Hollywood Jock

May 1, 2006
Although the conceit for Ryder's sloppily entertaining book is to cover one year in his life—at the end of which he was determined to decide whether or not to just quit Hollywood and find a real job—there's no real drama awaiting readers at the end, as it's perfectly clear he'll never leave this life. Ryder's a semijock and gifted scrounger who's been making a living in the nexus of film, journalism and sport since the mid-1970s, experiencing everything from getting whacked with a baseball bat on the set of The Warriors
to serving as technical consultant on sports films like White Men Can't Jump
. The weekly "Hollywood Jock" columns he wrote for ESPN.com, detailing his daily hustle of pushing new projects and trying to keep the money rolling in, are the bulk of Ryder's book. While professional freelancers will likely be uplifted by Ryder's braggadocio and impressive ability to cadge a small paycheck out of seemingly every random wrinkle in his life, readers looking for the true inside dope on celebrity and athletes won't find much to gawk at.

May 15, 2006
Jock-of-all trades Ryder is running out of time: he needs the big score. And though a celebrated, self-referential ESPN.com column might seem to qualify, nope, that -s small potatoes. His wife -s given him one year to get a screenplay produced, or he -s out. That -s the start of this narrative, and you have a 50 percent chance of guessing the finish, so it -s the daily grind of pitch meetings, phone tag, endless waiting, rejections, and neuroses that really make the book. Who knew that watching the slow progression of one man -s nervous breakdown could be so fun? Ryder -s writing is compelling, hinged somewhere between Woody Allen -s manic depression and Tom Arnold -s goofy machismo, with a dash of streetwise gonzo storytelling. Unfortunately, the adaptation of Ryder -s columns into a more linear -countdown - format weakens the book, which loses steam when ESPN cancels the column with a few chapters to go. At its best, "Hollywood Jock" flies by in a messy rush of free associating, anecdotes, and chronic self-doubt. Sports fanatics, gossipmongers, and casual readers alike will find something at which to either laugh or groan. This one will stand out proudly amid the usual Hollywood tell-alls; for larger public and academic libraries." - Matthew Moyer, Jacksonville P.L., FL"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.