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Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity
Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin recently became a New York Knicks phenomenon and he's the NBA's first American-born player of Taiwanese descent. The book will chronicle Lin's high school, college and early career in the NBA with particular emphasis on the media explosion surrounding his success as starting point guard with the Knicks. It will explore how Jeremy's Christian faith, family, education and cultural inheritance have contributed to his success. The book will also include interviews with basketball experts on Jeremy's future in the NBA, Asian-American thought leaders on the role of race in Jeremy's rise to stardom, and renowned Christian athletes and pastors on the potent combination of faith and sports.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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155 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 18, 2021
An enjoyable overview of Jeremy Lin’s improbable journey. At many times the writing of the actual book feels repetitive and drawn out, which is why I gave it 2 stars.
January 31, 2013
This book was really good because it informed us on how hard it was for Jeremy to get accepted to anything especially in the NBA with all the stereotype comments. Jeremy was a very determined person because he would do everything it takes and a lot of practicing to get in to the NBA and he knew it would be possible with the help of GOD(He was a christian). He was determined on and off the court because he wanted to also have a backup career being a doctor and get into a good college so he would everyday when he was young, he would spend 2 hours everyday on homework and then go to YMCA to do 3 hours of drills with his dad and brothers Josh and Joseph.
February 23, 2015
I really like this book.In the book it talks about how Jeremy Lin became a NBA player.It talks about how he became Linsanity.Thats why I like this book.He used basketball as a way to get away from everything else.I do that to.I would definitely recommend this book.
September 3, 2012
Timothy Dalrymple's Linsanity biography provides the interesting backstory of Jeremy Lin's life and work. The author informs the reader in the intro that he, like Jeremy Lin, is a Christian, and the book reflects their shared values. This is not as interesting to me, but I understand that this will appeal to many readers. On the other hand, I truly enjoyed reading about Lin's experience growing up as an Asian American, who wanted to succeed at sports, and how his ethnicity impacted his efforts and the perception of those around him. The author provides many quotes from people in Lin's life, yet I still felt like I was wanting to know more about Lin as an individual. In any case, it is an entertaining recap of the Knicks' famed 7-game "Linsanity" run, and reveals how Linsanity predated any of this. Enjoyable read, solid 3 stars.
July 11, 2016
Former Director of Content at the world’s largest religion site [Patheos.com], Timothy Dalrymple, spent some well-spent time to lure a reader like me into the familial upbringing, spiritual influences, and basketball experiences from early childhood until what the New York Knicks, and throughout the entire world now knows as ‘Linsanity.’
The flow of the seven main chapters of this book is:
• Reflection and a re-telling of key aspects of each of the Seven Games.
• Reflection on Jeremy’s upbringing before arriving on the stage he was put upon.
• Return to where Dalrymple left off from one of the Games.
This book can be insightful and encouraging for any sports fan, religious person [especially a Christian], Chinese, Asian [or any race for that matter] looking for a different kind of role model. This is a story of perseverance. Never-say-die. Anonymity-to-house-hold name. This is a modern day miracle.
It is a book that shares the ups and downs, the good, the bad and the ugly as Jeremy Lin tried to find his way as the first Asian-American to not only play in the NBA, but to become a starting point guard while giving hope to others in whatever dream they have in life. You won’t be disappointed.
Introduction
Three things will become abundantly clear in the following pages:
• How easily it might never have happened.
• How Jeremy’s cultural inheritance as the son of Taiwanese immigrants has made him a better and more compelling athlete.
• How Jeremy’s particular kind of Christian faith has made him a better and more compelling athlete. […the Seven Games of Linsanity can only be explained as an act of God.] (xvii-xviii)
Here are some personal notes & quotes I took from the book:
Ch. 1: New Jersey Nets—The Parable of Perseverance
Ch. 2: Utah Jazz—Mysterious and Miraculous Ways
[Some high schools near Stanford have its own television station, top-notch robotic and debate teams] (29)
The injury… [before the California State Final Four of his junior year] Jeremy would see it in later years as a ‘turning point’ in basketball as well as in life. That, he says, is ‘when I started to realize I had to stop taking everything for granted.’ (43)
Game 3: Washington Wizards—General Lin
A classical Chinese story tells of a general, Li Guang, who was renowned for his fearlessness as a warrior and hunter. His family had passed down a mastery of archery for generations. It was said that when he fired his bow, he had no sooner released the string that the target was struck. He first won renown as a military leader during the Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms, in 154 BC, and his legend grew over the years. When he was assigned to protect the people of a prefecture that was infested with tigers, he led hunting parties or just killed the tigers himself.
Once, he heard that a tiger was harassing the villagers. He took his bow and set out. In at least one gloss on the story, it was midnight, the moonlight was dim, and the grasses were high. The General saw the silhouette of a tiger in the grass, put his arrow to the string, drew back upon the bow as far as he could, and fired. The arrow sank into the silhouette and all was still. The next morning, when the General and his men discovered that he had actually fired upon a tiger-shaped rock, and the arrow had sunk cleanly into the stone, Li Guang stepped back and tried to reproduce the feat. Yet his arrows all shattered and bounced off the stone.
