I'm not a hockey fan but this is the third book I've read about Gordie Howe ... I'd read one by him and one by his son, Mark, in June 2016 shortly after Gordie had passed away. This book is by his youngest son, Murray, who was not a hockey player but a doctor.

This book came about right after Gordie had passed away and Murray was writing his eulogy. It is less about Gordie that hockey player and more about Gordie the father and friend. Gordie was living with Murray and his family when he died and Murray is honoured to have spent his father's last days with him.

There are nine lessons (which are chapters) that Murray and others had learned from Gordie:

1. Live honourably
2. Live generously
3. Play hard but have fun
4. Patience, patience, patience
5. Live selflessly
6. Be humble
7. Be tough
8. Stay positive
9. Friends and family are live gold - treasure them

Along with the lessons are lots of stories to support the lessons.

Gordie Howe was nicknamed "Mr. Hockey" and is considered the most complete player to ever play the game and one of the greatest hockey players of all time. A 23-time NHL All-Star, he held many of the sport's scoring records until they were broken in the 1980s by Wayne Gretzky.

Gordie was born in rural Saskatchewan as one of nine children born during the Depression to poor parents. Though he eventually moved to the States and raised his family there, he never forgot his humble roots. Though a tough guy on the ice, it sounds like Howe was a nice guy. He was friendly and giving to everyone, even up to the end.

Whether you are a hockey fan or not, I think you would enjoy this book.

Love the wings and love Mr Hockey! Such a great guy and love hearing about him

An emotional but ultimately uplifting book. A rare insight into a true icon.

What an incredible book! As a hockey fan, and a sports fan in general, I grew up knowing who Mr. Hockey was and he seemed so much larger than life. While my dad always talked a lot about Bobby Hull and what an amazing player he was, there was never any doubt for me that he was no Gordie Howe. Nobody would ever, or could ever, be quite the player that he was.

Reading stories about Gordie through the eyes of his son Murray was nothing short of incredible. It brought humility and understanding to a guy who seemed so much larger than life. I loved all of the personal memories, the childhood tales, and the lessons that Murray learned from his father. He wasn't just Mr. Hockey, but he was a dad trying to bring his kids up the right way and do good by his family. It was just fantastic, and I can't wait to buy a hard copy of this!

I really enjoyed reading this. As a lifelong Red Wings fan, it was a nostalgic read. As a mother to sons, it was moving to see a son honoring his father in such a beautiful way.

A lovely book beautifully written. A wonderful eulogy by the son of Mr Hockey, the Great Gordie Howe which sets out exactly what sort of man the legend was.

Without lapsing into sentimentality or hagiography, Murray Howe makes it perfectly clear just how wonderful a man his father was. Dedicated, honest, modest - a good man.

Divided into nine sections each dealing with a specific character trait this is a wonderful and humbling read.

Highly recommended.