Sports Books

For those who are interested in doing Rally Obedience at a competitive level, this is a must read. It is a well-written book and also well-illustrated to show the reader exactly what the author is talking about and where exactly the dog/handler should be during each exercise. So... GET IT.

This book helped me understand how to teach my dog the commands in Rally Obedience. It has a great step by step description of each command, and how you are to use the clicker. It has really helped me in teaching my the basics.

This book is well written and easy to follow. I was able to get a good sense of the ins and outs of rally obedience.

I have a 10 month old basset hound and we have completed one Rally Course. I used this book and its techniques as a supplement while training my basset. It's a great approach and my dog picked up on the positive clicker reinforcement very quickly. I'd highly recommend this book. It's been very helpful in how I train my pup.

This book does a lot of stuff for you and your dog pupil(s). It teaches you how to make the dog enjoy working, make concepts super easy for it to grasp, make it so the dog learns the behaviors it needs very, very well, and, of course, tells you what the APDT and AKC rally courses require of you and how to go through the courses and kick butt! Basically it prepares you and your dog for a great, delightful journey down the training road :)

I was floored by thoroughness of expertise and professionalism in this book, which goes hand-in-hand with the sheer passion for the game and wisdom in teaching children that comes through on every page. No detail of technique, sportsmanship or strategy is left out here, and the book is as useful a guide for would-be coaches inexperienced in the ways of the game as it is for veteran coaches looking broaden their knowledge base.

Bruce Driver's talent both as a former Stanley Cup winner and a long time coach combined with Clare Wharton's flawless and engaging writing style makes this book an absolute must for hockey lovers new and old.

As a USA Hockey certified Referee I recommend this book to anyone involved in youth hockey at any level.This is how hockey should be taught.

A complete resource for coaches, yes, but also something every hockey fan and parent should read too. Presented in a concise and logical manner, with no detail left out. Extensive photos and drill diagrams for all situations. I found it to be very well written.

If you've wondered what's happened to Stanley Cup winner Bruce Driver since he wrapped up his illustrious 15-year career playing hockey with the New Jersey Devils, you'll find the answer in the new book, "The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Hockey". Admirably, Driver has been teaching young, would-be hockey stars the secrets of the game.
Don't be put off by the long title - in this volume, Driver, and co-author Clare Wharton have scored a major goal with this highly readable and entertaining offering. If you've stumbled across it, you've found treasure. Driver has wisely teamed up with Wharton, a skilled writer with an extensive background in Hockey. She has taken the shoulder pads, the knee pads, the helmet and skates of the material and, with humor, molded them into a star of the ice.
With sections on everything needed for first-time and veteran coaches alike, NHL drills appropriate for youth hockey, proven team-management techniques, tips on teaching and understanding hockey fundamentals and so much more, Driver lets us in on all of his secrets.
Hockey moms (and they are legion) who have had to spend endless afternoons - and early mornings, if time on the ice is limited - driving their little Drivers to the ice rink for practice, and dads, stuck at work but footing the bills for all that expensive equipment, will be happy to learn, through this enlightening tome, what happens to junior once he gets there.
"The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Hockey" is a winner! Anyone with even a passing interest in hockey, or sports in general, will find Bruce Driver and Clare Wharton's book a delightful experience.


Art Scott
Mystery writer
And Historian

Overall, this is a great book that touches on all aspects of hockey. I am a high school hockey coach and this book has some really nice drills and information in it. We are using a couple already in practice that work great. One thing that I was hoping for (4 stars instead of 5)was a little more intense drills or more detailed info for the higher levels of hockey. Also, it only has 3 goalie drills which was a little disturbing. As a goalie coach as well as an assistant, I find that upsetting since the position is so important, but yet it's the most overlooked. However if you are a parent or coach looking for a book that touches on every aspect of hockey as well as drills this is definitely the one. I do find the parts on dealing with parents and setting up practice plans also helpful. It was well written and has a lot of great info from an NHL player and Stanley Cup winner. It is one of the best books that puts it all together for you to learn the sport of hockey. I would suggest picking up the book: Complete hockey instruction by Dave Chambers with this book and as far as goaltending is concerned, go to www.hockeygoaltender.com. That has some of the best info concerning that position. With these 3 items you would have a pretty good arsenal on coaching and understanding the sport.

