Drive

Bird, Boston Celtic forward extraordinaire, and Ryan, Boston Globe sportswriter, here conspire to address Bird's past . The result is perhaps more interesting for what the book lacks. Presented as a memoir about ``overcoming obstacles,'' the discussions of the events that shaped Bird's life, including his parents divorce and father's suicide, his own divorce, an aborted Indiana University basketball career, and eventual superstardom, serve as mere asides to innocuous, though entertaining basketball anecdotes. The narrative is more concerned with Bird's teammates than with the motivations in his life and though the personal aspects are treated forthrightly, depth and introspection are not among the book's strengths. However, even the brief suggestions of the inner Bird make the book worth reading. Photos not seen by PW. First serial to Penthouse; Literary Guild and Dou bleday Book Club selections. (Nov)