Games Books

Maybe it's not the first of the civ building type games, but it's the first rule set for those games. Played between H.G. Wells' kids, with him as moderator, this nation versus nation in combat and comerce game is still fun to play. It's very family oriented and a good way to bond with parents and kids. Since everything is physical there is no ambiguous rules to be misinterpreted, this helps belay blow ups between siblings. A fun fun game for all!

Loved the book and the game! Thanks Skirmisher for bringing HG Wells back to the masses!

I am long-time gamer and also a great fan of H. G. Wells. When this reprint came out, I knew I just had to have it. It is really neat. Thanks to Skirmisher Publishing for making it available again!

If you haven't read H. G. Wells's "Floor Games" (and the later but better known "Little Wars") you owe it to yourself to check them out. They're funny, creative, insightful, and elegantly written--a century-old testament to Wells's genius. Kudos to Varhola and Skirmisher Publishing for rescuing these classics from obscurity.

I must admit I had not heard of "Floor Wars" prior to reading "Little Wars". The book predates "Little Wars" but is often considered a companion to the other book. It focuses more on the collecting and building of settings than actual wargaming. The books compliment each other well. "Floor Wars" sparked my imagination even more...taking me back to the little countries and armies that I used to think up in my youth. It was amusing listening to Wells go on about how good figures for certain periods and ranges were not available. I guess nothing really changes after all!

Do you really want to learn the very core of chess endgames? Then just buy this book (and read it)!

If you are looking for the definitive one-volume endgame manual, this is the book, make no mistake. FCE is sensational. Somehow the authors have achieved the almost super-human feat of writing a monumental reference work that is at the same time instructive and readable. As well as explaining the techniques and principles of thousands of endgames, the authors have even gone to the trouble of inserting numberous tests and puzzles. It is obvious they really care about the reader assimilating the material.
As the project was meticulously checked by computer program, and the typesetter was John Nunn, it is safe to say the quality of analysis and assessments is as close to perfection as is possible. The book belongs in the library of anyone who takes chess seriously.

This is one-volume encyclopaedia covering all endgame techniques. An advanced chess book for players rated over 2000. I would not recommend this endgame book for players rated below 2000. The problem for those players is that it is not easy to find the endgame elements and techniques a player rated below 2000 should focus on and exclude the rest. I miss a clearer index of the instructive examples (this is almost given as a footnote on the last page). It is not easy to lookup different standard position and techniques in this book. Examples are Triangulation, Vancura position, etc. Even the simple technique - opposition, has no chapter name, so have to go to the chapter "2.1 King + Pawn (s) vs King" to find it. But of course, this is an award winning book, so if you want an advanced "all-in-one" endgame book, this is the book for you.

Many of the other reviews have argued that Karsten and Muller have created a single-volume endgame book that has all the key points of the endgame.

This may be so, but I have tried to sit down and use it for study only to be disappointed. The material is fairly well organized, but it is too dense to work with. This is the sort of endgame book that gives endgame books a bad name. It is full of information but is dry as dust.

I recommend Dvoretsky's "Endgame Manual" instead for almost all players. That book uses two colors of font to highlight important positions. "Fundamental Chess Endings uses almost the same style as "Basic Chess Endings" (written by Reuben Fine 19 1941) and feels as dusty.

If you have the money and desire, get both books. But you will probably use Dvoretsky's book more.

