Sports Books

I have coached girls soccer for 8 years and I still found a few nuggets inside. I am really using the stuff on social issues and diet for teem girls.

Easy to read and understand. Good pictures. Very helpful if you have never coached before or just want to improve your knowledge of coaching.

New coaches will learn everything they need to know. In addition to the drills and strategies, you'll also learn how to motivate kids, how to deal with their parents, and much more.

This book is all it claims to be. Clear, useful, full of great advice and fun training games and drills. Not a book about the author, but a real accent on the girls themselves. Brilliant.

It's been a bible for me for two years and I've recommended it to all my fellow coaches (who all want to know my 'secrets'!!)

Thanks John!

This is a must have book for soccer coaches, especially coaches of girls soccer. I also recommend it for coaches of boys since 98% of the material translates over. The book not only details performing specific skills, tactics and team management, but also covers team and individual motivation and correction styles. This is where the book becomes a little more specific to females then males, which is a good thing because there are a lot of male coaches that coach all girl teams, and they need to understand what motivates boys doesn't work with most girls. While boys tend to be motivated by accomplishment, girls are motivated by relationships. Understanding that will be rewarding and help you bond with your players and develop them as a team.

Read this book and you will dramatically improve your coaching!

The best parts of this book are the detailed photographs of all the exercises, included in both a large format (one per page) and a small format (so that you can see many exercises per page). The only thing that would make the book even better would be if the small photographs were offered separately on water-resistant material, so that you could bring 'em into the pool. I'll probably photocopy those pages, and laminate them, so that I can do that.

The book has a helpful appendix of commercial resources with products such as an in-pool exercise station, and Aqua Tunes. Some of the companies appear to have gone out of business in the 11 years since the book was first published--to be expected.

By the way, the average rating here would be 5, but one reviewer apparently forgot to add the star rating, while still offering the book a glowing review.

I recently had a knee replacement. My doctor suggested water therapy.

This book yeilded several specific therapies to improve the flex in my knee.

I had a devastating knee injury about five and one half months ago (the doctor stated that I may never be able to obtain my pre-injury range of motion)The traditional rehab was going very slowly and very painfully. I asked my physician if I could exercise in the water, and after his approval, I started with the workouts in this book along with my prescribed rehab. I have gained 80% of my pre-injury range of motion and on a good start with my strength and balance with VERY little pain!! My physical therapist said I started improving much more rapidly after starting the water workouts and I have already exceeded the expected post-operative range of motion. I could not have done it without the water workouts!!

This guide is helpful for persons with physical limitations and provide safe non-impact exercises. It would be helpful if the guide would inform the purchaser that assistive devices would aid with the routines.

I was in a bed for 9 weeks with a herniated disc. My wife found this book in the library. I happen to live in Florida and was able to use this book to keep myself somewhat active and not become a cripple because of the pain I was in on land. 15 years later I am in great shape at 50 love the water and this book, and still read in now and then to remind me of the form to use and the benifits.I need a new one becaus eits been so used.

This well-written book has added facts to my fears about the impact of an exaggerated emphasis on football. At some institutions it has had a negative impact on education of college students. It is definitely worth reading if you are afraid it could be happening at your alma mater.

Dowling, a Rutgers English professor, argues that commercialized division 1a athletics negatively effect the intellectual rigor and atmosphere of the colleges and universities that are involved in them.

In the book, Dowling states that he has witnessed the following in his 20+ years at Rutgers:
1) much larger classes
2) an explosion in the cost of tuition
3) classrooms in an ever-increasing state of disrepair
4) decreasing morale among the faculty
5) the elimination of a number of non-revenue sports, including men's swimming and the crew teams
6) at least 100 million dollars spent on the football and basketball teams (scholarships, coaches, perks, facilities, etc...)

Dowling inspired a number of undergraduate students to create Rutgers1000 in the early 1990's. The goal of Rutgers1000 was to remove Rutgers from division 1a sports and to make Rutgers a non-athletic scholarship university. While the students, faculty and alumni all had branches of Rutgers1000, Dowling focuses on the student and alumni groups in his book.

