Sports Books

This is a great book. It has a wonderful amount of information. It is good for the beginner as well as an advance horse person.

Ever since I read this book, I ride my horse and when I go out and barrel race in the gymkhanas that I attend in my club, we are truly great as a team. When I first started western riding this summer I wasn't so good, but after reading this book I've gotten tougher and my horse has gotten so much faster! I know after this winter and reading it over and over, we will be unbeatable.

This is one of my favorite barrel racing books! I have owned it for years and refer back to it often when I need to "tune up". I've had the opportunity to attend a few of Sharon Camarillo's clinics and she has written two of the best barrel racing books out today! She is not only a great barrel racer but a absolutely fabulous teacher! Her books give clear easy to read instruction with great pictures to help you visualize. I loved it! Shirley, from MN

I thought this was a great book.I have improved my barrel racing ALOT since I started reading this book. It is sooooooooooooooooo AWESOME!

If you enjoyed this book also read: 'Running to Win at Barrel Racing' by Martha Josey

I read this book from cover to cover and I always refer back to it for tips and help. It's a great book for the beginner barrel racer or the seasoned racer. It's full of great pictures and information. I loved it!

Here's a little time travel for you. I first got my hands on this book when I was a little baseball-loving kid, back in 1974. This book scared the hell out of me back then.

Thirty years later it turned up again, and this time it blew my mind. It's one of the most creative, touching, thoughtful, mildly mean-spirited works of literature I've ever come across (And I read books for a living.)

Here's the backstory on the book. It's the early 1970's in Boston, and two witty, profound, slightly geeky local bookstore employees decide to rummage through their childhood baseball-card collections and write a book about their love of the game. Please note: this book **isn't** about baseball or even about baseball cards (here I'm citing the authors in their preface), it's a book about childhood as recalled through the prism of baseball cards.

This book isn't for everyone. It's for grown-up men who loved baseball as boys, weren't very good at it (as the authors admit about themselves), and were probably picked near the end in gym class when teams were being chosen.

This book is probably best (and most mind-blowing) for people who grew up during the late 1950's and early 1960's, as the authors did. But the generations of childhood baseball fans ever since will also find great pleasure in this entirely irreverent and clever book.

"GOOD NIGHT, SIBBI SISTI, WHEREVER YOU ARE." When I read this line in the book back in 1974, it gave me the willies. Now I just grin.

Beautiful, brilliant and witty. Once you have the book, you'll never forget it, and you'll probably keep wanting to show parts of it to fellow fans. However, in the name of humor, the book is a little cruel to some players -- for example, "Hal Griggs was to pitching as Wayne Causey was to hitting -- that is to say, nothing." Even as a kid I was made uncomfortable by things like that. But, some of those things, I just LOVED, like the teasing about how ugly Don Mossi was and about how lousy a hitter Hank Aguirre was ("...I mean to tell you, he couldn't even come close..."). So, where should they have drawn the line? Heck if I know. Also, the book seems to show a bias toward players from Boston and Philadelphia, giving them more space than they deserve, and a lot more kindness. But actually I enjoyed that, since, as a New Yorker, I've always been embarrassed about the disproportionate attention that is usually given to the Yanks and Mets. It's nice to see a couple of other towns getting their turn.

I received this as a Christmas gift one year and was initially disappointed. I had only heard of a few of the guys that were showed on the cards and I set it aside, figuring on sticking it up on my bookshelf with the other boring books that I had and never bothered with. Several days after Christmas we went on the annual family gift return, a day I truly hated. In desperation I grabbed this book off of my pile and took my accustomed place in the back of the station wagon. For the rest of that day and night the only time I put the book down was to eat, and then only briefly. This is a completely irreverent look at baseball as a whole, and the thing that really sealed the deal for me was the card of Whammy Douglas and the comments made by the author. I tried to get my dad to read it because I figured he would get more out of it than I did, (I'm 41 and consider myself to be on the trailing edge of those who might "get it",) but he wasn't interested. Maybe I'll try again. This book might have a limited range of interest, but if you have fond memories of baseball in the 50's and 60's, I think you'll fall right into that range.

