Sports Books

Albom's look at the best group of freshmen ever assembled on one college basketball team is pure fun. Due to the resulting financial scandals, sadly, the amazing athletic accomplishments of this group has been demeaned and diminished. They were trend-setters in so many ways, and will always hold a unique place in the world of college sports.

I'm not really bothered that Mitch apparently missed all of the under-the-table deals. Going into that aspect of the Fab Five would have required a completely different focus for the book -- a much less appealing one. So, outstanding college athletes get paid by boosters -- is this really a surprise to anyone?

Highly recommended.

With all the kids going to the pros now this book just gets more and more interesting. College hoops may never be the same as it was when the fab five were together. Although it may be wrong to say they were the reason for so many changes, they were certainly style agents of the nth degree. No doubt about the power of youth and potential and Albom captures all of it with a lot of excitement and enjoyment.

This book is excellent by far. I read this book whenever I'm bored, and it still excites me to this day. I can just flashback and remember what I was doing during the time the Fab Five was wrecking havoc on the college hardwoods. I still believe dat dis book is the greatest book Mitch Albom has ever written. He's already my favorite sports columnist in the world. Just like another person typed, if you love basketball buy this book. If you don't still buy this book, because you will grow to love college basketball.

This is an amazing in-depth look at the most popular and ballyhooed basketball team ever, Michigan's Fab Five. As a huge maize-and-blue fan I have read this masterpiece countless times but it shows all the details of running a major basketball program, the troubles that Steve Fisher had to deal with, and talks about the complex lives that Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson led and lead. Pickthis one up now.

"What scares you Jalen? Death, said Jalen,... because I can't imagine a world without me in it." The cockiness that was the Fab Five is captured perfectly by Mitch Albom in his book the Fab Five; Basketball, Trash Talk and the American Dream. Like Albom's other books Tuesdays with Morrie and 5 People You Meet in Heaven, his story telling engulfs the reader and transforms a normal story into a legendary tale. Albom recognizes the important interaction between people in their actions and conversations and captures that in his writing. This story, the Fab Five, was a great book and one of the best for any sports fan. The "Greatest Class Ever Recruited", as Albom called them, is a great story that is told from behind the scenes, during the Fab Five's historic career at the University of Michigan. The Fab Five by Albom is the finest sports book because Albom's humorous and stylish writing brings to life the events surrounding five freshmen that transformed college basketball.
The Fab Five is a book about Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, the fabulous five freshmen at the University of Michigan. A group assembled in many different ways, each contributing a unique story to what brought them to Ann Arbor. Albom takes his first few chapters describing the intricate lines that connected each player to Ann Arbor. Jalen and Chris were from Detroit and went to UofM because they were always best friends. Ray Jackson and Jimmy King are from Texas. Ray Jackson was noticed accidentally while scouts were in Texas recruiting other players. For Jimmy King, he came to UofM because Juwan Howard, his roommate on a recruiting trip, was going. And to put it all together, Juwan became a Michigan Wolverine because his recently diseased grandmother wanted him to go to UofM. Together they became the Fab Five and marched their way on campus and took the college basketball world by storm making it to back-to-back NCAA men's national championship appearances.
The caliber of talent that sounds this book is one for the history books. However, the Fab Five would not be the book it was without the writing and story telling ability of Mitch Albom. Albom has been voted the number one sports writer an unprecedented seven times by the Associated Press Sports Editors. He has hosted a TV show on ESPN and written many famous books as well as a sports column for the "Detroit Free Press". His ability to touch every reader regardless of background is rare. He makes people cry reading Tuesdays with Morrie and people stand up in cheer for the `91 Michigan basketball team in the Fab Five. Undoubtedly, Albom is one of the best writers in American and is writing about one of the best sports teams America has ever witnessed.
Albom accurately describes the sequence of events leading five high school seniors to main-stream college freshman superstars. But one of the things that makes this story one for the ages is that while on many teams today it is rare to see two freshmen starting a game, in 1991 the Fab Five were five freshman players who all started on a team that made it to the NCAA men's Championship basketball game. Having five freshman start a national championship game is unheard of and still to this day, unmatched. Albom predicts, "There will never be another group like the Fab Five." Through what brought them to Michigan, through every behind the scenes event, through every exciting and electrifying game, this book comes to life in front of the readers' eyes. As the book progresses the plot thickens for these young athletes as if Albom himself wrote the story. Every big game and tournament game was commentated as if live from the radio. Albom writes, "And with 21 seconds left, Michigan lead by just a basket, 71-69. `No three-point-shots,' fisher yelled." The games brought a sense of involvement for the reader taking them back in time to the game. With writing style that is clear and descriptive, and while combined with the dazzling games provided by the Michigan Basketball team, this leads to a suspenseful, well illustrated book that makes the heart pump and adrenaline rush. While watching the suspenseful games, Albom knew greatness at the very moment it happened and was there to preserve ever moment of history in his book; a book about kids who became "The Greatest Class Ever Recruited."
They had become the most popular names and faces in college basketball. In Ann Arbor, they sold jerseys and shorts for a hundred and fifty dollars total; "They sold out in a heartbeat," Albom wrote. Stories like these make this book different than any other sports book, a book written while the events occurred with detailed stories nobody else could get. He also wrote about that one game they all walked onto the court with their fashionably baggy shorts, black socks and black shoes revolutionizing college basketball, and he was there to catch every story and detail. Black socks, black shoes and baggy shorts all surprised people watching college basketball. Later looking back, people would contribute these five freshmen as revolutionizing basketball and creating its image today. Albom knew this and felt it was necessary to capture their uniqueness in this book. Mitch Albom, like the rest of the world knew greatness while it was happening and the passion and enthusiasm that he wrote with to illustrate that greatness he was witnessing is another example of why this book is so fabulous.
Albom also included inside stories, taking the reader to a place only a few were able to see. Inside the games, inside the practices and inside the family that was the Fab Five. When Jalen walked in the first day as a freshman and announced, "Freshmen verse ya'll," everyone in the gym was stunned. Where most freshmen come in to find themselves at the bottom of the barrel, these freshmen came in and ran right to the top. After saying, "Freshmen verse ya'll," the five freshman went on to win three scrimmages against the upper classmen. Albom wrote, "The Fab Five has been born." While many people could watch the televised games and see for themselves the spectacle surrounding these freshmen, he took this audience backstage and incorporated these stories that give the reader more than they could otherwise see. Stories about crazy pranks to trash talking rants and bizarre interviews to the baggy shorts and black socks and shoes, is why Fab Five gives the reader more than a sports book. It gives the reader a legendary, and even though no previous knowledge is necessary a substantial amount of time is essential because putting the book down once the readers starts if difficult.
The Fab Five is a humorous, entertaining and well written book, but furthermore, it is an inside look at one of the greatest college basketball stories. Mitch Albom, as one of America's most heralded writers, gives one of his best writing performances for his perfectly illustrated, historical tale of "The Greatest Recruiting Class Ever." He captivated my attention and sparked my interest in Michigan Basketball because of his urban style humor and story telling ability. While most other historical accounts tend to be boring, Mitch Albom captivates his readers and provides one of the best books about sports; a must read for any sports fan. Albom quoted Jalen Rose, "they'll be talking about us for 20 years." This is true about the Fab Five and the Fab Five will be talked about for many years to come

Swimming is such a technique oriented sport and it is almost impossible to hone your technique without a coach. I have been fortunate to have been coached by Emmett for the past seven years and I find something to work on at each practice. This is an excellent book for swimmers who have the discipline to coach themselves. The second part, Swimming the Right Way describes the techniques to streamline your body and maximize your power. By integrating this technical information with the workouts in part three you can ultimately translate theory into body memory. This takes some discipline and the rewards will be worth it. All you need to swim like a fish is in here. Just do it.