Chess Endings are very important, as Lasker, Capablanca and modern chess teachers say.
At my small local club, we are all at class C and sub-class B. They are very good tactical players, and prefer to play the middle-games where there are still many pieces left. Player A is the best tactician there, has been the number one for three straight years. (My tactics are not as good as most of theirs. Luckily, I learn a few tips from Chernev's writing.)
a) One day (I witnessed), player A obtained a position in Rook Ending, and each side had a Rook. He got four Pawns on the K-side, his opponent (player B) had 2 on the Q-side; the Kings were on the rear of their own Pawns. So far so good. Player B had his K on second rank, while player A had his K on the back-rank! Player A kept giving useless checks and ignored advancing his un-opposed Pawns. Player B cleverly advanced his K and Pawns at every opportunity. To our horror, player B got his Pawn and R to the seventh and his K was right behind them. And we know the rest of the story.
b) Weeks later same player A won a Knight for a Pawn from me in the opening. After that, he just moves aimlessly with the goal to win on the clock, while I used my active Rook to win another Pawn. Only then he tried to trade off our last Rooks, which I quickly calculated and complied. Besides his centralized Knight, he had one Pawn on c-file; I had 3 Ps on h-, c- and b-files (all of mine had reached mid-field). His K was on his own third, while mine was at fourth rank. I saw that I could at least have a draw. Because his K was unable to defend both sides simultaneously, I could force him to trade off his last P. To my surprise, he let my b-Pawn become connected passed pawn. And after my K entered his K-side, the game was over. He had to let go his Knight for my h-pawn.
c) Another time I visited a cross-town chess club. In a tournament, an expert playing white had Bishop and 2 Pawns versus his sub-1700 opponent who had lone R. All white pieces had reached or passed mid-field with his Pawns on g5 and h6. It was about the adjournment time. The tournament director, also a chess master, came by to observe the game during the black piece player considered his sealed move. I waited for the master to study the position for 20-30 seconds, and then I pulled him aside and whispered to him that the game was a draw. He said, "No, white is winning." I then answered that all black had to do was to give check to white K via the back-rank and trade his R for white g-Pawn (white could not block the check by his B!); white was left with the wrong colored B! That was the first and only time I could show-off my "computing prowess" to a master, ;-). The story didn't end here. While the sub-1700 player was working out his sealed move, the expert said, "It doesn't take much longer, let's play a few more moves." I think, the expert felt regrettable for saying that so he immediately corrected, "Let's get together over the weekend and finish our game." Now isn't it something? I just learned a lesson on how a chess player should treat an inferior opponent!

Three examples above show that endgame experience can be really important and fun. Now let us go back to the book FCE. This book is masterwork. The cover is beautifully designed. The book is reasonable size and light. It is larger than The Amateur's Mind both in size and content, but is more comfortable to handle. The content table in front and the table of database on the back provide two quick ways to search for the positions of interest. The analysis is professionally deep. The explanation of each chapter and section is very clear and easy to follow. The font, the diagrams, and layout are very handsome. This book doesn't have as much examples as Fine's BCE, but the critical positions are all here, and the analysis is much deeper and more accurate. Almost all the positions are from actual games so they are very realistic. For correspondent games, I often search this book for the endgames like Q + Ps, R + Ps, Minor Piece endings. Before I have FCE, I used BCE mainly, but BCE doesn't have enough diagrams and is dated. It may take me at least 5 complete years to study this book; and Fine, at least 10 years. This book is classic (I hope the paper and spine will last long for at least 20 years), I don't mind to have an extra copy to write the experimental notes.

Thank you for the hours of fun the kids have had search the 5 books we ordered.

My husband and I have more fun with these books whether it's with our grandson or our friends. We really get into it and found that it helps our eye coordination and our memory. I would highly recommend this to anyone at any age!

I find these books great mind stretchers, even for us older folks. This book especially is a learning tool because there is a page with all the letters of the alphabet surrounded by little objects that start with each letter. Another page groups things by category with overlapping categories. Really well done.

Bought this book for my kids who are ages six and seven. Good mix of hard to find and easier to find items. We also bought I spy books for other kids that we know and they were hooked. Makes a nice gift.

I love this series our daughter is about to enter kindergarten and she really enjoys finding all the items on each page!

At twelve years old, Alex begins thinking that she might be a good enough swimmer to represent New Zealand in the Olympics in 1960, when she is sixteen. Juggling high school, other extracurricular activities, and competitive swimming is tough, though. It becomes especially tough when Maggie, who has been competing since she was two, moves nearby and begins training at Alex's pool. Maggie has an overbearing mother and an absolute dedication to swimming that means she mostly wins her events against Alex. Alex remains certain that she will be able to come out on top at the Olympic trials, though.

As that time comes closer, Alex becomes less and less certain of herself, and she finds herself getting more and more overwhelmed by the events in her life. Will she be able to set everything aside in order to focus on what may be the most important swim of her life?

This was a decent story about swimming and about the pressures of high school, which haven't really changed all that much in the last forty years. However, I was disappointed by the predictability of the storyline with Andy. On the second page of the prologue, before we had even officially met him, I already knew exactly what happened. It was a letdown when my suspicions ended up being true.

I read this book over and over again. It's well-written and handles emotions more complex than most books for this age group.

