Clubs Books

Ron Fay, through his own experience, saves us the pitfalls of trial and error. Taking us through the planning process, he covers everthing from Market analysis, financial and tax considerations, equipment, and space planning, to personal training and membership retention. Other helpful tools include a section of forms and templates. As a Personal Trainer I knew the service end of the business but felt less sure of myself in terms of managing an entire facility. I took this book and have used it as a roadmap to open and successfully run a small club here in rural Upstate NY. Must Have reading for any trainer considering their own club.

THIS BOOK HAS SO MUCH SOUND INFO FOR THE NOVICE OR SEASONED TRAINER.I RUN A PERSONAL TRAINING BUSINESS FROM MY HOME . I WANTED TO TAKE THE LEAP OF FAITH INTO A LARGER BUILDING AND WAS LOADED DOWN WITH SO MUCH INFO I DID NOT NO WHERE TO START.THIS BOOK LAYS THE GROUND WORK FOR "THINGS THAT MAY BE FORGOTTEN" WHILE SPENDING YOUR FAMILIES LAST MONEY ON A FITNESS PLACE.THIS BOOK TOUCHES ON ALL OF WHAT WILL BE NEEDED TO OPEN THE DOORS OF A SMALL CLUB OR WORK OUT OF YOUR HOUSE IF NEEDED. THE FAYS DID NOT LEAVE ANY STONES LEFT UNTURNED. GREAT BOOK DERRICK BROWN

If you are thinking about starting a gym, regardless of size, this book is a MUST HAVE. I read it over a weekend. It is clear and concise and touched on many important aspects I never really thought about. Whether you are planning on a small home based gym or a large commercial one, this book gives great insights into equipment, financing, marketing, etc., AND a realistic view of what to expect from your business. Before you dive into a business, read this book. The information is well worth the money, and then some.

Excellent blue print for the person, that wants to start a business, without laying their financial life on the line.
This book shows how to start with little financial backing and build with the monies earned.
By following the advise given, many of the stops and starts of a new business can be avoided.
Highly reccomended for a small town successful business.

In researching my new idea to open a small gym, I was overwhelmed with information on the web and after perusing the SBA website and printing a full 3-ring binder's worth of research articles off the internet until I LUCKILY found this book. I was stunned to come across a book especially designed to guide me in my new idea to open a small gym. Then I was surprised at how completely applicable it was and how informative and practical the information was-these guys really share their secrets to success! Its a step by step easy to read well thought out book that guides your thoughts and decisions by helping you build a business plan based on your personal principles and desires for your gym. Its nothing short of amazing, and easily the most important bit of research I have done. I read the book and treated it like a text book, taking notes and when answering every question and carefully thinking about each point they recommend considering sot hat I read a little bit each day and wrote a lot and hammered out my own ideas in the process. I had all the ideas, but had not articulated them, organized them and nd built on them until I read this book. I am now 6 to 8 months from opening my gym but after reading this book, I have now articulated my true reasons for opening my own gym, and kept those reasons firmly in mind as I have analyzed my target market, competition and developed the marketing plan. I feel I am head and shoulders above most small business owners when they start out. I look forward to reporting back with the huge success of my new small gym!! Thanks to Ron and Barb Fay for not only sharing their experiences and lessons learned from them but for presenting these lessons clearly and in a concise book that gets the job done.

This purchase saved me a lot of money compared to the price in the campus bookstore.

Of the eight books I bought, it was the most expensive (cost per page) for all that I received. Although it was in great condition, so were some of the others.

This book was pleseant to read because Socrates was accused of corrupting of young Greek people's mind. Socrates made mockery of his trial. Eventually, he was convicted and was order to drink poison to die.

I was totally pleased with the entire process. The book arrived surprisingly quickly and was in perfect condition.

This is a must for anyone who is interested in the writings of Plato and what little we know about Socrates. The footnotes provide excellent refrences to phrases, gods and place names that the average reader may not be familiar with.

