World Championship Pool 2004 - PS2 Game (Retro Fam)

I learned about Danny Basavitch (Kid Delicious) from a co-worker who played high-level amateur pool and happened to grow up with Danny. We sometimes talked about the co-worker's national-level amateur pool tournaments, which led to a discussion of professional pool hustling. This relatively short book tells of the rise and fall of Kid Delicious as a top-level pool shark during the first decade of the 21st century. One has to root for this manic-depressive, food-addicted, smart-mouthed Kid hustling his way through New Jersey and from there into national competition. The story is both funny and sad, moving and tragic, as the Kid puts everything he has into winning at a game that means everything to him. We rejoice at his victories, while his failures make him seem all the more sympathetic. Alas, a web search shows the tale of Kid Delicious fading by 2007. I hope Danny is alive and well and profiting from the valuable life lessons that he learns during his meteoric career and shares with us along the way. This is a non-fiction book that reads like a novel, as the author conveys a deep understanding of the pool-hustling world and the colorful but often seedy characters who populate it, particularly in the pool halls of New Jersey. Though I read the book in hardcover, the audiobook from Audible.com has excellent reviews and would make a great candidate for playing aloud during a long car ride (but not with small children).

I "read" Running the Table in the audio format and loved it! I sent a hard copy to my son, a PGA professional.Wertheim's crisp writing keeps a complex story on track. He and Danny clicked as sharply as a hustler's first break at the table. Wertheim gets Danny to unravel his most personal layers and talk about depression, addiction to food and drugs, travels across country, his love of the game, the stellar moments of winning big after hours at the table, and thumps that caused the Basavich's to worry about their son.Danny is a role model for anyone who wants to be the best. For all of his slip ups, Danny fought back and came back to play another game of pool and win! I am fascinated with the idea that Danny's 100% focus on playing pool helped him out of funks and depression. Hardly a popular student, Danny was a target for the high school bullies. Look who has had the last laugh now!Danny Basavich and L. Jon Wertheim are a winning team.

Kid Delicious' story is moving -- at times tragic, heroic and beyond belief. He's part manic depressive, part obese food addict and part ultra-talented pool shark. His dedication to the game gave him solace from a world (New Jersey suburbs) that didn't have much sympathy for a fat, homely, smart-aleck kid with a sharp mind.Kid Delicious (Danny Basavich) comes to dominate the pool hustling circuit, and you can't help but admire how he pursues/embraces his true love in spite of his profound psychological struggles. His success is a testament to putting everything you have into something you love, and his failures make him human and sympathetic.If you like books like Playing Off the Rail or Positively Fifth Street, you'll love this one. Wertheim's research is very thorough and he writes like a true billiards fan, with a detailed understanding of the cadences of the game and the sundry characters who populate the dark, dank pool halls across our country.Danny Basevich's life has certainly been a roller-coaster ride, and Wertheim captures its energy admirably. A phenomenal read.