So, as a native Hoosier having the pleasure to read Day's book, I have to say first that it was highly helpful to those of us that aren't rabid football fans (yes, believe it or not there are a few of us in central Indiana.) She explained the passion behind the sport in a way that I could relate to as a single - love. As a person who fully understands the plight of the young urban single professional, Day also does a great job of presenting what is a challenge for many young, bright, professional talented singles - struggling to find Mr. or Ms. Right. Although I'm not convinced there is a Mr. or Ms. Right for each and every one of us, I enjoyed reading Professor Day's plight, which many can fully understand. Every single should read this book (and also all those marrieds out there) to fully understand the challenges. And WAY TO GO for Day to hold out for Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right Now!!!

Cathy Day's "Comeback Season: How I learned to Play the Game of Love," offers a fresh and sophisticated examination of modern society. If you are looking for a run-of-the mill, cliche, quest for love story, than this is not the book for you. However, if you are someone looking for a great, character-driven story that seeks to examine what life is all about, particularly our sometimes troubling, virtual life of the 21st century, than this is definitely the book for you. With her smart and witty, but down-to earth, midwestern voice, Cathy Day serves as an excellent guide for all readers who are attempting to traverse through their own labyrinth of love. Without a doubt, you'll be cheering for Cathy Day, play-by-play, in this incredibly, well-written book. A must read for any individual who seeks to understand both 21st century life and its complex dating structure.

"Comeback Season" made me vaguely uncomfortable at first, for which I blame this simple fact: I'm a man. I don't read books about dating, especially women dating, not even if they have a catchy football angle. And to be utterly truthful, the last time I did any reading about football, I was thumbing idly through a year-old Sports Illustrated while waiting to get a cavity filled. So one would not think that I would even countenance reading a book such as this.

However, after hearing a radio interview with the author, I was moved to check it out, in part because I, like Ms. Day at the beginning of her book, am 37, educated, and single, and I would be hard pressed to think of a single acquaintance of my own age who is stil, well, single. Like Ms. Day, I have spent an inordinate amount of time wondering what's wrong with me, not out of unhealthy self-absorbtion, but genuine concern.

The difference between me and the author is that she decided to take action to change her life. And then she wrote this book. I assume you've read the synopsis already, so I won't dwell on the plotline, other than to say it is by turns funny and profoundly thought-provoking, a performance-art journal and a diary of 3 a.m. despair. It showed me a situation quite similar to my own, but from the perspective of a member of the opposite sex. And, no, guys, you'll find no feminist rants here, no man-hating or man-baiting. The most refreshing thing about the book, considering its subject matter, is its almost total lack of ideological or gender-based rancor and its refusal to indulge in victimology. Like her earlier novel, this memoir is peopled by fully-realized human beings, both women and men, who are by turns weak and courageous, despicable and generous; no heroes or heroines, nor blameless victims, nor mustache-twirling villains. Nor are there quick and easy self-help solutions: Cathy does not get a makeover, a new wardrobe, and a frontal lobotomy and immediately find the love of her life; nor does she halfheartedly embrace a bitter compromise. Instead, she finds her own core and an unknown strength of character with the help of her loving family and friends and the virtues she's learned from her sports heroes. She comes to terms with the past decisions she's made, and finds grace and meaning in her present life, without earth-shattering calamity, divine revelation, or Oprah. Rather, she finds that the simple, sometimes hackneyed, often maligned influences in our lives - football, family, friends, silly 70's rock songs - can lead us to our better, greater selves.

What a wonderful book this is. Cathy Day's search and struggle to find "the right one", like the fight of the Indianapolis Colts, is told so honestly, and in such beautiful prose, that it's impossible not to be beguiled by this book. The portraits of men, friends, and family members are precise and perfectly rendered. I'm not given to reading about dating, but this book is about so much more than that: it's about the desire and the need to--to steal a line from an old coach--"make something happen" in life.

