Joe layden author biography example

PERSONAL:

Born 1959.

CAREER:

Freelance publication writer and author.

WRITINGS:

(With Frank Coffey) Thin Ice: The Complete, Loose-fitting Story of Tonya Harding, America's Bad Girl of Ice Skating, Windsor Publishing (New York, NY), 1994.

Domestic Violence, Millbrook Press (Brookfield, CN), 1995.

The Great American Ball Strike, Millbrook Press (Brookfield, CN), 1995.

(With Frank Coffey) America formation Wheels: The First 100 Years: 1896-1996, General Publishing Group (Los Angeles, CA), 1996.

Dream Team 1996 Scrapbook, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Return of a Champion: Nobility Monica Seles Story, St.

Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1996.

USA Basketball, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

(With Charles Haley) All grandeur Rage: The Life of fraudster NFL Renegade, Andrews McMeel Heralding (Kansas City, MS), 1997.

(With Carl Waldman and Jamy Ian Swiss) The Art of Magic: Glory Companion to the PBS Special, General Publishing Group (Los Angeles, CA), 1997.

Dribble, Shoot, Score!, Lettered (New York, NY), 1997.

Meet justness Los Angeles Lakers, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1997.

(With James Preller) NBA Game Day, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1997.

Notre Dame Acreage A-Z, Taylor Publishing (Dallas, TX), 1997.

Women in Sports: The Precise Book on the World's Unchanging Female Athletes, General Publishing Rank (Los Angeles, CA), 1997.

Kobe: Honourableness Story of the NBA's Uphill Young Star Kobe Bryant, Musician Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1998.

(With James Preller) Inside the WNBA: A Behind-the-Scenes Photo Scrapbook, School (New York, NY), 1999.

NBA Sweltering amorous Shots, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1999.

The Grand Ole Opry Sovereign state Christmas Album: Celebrating America's Selection Holiday with the Legends provision Country Music, Berkley Boulevard Books (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Honourableness Rock) The Rock Says—: Loftiness Most Electrifying Man in Sports-Entertainment, Regan Books (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Basil DiVito) Wrestlemania: Glory Official Insider's History, Regan Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Burton Snowboards' Pro Riders: No Limits, Theoretical (New York, NY), 2001.

Xtreme Sports: Fast Track, Scholastic (New Royalty, NY), 2002.

All about Apolo, Character Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Amye Leong) Get a Grip!

A Take-charge Approach to Climb on with Arthritis, J.P. Tarcher/Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Mike Kersjes) A Smile as Big variety the Moon: A Teacher, Sovereign Class, and Their Unforgettable Journey, St. Martin's Press (New Dynasty, NY), 2002.

(With Chuck Zito) Street Justice, St.

Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Steve Parish) Home before Daylight: My Discernment on the Road with magnanimity Grateful Dead, St. Martin's Look (New York, NY), 2003.

Xtreme Sports: Summer, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Sean Astin) There scold Back Again: An Actor's Tale, St. Martin's Press (New Royalty, NY), 2004.

National Football League Master Bowl: Inside the World's Focal point Game, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Peter Salgo) The Ring up of the Matter: The Match up Key Breakthroughs to Preventing In a straight line Attacks, Morrow (New York, NY), 2004.

Rising Stars, NFL, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

Super Bowl: Superior Quarterbacks, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

The Last Great Fight: Character Extraordinary Tale of Two Other ranks and How One Fight Denaturised Their Lives Forever, St.

Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2007.

(With Nathan Sassaman) Warrior King: Ethics Triumph and Betrayal of upshot American Commander in Iraq, Measures. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2008.

SIDELIGHTS:

Since 1994 Joe Layden has written or coauthored numerous books, many of them sports biographies or surveys for young male readers.

Layden started on goodness darker side of sports chirography, with a biography of Tonya Harding in 1994. The job year he wrote Domestic Violence, which was geared toward educating middle-school students, but also locked away a sports connection, using grandeur O.J. Simpson trial as expert thematic hook. Eunice Weech submit the School Library Journal perform Domestic Violence "readable [and] detailed."

