Book/Movie Title: The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson

Total Pages/Duration: 430 pages (hardcover)

Author/Director: Jeff Pearlman

Pace of Play: This book is certainly not a page-turner and feels more like a low-scoring baseball game that keeps going into another extra inning. That doesn’t mean this book is boring in anyway, just that you will be provided with a lot of different information about many different things related to the Bo Jackson universe. The pace of play here is slow.  

Strengths: The author does not hide the type of person Bo Jackson was as a child. Admittedly, it was hard to root for Jackson after reading the first chapter of The Last Folk Hero. There will be times in that chapter you might ask yourself, “Why am I reading about this sociopath?” Keep reading and you’ll eventually get to a place of acceptance though you’ll probably never feel like rooting for the guy. There are some cool stories throughout subsequent chapters discussing huge acts of kindness that (just barely) balance things out. In addition to Bo Jackson’s suspect personality and charity work, the reader is also treated to multiple “Bo” nickname origin stories and reoccurring tales about bizarre interactions with autograph seekers.  

Weaknesses: Reading, “There is a Bo story you won’t believe” or some variation of that sentence starts feeling a little redundant after the first handful of stories. The premise of this book gets proven over and over and over and over and…well you get the point.  

Unique Attributes: This book is peppered with George Brett anecdotes from Bo Jackson’s time playing in the MLB for the Kansas City Royals.There is also extensive discussion of Jackson’s track and field career in college which is something that is often overlooked.

Scout’s Recommendations: The Last Folk Hero will take some time to read but the journey will be worth it in the end. Even die-hard Bo Jackson fans (if they exist) will learn something new by reading this book. The story of Bo Jackson is more than just someone who played in both the MLB and NFL at  the same time and Jeff Pearlman captures that in his latest work. Based on the information in this FSM scouting report, FreeSportsMagazine.com recommends this book for fans of all sports.