This is a wonderful book that's fully of humor and humanity. It's a title I've recommended to my friends and family as a (true!) story that hits close to home for any intellegent person looking for their soul mate. The book has resulted in a lot discussions about relationships and the many dating moments that we've all experienced trying to find the right one. Cathy - don't give up!

If you care about walking fast, and especially if you care about your place in walking races (judged racewalks or otherwise) then this book is for you.

This book isn't designed to sell anyone on walking as a sport; this is written for readers who already know that they want to spend time and effort into learning to walk fast.

There are sections on many of the aspects of walking; e. g. technique, drills to perfect technique, common racewalking errors, and a few workout schedules. The book is written in a conversational style. He also includes interviews with elite racewalkers.

There is also a handy chart which outlines: "if you have problem X, correct it with Y" which is VERY helpful; this helped me in getting zero cautions or redcards in my last 4 judged walks.

If there is a downside it is that some of the photos are a bit small; I'd also recommend that he upgrade his "poor technique" example photo to look a bit worse; perhaps he could use a photo of a thick-skinned novice walker.

I've been to Dave's clinics, I've spoken with him personally, and reading "The Complete Guide to Racewalking Technique and Training" is just like having him right next to you, cracking jokes and commenting on everything. If you do not have the option of working out with other racewalkers regularly, definately pick up this book and re-read it a few times. You'll always pick up something new.

This book is chock full of information on how to racewalk. I have racewalked for 6 years, but found the information to be outstanding from training tips to stretching and flexibility drills. Walkers who don't actually compete in events would benefit from the information provided and would become better, more efficient walkers. Runners would also benefit from learning the how to racwalk and use it as a cross-trainer. A highly enjoyable read.

The Complete Guide to Racewalking covers the whole gamut of racewalking from how to do it, to how to train, what to eat, how to compete and even discusses the physiology and psychology of walking. Racewalking differs from athletic walking, power walking or fitness walking. These are fast ways of walking for recreation or fitness. Racewalkingis an Olympic sport and has an official definition and rules by the USATF. Good racewalkers achieve amazing speed and endurance.

The author is a former cross country runner and has been a world class racewalker and coach for over 25 years. This book is the straight scoop. I got interested in racewalking because after years of running I developed knee and hip problems. Racewalking was reputed to be injury free and excellent exercise. I had attended a couple of racewalking clinics but still hadn't got the hang of it. I wanted a detailed description of racewalking technique and found it in this book. While there's no substitute for having an experienced racewalker show you in person how it's done, this book is the next best thing

I bought this book based on the Amazon.com reviews and I was NOT disappointed. I wanted to learn how to walk faster and have been able to achieve my initial goals in the few months I have been following Dave's training and technique advice. The book is well written, has many amusing bits, so is a good read as well as being of immense practical value. I keep referring back to it over and over.

Apart from golf tips that constitute on its own a sufficient reason to purchase this book, you can get a grip on valuable practices for your day-to-day life. Not only will they be helpful at work, but also in your personal area. This is a book which is worth its value for money and that must be discovered as soon as possible. Thank you Gay !

I first purchased this book because I was looking for something to help the eternally finicky golf game. This book has actually been helpful for my golf game. But it has been even more helpful and inspirational for the business side of my life. I think the three secrets are extremely important to keep in mind every day if you want to be successful in your current job and also be able to move ahead with your career.

I thought the book was so good that I have gotten more copies for my family, friends, and co-workers. One co-worker that has never golfed before thought the book has extremely valuable concepts for work. Getting my co-worker to read a golf book was the most difficult part. Making a new energetic believer in the three secrets was easy.

I loved reading Conscious Golf, and it has had a huge impact on my tennis game! I just played tennis for the first time in 3 weeks this morning (after reading the book) and focused on completing each swing. This made the most noticeable difference on my serve. In fact, the person I played against (who, in the past, has beaten me by substantial margins), asked, "What happened to your serve?!" since she could not seem to return it! She was convinced that I spent my 10 day trip to Ojai at a tennis camp on the sly, instead of the Conscious Living for Professionals Training with Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks!

I have worked in the Golf Industry for the past 13 years (10 years as a golf professional within the PGA of America) and have only understood the importance of the second secret from this book in the last month through Gay's teachings. It has re-awakened my passion for golf and the reality of playing without the pain from my past 2 back operations. Thank you Gay for expanding into the golfing arena and sharing your knowledge with me (and others), I now have the tools to choose endless fun in golf, business and life.

I wanted to read the book over and over and over again. It really could be this simple and there's only one way to find out for sure...do it. I take that back, don't do it...live it.

At ClubWeb Solutions we recommend this book to our customers...people like us who have experiences in business as well as in and around the game.

Ms. Bedford is one of those women who make life a joy for all those who come into contact with her or her writing. To have had her as a mother or grandmother must feel like a gift from God.

Through her short and emotionally charged stories, I found myself carried back into my youth when my Mom would work endless magic by making things herself.

The book contains three sections of stories, ones as a child, as a mother and as a grandmother. The last section is the skimpiest because Ms. Bedford hasn't been a mother as long as she has lived the other two roles.

Her stories capture and build on common elements of healthy relationships like family rituals, special places, shared experiences, favorite tokens, and powerful lessons learned together.

Often, you'll have the urge to do something similar for your children or grandchildren. Go for it! To make that easier, Ms. Bedford has included how to do various simple projects like making a pincushion, baking barefoot cookies, filling a dress up box, decorating plates, and turning clothespins into dolls.

There may also be days when you could use a little mothering. Just read this book and feel embraced by Ms. Bedford's all-encompassing love of life, people and nature. Is it any surprise that she's an enthusiastic bee keeper?

Heart warming is an overused description for books. I felt like any review of this book would be incomplete without that reference. I don't remember a more heart-warming non-fiction book.

Takes me back to my own childhood, reminded me of things I had not thought of in far too long. Wonderful!

A friend gave me this wonderful book and, now that I have read it, I have bought it for my two daughters, my mom and my aunt. The stories create such a wonderful peaceful quality that it is now my preferred bedtime reading. I read one or two stories before falling asleep and, thus, easily settle into gentle slumber. The world Faith writes about may have happened twenty or ten years ago but it still exists if we only care enought to make it happen. She has inspired me to create quiet times of appreciation of nature and family and tradition. I cannot recommend this enough.

As a long time reader of Country Living I have enjoyed Faith Andrews Bedford's stories very much. But not until I bought this book did I realize how many wonderful ideas for projects for children she incorporated into her stories. I did not begin to subscribe until 2000 but realize that her column "Kids in the Country" has been a part of that magazine for many years. And, obviously, I'd missed some great stories. Her essays are warm and witty and so very true to life. I was deeply moved many times. She taps into the world of children perfectly.

A wonderful, warm book! It shows that life can be good and pleasures found all around us for free.
I was born and raised in Switzerland; nevertheless, my childhood was not dissimilar to Faith's growing up in the United States. No matter what the continent, children remain children and life's delights are equal all over. One just has to open his/her eyes and hearts and savor what is given to us.

This book is about the South and northern places in the mid 60's-80's. To be sure it is about a gifted black athlete having to survive a white society that wants somehow to be with him in his quest for greatness. Much more than that, this book is about racism at its core, promise, insecurity, and reluctant goodness, and we should hope that Morris's honest and understandable "sorta" autobiographical dissertation on his homeland Mississippi will compel us to take another look at where we are as a society. We should not let Pete, Willie's mid-life dog, be the best of what we can be.

This is a must read-especially for the young athletes of today. This man was a legend! Hands down the best running back in the country during his era!
Having met him, he's a modest, humble man who loves football and loves his hometown. Would love to see this made into a movie!
Get it, you won't be disappointed!

I recently read "The Courting of Marcus Dupree" and found it to be exciting and spell binding. My entire family was caught up in it. The book is an excellent tale of the birth of a young Black male in a troubling time for the South. The way Willie Morris related Marcus' birth and powerful strength to the struggle of his town and state was awesome, he should be the Mayor of Philadelphia or the Governor of Mississippi. I expected the book to be totally about football but it proved to be much more. It made you laugh and cry at times because of the tremendous pressure on Marcus Dupree, the 17 year old athlete that was blessed with such miraculous skills. The book made you feel like you were at the games when he made some of the beautiful plays. It was so intense that you wanted to get to the next page, but never wanted the book to end. I wish it was reprinted.

I read this book again recently and it was better than I remembered. It was so interesting to see how one 17 year old boy could dominate one small town's conversations. I expected this book to be a tale of a high school football star and his recruitment, but I got more, much more. Willie Morris examines the importance of football in Mississippi and how Marcus brought blacks and whites together with his play. He had insight in to Marcus that nobody outside of his family and high school coach could have had. Overall, a great read.

As an OU fan and a person who remember Marcus Dupree light up Norman during his brief time, I was very excited to have a little bit more background on this fascinating person.

The book hits several different topics. Obviously his recruitment of many football schools at times take center stage. But much of the book also discusses the effect of a black athlete becoming a state hero in Mississippi and gaining fans of all races. The foil of Dupree's time to that of two decades earlier when three cival rights activists were brutally murdered by the Klan. And the author, Willie Morris, contrasting and comparing his life with what he sees around him while following Dupree.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great personal account that takes you back to 1981 Mississippi, civil rights, and the power of football.

This book is a 'must' for the die-hard fan of America's Team... the Dallas Cowboys!

One of the greatest Cowboys history books I have read. Amazing pictures and very informative. Lots of information that even a die-hard Cowboy fan doesn't know. A very entertaining read.

I purchased 3 books from Amazon.com yesterday. Luckily, I met Norm at a remote today for which he graciously and personally signed all 3 copies.

1 book is going to my younger brother who is in Iraq fighting for Our Country - He'll love his signed copy.

1 is for my father-in-law... I know this lifelong Cowboy fan will love to relive the memories of this team through the pages of Norms book.

Of course I will love my copy here in N. Texas - Thanks Norm!!!

This is such a great book. Whether you are a Cowboys fan or not, it's a great conversation starter. Was this team the greatest ever?

The book is a great behind the scenes view...the photographs are amazing, the supporting story line riveting.

What a team...what a book!

I've never seen my husband with anything other than magazines, and when I surprised him with this beautiful hardcover, he couldn't hardly put it down :) He carried it to every room with him durning his chill time for a week straight, except the bathroom~he put it on the dresser right outside the door :) His eye's turn into big glossy child eyes when he's reflecting on old football times with this unbelievably vibrant photo history.
Every page is full of eye catching photo's with defining subtexts. If you love Dallas Cowboys, Sports Center, Sports Illistrated, and some Magazines then you'll LOVE this find. Recommend for the average to over the top Dallas Cowboy's fan !!

Even if you are not interested in the Bulldogs of Georgia you probably will find "Damn Good Dogs" a delightful book; beautifully illustrated, the book relates the history behind the English bulldogs that have become the University of Georgia's mascot beginning in 1956. Sonny Seiler, who has owned the bulldogs, has put together (with Kent Hannon), a pleasing book filled with many photographs. A chapter is devoted to each of the dogs relating their lives and what occurred while they were mascot and the growing fame of the Ugas. I first saw this book on a visit to Savannah and was charmed by it from the moment I opened the cover.

This is a large format book that was thoughtfully designed and is a great tribute to the remarkable dogs named Uga.

I am a lifelong University of Alabama fan but I have always known and admitted that Uga is - bar none - the coolest dog on the planet. And any dog who bites back at an Auburn player knows his football! My all-time favorite was Uga V and I was thrilled when he was rightfully named the greatest mascot ever by Sports Illustrated and made their cover. I was also excited to see this book.

This book is a great overview of the lives of the Ugas, their owners, and the Georgia football program. If you love dogs and college football, you'll love this book.

This is a good book. I highly recommend it to Ga. fans. UGA is a staple of the entire Georgia program and his lovable story is one that all college football fans can enjoy. I recommend "A Tailgater's Guide To SEC Football" as well for any serious SEC Fans.

Despite the fact that I am from Georgia Tech, the long time feud of UGA, sarcastically, I am also an English bulldog lover, having owned 2 English bullies in my life thus far. I highly recommend this book to all bulldog lovers, even if they are not associated with UGA.

Guaranteed to please all Georgia fans and English Bulldog lovers, this entertaining book contains the individual stories of six beloved Ugas who have served as mascots for the University of Georgia since 1956. Filled with delightful photos, illustrations and memorabilia spanning nearly five decades, it is loaded with fun facts, heartwarming stories--even poems written in their honor. Uga flies free on Delta, has an air-conditioned doghouse and an official Student ID Card, eats steak, attends social affairs, occasionally wears a tux, has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, in Coca Cola ads, in Playboy magazine, in Animals Who's Who, on credit cards, in movies, TV shows--and more! Following lavish funeral tributes, Ugas I through V were interred in a mausoleum at Sanford Stadium with inspiring epitaphs outlining their achievements engraved on bronze tablets. Uga VI has already made a name for himself "woofing" his encouragement to a well-deserved SEC title in 2002. GO DAWGS and long live Uga VI.

The story of the arrest, trial and imprisonment of James Scott for "intentionally causing a catastrophe" is a large, black mark on the American justice system. Adam Pitluk, in his recent work, "Damned to Eternity", has masterfully woven a story that reviews the many aspects of Scott's life... one that could only be described as misfortunate from the time he was a child growing up in Quincy, Illinois. The author makes no excuses for the lawlessness and harm that Scott caused, but the focus of this book, the great midwestern flood of 1993, is told in a riveting fashion by Pitluk, and given new facts that arose at the time of his second trial, it's a wonder that Scott remains is jail.

Pitluk has a terrific narrative style, which makes the book hard to put down for even a minute. He's a natural storyteller in the best possible sense and if one hadn't had much empathy for young Scott in the beginning, one can only come away with a new feeling as the years progress. Injustice is all around us, but it takes a good writer like Adam Pitluk to expose it. I highly recommend "Damned to Eternity".

DAMNED TO ETERNITY: THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO THEY SAID CAUSED THE FLOOD tells of a young volunteer twenty-four-year-old who tried to help protect a small town's levee during flooding - and was charged with causing the break intentionally when it failed. His conviction resulted in farmers collecting from insurance when otherwise they wouldn't - and resulted in a life sentence despite the fact no one died during the flood. His story is eye-opening and revealing - and he proclaims his innocence to this day.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I LIVE IN QUINCY, IL WHERE THIS BOOK IS BASED. IT BROUGHT BACK SO MANY MEMORIES. IT IS VERY WELL WRITTEN AND EXPLAINS THE EVENTS IN GRAPHIC DETAIL. IT MADE ME WANT TO CRY AGAIN WHEN I RECALLED THE HORRIBLE REALITY OF THOSE EVENTS. THUMBS UP!!!!!

I live in Quincy Illinois, which is directly across the river from West Quincy.I was 13 back in 1993. I put many hours into filling sandbags that summer. Even through I wasn't directly affected by the flood, it hit home when the levee broke that night. The great fight to hold back the flood waters was defeated in a matter of moments.
This book mainly describes James trouble childhood, and continues into his ever troublesome life. Its a must read if you were affected by the Great Flood of 1993.
It also goes into great detail about the ever so infamous Webster School Fire. I'm firefighter and paramedic now. I have heard many stories and tales regarding the Webster School Fire. I've seen pictures from that day.

An awesome book that lets the reader decide whether he is guilty or not guilty!

Pitluk is an amazing story-teller who offers incredible insight about a life changing event that ripped apart a small town. I had a hard time putting this book down! It is remarkable how much research this book must have taken, and the amount of detail that is covered -- yet it feels like a quick read that is easy to follow and digest. I found myself truly sympathizing with Scott, while at the same time, I kept wishing he would have done a few things differently to change his own fate. Pitluk brought to life a storm that will forever impact the people who lived through it. Thanks for sharing the story!