Paul Shirley: Buy his Book, then Follow him on Twitter

If you are a sports fan, ok you don't have to be a sports fan; but if you want to root for a normal everyday guy who just happens to be 6'10" and plays basketball all over the world then Can I Keep My Jersey? by Paul Shirley is the book for you. 

I'm a little biased, I graduated from Iowa State where Paul played his college ball.  I followed Paul's career, and he was actually a little better player than he gives himself credit for.  He's been good enough to play for the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns and teams in Spain, Siberia and Greece.  He has kind of made a cottage industry out of being the 12th man on the NBA bench, the guy that comes in for clean up duty at the end of the game.

The other thing about Paul is he writes very well.  Whether it's in his book, his column on ESPN.com or his ramblings on Twitter (follow Paul - @paulthenshirley) he always has something to say, and usually it is quite funny.  He may be talking about music, traveling, or reporting from an estate sale at his parent's house as he has been for the past couple days.  I don't agree with everything Paul is saying, but I can relate to it.

Can I Keep My Jersey? has been compared to Jim Bouton’s Ball Four or John Feinstein’s A Season on the Brink, but it's not meant to be taken that seriously.

I couldn't put the book down, but that's just me.  I look forward to Paul's next tweet, whether I understand it or not.  I bet Paul has more tales to tell, and another book may be forthcoming, we'll just have to wait and see.

The book has been out for over a year now, so it's not new, but you can buy Paul's book here:  http://www.amazon.com/reader/0345495705?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=sib%5Fdp%5Fpt#noop