This book is a treasure. I think if I had to pack one bag of books for a long stay on a desert island, this would be one of the first ones included. Like one of the other reviewers, I have worn out more than one copy and find myself puzzled why it's been allowed to go out of print.

"The Great American Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Card Book" has three principal sections. The first, "Where Have You Gone VINCE DiMaggio" is a warm and very witty recollection of the co-author's childhoods in the 1950s and the central role that baseball cards played in them. Part two, "This Kid Is Going To Make It," is a look at how the baseball card business operated circa 1973, the date of the book's original publication.

As entertaining as these openers are, the best (and largest) part of the book is the one simply called "Profiles." Reproduced in full color are hundreds of cards from the early 1950s to the late 1960s, accompanied by the author's observations about the players immortalized on them. You'll find greats on these pages, like Richie Ashburn, Stan Musial and Ted Williams...but the real joy is the rediscovery of the men on the fringes of the game's glory...."immortals" like Chris Cannizzaro, Frank Leja, Foster Castleman, Clyde Kluttz and Coot Veal. It's tempting to quote from the book at length, but that would spoil the fun. Just to give you a sense of the flavor though, I opened at random to the page featuring Hector Lopez, poor-fielding third baseman for the Yankees and Kansas City A's. After judging Lopez not to be just a bad fielding third baseman for a baseball player, but for a human being, they declare, he did not "simply field a ground ball, he attacked it. Like a farmer trying to kill a snake with a stick."

This is a wonderful book for any baseball fan, and should especially be treasured on those short, cold winter days when the crack of the bat and the warm blue skies and green grass of summer seem oh-so-far away.--William C. Hall

Each of us occasionally has experiences that are so vivid that they make immediate and permanent imprints upon the memory. For example, I can still remember my excited first day of kindergarten, as well as my first glimpse of Three Rivers stadium, as our family car approached it along the jumbled, congested streets of the North Side.

Believe it or not, I can similarly remember my first experiences reading this book, as though they were yesterday. I was in grad school in California, and a friend was visiting me with this book in tow. As he spread out a sleeping bag and nodded off to sleep, I curled up with his magnificent book. I can still picture that entire scene, my old apartment as it was then, and even one particular page on which I lingered in fascination (the Joe Fornieles profile.) The feeling of reading it was that electric, that hyper-engaging.

A book has got to be good if reading it is remembered as a formative experience.

Let me try another way to explain how much I loved this book. When I couldn't find this book anywhere (it being out of print), I directed a nationwide book search to try to find it for me. They did, a flawless hardback edition that I still treasure, and still maintain in carefully guarded, pristine condition. Mind you, I was a starving grad student when I did this, and could hardly afford such luxuries.

As you can see from the other reviews below, this book takes that type of hold on those who love it.

There are three major sections in this book; one covering the sensory atmosphere of a 1950s suburban childhood, one on the baseball card industry as it existed in 1973, and one a series of profiles of players as depicted on samples from the authors' baseball card collection. The first and third of these are the great ones.

I adore the opening chapter, which brought childhood back to me even though I didn't grow up in the same era as the authors. But some things are universal I guess, including the way that childhood memories exist as scraps and floating debris of the odd popular cultures through which we guide our children.

Boyd and Harris's childhood world will be recognizable to anyone who grew up in America -- a world of advertising jingles, cap guns, yo-yos, Pez, and of course, baseball cards. A time cycle in which the kids learn to break down the interminable flow of their school year according to the changing weather, the holidays and favorite activities of each mini-season. And even those of us whose childhoods weren't so innocent nevertheless cling to those small fragments of memory of a time when we had no responsibilities and the world was a fascinating and wondrous place. I once wrote a newspaper review of this book in which I referred to this opening chapter as Marcel Proust in Levittown, and I think it still fits.

