A biography of Tarkenton titled "Better Scramble than Lose" was published in 1969. This followed Tarkenton's 1967 autobiography "No Time for Losing" and preceded by several years his 1977 autobiography "Tarkenton" co-written with Jim Klobuchar. The autobiographies chronicle not only his football career but also his personal evolution from his early football days as a preacher's son. Tarkenton co-wrote with Brock Yates a book in 1971 titled "Broken Patterns: The Education of a Quarterback", a chronicle of the 1970 New York Giants season.