Hall of Fame philosopher Yogi Berra's When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! is another volume of musings and malaprops, and the advice implicit in the title is sound indeed. Just listen: "Throughout life you come to serious forks in the road--decisions," Yogi tells us. "Which path do you choose? Sometimes it's tough. People are always afraid of making the wrong choice." Not Yogi, who explains that tragedy lies in paralysis, not bad choices or regrets, and offers personal examples from on and off the field to prop up his profundity.

Like its predecessor, The Yogi Book, Fork is essentially a collection of Yogi's well-traveled observations from out of left field, but it's much more than just déjà vu all over again. Instead of explaining, as he has before, what prompted a particular Yogi-ism or what he was really trying to say, Yogi does his best to go deep. The charm is that Yogi's so guileless, he makes it work--there's sagacity in his simplicity. Each Yogi-ism gets its own short chapter in which Yogi riffs off the phrase to dispense a bit of homespun wisdom and inspiration. "It gets late early out there"--we get old before we're ready, but here's how to cope with it. "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him"--we all need to be true to ourselves. With Yogi's latest career as a successful author, not only ain't it over for him, there's happily no end in sight. --Jeff Silverman


From Publishers Weekly
Upping the ante of such bestselling titles as It Ain't Over and The Yogi Book, When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It: Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes collects more anecdotes and bon mots from the Yankees' Hall of Fame sage, Yogi Berra. A collaboration by Berra and Dave Kaplan, who is executive director of the nonprofit Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, a sports education facility at Montclair State University (close to Berra's home in Montclair, N.J.), the book pairs 40 classic Berra aphorisms "It's déjà vu all over again" and "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded" among them with Berra's glosses and expansive colloquial commentary to help readers in their own decision making. Along the way, we learn the secrets to his 50-year marriage with "Carm" (they "talk over everything") and to his three-time MVP career as a player and pennant-winning seasons as a manager. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
There is not a lot of baseball in this work, narrated by Berra's son Dale, though the game ultimately made possible all of the very nice things that Berra has done for his family and community. Like the book, each chapter is titled with a Yogi-ism, a famous saying of this often-quoted mangler of English phraseology. The chapter then puts the Yogi-ism into personal context, linked with experiences from an incredible 46 years in professional baseball. If there is any doubt about this former athlete's impact on our lives, consider how often both political parties mentioned, "It ain't over till it's over," after the 2000 presidential election. Charming, funny, and always real. Highly recommended. Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OHCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
The gentlemen Bartlett and Roget would have relished an evening's conversation with Lawrence Peter Berra, onetime ruler of the acreage directly behind Yankee Stadium's home plate and master of such "Yogi-isms" as "my later years came earlier than expected" and "if you can't imitate em, don't copy em." Okay, the great Hall of Fame catcher and pop philosopher did opine that "you can observe a lot by watching," and just about everything else attributed to him. But in this genial, gracious monologue, read by Dale Berra with a son's infusion of warmth and advocacy, Yogi explains, convincingly, what he was really trying to say when he waxed unwittingly witty. He was talking about loyalty, about family, about dedication to a craft, about decision-making, and about being true to oneself. Scattering tales here and there about his "lucky" life and career, from childhood on "the Hill" in St. Louis to retirement, he makes it crystal clear that there's just no one like him. M.J.B. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Tim Russert
"Yogi Berra -- a gifted athlete, a witty philosopher, a true American treasure. You'll enjoy his lessons on life."


Yankee Magazine
"Classic and unforgettable baseball stories and anecdotes."


Book Description
Now available in paperback, "it's déjà vu all over again" with another New York Times bestseller -- more than 160,000 copies in print! Three-time MVP and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra hit home runs twice in a row with his two previous books, The Yogi Book and It Ain't Over. Now, his winning streak continues as the celebrated athlete and true American hero speaks about life, baseball, and "the forks in the road." Filled with the baseball legend's inimitable and unwittingly wise aphorisms from "It ain't over till it's over" to "You can't think and hit at the same time," these reflections focus on the valuable lessons he learned on and off the field.


Download Description
A collection of appealing, funny, and surprisingly moving essays on life, happiness, and getting through the slumps from the bestselling author and celebrated athlete. Filled with more of Yogi's inimitable and unwittingly wise aphorisms, these reflections focus on the valuable lessons Berra has learned on and off the field. From his early years as an immigrant's son through his triumphant career as a player and manager who played in a record seventy-five World Series games, Yogi illustrates his homespun philosophies with apt analogies to his baseball stories. This wise, humble, touching book is vintage Yogi Berra--in short, deja vu all over again.


About the Author
Yogi Berra is a beloved American baseball personality whose exploits with the New York Yankees made him a vital part of the most successful sports franchise ever. Off the field, his wit and humor have made him a unique and ubiquitous figure in American culture. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey. Dave Kaplan is the executive director of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, a nonprofit sports education center founded in 1998 on the campus of Montclair State University. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Whether it's wisdom, malapropism, or pure-and-simple Yogi-ism, perhaps no player in the history of baseball is more quoted than three-time MVP and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. With his previous two powerhouse collections, It Ain't Over... and The Yogi Book, Yogi proved he could wear one more hat -- that of New York Times bestselling author -- and still bring the crowd to their feet. Now he returns with another heavy hitter, a book of inspiration and wisdom from one of the true greats in baseball, When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!