But the real core of the book is the "Profiles" section. This is a procession of baseball cards, one after another, two per page, each of which triggers a particular set of memories from the authors. Many of these, if not most, are really funny. But others are poignant.

Not all of the little capsule profiles are about the players themselves. Sometimes the authors take the opportunity to laugh over the baseball card itself -- a goofy pose, a bad airbrushing job, an inexplicable caption, an ill-considered description on the back.

It's an exquisite feeling, thumbing through their card collection with them. You feel the pang of reverence for the Ted Williams card. You snicker over Choo-Choo Coleman and the lousy catchers collected by the New York Mets. You ponder how it could be that Charlie Smith was traded straight up for Roger Maris. You nod knowingly over the author's continual confusion of Mike de la Hoz and Bob del Greco.

The visual design of the book is central to its power, which is why I particularly treasure my hardback edition. One page of umpire cards has a colored backround on which is stamped,simply, "Boo, Boo, Boo, Boo. . ." A page with the cards of Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente contains no commentary, just a respectful black background (each had recently passed at the time of the book's original publication.)

Somehow it all seems to mean something, even without seeming to try to mean anything. And therein lies the book's genius.

I know of no other baseball book like this one. It defies categorization, and despite my poor effort above, it really defies description. Buy it, hide it, shut the door and turn out the world, savor it, ponder it, laugh at it, love it.

Have a good time. It's meant to be fun, you know. Let's play two.

"To appreciate any sport, you must learn about its entire histroy. And you can't truly appreciate baseball without learning about the Negro Leagues. Begin with this book."

-Sports Columnist, Kansas City Star

"The food industry has Emeril, the political pundits have O'Reilly and the Negro Leagues has Holway. Artfully wrote by the premier expert on Negro Leagues history."

-President, Legends of Sports

". . . statistics that prove the greatness of the Negro League players. Now, we can truly call baseball the National Pastime."

"To appreciate any sport, you must learn about its entire history. And you can't truly appreciate baseball without learning about the Negro Leagues. Begin with this book."

As submitted to Hasting House on Dec. 10, 2001 via e-mail

This is a fine overview of the contributions made by black ball players from the mid 19th Century to the more well known players of the 20th. I judge baseball books on how they contribute to the overall understanding of their subject matter. This book stands among the others, including Only the Ball Was White and Larry Lester's pictorials on the Negro Leagues in Chicago, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh.

Goddamn! One of the best books I have ever read!

Get it!

Excellent reading. Very informative and it kept me interested the entire time. I would recommend for anyone!

Extremely fortunate to have worked with Smokey during our years at Circle Track Magazine and all his years at PRI (Performance Racing Industry).
THIS IS INDEED THE BEST DAMN BOOK IN TOWN. You'll love it.

Simply put this is one of the best books about racing I have ever read. Smokey's stories are entertaining, hilarious, and insightful. His kind will not be by this way again! If you like racing of any kind, this book is a must read. It is well worth both the time and the money.

Smokey tells it just like he sees it. No political correctness here. If he thinks something stinks, he says so. He has no love lost for Bill France and company, but respects many others.

His writing style is straight to the point, amusing and raw. But it's the way he sees things...and he repeats that point...that it's just his opinion and urges the reader to make up their own mind.

I highly recommend this set. And I salute you, Smokey.

This is another book that I read over and over again. It always has something new to say to me depending on where I am when I read it. It covers the blossoming of a master in the martial arts from overbearing neophyte to true master. It explores the Tao and proper principles in training, and contains one of my favorite quotes. "Your quest is not for quantity of production. Your quest, my quest, the martial-arts quest is for quality of experience."

This short read, told as a fable, is broken down into chapters, each expounding on an idea the book wishes to delve into with greater detail. The relationship between a martial arts master and his student is one of the most profound possible, and this book guides the reader/student into a more profound understanding of the teacher/student dynamic. The end result is, or should be, that the student becomes the master, and that the cycle of learning and growth between master and student is eternal and self-renewing.