Dowling details some of Rutgers1000's explanations that are listed on their website in his chapter "Warriors on the Web":
1)most Div 1a football teams lose money - the few programs that make money put the money right back into the football program
2)there is a big difference between exposure (Miami, Nebraska) and reputation (Berkeley, Harvard) - big-time athletics result in exposure, not reputation
3)if Freshmen go to a school because of a final four or bowl game appearance, these are not the kind of students that a college or university wants
4)Michigan is one of the few examples of a good academic school that also has a good Div 1a sports program - supporters of big time athletics often cite Michigan; this is false logic, as Michigan is an exception rather than the norm

Dowling details a number of scandals that have rocked colleges and universities over the last 30 years. He explains that there is a common pattern in the way they are usually handled:
1)college officials express shock
2)an investigative committee is established
3)there is a protest that the scandal does not truly represent the university
4)there is an announcement that "nothing like this will ever happen again"

This timely and riveting book beautifully describes what happens when big-time college sports, in this case football, take precedent over the quality of education at an Eastern university (Rutgers). The author, a professor of English at Rutgers, describes the valiant student-led effort to return college sports at Rutgers to the era when football players were indeed student athletes (emphasis on student) and the opponents were Princeton, and the rest of the Ivy League, Bucknell, Colgate and other private eastern schools with colonial roots. He describes how funds are stripped from non-revenue sports (crew, fencing) to build "professional" sports facilities for the football team at the expense of resources for the non-athetlic student body. The role of the New Jersey legislature, the Rutgers Admmissions office and the Rutger's Board in enabling the diminution of the intellectual quality of a great university for a few apearances on ESPN is especially sad

To put my cards on the table at the first opportunity: I have recently retired from Rutgers, New Brunswick after 37 years on the Math faculty. For several years, I worked with Bill Dowling and the Rutgers 1000 to try to find a way of diverting the university from the cesspool that is big-time Div 1-A football. I am mentioned in the book in one or two places.

That said, I have to say that I don't miss teaching very much and that the atmosphere created by the dominant jockocracy, especially now that the "program" is a "winner", is an important factor in my indifference. Div 1A football is pure poison when one longs for an atmosphere where serious students predominate and their genuine intllectual curiosity flourishes. I have had such students, of course, and met quite a few of them in the defunct Honors Program, which Dowling accurately describes. These days, they seem like remnants of a doomed race.

Note that it's not jocks, as such, who now flourish in New Brunswick? The best and brightest of them--those who participate in the "non-revenue" sports as free individuals motivated only by their enthusiasm--have, in most cases, been victims of a wholesale purge (unreported in Dowling's book, alas, though it is the saddest and most ironic aspect of the moral rot that concerns him). Fencing, Crew, and Men's Tennis and Swimming have vanished without a trace, despite intense lobbying from outraged parents and alumni and universal bewilderment among undergrads. Why? The pretext is that they are "too expensive". But this happens as more and more cash is poured into a bloated and self-indulgent football program, in the form of luxury accommodations to entice recruits and astronomical pay-scales for coaches and administrators. If you need further reasons, such wholesale aboliton of varsity teams is a cheap and cynical way of "satisfying" Title IX requirements, so that there is no legal obstacle to providing the football team with all the cannon fodder it claims to need.

Likewise, the roster of listed courses continues to decline across the board, especially the small specialized courses that give undergrads access to serious scholarship and research as opposed to once-over-lightly survey courses. The physical plant is ill-maintained. Even the newest buildings, poorly designed to begin with, are allowed to decay in short order. The Banks of the Old Raritan are now tilted so that all the loose cash flows directly into the football program's coffers, with a bit diverted to basketball. The univeristy boasts of the academic success rates of its "student athletes"; funnny thing, though: I've never seen one in any of my classes and I strongly suspect that that if transcripts were on the public record, there would be little sign of anything that deserves to be called higher education.

