18 reviews
Sales Rank: 43930

Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240

Dewey Decimal Number: 796.93092
ASIN: B000FCKGPW

Publication Date: October 18, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
“I don’t master the mountain, I master speed.” Coming from Bode Miller, this isn’t boasting, it’s just the way he lives: fast, honest, and wide open. In this candid book, the two-time Olympic medalist and champion skier shares his story, the secret of his success, and his philosophy of life.

Born and raised “off the grid”–without electricity or indoor plumbing–in the cabin built by his father in the woods near Franconia, New Hampshire (pop. 850), Bode is unconventional to the core. The strong values of his simple upbringing, where he and his family had to “invent, grow, or carry in” all the essentials have made Bode unique among today’s top sports stars.
Bode’s approach to life is straightforward: “Get a plan, stick to it, and trust your instincts . . . and almost anything is possible.”

And practically since birth, the iconoclastic Bode has been achieving the impossible and laying down tracks for others to follow. He revolutionized his sport by adopting new and crossover technologies, such as “shape” skis. He drives his tradition-bound European rivals to distraction, skiing and winning by instinct. His outsider status, killer smile, and outspoken yet laid-back persona have earned him a reputation as the Michael Jordan of skiing. Men’s Journal named Bode the second greatest athlete in the world. And in the 2005 season, Bode may have moved up a notch by becoming the first American to win the Overall World Cup Alpine championship in twenty-two years.

In short, he is the kind of person everybody wants to know and hang out with. In a book loaded with insight, good humor, and eye-opening stories about the world of competitive skiing, Bode, as always, holds nothing back.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Bode Fantastic skier and a great writer April 18, 2007
This fantastic book is suitable for any audience above the age of eleven and for anyone who is a skier. Bode wraps you up in an interesting childhood that all started with home schooling. He also adds his amazing performance as a skier at only five he could out race 5 ski patrol on the slopes of his home mountain Canyon, New Hampshire. He lets you know that he doesn't only race for the pride he also but loves the fun of it. His story sinks your thought deep into the book so you feel like you are there. You feel the panic, sorrow, thrill, and pain of all his emotions. If you want to see what it's like on the slopes for a professional skier read the enchanting story of Bode Miller and autobiography.

5 out of 5 stars

flying downhill March 28, 2007
I defiantly recommend this book to young skiers and people that enjoy a good laugh. This book is filled with funny stories and basically the story of Bode Miller. This book was awesome I couldn't put it down. I connected with bode on some of the things that he wrote. I love skiing and I have the dream of being a professional skier when I grow up just like Bode Miller. I the book Bode I learned that doing something that you love makes you happy especially if it is fun. I also learned that while skiing, falling is part of the process so don't be in intimidated!

5 out of 5 stars

As much a winner as he is. January 7, 2007
2005 overall world cup champion Bode Miller was raised in New Hampshire in a rural cabin without electricity or indoor plumbing, so his roots are as unconventional as his rise to become a top sports star. GO FAST, BE GOOD, HAVE FUN is an autobiography which recounts his philosophy in life as much as his sports experience: he tells of the world of competitive skiing and how he bucked conventional wisdom to rise to the top, and his personal theories shine brightly throughout. GO FAST, BE GOOD, HAVE FUN is packed with first-person 'you are there' adventure and insights: paired with Miller's personal formula for success, it's as much a winner as he is.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

4 out of 5 stars

Introspective Bode August 16, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I've just finished reading Bode's book after reading the Herminator's auto biography and what struck me is the difference each of them views their life, surroundings, and the meaning of it all. Whereas both exude confidence and a common vitriol to the hounding press and media, Bode comes across as introspective, self admittedly shy, compared to the all confident, all conquering Maier.

Both are obviously very special athletes - Maier crushing the race courses and his opponents on the World Cup circuit, but Bode perhaps his own demons in his quest to find meaning in life. It was rather surprising to learn that winning at all costs is not central to Bode's life.

For ski racers, both are a good read. A bit plodding at times to maintain a high level of interest, but a good view of what makes each of them tick and keep at the great white circus.

5 out of 5 stars

Have fun, be bad, be the Bodiest June 22, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a really interesting quick read. Bode is a fascinating character. The first 53 pages of the book mention little about ski racing and focus instead on Bode's family background and outdoors lifestyle. He comes from a clan of rugged outdoors maverick. The press has described his lifestyle as austere, growing up in a cabin in the woods with no electricity or running hot water. In the book, Bode describes his childhood in enchanting ways. He had a freedom to explore nature, and experience the elements. He loved every minute. Every moment was an opportunity to be challenged and have fun. He never had time to be bored or watch TV. So, it did not matter that he did not have one.

Bode is just an all around world-class athlete. In high school he was the tennis state champion. He also was an excellent varsity soccer player. Later in 2002, he won the CBS Superstars competition beating out a bunch of NFL and NBA pros at various "Survivor-like" events. His ski coaches encouraged him to pursue snowboarding racing instead of ski racing. He placed 2nd in a national snowboarding race. But, his heart was set on skiing. However, his snowboarding adventure would change skiing forever.

Bode was a pioneer in racing on shaped skis. He liked the side cut of snowboards better than the straight alpine skis. He pressured a K2 ski rep relentlessly for K2 to develop the first shaped racing ski. Bode succeeded in getting K2 to manufacture such customized parabolic skis for him. And, the rest is history. Bode and his shaped skis took the world by storm. Because of Bode everybody quickly shifted to shaped skis, as they carved better and faster turns. According to Ingemar Stenmark, the living legend of alpine skiing shaped skis revolutionized racing technique much more than anything else.

Since his early high school days, Bode developed an all out technique that results in many falls, but also many wins. This originally drove his coaches crazy. But, now coaches support this low percentage but high success rate approach.

In the opening of the 2004-05 FIS World Cup, Bode had the best start in the history of alpine racing. He won 6 of the first 10 races. He won in all four disciplines in the same season in just 16 days. Only two other skiers had duplicated this feat, and it took them nearly an entire season to do it. He describes this apex of his career near the end of the book. The book's timing is perfect as it ends on this high note.

Ever since, his career has gone downhill (no pun intended). He still managed to win the 2004-05 FIS World Cup. But, that was because of his 16-day miracle. He skied poorly the rest of the season. The 2005-06 season, including the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics were disappointing. At the Olympics, he looked out of shape compared to the Austrians.

Increasingly weird statements have come out of his mouth. Within the book, he indicated that he might start a pro tour with sponsored teams such as in bike racing that would compete on the FIS World Cup. That was a strange leap. He also indicated that (maybe because of his pro tour concept) he might not participate in the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics. He ultimately did; but performed poorly. Later he accused Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds to take steroids. With hindsight, nobody will blame him for mentioning Bonds. But mentioning Armstrong caused a huge devaluation in his advertising potential.

Bode's ultimate fall from grace does not detract from this very original biography. The book is enjoyable whether you are into skiing or not. Heck, as Bode indicates throughout the book he is more into having fun than skiing (if the two shall meet so be it). That's at the essence of his phlegmatic charisma, his successes, and his downfall. If you enjoy this biography and also like tennis, I strongly recommend John McEnroe's "You Can't Be Serious," Boris Becker's "The Player," and Ilie Nastase's "Mr. Nastase." They are all multifaceted characters.