I was at the secondhand bookstore, reading a book about greatbooks for girls, and it mentioned one I thought I'd seen whilebrowsing the shelves earlier. I went and picked it up, 259-page"In Lane Three, Alex Archer" and decided to get it - itsounded good and was only ... anyway. I spent the next three daysreading little parts of it at a time, and could barely put itdown. The epilogue was especially good, and after finishing it Iimmediately wrote out a new Favourite Books List - there was a new onein first place.

I loved this book! It is an excellent read and is well written. The story is beautiful and the characters are believable. It's a story an girl can relate to, no matter their age. The emotions and trials of Alex are very real; it's hard to put it down until you're done! I recomend this book to anyone. Not only does it talk about growing up a teenage girl, but it describes things such as the personal struggles of competiting in a way that is different and refreshingly honest. Buy this book today!

This book was a great book. If you are a swimmer you can relate to all the training and the time you have for everything else. If you have ever dreamed of going to the Olympics this book shows you what you have to need and go through. Alex shows courage and faith in this book. The book also gives examples of a swimmer's friendships and dreams. "In Lane Three, Alex Archer" is a really good book, it tells the story of a swimmer's life when she is training and trying to have fun.

Excellent book!!! It helped my kids and myself complete the game! Help alot during complicated levels.

This guide helped me a lot to beat the game. I got stuck at the second dungeon so I bought the guide. The only problem is that the walkthrough for the seventh dungeon, Eagle Tower, I got lost and couldn't really figure out what to do, so I just walked around trying different stuff. But other than that, this guide is perfect and you should get it if you own the game.

IT KICKS BIG BUT I BOUGHT IT FOR MY FREIND AND HE BEAT THE GAME IN ONE DAY! BUY IT NOW! ! !

What can I say? This guide book is very well put together, aiding the young adventurer (i.e. you) thru his quest in beating the Wind Fish and solving the elusive mystery of Koholint Island. It is very well thought out, with complete maps for everything. Of course, it being a guide book, if you really want to beat it you ought try to do it yourself first, and consult the book only when necessary. But they have done a very fine job.

There is one stint I have against it, however. At the beginning of each section, they have suggestions for things you ought to do. This is all well and fine - but one some of these they should direct you to the page number that dealt with that specific item or whatever it is. Example: they say in one of the later sections it is good to go and get your boomerang. You have to go back and find where they talk about the boomerang (which, as I remember, in the early part of the book, not the section it should be). But this is only a minor stint.

Another good thing is they have a map, and on the back of that is where to get all the new pictures from the camera shop. The only problem with that is if you lose the map, you're basically screwed in the picture department.

Visually very nicely laid out. You can very clearly tell where you need to go. The dungeons are taken step by step, and is an excellent example in the writing of guides. I would like to see more of their work: if its anywhere near this good, then they're great overall. They should be regularly featured guide writers (they probably are). The one problem I mentioned is only minor, and does not deserve to detract an entire star.

Therefore, this guide book is 4 & ½ stars. Keep it up you guys! Actually, on second thought, a full 5 stars.

What can I say? This guide book is very well puttogether,aiding the young adventurer (i.e. you) thru his quest inbeating the Wind Fish and solving the elusive mystery of Koholint Island. It is very well thought out, with complete maps for everything. Of course, it being a guide book, if you really want to beat it you ought try to do it yourself first, and consult the book only when necessary. But they have done a very fine job.

There is one stint I have against it, however. At the beginning of each section, they have suggestions for things you ought to do. This is all well and fine - but one some of these they should direct you to the page number that dealt with that specific item or whatever it is. Example: they say in one of the later sections it is good to go and get your boomerang. You have to go back and find where they talk about the boomerang (which, as I remember, in the early part of the book, not the section it should be). But this is only a minor stint.

Another good thing is they have a map, and on the back of that is where to get all the new pictures from the camera shop. The only problem with that is if you lose the map, you're basically [messed up] in the picture department.

Visually very nicely laid out. You can very clearly tell where you need to go. The dungeons are taken step by step, and is an excellent example in the writing of guides. I would like to see more of their work: if its anywhere near this good, then they're great overall. They should be regularly featured guide writers (they probably are). The one problem I mentioned is only minor, and does not deserve to detract an entire star.

Therefore, this guide book is 4 & ½ stars. Keep it up you guys!

The happy and humorous tone of this book will make it appealing to any child, whatever the family's religion.

The only text is at the beginning and it is a charming translation of a poem that summarizes the story of Noah. The poem is delightful in and of itself- Spier did a great job of translating.

