GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/15 December) – Pacman, a book written by Gary Andrew Poole, is now available in all National Bookstore outlets nationwide.
The 251-page book is a crafty chronicle of the phenomenal rise to fame and fortune of our very own Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao.
Written with keen journalistic fervor, it offers insights of Pacquiao as a generous and loyal friend even as he continues to grapple with his unbelievable journey to become the world’s best pound for pound boxer.
Poole, who writes for New York Times, TIME, GQ and other magazines, spent months inside Pacquiao’s camp during the May 10 elections.
There are some inconsistencies with places and dates about Pacquiao’s early childhood and the sacrifices he made on his way to glory. But these are expected from somebody who relied heavily on the accounts of others.
Some significant untold stories of Pacquiao have also been missed out but they are understandable.
Again, the book is a view from an author who tried to understand the Filipino psyche while avoiding being too intrusive.
He offered his personal insights on why Manny, despite the failings and excesses of the people around him, has refused to walk away from or dismiss them. In a way, keeping people around him practically on round the clock, according to the author, is his security blanket – his way of reminding himself that he once had a deprived childhood. Or how Manny falls into good mood when the company he keeps for the day can make him laugh or laugh at his jokes. How the lost child in Manny occasionally surfaces with his pranks and his mood swings.
There are a handful of unflattering accounts on Pacquiao’s excesses and extravagance but, on the main, the book fairly described what Manny is now that he is on top of the heap.
Nice and easy reading. No doubts at all that this book will win a major literary prize.
For Php 455 a copy, Pacman is worth the read for those who can afford. (Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com)