Reds Books

The history of football might have been extremely different if Red Grange only pursued basketball and track at the University of Illinois as he had initially planned. It may be far from carrying the moniker of "America's Game."

The importance of "The Galloping Ghost" to the gridiron is legendary, but author Gary Andrew Poole scrambles past the well-trodden turf to deliver a comprehensive biography on the man who made football professional. In Grange's first college game (1923) he rushed for three touchdowns against Nebraska, ultimately gaining 723 yards in seven games and notching a dozen TD's while leading Illinois to a "national championship."

But it was one year later - scoring four TD's in the first quarter versus Michigan - that solidified Grange's name in the "Golden Age of Sports." And in an era when college players were dissuaded by coaches in turning pro - even threatened with having to return their varsity letters - Grange signed with the National Football League's Chicago Bears one day after the end of the 1925 season and embarked on a 19-game barnstorming tour that earned him in excess of $100,000.

A salary dispute between Grange and the Bears led the player - along with his agent, C.C. Pyle, to form their own league - the American Football League - in 1926 to compete against the NFL, with the superstar playing for the New York Yankees. The upstart league lasted one year before folding, with the Yankees moving to the NFL for the 1927 and 1928 seasons, though Grange missed that second year due to a severe knee injury.

Though not the same player after the injury, Grange returned to the Bears (1929-1934) and helped the club to titles in 1932 and 1933. The iconic pop culture status was solidified through the marketing by Pyle; Grange appeared in two silent-films and a 12-part serial.

This "Ghost" was pure gold in a time when pro football needed a superstar. His name resonates today as signifying excellence and Poole delivers a great look into the incredible life and times of the "Ice Man."

"A deeply personal account of a part of history that many might not remember or know of but will not soon forget. Poole manages to bring an endearing account of perseverence and responsibility to the page that reinforces what football and sportsmanship is supposed to be all about. Definitely a nice way to end the year: giving the world a present like this biography that is sure to be read, discussed and enjoy for years to come. Bravo!"

Reading about Red Grange in Galloping Ghost is more than just a book about a man who was a great football player. Mr. Poole has worked so hard to make us feel part of sports in the 20's and he gives us the road map to pro football's origins and how it struggled and finally took off thanks to Red and his promoter Mr. Pyle. You've heard some of the names; Red Grange, George Halas, Bob Zuppke, Bronko Nagurske etc, now you see how they all became legends. The book also gives you insight into the glory days of college football and puts you in seats of the nation's greatest stadiums, many still being used today.

Gary Poole has written a compelling book which takes you back to the time when professional football was considered a game for hooligans and derided by serious sports fans. Along with Red, Gary profiles his manager CC Pyle, one of the early agents who made Red and himself richer in three months than Babe Ruth made in a whole year. Highly recommended for thinking sports fans.

Excellent choice for a chidren's library, even my older kids loved this book, clever, innovative, can't wait for the color purple.

Get Red is a fun book with an engaging story. I appreciated that the book had fun facts at the bottom of each page that I could share with my kids. I even learned some red things my self. The book is beautifully designed and illustrated. I am looking forward to reading the next color to my kids. I highly recommend this book for family reading.

As our young narrator tells us, he's got a huge problem. He has a report due about the planet Mars, you know the RED planet, and his RED crayon has run away. They've had a lot good times together this year, learned lots of cool RED things, and done a few special RED projects, but now, when he really needs him the most, that RED crayon has just up and disappeared. What's a guy to do? He could try coloring Mars purple. Purple's almost like red, and maybe no one will notice..... Tony Porto and partners, Mitch Rice and Glenn Deutsch offer a clever and entertaining tribute to the color red. Their engaging text, written in an easy to read, conversational style, is filled with humor and marvelous red fun facts and trivia. The bold, bright, and busy illustrations, rich in playful details and wit, add to all the fun. Perfect for emerging readers or as a story time crowd pleaser, Get Red! is a manic, fun-filled romp, and we can only hope, the beginning of a new and colorful series.

