- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins Canada / Non-Fiction (Sep 12 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 006009415X
- ISBN-13: 978-0060094157
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.2 x 2.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 644 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #450,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-It's no exaggeration to say that the sport of BMX freestyle couldn't exist as it does today without the efforts of Hoffman, the first rider to "pull a 900" (rotate the bike in the air two and a half times after escalating off the ramp). At age 17, he bought a semi truck and put together a touring team of trick riders. Two years later, he started Hoffman Bikes (it still exists) with a loan from the Small Business Administration, a few friends, and an immense amount of desire. He helped ESPN2 produce the early X Games. He's broken countless bones, had several concussions, and undergone an experimental ACL reconstruction without anesthesia. Hoffman tells his story from the time he dropped out of school to ride in BMX tournaments professionally until late 2002, when he was 30 and he, skateboarder Tony Hawk, and many other extreme sports superstars took the "Boom Boom Huck Jam" music and sports production on the road. Nearly every page of the book has at least one black-and-white photograph showing Hoffman in action; a few color photos are also included. An appendix defines the more complicated tricks. Though Hoffman's tale will be enjoyed mostly by extreme-sports enthusiasts, anyone could find inspiration from the success and pleasure he has gotten from hard work, passion, and desire.
Jamie Watson, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Jamie Watson, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
“The godfather of going big reveals all in this incredible autobiography.” (--Tony Hawk )
“Today I have a new American hero, and his name is Mat Hoffman. Read this book and you’ll know why.” (--Johnny Knoxville of Jackass )
“[T]he autobiography of an extremist--narrow, fierce, and in flat contradiction to most of the laws of nature.” (--James Parker, Boston Sunday Globe )
“Today I have a new American hero, and his name is Mat Hoffman. Read this book and you’ll know why.” (--Johnny Knoxville of Jackass )
“[T]he autobiography of an extremist--narrow, fierce, and in flat contradiction to most of the laws of nature.” (--James Parker, Boston Sunday Globe )
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
"My dad, Matthew Hoffman, is the original take charge, do-it-yourself guy." Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
"My dad, Matthew Hoffman, is the original take charge, do-it-yourself guy." Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gift for my brother!!,
By
This review is from: The Ride of My Life (Hardcover)
My brother, an avid BMX'er, loved this book! He's not much of a reader but I think he liked the short tidbids about Mat Hoffman. A great gift idea for the cyclist in your life.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Honest, humble, and heroic,
By Dan Amrich (California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ride of My Life (Hardcover)
Two things struck me about Mat's story: One, his commitment and utter refusal to take "that's impossible" for an answer (sometimes to the point of self-destruction), and two, the earnest, humble way in which it was related. Mat's book is a very human account of an unorthodox life in progress--he freely admits his faults, lovingly celebrates the friends and family (and doctors) who have helped him succeed, and gives the reader generous access to what goes on in his mind. Read it and you'll learn that Mat's not crazy (although he is pretty close), he's just amazingly driven to achieve his goals--from shattering vert records (and bones) to becoming a trucker. Yes, a trucker. Amid discussions of career milestones, Mat reveals plenty of funny stories about life on the road, offers insight into his addiction to thrills, and almost too much gory detail about his brushes with death (they definitely come off as a deterrent to anyone wanting to follow in his treads). Lewman's presence is more or less invisible in the book, as it should be, but there's no doubt that he's helped turn Mat's raw recollections into the flowing prose that appears on the page. It's a compelling, smooth read. In the end, it's an inspirational, only-in-America kind of tale, and you can't help but respect Mat for not only what he has achieved but how he achieved it--creativity, willpower, and sweat. If you're looking for the human embodiment of the phrase "work ethic," you'll find it in Mat Hoffman.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mat Hoffman,a legend,
By Todd Gobert (Opelousas,Louisiana) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ride of My Life (Hardcover)
This is the best book I've ever read.I've been into BMX almost all my life and I can relate to Mat in many ways.Im 16,and I hope to live up to him by the time im his age.He is the best rider ever to hit the sport,or should I say hes the best rider to ever help make the sport.Thanks for writing this book Mat.You are no doubt my favorite rider.Ride to live,Live to ride.
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