Sammy Sosa is primarily an invitation to enjoy Sosa's 1998 season, yet the issue of poverty is unavoidable in any full account of Sosa's life. In this biography, he is representative of many boys in the Dominican Republic who struggle to help their families survive, and Sosa seems to see himself as representative of other boys in the Dominican Republic. He recalls admiring George Bell and other players from the Dominican Republic who were successes in the major leagues and who built big houses in their homeland. Upon becoming a major league player, he may have emphasized his wealth more than he should, exhibiting gold chains and expensive jewelry, although buying his family a big home seems a worthy deed.

Sosa eventually quit his ostentatious displays of wealth and put his money into ambulances for communities in his homeland. He says he sees himself as a hopeful...