This is a wonderfully imaginative book that will please both kids and adults who will be requested to read it again and again. Of course, I may be prejudiced--red is my FAVORITE color. While the main story recounts a common kid's dilemma--a school report on Mars is due and the red crayon has disappeared--the tiny encapsulated text at the bottom of the page presents facts interesting to both children and adults. For example, the red stitching in a baseball, if unwound, equals 7 feet and the text goes on to present a mini-history of the Red Stocking, then Red Sox baseball team. The pictures, which reflect both the story and the encapsulated information, are big, bright and to the point--jumping off the page in not only vivid red, but other primary colors, as well. While the story and information are presented in a picture book format, the encapsulated text will be of interest to students up to 6th grade and will be a welcome change from the chapter and information books most upper elementary school children read. Well, Mr. Porto and 3CD, we're just waiting for more colors: purple? blue? yellow? Let's hear some more about the fascinating primary colors and their uses all around us.

Wishbone is a lovable ,talking, pooch full of stories. He has a tail overflowing in excitement, as the humans around him try to grasp what is truly going on.
Aside from all the cuteness,Wishbone explains words the reader may not know. His words are bold, for simple reference.
This story isn't overly scary, nor wordy. It has enough adventure to keep young readers wanting more.

Someone is haunting the clubhouse that Joe, Sam, David are hanging out in with some new kids. The person is found, but the REAL mystery is just beginning!

This book is super! This mystery has another mystery inside the first one! The end of the book is extremely surprising!!! I finished this book over the weekend because it was so good!

As in all Wishbone tales this story has us looking at a famous book and dealing with another story. In the case of the mystery tales we have a mystery in another mystery. This makes for a doubly mysterious book. It was funny and kind of scary. It as a surprise at the end as all mysteries are. I liked the book and thing everyone should read the whole series.

The seller was very prompt in sending this book. I think I received it within about 5 days. The book was in excellent condition - no torn pages, no scuffed edges. It was fantastic. I'm very happy with the service.

My brother and I consider this book to be among the best ever. He almost named his son Hiram as an homage to the loveable farmer.

I really love this book. I have ever since I was a little kid. I used to read it to my whole family. I would recamed it for ages 7-9 year old children. This book teaches you that one thing can go a long way.

This is a wonderful example of a classic golden book. The simple, but charming story about a man who can't bear to get rid of his shirt, and keeps repairing it is truly timeless. The illustrations are wonderful, and express the story very clearly. This is a good book for any age group!

I recently bought the HCSB and I am delighted with the translation. It is more literal than the NIV (New International Version) and more accurate, and yet it is more readable than the NASB (New American Standard). I liked this translation also because it is based on the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 5th edition (Hebrew OT) and the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament 4th edition (Greek NT). The 100 scholars who translated this version are evangelical scholars who obviously have a high regard for Scripture and hold to the inerrancy of Scripture. I liked how the HCSB translated certain passages. I am relieved that translations of passages such of Dan. 7:13 are not so gender inclusive that it missed out on the whole Messianic reference (HCSB "One like a Son of Man" not like NRSV "one like a human being"). Another notable translation is Phil. 2: 6 ("did not regard equality with God as something to take advantage of"). I also liked how it translated 1 John 2:2 ("propitiation" instead of "expiation" for reference to Christ's atonement). A curious note in the O.T. is that sometimes the translators translate God's name as Yahweh and most other times it leaves it as LORD and GOD in capitals (e.g. Ps. 81:10; Ps. 83: 18).

This is the most cost effective edition of this translation (the Gift & Award Bible) since it costs only $5, which is much less expensive than comparative Gift & Award equivalents for the NIV and NASB. I have purchased many of these Gift and Award HCSBs to give out to friends -- it is even less expensive than some New Testament versions. This Gift & Award edition is much less expensive than the red-letter text edition of the HCSB. If you want to purchase a less expensive edition of the HCSB just to read it and try it out, the Gift & Award is the way to go.