Alas, the same is true of all too many ordinary students. The student culture has simply plunged into "party school" mode, which is why, as a previous evaluator notes, its a pretty rag-tag bunch, academically, despite the continued presence of a first class faculty. [By the way, to address another point brought up in the previous post, the reason Rutgers outranks such schools as Nebraska is purely a matter of faculty quality; there are still departments at the school that outshine anything in the Ivies. My own department has been consistently listed among the top 15 or so for decades (from a research point of view, of course).] But even the most loyal faculty get pretty disgusted at seeing some lunkhead of a football coach who is making ten times what they are (salary alone, excluding all the little side-deals that fill a coach's pockets when his minions do what they're supposed to and knock their brains out to get a bowl invitation without ever seeing serious money themselves). I know of a few cases where top scholars have gone on to other venues after long Rutgers careers, and I don't think the jockocracy can be let off the hook.

I think Dowling leaves some other factors in the decline of Rutgers (and universities in general) unvisited, since his focus is exclusively on the depradations of the Div 1A program. The snottiness, cynicism, and off-the-shelf nihilism of what may be called the postmodern turn in the humanities convinced many students that their teachers were self-indulgent and out of touch, blind to their own gullibility. So, too, the heavy emphasis on "identity politics" and all the machinery of mandatory righteousness (usually called "political correctness") that came with the package. Academic quirkiness of this kind drove off far more students than it recruited, so far as the life of the mind is concerned.

Equal blame goes to the ethos of pure utilitarianism that colonized much of the academic world utterly indifferent to the vapors of postmodernism. Too many programs and departments, along with their students, came to view their function as credentializing bureaucrats, technocrats, and corporate functionaries, without any concern for deeper cultural values unconcerned with the generation of high incomes and vocational perks.

But, still, there is something about the omniverous football culture that dwarfs everything else in determining the ethics and values that are commonly understood to characterize a campus. If you have a big-time program, you know damned well that sooner or later some high-ranking administrator is going to be caught cheating and lying on a grand scale, and that it will be the chief goal of the top dogs to paper the whole busines over and get back to business as usual. Meanwhile, the program will pass tons of meat on the hoof through the system every year, chewing most of it up past the point of usefulness, and sending the poor kids who signed up for football glory out into the world with no real education and a host of joint problems that will grow worse over the years.

As Dowling points out, the people responsible for this meltdown at Rutgers were for the most part local businessmen and politicians for whom access to a skybox at the stadium of a ranked team is the summum bonum of existence. President Bloustein, who might have known better, wasn't able to hold them off (I think Dowling treats Bloustein too generously, by the way). Presidents Lawrence and McCormick were in their pocket from the getgo. How a decent academic, like McCormick, decays into that forlorn state, I do not know. It's the American version of "Die Blaue Engel", I suppose.

In any case, Dowling has said what needed to be said. The jock-sniffers will howl, either because they are emotional cripples, or because they are cynical parasites who thrive on the crumbs that are dropped from the table of big-time NCAA sports. To hell with them.

Ever since it joined the Big East football conference under former president Francis Lawrence, Rutgers' rankings and admission standards have moved downwards. William Dowling here describes the battles of the Rutgers 1000 group (to which he belonged) against the corruption and cynicism of 'big time' athletics at Rutgers, and details the harm done by 'booster culture' to the intellectual and academic tradititons of America's 8th-oldest university.

For those who believe that universities exist primarily for the transmission of knowledge and free intellectual enquiry, this is not a pretty story. It details how, under a weak president chosen by a board of govenors concerned foremost with 'making it big' in sports, Rutgers withdrew from over a century of competition with schools like Princeton and Cornell and modelled its sports program on institutions like Virginia Tech and Miami. The consequences - including the flight of many of the brightest students, and a run down, crowded, shabby campus offset against the first-class athletic facilities provided for 'student athletes' are well documented in the book.

As a Rutgers student, it angers me that my university has thrown away at least $150 million over the past 15 years on football alone - money that could otherwise have gone into scholarships, new buildings, and facilities for ALL students. In these days of hype and hooplah over a 'winning' football program at Rutgers, it is worth remembering the price Rutgers has paid and continues to pay for such 'success'. I salute Professor Dowling for detailing the numerous reasons why many of us at Rutgers view div 1A football as an expensive sham that does far more harm than good to this great university.