The lesson drawn from the vignette is simple. When the General sought to plunge his arrow into a rock, he could not do it. When he sought to slay a tiger to save his people, he could do it. Some things, that is, can be accomplished only when they are pursued for the right reasons and in the right ways. General (53)
Li was a hunter. Hunters do not strike rocks. Hunters strike tigers. When the General did what was natural for him to do, something he had so thoroughly mastered that his mind and body flowed through the motions, then he could achieve something superhuman.
The story of General Li emphasizes one of the key principles of Chinese philosophy: that when you find what you were made to do, and master it, then performing it becomes almost effortless. The classical example is a butcher who so perfectly understands the anatomy of the cow that he guides his carving knife through the joints in such a way that there is no resistance. The knife is guided by the hand along the Way, and so it glides effortlessly along the proper path. (54)
…Jeremy had found the way that God or Fate or Nature (67)
or all three had made him to play. Selflessly, gratefully, passionately, and with extraordinary effort and discipline, for God’s glory and not for his own—this was how Jeremy Lin felt that he was meant to play the game. (68)
When you’re trying to do what’s impossible, you can never do it. But when you’re only trying to do what’s right, you just might end up doing the impossible. (69)
Ch. 4: Los Angeles Lakers—The Makings of a Folk Hero
[During pre-game introductions, Jeremy and Landry Fields did their hand shake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7wxA...]
…pantomimed donning reading glasses, opening and flipping through the pages of a Bible, putting their glasses back in their shirt pockets, and then pointing heavenward. (73)
As Jimmy Quach, one of the early pastors of the group [Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship—HRAACF], explains, ‘The goal was never to produce a safe ethnic enclave where Asian Americans could just be comfortable with people who look like them.’ It was ‘to produce people who understand what it means to contribute the best parts of being both Asian and American to a larger Christian mission.’ (84)
After he had made it through the early disorientation (86)
at Harvard, Jeremy wanted to share his faith. (87)
Game 5: Minnesota Timberwolves—Mission Accomplished
[When he started to play for others, namely Asians, it stole the joy of the game from him. But when he plays for God, he does it the right way.] (119)
Game 6: Toronto Raptors—Having Faith When the Ball is in the Air
As he told the press at the Amway Center in Orlando in the midst of All Star Weekend, he can’t say ‘how much’ he was overlooked and underappreciated because of his race, but he believes it was a factor. ‘I think just being Asian-American, obviously when you look at me, I’m going to have to prove myself more so again and again and again…’
And Jeremy is not alone in feeling this way. Arne Duncan, a former Harvard basketball player who is now the Secretary of the United States Department of Education, watched carefully when Jeremy came to Harvard and his skills developed and blossomed. The way in which Jeremy was treated, says Duncan, was a case of ‘low expectations and, frankly, stereotyping.’ Duncan is less circumspect about it than Jeremy. The disregard Jeremy faced from coaches, he says, was ‘absolutely linked’ to his race. (133)
[In summer league in Vegas, he was given the #7.]… which is the biblical number for divine creativity and completion. Jeremy took it as ‘God’s way of reminding me he was there with me.’ (135)
Having faith when the ball is in the air does not mean believing the ball will fall through the net. Sometimes the shot falls, sometimes it doesn’t. Having faith when the ball is in the air means striving to be faithful with the gifts and opportunities given you—and entrusting the outcome to God.
I asked Tony Dungy…whether he thought Jeremy’s faith made him a better player…one reason Dungy answered in the affirmative is because of the perspective faith gives. Faith ‘helps you handle the pressure,’ he said, ‘because when it comes down to that last-minute shot, you understand that it’s not life and death.’ For the player who finds all his meaning and significance in his (138)
athletic performance, life hangs in the balance when the ball is in the air. For the athlete of faith, whether or not the ball falls through the hoop is really not the most important question.
Like his parents, Jeremy’s ‘audience of one’ is more concerned with the condition of the heart than the outcome of the game. This doesn’t mean, of course, that the outcome doesn’t matter to the athlete of faith. When the athlete competes with integrity, with gratitude for his talents and opportunities, and with the humility of knowing he deserves none of it, then, when the shot falls, it comes to the athlete of faith as a pure gift. Not deserved, not denigrated, not taken for granted, it is a gift of sheer grace, and the athlete feels nothing but complete, unsullied, overflowing gratitude. (139)
Jeremy’s faith is not that God will do a miracle. His faith is in the God who does miracles. The Christian athlete does not claim to know how the book will end, but strives to trust in the goodness of the author. (140)
Ch. 7: Sacramento Kings—One More Day
[Jeremy]… met regularly with pastor Steven Chen to pray and talk and read through books like John Stott’s The Cross of Christ and John Piper’s Don’t waste Your Life and Future Grace. (143)
One of the ongoing ironies of the Christian life is how often the Christian has to learn the same lesson over again. Jeremy had once learned to trust God; now he needed to learn that lesson anew. He had, he told listeners at the River of Life conference, ‘found a way to lose hope and lose trust in God.’ He was playing for the wrong reasons—for stats, for applause, for the contract, and in order to satisfy everyone’s expectations. ‘I was playing for myself,’ says Jeremy, ‘and my glory.’