I highly recommend this translation! It is a worthy addition to the plethora of Bible translations out there. I would also highly recommend the English Standard Version as well (which is more expensive than the HCSB). If you like a low-cost Bible which is accurate and readable, try out the HCSB! Like the English Standard Version, it is a nice cross between the NIV and NASB.

This HCB is a unique, essentially literal translation. The rendering is almost the same as the ESV/NASB. This particular one is a smaller size and of imitation leather, with paperback pages.

The outstanding features are the Red Letter Edition to Christ's words, as well as the lay out of important quotations from the Old Testament etc. The early Church hymn of Philippians 2 is also presented in a stanza form, as are many other helpful tidbits. Therein the wording helpfully reads: 'the emptying of Christ..' The maps are in color and their is a helpful addition of theologia at the back: an abbreviated dictionary, concordance and other study helps.

'Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt,
whoever He imprisons cannot be released.' Job 12:14

The rendering of He and His favorably appears with a capital H !
I have one mainly for the translation benefit is brings, as it is
clear and true to the original text.

First, it goes without saying this is an excellent value. It provides a great opportunity to check out this new translation.

The HCSB is one of only two new translations that I like (the other being the ESV). The only thing I don't like is its tendency to be a little too conversational at times.

On the other hand, the translators seem to place a high priority on accuracy (my one problem with the NIV, at times).

Bottom line: get a copy of the ESV and a copy of the HCSB and you'll have two great alternatives to the NIV (for those times when you want a change of pace).

From what I have read so far, the HCSB seems to be a good translation. I would recommend it for someone looking for the accuracy of the NASB, but readability of the NIV.

This particular book is basically a paperback Bible with an imitation leather cover. The pages are made of the same paper as paperback books. This is the only paperback Bible I've ever seen with red-lettering. Just like other paperback Bibles, there is no book marker.

This would be a great Bible for a new Christian, for a confirmation or Sunday School gift, for a "first" Bible, for handing out to evangelize, or to just check out the HCSB translation (like what I'm doing with it). It isn't as nice as more expensive Bibles, however, considering that it only costs $5, it is a very nice Bible for the money.

How better to understand our common humanity than to peek at the inner world of another -- and find it so like our own? Soft, coloured pencil illustrations and sparse, personal narrative relate a poignant story of love and loss, freedom and frustration, heartbreak and, in the end, happiness.

Coming from a mother of two boys with Down syndrome, I was justtouched at the story. Gregory has a captivating way of literallyentering the mind of Cindy and the way she processes her day to dayactivities. This wonderful lesson in empathy helps us realize thatso-called "special-needs" people are a lot more like therest of us than they are different.

When I first read this book I cried. It is a great tale about a girl with down's syndrome named Cindy. She finds a puppy that she befriends and is forced later in the book to give up the puppy. It is a heart warming tale that children can identify with. We've all lost something we loved, whether it be a family member, a pet, or even a favorite blanket. In educational terms, it is filled with sight words and many new vocabulary words. It also introduces young readers to diversity and is a great way to teach children about disabilities.

I am in awe of what Nan Gregory has been able to accomplish by page 2, the respect she has for her young audience's intelligence, and for all the seeds of other stories she plants along the way but chooses not to tell. Ron Lightburn's gorgeous, moody, illustrations help draw the reader (or listener) into Cindy's world, far away from sentimentality and cuteness. A great book; one day hope to read it (and Charlotte's Web) aloud without sobbing. Please give us more of Cindy.

The book (hymnal)was in excellent condition and was received very soon after the order was submitted.

My wife was very happy to be able to replace a worn out copy of this book. She plays at church on an as need basis and she loves to play the hymns in this book.

As a church music director and organist I can say that this is one of the best collections of standard and contemporary hymns. Great alternate last verse arrangements and descant lines allow this hymnal to stand out from others. The font is easily legible and the titles are logical and not just the first line of the song. A wonderfully organized table of contents round out the package. I highly recommend.

