Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life
Even in the world of athletic superstars, Sanders (aka "Neon Deion" and "Prime Time") is exceptional, supremely gifted in two sports: he is, for instance, the only man ever to hit a home run in the National League and score an NFL touchdown in the same week. His autobiography find a sympathetic audience not only among sports fans, however, but among conservative Christians who can't tell a punt from a bunt. Religion has played a large role in Sanders's life recently. He plans to enter the ministry after his sports career, and his faith has enabled him to express affection for his father, a drug addict who deserted the family when Sanders was seven and living in Fort Myers, Fla., and for his stepfather, an alcoholic. Readers may feel less inclined to forgive, but all will agree that his mother was a tower of strength. Sanders was a sports star in high school and college before turning pro. His success quickly brought the eponymous power, money and sex, but Deion found life empty, and his marriage a failure. He was saved?in the religious sense?by the efforts of two clergymen, including Bishop Jakes of Dallas, and now feels that his life is fulfilling. Sanders stumbles when expounding on his religious notions, which are sprinkled with awkward homilies ("the devil don't waste time offering you stuff you don't want"). They also reflect conservative principles that some readers won't share. It's Sanders's fast-paced account of his struggle to navigate the hazards of a life in the limelight, not his prosyletizing, that give this book the indelible stamp of Neon Deion.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.