Being born in 1982, I wasn't around for this era of Grand Prix racing. Sure, I'd heard the stories about how dangerous a period it was and how drivers put it all on the line every time they got in a car. However, this book made it clear just how dangerous Grand Prix racing - and all motorsport for that matter, was. The driver biographies are certainly not full length, but they provide a snapshot of what was going through the driver's minds when they were racing. I enjoyed Phil Hill's comments, especially the statements talking about Enzo Ferrari.

Above all, this is a picture book. That is not a negative to the book though, it is the main feature. The photographs were all taken by the author through the course of his covering F1 during that era as a writer/photographer.

This is one of those books that I read cover to cover within hours of receiving it. It tells the amazing story of early Grand Prix racing. After reading it, it really had me wondering why anybody would have been a driver back then. Too many drivers died while racing, and this book has these stories in photographs. In the book, Daley's articles on Alfonso de Portago and Wolfgang von Trips are excellent.

I really enjoy this book and would recommend it to anybody who is a fan of the old Grand Prix era.

I picked up an original copy of Daley's book, The Cruel Sport, many years ago. The 1st edition was a milestone in motorsports writing, for it without reservation addressed racing's rather dirty little secret- drivers were needlessly dying at the wheel of fragile cars at incredibly unsafe tracks that in turn were run by owners / organizations that were too often criminally negligent when it came to basic safety precautions. Scores of drivers, both then and now in well-earned retirement (if lucky enough to have survived), talked about how dangerous the sport was, but there was no concensus among drivers as to how to proceed. Circuit owners more often than not did not want to discuss their role in improving track safety. Long after the printing of Daley's original book, drivers were still paying the ultimate price for someone else's shortsightedness- Jochen Rindt, Roger Williamson, Tom Pryce, Jim Clark, Bruce McLaren, etc. Those drivers that did champion for change (Stewart, Rindt, Bonnier, G. Hill, etc) were often ridiculed for their efforts. The current crop of safer drivers and fans (remember LeMans '55!!) have these pioneers, and Daley, as the author of The Cruel Sport, to thank for their willingness to expose what was going on. Far from a reprint, the new edition is sufficiently revamped and updated to make it an entirely new read. Daley's photos still hold up well against the best of the big-time professionals of his era. If you love F-1 from the 1960s, this is an essential book for your library; in no way will you be disappointed. As the author of many titles unrelated to motorsports, you'll also be impressed with Daley's enormous talent for painting a picture with words- if only more motorsports writers were half as talented. To think these 3 1/2 decades later, there is still no similar work in motorsports literature.

This is an incredible book for any F1 fan. It is straightforward in its delivery and still conveys the emotions of the author and drivers. The pictures are great and will transport you through time just as the writing does. Amazing!

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this golden age of Formula One racing. It would also make an excellent gift for the F1 enthusiast. The photos are spectacular and Daley's writing is evocative; reading the book really brings you back to the late-50s/early-60s of Formula One. I wasn't even alive at the time, yet reading the book made me feel as if I was reliving these years.

I absolutely love this cookbook because it is simple and no-nonsense but yet full of very nice and tasty recipes. What I personally like best about this book is that often you'll find a base recipe for i.e. cookie dough, souffle, pancakes, you name it and then has several different flavour variations. So one dish, many different flavours. Too easy!! I am going sailing soon and have been assigned to the cooking - this will be my bible as we travel... ;-)

We were only a month or so into our cruise having left San Francisco in 1998. We met Kay and Hal at the always helpful & friendly DOWNWIND MARINE in San Diego. I bought the book thinking that I would need some help, especially in our tiny galley. It's been 2 years since we left. Most of it spent cruising the Calif. Coast and Mexico. I've really grown to depend of Kay's book for ideas, tips, ingredients and combinations. Even for ideas for the odd fish that was the only thing available! Thanks for such a comprehensive and great cookbook written especially for cruisers!

Being landlocked for 50 weeks out of the year does little in stopping my efforts in looking for the perfect cookbook for the open seas. I've finally found a must for my galley.