There is one narrative quirk that should not affect the power of the lessons contained herein, but does weaken the book a bit from a writer's point of view. Otherwise, this is a valuable book, one that addresses the key relationship between master & student. In the West, it is common for students to not take their masters as seriously as they should, and for masters to occaisonally show less responsibility and accountability than they should. This short volume shows what a balanced, committed disciple/master relationship might look like.

Recommended.

Master Tri was one of the kindest living beings that I've ever known...a true Master with timeless wisdom found in his words/sharings. He will always be greatly remembered and missed. I've done a painting in memory of him and all of the other Great Masters before him, that I've titled "Spirit of Shaolin" which can be seen at one of my online galleries at: DaelArt.com Dael

I got this book a few years ago and didn't think much of it because I couldn't understand it. Now, after a few years of Tai Chi and meditation, I'm starting to understand it. A great book, indeed! I'm planning to read his next book.

5 stars isnt enough.

This is one of those rare books that you can read 1000 times and on the 1001st read you would still get more out of it.

This book can easily be used as a pocket companion throughout your entire life to help you in more ways than i have room to write in a little review.

Also, this book has really helped me to see more clearly as to what my purpose in life is.

I hope it will do the same for you. Na Mo A Mi To Fo

The Big Drop is by John Log. This book is a wonderful surfing book full of very colorful stories told by the people that had surfed the waves, or were there at the moment if the person had died. The way the people tell the stories make it feel like you are there feeling their pain. If you do not feel like reading the book then you might just want to get the movie Riding Giants. About fifty percent of the movie Riding Giants is in the book. In the book there is a colorful picture almost every chapter of the people riding the wave. I would defiantly recommend the book to anyone, especially if you like to surf. The book also teaches you a lot about surfing vocabulary and even has a couple pages at the end that are the glossary, in case you don't know the terms of surfing. The Big Drop shows the dangers of surfing and makes you wonder why people even risk their life just for a little thrill. I would give this book 9 out of 10, because there are some stories in there that aren't very interesting compared to others in the book. There is only a couple of the stories that are not as interesting, so it does not take away from the book at all.

Provides great insight on the pioneers of the sport, but doesn't come across like a history lesson. It makes you understand the ballz it takes to paddle into a wave the size of an apartment building, along with the consequences those guys have faced.

Thoroughly enjoyable for non-surfers too. My dad has never been on a board and he couldn't put the book down.

I am a grom, at the age of 17 right now, and I rarely read a book cover to cover.I've always been interested in big wave surfing, but never the old timer stuff. This book has revealed the truth about riding big waves in and interesting perspective to the new generation such as myself, and I will never forget some of the stories in here. I reccomend that if you're a surfer, and are even remotely interested in attempting to tackle large surf, that you pick up this book. It will give you second thoughts about venturing out at places like Mavericks, Waimaii Bay, and Todos Santos.

Not just a surfing book but focusing on the Big Wave surfing crew, that elite group of athletes that live to challenge the ocean's fury. This is a collection of short stories but it does a great job of covering the total history of Big Wave surfing, particularly paying attention to the heroes of the 50s and 60s the water skills necessary to challenge large waves. With complete coverage and analysis of all big wave sites and legends, I can't imagine what it left unturned.

This exciting sport has elevated itself recently with "ski in" surfing and these stories do a great job of covering the controversy of this sport's growth and it's trailblazer, Laird Hamilton.

I strongly recommend this book if you like surfing or are enthralled by the culture of these people who devote their lives to the ocean.

...of Big Wave surfing - many of the stories are haunting and memorable. It was hard putting the book down once I started reading. I actually found it more interesting and insightful than watching film of surfers going over the edge - you actually get into their excitement, awe, and fear of what they've gotten themselves into - not only when they've caught the waves, but gut-wrenching accounts of what they were thinking and feeling when driven under (or saw their friends driven under) by these monsters.

