Advantage Disadvantage (Book) - 4/27/2009 2:45:38 PM
If Money Is The Root of All Evil, Then Greed Must Come in a Close Second!!!
Perhaps this novel should have been called “Taking Advantage.” It seems that it would be closer to what is actually going on out there. Mr. Jaffe’s novel allows us to glimpse the seedy side of sports and learn things that we would never otherwise know. It does so in the framework of a story about compelling people that are caught up in their everyday lives, but on a course to collide.
Advantage Disadvantage is the name of a brilliant plan conceived by a one-time member of the disadvantaged and disenfranchised. The self-christened Bobby G was born into poverty, but was determined not to stay that way. He’s pulled himself up by using tricks, illegal activities and street smarts to get his. These have allowed him to escape what traps most in its malaise, but it’s not enough. He realizes that through tampering with statistics, he stands to make a killing – literally. Bobby G has cultivated all he thinks it takes to succeed, but what he’s left out are a sense of ethics and compassion. Without these components being alive and well in an individual, you have the makings of a ruthless, merciless individual that will do anything to get what they want. They don’t have the inner wherewithal to impose limits or tell themselves when it’s time to stop. Instead they tick away like a timer on a bomb set to go off. It’s this plan that ignites the fuse.
It’s Bobby G’s plan that intersects with the lives of seemingly disparate individuals and brings them into the realm of murky dealings, self-centered decisions and corruption of young dreams. The book works on many levels, but one of the most compelling is watching this evil spread like some sort of malignant virus. A gritty sense of reality runs throughout the heart of the story and because it’s not a fairy tale, we become involved – in the story and the outcome. While the novel focuses on the game of basketball, it reminds us that every game has rules. Abiding by rules is what helps define and make the game what it is. These rules also make the game fair – for everyone. When someone starts thinking they’re above the rules and breaks them for personal gain –the game starts taking on new and disturbing aspects.
Mr. Jaffe’s novel Advantage Disadvantage is a fascinating read! The author’s own experience and knowledge shine through and gives us a true insider’s view that allows us to see basketball for what it is – a game that is what we make it.