I am a semi novice swimmer, I found very important information on this book, and for the contents I think it has a lot of interesting info for advance swimmer. I would hightly recommend it.

I grew up swimming competitively. I was introduced to Emmett in my early thirties and began attending his master classes a few years ago. Emmett is a fabulous communicator, and the concepts that he teaches completely revolutionized my swimming. I am now able to swim longer, faster, and with much less energy than ever before. Just recently, I placed second in my age group in a 2.4 mile swim in Austin, TX, and it was Emmett's training that took me the entire way.

I was at first skeptical that a book format of these concepts would be possible or as good as swimming with him personally, but this book completely blew that notion out of the water (so to speak). As I read the text and studied the diagrams, I was completely impressed with his abilities to communicate via the written word. It is an easy read, and the ideas are explained clearly and woven together beautifully. Studying this book, applying the concepts, and following the workouts will take you from complete novice highly skilled and efficient swimmer. I keep a copy of it on my nightstand, and it will probably remain there for many years to come. This book is a must read for anyone who thinks he might be interested in learning to swim or improving their already advanced swimming skills.

I really enjoyed reading this book and wanted to take the time to reivew it. I am an experienced swimmer, swimming for many years, coaching age group and master's teams over the years. I have also taught swimming at many levels. I tried to look at this book from the eyes of a beginner and found it very helpful. The book covered such topics as how to pick out a suit and goggles all the way to pool etiquette. How glad I am that Emmett covered that! As an experienced swimmer I found the workout information invaluable. The workouts are very good and I found the workout schedule or cycle very apppicable to my level of swimming. The more competitive swim cycle or season information helped me map out a plan for the coming year. So I can confidently recommend this book to the beginning swimmer and the more competitive swimmer.

This is the best comprehensive freestyle book available, and I think I've read them all. I used the 1st edition about 6 years ago to rebuild my stroke, went through at least 2 copies of it and gave away about 4 others. The 2nd edition is not just a new cover: everything has been updated. Even if you have the 1st edition you should get this because it covers new developments in freestyle stroke mechanics. There are two elements that make this book exceptional. First is the instructional part, which puts hydrodynamics in practical terms, understandable to everyone and well-illustrated. It follows (maybe even leads) the current theories of efficient freestyle. It starts at a basic level, with balance drills etc, moving all the way through full-stroke integration, and then to power and speed. Second is the series of detailed workouts. It's the only book I know of that lays out a realistic workout progression for adult swimmers of any level. By realistic, I mean spending 50 to 75 mins a session, with a good combination of technique, endurance, and speed work. It's also realistic about the range of speed for most fitness swimmers -- so it's especially helpful for adult swimmers who want to learn or refine their freestyle and get a sense of accomplishment. You can start at the beginning and virtually coach your way through to the end. It's like doing Masters swimming with an expert, only self-coached. And Coach Hines has a distinctive sense of humor that makes an instructional book fun to read. A great accomplishment.

Lou Thesz's "Hooker" is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of sports entertainment, er, professional wrestling. It provides a good overview of the career of an indisputably great figure in this strange business. My only reservation is that the book isn't long enough. Anyone who read Thesz's letters to the Wrestling Observer knows the man had a wealth of anecdotes and insights about the wrestling business. It's a pity Thesz hadn't been more free with the anecdotes. It's also a shame Thesz didn't talk about life after wrestling - perhaps he didn't think anyone would be interested in Lou Thesz, the man? Oh, and by the way, am I the only one who found that anecdote about George Tragos to be seriously unsettling? Tragos might have been a great wrestler, but he sounded like a monster to me. Again, a great contribution to the under-recorded history of this business. It's like history itself talking.

This book comes across very well even if you are not old enough to know of Lou Thesz. You have to come to grips with the fact that most of his matches were fake to one degree or the other, but some were totally real, or even outright fights, and he was a highly skilled wrestler. His sportsmanship comes across loud and clear. I could cheer for this guy however he played it.

