There really are a few good books about football. The sport itself is complex, constantly evolving and full of colorful characters, lending itself well to the kind of methodical analysis found only in thousands of written words. So why can't John Madden, who has coached in Super Bowls and routinely deciphers the intricate world of football for his television audience, write a good book about football? The answer, of course, is that he can. He (and Dave Anderson) wrote a book years ago about the principles of the game and the responsibilities of players at each position. Sadly, All Madden is not about the same things. Instead, it's full of Madden's theories and reflections on things like the salary cap, why Emmitt Smith is tough, and why egg, bacon and sausage sandwiches are so darn great. These are all worthy subjects, but Madden wants to entertain instead of inform, so he drones on about them in the uber-oaf, I'm-just-a-regular-guy voice he made famous in Tinactin commercials, until eventually the reader's feet start itching. This is not really a book about football the sport, but rather the state of mind of Fox Sports football fanhood. Read it if you want to spend $22 reinforcing your commitment to watching the game on TV. If you want to read about football, read Vince Lombardi's excellent Run to Daylight, or Peter Zimmerman's encyclopedic The Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football, or Roy Blount's colorful Pittsburgh season diary About Three Bricks Shy… And The Load Filled Up. You might even want to read Madden's own Hey, Wait A Minute (I Wrote A Book), a good football book by a good ex-coach who still manages to mention greasy sandwiches now and then.