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What Time Is It? You Mean Now?: Advice for Life from the Zennest Master of Them All
The author of When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! discusses in twenty-six chapters--one for each letter of the alphabet--how to become more open to life's possibilities. 150,000 first printing.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2002
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71 people want to read
About the author
Yogi Berra
50 books61 followersLawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra was an American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career (1946–1965) for the New York Yankees. Berra was one of only four players to be named the Most Valuable Player of the American League three times and is one of only six managers to lead both American and National League teams to the World Series. As a player, coach, or manager, Berra appeared in 21 World Series. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 11, 2019
I am not a sports fan.
In fact, people shoving baseball, basketball, and especially football down my throat has ensured that I likely never will be.
However, I can still appreciate sage advice no matter the source, and Mr. Berra has plenty to give here. His words make you think, and are very inspiring and uplifting.
Even if you can't stand baseball, this is worth reading; take it from a non-sports-fan.
In fact, people shoving baseball, basketball, and especially football down my throat has ensured that I likely never will be.
However, I can still appreciate sage advice no matter the source, and Mr. Berra has plenty to give here. His words make you think, and are very inspiring and uplifting.
Even if you can't stand baseball, this is worth reading; take it from a non-sports-fan.
October 3, 2007
I hate the Yankees. I hate Yankee fans. But Yogi I just have to love. I know Pudge Fisk would forgive me, because we're all catchers. This is a classic little book by a classy guy.
Here's an excerpt page 21, Are You Dead Yet?
Death is one of those things in life nobody like to think about. When you get older, you think about it more, but it's not good to dwell on. When people ask me if I'll be playing in a golf tournament next year, I say "If I'm alive." I don't mean anything by it, I'm just trying to be honest, because you never know.
Death is a terrible thing - you cant ignore the sorrow of it. I've lost a lot of good friends, many of them gone too young. Nothing really prepares you for it either. When my parents died, relatively young, it hit me hard. I still carry a remembrance of them every day.
Those of us who went through WWII saw enough life and death to put everything in perspective, especially things like sports. My mom was so worried about me in the service, she lit a candle and prayed every day. When I returned, I didn't want her to know I was to get a Purple Heart because the would've worried her only more. She didn't need to know what it was like.
They say baseball is like life, but it sure isn't life and death. ... People get too emotional about the game. Maybe that's why they call them die-hards. I don't know.
People everywhere die all the time. many of them too soon. Sometimes the threat of dying shows someone's true courage. I never met Lou Gehrig, but his farewell speech still gives me the chills. He called himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth and he was dying....
It was awful to see Catfish Hunter, one heck of a great guy, die from the same disease. Cat also had diabetes, but you never heard him complain, not once - I can't imagine how much pain he felt, or Mickey Mantle, either. I was proud of Mickey because he did something great in his last days, warning kids about drugs and drinking.
Maybe it's true that death can bring out the best in people. One of the best baseball movies I've ever seen iis "Bang the Drum Slowly" , which is sort of about death. Robert DeNiro played a catcher who used to get ragged on by his teammates. Then the DeNiro character got a serious disease and the players changed the way they treated him. They showed a real human side. The player eventually died, but it wasn't a tearjerker because his teammates learned to appreciate him and life even more.
A number of years ago Joe Gargiola went on his crusade against spit tobacco because he got tired of seeing players get cancer and die from it. Showing pictures of these guys who'd lost part of their faces brought it home to the young guys. They learned to respect life more, too. Joe taught them a powerful message.
***Everybody has to die some time, but the big thing is to take care of yourself - cherish life, get the most out of it. Losing loved ones is always hard because it's the end - it's final. I did tell Carm, though, that she ought to put on my tombstone "It's over."***
I'm not sure what it is about death that always fascinates people. A couple of years ago, reporters heard that Whitey Ford had some cancerous lesions removed, and they kept trying to call him, but nobody heard from him, and all I heard for days was "how's Whitey? how's Whitey?" Finally, I called him up and said, "You dead yet?". Whitey appreciated it because he knew what I meant. He was fine. He just didn't feel like talking to strangers about it.