Jeremy had to learn all over again ‘to have enough faith to trust in God’s grace, in his sovereign and perfect plan.’ He had to remember how to ‘give my best effort’ and ‘trust God with the rest.’ [A spiritual mentor reminded him, as he was moved down to the D League, to grow closer to God by spending an hour in prayer each day. Even though it] …was a time of struggle and doubt… [it was] also ‘invaluable’ because it taught him again ‘to be dependent upon God and not on himself.’ (149-50)
[Patrick Ewing Jr. tells the story of how Lin gave away his first-class plane ticket while in the D League to other players so he could be in coach with the rest of the team. He didn’t act like he was all that. Humble!] (151)
[BBall Games:]…‘Beat the Ghost’ (make a three-pointer and get one point, miss and ‘the Ghost’ gets three) and Free Throw Golf (make the shot for par, swish for a birdie, bank for an eagle). (154)
[Udonis Haslem tells the story of how before the big day of his increased playing time [Game #1], he saw Lin at Chapel and he asked for prayer that he ‘wouldn’t get cut.] (163)
Conclusion
In retrospect, of course, the chances that any one person would live precisely the life he lived will seem remote. But there’s a difference between finding a random, misshapen stone on the beach and saying, ‘What are the chances I would find a stone shaped just like this?’—and finding a perfect dodecahedron and recognizing the unlikelihood it would arise by chance. The dodecahedron is finely and consistently crafted with a specific vision in mind. Looking back, Jeremy sees such careful fine-tuning in his own life; his passion for the game was, against all odds, matched with the talents and circumstances and opportunities that permitted that passion to develop into basketball excellence. (170)
[Bill Simmons said Lin’s story is better than Rudy and Rocky.] (171)
[See C.J. Mahaney’s book Humility: True Greatness.]
The Christian believes that his trials and sufferings are not intended to make him stronger, but to make him weaker, or, more accurately, to uncover his weaknesses so that he may learn to trust in God. There is strength in weakness when we give up the conceit that we are capable of all things by ourselves. (179)
In the end, watching Jeremy’s dreams come true helps us believe in our own dreams, return to them with courage and discipline, and soldier on for another day. Because you never know. Perhaps tomorrow it will all come together. (185)
The flow of the seven main chapters of this book is:
• Reflection and a re-telling of key aspects of each of the Seven Games.
• Reflection on Jeremy’s upbringing before arriving on the stage he was put upon.
• Return to where Dalrymple left off from one of the Games.
This book can be insightful and encouraging for any sports fan, religious person [especially a Christian], Chinese, Asian [or any race for that matter] looking for a different kind of role model. This is a story of perseverance. Never-say-die. Anonymity-to-house-hold name. This is a modern day miracle.
It is a book that shares the ups and downs, the good, the bad and the ugly as Jeremy Lin tried to find his way as the first Asian-American to not only play in the NBA, but to become a starting point guard while giving hope to others in whatever dream they have in life. You won’t be disappointed.
Introduction
Three things will become abundantly clear in the following pages:
• How easily it might never have happened.
• How Jeremy’s cultural inheritance as the son of Taiwanese immigrants has made him a better and more compelling athlete.
• How Jeremy’s particular kind of Christian faith has made him a better and more compelling athlete. […the Seven Games of Linsanity can only be explained as an act of God.] (xvii-xviii)
Here are some personal notes & quotes I took from the book:
Ch. 1: New Jersey Nets—The Parable of Perseverance
Ch. 2: Utah Jazz—Mysterious and Miraculous Ways
[Some high schools near Stanford have its own television station, top-notch robotic and debate teams] (29)
The injury… [before the California State Final Four of his junior year] Jeremy would see it in later years as a ‘turning point’ in basketball as well as in life. That, he says, is ‘when I started to realize I had to stop taking everything for granted.’ (43)
Game 3: Washington Wizards—General Lin
A classical Chinese story tells of a general, Li Guang, who was renowned for his fearlessness as a warrior and hunter. His family had passed down a mastery of archery for generations. It was said that when he fired his bow, he had no sooner released the string that the target was struck. He first won renown as a military leader during the Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms, in 154 BC, and his legend grew over the years. When he was assigned to protect the people of a prefecture that was infested with tigers, he led hunting parties or just killed the tigers himself.
Once, he heard that a tiger was harassing the villagers. He took his bow and set out. In at least one gloss on the story, it was midnight, the moonlight was dim, and the grasses were high. The General saw the silhouette of a tiger in the grass, put his arrow to the string, drew back upon the bow as far as he could, and fired. The arrow sank into the silhouette and all was still. The next morning, when the General and his men discovered that he had actually fired upon a tiger-shaped rock, and the arrow had sunk cleanly into the stone, Li Guang stepped back and tried to reproduce the feat. Yet his arrows all shattered and bounced off the stone.
The lesson drawn from the vignette is simple. When the General sought to plunge his arrow into a rock, he could not do it. When he sought to slay a tiger to save his people, he could do it. Some things, that is, can be accomplished only when they are pursued for the right reasons and in the right ways. General (53)
Li was a hunter. Hunters do not strike rocks. Hunters strike tigers. When the General did what was natural for him to do, something he had so thoroughly mastered that his mind and body flowed through the motions, then he could achieve something superhuman.
