"DiMaggio: Setting the Record Straight" will disappoint many readers, because it focuses more on biographer Morris Engelberg's legal representation of Joseph P. DiMaggio, client, than on "Joltin' Joe" DiMaggio, the person and former New York Yankees baseball star. This is a long, slow-moving book, but it does have some interesting information about Marilyn Monroe, DiMaggio's second wife, and Joe Jr., his only child, born to his first wife, Dorothy Arnold. DiMaggio collaborated with Engelberg, his lawyer and confidante, on business ventures after he retired from baseball. In his book, Engelberg raves about how much money he negotiated from companies that hired DiMaggio as their commercial spokesman. Engelberg also brags about how he doubled, tripled or even quadrupled the appearance fees and travel expenses DiMaggio collected at card and memorabilia shows and speeches. Eventually, DiMaggio stopped appearing at shows and signed baseballs and photos only at Engelberg's law office or DiMaggio's home. Throughout the book, Engelberg doesn't let us forget that he always picked up the tab for dinner with Joe D. DiMaggio comes off as a cheap, money-grubbing hermit who had relationships only with people who catered to him. Engelberg tries to portray himself as having helped DiMaggio solely out of love for him; however, he made money from all the memorabilia he coerced out of DiMaggio. Engelberg also seems to gloat about some great deals he secured for DiMaggio with promoters at card shows and memorabilia establishments that eventually put companies out of business. The book is not an enjoyable experience.

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