The illustrations are then left without text, which is very refreshing, since there are so few picture books nowadays. I enjoy leisurely paging through this book with my young daughter, talking about the pictures in and of themselves, as pieces of art and as pictures that tell a story. I feel that the pressure is off in terms of trying to finish a sentence or a story when there is no text there.

In addition, this book is appropriate for Muslim families as well, since the illustrations (and beginning poem) are sufficiently vague as to accommodate for the small differences in the telling of the story in the Qu'ran and the Bible.

My first Peter Spier book. Not saccharine, wonderful details (including Noah mucking out the ark). Great to have a child read to YOU.

This is an excellent picture book - my three year old really loves it. My only "complaint" is that it takes a long time to go through all the pictures and talk about each one making it less than ideal right before bed unless you want to spend 20 minutes on just one book! Seriously though - the book is just wonderful and allows parents to go into whatever level of detail regarding the Noah story as they feel is appropriate for the age of their child. It is a softcover and the pages and cover are not of the highest quality - it would be lovely to have in hardcover with larger pages.

This book really does not need any words. It is so well illustrated that you can understand every part of the story. His detailing is stunning. Every time we read this book, we find new details. This is the best book of Noah's ark story!

Artist and author Peter Spier, provides books that can inspire, entertain and educate both the mind of children and adults alike. His intricate drawings are full of detail and his choice of topics always serve to spark curiosity and focus youth on stories that will last with them their entire lives.

Noah's Ark is one of Mr.Spier's best known works, a definate classic, yet I would encourage parents to seek his many other titles as well. "We the People", "People", "Bored nothing to do" etc.

Growing up in Shoreham, New York where Mr Spier resides, certainly was good fortune as I was able to be introduced to the works of this world class story teller and artist. Mr.Spier's works inspired me as a youngster and are books I will pass on to my own children. We could use more of such thoughtful and inspiring children's material. You cannot go wrong with any of Mr Spier's titles.

I bought this book from the author. This is the meat and potatoes of magick. A must have for any serious practitioner. He has other books as well. Moloch Sorcery rocks!

I have the "grimoire" and everything in it is legit. It acts as a wonderful companion piece to other works by various authors in my library. I think evil genius can't appreciate salesmanship.

i bought this book and like it. ive been a member of molochs yahoo groups for sometime and while the man is passionate about what he speaks hes one of the best authorities on magic. he writes in a unique style which is to you not at you. its like hes talking to a friend instead of lecturing me and i like that style.

while books layout is different and the type face is thick, i found it easy going. not sure what others are griping about as i found his book to be to the point. theres no chapters on ethics or karma or any of that preachy stuff you find in some other book. what you get is here's how to do this and that. nothing more and nothing less.

his website offers a lot of free info if your intristed in learning further after youve gottn into this book.

I received this book for review from the Scientists of New Atlantis Inc. in Las Vegas, NV. It is a grimoire and while a bit on the more expensive side, I was impressed with this work for many reasons.

First of all - it's not just a "hard cover" it is a bound book on decent paper. Real binding!!!! Not "trade paper" or having a "harder than usual" cover like so many other publishers use, but a real binding! And the paper wasn't "two grades up from newspaper" but it is real quality paper. The book even smelled of ink!

There is a dust jacket on the book. White glossy cover, with the title, a very "primitive" style graphic of a sorcerer and there is the publisher's information on the reverse, rather than "kudos" for the author or a book blurb promo for the book or author. Very simple style, nicely addressed.

Why so much trouble for a book? To be honest, how would you like your personal grimoire to be printed? On some cheaper paper that will yellow with age, or having a card cover with someone else's graphics? No, your personal grimoire probably is on better paper, in a nice binding of some kind, and you have your pictures in and on the book. Same here, because this is what this book is, a personal grimoire of a sorcerer.

Sorcerer; interesting choice of word for someone who is "self describing" themselves as a "magical practitioner". There is a differentiation here, between someone who is a witch and practices magics and one who has dedicated themselves to the magical arts, is learned and is a very astute practitioner.

There is a lot of "loving care" put into this book. The text is larger print, easy to read, and it can lie open while you go through the many recipes and instructions in the book.

The book opens with some quotes about "sorcery" from some very well known and important authors in this field. There is a notation by Brother Moloch about this being the second edition, and some comments to thank his supporters. Unfortunately, there is no table of contents nor index, but then again, does your personal grimoire have a table of contents or index? Probably not.