This is as close as you're going to get, short of paddling out yourself! BTW, I just finished reading "Caught Inside" before "The Big Drop" and reading these stories made reading CI seem like a waste of time.

You won't regret reading this one - highly recommended!!!

If you have ever read any of Travis Pastrana's articles written in the old Racer X column he had, you would know of his ability to make you feel as though you are right in the heart of the story being told. The same holds true with this book. He brings you right in with vivid descriptions and details that are easily understood by the average everyday person and yet belies an attention the to english language that is quite comprehensive. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as well as my husband, his riding buddies and racing buddies and the kids in our family as well. I would definitly give it to anyone considering riding/racing or any other adventure. It's not about the sport/adventure it about taking the chance!!

I sat down and read the book cover to cover. It's a great read for every age.

I purchased this for my son who is a freestyler, and not one to read books, but he enjoyed (and read) the book cover to cover. Great photography, interesting text, and a fantastic insight into Travis Pastrana.

This book was amazing, very well written and i didnt put it down after i picked it up! I read the entire thing in a night, it was a very good read, but i felt like there werer parts when he was braggin about himself. But all in all i strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes motocross or xtreme sports.

This book is written very much in Pastrana's own voice, which leads it to be not only personal at times, but also hilarious. Actually some of my favorite parts of the book were the little notes on the side either from Travis himself or his friends/colleagues/parents. It gives readers a view of what its like living his life, something I certainly don't envy.

He covers everything from his beginnings in racing, his schooling, his injuries, the many wild stunts he has done and more. If you are a fan its a must read, even if you're not its entertainment value makes it worthwhile.

When I first picked this book from the library I had two minutes left to pick a book. So, I look on a shelf this was the first book I caught on my eye. When we came back to school I didn't want to read it but once I past that first page I really wanted to read it, because it talks about the issues in my life. Such as, how I would get in trouble because I would pick pocket people.
They shot the guy for a reason. Maracas and Eddie know, as black and white on the streets are about to get a scholarship to a basketball school. They don't have any jobs so they can pay for the basketball camp for they can get accepted to the school, so they started robbing people's cars when they will go in the hardware store. Until one day a guy saw them robbing his car so he ran over there and Eddie pulled out his gun and shot the person. Maracas knew who the person was but just couldn't figure it out at the time. One day when Eddie's family comes over and they are taking the bus then Maracas knew who it was, it was... The next day when they went to school the cops come and arrest them for murder.
I think this book is awesome I recommend this book because it has action cover to cover. My favorite part was when they found out that they had killed the guy, but Eddie's family is on the bus, I like this part because it is intense because you want to know who the person was. I like this book so much I read it 3 times because it relates to the issues in my life. This book says that if you don't have a job than go do things like selling drugs or robbing people and when you do that you go to jail.
I think Paul Volponi is one of the best authors in the world, because he knows how to catch his reader's interest. Also, he doesn't wait to the middle of the book to give you the action part he gives it to you on the second page. I think Paul Volponi does that for he won't boar his readers. It is a really good book for teens.

I was really pulled in by this book and found it a page turner. It's got more than racial themes in it. It's also the story of friendship between boys, it's strengths and limits. Additionally, it's also the story of teenagers making poor choices and suffering the consequences of their actions.

You have two friends who are of different races, Eddie and Marcus, but they have pulled together and are tight friends through high school. Then, they both resent not having enough money for various things, and since the are both great basketball players and practices interfere with work, they decide to do some armed robbery to get some extra cash. They only do three hold ups, but things go wrong, and a gun is fired, and Marcus, the black friend gets arrested.

Eventually, Eddie is also arrested, and he was the one who shot the gun. The rest of the book circles around Marcus, and if he will turn is his friend or not since the police don't have enough evidence about the trigger man.

All of this is well written and fast paced. There is also a little romance between Rose, Eddie's sister, and Marcus.