This is a great collection of hymns. "O Sacred Head Now Wounded", "O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus", "Just as I Am", and hundreds of others you grew up singing. Also included are some of the more recent hymns such as "My Tribute". I would have gladly given it 5 stars had it included "Nearer My God to Thee" and "I'll Fly Away to Glory". Even with these missing, you won't be sorry you purchased this collection.

This book was absolutely amazing. There aren't any sports authors his age that can understand the depth of baseball culture, fanaticisicm, and performance like Knoefel. He has a level of understanding that would make major sports networks weep, and could add more than quality insight to any major syndicated show in the US (not just because he is a sox author). Furthermore, he's been able to capture the essence of a season that really can't be described with any language god's been kind enough to pass to us. Not that I'm religious, but Knoefel has a divine talent and should be read, studied and respected by any baseball, or aspiring sports author in the planet. Enjoy, and to knoefel, keep hacking away.

This is the premiere book of its kind on the Red Sox. Knoefel has clearly established himself as the Bob Dylan of sports writing. He is able to make sense of and put into words the things the rest of us only wish we could. No one his age has ever understood the psychology of the game as he does. How many masterpieces must a writer publish before you call him a sage? The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind but this kid has it!

We all knew it would hit--the onslaught of books, each claiming to be "the" definitive documentation of how the Red Sox won. I've perused most of them--except the O'Nan/King debacle which I blindly purchased thinking, "Hey, it's Stephen King--it's got to be good--right?" Wrong! Boy, do I wish I had my money back. The last time I read something so boring I think Joseph Conrad wrote it.

The first warning to every fan looking for a definitive documentary of the Red Sox 2004 season is to not be put off by the cover of Idiot-syncrasies. The cartoonish caricatures would make one believe the book is another in the long line of box score recaps that populate the market. Jerry Remy's forward certainly does nothing to alert readers to what will follow. Rather, it appears to simply be a vehicle for Remy to remind us of his playing days.

Then--then, if you will simply take a moment to read Longest's introduction, The Eternal Sunshine of Terry Francona, you will know that Idiot-syncrasies holds the promise of something as special as the 2004 season itself. I must admit that Longest knew how to hook me when he begins his season-long narrative with the grandest "idiot" of all--Johnny Damon. After a delightful analysis of how JD fit into the overall dynamics of the team I was captured. If Longest was to dissect the entire team as he did Damon I couldn't wait to read on. There they were: Manny and Ortiz. Varitek, Millar and Pokey--Mueller--well, count on it--they're all there. While many championship season books include only the post season, Longest puts us on a season-long path with the Red Sox--potholes and all.

Longest takes us far beyond the mundane stats of a season. He engages us in a deep analysis of what makes these men tick and how they converged to make a team tick. There are some who might argue his analysis, but this is precisely the point--you can't argue finite, historical statistics, but you can debate the elements, and eccentricities, of personality. It's the same as debating how one man won the presidency--a conversation of personality, character, soul and many intangibles we can never really quantify. This is what we'll discuss over the years rather than the stats--well, except "the walk"--a stat we'll not soon forget. Longest doesn't completely ignore statistics, but couches them in game situations that assist in explicating his analysis of character and skill.

Longest's compelling analysis of a season is enhanced by his generous inclusion of sidebars he labels "MONSTERminutiae" and his final words at the conclusion of each chapter (Idiot Rule) are thoughts one might choose to live one's life by.

A few hours later when I read the last Idiot Rule--The Future Can Wait--on page 288, I felt I had been in the stands for every precious moment of a precious season. I really didn't care there was very little box score trivia like so-and-so was lifted in the seventh for so-and-so; so what! Rather I now have a vivid portrait of a team of players who performed magic tricks for us. I agree with another reviewer who compares Longest to Roger Angell. While I think this is Longest's first book, it's obvious he's a student of baseball and probably a student of Mr. Angell's prowess at capturing so much more than statistics. In fact Longest may have an even keener sense of vision in his ability to seize nuance.

