Games Books

I bought this book from the author. This is the meat and potatoes of magick. A must have for any serious practitioner. He has other books as well. Moloch Sorcery rocks!

i bought this book and like it. ive been a member of molochs yahoo groups for sometime and while the man is passionate about what he speaks hes one of the best authorities on magic. he writes in a unique style which is to you not at you. its like hes talking to a friend instead of lecturing me and i like that style.

while books layout is different and the type face is thick, i found it easy going. not sure what others are griping about as i found his book to be to the point. theres no chapters on ethics or karma or any of that preachy stuff you find in some other book. what you get is here's how to do this and that. nothing more and nothing less.

his website offers a lot of free info if your intristed in learning further after youve gottn into this book.

I read the review by "evil genius" and had to respond. Its
a totally moronic use of what 'evil genius" must think is clever
irony. Pragmatic Magics is a great grimoire that I have used a
countless number of times in casting spells and magickal
workings. Often when I know I am missing a point in some
magick, it is this book that I use first. There is a great
section on Herbal Sorcery which I use often. If someone asked
me what book to read first to practice magick, this is the
book I would give them.

I have the "grimoire" and everything in it is legit. It acts as a wonderful companion piece to other works by various authors in my library. I think evil genius can't appreciate salesmanship.

I received this book for review from the Scientists of New Atlantis Inc. in Las Vegas, NV. It is a grimoire and while a bit on the more expensive side, I was impressed with this work for many reasons.

First of all - it's not just a "hard cover" it is a bound book on decent paper. Real binding!!!! Not "trade paper" or having a "harder than usual" cover like so many other publishers use, but a real binding! And the paper wasn't "two grades up from newspaper" but it is real quality paper. The book even smelled of ink!

There is a dust jacket on the book. White glossy cover, with the title, a very "primitive" style graphic of a sorcerer and there is the publisher's information on the reverse, rather than "kudos" for the author or a book blurb promo for the book or author. Very simple style, nicely addressed.

Why so much trouble for a book? To be honest, how would you like your personal grimoire to be printed? On some cheaper paper that will yellow with age, or having a card cover with someone else's graphics? No, your personal grimoire probably is on better paper, in a nice binding of some kind, and you have your pictures in and on the book. Same here, because this is what this book is, a personal grimoire of a sorcerer.

Sorcerer; interesting choice of word for someone who is "self describing" themselves as a "magical practitioner". There is a differentiation here, between someone who is a witch and practices magics and one who has dedicated themselves to the magical arts, is learned and is a very astute practitioner.

There is a lot of "loving care" put into this book. The text is larger print, easy to read, and it can lie open while you go through the many recipes and instructions in the book.

The book opens with some quotes about "sorcery" from some very well known and important authors in this field. There is a notation by Brother Moloch about this being the second edition, and some comments to thank his supporters. Unfortunately, there is no table of contents nor index, but then again, does your personal grimoire have a table of contents or index? Probably not.

The material covered is a good basic primer in "sorcery". It is very applicable to a variety of uses and situations, and contains much material you may not find in all those commercial volumes that may line your shelves. This makes the book valuable immediately from that standpoint.

There are guided meditations, tables of correspondences, small rituals of consecration and discussions on a variety of magical workings. I found his "herb work" to be very informative, and the table of correspondences contains a lot of different information than normally found in the usual sources. This work is indicative of one who is a root worker vs. the usual kitchen witchery resources we are more accustomed to.

There are some great "recipes" for oils and incenses, for both curing and cursing, so refreshing as opposed to all the books out there that preach "goodness and white light". This is not "Wiccan" material but basic magical workings. One must know how the cursing occurs in order to understand how to undo these kinds of things, and this book will show you how it's done. Note that his sources are discussed in this book, and pointed out.

There are some nice instructions on how to do basic meditations, as well as some interesting guided meditations. Actually, there is a lot of basic information in this book that will assist most practitioners in achieving results from spell workings, rituals, dreaming and more. Good advices for having notebooks handy to write in, as well as outlines for including the really important information you need.

There are discussions on tools, elementals, diagrams for magical workings and altar setups,. There is a variety of sources, including African and Norse, for the material included in this book, giving the reader a well rounded view of sorcery and its practices. This book is not limited to the usual sources.

There is a bibliography of some books, with more than the usual "title and author" material. The author comments on the books he lists, commenting on their value to the author and what he thinks of them.

In the final analysis, the author includes his own notations as to the real value of the material included in this book - that is; does it work? He notes the material that does work. And for myself, there is material that I have tried from this book with some amazing results! How many books can you say that about?

There is so much more to this book than I have covered. I have just scratched the surface in this review. This is "working practitioners" book, not just another "handbook" and it is chock full of information that can be easily applied to any practicing witches workings. The understanding that comes from reading someone else's work provides a very key element in our practices - validation of experience!

If you are looking for a really good book on working magic in practical application, this book is worth the extra funds to have in your library. For a bound copy of someone's grimoire of actual experience working with basic formulas and rituals, this book is no more expensive than if you were to bind your own "book of shadows" and present it to the public. boudica

There have been a whole bunch of book put out to celebrate the first century of New York Yankee, of which "Pride of October: What it Was to Be Young and a Yankee" by Bill Madden is one of the best. It is also one of the more different, consisting basically of a series of conversations (they would not really be considered "interviews") between Madden and 17 former Yankees (and one very special Yankee widow). The other common denominator, obviously, is that they have to be alive, which sounds stupid when you write it down like this, but matters because it leads to some interesting and poignant choices.

Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin have died, which leaves only Whitey Ford to talk about the hell-raising days in the Fifties. Madden does talk with Hall of Famers Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra, and Reggie Jackson, but the chief charm here is in names that do not come to mind. I have all the New York Yankees Topps baseball cards from the year I was born, so I recognize the names Tommy Byrne and Charlie Silvera, but I do not know a lot about them. However, the name that stands out is Marius Russo, one of the last remaining links to Lou Gehrig, because I do not think I had ever heard (or even read) his name before.

I became a Yankee fans in 1965; in other words, the year after they stopped winning championships. So my early memories are watching Mel Stottlemyre hit an inside-the-park grand slam homerun at Yankee Stadium and my biggest (early) heartbreak was when my favorite player, Bobby Murcer, was traded for my father's favorite player, Bobby Bonds. So while "Pride of October" starts with as far back in Yankee history as living voices can remember, it eventually gets up to the teams and players of our lives. Even if, like Ron Blomberg, they never played in a postseason game. When Madden has chapters on Bobby Richardson and Joe Pepitone back to back, you know you are getting a true cross-section of the guys who have played for the Yankees.

The one exception to this rule is Arlene Howard, the widow of Elston Howard, who was the first African-American ballplayer to play for the Yankees. I totally buy into the argument that the reason the Yankees went from first to worst in the 1960s was because the front office was racist and refused to sign any blacks when they probably could have signed anyone they wanted (Mantle, Mays and Aaron in the same outfield? Sure, why not?). The only way to touch on that issue is for Howard's widow to relate what it was lie, talking forth in the home in Teaneck, New Jersey where the city fathers once tried to keep her and her husband from occupying.

My recommendation is to do what I did, which was basically to only read one chapter a day. Just enjoy the Scooter's stories about his friendship with Gerry Priddy and be offended by the way the Yankees forced him to retire, before moving on to Russo's recollections of the Iron Horse, Cro, and Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons. There is a brief section of black & white photographs, that starts with Gehrig and DiMaggio kneeling side by side in Spring Training and ends with Paul O'Neill cleaning out his locker for the last time. The photographs are just the frosting on the cake, because the main treat here is just reading how Madden sat down with each of these individuals, who told their stories, with Madden supplying relevant information to fill in the gaps.

I read this book this past week during a cross country flight. I have been a Yankees fan since 1959 and have consumed almost every word written on the team. This publication is the very best of anything I have read on the team in the past 43 years. The writing took even familiar Yankees' lore to another level by digging beneath the surface to fully understand how being a Yankee impacted each and every one of the subjects even beyond their playing days. Regardless of the player's era, the author delivered a consistently enjoyable book that flowed and entertained at the highest level.

I think this is the best book that I ever read. I couldn't put this book down. This is a good book for die hard Yankee fans or just people who love baseball. Bill madden goes out to find players from past Yankee seasons. This is a good book I recommend this book for all baseball fans.

Baseball is a game of stories, and Bill Madden has transversed the United States to garner tales from a unique group of alumni, those who played for the New York Yankees through the twentieth century. The title is something of a misnomer. Some of Madden's subjects were never young Yankees. Reggie Jackson cut his teeth in Oakland, Lou Piniella caught fire in Kansas City, and Paul O'Neill even won a World Series ring in Cincinnati in 1990 before arriving at the East Coast. And even with the Yankee "lifers" interviewed for this work, many of the best remembered stories are about established ball players and their antics in their prime. Whitey, Mickey, Billy and Hank were hardly kids the night the Yanks trashed the Copa in 1957-in fact, it was Billy's 29th birthday that sparked the occasion. Yet this tale appears-more than once-among the multitude of memories along this nostalgic trail.

There are some interviews that actually do shed new light on Yankee history-or hagiography, if you will. Marius Russo's inclusion among Madden's subjects is fortuitous. One of the team's lesser known talents over the years, Russo, a left handed pitcher who joined the Yanks in 1938, was included in this work as one of the last living connections to the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig. Russo sheds light on a remarkable Yankee pitching staff of 1939 remembered both for its depth and its sabermetrics. Seven starters finished the season with double figure wins: Ruffing [21-7], Hadley [12-6], Pearson [12-5], Gomez [12-8], Donald [13-3], Sundra [11-1], and Hildebrand [10-4]. Russo, added to the rotation late in the season [why?], went 8-3, including a 7-0 stretch in September. Russo would never win more than 14 games in any of his six Yankee seasons, but one of his most poignant memories involved fallout from the demise of Gehrig. When the Yankee team fell to fifth place in 1940, columnist Jimmy Powers of the New York Daily News reported that the entire team had been infected by Gehrig's "polio," as his affliction was then diagnosed. The report shook baseball and resulted in a $1 million lawsuit against the writer.

Another lesser-known Yankee interviewee was the observant bench jockey and reserve catcher Charlie Silvera, whose entire nine years of backing up Berra, Houk, and Howard produced only 429 at bats. Silvera recalls an obscure but impressive Casey Stengel accomplishment: winning five successive World Series with a depleted roster. The Yankees, under the rules of the day, carried two or three prospects who never made the team but counted against the 25-man roster. Silvera's recollections also highlight one of the secrets of the Yankee dynasty: a network of astute West Coast scouts who steered reports of promising young prospects to the East Coast Yankee front office that took such reporting seriously. Silvera as much as anyone recounts the awe that most players since 1920 have felt about donning the Yankee pinstripes. Silvera and others-including many of the household names--are as proud of their being Yankees as their personal stats as Yankees. In a year where Silvera, for example, did not get his first at bat until June 17 [1949], he still won his first of five consecutive World Series rings.

