Recreation Books

I ordered this book for my Dad only to find he already owned it. When I received it I refused the order and Amazon still charged me shipping, even after I called within hours of my order to cancel and they could not help me. BUt I would recommend this book if you are looking for some good trail food?

Casey

This is such a good book, not only for vegetarian trail food, but for at-home cooking as well. Simple instructions, common ingredients, quick and easy preparation - not to mention great taste!

Highly recommended!

This book is full of quick and easy recipes that taste good. My family used recipes from this book on a 9-day road trip and saved a ton of cash by not eating out every day. The easy clean up and little need for cooking equip make this a great camping cook book.

I stumbled upon this book while perusing other vegetarian titles and must say the Connors' title immediately grabbed me. "Lipsmackin' Vegetarian Backpackin'" -- makes you want to read the book and recommend it to someone, just so you can mouth those toothsome words! Obviously, a healthful lifestyle and thoughtful approach to diet have served the authors' intellectual capacities well, everything about the book is smart. The recipes are mostly contributed, apparently by friends the Connors' have made on and around trails, and the recipe titles are sometimes almost as clever as the book's title; more importantly, the recipes look simple and delicious (at this writing I haven't tried them), and their presentation is smartly organized. Nutritional information is included. For its niche audience, be they vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, or ready-to-improve omnivore, this book has got to be as good as it gets.

My S/O and I took our first serious back-country trip in more than 15 years last week. We relied completely on this book for meal planning and food preparation. We were not disappointed. The recipes are all written in clear language, and are easy to follow. Packable trail instructions are available on-line, which helps with cooking in remote campsites. Of course, we could not try every single recipe -- but here are some of the best ones we tried. We had Olympus Oatmeal for breakfast every day. The Brunswick Stew was excellent, although it took a long time and lots of fuel to rehydrate the dried beans. The Vegan Super Hero Burritos were our favorite. The Whole-Food Granola Bars and Horse Thief GORP (we used unsweetened chocolate chips instead of carob chips) saw us through some long days of paddling and hiking. Our favorite snacks were the Energy Balls. We fought over the last one of those! I would warn others that many of the recipes call for prepackaged foods, such as Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice. People with specific health concerns should check the contents of these items before they use them. Fortunately, Zatarain's makes a low-sodium version of Red Beans and Rice, which we used. Otherwise, this is an excellent book. You can truly trust the recipes. I recommend it highly.

In my opinion, this book is great. It not only shows the technique of martial arts but how the sport can be fun. I have been under the instruction of Glen for two summers now. The group of figure skaters I am with are his youngest students. He makes the sport easy for all of us and tells many stories about how his book came to be and his road to victory. I have to say, this book is about as good as the live show. It's an all-around great book.

As a Novice in the Martial Art's I found this book to be clear and engaging from the Introduction to the Conclusion, Glen Doyle guides you through a concise understanding in "The Martial Artist's Way".

With every page that unfolded in front of me I was so immersed in reading "Choosing A Style" to "Cross-Training" that I found myself highlighting his words, as Sifu Doyle has become instrumental in my journey.

Written in an unpretentious style, this book would appeal to anyone who is interested in the martial arts, and has a lot to say even to those who aren't. Glen Doyle's engaging personality brightens up every page and keeps the book lively. He is obviously someone who lives the talk and walks the walk. I found it fascinating even though I'm not a martial artist. Almost every page has quotes that will linger in my mind and which I can apply to my every day life. I would definitely recommend this book.

Glen Doyle is refreshing with his book by the relaxed method of how he tells it to you, instead of the usual "down the throat" other books portray. Each chapter is insightful, meaingful and compassionate. I already read the book but I keep going back to it because I always pick up something new from it. My favorite chapter is titled "Making your Style your Own." Glenn tells you to listen to the voice in your head, to find the courage to change your mind if a style isn't working for you.

Sifu Doyle writes from the body, the mind and the spirit, and shares the depth of his experience in practical, down-to-earth terms. His book is like a new-found friend and a long-time buddy rolled into one - a welcome traveling companion on the journey of life. With clear examples and accessible language, Sifu Doyle elucidates the power and dissipates the myths of the inner world of martial arts. The chapters on Choosing a Style and a School contain sound advice for beginners. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on Training, Cross-training, and the Street.