What I feel keeps this book from being a great book, is the ending, which I will not reveal. I will only write that I think the ending keeps the character of Eddie from fully developing, and maybe that's more true to reality as he is only 17.

As a book of harsh, realistic fiction, I think this book has it nailed!

As a book of lasting, enduring literature, I think this book will be mostly forgotten in ten years and I fault the ending and the editor for letting that happen, because I feel this could have been at least better and a much more meaningful and enduring story.

That said, I do recommend this book and think it would give teen and adults a lot to discuss on a wide variety of themes such as friendship, race, honesty, and the US Judicial system.

This book stands with Children of the River as one of the best adolescent novels I have ever read. I thought about this book for weeks after reading it, and I am now working on getting it placed as required reading in our local school. The story is riveting and would capture the attention of virtually any reader, adolescent or adult.

Here's another book, I wanted to read more...more...more! What great messages the author delivered in the story. Volponi speaks of "black and white" issues, but he also goes deep into the human soul and gives guidance on how to live a content, happy life. This book could be a self-help book on dealing with the "big and small" mistakes made in life, change, stress, and growing up!

As a high school teacher-librarian, I will certainly recommend _Black and White_ to my teen readers as a fabulous read.

There are numerous quotes I admire, but my favorite is: [school office speaking to Marcus mother] "I know he's made some mistakes. But that's what adolescents do. Marcus is the type of young man who's going to learn from what he did wrong. He's going to pick himself back up and succeed. And one day, other kids from this neighborhood are going to look up to him for that." p. 131

The book is open-ended at the end. But that's okay and will leave the reader content. There will be ups and downs after the final page and much food for thought in the reader's imagination.

"Marcs and Eddie are the stars of Long Island City High School's basketball team. Marcs is black and Eddie is white, but they got past all that "racial crap" and have been best friends for years." Quote from Black and White

Marcs and Eddie are going make it to the NBA. Everyone knows it. They have scouts coming to their games to see them play. Both know it will only be a matter of time before they get their big scholarships and then they can go to the pros.

The problem is both boys are from the inner city and have little money. They could work but that would interfere with their practices and games. So, they decide to make some quick cash. Everything is fine until one night when things go horribly wrong. Now one will have to pay for their mistake.

This is an excellent novel that I cannot keep on the shelf. My students love this book. Mr. Volponi does an excellent job of portraying the struggle these young men face. The ending shocked me and when I finished reading the book I couldn't believe what happened. Amazing read. Boys who are into basketball will especially like this novel. However, I think boys and girls who want a solid story with realistic characters will enjoy this book.

Paul Volponi has written two other young adult novels including Rooftop and Rucker Park Setup. His first novel was Rikers, which could appeal to teens due to its topic.

This is a great book for all basketball fans and all Kentuckians. For those who do not understand Kentucky, or who do not understand basketball, this book will make both of them much more understandable. Truly, there is nothing on Earth like the subculture of Kentucky basketball.

This book puts in perspective the "official" religion of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As a UK student last year during the 1998 National Championship run I never would have guessed the ammount of media attention the CATS draw...can you picture your local TV stations having live feeds when the team plane lands at the local airport...that is just a small glance to the fever that overtakes KY during March. This book puts you into the heart of KY. I met the author at Joseph-Beth Booksellers last year in Lexington as he signed the book...there was not a large crowd there during the signing...the CATS were on TV.

This is a great book for all basketball fans and all Kentuckians. For those who do not understand Kentucky, or who do not understand basketball, this book will make both of them much more understandable. Truly, there is nothing on Earth like the subculture of Kentucky basketball.

What a great book exploring the UK basketball phenomenon! Anyone who questions the importance of this program to its fans should read this book! You may not come away a fan, but you'll certainly understand those who do! WOW!

