Even if you're like me and you don't watch basketball much, you'll still find plenty to appreciate in The Whistleblower, a memoir of everyman ref Ed Hightower. From his difficult and humble childhood in the Midwest to a storied career in both the NCAA (as a referee) and education (as a superintendent), Hightower possesses an attitude and work ethic that I deeply respect. Author Bob Katz is clearly a blue-blooded college basketball fan, and you can see it in the way he relates the plight of referees to us, but you need not be versed in the world of basketball to see the universal human element of Hightower's story.

I cracked opened this book with certain expectations and came away pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I recommend The Whistleblower. ( )

I enjoyed this book, having remembered watching Hightower referee the Big 10 games. This book gives an interesting insight into what it takes to be a referee at the highest college level. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a different perspective of college basketball.

As someone who grew up in the Midwest and watched many games refereed by Ed Hightower (and subsequently yelled at him like many of the fans mentioned in the book), I didn't quite know how to deal with this part of the book.

But as I read it, I developed a lot of respect for him and his fellow referees. I came away with a new appreciation for the hard work that they have to go through. Being impartial and doing the right thing is... hard.

In addition, the book gives you an insight into the regular life of Hightower, one that you wouldn't necessarily pick up on if you just see the them on the court in striped shirts.

Well worth a read for all basketball fans and sports fans in general. ( )

College athletics are a multi-billion dollar industry, and, as such, you need to maintain the balance of competition through referees. The Whistleblower is the biography of one such college basketball referee, Ed Hightower. Katz describes in detail why Hightower is one of the best people to become a referee: he runs a "tight ship" thanks to his strict upbringing and full-time job (superintendent of an Indiana school). While Hightower is not perfect (no referee, nor person for that matter, is), he maintains composure in the heat of the game. ( )

I would rank college basketball as my third favorite sport, after college and professional football. The Whistleblower, by Bob Katz, explores the referees role in college basketball, and what it takes to be a college basketball referee at the highest level. Katzs subject is Ed Hightower, a long time referee who has worked multiple NCAA tournament games, including multiple Final Four contest.
Hightowers origins are explored, including his status as one if the first prominent African American referee, Katz looks at HIghtowers everyday job, hes a superintendent of schools in Illinois, plus the daily grind and dedication to their craft referees endure. Katz attempts to answer the question, "what makes a great referee". Nobody in the book can quite put their finger on exactly what it is, but the reader can glean these qualities after reading Hightowers story.
Katz peppers his narrative with humorous asides o notorious refereeing gaffes, and outbursts from coaches like Bobby Knight, He details what refs have to put up with from manipulative coaches and hostile crowds. I enjoyed this book, despite its brevity (203 pg). I am well aware of Mr Hightower, being a Big Ten fan, and have on several occassions screamed at him via my television set. The Whistleblower demonstrates that the refs job isn't easy. If your're a sports fan, basketball afficiando, or curious about the intricacies of refereeing, then you'll enjoy Th Whistleblower. Some you may even recognize yourself amongst the unruly fans characterized.