As all of the interviewed players wore Yankee pinstripes, it is hard at times to separate the individuals from the history of the team itself. And one era that Madden treats with considerable detail is the post 1964 Yankee decline. Some of the best interviews come from Yankees who played or managed through that ten year era: Yogi, Ralph Houk, Mel Stottlemyre, Joe Pepitone, Bobby Richardson, Ron Blomberg, and Bobby Murcer. There are many theories of the fall of the Roman Empire, nearly as many as to the decline of the Yankees in those years. The author and the players named above are in fair agreement that poor front office management [trading Roger Maris to St. Louis, for example], the failure of certain Yankee veterans to obey "one of their own," Yogi Berra, as manager, the free agent draft, the decline of the farm teams, and parity. One other applicable statistic: I looked up the 1965 Yankee roster, and discovered exactly one African-American in the starting lineup, Elston Howard [whose widow Arlene is the only non-player interviewed for this work], and one black pitcher on the staff, Al Downing.

As an interviewer Bill Madden is more Eddie Lopat than Vic Raschi. The questions arrive to the plate with a gentle thud in the catcher's mitt or get obscured in the dust in front of home plate. Madden has no problem getting his subjects to cry, but he is averse to making them squirm. Thus the free pass to Whitey "Slick" Ford, whose nickname comes from the old expression "city-slicker." Whitey's description of himself as a "professional drinker" in his playing days says nothing and says everything. It is no surprise he does not like to talk about Mickey and Billy, and Madden does not press.

But perhaps we should not be surprised that Madden is no Bob Woodward where investigative reporting is concerned. The author has covered the Yankees for a quarter century. I hardly think he would endanger the source of his bread and butter. It is in his vested interest in continue the legend, and he does this in a warm and congenial way. And we always have Jim Bouton for the hardball accounts.

Author Bill Madden has come up with a first rate book on significant Yankee players who have had distinguished careers with the team over the past several decades. The book reminds me of Roger Kahn's effort on the Brooklyn Dodgers of the early 1950's in which he traveled across the country to visit surviving members of that team. Madden has come up with a similar book on the Yankees with the only difference being the players that were interviewed didn't necessarily play on the same team. The oldest player interviewed by Madden was pitcher Marius Russo who concluded his career in 1946 with Paul O'Neill being the most recent Yankee included in the book. Madden interviewed the late Elston Howard's wife Arlene. Otherwise the book includes interviews only with still-living Yankee greats. The only disappointing omission from the book is Ron Guidry who certainly should have been included. However, Yankee fan or not, this is a first rate book for anyone who considers themself a baseball fan.

Red Zone Management is a down-to-earth explanation of why so many organizations, faced with making a step change to reach the next level, fall flat on their faces and end up in worse shape than they were before. Organizations that "fumble the ball" in the red zone often see momentum swing to their competition, leading to potentially irrecoverable losses. This book will help an organization's leaders recognize the red zone--and play to win.

Here is a book with helpful insights to deal with issues faced in every corporation,if you are re-engineering the whole company or a small unit that is floundering.

Dutch scores with this great manual on not just recognizing Red Zones, but on how to plan, communicate, motivate and execute successfully in them given today's unforgiving and full speed environment.

He has done a terrific job capturing what team members urgently need to know and while pointing out what they need to challenge and he has put it in an easy to read and understand format.

This book has joined my short list of must read's for teams that I lead on high risk/high reward projects.

I strongly encourage you to read this book!

Red Zone Management is a down-to-earth explanation of why so many organizations, faced with making a step change to reach the next level, fall flat on their faces and end up in worse shape than they were before. Organizations that "fumble the ball" in the red zone often see momentum swing to their competition, leading to potentially irrecoverable losses. This book will help an organization's leaders recognize the red zone--and play to win.

Red Zone Management is based on a football analogy for the last 20 yards that lead to a touchdown. This is make it or break it time for a team. According to the author, Dutch Holland, businesses are increasingly facing their own red zones. For a business what constitutes are red zone? It is activities that can lead to extraordinary profit or loss. These situations fall outside the scope of daily business management. Here is a list of red zone situations:

Changing competitive strategy

Mergers and acquisitions
Reengineering work processes
Implementing enterprise solutions (ERPs)
Implementing e-Business solutions
Changing culture

What are the types of behaviors that cause red zone initiatives to fail? Here is Holland's list:

Lack of high quality executive support
Lack of comprehensive and detailed up-front planning
The organization is too narrowly involved
Inappropriate delegation for critical leadership responsibilities
Undisciplined and incomplete project management

Red Zone Management covers the general topics of the red zone in the first half of the book. Each business red zone gets a chapter in the second half of the book. Each of these chapters covers a company that failed in this red zone and one that succeeded. In addition each of these chapters covers the roles that senior management needs to play for this particular red zone.

If your company is in the red zone or will be in one soon this book can tip the scales in your favor to succeed in the red zone.