Sifu Doyle's book is a valuable resource for everyone because his style encourages the reader to look into themselves for answers and encompasses concepts that are universal to any ongoing process - training, running a business, running a household, any art or craft. As an acupuncturist and a martial artist, I wholeheartedly look forward to referring many people to "The Martial Artist's Way" in the years to come.

masquerade caused a frenzy when first published in england. kit williams book was the first ever 'real' treasure hunt, with a 'real' prize buried somewhere in england. masquerade is no longer available, which is a shame, but, this little book not only covers the orignal story, but explains the answers to the puzzle of masquerade. this is a wonderful book for all ages to love and enjoy. buy it!!

I received the original hardback book as a gift when it first came out and spent hours and hours picking out all the clues that were hidden in the text, boarders and luscious illustrations. I wanted that beautiful, detailed hare pendant with it's terra cotta case so bad. I never figured that living in America I would actually be able to find it. I came a lot closer with just a guess about the clue that's on the second page than I ever thought I would.

One of my favorites.

The illustrations are great, plus it is very fun to try to solve all of the riddles. I had no idea that the jewl was found until i got the book, and my family and I never figured out the answer, but I did find all of the rabbits. The origanal book is very good, and if you have one, you should hold on to it, so in 40 years you can go to the Antiques Road Show, and get lots of money!!!

I first learned of this by reading a book with information on treasure hunts. It told the answers, and I thought, "How hard could this be?" As soon as I could, I checked Masquerade out from the library. I read it, tried to put the answers with the pages, and it was hard! I would definitely recommend this book.

Ever since first reading this book in my local library in 1980, I'd been itching to discover the location of the buried Masquerade jewel--not for the prize itself, which was found long ago, but for the sport of deciphering Kit Williams' paintings, which contained clues. Driven mad by the author's early assertion that it was "so simple, a ten year old could solve it," I worked at it periodically in the years that followed and finally caved in when I saw that amazon.com sold a version that contained the solution. I purchased the book merely to end my twenty years of suffering.

How close did I come to solving it? Not nearly as close as I would have liked--as an American, I have very little knowledge of England's geography (mandatory to solving the puzzle, despite the previous disclaimers). I did have part of the solution correct; I knew the letters that bordered each painting spelled out locations, but the method was not as simple as the author pretended. Needless to say, I feel much better now that I know this.

That having been said, let me conclude by stating that the story of Jack Hare's journey is enjoyable, the paintings are absolutely exquisite and the mystery is still intriguing, whether the jewel is still in the ground or not. I recommend it to anyone who loves puzzles--just be prepared to work hard at the solution; it's not easy!

If you are a competitive skydiver, it's worth picking up. However, there are better books for non-skydivers, like "The Pursuit of Excellence"

Using this book and some other training I was able to gain the tools needed to finish my AFF and do it in style. After failing my level 4 I needed a boost. After reading this and realizing that a lot of what I was going through was normal, and getting my mind in check, I went out and nailed the rest. I've got 12 jumps now and gaining more confidence all the time. Thanks John!!

Bill K.

Excellent book. Applies to all parts of life, not just sports performance. Gives the best explanation of how your thoughts impact your performance that I have ever read.

If you are serious about your skydiving, you must get a hold of this book. I'm sure you heard, or read Jack Jeffries' review of this book, he's right. Skydiving, as are other sports, is a mental game. MORE so than other sports because we only have about a minute of "pratice" time, each time we go up. That is important to remember. The author explains simply the techniques and exercises he uses and teaches to fly with proficiency. You'll breeze through it with his plucky attitude, and personal stories that relate to the ideas he teaches you. You won't be disappointed! And like the title says, it will help you in life as well. Mental training is where it's at. Get into the zone and WIN competitions!

I have been a Parachute Instructor for 38 years and I recomend the book to all my students.

I liked this book because soccer is my favorite sport after basketball. Also the character in this story is Whisper and theres a girl in my grade with that name. Whisper plays socbowl in the story. I think thats a funny name. This was a very good book!

