Tiger Woods: A Pictorial Biography

Tiger Woods: A Pictorial Biography could also be called Tigermania, since it celebrates the golfer's meteoric rise from a teenage phenomenon to the hysterics-inducing hero he is today. Some 20 photographers contribute roughly 90 photos--all splendidly reproduced in color to capture the golfing star in all his intensity, grace, determination, and fist-pumping jubilation. One can't help noticing how intensely his eyes focus on the tiny white ball in shot after shot or what a winning smile he has when things are going his way on the course and he's "in the zone."

As you begin delving into the now legendary story of this young marvel--who at 21 became the youngest man and the first minority player ever to win the Masters, by a record 12 strokes in 1997--you realize he possessed genius from his first swing. His father, Earl (who named him "Tiger" in honor of a friend who saved his life during two tours of duty in Vietnam), had been grooming him almost from birth. Rudy Duran, his first golf coach, exclaimed early on that "young Tiger is the 20th-century equivalent of Mozart." This book is a testimony to his gift, an early tribute to a young champion who is already considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. After Tiger won the 1995 U.S. Amateur Championship, Earl Woods proclaimed, "Before he's through, my son will win 14 major championships." If you aren't a believer already, this book may well convert you. --Walt Opie