The Great American Baseball Strike, further published in 1995, explains go on a trip young readers the causes worldly the 1994 strike that finished the World Series.

Todd Forenoon of the School Library Journal appreciated that "Layden presents ideas in a well-organized and easy on the pocket manner" while "giving a sunny summary of the sometimes development historical events that brought create the strike." A Kirkus Reviews contributor found Layden's discussion, "simply presented, without taking sides."

In 1997 two of Layden's broader-scoped projects drew critical attention.

NBA Sport Day is a photo make a reservation in which twenty-six photographers edifying document a typical day get through to an NBA player's life. Layden and James Preller cowrote birth accompanying text, which Nancy Zachary of Voice of Youth Advocates found "worthwhile" in the ride of an "interesting focus subject artful production." In the Bulletin of the Center for Low-ranking Books, Elizabeth Bush considered NBA Game Day "long on picture and short on essay," announcement the text "brief and breezy." Women in Sports looks avoid female athletes from a school group of sports over the previous century.

Two hundred fifty athletes are profiled in 600-word essays, which S.H.M. Reekie of Choice felt were "high on ‘feel good’ factor, although Layden does mention some individual controversies."

Layden wrote two promotional books centered chew over the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment): a coauthored autobiography of WWF superstar loftiness Rock, and a look popular the wrestling leagues' annual Wrestlemania event.

A critic from Publishers Weekly found Wrestlemania: The Accredited Insider's History to be "written engagingly and smoothly."

Since 2002, Layden has moved away from righteousness sports genre and has covert topics such as living farm arthritis, inspirational teachers and their classes, and the Grateful Stop midstream. Published in 2002, A Cheer up as Big as the Moon: A Teacher, His Class, obscure Their Unforgettable Journey, which Layden coauthored with special-education teacher Microphone Kersjes, tells Kersjes' account interrupt how he overcame many fabulous obstacles to bring his small-town high school class to NASA's space camp in Huntsville, River.

Many critics were impressed with the notebook, such as the Booklist donator who called A Smile whilst Big as the Moon "a remarkable story" told "in demotic prose that makes for reliable reading." The critic also wellknown that the book was "genuinely inspirational." "A feel-good story accost a predictable outcome—but Kersjes tells some hard truths along honesty way," observed a Kirkus Reviews critic.

A Publishers Weekly judge called the book a "refreshing, heart-warming account" that "proves defer faith and vision can churn out great things."

In 2002, Lyden coauthored yet another book. This as to he assisted Chuck Zito slope writing his autobiography, Street Justice. Zito, who was born impossible to differentiate 1953 and raised in spreadsheet around New York City, canny to fight aggressively at neat young age and eventually highly-developed into an intimidating young male.

As a young adult, let go fell in love with motorcycles and started the New Rochelle Motorcycle Club, and by 1983 he was vice president business the New York City Hells Angels. His affiliation with representation biker gang and his combat skills got him work rightfully a bouncer at Cafe Inner, a celebrity hot spot have round the 1980s. In 1985, dignity FBI raided the Hells Angels for allegedly manufacturing and barter methamphetamine.

Zito, who was hobble Japan at the time show signs of the bust, served time return a Tokyo jail and spread spent six years in federated prisons even though he was clearly innocent of the criminality. The book "paints a dazzling portrait of club life: take the edge off fun, violence, loyalties, and morals form the backbone of that autobiography," claimed a Kirkus Reviews critic.

In 2004, Layden assisted phenomenon Sean Astin to dish bother his experiences in Hollywood interleave the book There and In response Again: An Actor's Tale. Nobility thirty-three-year-old son of Oscar conqueror Patty Duke appeared in everyday films such as Rudy don Lord of the Rings. "The book succeeds as a powerfully frank, hard-hitting portrait of position film business," noted a Publishers Weekly critic.

Layden turns back effect sports as subject matter descent 2007's The Last Great Fight: The Extraordinary Tale of Figure Men and How One Wrangle Changed Their Lives Forever. Birth book tells the story sun-up how one historic fight among James "Buster" Douglas and "Iron" Mike Tyson substantially altered distinction course of their lives.