I am a beginning & intermediate horseback riding instructor in Moscow, ID. I have found the Pony Club Manual for beginners to be a very helpful teaching tool - the illustrations are helpful and well-labeled, and the layout is easy to follow. The information is widely accepted as correct, and the text is well-written for the 10-15 year old ages. I include a manual in the price of all my beginning horse camps for 10-14 year olds.

This is the an excellent introduction for anyone interested in horsemanship. It can be studied prior to joining the United States Pony Club or serve as a usful tool in teaching or improving horsemanship for the young or beginning equestrian.

I couldn't have gotten through Pony Club Quiz Bowl if I didn't have this book. I like the exercises in the book and now I do them on my horse. I learned alot while reading this book, like parts of the tack and how to be safe around horses. I like all the pictures in the book because it helped me to understand what it meant. I would reccommend this book to other pony clubbers and kids who like to ride.

There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Susan Harris is not only a gifted artist ; drawing her explanations of concepts she is relating ; she draws pictures with her words, and for anyone lucky enough to attend one of her clinics , she draws explanations with body language. I am fortunate to have Sue as my friend and mentor for 30+ years & have told her often that "She could read the phone book to you & You'd never lose interest". She is also a gifted horsewoman & teacher. She posseses an ability to locate the crux of a lack of understanding & with empathy for both horse & rider guides them to a solution. If I had to limit my horse library to just a few books, her USPC manuels would be the first chosen. They are a wealth of information on all aspects of horsemanship , for every level of horseman , of any age. Her choice of words combined with her own illustrations gives very clear & interesting information.Sue stresses empathy for your horse & safety issues in every topic -2 basics to have ingrained in anyone who wishes to be around horses. I have recommended these books to all who share the "addiction" to horses with me.

I advise anyone young who is seriously interested in horses to start with this book. I've been riding all my life and think this is a great book to start with and it is very informative.

The Baby Sitters are going to a winter vacation. Dawn is having troubles with skating. Kristy is helping her team win the Winter War. Mary Anne uncovers a ghost in the lodge.

This was overall a pretty good book, but what bugs me is that in almost evary super special, the girls fall in love. They're a little young to be doing that. But I was really impressed by how good the BSCers were with the kids in the bus accident. They talked to them, comforted them and even agreed to bunk with them. I've always thought Kristy was too competitive and a whiney, snobby brat and the 'winter war' proves it. It seems as though she just has to win EVERYTHING! And, okay, so Dawn was born and raised in California, so of course she'd be bad at the winter sports. The kids were wrong to ridicule her. This is a pretty good book, but it will make youi frustrated in some parts.

Did your school ever take a field trip to Vermont in the winter? Stoneybrook Middle School has. In this book, there are many problems. One of them is that Kristy and Claudia are being really competitive and mean to each other. They get more competitive each day. At the end of the book, they forgive each other. The conflict is best friend vs. best friend.

There are many characters in this book- all girls. And they are trying to help their team win the Winter War. (a field day)
Dawn is having trouble with her skills. She has long, pale blonde hair and blue eyes. Kristy has shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes and is short for her age. She is also the captain of her team for the Winter War. Mary-Anne has really short blonde hair, brown eyes, and is also short for her age. She is also writing a report about the trip. Claudia has long, jet black hair, brown almond shaped eyes, and is Japanese-American. Stacey has curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and has diabetes. When she goes skiing, she has some boy problems.

This book tells how five girls fight, forgive, and have fun. The author's message is to be competitive but, have fun. I rate this book a five star because Ann M. Martin writes chapters from different character's points of view.

I loved this book, and have read it alot, but the only thing I think is that Jessi should get over herself! Its annoying because she thinks Pinky (who is about SIX) is predjuduced, just because she's being mean to her. I mean, come on! I didn't like that bit because it is really annoying how she thinks anyone who does anything that isnt nice is treating her like that because she's black. I don't think that was especially true. But basically it was a good book. Claudia and Stacey both fall head over heals with french skiers, the only thing is- Claudia's "guy" is married! Kristy is captain of the Red team, and gets to competitive. Meanwhile, a whole busload of kids have been stranded in the snow, and the BSC decided to take them on. It was a good book!

This was a really good super special. A good job you're doing,Ms. Martin, and keep up the good work!