...
I'm lucky that Carm is a very upbeat, positive person and doesn't dwell on this stuff either. One time, though, she did ask me where I should be buried. Our families are from St. Louis, where I grew up, my careers was in New York; we lived in New Jersey. I told Carm, "I don't know, just surprise me."
Here's an excerpt page 21, Are You Dead Yet?
Death is one of those things in life nobody like to think about. When you get older, you think about it more, but it's not good to dwell on. When people ask me if I'll be playing in a golf tournament next year, I say "If I'm alive." I don't mean anything by it, I'm just trying to be honest, because you never know.
Death is a terrible thing - you cant ignore the sorrow of it. I've lost a lot of good friends, many of them gone too young. Nothing really prepares you for it either. When my parents died, relatively young, it hit me hard. I still carry a remembrance of them every day.
Those of us who went through WWII saw enough life and death to put everything in perspective, especially things like sports. My mom was so worried about me in the service, she lit a candle and prayed every day. When I returned, I didn't want her to know I was to get a Purple Heart because the would've worried her only more. She didn't need to know what it was like.
They say baseball is like life, but it sure isn't life and death. ... People get too emotional about the game. Maybe that's why they call them die-hards. I don't know.
People everywhere die all the time. many of them too soon. Sometimes the threat of dying shows someone's true courage. I never met Lou Gehrig, but his farewell speech still gives me the chills. He called himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth and he was dying....
It was awful to see Catfish Hunter, one heck of a great guy, die from the same disease. Cat also had diabetes, but you never heard him complain, not once - I can't imagine how much pain he felt, or Mickey Mantle, either. I was proud of Mickey because he did something great in his last days, warning kids about drugs and drinking.
Maybe it's true that death can bring out the best in people. One of the best baseball movies I've ever seen iis "Bang the Drum Slowly" , which is sort of about death. Robert DeNiro played a catcher who used to get ragged on by his teammates. Then the DeNiro character got a serious disease and the players changed the way they treated him. They showed a real human side. The player eventually died, but it wasn't a tearjerker because his teammates learned to appreciate him and life even more.
A number of years ago Joe Gargiola went on his crusade against spit tobacco because he got tired of seeing players get cancer and die from it. Showing pictures of these guys who'd lost part of their faces brought it home to the young guys. They learned to respect life more, too. Joe taught them a powerful message.
***Everybody has to die some time, but the big thing is to take care of yourself - cherish life, get the most out of it. Losing loved ones is always hard because it's the end - it's final. I did tell Carm, though, that she ought to put on my tombstone "It's over."***
I'm not sure what it is about death that always fascinates people. A couple of years ago, reporters heard that Whitey Ford had some cancerous lesions removed, and they kept trying to call him, but nobody heard from him, and all I heard for days was "how's Whitey? how's Whitey?" Finally, I called him up and said, "You dead yet?". Whitey appreciated it because he knew what I meant. He was fine. He just didn't feel like talking to strangers about it.
...
I'm lucky that Carm is a very upbeat, positive person and doesn't dwell on this stuff either. One time, though, she did ask me where I should be buried. Our families are from St. Louis, where I grew up, my careers was in New York; we lived in New Jersey. I told Carm, "I don't know, just surprise me."
October 13, 2015
QOTD
My family still jokes about when I drove them up to Cooperstown for the first time. I said we were lost, but at least we were making good time.
- Yogi Berra
I underestimated Yogi and this book. Going in, I thought that Yogi Berra was just a bunch of cute slogans. Well, Yogi and this book are much more than that. This book is chockful 'o Yogi wisdom which is quaint and positive and old-fashioned. It's also very honest, which make this a wonderful read.
The chapters are short. In each one, Yogi tries to clarify one common sense point about life. Even the chapter topics are positive: positive attitude, baseball, charisma, death, exercise, fear, goals, humility, imagination/dreams, jealousy, being a kid, do the little things, learning, NY city, opportunity, perfection, answering questions, respect, sportsmanship, teamwork, getting mad, values, winning, kids nowadays, being a Yankee, and be passionate about what you do.