Here Yogi takes a long look at his career, the events that shaped it, and the quotes that became his unwitting trademark, bringing them together in a collection of inspiring stories from his life and from the world of baseball. But this is no Chicken Soup for the Baseball Player's Soul -- it's 100 percent Yogi. In the first chapter, which shares the title of the book, he writes, "Make a firm decision. Make sure it feels right. Learn from the choice you make. Don't second-guess yourself -- there's no need to give yourself ulcers. But my advice on big life decisions is to get advice if you can." With tales of childhood pickup games on the sandlots of The Hill area in St. Louis, serving on a six-man rocket boat at Omaha Beach, and sharing bench space with baseball greats like Joe DiMaggio, Yogi proves his life experience has made him a good man to turn to. And as always, no one dispenses wisdom quite like Yogi Berra. From "Ninety percent of the game is half mental," to "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him," this book is filled with more delightful quotes from the man we love to misunderstand.

As down-to-earth in style as it is spiritually uplifting in subject, When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! is not only a great read for fans of baseball. It is also the perfect gift for anyone who has reached a crossroads in life and is looking for guidance. Yogi advises, "Have a vision, a goal of what you want to do. Unless you're sure of where you want to go, you'll never get there." Whether it concerns getting out of a slump or making it through a record 75 World Series games, this is advice and inspiration of the sort you can only get from a father, a friend, a team manager, or, well, a hero. (Elise Vogel)

ANNOTATION

Three-time MVP and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra hit home runs twice in a row with his two previous books, The Yogi Book and It Ain't Over. Now, his winning streak will continue with this latest work ￯﾿ﾽ a collection of appealing, funny, and surprisingly moving essays on life, happiness, and getting through the slumps.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

An exciting new collection of sublimely simple wisdom from a bestselling author, celebrated athlete, and a true American hero. Three-time MVP and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra hit home runs twice in a row with his two previous books, The Yogi Book and It Ain't Over. Now, his winning streak will continue with this latest work ￯﾿ﾽ a collection of appealing, funny, and surprisingly moving essays on life, happiness, and getting through the slumps.

Filled with another delightful helping of Yogi's inimitable and unwittingly wise aphorisms, these reflections focus on the valuable lessons he's learned on and off the field. From his early years as an immigrant's son who dropped out of the eighth grade through his triumphant career as a player and manager who played in a record seventy five World Series games, Yogi illustrates his homespun philosophies with apt analogies to his trove of baseball stories. He expounds on such topics as Patience (Waiting for your pitch); Sacrifice (Laying down a bunt); Trusting Others (Taking direction); and Staying Focused (Keeping your eye on the ball), to show how the rules of life and baseball are uncannily similar. And, in the tradition of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, he explains his recipe for fulfillment and happiness with life lessons that are profoundly simple, simply profound ￯﾿ﾽ and classic Yogi to the core. Following on the heels of two New York Times bestselling books and filled with memorable photos, this new collection of Yogi wisdom will undoubtedly expand his growing legion of fans. When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! is a wise, humble, touching book that's a guaranteed winner. In short, it's d￯﾿ﾽj￯﾿ﾽ vu all over again.

A baseball legend reflects on the following lessons ...

"A nickel ain't worth a dime any more."

"It ain't over til it's over."

"You can't think and hit at the same time."

"I didn't really say everything I said."

"The future ain't what it used to be."

... and many more

SYNOPSIS

Filled with another delightful helping of Yogi's inimitable and unwittingly wise aphorisms, these reflections focus on the valuable lessons he's learned on and off the field. From his early years as an immigrant's son who dropped out of the eighth grade through his triumphant career as a player and manager who played in a record seventy five World Series games, Yogi illustrates his homespun philosophies with apt analogies to his trove of baseball stories. He expounds on such topics as Patience (Waiting for your pitch); Sacrifice (Laying down a bunt); Trusting Others (Taking direction); and Staying Focused (Keeping your eye on the ball), to show how the rules of life and baseball are uncannily similar. And, in the tradition of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and All I Really Need to I Know I Learned in Kindergarten, he explains his recipe for fulfillment and happiness with life lessons that are profoundly simple, simply profound -- and classic Yogi to the core. Following on the heels of two New York Times bestselling books and filled with memorable photos, this new collection of Yogi wisdom will undoubtedly expand his growing legion of fans. When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! is a wise, humble, touching book that's a guaranteed winner. In short, it's d￯﾿ﾽj￯﾿ﾽ vu all over again.

FROM THE CRITICS

Bob Costas

Yogi asked me to 'write a blurb about how supposedly smart he is' . . . . You tell me. Could Einstein hit the curve ball? Could Picasso? Yogi's a genius — a lovable, one-of-a-kind genius.

Tim Russert

Yogi Berra — a gifted athlete, a witty philosopher, a true American treasure. You'll enjoy his lessons on life.

Yankee Magazine

Classic and unforgettable baseball stories and anecdotes.

Publishers Weekly

Upping the ante of such bestselling titles as It Ain't Over and The Yogi Book, When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It: Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes collects more anecdotes and bon mots from the Yankees' Hall of Fame sage, Yogi Berra. A collaboration by Berra and Dave Kaplan, who is executive director of the nonprofit Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, a sports education facility at Montclair State University (close to Berra's home in Montclair, N.J.), the book pairs 40 classic Berra aphorisms "It's d j vu all over again" and "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded" among them with Berra's glosses and expansive colloquial commentary to help readers in their own decision making. Along the way, we learn the secrets to his 50-year marriage with "Carm" (they "talk over everything") and to his three-time MVP career as a player and pennant-winning seasons as a manager. ( June 1) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal