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What: “A Passion for Golf” by Ann Liguori (Taylor Publishing, $22.95)

Ann Liguori owns, produces and hosts the “Sharp Sports Innerview” show carried by Fox Sports West and other regional sports networks. More than eight years old, it is television’s longest- running sports interview show hosted by a woman. She is also the host of “Conversations With Ann Liguori,” in its fourth year on the Golf Channel. This one-time CBS Sports secretary also has a weekly four-hour call-in show on New York radio station WFAN.

In those roles, Liguori, who carries a handicap of 17 (“and improving,” she says), learned something all golfers already know--golfers love to talk golf. Doesn’t matter who it is or how media-shy a celebrity is, ask about his or her golf game and you’ve filled your half-hour show.

The University of South Florida graduate, who now lives with her husband in New York, has selected 30 interviews and put them in a book.

But it’s more than just a collection of interviews. Each chapter contains a prelude about the interviewee and how Liguori went about getting the interview. For example, she interviewed Charles Barkley, who made Chapter 1, at the 12th hole of the Jimmy Valvano Celebrity Golf Classic in North Carolina.

Some highlights:

Football’s Jim Brown applauds Tiger Woods and his father Earl for “calling their own shots,” unlike Michael Jordan, whom Brown says “is a puppet to corporate America.”

Actor Joe Pesci says because he plays golf he doesn’t need a psychiatrist.

Dan Quayle says he didn’t play much golf while he was vice president. “For some reason, Republicans can’t play golf. It’s OK if Democrats do. Clinton has set a good standard.”

Sylvester Stallone says he has worked harder on his golf game than anything else.

The book drags a bit, and at 264 pages is pretty long, but for golfers, reading about golf is almost as much fun as talking about it.