"Sweet Lou and the Cubs" chronicles from the inside-out Lou Piniella's stirring and celebrated quest for a championship in 2008--which would be the Cubs' first in 100 years and one of the greatest American sporting stories of our lifetime. Drawing on the story of Piniella's Cubs debut in 2007 and his history as baseball's ultimate firebrand, veteran Cubs reporter George Castle gives fans the "real" story behind the building of the best Cubs team in decades and their 2008 regular and post-season play. This is sports writing at its best, featuring Piniella's old-school style and baseball scientist's mind; wild swings in the Cubs' win-loss fortunes; the inside scoop on a Cubs' front-office dramatically more aggressive than its predecessors; the byplay of daily clubhouse life; and Piniella's colorful proclamations and homespun philosophy, along with his interactions with his coaches, players, ball-club executives, media, fans, and celebrity hangers-on.