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Not quite a "Driver #8" story about Driver #20.
Mr. Dutton's first book, "At Speed blah blah..." was terrible to the point where I think it should not have been published. His literary agent - whom provided a helpful review here which clarified the origins of the content of "Rebel With a Cause" - will perhaps be dismayed that I reached that conclusion after reading "At Speed..." while browsing in a bookstore and not after wasting my money on it. It might be good for kindling, but that's about it.Mr. Dutton's effort with "Rebel" is better, though maybe not by leaps and bounds. The book recaps Stewart's sophomore year in Winston Cup, with each chapter corresponding roughly to a week at one track, and then the next track, etc. It's well written and it serves as an entertaining chronicle of Stewart's up-and-down 2000 season. That said, the emphasis is on off-track matters and how those matters affected Stewart's on track performance. Details about what was he was doing on the track during any given race are conspicuously missing, to the book's detriment.In fact, the book is pretty dull when it comes to conveying any on-track excitement at all, and it reads much more like a columnist reporting the news. Furthermore, I'm not even sure if Mr. Dutton actually interviewed Stewart one-on-one for any part of his book. If he did, it doesn't show. While Stewart is quoted at length throughout the text, one is left with the impression that the quotes are simply lifted from Stewart's press conferences.Even so, having Stewart's season recorded is still a treat, and what general race coverage there is is sufficient to keep the book moving. But compared to "Driver #8" which follows the same "2000 Winston Cup season, week-by-week" approach, "Rebel" unfortunately does not measure up well. This is partly because of the aforementioned lack of detail about Stewart's on-track experiences during each race, but also because Mr. Dutton simply is not Stewart. To Mr. Dutton's credit as a reporter he is objective throughout his book, but unfortunately that approach precludes the reader from developing any sense of intimacy with his subject. You might get a sense about how Stewart has been shaped by Winston Cup, but you won't feel you've gotten to know him yourself. In fact, Mr. Dutton's style is so objective that you won't even get to know HIM.Of course, if you are Stewart fan, then Earnhardt Jr.'s book certainly can't "scratch your itch." Objectively, I think "Rebel" is a three-star book, but since I'm a Stewart fan, I've given it four. The casual fan will find a better read in "Driver #8." While the tone of this review is somewhat negative, "Rebel," despite its shortcomings, is still a good, solid book. You could do a lot worse!
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Just a Recap
Im a big #20 fan and was expecting to find alot of information I never heard before. Unfortunately, this book seemed to be just a recap of the 2000 season. At times I felt I was reading old newspaper articles about the races. The very small amount of 'behind-the-scenes' stuff could have fit into 20 pages. If your a new fan or a fan of another driver this book will get you caught up with Tony's past seasons and should put the negative publicity to rest. Otherwise I would wait for Tony's book to come out but of course us diehards need to pick up everything anyway :)
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Setting the record straight
As Monte Dutton's literary agent, I feel obliged to set the record straight. (...) Monte has written strictly original material; it is NOT a reprinting of items from "NASCAR This Week," syndicated by Monte's employer, The Gaston Gazette. Therefore, readers will NOT be "familiar with this material." Furthermore, Monte had no obligation to include in his comprehensive recounting of Tony Stewart's outstanding 2000 sophomore season "a coherent picture of the complex mechanics, culture and social context of racing." Gimme a break! All hard-core NASCAR fans already know this stuff. Furthermore, Monte has already covered much of this information in his first book, At Speed: Up Close and Personal with the People, Places, and Fans of NASCAR.
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