One of the best walkthroug books i have ever bought , i'm a fan of bradygames , they always make the walktroug without unnecessary spoilers , and this one is like all the others straight to the point , have all the informations you need and has a neat poster to ^^

The book helped me find all items and find ways to kill all the boss's and tells you how to unlock all characters. I loved it

Luke Ross

I got this for my daughters friends birthday. She loved it ! It helped her get through the game.She said it was one of the best strategy guides she has ever gotten,very detailed.

A friend introduced me to Resident Evil 4, and after several gruesome deaths during the course of the game I thought that maybe I should by the walk-through book. I first purchased one from a differant company, but found it to be unsatisfactory, and looked for and located a copy of this Bradygames version, which I have been extremely pleased with. The information and maps provided for game play are excellent, to the point where you can be totally prepared for what's around the next corner if you decide to read ahead, or you can just forge ahead, and then go back and read in the book where you messed up after you die, and do it better the next time. Some people might think it spoils the game to be prepared before hand, but it can easily make the game more enjoyable, and this walk-through definately makes it more so, if you decide to play that way. It's an excellent resource, and a definate must for any serious player.

The Guide for RE4 is a beautifully rendered one, covering all the places things hide, all the ways to combine items, and how to get every detail out with regard to outfits and the oddity of "other" weapons. The first time you play it you could probably use this, too, but only if you want to make one run at the game and only if you need it to fast-forward all of the puzzles. The problem with this is that a guide is simply a guide and, in the end, RE4 is player-friendly enough that you won't need it. You might need to find out about what to beat to get something bizarre, but there are things in game that allow for everything else.

First, the merchants in the game are really useful and they sell maps that highlight out all the treasure. While this doesn't tell you how to combine everything, you can simply keep all your odd little items and try combining them until you manage a priceless artifact. Second, you can look at the guns and see how they "stat up" to figure out what you want. The guide give advice that works if you want to edge up from one weapon to the other, but some of the weapons are pretty playthings and their use is what makes the experience unique. Third, this is the friendliest game as far as enemies are concerned, and you should be able to beat anything with a little practice and a few lucky shots. The same can be said for the puzzles - none of them are really difficult and finding out stuff on your own makes you feel strong. Finally, just play through the minigames in the game, kick it up and beat the game more than once, and power up your weapons all the way and see what you end up with.

So, you really don't need a guide and maybe you know it. Still, if you have to have one because you just need it or if you are buying this for someone who you might think needs help, it thrives here. This book is sexy, too, and I was impressed by the quality of the maps and the excellent care taken by the designers of the walk-through. I am of the opinion that a walk-through is either (1) a compulsive need to get everything or (2) a way to even the playing field. If you need either one of those, this is a golden ticket out of Las Plaga land. If not, you know how to run and gun.
Regardless, try to run the game first! The play-through is exciting when you have no idea what to expect AND you are better than you think. I wish i could wink when saying this, too, and add "trust me" for good measure. Resident Evil 4

This is definitely the most enjoyable store bought module I've adventured in. Our group has had a lot of fun going through this one.

There are two main features to this module that I enjoy the most:

1. Encounters are challenging.

There appear to be very few of what I call "fluff" encounters. Most of them fully challenge the abilities of our group. In this respect, it gives everyone a chance to contribute to the success of the encounter, not just the fighter type characters. Rouges, wizards, clerics and bards can all play an important role. (Our bard has been especially helpful.)

2. Role playing opportunities.

This adventure is not just a dungeon crawl with only combat. There are a number of encounters that can give the player characters a chance to practice role playing.

I'd rather not say much more, because I don't want to spoil any surprises. I'll just add that there appear to be some plot lines that could extend beyond this adventure. Perhaps WotC is planning a sequel?

Of all the 3rd edition adventures, i must say this is simply the best!
I just got this book and it kept the players wide awake all night long.
The enemy encounters are real challenging and you should be well prepared.
The plots, items, spells, and new templets are great.
This will get you WAY up after you have finished.

This book, its worth EVERY cent!

regards,
A satisfied costumer

I recently finished the original 1985 version of the Temple of Elemental Evil. For a DM who only plays for about 10 days total per year, this took years for us to complete. Near the end, we were like, man, when is this going to be over!? HOWEVER... this was definitely the coolest adventure I've ever been involved with. If you love solving puzzles, exploring rooms, killing weird monsters, and finding excellent treasure, this is without a doubt the greatest adventure you could possibly get. It's not too bad on a DM, either, since everything is well laid out and explained in marvelous detail. Keep in mind, this adventure will take you from low level way up the ladder, so there won't be much room for side adventures, although you might want to make a couple side adventures anyway to break some of the monotony, which may occur at times. Overall, assuming the new adventure is basically the same thing as the original (which I'll bet it is), I think you will be very pleased.

Although I agree with most of the feedback that this is a great module (the dungeon levels are excellent and well-documented). I would point out that the overland maps, while beautiful, are NOT TO SCALE and DO NOT MESH with the Living Grayhawk material. Also the maps and sketch of Hommlet DO NOT MATCH the old AD&D module (esp regarding terrain). Unfortunately this is typical of the Dungeons and Dragons product line. For example, the text says it's 30 miles to Verbobonc, but the overland map shows 90. There are no details about the river that flows past Hommlet, nor the one that flows past the moathouse. Nor are there any roads shown for the route to Rastor. While this is fine for hack and slash GMs who don't care about realistic whole-world detail, the more discerning GM will spend hours remapping and/or rescaling all the overland areas. Because there are no published detail maps for the world of Grayhawk, the GM must make his own maps, and face the prospect of reworking them later to fit future modules into the campaign. All-in-all, this is really just a case of poor editing. I would suggest dropping this module into your own campaign world and forgetting the World of Grayhawk altogether, since it so inconsistent and patchy. You may have to redo one or both of the two overland maps, but at least you can make it mesh.

