Book Review

    This month's book review is about Ron Santo:  For Love of Ivy.  an autobiography with Randy Minkoff.

    Ron Santo was third baseman for the Chicago Cubs from 1959 to 1974.  He developed type 1 diabetes at the age of 18, the year before he started playing for the Cubs.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Santo presents a positive image for living with diabetes and participating in sports.  In the forward Johnny Bench lists determination, excellence, and dedication as qualities that set Ron Santo apart from other athletes he's known.  I think that the challenges that diabetic athletes face help to give them a better work ethic in which determination, excellence, and dedication as common characteristics.

   Ron Santo describes the learning process that goes along with being diabetic.  In his book, he describes how he read as much as possible about diabetes.  He also describes his denial of the disease when he was first diagnosed.  He didn't publicly announce that he was diabetic until 1971.  In his book he describes an incident's of times when he was low, but none of his teammates even knew that he was diabetic.

    However, this book isn't just about being diabetic.   The book tell's about Santo's career as a baseball player, his pizza business, and his friendships.  You don't need to know anything about diabetes to appreciate this book, but if you do it will make the book even more enjoyable.  In commenting on living with diabetes Santo say's "It does CHANGE your life but it doesn't have to AFFECT the way you live."

 

    FAVORITE PART:  Ron is on a real hitting streak.   At the time, he was unintentionally forgotten to tell his roommate about his diabetes.  His roommate knows that Santo get's up every morning to give himself a shot, but he doesn't realize why.  One day at the dinner table he say's to Santo..."Listen roomie, I hate needles, but you're hitting .320 and I'm hitting .220.   Whatever it is, I want it."

 

On a scale of one to ten, I would give this book a ten.  It appeals to all audiences and it is funny.