"Cruising Cuisine" is well laid out and has easy to follow recipes with an inventory list to help you pick and choose the spices you may need on board. The many tips on preparing and storage come in handy and go far in helping you prepare for your voyage, long or short.

This by no means is just for the sea, but at home as well. With more than 450 recipes your family and friends will be anxiously awaiting new culinary treats to be transformed from black and white text to mouth watering morsels of enjoyment!

Red sky at night - sailors delight, red sky in the morning, sailors - batten down the hatches and head to the galley to prepare hot soup and a hearty stew. Your crew and their friends will thank you!

We had heard about this book while in St. Maarten and finally found it at a swap meet in Trinidad. Many sea miles later, it's still our cookbook of choice. So many other cruising cookbooks left out ingredients, had typos, or had such elaborate preparation steps that you could never make the recipes unless you had a full-sized, professional kitchen. This book is perfect. Simple, yet delicious recipes that can be make quickly (and without leaving an oven on for hours in the tropics). We especially found the appetizer section helpful when we were low on happy hour ideas.

This book is essential reading for anyone working in the galley - whether blue water, bay or lake cruising. The recipes are outstanding, easy to follow and amenable to tight quarters. More importantly, Kay Pastorius offers advice about the basics that most of us have to learn the hard way - by throwing rotting food away. Her advice about provisioning, storage and cooking is right on the money, literally. I only wish my boat-mate, a meat-and-potatoes guy (who I wouldn't trade for the world), was as enthusiastic and supportive as Hal. Thank you Kay.

the best surf related book ive ever read.
so funny down to earth and informative i felt i was there with the bull
buy it you wont regret

Greg is the biggest, baddest gremmie in the whole world! It seems like story telling but Greg is just re-telling his early life. Little tales throughout this book about and from his friends keep it easy to read...in fact I found myself reading it all night as I couldn't put it down. And then I found myself flipping back to chapters to re-read it time and again. If a book can do that, it's got to be a classic. And this is as classic as the man himself. If you had to have one book on the shelf, this would be it. If you have more than one, this is the benchmark by which all others are measured as to readable enjoyment.

Buy it? Heck, buy ten and get 'em for friends and family!!!

This has got to be made into a movie (especially after the success of "Riding Giants"...another "must see"!!!)

awesome book! for surfers and non-surfers alike! i really like greg's form of writing. he makes you feel as though you are right there on those beaches with him! i liked that alot!!

this is one of the first bios from a surf legend to come out;now it seems there is someone coming out with one every week.the stories are great.if you are into surf history get this.besides being a great surfer,craftsman,filmmaker....etc....greg is as humble as they get.i had the pleasure to meet him and he is a no bulls#!t guy.add this to your collection.

Da Bull grew up in Southern Cal in the 50s at the first wave of the surf culture. Obsessed with surfing, Da Bull convinced his parents to let him attend school in Hawaii with older surfers. The Da Bull describes finding the incredible surfing spots, which are so well known to the world today.

The highlights of this book are introductions to the legends that started big wave surfing and their wild and crazy lifestyle. Da Bull may have been the wildest and does a great job of relaying the stories without appearing cocky or self-serving. Da Bull gravitated to surfboard construction through many of the evolutions of surfboards before he finally tired of the scene and became a commercial fisherman. It's always interesting to see how these young men mature and I found Da Bull's journey very interesting. Never interested in surfing competition, Da Bull has virtually no contact with the surfing community other than old friends.

Read this book if you want to know the history of surfing and the talented but eccentric men who blazed the trail.

Having read several of Jay Carty's books now I have to say he is an incredibly inspiring writer and person to say the least. I am so excited each month as I check for new "stuff" from Jay Carty as it is always refreshing and different yet always connected to God with a three stranded cord. If you haven't been a reader of his books for long there are many to choose from and this writer never stops searching for Gods will in his daily efforts to continue to provide hearty reading material for all groups and all stages from salvation, and growth to a mature level of one's spiritual walk. I highly recommend anything he puts his hands on because I know the hand of God is on him. Some of what I have read and or listened to on tape are:"Discovering your natural talents", "Counter Attack: taking back ground lost to sin", "Playing with fire", "Something's fishy Getting rid of the carp in your life","Coach Wooden One on One", "Coach Wooden's Piramid of success", Darrell Waltrip - One on One, "Mike Singletary- One on One" all keeping me captivated from cover to cover!