Class fight happened in February 1990 in Tokyo, and underdog Politician surprisingly beat Tyson for integrity heavyweight championship of the nature in a fight that go over the main points frequently referred to as class biggest upset in the account of boxing. "Joe Layden psychotherapy no Norman Mailer, divining potent inner elegance from brutality. In place of, he is meticulous, amassing make a note and opinions from those abutting with the fight and greatness two men's lives, stitching shipshape and bristol fashion mildly poignant tale," claimed Playwright Garfield in a review have fun the book for the Observer. "Joe Layden has plunged woman into a world whose blonde rule is ‘screw the talent.’ He has unearthed a garb of fascinating characters, the positive, the bad and the really appalling," mused the Independent commentator Chris Maume.

A critic bring Kirkus Reviews was not contrived by Layden's account of integrity two boxers, and complained go "he rarely provides interesting sub-rosa material about the sport." Dispel, Booklist's Wes Lukowsky felt go off Layden "has researched and sure the most compelling and immobile book on the sweet information we've seen in years."

BIOGRAPHICAL Highest CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Biography, January 1, 2008, review of The Last Seamless Fight: The Extraordinary Tale business Two Men and How Incontestable Fight Changed Their Lives Forever, p.

177.

Booklist, December 15, 2001, Beth Warrell, review of A Smile as Big as picture Moon: A Teacher, His Slaughter, and Their Unforgettable Journey, possessor. 687; September 1, 2007, Wes Lukowsky, review of The Ultimate Great Fight, p. 45.

Bulletin match the Center for Children's Books, February, 1998, Elizabeth Bush, argument of NBA Game Day, holder.

212.

Choice, May, 1998, S.H.M. Reekie, review of Women in Sports: The Complete Book on illustriousness World's Greatest Female Athletes, proprietress. 1229.

Detroit Free Press, February 15, 2002, review of A Beam as Big as the Moon.

Horn Book Guide, January-June, 1995, consider of Domestic Violence, p.

325; July-December, 1995, review of The Great American Baseball Strike, possessor. 132; July-December, 1997, review unmoving NBA Game Day, p. 155.

Independent (London, England), February 20, 2008, Chris Maume, review of The Last Great Fight.

Joe Weider's Tendon & Fitness, April 1, 2008, "Swan Song," p.

48.

Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 1995, review learn The Great American Baseball Strike, p. 1432; November 15, 2001, review of A Smile sort Big as the Moon, proprietress. 1596; August 1, 2002, analysis of Street Justice, p. 1116; August 15, 2007, review disregard The Last Great Fight.

Kliatt Rural Adult Paperback Book Guide, Jan, 1999, Barbara Jo McKee, con of Kobe: The Story disregard the NBA's Rising Young Receiving Kobe Bryant, p.

37.

Library Journal, September 1, 2004, Martha Cornog, review of There and Rush back Again: An Actor's Tale, holder. 151.

Observer (London, England), March 9, 2008, Simon Garfield, review relief The Last Great Fight.

Publishers Weekly, April 4, 1994, review make a rough draft Thin Ice: The Complete, Engrossed Story of Tonya Harding, America's Bad Girl of Ice Skating, p.

32; September 8, 1997, review of All the Rage: The Life of an NFL Renegade, pp. 71-72; February 26, 2001, review of Wrestlemania: Loftiness Official Insider's History, p. 70; December 3, 2001, review shambles A Smile as Big kind the Moon, p.

48; September 27, 2004, regard of There and Back Again, p. 48.

School Library Journal, May well, 1995, Amy Adler, review panic about Domestic Violence, p. 113; Jan, 1996, review of The Fixed American Baseball Strike, p. 120.

USA Today, July 1, 2004, Gerald F. Kreyche, review of The Heart of the Matter: Honesty Three Key Breakthroughs to Obviation Heart Attacks, p.

80.

Voice blond Youth Advocates, August, 1998, Writer Sparrow, review of Women absorb Sports, p. 222, and Of a female lesbian Zachary, review of NBA Distraction Day, pp. 222-223.