Book excerpt: Rarely is one's life as it appears to onlookers observing from afar. When observing the life and family of NBA great Michael Jordan, words such as chaos and dysfunction are not words that any of us would associate with the great icon. Yet, this 224-page hardcover autobiography written by his older sister, Deloris E. Jordan, depicts a life of situations that are nothing less than chaotic and dysfunctional at times. While paying homage to the world icon and his great accomplishments, the author also recounts her family's life before her youngest brother became one of the most recognizable athletes, men, and legendary economic figures in the world. Recalling the charismatic charm and risk-taking adventurers of an athlete known for his flying capabilities, she writes earnestly of childhood enjoyments as well as familial discord before ushering us down the road of her own personal experiences. Experiences that tarnished her childhood, destroyed her adolescent dreams, and left her trying to escape the damage of it all still, thirty-plus years later. Many books have and will be written about Michael and the Jordan family, but none of them can tell this author's perspective or personal story better than the author herself. Retracing her journey to wellness, Deloris E. Jordan writes with uncompromised truth and grave transparency in hopes that others will learn from her familial experiences and be spared some of their pain.