You might buy one of the "box score" books, but if you want a documentary to consult over time in reliving the 2004 Red Sox season--something to pass along to your children and grandchildren--then Idiot-syncrasies is the one book you should have. I've only owned the book two weeks and I've relived the season cover-to-cover three times.

Somehow this book is flying under the radar, and I'm afraid it's going to be lost under the deluge of titles hitting the market about the 2004 Red Sox. Too bad, because there is only one word to describe "Idiot-syncrasies" - Gem.

This book is difficult to describe precisely. It's not a nuts-and-bolts examination of the strategy of the 2004 season. It's not a retropective of the year. It's not a behind-the-scenes look at the team. I suppose it's best described as a look at the philosophy of and the lessons imparted by the "Idiots," and how we as fans related to them, and they to us.

What's best about this book is its style; it utilizes magnificent turns of phrase and builds profiles with the lyricism of Roger Angell (with perhaps a bit of the wryness of George Plimpton as well). At various moments I was nodding in agreement, then laughing out loud, and then breaking into tears. It's a magnificently crafted series of essays on most of the key players of the 2004.

This is a MUST read for any Red Sox fan. Treat yourself, or buy it for a Sox fan you love.

I am very glad that I found these little books written by Petra Eiko. The author manages to cover serious topics while keeping the fun in reading intact. It is great to see something new and innovative on the crowded book market.

What kind of secret does 'Is' share? It brings you a dialog that allows you to reflect yourself and see whether you are happy with the place you are currently in.

I highly recommend the whole Seeds of truth" series.

I've read all of the books in this series except for "Wisdom" and I just ordered that one. These books by Petra Eiko are so refreshingly different and fun to read. This is a great collection of information in a conversational approach that makes you think and feel good about yourself and helps you through problems in your life. I can't wait for the next book by Petra Eiko.

Petra Eiko explains the meaning and mysteries of life in a series of small books that are readable, lyrical, and inspiring. In a style that is at once straightforward and intimate, Eiko offers true-to-life applications of philosophy, ethics, and spirituality. Her books are perfect gifts for those embarking on major life transitions -- graduation from college, marriage, parenthood, retirement, or recovery from illness. The books are like perfect little jewels -- multifaceted and glowing.

Wow, I loved reading this little book so much, that I went out to get her other books as well. It gave me simple, straight forward advice or a different outlook if you will on age old questions like who are we, where do we come from, what are we doing here and who is this allmighty force in the sky we call God, and yet it is not at all about religion. It is all about getting quiet and listening to our inner truth and this little book showed me how to do that. It's a must read for anybody who wants to get some peace and quietness into their busy lives and maybe learn to understand themselves a wee bit better.

These kipper books are just SOO great! My daughter absolutely loves him and they are great first reading books.

Kipper decides to get rid of his smelly old blanket, threadbare toy rabbit and soggy ball and bone, only to discover that they are what makes his basket so special and comfortable. My 18 month old daughter takes great pleasure in Kipper's attempts at imitating ducks sleeping on one leg; wrens nesting in a garden pot; squirrels building stick nests; etc. which all end in failure of course! The simple yet lively text holds even the youngest of attention spans and Mick Inkpen's humorous pictures are a joy for children and adults alike.

Kipper is a pudgy, brown and white dog, with a twist to his smile. He decides to clean out his dog bed. He learns that by making changes of what is around him, he finds that a new change, makes a big change in how he feels.

Kipper tries several new and different places to hang out. By trying to be where other critters live, Kipper finds he is just not comfortable with those new changes, and he goes back to his messy dog bed, that he had in the first place.

Kipper learned that he really cared about what he had in the first place! There are 22 cute animated large illustrations. Kipper is a smart dog to get to know!

The Kipper books are wonderful! The length is perfect for young ones with short attention spans. With the colorful illustrations and delightful story, Kipper has quickly become my son's favorite book. Great for a bedtime story since Kipper is in search of a new bed!