Every wrestling fan should read this book. There is more "TRUTH" about the sport here than in any book that I've read. Thesz was a master back when real men ruled the (then) sport. The difference between Lou Thesz and the wrestlers today is enormous. An excellent read for anyone with even a remote interest in the wrestling business. Classic.

In this book, Thesz gives an honest, open and interesting view of professional wrestling from an old timer's view point. Thesz was a reknowned "hooker", being that he was capable enough in the ring to actually destroy an opponent if need be, and has no qualms with giving the truth behind many figures in history. Ironically, you'd think he hated those deemed "performers," or those who were simply acters instead of accomplished amateurs or hookers, yet he seems to have been open-minded enough to realize that for the big money to occur, things had to change.

Thesz is a very open and honest person and I'd suggest this book to any wrestling fan who truly wants a good insight to the roots of professional wrestling through the 20th century.

This book is amazing! On telling the history of professional wrestling its second to none. And the best source for the history of Catch Wrestlers(Hookers), How wrestling went from Carnivals to the big time. And the stages of evolution it went through on the way to the Sports Entertainment its evolved to today. All the greats are talked about in length. Frank Gotch, Ed Lewis, Joe Stecher all the great hookers of yesteryear. This book tells how all the old promoters used to run the Business. Very intersting reading.

This book's weak point is in the actually biography of Lou Thesz. Way to much stuff left out. He would rattle on for page after page about Toots Mondt and other promoters. And then throw in a sentence like "I was married for 30 years to so and so. I wished I never met her." And just leave it at that. So he comes out of this book kind of like a cardboard cut out of the good guy he played in the ring. But dont get me wrong this book is awesome and a must read. 5 star supreme, one of the most interesting books Ive ever read. Just dont think that Lou reveals much about his self. Because he dosent. He talks about his 3 sons with just a one liner about he has three sons. Very shallow about his family life. And no pictures. But a great biography of the actual wrestling and behind the scene promotions. And how George Tragos took the son of a Hungarian/German shoe maker and made him one of the most dangerous human beings to ever walk the planet. Must read!

I felt like I was sitting in Ronda Rich's living room and she was talking only to me as I read this book. It's so personal, warm, inviting and irresistible. There are no startling revelations in this book, except perhaps Dale Earnhardt's reaction to a race track incident with Bill Elliott, and I, for one, am thankful for that. I'm happy to see people who are heroes portrayed that way and not torn apart. This book is written in a way that I got the impression that if the author had crossed paths with bad people, she just didn't write that. Instead, she wrote of the good in people. Bless her for that. My 13-year-old son is a race fan and I have given him this book to read. I think he needs to know of the good that still lies in many people.

My wife bought this book, read it and kept bragging on it. I was reluctant to read because I'm not a big reader and I just didn't think I'd enjoy it that much. One day, I picked up the book and read the chapter about the late champion Alan Kulwicki. That did it. I then had to read the entire book. I enjoyed it very much. It shows the human side of a sport that is becoming so slick and so polished that it's easy to forget that the drivers are often regular guys with problems and struggles just like the rest of us. This book reflects on many of the heroes and legends who made the sport like Darrell Waltrip, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and others. There are places, like where she talks about her friendship with and the death of Tim Richmond, that really put a lump in my throat. As in the case of Kulwicki, who is displayed here to be a serious loner who saw too much death in his young life, his mother included, that shaped his life and personality, you are shown an inside to the sport that is seldom seen. The men in this book are true heroes and the author is to be commended for writing it in a way that we feel we are being treated to VIP look at these guys.

I was pleasantly surprised by the spell binding content of this book. I read everything I can on NASCAR and just added this book to my collection as a matter of course. I ordered four books at the same time but read this one last. I should have read it first. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. The author has a way of pulling you into the story in such an interesting way. I stayed up until 4 a.m. in the morning until I had finished every word. This is the first book about NASCAR that I ever read that shows such an emotional intimate inside look. Be ready -- you'll laugh, cry, laugh, cry. It's an emotional rollcoaster but very, very fulfilling. Without a doubt, it's the best NASCAR book in the world and I think I'm qualified to say that since I have read them all.