First of all, let me say that this is easily the best module I have ever gotten my hands on for Dungeons and Dragons. It is very well written, provides everything in great detail, and is a hell of a lot of fun to run. As the DM of my home campaign, i must issue a few warnings to those who want to use this adventure. My campaign is set in the Forgotten Realms and thus I needed to do a fair bit of conversion to set the adventure in Faerun, but in the end it was well worth it.
DMs should remember before running this adventure that it is intended to be the backbone of an entire campaign, and if you run the entire thing, it most certainly will be just that. After conquering the Temple, your PCs will have saved the world (hope I'm not spoiling this for anybody), and the question for the DM is simply: Where do I go from here? Frankly my PCs are a bit disenchanted with the entire "Save the world, um, again" theme. I'll still give it five stars since it is the best module available as far as content is concerned, just make sure you want your campaign to be remembered as "When we did the Temple of Elemental Evil".

David Maraniss has written so many wonderful books that it isn't surprising to find "Rome 1960" to be such a great read. But it's still reassuring. Maraniss digs deep for his reporting, and writes with a clear eye and a genuine point of view. Good from beginning to end.

Because the 1956 Olympics were in Melborne Australia few people got to see it or even hear it live. The 1960 Olympics was the first to be televised live in Europe and by tape in the States. The amount of TV was miniscule by today's standards but it helps to pay for a large amount of the costs. It was the first olympics that the Russians brought a full team to, and the last one that Europeans had any success at. It was the first fully integrated American team (Decathlete Rafer Johnson carried the flag) with a strong womans' contingent (runners and swimmers).

As important as anything else that happened was that there were fourteen new sub-Saharan states that participated for the first time and that won medallions. Abbe Bikela won a gold medal for Ethiopia and a Senegalese (running for France) also won. This Olympics was the first in which anyone but the European Nations (including the US and Australia/ New Zealand) had any world class athletes.

It was also the first Olympics where an athlete died from the use of drugs. A Danish cyclist overheated during his road race competition and was found to have been taking amphetamines. Other athletes had used testosterone/steroids but no one knew much about the long term effects of these drugs. Drug testing would be widespread in 1964 at Tokyo and testing began in 1968.

Maraniss does a great job making the case that while integration marches hadn't started yet, those blacks who were on the Olympic team were the precursors of what was to come when all sports and America was integrated. He does an especially good job on some of the individual biographies such as Johnson, the woman runners (led by Wilma Rudolph) and the decathletes. Muhammed Ali (as Cassius Clay) was there as a 19 year old (just as brash as he was later) light-heavyweight gold medal winner. Jim McKay was the in studio host for NBC which led to him being seen by Roone Arledge (and the rest is the Wide World of Sports).

Wonderfully written and a great read. Highly Recommended.

Zeb Kantrowitz

I am not particularly fond, overall, of sports literature and normally do not read in this particular genre, although, I must admit I enjoy watching sports, follow various sports year by year, and indeed, have been an overall participant in various sports, all my life, more so when I was younger. The Olympic games have always occupied a special place for me and the 1960 Olympics was the first one that I became truly aware of what was going on. My age at the time and the fact that I actually was able to watch many of the vents on television had much to do with this. That being said, I will admit to being a history nut and this work by David Maraniss is a history as much as it is a work about a particular sport.

The 1960 Olympics was held at a time when the world was on the cusp of great change. Not only in the United States were these changes about to take place, but the entire world was on the edge, and we were beginning one of those periodic watershed eras that come along every so often. New nations in Africa were being formed. The old Colonial powers had gasped their last and were no more. Governments were changing, attitudes were changing and the world was just beginning to become wired. There were two super powers at that time, the United States and Russia. These two countries were locked in a war, the Cold War and this war was at its height. These Olympics held in Rome, had this struggle of ideas as a constant backdrop and its presents was quite significant. The two Germanys, for the first time, were acting as a single team; not having completely split as they would soon do and the entire contest was not only the United States v/s Russia, but it was East v/s West.
Racism, sexism and all the other old evils of this world were alive and well. The games were still controlled by Avery Brundage and his band of "old guard." Brundage was truly a horrid man and represented the worse of the "ruling class" of the time and treated the Olympic movement as a private fiefdom and all those who participated as his own flock of surfs. Truly, in my opinion, and the author's as well, you could not have found a man, or group of men, who personified racism, sexism, arrogance, privileged class ethos and egotism more than Brundage and his cohorts.

The author's easy writing style makes this an easy, understandable and enjoyable read. As has been pointed out, each chapter is almost a news report, cum essay, on different aspect of these games; addressing individuals, events and the ever present political background. Many of the great names appear is this work; Wilma Rudolph. Lance Larson. Otis Davis, Herb Elliott, Cassius Clay, Rafer Johnson, C.K. Yang, Abebe Bikila, Al Oerter, the Tigerbelles and their coach Ed Temple, and many, many more (to name just a few) of the truly greats are written about, assessed and discussed. The author has given us a real feel for the times and has given us much to reflect over. Communications, training methods, attitudes toward different sexes and races, the beginnings of doping, how the athletes were treated and how various fans responded are all covered in this fine work.

I do take some umbrage with the assertion that these games change the world. I personally feel that these games were held at a time of change and that those who participated, at ever level, were merely reacting to the changes taking place rather that actually forcing the changes themselves. This is a mote point though and really has little to do with the actually book. It the subtitle upsets you, ignore it.

This was a very informative, well written, well researched work and it as truly a joy to read.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Maraniss defines the 1960 Olympics that changed the world not purely because of the political influence of the Cold War, that was obvious in 1936, but in describing the emergence of Russia as a dominant athletic power where the Soviet Union and the U.S. became the dominant medal winners and where the cold war rhetoric emerged more directly in the Olympics as they increasingly did over the next several. Other issues that came into the spotlight was the battle of the China's, National versus Communist requiring the former to accept a different name, the emergency of drug enhancements that resulted in the death of a Danish cyclist, the contrast in the dominance of black athletes such as Rafer Johnson and Wilma Rudolph and the Tennessee State contingent that included long jumper Ralph Boston with how they were treated in some parts of the country where blacks were still segregated, and the fascinating discussion of what was defined as amateur athletics that meant living virtually in poverty in the U.S. in stark contrast to a professional life style for many athletes in other countries. However, the greatest parts of the book are the individual stories of inspiring competitors such as Rudolph who fought off the effects of polio as a child to become the dominant sprinter in the games and won the crowd with her open and very likable personality. The author also describes the frustration of many athletes who are expected to win such as ray Norton who struggles valiantly but meets the definition perhaps of trying too hard as woman's track coach Ed Norton states that in the sprints, those that strain are defeated by those that can run relaxed. Other great stories and descriptions of great completions include Otis Davis who had very little experience in running internationally but wins a photo finish in the 400 meters. Many other great portrayals include swimmers such as Lance Larson who appears rooked out of a medal and diving champ Ingrid Kraemer from East Germany but on a trumped combined German team, the German brash sprinter Armin Hary who wins the 100 meters, the U.S. basketball team made up of some of the greatest stars of the future like Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, the wide open emergence of Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) who shouts that he will have Floyd Patterson "for dinner!", and of course the Ethiopian that shocked the world winning the marathon barefoot, Abebe Bikila. Bikila's win is ironic because along the course he passes a notable Ethiopian monument that was stolen by Mussolini's forces in the 1930s when Italy invaded Ethiopia. Fittingly, the climax of the book is Rafer Johnson's titanic battle against his college teammate from National China, C.K.Yang that comes down to the very last event, Yang's best. The book is complete with excellent photographs such as Australia's Herb Elliott shattering the 1500 meter field to the most poignant photo of all, Johnson and Yang at the end of their final event, Johnson with his head laying across Yang's shoulder for support as they appear to hold each other up after the exhausting competition, competitors but always friends. This is a highly readable book and it is well written. Obviously, more to the American view but well laced with interviews and discussions of notable athletes from al countries like the "Flying Sikh".

The strong response of Amazon reviewers is definitely justified and cheers are in order for both the author and Simon and Schuster for bringing this book out just in time to coincide with the 2008 games. This is five-star historiography, with the perfect blend of biographical, cultural, political and athletic fact. Maraniss showcases the experience of a number of individuals (for American readers, Rafer Johnson, Wilma Rudolph, Cassius Clay, Avery Brundage, et al.) but situates that experience within its historical moment, a moment replete with racial overtones, cold war implications, doping allegations and other key elements. He tells you about the Roman weather and landscape, about the physical challenges and physical ailments of the athletes, their romantic connections, financial support (or non-support), their equipment, their friendships and their rivalries. He does not attempt to cover every last detail of the 1960 olympics. For example, while he quotes the gold medalist swimmer Bill Mulliken, he does not discuss Mulliken's unexpected, dark-horse victory. Nevertheless, this is a lovely read, with apt illustrations, historical point and significant human interest.

These are very intense stories. Each of them gripped me and forced me through them. And yet, I don't know...I don't think he's top-rank. Maybe I'm just prejudiced against short stories? Too much compression? I really like Beware of Pity a LOT.

The Royal Game is a very striking reflection on intelligence and torture, written by an Austrian exile early during Wolrd War II. It is highly original and moving. The other stories are "lighter," being set in everyday life and dealing with self-induced frustrations, and his apparent obsession with adulterous women is odd after a while (unless of course it is an obsession of the editor who selected the stories for this collection). Nevertheless, each story is different and engaging, with depth, respect and loving interest for his characters. It reads a little like a fiction version of Freud's essays (a bit like I believe Camus wrote complementary essays and novels), and the two men were close.

I bought this work mainly for the 'Royal Game' story because chess fiction is dear to my heart and I collect these kinds of books. I must admit that I loved this story, but I figured since the other stories were there I should give them a fair chance at a read as well. I was really stunned to find out how well Zweig wrote! Now mind you these books are translated - I can only imagine how well the original works must be! Zweig can take regular events and suck you right into the reading and it's really amazing how hard it is to put the book down. A pure genius of the 20th century is all I can say. Please do, enjoy this master's work! Zweig's stories are intended for mature audiences. If you like chess fiction - other books you may want to look at are 'The Queen's Gambit' by Tevis, 'The Luneberg Defense' by Maurensig, 'Alekhine's Anguish' by Yaff, or 'The Chess Team' by Sawaski

This collection of short stories includes some of Zweig's best fiction ever! The author writes in a beautiful, alluring way that pulls the reader into the story. The intensity of the subjects provoke suspenseful emotions in the reader while entertaining and educating about human conditions. His descriptions of emotions are realistic while at the same time heavily weighted by difficult situations that few people encounter. His imagination is incredible!
I have read this book numerous times and it's one of the few books that I dislike lending to others because my attachment to the stories.