Yogi passed away last month, but I still have one criticism: The last chapter should have been "being a Yankee". Ha!
QOTD
Baseball is mostly a head game. It's all about making the right decisions. Same thing in life—make the right decisions, take care of the little things. Like I say, you can observe a lot by watching—and you learn a lot, too. Little things like being on time, being prepared for bad weather, saying please and thank you to people you don't know, and never taking anything for granted because you just never know. Maybe that's small stuff, but it sounds to me like it's worth sweating over.
- Yogi Berra, What Time Is It?, do the little things chapter
What a wonderful sentiment and philosophy. I found this book while doing a book purge. I looked in the cover, and it was signed: Feb 27, 2005... Happy Birthday! Love, Jack & Shell. Grama Shell passed away last year, and she was a good egg. I think that Grama Shell would have liked Yogi's simple and positive outlook on life as much as I did.
A good read!
December 24, 2017
nice "recap" of some of Yogi's life & sage advice for today's youngsters
May 26, 2023
Fun book, but I got the gist of it about halfway through. I'd rather read a memoir or chronological account of his time with the Yankees.
Ripped through it in about 4 hours though, which, for someone who reads at a grown-up level, would be significantly less.
Ripped through it in about 4 hours though, which, for someone who reads at a grown-up level, would be significantly less.
August 8, 2015
Chock full of advice, the book is organized in 26 sections, each associated with a letter in one of Yogi's famous sayings.
But there is insight into his playing career and other players and managers. Baseball history is a part of the book, but there is much more advice on both baseball and living.
His baseball advice is on keeping a level head, concentrating on fundamentals, and playing like a team. After reading the book (it is even written to sound like Yogi - good job, Dave Kaplan) you can see why the Yankee teams on which Yogi played were so dominant. Yogi's quote that 90% of baseball is half mental is correct. While compiled talent is important, the ability to play unselfishly and as a team is even more so. And as I watch (last night) players bunt into a double play rather than a sacrifice it is obvious how much difference it would be were fundamentals to be sound.
One illustration that provided insight into this is regarding Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series, which Yogi caught. "Of course, he isn't perfect if Mickey Mantle doesn't chase down Gil Hodges's shot to left-center in the fifth. Or Gil McDougald doesn't make a great play in the seventh." It's a team game.
Another illustration is his response to being told he doesn't look like a Yankee. He said "But that didn't bother me - I knew I didn't hit with my face. I just concentrated on being a good ballplayer and helping us win. I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time, so I got to play with great players during great years when we won a lot. Somewhere along the line I said, I'd rather be the Yankees' catcher than the President, and I meant it."
This is a good read, and one that any player on any team at any level could benefit from reading; it should be mandatory reading for every professional baseball player.
But there is insight into his playing career and other players and managers. Baseball history is a part of the book, but there is much more advice on both baseball and living.
His baseball advice is on keeping a level head, concentrating on fundamentals, and playing like a team. After reading the book (it is even written to sound like Yogi - good job, Dave Kaplan) you can see why the Yankee teams on which Yogi played were so dominant. Yogi's quote that 90% of baseball is half mental is correct. While compiled talent is important, the ability to play unselfishly and as a team is even more so. And as I watch (last night) players bunt into a double play rather than a sacrifice it is obvious how much difference it would be were fundamentals to be sound.
One illustration that provided insight into this is regarding Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series, which Yogi caught. "Of course, he isn't perfect if Mickey Mantle doesn't chase down Gil Hodges's shot to left-center in the fifth. Or Gil McDougald doesn't make a great play in the seventh." It's a team game.
Another illustration is his response to being told he doesn't look like a Yankee. He said "But that didn't bother me - I knew I didn't hit with my face. I just concentrated on being a good ballplayer and helping us win. I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time, so I got to play with great players during great years when we won a lot. Somewhere along the line I said, I'd rather be the Yankees' catcher than the President, and I meant it."
This is a good read, and one that any player on any team at any level could benefit from reading; it should be mandatory reading for every professional baseball player.