I couldn't really get into this book. While I chuckled at some of the stories (like the muffler bearings story), other times I thought the book delved into the sugary-sweet. As an example the two and a half pages taken up to spin the tale of her date with a present day driver. Another time she writes how dressing femininely works for you in business dealings. Huh? This book seems to be an extension of What Southern Women Know with Nascar thrown in. I don't think we're getting a good picture of life in the pits. There is Ms. Rich's side of pit life, and there is the grease under your fingernails and a motor roaring in your ears side. I would've liked a view from both sides. Perhaps it is because I've read Dale Jr's and Tony Stewart's books that Ms. Rich's book is a bit of a disappointment.

I got this book for Christmas and could not stop reading it. Just as someone else has already said, when you are done reading it, you will wish there was more. I am an aspiring motorsports public relations lady, and Ronda's book is hands-down the most insightful book about the "inside" of this sport that I have read. Her point of view is different from most writers, in a very refreshing way! If you are new to the sport, or a fan for life, this book will turn you on to the sport, or let you in on a special side of the lifestyle you already know and love. I want to thank Ronda for being so helpful to me, and sending some much needed advice my way. I would recommend this book to anyone that has ever wanted to experience "life in the pits."

A Cinderella story. I loved it when I read it years ago. I have continued to re-read it. And I love it now.

My public had to dig it up from the hidden stacks, but a few years back I checked out and read The Revenger's Tragedy, which Stewart quotes as epigrams before chapters. I fell in love with Shakespeare's "The Tempest" after reading "This Rough Magic," and other novels assume a knowledge of Greek drama. It's great to see this new edition, but I wonder if a Gothic romance of this erudition could be published today.

This is an absolutely fantastic mystery/romance. I own it and have read it multiple times, along with most of the rest of Mary Stewarts books. It's one of the books I never get tired of. No matter how many times I read it, I still can't put it down when I'm in the middle of it. I highly, highly recommend it.

This is the first Mary Stewart novel I've read and while I enjoyed the book's atmosphere and lead characters, I was a bit let down by the plot on the whole.
From reviews I had read, I was hoping for a dark and intricately plotted mystery. While there were several very suspenseful passages, the story was a bit too predictable and the ending seemed to drag on a little too long.

I did enjoy the fact that 'Nine Coaches Waiting' is mainly a mystery with just a sprinkling of romance. However, I felt that even with the main focus not on the romance, that part of the story could have been handled a lot better. The romantic entanglements between the two main protagonists seem much too rushed and unrealistic.

All that being said, I still enjoyed reading 'Nine Coaches Waiting' (even though it did not live up to expectations)and will give the author's other books a try.

I enjoyed this book. It's the story of a young girl 23 who becomes a governess in a French mansion with a dark side to a little boy and she falls in love with a handsome but dark and mysterious man named Raoul. It was a good gothic mystery when strange things start happening to her.

This book was my introduction to Mary Stewart. I found it in a box of books in the attic when I was about twelve or thirteen. I read it and most if not all of her other novels throughout my teenage and young adult years. I reread this recently (30 years later) and find it is still enjoyable. It seems all the romances on the market these days are nothing but bodice rippers and they get boring real fast. I much prefer books with a plot and character development. I highly recommend Mary Stewart's novels to every one.

Has any one else noticed that her characters smoke so many cigarettes in her novels? Maybe I do because I'm an ex smoker.

I love the artwork in this book! I bought this as a gift for my little sister and had great fun searching the beautiful artwork for hidden animals. Once you find them all there is a final word puzzle in the back of the book. Very fun.

I bought the book for my grandchildren after having purchased "The Chicken That Could Swim" and loving it. The puzzles and illustrations in Puzzle Island are absolutely amazing! The whole family (mom, dad, grandparents, grandchildren (ages 4-9), aunt and uncle was involved in figuring out the names of the animals as well as looking for the animals in the pictures. After about 2 months, working on it at least once a week, we finished the book, solved all the puzzles and found all the animals. What is so amazing is that as you read the story you don't even realize all that is hidden on the pages. We loved it and can't wait to get another Paul Adshead book.