The Baby-Sitters Club aregoing on a school field trip. When they arrive on the bus, a terrible thing happens. The bus crashes but luckily no one was hurt.

Meanwhile, the Baby-Sitters are having a blast! What kind of vacation did they exactly have? Read this book and find out!

Stevie, Lisa and Carole are going to the Carolina Invitational, a big and exciting horse show. Each one of them is secretly having trouble raising enough money for the entry fee. However, they all have a plan to send the other to the show. Until something big happens and though they don't go to the show they thought they were going to, that doesn't mean their not going to compete! A great book to end the series with!

Although this is the last book in the Saddle Club series, it is not the last book about the Saddle Club themselves. If you want to read more about the Saddle Club, read the Pine Hollow series.
The Pine Hollow series is about the Saddle Club when they are around 15 years old. And Lisa is dating Stevie's brother Alex. Ewe!!! Talk about disturbing.

This ends the Saddle Club series. Carole, Stevie and Lisa have been invited to attend a horse show, along with their rival, the snooty Veronica diAngelo. However, none of them can afford Christmas gifts AND the show fees. Their dilemma is resolved in "Gift of the Magi" fashion. Drama comes when they are trapped inside Pine Hollow due to a freak snowstorm and must care for themselves and the horses. But of course, all turns out well in the end.

As far as I can tell this is the last book in the series. Overall it was very predicatable but a warm and fun read. The Saddle Club is extremely short on money so they all think that they will be unable to attend an important horse show in the Carolinas. However in the end they all help each other out during Christmas.

I think that anyone wanting a successful completion to the series will like this book as it really shows the friendship that all of the books had been centered on.

Best Friends, the Saddle Club Book, is a great book because, Lisa, Stevie,and Lisa get to compete in a show! It is called the Carolina Invatational. Its a show where special people get to participate. Theyre very excited until they figure out that they wont be able to pay for the show. They try everything possible but all fails. Will they succeed?
Anyways, this is a great book for horse lovers. I also reccomend it for kids who liketo read about diffuculties. -FeatherBall

If you want to know first hand the inner-workings of New York's most famous parties and the people who make them happen (along with the clubgoers that help make them famous) go read "Confessions from the Velvet Ropes" now. This raw telling weaves significant and interesting nightlife history, including interviews with the people who lived it, with tales of current scenes and connects them to give readers an untainted view of the underground world of NYC parties, fashion, social change and the fabulously outrageous characters that embody them. Along with colorful personal anecdotes and fun, sarcastic sidebars with topics like "Thomas's Top Ten Tips for Getting Past the Ropes," Glenn Belverio with the help of personal commentary from famed doorman, Thomas Onorato, makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in NYC history, social scenes and celebrity gossip. Whether you're from NYC, just moved there or follow the scene with a curious eye from afar - you will not be able to put down "Confessions from the Velvet Ropes" until you have devoured all the edgy and eccentric pages in their entirety. And you will be thirsty for more...

I was pulled into this book from the very first page. Not only does it paint the real life experience with every word but it is written in such a lively manner that the sizzling times in NYC just pour through you. I especially loved the Heatherette piece. Could not stop laughing. Looking forward to Glenn's next book. Five Stars from Paris.

The author of this book has a keen observational eye for the details of New York nightlife and its denizens. He takes what might first appear as a frivolous or superficial subject and manages to extract some real anthropological significance from it. But you can still read it at the beach.

I love to read NYC celebrity gossip columns mainly because I love to imagine all the excitement going on in the Big Apple. I've heard about nightclub line ups and doormen and the horror of rejection. This book not only made me feel like I was standing next to the doorman getting an insider's view, but by the end of the book, I felt like I really knew Thomas and that I really had been there. I can't think of another book that's been able to make me forget I was reading a book. I laughed out loud - this book made me laugh out loud. It made me see that anyone can feel like a star - the glamor is in the attitude not the pocketbook. Confessions of the Velvet Ropes is like a guidebook to cutting edge NYC nightlife complete with tips on how to pull off a look, to get into the club and how to have a wild time without getting hung up on being an outcast from NJ. It was a thoroughly fun book to read.