If you are new to Zweig then this is for you. All the stories are very engaging and represent the style of writing of that era. I wish I could find more writers like Zweig, alas...
Beware of Pity is also very good. He is probably my favorite writer next to Witkiewicz. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

This is one of those books that all basketball coaches should have and make available to their players... a la Phil Jackson. In fact, I recommend buying two copies one that you can lend out to your players or take on road trips for quick reading and one for you.
The beauty of it is that the book isn't designed to read in a couple of sittings but rather to be placed nearby on a night stand or on your desk so when you have short segments of time available for reading you can cherry pick different parts or topics covered by Carril. I find the book a valuable asset both in season and out of season and always gets me thinking up new ideas or reinforcing old ones.

I would compare it to the series of books by Dick DeVenzio though I believe that DeVenzio's books provide just a touch more.

Carril's little book is a gem. Although virtually absent of Xs and Os, this is a manual on coaching that translates to any sport. Carril puts great stock in kids having heart, and then putting them in a position to succeed. This is the one book that I give to my coaching friends.

For basketball fans and coaches, this book is a must read. It's a short, but graceful and humorous look at basketball through the eyes of one of its coaching deans. Readers get Carril's insight into collegiate basketball and his opinions on various techniques and fundamentals. His dry wit and plainspoken style exemplify Carril at his finest as he discusses the philosophy behind the "Princeton offense" that his teams invented and perfected. If you enjoy college basketball, it's well worth the money.

"The closer you live to the wrong side of the train tracks tells me if your gonna be a good rebounder." Reading this book I got blown away about the lessons in it. First off, there's very little your learn in terms of X's and O's, so for that matter go to a basketball camp and learn from a coach live. What you will learn is that life and basketball is about putting forth the expriences you've had into the best possible mold of yourself. I've read about Andrew Carnegy so I know about the town fo Bethlaham PA, but that doesn't give the hardship that Pete Carril grew up in. What I did get was that it doesn't where your from or your who your parents were(your parents and family are important for personal matters), it's what you do with your self that makes the difference. Carrils insight in what made his teams successful are very helpful. Athletes are pampered too much today, what is really needed is honesty and a fair shake. Pete Carril was best in saying that the true stars at Princeton were the ones in the libary. Alot has been said about Carril's teams and their offense but I like the fact that it was always about the "teams" and not individuals. The sad fact is that in the big time college basketball world, there's not enough Pete Carrils. Just look at the graduation rate of college basketball players and ask yourself who's getting the raw end of the deal. Carril's got his deciples out there, John Thompson the younger at Georgetown to name one. Read this book and forget about basketball and take it like a wise bartender or cab driving giving you his life expriences.

In The Smart Take from the Strong, legendary Princeton coach and Sacramento Kings bench adviser Pete Carril offers an assortment of aphorisms jotted and compiled over the course of his college career. Ranging from one sentence (e.g., "Overcoming Certain Obstacles: A good mind has never handicapped a player") to 6 pages ("You Never Tire of Making Shots"), Carril's end product is part Quotations of Chairman Mao, part Clausewitz, offering dozens, if not hundreds, of pithy insights that are as useful to a successful life as they are to success on the basketball court. He is Yogi Berra turned upside down (or right-side up): elegant, yet intellectual, in utter simplicity.

In early sections of the book, Carril sheds biographical light -- and, in an unassuming style, makes light of it -- on his life growing up in industrial Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The son of Spanish immigrants, Carril learned from his father how craftiness can overcome physical talent. "Every day, before he left for work, [Father] would remind my sister and me how important it is to be smart," Carril writes. "Then, as he was going out the door, he would point his finger at his head and say, 'Use El Coco'"(17). As a young player standing only 5'6, Carril took the simple message to heart -- and, around it, developed an entire doctrine of coaching that guided Princeton to 13 Ivy League titles, an NIT tournament win in 1975 (the only by an Ivy League school) and a classic upset of defending champion UCLA in the 1996 NCAA Tournament. That he did it all in one of America's elite academic institutions, without offering a single scholarship, makes his accomplishments even more remarkable.

Contemporary, NBA-focused readers of Carril's little masterpiece will also come away with a better understanding of the style of basketball that transformed the Sacramento Kings from NBA doormat into a perennial playoff team (and, in the early 2000s, arguably the "greatest show on court", in the words of Sports Illustrated). Sections entitled "Play without the Ball (and the Coach)" and "Cut with Credibility" underscore the primary objective of a good offense: to move the defense. He touches on details ("Every little thing counts. If not, why do it?") such as bounce-passes and jump balls; he discusses his love of the three-pointer and good passers; he considers at length the value of mastering fundamentals such as dribbling, pivoting and layups. Carril is a basketball fundamentalist without hestitation. But, in an interesting contrast to the Kings teams he has helped to coach (with former Princeton star pupil Geoff Petrie), Carril is also a tough-minded, defensive-oriented coach who denounces the "three car garage guys" -- players who come from the rich side of town. "I liked to find players from schools whose names begin with 'bishop' or 'monsignor' -- city Catholic schools -- because they have learned discipline and because they tend to be shrewd, tough, hardworking, loyal to their friends and families" (169). Judging by the struggles with which the Kings have had on defense and rebounding in recent seasons, one wonders whether Coach Carril is still getting enough say in team huddles.