Wandering through the library, searching to find an interesting book, one caught my eye. It was the, The Million Dollar Kick. The book starts out in Oklahoma City. Whisper is an ordinary kid who is haunted by a mental picture of a soccer game. One afternoon Whisper took her little sister, who is an athlete, to the mall. Where her sister enters her in a contest. Where if you win you get the chance to win a million dollars by kicking a soccer ball past a famous soccer goalie. She wins, but now she has to learn how to kick a soccer ball. She thought she was toast until Ellie decided to coach her. I thought it was a great book full of action, surprise, and pure interest.

wisper nelson who lives in oklahoma she goes to the donut shop with her little siter and they see a thing that says Come Up With A Good Slogen and if they win then that person gets 1 shot to kick a soccer ball in to the goal if they mis they get a year supply of donuts if they get it in they win a million dollars but it ant that easy you need to kick it past carmen applegate the pro goal keeper. wisper wins and she doesnt want to do it but she still does it, she gets help bye this nice 11th grade soccer player when she got enough help she was going to do the kick in a day then for some rreason carmen applegate got hert so she couldnt play so wisper teacher was the goalie but wisper kicked it in she was really really really happy

The Million Dollar Kick is a great book. It is so suspenseful. You never know what she is going to do. The main character hates being the star but her sister loves it. My mom, my six year old sister and I all liked it. It is such a good book.

Genre: Fiction
Three sentence summary: In this book Whisper Nelson is chosen to kick a ball past a professional soccer player and if she makes it, she is awarded $1,000,000. There's just a little problem: she is not athletic. She has not played a sport since she was eight.

What I liked most about the book: The thing I like about this book is that Whisper has a chance to win $1,000,000.

What I didn't like and why: The only thing that I didnt like about the book was that it was about soccer and I do not like soccer very much.

My favorite character and why: Whisper Nelson because she wasn't very athletic but she still tried. (why wouldn't you if you made the goal you can win $1,000,000.)

The scene, line, or passage that meant something to me and why (page#): Well it was probably when she was getting ready to kick the goal. It's exciting to kick a ball and if you score you win $1,000,000 dollars.

What I would say about this book to someone else: That it's nice that the characters are realistic and the author Dan Gutman discribed the setting very well.

One question i have after reading this book: I wonder if the soccer player became good friends with Whisper Nelson.

My strongest reason for recommending this book: Well if you like sports you would be very interested.

Boy, does this book bring back memories of all the happily miserable hours spent hunting. Now we need books about fishing, birding, gardening and similar miserable outdoor activities that bring back such happy memories.

Great photos which capture the extemes waterfowl hunters live to persue their sport. I felt the cold, the dampness and excitement of the duck blind in Buckleys photographs. Great book!

This book is a must have for any duck hunter! This book reassured my friends and I that we are not the only ones these things happen to!

My husband and a few of my guy friends are avid waterfowlers. These books (Misery Loves Company: Waterfowling and the Relentless Pursuit of Self-Abuse & Don't Shoot the Decoys: Original Stories of Waterfowling Obsession) were purchased as gifts, and so suited the purpose. Huge amounts of relaying aloud of their content was overheard by any and all in vicinity. An obvious indication to the entertaining aspect these books provided. Many a moment was there a reminiscent feel to the reading - of what is actually experienced in the field. Kudos to the authors!

Written and illustrated by waterfowler and photographer Bill Buckley, Misery Loves Company: Waterfowling And The Relentless Pursuit Of Self-Abuse is an adventurous and photographic celebration of the successes, trials, and battles against the elements that determined and dedicated waterfowl hunters endure in pursuit of their sport. Full color photographs illustrate of every stage of the hunt, and are enhanced with an informal and descriptive text of what it is like to be out in the wet and the cold in search of airborne game, making Misery Loves Company an enjoyable and mildly humorous giftbook.

Of all the American Girls, Molly's our favorite and Molly Saves the Day our favorite Molly book. My six year old recognized that Molly, Linda and Susan, while away together at sleep-away camp, each had fears that they were forced to try to overcome. Molly is a very well-rounded character, and the fact that she is somewhat overly competitive (this shows up clearly during the camp color-wars) only makes her more realistic. She is nonetheless very likeable. Beyond Molly's character, however, my daughter simply found the book very exciting.

this book was relly good. it was about a girl in this coler war she and her friend are on the blueteam and there other friend was on the red team and how ever got the other teams flag and the blue team wins

i read Molly saves the day when i was 9 now im 10 and i really injoyed it! I`ve allways whanted to go to summer camp! But im not allowed `till im a teen ager so reading molly saves the day sort-of prepaired me for what it might be like! I`ve allways wanted to be brave reading Molly saves the day Kind of got me to face my fears a bit more! Thanks!

