In "Raising Stanley: What it Takes to Claim Hockey's Ultimate Prize", Minnesota-based author Ross Bernstein provides a series of quotes and anecdotes from various individuals mostly players who have been both skilled and lucky enough to have their names engraved on what is arguably the most famous trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup.

Bernstein interviewed many players from championship teams, along with a few coaches, scouts, and executives. He got their thoughts on things like "What it's like to finally fulfill a dream like winning the Cup", "Handing off the trophy", "Teamwork", and others. The quotes were gathered by topic, then arranged in alphabetical order of the person providing the quote.

This organizational style results in what I consider to be the book's failure. After the introductions and forewards, we have 100 pages of hockey personalities, from Brian Bellows to Steve Yzerman, telling us "It felt great to win the Stanley Cup; it was a dream since I was a boy." Most of the quotes felt repetitive. Mr. Bernstein somehow managed to make hockey seem boring! The book would probably have been a LOT more interesting had the author reorganized the work in a different manner.

RATING: 2 1/2 stars, rounded up to 3 stars.

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