The story of General Li emphasizes one of the key principles of Chinese philosophy: that when you find what you were made to do, and master it, then performing it becomes almost effortless. The classical example is a butcher who so perfectly understands the anatomy of the cow that he guides his carving knife through the joints in such a way that there is no resistance. The knife is guided by the hand along the Way, and so it glides effortlessly along the proper path. (54)
…Jeremy had found the way that God or Fate or Nature (67)
or all three had made him to play. Selflessly, gratefully, passionately, and with extraordinary effort and discipline, for God’s glory and not for his own—this was how Jeremy Lin felt that he was meant to play the game. (68)
When you’re trying to do what’s impossible, you can never do it. But when you’re only trying to do what’s right, you just might end up doing the impossible. (69)
Ch. 4: Los Angeles Lakers—The Makings of a Folk Hero
[During pre-game introductions, Jeremy and Landry Fields did their hand shake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7wxA...]
…pantomimed donning reading glasses, opening and flipping through the pages of a Bible, putting their glasses back in their shirt pockets, and then pointing heavenward. (73)
As Jimmy Quach, one of the early pastors of the group [Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship—HRAACF], explains, ‘The goal was never to produce a safe ethnic enclave where Asian Americans could just be comfortable with people who look like them.’ It was ‘to produce people who understand what it means to contribute the best parts of being both Asian and American to a larger Christian mission.’ (84)
After he had made it through the early disorientation (86)
at Harvard, Jeremy wanted to share his faith. (87)
Game 5: Minnesota Timberwolves—Mission Accomplished
[When he started to play for others, namely Asians, it stole the joy of the game from him. But when he plays for God, he does it the right way.] (119)
Game 6: Toronto Raptors—Having Faith When the Ball is in the Air
As he told the press at the Amway Center in Orlando in the midst of All Star Weekend, he can’t say ‘how much’ he was overlooked and underappreciated because of his race, but he believes it was a factor. ‘I think just being Asian-American, obviously when you look at me, I’m going to have to prove myself more so again and again and again…’
And Jeremy is not alone in feeling this way. Arne Duncan, a former Harvard basketball player who is now the Secretary of the United States Department of Education, watched carefully when Jeremy came to Harvard and his skills developed and blossomed. The way in which Jeremy was treated, says Duncan, was a case of ‘low expectations and, frankly, stereotyping.’ Duncan is less circumspect about it than Jeremy. The disregard Jeremy faced from coaches, he says, was ‘absolutely linked’ to his race. (133)
[In summer league in Vegas, he was given the #7.]… which is the biblical number for divine creativity and completion. Jeremy took it as ‘God’s way of reminding me he was there with me.’ (135)
Having faith when the ball is in the air does not mean believing the ball will fall through the net. Sometimes the shot falls, sometimes it doesn’t. Having faith when the ball is in the air means striving to be faithful with the gifts and opportunities given you—and entrusting the outcome to God.
I asked Tony Dungy…whether he thought Jeremy’s faith made him a better player…one reason Dungy answered in the affirmative is because of the perspective faith gives. Faith ‘helps you handle the pressure,’ he said, ‘because when it comes down to that last-minute shot, you understand that it’s not life and death.’ For the player who finds all his meaning and significance in his (138)
athletic performance, life hangs in the balance when the ball is in the air. For the athlete of faith, whether or not the ball falls through the hoop is really not the most important question.
Like his parents, Jeremy’s ‘audience of one’ is more concerned with the condition of the heart than the outcome of the game. This doesn’t mean, of course, that the outcome doesn’t matter to the athlete of faith. When the athlete competes with integrity, with gratitude for his talents and opportunities, and with the humility of knowing he deserves none of it, then, when the shot falls, it comes to the athlete of faith as a pure gift. Not deserved, not denigrated, not taken for granted, it is a gift of sheer grace, and the athlete feels nothing but complete, unsullied, overflowing gratitude. (139)
Jeremy’s faith is not that God will do a miracle. His faith is in the God who does miracles. The Christian athlete does not claim to know how the book will end, but strives to trust in the goodness of the author. (140)
Ch. 7: Sacramento Kings—One More Day
[Jeremy]… met regularly with pastor Steven Chen to pray and talk and read through books like John Stott’s The Cross of Christ and John Piper’s Don’t waste Your Life and Future Grace. (143)
One of the ongoing ironies of the Christian life is how often the Christian has to learn the same lesson over again. Jeremy had once learned to trust God; now he needed to learn that lesson anew. He had, he told listeners at the River of Life conference, ‘found a way to lose hope and lose trust in God.’ He was playing for the wrong reasons—for stats, for applause, for the contract, and in order to satisfy everyone’s expectations. ‘I was playing for myself,’ says Jeremy, ‘and my glory.’
Jeremy had to learn all over again ‘to have enough faith to trust in God’s grace, in his sovereign and perfect plan.’ He had to remember how to ‘give my best effort’ and ‘trust God with the rest.’ [A spiritual mentor reminded him, as he was moved down to the D League, to grow closer to God by spending an hour in prayer each day. Even though it] …was a time of struggle and doubt… [it was] also ‘invaluable’ because it taught him again ‘to be dependent upon God and not on himself.’ (149-50)
[Patrick Ewing Jr. tells the story of how Lin gave away his first-class plane ticket while in the D League to other players so he could be in coach with the rest of the team. He didn’t act like he was all that. Humble!] (151)
[BBall Games:]…‘Beat the Ghost’ (make a three-pointer and get one point, miss and ‘the Ghost’ gets three) and Free Throw Golf (make the shot for par, swish for a birdie, bank for an eagle). (154)
[Udonis Haslem tells the story of how before the big day of his increased playing time [Game #1], he saw Lin at Chapel and he asked for prayer that he ‘wouldn’t get cut.] (163)
Conclusion
In retrospect, of course, the chances that any one person would live precisely the life he lived will seem remote. But there’s a difference between finding a random, misshapen stone on the beach and saying, ‘What are the chances I would find a stone shaped just like this?’—and finding a perfect dodecahedron and recognizing the unlikelihood it would arise by chance. The dodecahedron is finely and consistently crafted with a specific vision in mind. Looking back, Jeremy sees such careful fine-tuning in his own life; his passion for the game was, against all odds, matched with the talents and circumstances and opportunities that permitted that passion to develop into basketball excellence. (170)
[Bill Simmons said Lin’s story is better than Rudy and Rocky.] (171)
[See C.J. Mahaney’s book Humility: True Greatness.]
The Christian believes that his trials and sufferings are not intended to make him stronger, but to make him weaker, or, more accurately, to uncover his weaknesses so that he may learn to trust in God. There is strength in weakness when we give up the conceit that we are capable of all things by ourselves. (179)
In the end, watching Jeremy’s dreams come true helps us believe in our own dreams, return to them with courage and discipline, and soldier on for another day. Because you never know. Perhaps tomorrow it will all come together. (185)
January 2, 2019
While reading this book it brought me many flashbacks as I was invested in watching the NBA during the setting of the story. This story described and retold the events of "Linsanity", a time in the NBA where an Asian American player named Jeremy Lin took the NBA by storm. I was very intrigued by the book and wanted to reminisce of the this time. Although there was many things that I already knew about in the book, the author did his research and went all the way back to when his parents immigrated to the United Sates. I thought it was very cool how he was able to make it to the NBA even though he had his troubles. Overall I really liked the story and it was a fun read, as I was able to look back and remember some of the events of "Linsanity".
January 2, 2016
"Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity" by Timothy Dalrymple is a book about the story behind Linsanity. While part of the book focused on the 7 game winning streak that Jeremy led for the New York Knicks, the majority of it is about Jeremy's 'hidden story' that you probably never knew about. Three words that can sum up the 'hidden story' is family, faith, and hard work. I chose them because firs of all, his family has always supported him and helped him, he is someone who strongly believes in God, and he worked his butt of to get to where he is right now.
As I was reading the book, I started to learn a ton of new things about Jeremy Lin. Things such as him playing shooting guard before point guard during his AAU days, and him always being overlooked by a lot of people. In my opinion, this book is very inspiring and it gives the reader background information on how Jeremy Lin became so great. He easily outperformed all the expectations he was given, despite the fact that he wasn't expected to perform. While stars like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are expected to win, Jeremy Lin's story connects a lot better to every man and woman on Earth. "Jeremy Lin is a remarkable athlete whose talents were too long overlooked. But while stories of Michael and Kobe and Lebron are stories of transcendent talent and superhuman abilities, Jeremy's is a parable of perseverance, a story of a mere mortal who suffered and sacrificed and strove every day to improve." (167) It is just like the story of David and Goliath. "In the story of David and Goliath, Goliath is awe-inspiring; David is inspiring. Most of us can never be Goliath, no matter how hard we work. Yet we can all be like David if we have the courage, the belief, and put in some training hours with a sling." (167)
Overall, I think that is a really good book. I really like how the author describes the in game action parts of the book, which I believe he really did a good job at. I recommend this book to anyone who loves sports and people who like to read autobiographies, and also to anyone who loves an underdog story.
As I was reading the book, I started to learn a ton of new things about Jeremy Lin. Things such as him playing shooting guard before point guard during his AAU days, and him always being overlooked by a lot of people. In my opinion, this book is very inspiring and it gives the reader background information on how Jeremy Lin became so great. He easily outperformed all the expectations he was given, despite the fact that he wasn't expected to perform. While stars like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are expected to win, Jeremy Lin's story connects a lot better to every man and woman on Earth. "Jeremy Lin is a remarkable athlete whose talents were too long overlooked. But while stories of Michael and Kobe and Lebron are stories of transcendent talent and superhuman abilities, Jeremy's is a parable of perseverance, a story of a mere mortal who suffered and sacrificed and strove every day to improve." (167) It is just like the story of David and Goliath. "In the story of David and Goliath, Goliath is awe-inspiring; David is inspiring. Most of us can never be Goliath, no matter how hard we work. Yet we can all be like David if we have the courage, the belief, and put in some training hours with a sling." (167)
Overall, I think that is a really good book. I really like how the author describes the in game action parts of the book, which I believe he really did a good job at. I recommend this book to anyone who loves sports and people who like to read autobiographies, and also to anyone who loves an underdog story.