Mia

I read Molly Saves the Day for the first time when I was 9 years old. I'm now 18, and can never seem to tire of this book. Molly McIntire and her friends Linda and Susan seem more like real people and less like fictional characters in the book. Molly has her fear of swimming underwater, Susan hates canoeing, and Linda cnfides that she's afraid of bugs. Molly shows fear at first in the book, but when her whole team manages to get captured during the color war, she and Susan manage to save the day. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of The American Girls Collection--this one is an EXCELLENT read!

Candace

Molly returns in "Molly Saves The Day" as an enthusiastic ten-year-old headed off to summer camp for the first time ever. Along with her best friends Linda and Susan, Molly enjoys meeting the challenges of camp. Well, almost all of them- Molly is afraid of swimming underwater after she fell off the dock during a swimming lesson. In the final days of camp, the counsellors organize a game of Capture the Flag, which pits Molly and Susan against Linda in an all-out battle. Molly's team's plan backfires and leaves Molly and Susan to save their team from losing the game. But to win, will Molly and Susan have to betray their best friend?

I liked this book because it was fast-paced with a good dose of adventure while retaining realistic content. Molly is, as always, lively and lovable and I really enjoyed this installment of her series. I highly recommend this book to any fans of WWII historical fiction or the Molly series.

I thoroughly enjoyed Pete Vordenberg's story and can hardly wait for the snow to fly this winter. While I can say I'm especially motivated to get on the XC trails now, I can't say I'll be draggng a log behind me as part of my experience! What an incredibe story and entertaining read. I'm hoping to see a follow up book (non-fiction or fiction) from this talented writer.

Just kidding, everything in this book is absolutely true. Read it here first. Thanks Pete for writing a great book, but more importantly thanks for telling the world about the time I wiped with poison oak! ouch.

Admittedly I felt a little like Sancho Panza, because I didn't really anticipate reading "Momentum." Odds were that it prove to be just another insipid, quixotic memoir in the vast wasteland of sports literature. I was in for a surprise. In that ego-fueled and littered expanse "Momentum" shines like a rare and precious gem.

The body of the work is solid, and there are several scenes which are more than adequately--shall we say--"fleshed out." For example: the Halloween night revenge of the NMU xc ski team against a less than candid comedian-evangelist. Some guys are probably going to spend some time in purgatory for that caper, and I don't mean skiing in Colorado!

It is a very well written work. This book is autobiographical--Pete Vordenberg as he bled, sweat, toiled, cried and laughed trying to acquire Olympic fulfillment in a practically anonymous nordic odyssey. Nevertheless, if measured together with a Sasquatch or two, Pete's life would balance the scales of 10,000 ordinary men.

I dove into this story in the first few sentences, "Game on." in the back seat of a small car stuffed with skis, food, and loved ones. This writing is a total rush of heart and soul, as twisty, full of speed, and "unrelenting" as the courses Pete challenged himself on. There is no comparison to other athletes' books; each person's journey is unique. What sets this one apart is that the author is the athlete himself, and he reflects his physical grace and power as a champion nordic athlete in his intellectual grace and power as a writer and story teller. I loved his unique way of telling his story, like a meandering trail in all seasons, evolving and alive, and still living and breathing in glorious color. I felt a sense that the past is always alive as a part of here-and-now. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us, Pete, and hope it keeps on growing for you and others you continue to inspire.
Thanks to Jeff Potter for his vision and creativity, and a very meaningful gift of heart.

Momentum: Chasing The Olympic Dream is the 191-page autobiography of two-time Olympian, National Champion, and current US Ski Team Coach Pete Vordenberg. A frequent and popular contributor to ski magazines, Vordenberg ably narrates his life in skiing from his youthful efforts to his adult accomplishments around the world. More than a simple chronicle of obstacles and accomplishments, Momentum: Chasing The Olympic Dream is an engaging read that covers Vordenberg's attitudes, aspirations, and motivations. Adeptly written with personal candor and a flair for narration, this engaging personal memoir is informative, entertaining, and occasionally inspiring. If you've ever strapped on a pair skis and dreamed of Olympic Gold, then you will want to read Pete Vordenberg's Momentum: Chasing The Olympic Dream!