Dora Wolfe - CA

Having read other Jay Carty books, I knew I had to read this one and I was not disappointed. This is the sort of inspirational book that one can cycle through over and over and never cease to be inspired.

Way to go Jay another outstanding book!!!!

WWJD

DW and Jay Carty make a great team in this super devotional.

By working with a winner, Jay Carty has another winner!! In this book, the faith of DW comes forth to show that he is not only a winner on the track, but more importantly he is a winner off the track with his wife and kids and most importantly with the Lord!

As an Author, Coach, and Motivational Speaker I read alot of books about people, their motivations, and their relationships. Darrell Waltrip One-on-One is a straightforward statement of faith and inspiration by a NASCAR Champion working with his co-author, Jay Carty, a former NBA player and traveling preacher.

One-on-One consists of 60 daily devotionals. Each devotional starts with a life lesson by Waltrip and ends with a personal or biblical support by preacher Carty. Scripture readings are included for each day.

The stories are informative, educational, and inspiring.

- There's Darrell learning a lesson about foolish decisions that cost him a race, a car, and time in the hospital.

- Waltrip's common bond with his "frienemy" Dale Earnhardt, scripture verses written on duct tape provided by Darrell's wife Stevie before each race.

- The miracle healing of Darrell's arm after a wreck in 1990.

- The value of keeping focused on the big picture to win at racing and in life.

With each Waltrip story there's a story by Carty that serves to clarify, explain, and educate about the topic of the devotional.

If you're looking for an inspiring, motivating, and faith filled book written from a unique perspective then I recommend you buy a copy of Darrell Waltrip One-on-One: The faith that took him to the finish line.

Kevin Decker (kevindecker.com)

Winslow further explores the surfing mileau featured in his instant classic California Fire & Life in his new novel -- a book that teams with characters and incidents and moves at a fast clip but still finds time to expound on the history and culture of the locale. (In that way it's similar to T. Jefferson Parker's darker California Girl.) A master at work. Deeply satisfying entertainment.

If you have not yet discovered Don Winslow, this is a great way to start. I first stumbled upon "The Winter of Frankie Machine" and was hooked. Winslow creates great characters who are so fully developed with back stories that you are helpless not to care about what happens to them. His pacing is crisp and fast and his staccato-like chapters ultimately suck you into his characters' lives and into his clever plotting.

The Dawn Patrol consists of 5 guys and a gal in San Diego who, despite their real world jobs, still meet at dawn to ride the surf and keep life as simple as possible while interweaving their past with their futures. Each of the six is fleshed out by Winslow as the narrative progresses and each contributes in some way to furthering the plot and/or developing the characterizations of the others.

Boone Daniels, a former member of the SDPD who carries some heavy baggage, is now a PI who works just enough to survive in the lifstyle he has chosen. Petra, an aggressive aspiring attorney, approaches him about helping to find a key witness. While not sure he even likes Petra's character and while concerned he may miss the biggest set of waves to hit Southern California in years, Boone reluctantly accepts the assignment mainly because he needs the money but ultimately because he seeks redemption for an incident in his past.

A dead body thrown off a hotel balcony, the appearance of a powerful "friend" (Red Eddie) who bears veiled threats, a strip club bad ass intent on finding the missing witness first, and the emergence of a number of shady and interesting characters all begin to intertwine as the plot picks up speed.

A second, much more despicable "Dawn Patrol" emerges as the plot thickens and the mystery and suspense ratchets up several notches. Just past the halfway point, the narrative picks up speed and the book becomes difficult to put down. While the ending and denouement may be somewhat expected, it is nevertheless exciting to ride it out.

Also of considerable interest to me was the history and backgrouond Winslow paints for the reader. The whole surfing phenomena from its earliest roots and stars in California up to the present day surfing legends is presented in an interesting manner as is the whole subculture that developed with the sport including the music, the stylings, and the drugs etc. Equally, Winslow depicts the historical growth of San Diego along with other areas of interest including the PCH, La Jolla, Del Mar, and the ever present strip clubs.