The material covered is a good basic primer in "sorcery". It is very applicable to a variety of uses and situations, and contains much material you may not find in all those commercial volumes that may line your shelves. This makes the book valuable immediately from that standpoint.

There are guided meditations, tables of correspondences, small rituals of consecration and discussions on a variety of magical workings. I found his "herb work" to be very informative, and the table of correspondences contains a lot of different information than normally found in the usual sources. This work is indicative of one who is a root worker vs. the usual kitchen witchery resources we are more accustomed to.

There are some great "recipes" for oils and incenses, for both curing and cursing, so refreshing as opposed to all the books out there that preach "goodness and white light". This is not "Wiccan" material but basic magical workings. One must know how the cursing occurs in order to understand how to undo these kinds of things, and this book will show you how it's done. Note that his sources are discussed in this book, and pointed out.

There are some nice instructions on how to do basic meditations, as well as some interesting guided meditations. Actually, there is a lot of basic information in this book that will assist most practitioners in achieving results from spell workings, rituals, dreaming and more. Good advices for having notebooks handy to write in, as well as outlines for including the really important information you need.

There are discussions on tools, elementals, diagrams for magical workings and altar setups,. There is a variety of sources, including African and Norse, for the material included in this book, giving the reader a well rounded view of sorcery and its practices. This book is not limited to the usual sources.

There is a bibliography of some books, with more than the usual "title and author" material. The author comments on the books he lists, commenting on their value to the author and what he thinks of them.

In the final analysis, the author includes his own notations as to the real value of the material included in this book - that is; does it work? He notes the material that does work. And for myself, there is material that I have tried from this book with some amazing results! How many books can you say that about?

There is so much more to this book than I have covered. I have just scratched the surface in this review. This is "working practitioners" book, not just another "handbook" and it is chock full of information that can be easily applied to any practicing witches workings. The understanding that comes from reading someone else's work provides a very key element in our practices - validation of experience!

If you are looking for a really good book on working magic in practical application, this book is worth the extra funds to have in your library. For a bound copy of someone's grimoire of actual experience working with basic formulas and rituals, this book is no more expensive than if you were to bind your own "book of shadows" and present it to the public. boudica

I read the review by "evil genius" and had to respond. Its
a totally moronic use of what 'evil genius" must think is clever
irony. Pragmatic Magics is a great grimoire that I have used a
countless number of times in casting spells and magickal
workings. Often when I know I am missing a point in some
magick, it is this book that I use first. There is a great
section on Herbal Sorcery which I use often. If someone asked
me what book to read first to practice magick, this is the
book I would give them.

I read this book this past week during a cross country flight. I have been a Yankees fan since 1959 and have consumed almost every word written on the team. This publication is the very best of anything I have read on the team in the past 43 years. The writing took even familiar Yankees' lore to another level by digging beneath the surface to fully understand how being a Yankee impacted each and every one of the subjects even beyond their playing days. Regardless of the player's era, the author delivered a consistently enjoyable book that flowed and entertained at the highest level.

I think this is the best book that I ever read. I couldn't put this book down. This is a good book for die hard Yankee fans or just people who love baseball. Bill madden goes out to find players from past Yankee seasons. This is a good book I recommend this book for all baseball fans.

Baseball is a game of stories, and Bill Madden has transversed the United States to garner tales from a unique group of alumni, those who played for the New York Yankees through the twentieth century. The title is something of a misnomer. Some of Madden's subjects were never young Yankees. Reggie Jackson cut his teeth in Oakland, Lou Piniella caught fire in Kansas City, and Paul O'Neill even won a World Series ring in Cincinnati in 1990 before arriving at the East Coast. And even with the Yankee "lifers" interviewed for this work, many of the best remembered stories are about established ball players and their antics in their prime. Whitey, Mickey, Billy and Hank were hardly kids the night the Yanks trashed the Copa in 1957-in fact, it was Billy's 29th birthday that sparked the occasion. Yet this tale appears-more than once-among the multitude of memories along this nostalgic trail.