I really enjoyed reading about all the amusing people in this book. It's sort of like a better written, funnier, more detailed version of the Warhol Diaries... except the Warhol Diaries is packed with boring old farts like Liza Minnelli and Bob Colacello, whereas this book has mental cases like Courtney Love and that tacky thing who does the Baby Phat clothes -- you know, the former model who thinks she's Tyra Banks but is really just Jocelyne Wildenstein in Beyonce drag. Anyhow, you know that when you've got Kimora and Courtney in the same book, you're gonna laugh (and if you've got them in the same room, bring backup... as you'll see in Confessions.)

I have many excellent cookbooks, and yet when I want to make a new dish and there's no room for a disappointment, this is the one I always pull down. I've made many of the dishes in the book and each one has always been flavorful, broadened my palate and yet never been too difficult or complex for me to master.

As others have said, the wit and stories behind the recipes makes me read through it even when I'm not looking to cook. It also inspired me to start my own cooking club with a groupd of my friends. We've had some wonderful times together, though I must admit, out own cooking prowess has never reached the heights of these ladies. Very highly recommended!

I don't have a cooking club and I've never made all of the recipes in a chapter for a dinner party, but I've picked-and-chosen recipes and haven't come up with a bad dish yet. Their mac & cheese is the one I return to again and again. The recipes are easy to follow, off the beaten path, and sooo yummy.

As an amateur chef with roots in the midwest, I've long relied on little more than good ol' salt and pepper when it comes time to cook for the crew (except for a shake of Italian seasoning on spaghetti night!). But this fantastic book turned me on to a virtual phantasmagoria of new culinary delights! Even my husband, who usually balks at long john silver, is a fan of the italian fish in crazy water. One added bonus for us gals: we get to see what kind of footwear these sophisticated manhattanites are trotting around in these days. Ouch! I think I'll keep my Stride Rites! But I'm a sucker for the Cellophane Noodle Salad.

Witty, charming, well designed, user friendly, and most of all- the recipes are wonderful!

As a seasoned NYC home chef, the hardest thing to do is to come up with a recipe that involves little space, little equipment and little time. These six girls not only engage you with their wonderfully witty writing, but have simplified the difficult task of apartment-sized cooking so that anyone can do it and have excellent results.

Plus the wonderful photos of the food and of the girls cooking, shopping and dining really does make you feel invited. And the graphic design gets great marks for being as chic as they are!

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of little cooking clubs don't start up because of it! [Word has it that they might be doing another book? Cross your fingers on that bit of gossip!]

PS: this would make a great housewarming or hostess gift!

The idea of a cooking club with a group of friends is terrific. Too many times we grow apart from those close to us as marriage, kids, and careers occur. I first saw this book about six months ago. I have a collection of cookbooks but am particular of what I add to it. Before I bought it for myself, I decided to give it as a gift. One of my closest friends from high school recently became a stay at home mom. She was trying to broaden her culinary skills in the kitchen and she doesn't consider herself much of a cook. She loves the cookbook and can't thank me enough. I went out and purchased it so we could share the club even though the miles separate us.

The layout of the book starts with a recap of how the club came into existence. The troubles they face living in NY, tiny kitchens and lugging groceries, was interesting to someone like myself who never is without her car. I particularly enjoyed the emails between the women showing how they came up with the monthly theme. It really shows the personalities of the members. The pictures show off the food deliciously.

We can only hope that they will continue to include the rest of us in their club! I highly recommend you try to gather a group of 6-8 and try this yourself. My favorite recipe is the bread salad. I get lots of compliments every time I make it.

This is an excellent read. I grew up in the small Louisiana town that the author writes about and it was exciting to read about places and people that I knew. The story held my attention from beginning to end.

I was lucky enough to have Mr. Marcum as a 5th grade teacher as well, in 1996. He was a great teacher and a great writer. He would read us this book a lot and gave us valid input with it - he made sure kids were going to like it! It was written for, edited by, and inspired by kids.