After going through several boxes in my garage, I finally found this book. I've had it for over 10 years and still am amazed how great this book is. It still grabs my attention and it doesn't matter that I remember the answer, I love looking at the pictures and solving the puzzles all over again. I can't wait for my son to enjoy this as well! I recommend this book to everyone out there!

abslutely wonderfol book. Me(8) my sister(11) and my brother(12) have almost finished it. We have been doing it since yesterday and are very very excited about finishing it. It has kept us puzzled scince! If I could I would rate it 20 stars!!!!!!

Everyone seems to have a problem finding the fourth animal in Lily's Pond. But I have found it! Unscrambling AGILNRST gives the bird STARLING. It is very difficult to find but once you see it, it is very clear. It is at the top right hand side of the page directly below the letter S and the missing P of the frame. It is one of the leaves of the tree. The head is directly below the missing P and the tail is below the S and below another leaf. You have to flip the page upside down to see it. Hopefully this helps you all sleep better tonight!

I am new to making armor, but not so much to metalworking. This book gets you started on techniques (although a few could have a little more attention), and has terrific sections on measuring and padding. The illustrations and photos are a big bonus, and most are helpful to some extent. Overall a great example of a master passing on some of his knowledge to the apprentices of his craft.

I have yet to find a better book for armoring. Nearly every fundamental is covered.

Tools, stock, techinque, buying tips, and even history is covered.

The Maille section is somewhat lite but there are other books that are fully dedicated to that discipline.

It's worth every penny. You can't go wrong with this book.

This book is an awsome read, very interesting and the info on constructing armour is just incredable. Every aspect is covered even lining the armour to make it more comfortable, if you are intersted in medieval armour this book is second to none.

Good book. BUT compleatly failed to mention safety glasses. These are IMPORTANT. you need to get a good pair and wear them when you are working in your shop. unless you think you will look good with a eyepatch.

This is a book on how to build armor. Tools, techniques, materials, workspace needed, cost estimates are all part of it. I make leather armor for re-enactors, so much of what was taught here was not directly applicable. However, there are chapters on how to measure, pattern, and cut. These are useful even if the material used isn't metal but leather. There are even some basic instructions on leatherworking. Overall, a pretty straightforward work. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in armor construction, collecting, or re-enacting.

A previous reviewer compares the author's work to Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Considering a usually successful use of self-deprecating and anecdotal humor, I can understand the comparison between the author's style and Bill Bryson's style. The author is undeniably funny. Relying entirely on the author's passion for adventure, the narrative describes a theatrical series of events fit for a screenplay.

However, that is all this book offers and why the comparison to Bill Bryson falls well short of accurate. The strength of Mr. Bryson's writing is the purpose underlying the humor, especially self-recognition through experience. The reader can internalize Mr. Bryson's experiences, see the world from Bryson's vantage and ultimately identify with Mr. Bryson's motivation for writing the book.

Mr. Davis' The Underdog falls short of Mr. Bryson's achievements. Instead of relating to narrative, the reader must watch from the sidelines. In this case the author's strength is also his weakness. How many readers can identify with first hand-experiences of bull-fighting or sumo wrestling? The effect is, essentially, a Hollywood blockbuster in a book. What you see is entertaining, but fails to stimulate any further thought.

Furthermore, and what was most disappointing to me, was the lack of conclusion. I kept waiting for the author's epiphany to explode off the pages and into my conscious, but instead of an explosion I got a series of undeveloped thoughts more analogous to a shotgun at 200 yards than a grand-finale. In the final passage, the author's last chance to tie the whole book together, he opts to wander off on a completely new tangent relating his experiences to the untapped potential of the internet (Did Wired ask you to plug The Long Tail, or was this your idea?). Instead of finishing the book with an appreciation for how this author's struggles to find his purpose in life might assist me in finding mine, I was left with questions:

Was this about the unquenchable American spirit? Or, was it about the changing definition of achievement and success? Alternately, it might have been about appreciating your own family, your talents, your opportunities, etc instead of admiring your neighbor's lawn. Honestly, I don't know.