There are some interviews that actually do shed new light on Yankee history-or hagiography, if you will. Marius Russo's inclusion among Madden's subjects is fortuitous. One of the team's lesser known talents over the years, Russo, a left handed pitcher who joined the Yanks in 1938, was included in this work as one of the last living connections to the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig. Russo sheds light on a remarkable Yankee pitching staff of 1939 remembered both for its depth and its sabermetrics. Seven starters finished the season with double figure wins: Ruffing [21-7], Hadley [12-6], Pearson [12-5], Gomez [12-8], Donald [13-3], Sundra [11-1], and Hildebrand [10-4]. Russo, added to the rotation late in the season [why?], went 8-3, including a 7-0 stretch in September. Russo would never win more than 14 games in any of his six Yankee seasons, but one of his most poignant memories involved fallout from the demise of Gehrig. When the Yankee team fell to fifth place in 1940, columnist Jimmy Powers of the New York Daily News reported that the entire team had been infected by Gehrig's "polio," as his affliction was then diagnosed. The report shook baseball and resulted in a $1 million lawsuit against the writer.

Another lesser-known Yankee interviewee was the observant bench jockey and reserve catcher Charlie Silvera, whose entire nine years of backing up Berra, Houk, and Howard produced only 429 at bats. Silvera recalls an obscure but impressive Casey Stengel accomplishment: winning five successive World Series with a depleted roster. The Yankees, under the rules of the day, carried two or three prospects who never made the team but counted against the 25-man roster. Silvera's recollections also highlight one of the secrets of the Yankee dynasty: a network of astute West Coast scouts who steered reports of promising young prospects to the East Coast Yankee front office that took such reporting seriously. Silvera as much as anyone recounts the awe that most players since 1920 have felt about donning the Yankee pinstripes. Silvera and others-including many of the household names--are as proud of their being Yankees as their personal stats as Yankees. In a year where Silvera, for example, did not get his first at bat until June 17 [1949], he still won his first of five consecutive World Series rings.

As all of the interviewed players wore Yankee pinstripes, it is hard at times to separate the individuals from the history of the team itself. And one era that Madden treats with considerable detail is the post 1964 Yankee decline. Some of the best interviews come from Yankees who played or managed through that ten year era: Yogi, Ralph Houk, Mel Stottlemyre, Joe Pepitone, Bobby Richardson, Ron Blomberg, and Bobby Murcer. There are many theories of the fall of the Roman Empire, nearly as many as to the decline of the Yankees in those years. The author and the players named above are in fair agreement that poor front office management [trading Roger Maris to St. Louis, for example], the failure of certain Yankee veterans to obey "one of their own," Yogi Berra, as manager, the free agent draft, the decline of the farm teams, and parity. One other applicable statistic: I looked up the 1965 Yankee roster, and discovered exactly one African-American in the starting lineup, Elston Howard [whose widow Arlene is the only non-player interviewed for this work], and one black pitcher on the staff, Al Downing.

As an interviewer Bill Madden is more Eddie Lopat than Vic Raschi. The questions arrive to the plate with a gentle thud in the catcher's mitt or get obscured in the dust in front of home plate. Madden has no problem getting his subjects to cry, but he is averse to making them squirm. Thus the free pass to Whitey "Slick" Ford, whose nickname comes from the old expression "city-slicker." Whitey's description of himself as a "professional drinker" in his playing days says nothing and says everything. It is no surprise he does not like to talk about Mickey and Billy, and Madden does not press.

But perhaps we should not be surprised that Madden is no Bob Woodward where investigative reporting is concerned. The author has covered the Yankees for a quarter century. I hardly think he would endanger the source of his bread and butter. It is in his vested interest in continue the legend, and he does this in a warm and congenial way. And we always have Jim Bouton for the hardball accounts.

Author Bill Madden has come up with a first rate book on significant Yankee players who have had distinguished careers with the team over the past several decades. The book reminds me of Roger Kahn's effort on the Brooklyn Dodgers of the early 1950's in which he traveled across the country to visit surviving members of that team. Madden has come up with a similar book on the Yankees with the only difference being the players that were interviewed didn't necessarily play on the same team. The oldest player interviewed by Madden was pitcher Marius Russo who concluded his career in 1946 with Paul O'Neill being the most recent Yankee included in the book. Madden interviewed the late Elston Howard's wife Arlene. Otherwise the book includes interviews only with still-living Yankee greats. The only disappointing omission from the book is Ron Guidry who certainly should have been included. However, Yankee fan or not, this is a first rate book for anyone who considers themself a baseball fan.