Lastly, do not overlook the deeper psychological conflicts between and among the Dawn Patrol as they interact based on their past together yet are confronted with current issues that may pull each of them apart from the whole in very different ways. Will "The Dawn Patrol" survive the challenges thrown at them in this well written, must-read novel?

This is a writer coming into his own. Two great books by Winslow in a row: Frankie Machine and this one. More beautiful writing, interesting characters, great history of surfing ... Loved every word; can't wait for the next one.

This is the first book that I've read by Don Winslow, and it will not be my last. This was one great wave! His descriptive style and short chapters are perfect for this type of fast paced story. Winslow has the ability to jump around to different characters within the novel without creating confusion. Very smooth reading. The action and quirky characters do remind one of Elmore Leonard's novels and that's a good thing. The main character, full-time surfer and part-time P.I. Boone Daniels is one that many men wish they could be and one that women would love to be with. You will find yourself thinking "Man, I would love to surf and hang with The Dawn Patrol". This is one of those rare books that you hate to see end.

In a jacket blurb, Lee Child says that no one does this kind of thing better than Don Winslow. He's right. Winslow's skills are, to say the least, very impressive. The Power of the Dog was epic in its scope; The Winter of Frankie Machine was smaller and more focused but absolutely pitch-perfect, a tale of an aging mobster that may well turn into a DeNiro movie. The Dawn Patrol is very different, but equally successful and equally impressive.

Here, Winslow recreates a world--the world of the surfer, the San Diego variety, complete with its names, language, food, attitudes, dress and culture. The almost-lost world of the idealized past has, however, been altered by the strip clubs and other sleazoid operations that follow the navy. When these worlds collide (a former SDPD officer-turned-surfer investigates the murder of a supposed witness in a major civil case) the results (in Don Winslow's hands) are stunning. As we move toward the solution of the crime(s) we move toward the arrival of a massive oceanic event and in the final chapters Winslow quick-cuts between the hunt for the bad guys, the saving of the innocent and the search for the perfect Pacific wave.

I particularly like the historical reflections on San Diego, on the world of surfing and on such important cultural elements as the PCH--how it began and what it's become. It is a truism in novel writing that the effective novelist 'creates a world'; Don Winslow certainly has here, though 'recreates' is the more appropriate term. I only have one regret. Winslow has been writing standalones. I love the members of the 'dawn patrol' and would very much like to see them become part of a series. Winslow began as a series writer and here he has created an exceptional ensemble cast.

This is a near-perfect novel. Plot, pacing, characters, setting, texture, themes--all are here and all are handled expertly. It's early in the summer of 2008 and there are many books by master writers on the horizon, but so far this is the one to beat. Don't miss it. And if you haven't discovered Don Winslow yet, you have a lot to look forward to.

After Willie's unbelievable catch, I was born over a decade later. As a result, I never visited the Polo Grounds. Mr. Hano painted an awesome picture for me. It was awesome to read about baseball in that era.

I work part-time a local radio station, close to Yankee Stadium. After I read the book, I was able to contact Arnold. I wanted to interview him. I thought he would be too busy for me. He returned my call promptly! A week later, he agreed to do an interview. I was thrilled, I didn't want to go to sleep that night! I never performed an official interview before. This would be with an old-time baseball fan in NYC! One friday afternoon, we discussed the book in detail. Yes, we talked about Willie's catch, however, he emphasized to me he wrote the book as a fan. We discussed minute details such as: conversations with his wife the night before, bleacher fans in the Polo Grounds, Giant reserve player Joey Amalfitano taking batting practice swings that day, Dusty Rhodes pitch-hit HR to win the game, the Indian players during batting practice, intricacies of the Polo Grounds, the state of the game today, and his memories growing up with 3 ballclubs in the same city.

Speaking of living in the moment, Arnold was a pleasure to speak with.
This is not just another baseball book written in the 50's! A+ for Arnold!