In essence, The Underdog is a funny one time read, but certainly not deserving of such glowing reviews as it has received here on Amazon.

This author sent me an invitation to be his amazon friend. Hello! All of my reivews are bitter and sarcastic, why would I want to buy your book? Maybe I should you spam about "enlargement" products. How would you like that? The book might be a great story. Frankly, I don't care! I would rather read a book about the mating rituals of worms than me spammed by an author that wants me to buy his book.

From the moment I read the first three pages of the introduction I was hooked. This book speaks of and to the American spirit with humor and wit. Not only did I laugh out loud every time I opened it, but I cried a few times too. It's the kind of book that you read so fast because it is so good, but you don't want to so that it will last longer.

If you are looking for a book that inspires you through narrative and challenges you to go beyond your day-to-day life, or, if you want a hilarious window into the zany life of some "average" Americans, look no further. We are told to follow our dreams in a culture that is not set up to handle it when all of us do. This book is for us an answer to that problem. I look forward to many more insightful books from this talented author.

I think this book was funny and adventurous. My favorite part was the sumo wrestling. I recomend this book to parents and older kids.

A quick read; fun and emotionally transparent. Our little hero graces his way through eccentric adventure after eccentric adventure, all the while proving that even the least talented among us can be champions (or at least, very nearly so). There is a tenderness in this book. In its Quixotic madness, it transports us into worlds of danger, adventure, greatness, and saunas in Finland. A true story of sporadic unshakeable dedication and glorious redemption...and courage. The Underdog clearly underscores the ideal: it's not whether you win or lose, it's how many fat guys you can yank by the g-string. A great read.

This an excellent book to help with learning aikido. We give a copy to every new student who joins our dojo to supplement our classes and expand the student grasp of knowledge.

Very helpful for priming & review of aikido dojo protocols for both teaching and learning aikido warm-up, basic training, principles and techniques in general.

Very well presented material. There is something here for any level of training. Many core concepts explained.

Book was interesting and informative. Book covered some items that I haven't seen addressed anywhere else. I would recommend this book especially for people new to Aikido.

I'd sincerely recommend this book to very beginners and... yes, to sensei.
The most valuable point of the book is that instead of usual plain listing of the standard techniques of this or that style, it concentrates on the basic principles - "how, why, and when it works", thus offering basic building blocks, and lots of unique tips and tricks. The principles are beyond the style differences, and thus applicable to everyone.
For sensei it contains many tips of how to handle difficulties of beginners.

This is a great book which covers alot of different flies. With the ease of the photos any person should be able to tie all the flies and come up with their own variations.

Priced reasonably, this is an an excellent addition to fly-tying literature. It is beautifully printed, illustrated, and bound. Because of the spiral binding it lies flat. It is sturdy. The book's descriptions of fish and the flies that attract them are clear and concise.

I gave this book to an avid angler who has a small mountain of fly-tying magazines and books. He told me it was the best book on fly-tying he had ever seen. I'll be using it and giving it as a gift again.

6 months ago I initiated with fly fishing; here in Mexico is very expensive to buy the flies already done, reason why I began to do them myself.

I bought this book by the good reviews that it has and the truth that was good decision, is very good book still for someone like me begins in fly tying.

Very good book and detailed photos, very simple to follow; very practice and easy to understand. Simply EXCELLENT!.

This was a gift, and I love it. My fly-tying friends thought it was great, too.

I have both books by this author. They are very instructive and for the novice the first one is especially good as there are more individual steps illustrated. But each new fly described calls for nearly a completely different set of tying materials that the novice just won't have. One can spend literally hundreds of dollars just acquiring all of the different hackle types and colors, never mind the other materials.