I also had Mr. Marcum as a teacher in 2002. I read this book three time while i was in the class, and brought chapters home for my dad to read and he loved it. I think ths could easily be the best book I have ever read. I read the complete version before it was published, so i hope they have not edited out some of the best parts. Go buy this book or order it here, you won't regret it.

Memories of my childhood flooded back as I read this wonderful book. Lance Marcum has written a book that kids of all ages can enjoy. His main character's (Mitch Valentine) first person account of his summertime adventures is pure kid fun from start to finish! Although "The Cottonmouth Club" is a real "page turner", it took me longer than expected to read due to my LOL fits, which erupted with nearly every page! Girls and boys, men and women, this book has something for everyone, and to top it off teaches some valuable life lessons. Read it, you'll love it.

THE BEST BOOK EVER GET IT OR YOU WILL BE SAD YOU DID NOT GET IT SO GET IT BEST AUTHOR EVER NO JOKE

This book was a nice combination of serious and fun. My favorite line was "'Plan your lunch snacks accordingly,' she concluded, giving the cinnamon roll ladies a sharp look."

Imagine my surprise, too, when Maddie and her friends joined the Iron Mountain Mine Tour. My grandmother was born in Iron Mountain in 1891. It's a small world and this book captures many of life's common joys and challenges.

The Dream Catcher Tour is a novel following a group of forty-seven women on an economical, no-frills tour bus excursion around the Great Lakes. As they take in the sights and sounds, they also trade favorite memories with one another. A leisurely delight brimming with female camaraderie, The Dream Catcher Tour glides gently along as it presents moments of interrelated insight, and makes for gentle, fun-loving leisure reading, bit by bit or cover to cover. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (11/07)

Buckle your seatbelts; you are in for an adventure you won't soon forget! Welcome aboard the Northern Experience Tours! You will be traveling with 46 other women on a trip around the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. You are certain to meet some of the most interesting people you have ever met and perhaps you will make some new friends along the way. Emily is our tour guide and she wants to spend some time with each individual tour group member and be certain that they have a good time.

Of course, when you have this many different people from so many different walks of life, you are sure of having many life stories. As the group travels from one location to another, another person is spending time with Emily and sharing their life stories. From one city to another, you are able to enjoy the sites and unique characteristics of each locale. Some of the tourists' attractions are as follows: Mackinac Island, the Soo Locks bordering Canada, Munising, Houghton and Crystal Falls.

Paula Buermele has done an excellent job in providing a great storyline and travel book all in one. Through the pages of the book, you will feel like you are right there on the bus and getting to know these people that you are traveling with. Through descriptive paragraphs you will feel like you are seeing these places with your own eyes. I certainly hope that Paula Buermele writes more books. I loved "The Dream Catcher Tour" and would definitely like to read more of her work.

Paula Buermele's The Dream Catcher Tours provides her readers with a peek into the lives of forty-seven women who together embark on a bus tour of the Great Lakes with Northern Experience Tours.

What ensues is a potent collection of stories reflecting Buermele's affirmation that she is an attentive student in the classroom of life. Buermele moves effortlessly from one voice to another as her characters relate a variety of tidbits about their lives, some painful while others humorous. However, as one of the women remarks, "during the early days of the trip her companions had all seemed much the same, but with each passing day she had come to see the uniqueness of each woman."

These accounts also reaffirm an old adage, that no matter where people find themselves, they can't help reminiscing and revealing some of their family and psychological baggage that echo the past and at times consume the present. The stories range freely, some sounding familiar while others stirring up sad emotions, as is the case with Leslie who is traveling with her late husband's Aunt Helen. Leslie recounts how she lost her college sweetheart and young husband Steve who had suffered a brain aneurysm shortly after they were married. We also learn that she had lost her parents at a very young age and it was her adopted Aunt Helen who took her under her wing and has been her mentor

Then there is the familiar tale of Marianne, a wife and mother, who subjugated her own choices for those of her family and as she states, perhaps this trip will bring out the hidden Marianne. And Donna, the future mother-in-law, who is not exactly overjoyed with her son's choice of a wife. Barb, a divorcee, who after thirty-two years of marriage believed that the trip would mean a step into the world of self-determination and an escape from a controlling ex-husband who had left her for a trophy wife. Ruthie, who had visited her father in the hospital on her eighth birthday, recounts how she was pleasantly surprised when the Catholic nuns wheeled him in into the waiting room to wish her a happy birthday and thus shattering her stereotype of the "mean" nuns.