ARNOLD DOES A GREAT JOB DESCRIBING GAME 1 OF THE 1954 WORLD SERIES PLAYED IN THE POLO GROUNDS. READING THIS BOOK I CAN PICTURE VERY CLEARLY, THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE THAT DAY. FROM THE TIME HE LEFT HIS HOUSE TO THE GAME ENDING HOMERUN, I WAS TOTALLY CAUGHT UP THIS DETAILED ACCOUNT OF "THE CATCH". HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM, THE GAME ACTION, AND HIS THOUGHTS ARE PUT TOGETHER IN THIS GREAT READ. A MUST READ FOR ALL GIANT FANS AND BASEBALL HISTORIANS.

Did you ever wonder what it was like going to a game at the Polo Grounds? This is an inning by inning description of Game 1 of the 1954 series that covers getting to the park, who was sitting nearby, and of course the game itself. It is told from the view of a fan who knows and loves the game, but avoids windy philosophy and theory. It is especially grand to read in the depths of winter when baseball is either a memory or anticipated. I can't recommend it too highly.

Although I was still 10 years away from being born when Mr Hano attended the first game of the 1954 World Series, I thoroughly enjoyed his telling of his experiences attending the game. As a baseball fan, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book, and it doesn't disappoint. I could imagine myself being there.

The book is a classic and one I will read again. My ONLY disappointment with the book is that it ends so abruptly. The last out is made. He looks around for the lady in the red hat. She's gone and he mentions the fact that he never got a look at the face of the Cleveland fan and basically, that's it. Book over. I was hoping he would end the book with his getting home and speaking to his wife about the game, the way the book opened.

My other disappointment was in the afterword. I was pleasantly surprised that Mr. Hano is still living. He ran down the list of where are they now from the '54 Giants, which I enjoyed. I kept waiting for any other recollections he might have had about that game, the way baseball was then compared to now, etc. And I was also hoping he would mention what happened to his wife; if she's still living or not. But he did neither, but that's ok.

All in all, this book is one that will stay on my shelf for a good long time. Well worth the read!

This book captures what it is to be a fan better than anything else I've ever read. I often read this book in the Spring, to cleanse my mental palate of a long dreary Winter of football, basketball, the off-season noise of player contracts, and all else that is life without baseball actually on the field and in the stands. This book always does the trick. I once lost my copy (probably loaned it to someone who never returned it) and had to live without it for years until I found another used copy. Those were hard times. Now it's readily available and I can give it as a gift. Glory, glory, glory!

I know, this doesn't actually tell you about the book, but I'm too thrilled to bother with all that now. Just get it. I've never lent my copy to anyone without them coming back singing its praises...except for that mystery s.o.b who apparently liked it too much to return it.

This is the best California fishing book series available. There are also the Northern and Southern California editions. The best features of these books that makes them so valuble is the commentary and especially the pictures. So many times I have gone to a campsite or lake, only to be so disappointed to find a pond instead of a lake or a campsite with no scenic beauty. These books have pictures of each fishing site, so you have an excellent idea of what you are in for. There is nothing as disappointing as finding a site way below your expectations after driving for hours to get there. These books pretty much eliminate that scenario, especially since they also give you contact information so you can verify the fishing site is still intact, active and as you see it in the picture. Beautiful color pictures on EVERY page of the book. Outstanding.

This guy is a knows his stuff! Buy all his books, and follow his reviews.

Everyone I know that is an avid fisherman and outdoorsman loves this book as well as all the others written by Mr. Shaffer. Not only are the descriptions excellent, but the pictures give a clear indication of what you are going to see and experience at each locale. Without question, I would recommend this book to anyone I know and already have done so.

Even if you don't fish, this book will give you great advise on places to go for camping or family outings and how to get the most out of it. Directions to all sites included.

My dad is the kind of dad who has everything. I spent months and months looking for a Christmas present for him when i came across this book. He always talks about how he wishes he could go fishing more and this book was perfect for him because of all the different fishing spots it covers. It gave him ideas of all the different places to go that he has never been to before. I know he really liked the book, but i liked it too because of all the pictures.