December 10, 2016
Jermy Lin. Didn't really play his first four games. Started from nothing but a dream that started in California. Very good friends with his brothers. Was amazing at piano but quit because he always won in his piano competitions, and money waste. Was a little basket ball monster as kid and played for a travel team. Was short in high school at "5'3" but had a major growth spurt. Broke his ankle the day before his high school championship which cost them it. In is senior year Lin had major confidence in him playing college which drove them to his senior year championship in high school. Went to multiple colleges and none wanted Lin. Except for the University of Harvard. Lin fit in well and was drafted into the NBA. To the Dallas Mavericks. But was traded to the Golden State Warriors. Lin in his season was afraid of the spotlight and didn't preform at his best. Lin was moved to the D league. Lin did just as bad though. Lin was sent back and forth three times NBA to D league. Lin started a summer academy for kids in the summer of 2011. In lockout during the winter Lin practiced the hardest he has done. The Rockets picked Lin up but was cut after twelve days. Then the Knicks picked up Lin but he played few games. Lin did terrible in his first game and was forced to rely on game two or else he would get cut. Lin did amazing and wasn't cut. In his next game Lin started at point guard and was the Knicks force with Carmelo Anthony being out along with Amari Stoudimire. Lin started the rest of the season pretty much. The Lakers were on watch for Lin but they played each other and Kobe was trash talking before the game. Lin decided to be aggressive and it payed off Lin scoring in the mid 30s and won. Famous NBA Ming Yao shared the same culture as Lin and explains the kinda what happens when you become a over night star. Ming Yao was around eight feet tall and played for the Rockets from 2002-2011. Yao quit because he was almost growing out of his own skin. Lin played for the following teams (Warriors, Knicks, Lakers, Rockets, and currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets and wears number seven).
April 24, 2014
At the start of the book <<(authors note) the author Timothy Dalrymple sends a link article to Jeremy Lin in January 2010 about faith and sports story. Now the author starts the story out right on the night Jeremy Lin 1st rose up from benchwarmer to superstar sensation all in one night.
The first few chapters tell from the first night of stardom to the second night of stardom to the third.But this book isn't about sports mainly its about Jeremy Lins faith in God.The author tells how Jeremy grew up in Platos Alto a communtiy to such celebrities as the deceased Steve Jobs,William Hewlett,Mark Zuckerberg,Herbert Hoover,Jim Harbaugh, and Sergey Brin the co-founder of Google.
This book is inspiring and gives readers a background on how and why Jeremy Lin has become such a sensation. Not expected to perform, he outperformed all expectations. An unknown on the morning of February 12th, 2012, he became a superstar in a matter of days. Against all odds, Jeremy defines for many of us what "possibility" means. His faith shows Christian believers one version of what hope and trust in God looks like. Dalrymple makes this observation about something that makes Jeremy different. While stars like Kobe Bryant are expected to win, it is stories like Jeremy Lin's that connect better with the everyday man and woman in the street. Just like the story of David and Goliath. While Goliath is "awe-inspiring," David is "inspiring."
Personally, I am inspired by Jeremy Lin's never-say-die attitude to persevere on in a tough environment marked by competitiveness, brutal expectations, discrimination, and unequal status. At the same time, it is also humbling to see how a star like him can continue to maintain a low profile, choosing to honour others before self. Perseverance in one's faithfulness. Humility toward people. Faith in God. These three are the hallmarks of any star. Jeremy Lin has shown us the way. Let more of us be inspired to live not just for ourselves or for others, but for God.
The first few chapters tell from the first night of stardom to the second night of stardom to the third.But this book isn't about sports mainly its about Jeremy Lins faith in God.The author tells how Jeremy grew up in Platos Alto a communtiy to such celebrities as the deceased Steve Jobs,William Hewlett,Mark Zuckerberg,Herbert Hoover,Jim Harbaugh, and Sergey Brin the co-founder of Google.
This book is inspiring and gives readers a background on how and why Jeremy Lin has become such a sensation. Not expected to perform, he outperformed all expectations. An unknown on the morning of February 12th, 2012, he became a superstar in a matter of days. Against all odds, Jeremy defines for many of us what "possibility" means. His faith shows Christian believers one version of what hope and trust in God looks like. Dalrymple makes this observation about something that makes Jeremy different. While stars like Kobe Bryant are expected to win, it is stories like Jeremy Lin's that connect better with the everyday man and woman in the street. Just like the story of David and Goliath. While Goliath is "awe-inspiring," David is "inspiring."
Personally, I am inspired by Jeremy Lin's never-say-die attitude to persevere on in a tough environment marked by competitiveness, brutal expectations, discrimination, and unequal status. At the same time, it is also humbling to see how a star like him can continue to maintain a low profile, choosing to honour others before self. Perseverance in one's faithfulness. Humility toward people. Faith in God. These three are the hallmarks of any star. Jeremy Lin has shown us the way. Let more of us be inspired to live not just for ourselves or for others, but for God.
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May 6, 2013Dalton Phillips
A2 English
May 5, 2013
Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity
Written by: Timothy Dalrymple
The author wrote the book to tell how Jeremy Lin went from a “nobody” to an All-Star point guard in the NBA.
Due to Lin’s hard work and determination, he was able to do what no one else has done. He re-wrote the record books, when no one thought he was capable of doing it.
The author uses narration has his style for writing the book. Narration was used so the author could tell the events in the order they happened in the story of how Jeremy Lin became an All-Star point guard in the NBA.
