PositiveNPR... a 352-page opus on a man with few regrets — and lamenting little ... Thompson doesn\'t apologize for writing a book that, as much as possible, isn\'t about basketball. He doesn\'t apologize for using the \'n-word,\' actually the complete ugly word itself, liberally sprinkled throughout the book ... First and foremost, though, John Thompson doesn\'t apologize for the gifts he\'s been given and the accomplishments he earned — a sentiment that winds through the book and his life ... For me, the book earned its keep with the surprising moments. When a famous person\'s life portrait is painted from the headlines he or she generates, it\'s fun to read the fine print ... Beyond the unexpected moments, the book\'s richness is in the detail about the moments we do know ... Thompson, in his book, shows some refreshing self-awareness ... In August, I offered NPR listeners an appetizer at the end of John Thompson\'s life. I Came As A Shadow is the full meal. The writing is good although, at times, the prose doesn\'t sparkle. What drives you forward as a reader are the experiences. The moments you\'d heard about and the ones you had not; the private thoughts of a public man; the complexity of a Black man who both raged against society\'s racial injustice, and eagerly embraced the opportunities to make things better; and the opinions of a person who remained relevant to the end of his life.