I'll admit that I'm biased, just like an earlier reviewer, because I've ridden with and consider Timm a friend. However, I've got to take issue with a reviewer who lightly criticized this book as being lacking for a "newbie flatlander."

In his Introduction, Timm makes no bones about the fact that "This book is about singletrack: twisty hardpack, slaloming through trees and roots and rocks, rising through heartbreaking climbs, and descending in sometimes frightening fashion."

I applaud the newbie flatlander for taking a mountain biking vacation. Really, I do. I think it's the coolest thing, and I hope he takes more of them. But most people who take mountain biking vacations ARE people who are looking for trails like the ones in this book. And we can't change the landscape here in western NC...the fact of the matter is we have a lot of up and down, a lot of rocks and roots, and we usually get a lot of rain. If we want easier riding, we either stick to the fire roads or we travel somewhere in the eastern half of the state.

This book has what so many guidebooks lack: personality. The reason it's a great book is because Timm makes the trails seem, on paper, almost as much fun as they are on your bike. I've owned this book for a few years, and it never fails to snap me out of my doldrums when I can't decide where to ride. Just open a page, read the description, and I'm ready to go! I may even go ride Kitsuma today...

I bought this book to assist with planning for a trip to the Mt. Pisgah region.

POSITIVES: The writing was in a fairly entertaining style, and the trail descriptions and maps had lots of details.

NEGATIVES: There was no flow in the Mt. Pisgah section--the trails weren't arranged in sequence, neither by location nor by difficulty. Also, there were precious little recommendations for newbie flatlanders such as my son and I. The author seemed more interested in reporting his own experiences than in considering the needs of all his potential readers.

The book's OK, but I would only recommend it as an adjunct to the excellent "Western NC: Pisgah" book by Jim Parham.

Although it is dated, and trails have changed since 2003 this book remains a must for NC bikers for its range of trails, readability, elevations. Sets a high standard for mountain biking books. Trails range from easy to hard. If I were to buy one book for NC trails this would be the one hands down.

I found this book to be a real comfort to my coming vacation.

The trail discriptions are right on, along with the Elevations made my selections easy. I can't wait to spend a week in the mountians of Northern Carolina..

If you're going to mountain bike N.C. you need to own this book. It's easily the best one I own. The maps, directions, and charts are great and easy to follow. The rides are varied with all skill levels included. And this guy Muth has a great writing style, loaded with pesonality. My only suggestion is that he includes Dupont when he revises. Thanks Timm!

This book does a great job of taking you into the lives of people who live their passion for the great outdoors on a daily basis. The photos are outstanding...by renowned adventure photographer Corey Rich.

Buy it for all of your friends and family.

Corey's show about making this book rocked, I just loved the diversity of the athletes profiled, in particular Jeff Lowe, who shared at a book signing that his photo shoot for the book may have been his last ice climb. The book shows so many cool places to explore throughout the US. Jason and Corey pay great homage to each athlete's passion for being outside in nature, often instilling the same values in their children. Outdoor sports are a tremendous highlight of life for so many people and this is explored very well. Definitely made me reflect & feel good about my choices. I wish the book included even more stories. Great project!

Between the storytelling of Jason Paur and the beautiful photography of Corey Rich this book delivers on many levels. It is a staple on my coffee table, and I never tire of flipping through it.

The idea of the this book is so great i am surprised i haven't seen it done yet: find the best adventure athletes and interview and photograph them at their favorite places to play. The photography is awesome and the profiles do a great job of getting into the lives of the athletes. some of my favorite stories are of "the making of the book adventures" that show just how involved in the action the writer and photographer got. The stories of Corey getting airsick paragliding and getting talked into Base jumping by Shane McConkey and his girlfriend Kim are laugh-out-loud funny.

I became aware of this book on an Alaska Airlines flight where a few pages of it were featured in Alaska Air Magazine. I was so intrigued I had to run out and purchase a copy. The adventurous people the book focuses on are all very inspiring and interesting. As a "coffee table book", people will pick this up and not want to put it down. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in outdoor activities.