Jeremy Lin grew up playing basketball. He played for Polo Alto High School during his high school years, in which the team went to California’s Division II championship game against superpower Mater Dei and won. After high school, Jeremy Lin went to Harvard University where he also played basketball. He set records at Harvard for most steals and assists in his four year career. After college, he went to the NBA and played for the New York Knicks. When playing for the Knicks, he became an All-Star point guard by breaking the record books. He led the Knicks on a seven game winning streak. In their toughest game of the winning streak against the defending champs, LA Lakers and Kobe Bryant , Jeremy Lin had 38 points and hit a key shot late in the game. Due to his performance during the seven game winning streak, Linsanity began.
The book was fun to read because of Jeremy Lin’s success in basketball. This book makes me think about what I need to do when I am playing basketball; hard work, determination, and teamwork. This book is similar to Miracle and Rise of the Bulldogs because they are all about how an underdog became a sensation because of hard work and determination. Hard work and determination gave them the ability to do things no one else thought they could do.
A2 English
May 5, 2013
Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity
Written by: Timothy Dalrymple
The author wrote the book to tell how Jeremy Lin went from a “nobody” to an All-Star point guard in the NBA.
Due to Lin’s hard work and determination, he was able to do what no one else has done. He re-wrote the record books, when no one thought he was capable of doing it.
The author uses narration has his style for writing the book. Narration was used so the author could tell the events in the order they happened in the story of how Jeremy Lin became an All-Star point guard in the NBA.
Jeremy Lin grew up playing basketball. He played for Polo Alto High School during his high school years, in which the team went to California’s Division II championship game against superpower Mater Dei and won. After high school, Jeremy Lin went to Harvard University where he also played basketball. He set records at Harvard for most steals and assists in his four year career. After college, he went to the NBA and played for the New York Knicks. When playing for the Knicks, he became an All-Star point guard by breaking the record books. He led the Knicks on a seven game winning streak. In their toughest game of the winning streak against the defending champs, LA Lakers and Kobe Bryant , Jeremy Lin had 38 points and hit a key shot late in the game. Due to his performance during the seven game winning streak, Linsanity began.
The book was fun to read because of Jeremy Lin’s success in basketball. This book makes me think about what I need to do when I am playing basketball; hard work, determination, and teamwork. This book is similar to Miracle and Rise of the Bulldogs because they are all about how an underdog became a sensation because of hard work and determination. Hard work and determination gave them the ability to do things no one else thought they could do.
May 16, 2012
I am a big fan of Jeremy Lin but I was hesitant to read this book at first due to the author's strong christian point of view. I am a christian myself but I sometimes find christian writers can get carried away with their beliefs. This book, however, is not one of them. It's true that there's a lot of reference to Jeremy's christian faith but it was necessary part of the story. It was through faith that Jeremy shaped his work ethics and made that 7 run winning streak possible.
This book is a story of disappointments, passion, hardwork, faith and perseverance. Growing up, Jeremy was a little bit arrogant and undisciplined but through the guidance of his parents and some disappointing setbacks, he learned that opportunities will not always be there so he strived hard to always give his best not only in his sports but in everything he does. He also struggled to keep his humility in check lest the good fortunes will be taken away from him.
I don't know where his basketball career will go from here but I know that the 7 winning streak that started in February had inspired a lot of people around the world. It gave them hope and belief that anything is possible through hardwork and perseverance.
This book is a story of disappointments, passion, hardwork, faith and perseverance. Growing up, Jeremy was a little bit arrogant and undisciplined but through the guidance of his parents and some disappointing setbacks, he learned that opportunities will not always be there so he strived hard to always give his best not only in his sports but in everything he does. He also struggled to keep his humility in check lest the good fortunes will be taken away from him.
I don't know where his basketball career will go from here but I know that the 7 winning streak that started in February had inspired a lot of people around the world. It gave them hope and belief that anything is possible through hardwork and perseverance.
October 31, 2014
Jeremy Lin is a god gifted athlete that has a heart for everyone around him. Throughout his journey he deals with stereotypes, racial slurs, and hatefulness of all sorts while trying to pursue his dreams. He thinks about none of it. He thinks only about the goals he desires to acquire, and everything that comes with it. Throughout high school, he lived up to the stereotypes. He had a 4.2gpa, had joined several extracurricular activities, and made his way to graduating high school with one of the top resumes in his class. Even though he was gifted academically, he wasn’t a powerful force and didn’t have much body mass. He used God to look at as God paved the path for Lin to follow. Lin believed he had to use what God gifted him to the greatest of his abilities, and he used them to become an athlete at the highest level. While being on the brink of getting cut from his NBA career, and likely ending any chances of being successful, Lin breaks out into the true player God formed him to be, and displayed perhaps one of the greatest series of events in sports history.
October 31, 2012
This book was not really what I expected. I read it thinking it would be a good book to pass along to my 11yo son b/c Jeremy Lin is a good role model. While the book is somewhat of a biography of Lin, it is mainly a look at the prejudices facing Asian Americans in sports. I enjoyed the actual background info on Jeremy and reading about how his faith shapes his life. The in-depth play-by-play narrations of his high school games were a bit boring, and the description of the hurdles Jeremy faced as an Asian American basketball player were very repetitious. I had to make myself finish the book and in the end decided not to pass it along to my son. I'll look for a true biography of Lin instead. I think he would find that much more interesting.