There have been a whole bunch of book put out to celebrate the first century of New York Yankee, of which "Pride of October: What it Was to Be Young and a Yankee" by Bill Madden is one of the best. It is also one of the more different, consisting basically of a series of conversations (they would not really be considered "interviews") between Madden and 17 former Yankees (and one very special Yankee widow). The other common denominator, obviously, is that they have to be alive, which sounds stupid when you write it down like this, but matters because it leads to some interesting and poignant choices.

Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin have died, which leaves only Whitey Ford to talk about the hell-raising days in the Fifties. Madden does talk with Hall of Famers Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra, and Reggie Jackson, but the chief charm here is in names that do not come to mind. I have all the New York Yankees Topps baseball cards from the year I was born, so I recognize the names Tommy Byrne and Charlie Silvera, but I do not know a lot about them. However, the name that stands out is Marius Russo, one of the last remaining links to Lou Gehrig, because I do not think I had ever heard (or even read) his name before.

I became a Yankee fans in 1965; in other words, the year after they stopped winning championships. So my early memories are watching Mel Stottlemyre hit an inside-the-park grand slam homerun at Yankee Stadium and my biggest (early) heartbreak was when my favorite player, Bobby Murcer, was traded for my father's favorite player, Bobby Bonds. So while "Pride of October" starts with as far back in Yankee history as living voices can remember, it eventually gets up to the teams and players of our lives. Even if, like Ron Blomberg, they never played in a postseason game. When Madden has chapters on Bobby Richardson and Joe Pepitone back to back, you know you are getting a true cross-section of the guys who have played for the Yankees.

The one exception to this rule is Arlene Howard, the widow of Elston Howard, who was the first African-American ballplayer to play for the Yankees. I totally buy into the argument that the reason the Yankees went from first to worst in the 1960s was because the front office was racist and refused to sign any blacks when they probably could have signed anyone they wanted (Mantle, Mays and Aaron in the same outfield? Sure, why not?). The only way to touch on that issue is for Howard's widow to relate what it was lie, talking forth in the home in Teaneck, New Jersey where the city fathers once tried to keep her and her husband from occupying.

My recommendation is to do what I did, which was basically to only read one chapter a day. Just enjoy the Scooter's stories about his friendship with Gerry Priddy and be offended by the way the Yankees forced him to retire, before moving on to Russo's recollections of the Iron Horse, Cro, and Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons. There is a brief section of black & white photographs, that starts with Gehrig and DiMaggio kneeling side by side in Spring Training and ends with Paul O'Neill cleaning out his locker for the last time. The photographs are just the frosting on the cake, because the main treat here is just reading how Madden sat down with each of these individuals, who told their stories, with Madden supplying relevant information to fill in the gaps.

This is a wonderfully written book. A gorgeous story with beautiful illustrations. I gave this book as a gift to a friend of mine going through IVF. She loved the story of the Rainbabies and Mother Moonshower.

The Rainbabies is a delightful book about an older couple that have everything but the one thing that they desire more than anything in the world, a child. One night after a rainstorm, they find twelve little babies in the grass and they take such wonderful care of them. So much so that Mother moonshower comes and gives them a "real" daughter of their own. They feel complete and full of love.

I couldn't stop crying the first time I read this book. I have had cancer and because of my chemo was told that I may never have children. It hit home to know that you can have everything in the world, but feel like you have nothing if you don't have the love of a child. At first I felt robbed of this love. But I also understand that there must be a reason why. This is still my favorite book to pull out and read when I'm feeling a little bit lonely.

This story is tender and sweet. You'll love it with all your heart.

Rainbabies, written by Laura Krauss Melmed, is a fascinating book with a wonderful fantasy story. In this emotional book, an elderly couple always wanted a child of their own, but were very unfortunate. One rainy day, when they went outside hoping that the rain would bring them good fortune, they found twelve small babies. Along with this, came a series of disasters. The elderly couple proved their loyalty watching and caring for the rainbabies, and received an award of their own. This book races through many feelings such as sad, happy, excited, and when it is over you love how it turned out. Although it is a picture book, I would recommend it for all ages. From the questionable start to the happy ending, this book is worth taking time out to read.

When the moon gives twelve tiny babies to a childless couple, the new parents take great care of their charges and eventually receive an unexpected reward.

An old woman and her husband of many years had plenty of food and a good house, "but the thing they wanted most was the thing they lacked: a child to call their own." One night the couple goes outside during a moonshower, which "brings good fortune to everyone it touches." And sure enough, there in the grass were a dozen drops of water, each holding a tiny baby. Where the rainbabies came from and what becomes of them makes for a great story about love, loyalty, and the fulfillment of your heart's desires.