Ultimately, the gold nugget in Carril's treasure is perhaps his simplest point. He writes, "The most important thing you can do is to DO what you are doing well. The word 'focus' does not carry the same weight with me...When you play, PLAY...When you study, STUDY. Then it's not hard to separate the two" (191). In a world of information overload, pressure to multitask, and need to exceed beyond any realistic expecation, it is a valuable lesson for any competitor in life.

My only complaint is that it WON'T teach you how to win the World Series of Poker since I'm not giving away anything to say that the author doesn't win the Big One which he writes about. Besides from that, this is the gambling book that all other gambling books have to test themselves against. What a writer! Also enjoyed his MAN WITH $100,000 BREASTS which is the second best gambling stories book.

World Series of Poker time again. Plenty of strategy books out there. Only one about what's inside the heart and head of top players. I reread Konik's masterpiece the night before the last tournament I played. Won it. This is the book I'm going to be reading night before the Big One. Mr. Konik I salute you.

I'm speechless. I read the one about the Binion's murders and playing in the world championship of poker and I thought that it was an extremely sophisticated look at the world of gambling. Then I read Konik's take on playing in the World Championship of cards and I'm speechless. I don't know if I want to cry or laugh or just read it all over again. If you play cards you need to read this book.

Getting ready to make my first entry into the World Series of Poker. Konik's book was highly recommended by a friend whose played in the Big one three times (made money two years ago)and he said it won't teach you how to win the tournament but it'll put into words everything people feel/think when they're involved in the ultimate poker compertition.

Totally agree.

If you're gonna play in a poker tournament especially the Series, you should read "Telling Lies". Finally I found a book that captures what its all about. Also excellent stories about backgammon and blackjack.

Mr. Konik great job. I'm gonna want an autograph at the World Series. See ya at the final table!

Every once in while a writer such as Michael Konik elevates Poker to artistic and emotional heights reserved for exceptional feats of art AND science. Spanier, Alvarez and Holden are other names of such conjurors who come to mind.

Like Sir Holden, Mr. Konik also is cursed with the helpless realization that inconsequential to his passion, and Matrix-like aptitude for Poker, he too shall never ascend to "physiological ascendancy" long enough to seize the Bracelet - not yet at least. Fortunately for us, his reluctant affinity to his "day job" will provide us the memorable glimpses into an intellect, a game, and a perspective that would otherwise remain cloaked by the trite interpretations of the Discovery/Learning/Travel channels, and kept regretfully shrouded in obscurity.

Michael does a superb job in this book about varied and unique gambling experiences which culminate into the grandest story of all:
His own WSOP heroics (or lack thereof), interwoven with the raw trials of his inner-demons (or goddesses in his case).

This latter and final segment of the book is a brilliant piece of writing that transforms Poker, with all its nuances, humility, "brute" refinement and fragility into Magic. Just when you think Poker can evoke only images of banal-minded, leather-"butts" that haven't washed their hands since three infections ago, nor read anything that didn't include a chapter or blurb on "check-raising UTG", Michael Konik uses eloquent references to Gericault, Milton and Goethe (naming but a few), shedding revealing insight into his own 'raison d'être', all the while exalting the virtues of a truly remarkable game.

This is definitely a must-read/must-own book appealing to readers of both intellectual and poker-aficionado qualities (especially for those gifted with the philosophical capacitates to appreciate the a posteriori relationship between "tabula rasa" and sizing up the guy in seat#2).

If you read this book just for the stories outside the Poker world, you'd still be doing yourself a huge favour, and by accident discover the best account of pocket 3's I think I've ever come across. ...

This book was exactly what I was looking for. It is great for a intermediate beader (which is what I consider myself). It goes briefly through the basics of many stitches (chevron, spiral rope, crochet rope, herringbone, peyote, and more), and then proceeds to show variations on each one. For each stitch there are several step-by-step projects, beginning with the simple to the advanced. It also shows galleries of works by otehr beaders. Also, there is an entire section on beaded beads. All in all, this book is fantastic, and I would highly reccomend it to anyone who wants to move beyond the basics and advance their beadweaving.

One of the best beading books I have seen to date. Wonderful beaded beads featured which I have already made. Well presented with lots of detailed descriptions to follow. Extremely happy with purchase.

This book is absolutely inspiring! It is wonderful what sophisticated designs can be created with these techniques and simple beads. The author is a woman after my own heart (she asks, "Can any one person own too many beads?"), and her knowledge and passion show in her writing. I think this book may overwhelm someone who is an absolute beginner, someone who has never done any beadwork before. To get the most from this book, I think you need a little experience. But her illustrations are the best I have ever seen, and her instructions are very clear. This book is worth the price just for the gorgeous color photos of projects. Another thing I like about the book is the fact that she gives many pointers for variations in the techniques, and encourages you to take off on your own. If you like seed beads and want to get beyond stringing, this book is essential.

There is only 1 other book at this level and that is the author's Creative Bead Weaving. Buy either one or even better both. Not only are the instructions excellent but the pictures and the projects are creative and inspiring. Please - when is your next book coming out.

Great book for instructions for all types of bead weaving. The beads are numbered so you have exact directions on where to go next. A "must have" book for any beader.