Buermele can clearly write and her storytelling is extremely perceptive, demanding quick concentration into the lives of her characters. However, at times in truth I did feel cheated, as some of the stories were underdeveloped and I would have liked to be better acquainted with the raconteurs. In the end though, these stories leave us with something to ponder; the uncertainty of life, the meaning of home and family, and what makes us all tick, for in all of us there is a story to be told.

Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures

I really enjoyed reading The Dream Catcher Tour. While it is a work of fiction, I appreciate the fact that the characters are based on real stories and accounts. The author does a fantastic job of telling this story in a way that makes the reader identify with the women and their personal journeys. The conversations are so real and honest.

I went on many trips to the U.P. when I was young and while some of the sites are familiar to me, there are many I haven't seen. This book has inspired me to one day go back and visit the places mentioned. I would love to visit Pictured Rocks and photograph as Leslie does in the 'Peace' chapter.

This is a gr8t book! I read it 2 years ago when i was in grade 4..............It is about a German family that moves to Canada in the 1930's and they have a daughter named Anna........(I think she is handicapt)
It is a wonderful book and i sooo recomend it!

I thought that this book was fantastic. Jean Little really brought me into the story. I thought that Jean Little was the perfect author for this book b/c she really got into the mind of each character. I loved this story, and if you're looking for a book, this is the one!

I liked this story when I first read it because I was able to relate to the main character Anna. My family always teased me about me being clumsy and in a way Anna and I had the same thoughts. Its really a good book because Anna makes small miracles in herself.

A wonderful young person's novel by Jean Little, about a family emigrating from pre-Nazi Germany and moving to Canada. The plot involves the efforts of the youngest child, Anna, whose poor vision and clumsiness has made her something of an outcast, to make a place for herself in her new home and new school. A very important part of the story is Anna's struggle to make a special Christmas present. Not just a Christmas story as such, as the plot takes place over the span of half a year or so, but a really nice evocation of Old-World holiday traditions, a Canadian town in the last years of the Depression, and a gimlet-eyed accuracy in describing family dynamics...

When I went to my public library a couple of days ago, I never imagined that I would come across two of the best books ever written by a very talented author. 'From Anna' and 'Listen for the Singing' touched me deeply, in a way that no other book has had the ability to do. Although it's language is simple and the style is nothing too out of the ordinary, Jean Little was able to use easy words in a very good way.

The last time 'From Anna' was borrowed was early 1997. Most of us would most probably never take a second glance at the book -- that is, if we judged a book by it's cover. However, if one takes the time to read deeper and look beyond the cover, they will find that they have stumbled across an extraordinary book.

The story starts off with a young 9-year-old Anna Solden, nicknamed 'Awkward Anna' by her older siblings. Anna is indeed very clumsy and klutzy, hence the nickname. When she hears her family is moving from German to Canada, Anna is devastated. She can't learn German; how will she ever cope with English?! But shortly after her arrival in Canada, Thanks to Dr Franz Schumacher and his discovery that Anna has a severe vision disability, Anna receives a pair of glasses, which bring forth a world she never knew -- a world where words and letters aren't masses of grey blur, a world where numbers stay on the page and where the everything is clear and bright.

Anna is sent to a special sight-saving class in order to repair the damage done to her eyes and salvage as much of the remaining ones. There, she learns things about herself -- she CAN have friends, she IS skilled and most of all, she has confidence. Her friends and teacher, Miss Williams, see a whole new Anna devloping as the year draws to a end. A new Anna very different from the old one. And with their help and support, she finally learns to confront her family with secrets that they never knew.

A truly touching and moving story with a very fitting ending. Get this book, enjoy it and read the second one -- 'Listen for the Singing', which is just as good, if not better! A definite book I would recommend with two thumbs up!