June 16, 2012
This is another book I found while "weeding" the Silver Bay Public Library shelves; scanning bar codes, marking down how many times checked out, and when was the most recent checkout.
Many of the titles in the baseball section, by or about the baseball heroes of the past 60 years, have gone untouched for more than three years. Some of the more recent heroes went out of favor noticeably after scandals made headlines.
Yogi Berra makes good use of the quotes people said he said. This is a self-help advice book, funny, but a great one for statement of life values. How to set goals, make the best use of your time, stay active and healthy in retirement. It meets my criteria for good memoir story writing, with plenty of documentation of baseball history.
One of his quotes about fear of death; "I would rather not be there when it happens."
Many of the titles in the baseball section, by or about the baseball heroes of the past 60 years, have gone untouched for more than three years. Some of the more recent heroes went out of favor noticeably after scandals made headlines.
Yogi Berra makes good use of the quotes people said he said. This is a self-help advice book, funny, but a great one for statement of life values. How to set goals, make the best use of your time, stay active and healthy in retirement. It meets my criteria for good memoir story writing, with plenty of documentation of baseball history.
One of his quotes about fear of death; "I would rather not be there when it happens."
December 14, 2007
I like Yogi Berra, and I think he's goofy, witty, and an all-around good guy. There's a good-naturedness and innocence about him, and his wisdom is earthy, inspiring, but so simplistic and, at least in this book, so platitudinous, it really doesn't make for interesting reading. I think I would have preferred it if Yogi actually wrote it, but with the help of a professional wordsmith, the writing lacks the spontaniety, originality and flakiness that makes up the ballplayer's character, and which might have surfaced had he penned it alone. I don't know, I guess I was just really disappointed, because in the three hours or so it took me to read it, I didn't laugh once. Not even a chuckle. So the only thing I gleaned from this book is that things that aren't humorous tend not to be funny.
December 28, 2011
Even if you are not a baseball fan, you’ll enjoy this witty book by Yogi Berra. Never at a loss for words, even if they are not quite the right words, Yogi will entertain you with quips and stories as he passes on some of the lessons of life he has acquired along the way. An all-around good guy, people would do well to emulate this man who is a true hero on and off the baseball diamond. Promoting honesty and hard work while acknowledging that sometimes people do get angry and act accordingly, Yogi has a clear and succinct way of looking at things. Quoting Yogi, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” Make sure that your future includes reading this book; you won’t be sorry.
October 23, 2014
What time is it? You mean Now? by Yogi Berra. In this book yogi offers readers advice on life. It's a very unique and a inspiring book with something different to offer in every chapter. I like this book because of it's unique quotes and advice and it shows yogi as a very simple, wise and down to earth person. I also dislike it because sometimes the advice he gives makes little sense at times and the book is sometimes boring. I would recommend this book to people who either plays sports or just want some real down to earth wisdom from the guru himself. I also recommend this book to people who knows yogi and likes him.
December 30, 2017
If you like sports/biography, you will like this book. Berra talks (in his folksy way) about his boyhood, how he got into baseball (before being signed by the Yankees, the Cardinals told him he didn't have a future in the game!), and personal anecdotes about playing with or for some of the true greats (Mantle, DiMaggio, Stengel, etc., etc.). If you like humor, each chapter begins with one of his famous quotes (such as "Pair up in threes" and "I really didn't say everything I said"). And his home-spun, commonsense advice isn't too bad either if you need some of that ("Life is a learning experience...if you learn something.").
It's like, every morning, having breakfast with Yogi.
It's like, every morning, having breakfast with Yogi.
July 22, 2012
I read this a few years ago. Reading it a second time was just as enjoyable as the first time! Yogi Berra is a pip! Yogi always puts life and baseball into perspective. Here are a few chapter titles: "I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said", "If the World Were Perfect, It Wouldn't Be", and "Pair Up In Threes". Get the idea? It's a short, snappy account of Yogi's witticisms. And it's funny, but still full of old-time wisdom.