...and then I had to read this book after losing a bet (on the 1999 UK/Indiana game, which Kentucky won). As a hoosier fan, it pains me to say that I actually loved this book, and any book that can take the arch enemy of a program and make him/her see the light is a remarkable work. Reading through this book, I actually realized that there were tears in my eyes on several occasions. How could this be? I'm a hoosier--a sworn enemy of the Kentucky Wildcats--and yet, after reading this book, I found myself actually (choke!) liking them! My congratulations to Lonnie Wheeler on an unbelievably good book, and my hat's off to the Kentucky Wildcats--the best program in college basketball!

The book written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645 is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work.

The term "Ichi School", which is referred to in the book, Go Rin No Sho, when referring to such books, refers to "Niten No Ichi Ryu", or "Ni Ten Ichi Ryu", which literally translated, means "Two Swords, one heaven".

Throughout the book it is clear: what is primary for Musashi is The Goal, while the means of achieving the goal are secondary. He wrote "According to this Ichi school, you can win with a long weapon, and yet you can also win with a short weapon. In short, the Way of the Ichi school is the spirit of winning, whatever the weapon and whatever its size."

The same is in business: the leaders who are attracted by the goal rather than by embellishments are the true leaders. For example, the dot-com bubble of 2000 was caused by the managers who forgot about the primary goal of the business: net income. Those who were obsessed by their stock prices regarding of massive losses and the lack of revenue became bankrupt. They put attention to the fancy office buildings and furniture rather than to the assets that generate earning. Musashi wrote about it: "Just as a horse must have endurance and no defects, so it is with weapons. Horses should walk strongly, and swords and companion swords should cut strongly. Spears and halberds must stand up to heavy use: bows and guns must be sturdy. Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative".

Musashi also encourages to maintain a balance of your skills throughout your life. This balance could be thought of as Yin and Yang. The balance is to be neither over-familiar with something nor under-familiar. The over-familiarity or over-use of one weapon is not recommended by Musashi, as it would be seen to reveal your spirituality to your enemy, and thus your boisterousness, or over-calm. The over-familiarity makes you stick to a conviction. This is a very important for the business. Take, for example, mr. Warren Buffet.

A quality standing out about Mr. Buffett is his ability to morph. If you read his materials from the 1960s, he said very different things than in the 1970s and early-1980s. Early on he was buying dirt-cheap stocks by simple statistical standards and typically smaller stocks (smallcap), later he bought "franchises", then he entered a period of buying great managements of big companies and being a long-term holder, then, amazingly, he was buying smaller things dirt cheap again just as value came back into play as the twenty-first century began. He tactically morphed steadily over the decades. Trying to freeze his tactics from any decade and replicate them in the next few would never have led you to his actual actions. Musashi wrote about that this way: "You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well. You should not copy others, but use weapons which you can handle properly. It is bad for commanders and troops to have likes and dislikes."

Haven't read it yet, but looking forward to reading both of the books within the text as it is. Thanks

The Book of Five Rings is similar to Sun Tzu Art of War in that is discusses strategy, fighting, and competition from a combat perspective. The book is small in size and easy for reading while traveling. While references can found that comment this is as a book for management, it is still very much a book about combat and the samurai warrior. Interesting nontheless.

Musashi, like every great warrior, knew that strategy was as important as tactics and techniques in combat. This book will teach you things that were learned in combat and will enhance your survival potential on the battlefield, street and life.

It is not the easiest book to interpret and understand, but that hardly matters, as for the information in this book is worth your time and effort. One good book is worth a hundred crummy ones, and this book is one outstanding book. This book is divided into various distinct sections, and the serious and professional warrior should extract as much information as possible from each section. Every time I pick this book up I learn something new. This is the warrior's bible.

I highly recommend this book to all readers.

This really is a great book. It contains a philosophical outlook on dealing with people and sword fighting/combat from hundreds of years ago, but it really translates very well into today's modern business world. Everyone could learn something from this old samurai who lived in 18th century. I highly recommend this book and the book Understanding: Train of Thought to everyone.