July 5, 2012
From a purely basketball standpoint, this book won't blow you away. Dalrymple describes Jeremy Lin's seven-game outburst in play-by-play form, as if you were following Yahoo! Sports in real time. The author's main point was never to emphasize Lin's greatness, but rather the perseverance that it took to get him where he is today. It takes you back to Lin's days in Palo Alto High School, Harvard, and the D-League, where he had to go through so many struggles not only with his play, but also with Asian American stereotypes. With this chapter of the book closed, will Linsanity continue in New York next season?
December 26, 2012
Well-told story of Jeremy Lin, giving many good details on Jeremy and his family and faith background. Lots of basketball information as well as some information on the Chinese-American and Christian cultures that have influenced Jeremy.
If I have a drawback comment on the book, it is the "jumping around in time" telling of the story.
All in all, however, I found this an interesting read, with sometimes more information on the workings of basketball than I knew before, and didn't always know what it meant.
If I have a drawback comment on the book, it is the "jumping around in time" telling of the story.
All in all, however, I found this an interesting read, with sometimes more information on the workings of basketball than I knew before, and didn't always know what it meant.
March 14, 2013
I thought it was a very good book, because Jeremy Lin never gave up at basketball and never let his dream get away from him. He wasn't given any athletic scholarships out of high school and his basketball future was unsure. He decided to walk on to Harvard's basketball team without a scholarship. Jeremy faced a lot of adversity just being who he is. As an Asian-American people would often overlook his talents. This book is a great read because it can inspire you to great things against all odds, and it goes to show with tremendous hard work success will follow.
August 15, 2014
Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin became a New York Knicks phenomenon, this book tells the story of his hard work and dedication to the game of basketball through Lin's high school, college and early career in the NBA. The book explores how Jeremy's Christian faith, family, education and cultural shaped him into the player and person he is today. Interviews from his former teammates, coaches and other experts explained the reason for his success in a professional league, Asian-American are inspired by Jeremy's hard working heart and his strong personality, making this a great book to read.
May 7, 2012
We like people with good sense and humility. Jeremy Lin has both, and it's good of the author to give a clear picture about who he is, before basketball is even mentioned. It's that classic underdog type story, however it's made very clear that Lin is only being used because God is doing it. Which is a great point to bring across.
September 1, 2012
I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads. Review to follow!
Another gift for Grandpa. I'll let you know when he's done reading and what he thought!
Well, Grandpa really enjoyed this book and although he has no idea what Goodreads is or even the internet, he is enjoying this immensely!
Another gift for Grandpa. I'll let you know when he's done reading and what he thought!
Well, Grandpa really enjoyed this book and although he has no idea what Goodreads is or even the internet, he is enjoying this immensely!
June 11, 2012
In these times that we face with lost jobs and houses being foreclose,Linsanity is a book with a message, not to give up but trust in God's plan. Timothy Dalrymple in his book,JEREMY lIN:The Reason For The Linsanity that Jeremy always trusted in God's plan for him no matter how dark things look also hard work never hurts either.Goadread thanks for the chance to read this book.
September 3, 2012
I thought it was a good book because it shows people that anyone can be a star but they just have to be commited. He started as a very poor little kid into an NBA All-star. He gets so much money and lives in a mansion. It was really cool about all the winning games he played and how the USA loved him straight after. This book had to be one of the best books I have ever read.
December 24, 2013
A nice recap of the 7-game run of Linsanity. It is a good account showing how diffent social factors ranging from religion to ethnicity played a role in Lin's rise to stardom. It didn't 'wow' me though in the basketball side of things. At some parts it felt like I was reading a Christian book than a book about hoops. An inspirational read indeed.
May 13, 2017
I'm not a fan of basketball, but I'm a fan of Jeremy Lin. The middle chapters gave a play by play description of his most crucial games. That was too much for me. I liked the first three chapters and the last three chapters because I learned more about him as a person and his perseverance as an athlete. He seems like a true role model.
September 29, 2012
The author said he wrote it in three weeks so don't expect thrilling prose. It gets the job done. I got the background I wanted about Lin and I started to think more about how brave he must be to always give the credit to God and his teammates before crediting himself.
January 28, 2013
I really liked this book. It introduced me to an amazing talent and serious child of God. Jeremy Lin lives his faith and is an inspiration to young and old alike. The book was well-written by Dr. Timothy Dalrymple, himself a Christian and former top athlete.
April 30, 2013
This is really a story of an immigrant family whose patriarch discovered basketball in the 1970's, and a very strong Chinese-American Christian community which nurtured and guided Jeremy's character.
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April 26, 2013Love this book! Shows how hard work pays off. Jeremy was very humble and didn't give up. He's a global phenom now after Linsanity and from bench to stardom, it is a truly and amazing story. It shows how to never give up and just keep working, your time will come.
April 11, 2013
I'm not a big fan of sports writing. Too many cliches and inside references make it hard for me to follow. But I was curious about Lin's backstory, and for that, this short book served its purpose.
May 29, 2012
This book looks like it will be a GOODREAD from GOODREADS.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2012
Great read for my teenage son who is a basketball player, reader and a Christian.
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