I've been busy reading since the new year arrived. This review is Dropping the Gloves, by Barry Melrose.

The book is laid out pretty straightforward; first, he talks about growing up in Saskatchewan as a kid, then going to play hockey at various levels, eventually being drafted by both the mighty Montreal Canadiens of the NHL and the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA.

He talks about the “Dark Ages” of hockey in the 70s, and his role in the game. He's very candid about everything he writes about, and it's easy to see his passion from the game.

Many times he draws comparisons from his playing days in talking about his coaching days, first in the WHL junior ranks, then up to the AHL, and finally to the NHL, where he had the opportunity to coach the legendary Hall of Fame player Wayne Gretzky.

At the end, there is a section on his “Best of...” in several categories. He also talks about how he transitioned to a career in television.

It's an easy read. I found it fairly low-key, without being filled with too much technical jargon. Anything that might be tough to follow is quickly explained.

I was looking forward to it when I heard of the upcoming release, and was not disappointed. Melrose certainly knows what he's talking about on ESPN, because he's been there as a player and a coach. While the game style has changed since he was playing, the underlying premise is relatively the same, and that's why I’d recommend this book. He clearly knows what he's talking about.

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780771056949-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dropping-Gloves-Fiercely-Combative-Professional/dp/077105694X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357686150&sr=1-1&keywords=dropping+the+gloves+barry+melrose

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/dropping-the-gloves-inside-the-fiercely-combative-world-?store=book&keyword=dropping+the+gloves+inside+the+fiercely+combative+world+...