April 7, 2009
Yogi has said some of the wisest things in the cleverest way since Ben Franklin. Aside from the title, my favorite is "You can observe a lot just by watching." When these brilliant zen koans are marketed like this, they lose a lot of their juice.
July 24, 2011
I love Yogi Berra and his quotes. It was a little hokey the way this book was set up, supposedly his life lessons, from A to Z, using his well-known quotes. But he related his baseball experiences to real life, which was enjoyable and at times surprisingly deep, much like his quotes.
August 18, 2015
B Berra - Wit and wisdom from the Hall of Fame catcher, interspersed with anecdotes about growing up in St. Louis and being a NY Yankee. Subtitled: "Advice for Life from the Zennest Master of Them All". Funny, short and repetitive.
June 23, 2008
While definitely not a challenging read (Berra left school after the 8th grade), this book is an enjoyable read with the kind of humorous truths one would expect from Yogi Berra.
September 16, 2008
good book. he says some crazy stuff.
August 6, 2011
Ok reading for the bathroom or at a quiet bar, but nothing really mind-blowing. But Yogi does say some deeper stuff than most people would give him credit for.
Read
May 16, 2012Yogi Berra was a great catcher. He's a greater philosopher.
September 8, 2012
Lots of Fun!
Read
September 10, 2012really cute
March 4, 2013
Light-hearted and simple but practical advice...sometimes the simplest is the best.
November 15, 2015
Yogi, who played for the hated yankees was the one yankee that you could never hate. a jokester, and funny guy gives us his story about life and how to make it something you love.
April 15, 2015
I love Yogi-------but don't waste time on this warmed over garbage.
June 19, 2015
It was okay. The book was nothing great. 3 stars
February 11, 2016
Awesome
1st book in a long time that captured me all the way through. I look forward to his other books.
1st book in a long time that captured me all the way through. I look forward to his other books.
February 17, 2017
Excellent writing economy, 26 chapters each about as long as a bowel evacuation. Occasionally funny, sometimes insightful mostly irreverent. **
November 13, 2023
I'm a lifelong Yankees fan, so this should have been a home run for me (pun intended), but it just really fell flat.
I loved all the stories Yogi told about his playing and managing days, filled with various anecdotes about different players and games he played and managed.
But the 'yogi-isms' that highlighted each chapter were quite rambly, and didn't really go anywhere or make a succinct point.
One page started talking about Casey Stengel's managerial style, then the next paragraph mentioned famous actors in cowboy westerns, and then the next paragraph randomly brought up the Enron scandal. I guess the chapter was about teamwork?
If you are looking for more of a biopic of his life and to get a better understanding of the man behind the (catchers) mask, your time is better spent on the movie It Ain't Over
I loved all the stories Yogi told about his playing and managing days, filled with various anecdotes about different players and games he played and managed.
But the 'yogi-isms' that highlighted each chapter were quite rambly, and didn't really go anywhere or make a succinct point.
One page started talking about Casey Stengel's managerial style, then the next paragraph mentioned famous actors in cowboy westerns, and then the next paragraph randomly brought up the Enron scandal. I guess the chapter was about teamwork?
If you are looking for more of a biopic of his life and to get a better understanding of the man behind the (catchers) mask, your time is better spent on the movie It Ain't Over
October 6, 2024
The title is the best thing about this book. OK, all the individual chapter titles too are good. Sadly the rest of the text did not interest me very much. I’m not big on sport and I know next to nothing about baseball or about Yogi Berra, the author of this book who was a baseball player. I decided to read it as some of his reported quotes seemed witty and amusing, but I was disappointed. Most of the book was not very entertaining and I was not interested in the sporting anecdotes related.
September 15, 2025
Yogi Berra uses this book to discuss several topics and personalities during his years as a player, manager, and all-around funny man. The title of each chapter contains a letter of the alphabet. Among the topics discussed: the importance of exercise, sustaining a positive attitude, the need to admire inspiration from others, handling death and disappointments in life, and remain humble. Each chapter is short and includes excellent Yogi charicatures and a Yogiism.
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