wayne Gretzky has

been called "the

greatest athlete of

the twentieth ten-

tury"--a judgment that may not

be all that exaggerated. USA

Today readers voted him the

fourth greatest in this century--

behind Muhammad Ali, Babe

Ruth, and Jim Thorpe. In fact,

what this skinny, blue-eyed der-

vish can do with a puck and stick

may never be seen again. The

legendary Gordie Howe set the

all-time NHL scoring record in

twenty-six seasons. Wayne

Gretzky smashed it in ten.

Yet this superstar may be

renowned as much for his mod-

esty and easy humor, for his team-

work, leadership, and exemplary

sportsmanship in a rough game,

as for any of the records he s bro-

ken. Now, in his characteristically

easy and direct style, Gretzky tells

his life story: the values instilled

by his close-knit family, the joys

as well as the pain and loneliness

that accompanied his phenome-

nal success as a young player. We

learn how he turned his natural

gifts into extraordinary skills

with the help and encouragement

of his father and through his own

persistent, dedicated effort. He

writes candidly about his career

with the Edmonton Oilers, the

team he captained to four Stanley