Description: "Whether it be Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods or Pat Riley or Urban Meyer, Wright Thompson strips the away the self-serving myths and fantasies to reveal his characters in full. There are fascinating common denominators: it may not be the case that every single great performer or coach had a complex relationship with his father, but it can sure seem that way. And there is much marvelous local knowledge: about specific sports, and times and places, and people. Ludicrously entertaining and often powerfully moving, The Cost of These Dreams is an ode to the reporter's art, and a celebration of true greatness and the high price that it exacts"--
Review Quotes: ""Thompson has written some of the most important pieces of contemporary sports journalism . . . demonstrating unparalleled insight into the lives of the most compelling figures in sport. . . . This volume elevates reporting and writing that was already operating above the rim." --The New York Times
"Knockout sportswriting from Wright Thompson . . . Mr. Thompson is an investigator of men's souls, though his writing is as much about the search for clues as it is about what he finds. . . . None of these pieces are strictly sports stories, but all exemplify the high purpose to which so much sports writing aspires today." --Wall Street Journal "Wright is a supremely gifted writer who cuts through the mythology with a scalpel." --The National Book Review "[Thompson] demonstrates his storytelling talents by probing the personalities of some of the biggest names in sports, both past and present, including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Ted Williams, and Bear Bryant." --Christian Science Monitor "Mississippi native Wright Thompson is not only the best active sportswriter in America but also one of the best writers, period. This collection compiles his greatest pieces." --Men's Journal "Thompson demonstrates his talent, deftly portraying a diverse cast of athletes and coaches. . . . [He] also brilliantly reprises the riots and other events surrounding James Meredith's enrollment at Ole Miss in 1962 and the school's outstanding football team during that tumultuous year." --Booklist "Thompson's abundant strengths as a long-form journalist are evident on nearly every page.... Richly researched and textured writing that reveals the humanity of the author's subjects." --Kirkus Reviews