I suspect ..." or "I've always felt..." are randomly interspersed throughout the text. That's not to say that the criticism Ellison dishes out isn't on-target or deserved, I'm sure a lot of it is, however Ellison is apparently not objective enough to discern either way and unwilling to back up her assertions with hard facts. Her penchant for casting everything related to those associated with UK in a negative manner makes it virtually impossible for the reader to determine what is valid and what is not, and ultimately to take much of it seriously. Her broad characterizations don't just pertain to individuals, but is used to broadly sweep events also. Her characterization of the development of Kentucky sporting life up until the late 1800's is "With no Indians to be chased, Kentuckians looked for another avenue of action and a way to settle their arguments." Ellison also fails to put the athletics program into proper perspective. While today it is a multi-million dollar enterprise, that was certainly not always the case. More often than not, the early sports teams played to a handful of spectators, little to no media coverage, a shoe-string budget and no scholarships. I would liken it to "club" status at Universities today. Yet Ellison's portrayal of people associated with UK athletics as being in some sort of grand scheme to become outrageously wealthy and powerful through UK athletics, whether it appears realistic for the time or not. Whether she's discussing the 1990's or the 1890's, it's of little consequence in Ellison's portrayal of sports at Kentucky as a powerful negative force. In terms of accuracy and knowledge of the subject, Ellison often misses in a lot of places and exposes her own shaky knowledge of the topics at hand. For example, she claims Central University was in Richmond in 1913, when the university had moved to Danville the decade previous. She boldly claims that UK's all-time record is incorrect, because she 'discovered' that UK had an exhibition game which wasn't counted. Any casual fan knows that exhibition games aren't counted in all-time results. She apparently didn't realize that Helms titles prior to the early 1940's were awarded retroactively etc. Her characterization of the 1913 Arson Scandal is a complete mess. In typical fashion, she paints the situation in the worst possible light, glossing over many key details and freely interspersing her own prejudices into the motivations and habits of the main characters, all of whom are long since deceased. Instead of trying to understand why people may have acted the way they did given the circumstances, Ellison assumes the worst about people she couldn't possibly have known and then moves on to throw mud on the next person. Perhaps more revealing is that much of what Ellison discusses in the early part of her book was covered much more thoroughly and more objectively by Gregory Kent Stanley, who received a PhD in history from UK (the very same program Ellison was in) and published "Before Big Blue" many years before Ellison's book came out. Only with the aid of Stanley's book can much of Ellison's casual, slanted and spotty portrayal of early events make any sense. Amazingly, Stanley's book isn't mentioned once in Ellison's extensive references or bibliography. Given the poor job Ellison did concerning the early years of UK, one has to wonder how valid her portrayal of later years are. Which is a shame, since as mentioned, a lot of the more recent information and situations detailed in the book are simply not found anywhere else to date.
Rating:
Summary: Can Not Read
Review: Please tell me how I can, either speak to a customer service rep. or send a notice to someone. I received a book, with the proper title "Kentucky's Domaine of Power, Greed and Corruption", however upon opening it, I found that the contents were "The Sighted Singer", a book on poetry. I have no idea on what I should do. I tried to get into my account, but have forgotten my password. I followed the procedure 3-4 times, and can't get an e-mail, from you giving me the password. Please e-mail me, as what I should do.... If I don't hear from ypu soon, I know nothing to but file a dispute with American Express, which will stop the payment. I would like to have the book, but I can find no way to speak yo anyone, except through this review. I hope you can help me.
Rating:
Summary: So mad, I'm seeing Blue!
Review: Regardless of the sources she used for her book, in the Bluegrass State it borders on sacreligion for an author to portray the Big Blue as Betty Ellison does in "Kentucky's Domain of Power, Greed and Corruption". How dare she accuse my Wildcats of anything below level as they annually attempt to add yet another NCAA banner to those already hoisted high above the playing floor of Rupp Arena! (Its actually a "don't-put-down" book that will make you very aware of the behind-the-scenes activities in Lexington).
Rating:
Summary: The Shame Remains
Review: Thanks to Ms. Ellison, our friends in Lexington have another opportunity to correct their ways. One of the most penalized schools in NCAA history, the University of Kentucky has not changed much since the basketball team had to cancel two seasons in the 1950s because of player involvement in gambling scandals. Back in the early 90's, a new athletic director was hired, pledging to clean things up. And things did appear to have changed on the surface. However, within less than a decade, the football team has been cited for more than 35 violations of NCAA rules, including some major violations. One of the problems UK inherently faces is the expectations of many fans in the state whose entire lives seem to revolve around the program. Not that this is unique to UK, but Kentucky's fans place UK right up there with the heavenly kingdom. UK can do no wrong, as far as they're concerned. Anything to the contrary is considered a direct attack on their holy grail. Ms. Ellison has done a great job of illustrating the problems surrounding the UK legacy.
Rating:
Summary: The Shame Remains
Review: Thanks to Ms. Ellison, our friends in Lexington have another opportunity to correct their ways. One of the most penalized schools in NCAA history, the University of Kentucky has not changed much since the basketball team had to cancel two seasons in the 1950s because of player involvement in gambling scandals. Back in the early 90's, a new athletic director was hired, pledging to clean things up. And things did appear to have changed on the surface. However, within less than a decade, the football team has been cited for more than 35 violations of NCAA rules, including some major violations. One of the problems UK inherently faces is the expectations of many fans in the state whose entire lives seem to revolve around the program. Not that this is unique to UK, but Kentucky's fans place UK right up there with the heavenly kingdom. UK can do no wrong, as far as they're concerned. Anything to the contrary is considered a direct attack on their holy grail. Ms. Ellison has done a great job of illustrating the problems surrounding the UK legacy.
Rating:
Summary: Freedom of Speech and Opinion or Expression is Wonderful
Review: The first time I read this book it was called Bluegrass Conspiracy, with good sources. This piece of trash is from someone who has little to no first hand knowlege of the University of Kentucky. She claims to be behind the scenes. What scenes, she had no real connection to the program. She seems to be mean spirited and bitter towards people who she has never met or had any meaningful contact with. Maybe it's the fact that she was forced to go to the west coast to get this rag published, or the fact that the only place in Lexington that carries this book is the airport. The shock value of the book makes it entertaining reading, but the national enquirer is a lot cheaper (and more accurate).
Rating:
Summary: Garbage
Review: The first time I read this book it was called Bluegrass Conspiracy, with good sources. This piece of trash is from someone who has little to no first hand knowlege of the University of Kentucky. She claims to be behind the scenes. What scenes, she had no real connection to the program. She seems to be mean spirited and bitter towards people who she has never met or had any meaningful contact with. Maybe it's the fact that she was forced to go to the west coast to get this rag published, or the fact that the only place in Lexington that carries this book is the airport. The shock value of the book makes it entertaining reading, but the national enquirer is a lot cheaper (and more accurate).
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book gives a detailed account of the decades of corruption surrounding the university of kentucky's athletics program. Otherwise known as the "Dirtiest Program in the History of College Athletics."
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