Sometimes a young boy is asked what he plans to do for a living when he grows up, and he gets it right.

Randy Gordon was one of the lucky ones.

Gordon was taken with boxing almost right from the start. He actually skipped school the day that Rocky Marciano died in an airplane crash to talk about the tragedy with Nat Fleischer, the editor of Ring magazine - at the time, boxing's bible. It took a while, but Gordon got into Fleischer's office, had a nice chat with him, and was told by the publisher to call him when he was done with college. Fleischer would have a job waiting for him.

That's how Gordon got started in the boxing business. He's still at it all these years later. Finally, he has typed out some of the stories he's collected over the years into the book, "Glove Affair."

Gordon's career has done a little winding over the years. He did graduate from college, and got that job writing about boxing. Gordon also became the editor of Ring, and did some television commentating on some good-sized fights on networks.

Then there was the most unusual career move of all - he became Commissioner of the New York State Athletic Commission. That's a big job in the boxing world, mostly because New York City traditionally has hosted some of the biggest fights in the world - at least the ones that don't land in Las Vegas. Gordon now does some radio work with former heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney.

This is not a traditional autobiography - more of a collection of stories in no particular order. Perhaps the most interest will come when Mike Tyson's comes up. The heavyweight champion of the world still has the ability to fascinate us, even years later. Gordon devotes plenty of time to his role when Tyson tried to dump his old manager, Bill Cayton, in favor of the legendary and notorious Don King.

Alexis Arguello, another boxing great, gets plenty of ink here too. Gordon met him by chance when Arguello was walking into an event, and the two became fairly close. Gordon had the chance to chat with Muhammad Ali a few times, and The Greatest still fascinates. The author also recounts the tale of Billy Collins Jr., who was essentially murdered when some shenanigans took place with his opponents' gloves. Gordon is still furious about it, these many years later, as well he should be.

I suppose the rule here is that the fighters are interesting and the hangers-on are sometimes scoundrels. There's a funny story about how Gordon kept "running into" envelopes filled with money when he visited a boxing convention in Mexico City. And there's an odd episode involving an employee of the Athletic Commission who had figured out a way to stay on the job even though no one seemed too sure what he did - besides leak information to the media. Gordon figured out a way to get rid of him through a rather elaborate scheme.

The lack of continuity is a bit of a problem here. There are some references to other parts of Gordon's life that come up as asides that could have used more explaining. A little more editing might not have been the worst idea in the world, either.

Overall, though, "Glove Affair" is a quick and entertaining read. Gordon comes off credibly and as someone who loves the business and wants to see it work in a proper way. Boxing isn't what it used to be, of course, but those with an interest in the sport will like it.

When someone can work in a profession or area that the person loves, then that person is sure to love his or her career. For Randy Glover, he has been loved boxing since he was 11 years old. He was able to take that affection for the sport into a nice career as a boxing writer and editor, broadcaster, ring announcer, radio show host and even a gig as the New York State Athletic Commissioner. Glover talks about each of those stops in this memoir that is sure to please any boxing fan.

With more than 40 years in the sport as not only the top man in New York State, but also as editor of the respected Ring Magazine as well as a respected announcer, Gordon has many excellent stories on boxers of many different weights and eras. The reader will be taken to the modest household of future champion Alexis Arguello when he sensed danger and saved his family from harm during an earthquake in his native Honduras in 1972. There are many stories about Mike Tyson, including the nickname given to him by Gordon that became Tyson’s favorite, “Catskill Thunder.” Gerry Cooney plays a prominent role in the book – this is especially so as Cooney is currently a co-host of a boxing show on Sirius XM radio with Gordon.

While many of these stories, not only about boxers but also about Gordon himself and his career, are mostly upbeat and happy, Gordon doesn’t ignore the dark side of the sport. One example occurs in Chapter 7, when Gordon talks about Billy Collins Jr., a promising youngster who took a ferocious pounding in a bout in which the gloves of his opponent were illegally stripped of the padding, resulting in Collins being hit with bare knuckles. While Collins survived the pounding, he never boxed again and soon grew depressed, abused alcohol and other substances and died in an auto accident under the influence. Gordon wrote a powerful editorial in Ring, calling Collins’ death a murder. This type of writing, no matter the mood, is present throughout the book and the professionalism of Gordon’s work is prominently displayed throughout the book. No matter which era of boxing a reader enjoys or which weight classes he or she follows, this book is a must read for anyone interested in the sweet science.

I wish to thank Rowman and Littlefield for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love boxing books and I loved this book. First off, Gordon can write. Smooth , conversational and a really old,storyteller , reading this book is,like listening to a really good storyteller tell you interesting stories about boxing over a beer or during a long car ride. Gordon has seen it all over the last 0 year, Ali, Tyson, Arguello, Don King, and of course his broadcasting partner Gerry Cooney. What sets this book apart is that Gordon has fresh insider stories that I haven’t read about before, and I’ve read everything on boxing. Highly recommended.