Jim LaMarche's illustrations are delightfully realistic and he depicts the old wife and her husband as loving and joyful. A variety of emotions surface throughout the story: tension, intrigue, mystery, and at last, happiness, making this a wonderfully touching tale.

Rainbabies, written by Laura Krauss Melmed, is a fascinating book with a wonderful fantasy story. In this emotional book, an elderly couple always wanted a child of their own, but were very unfortunate. One rainy day, when they went outside hoping that the rain would bring them good fortune, they found twelve small babies. Along with this, came a series of disasters. The elderly couple proved their loyalty watching and caring for the rainbabies, and received an award of their own. This book races through many feelings such as sad, happy, excited, and when it is over you love how it turned out. Although it is a picture book, I would recommend it for all ages. From the questionable start to the happy ending, this book is worth taking time out to read.

I didn't realize till later, that the rainbabies represent the months of the year, which is why their mother is the moon mother. The moon creates the months of the year. And also why there are 12 of them, one to represent each month of the year. They never really left the elderly couple, they just bacame something else. At least this is what I tell my granddaughter when we are through reading the book.

I didn't look at this as an adoption book but more of a babysitting book. It respected the deep bond of the true mother of the rainbabies, and it was right for them to return to her. I look at this as a way to confirm that when my child goes out in the world, she can always come home to me, because my relationship to her is a sacred one. And when we watch over the children of others, it is our responsibility to protect them as if they were our own. I'm glad to find a book that supports this value, because I see it so lacking in the opinions of so many caretakers of other people's children. Every child is sacred, regardless of whether it is your own, or someone elses, and we have a responsibility to look out for all children. That is a sacred responsibility.

This theme has been coming up a lot in my granddaughter's play, since reading this story to her. So I bought 12 of the smallest little baby dolls I could find and made little felt blankets for each one, and my granddaughter has her dolls "babysit" them until the Moonmother can come to get them.

Red Zone Management is a down-to-earth explanation of why so many organizations, faced with making a step change to reach the next level, fall flat on their faces and end up in worse shape than they were before. Organizations that "fumble the ball" in the red zone often see momentum swing to their competition, leading to potentially irrecoverable losses. This book will help an organization's leaders recognize the red zone--and play to win.

Here is a book with helpful insights to deal with issues faced in every corporation,if you are re-engineering the whole company or a small unit that is floundering.

Dutch scores with this great manual on not just recognizing Red Zones, but on how to plan, communicate, motivate and execute successfully in them given today's unforgiving and full speed environment.

He has done a terrific job capturing what team members urgently need to know and while pointing out what they need to challenge and he has put it in an easy to read and understand format.

This book has joined my short list of must read's for teams that I lead on high risk/high reward projects.

I strongly encourage you to read this book!

Red Zone Management is a down-to-earth explanation of why so many organizations, faced with making a step change to reach the next level, fall flat on their faces and end up in worse shape than they were before. Organizations that "fumble the ball" in the red zone often see momentum swing to their competition, leading to potentially irrecoverable losses. This book will help an organization's leaders recognize the red zone--and play to win.

Red Zone Management is based on a football analogy for the last 20 yards that lead to a touchdown. This is make it or break it time for a team. According to the author, Dutch Holland, businesses are increasingly facing their own red zones. For a business what constitutes are red zone? It is activities that can lead to extraordinary profit or loss. These situations fall outside the scope of daily business management. Here is a list of red zone situations:

Changing competitive strategy

Mergers and acquisitions
Reengineering work processes
Implementing enterprise solutions (ERPs)
Implementing e-Business solutions
Changing culture

What are the types of behaviors that cause red zone initiatives to fail? Here is Holland's list:

Lack of high quality executive support
Lack of comprehensive and detailed up-front planning
The organization is too narrowly involved
Inappropriate delegation for critical leadership responsibilities
Undisciplined and incomplete project management

Red Zone Management covers the general topics of the red zone in the first half of the book. Each business red zone gets a chapter in the second half of the book. Each of these chapters covers a company that failed in this red zone and one that succeeded. In addition each of these chapters covers the roles that senior management needs to play for this particular red zone.

If your company is in the red zone or will be in one soon this book can tip the scales in your favor to succeed in the red zone.