Balls Books

I heard the author Kevin Carroll speak at a conference I was at in July.
He was so inspiring and after his speech stood and signed copies for the students and teachers who heard him for hrs. We ran out of books for him to sign. I purchased this book to give to a family member as a christmas present.

This book was smaller than I realized, but it is a really cool book with a lot of great illustrations and a unique format!

I picked this book up in the lobby after one of Mr. Carroll's presentations. After the speech, the Q&A, and speaking with him in person I was thrilled to finally sit down and read through the book. With that kind of inspiration, the text is incredible - you can really feel the emotion behind his words!

Unfortunately, that seems to be lost on anyone not already familiar with Carroll's work. To them, the shortness of the book (particularly in comparison with its price) is a serious negative. Looking back at the book after a year, though, I have to agree. It's short, not much content, and if the deeper meaning behind the book layout and message isn't fresh in your mind it's difficult to pay attention to.

All in all, it's a phenomenal piece of work and a priceless vessel of inspiration. I can't give it a full 5 stars, though, because it isn't quite as exciting the second time around.

I have read this book several times...it is engaging, fun and rejuvinating. I have given copies to my sons,my son's friends, friends, family and co-workers.

If you have the opportunity....buy this books, share it, give it as a gift!

I loved this book which is cleverly illustrated. It put a big smile on my face! Certainly inspirational in a very light but profound way Kevin Carroll takes us through his journey with the Red Rubber Ball (pages have colorful drawings and excellent design) and how he has found inspiration to shine in his life while making a difference in the world and going for his dreams. With his seven simple rules he has accomplished a lot (along with well-being), Carroll is an athlete, one of the first afro-american NBA's trainers, speaker and has a leadership position at Nike. All because he followed his passion for the Red Rubber Ball... He talks about every day being a chance to look for something unexpected and about making life our playground to have fun in whatever we are passionate about. I say that is a pretty miraculous way to go through life and reminds me of the work of Ariel and Shya Kane. They are catalysts for having a brilliant life regardless of the circumstances, their books Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation, How To Create a Magical Relationship and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment as well as their 3 Principles of Transformation are excellent guides to live a fun fresh life full of opportunities, right here right now no need to wait for the future. If you're interested in having your life be magical and fun, creating opportunities and living to the fullest, I highly recommend checking out both Carroll and the Kanes.

This is an amazing book, both because of the incredible amount of material and the way in which it is presented. Every television appearance every made by Miss Ball is painstakingly detailed and the text is rich with invaluable trivia. Lucy, Desi, Vivian, William etc. are all depicted as human beings--flaws and all. It's a one of a kind oral history of Lucy's career in TV. I bought it 7 or 8 years ago and still regard it as one of my favorite books. It is irreplaceable for Lucy/classic TV fans. A must for every fan of classic television. Thank you Geoffrey Mark Fidelman for all your hard work! Without sounding sappy, you have touched my life.

This is an excellent book for Lucille Ball fans & fans of "I Love Lucy". Excellent information on all her starring roles and appearances on TV.

I've enjoyed reading and re-reading Geoffrey's comments on every "I Love Lucy" episode each time I watch one of the reruns. He has certainly written the most complete book on Ms. Ball's TV career. I was fascinated by the remarks made by Lucy's co-stars, both living and deceased. Geoffrey's dedication to providing a wealth of information which is available here for the very first time is phenomenal. This book is a must read for anyone who loves and admires Lucille Ball and her multi-talents. I can't wait to read Geoffrey's next book about the life and career of the fabulous Ethel Merman, which is due out in November 2005.

This is one of the best books available on the "Lucy" phenomenon. The author exhaustively details her television appearances from the late 1940s until her death in 1989. Many original interviews were conducted with supporting actors, writers, directors, etc.

Not necessarily the *first* book for someone who doesn't know much about Lucy, but a prize for those who enjoy delving into the details.

Better, perhaps, than any biography ever written about the one and only Lucille Ball, this work details - and I mean DETAILS - every known possible TV moment America spent with the woman called "The First Lady of Comedy". Its author, Geoffery Mark Fidelman, has done a TREMENDOUS service to all of Lucy's fans, capturing every TV appearance in printed remembrance, and the exhaustive research he's done is apparent immediately. At times, it seems downright impossible to believe one man did it all! Unlike OTHER "Lucy" books, however, this is not a 'puff piece'; no no no...Mr Fidelman, and many of those quoted generously throughout the book, freely offer their opinions about Ball, her husbands, co-workers, shows, etc, and while this will no doubt offend those looking for a 'fluffier' or lighter read, it actually makes for a refreshingly well-rounded character profile of its subject and all those who worked with her through the many years. If Fidelman occasionally goes a bit overboard with comments regarding her appearance, let us not forget that Lucille Ball WAS a glamorous, beautiful, and, yes, even sexy and sexual woman, something which apparently bothered another user on this site, which makes this book even MORE essential as a character study: Lucille Ball comes across as a HUMAN BEING, a woman, mother, wife, movie and TV star, head of a company. For that alone, the book can be viewed as essential to Ball fans and fanatics, or those simply interested in classic TV or Hollywood celebrities of yore. Photographs are relatively limited so if you're seeking a more "coffee table" style book, there are certainly others out there, and they're fine enough. But for something that you - and even the casual fan - will actually READ, and come to find INDISPENSIBLE, look no further: you've found THE "Lucy" book!

I Have enjoyed this so much that I am reading it for a second time.. It has really been helpful to me in my game of golf. Made me more of aware of the things that go on with your body and mind while playing golf.. A Must read for all golfers....

This book shopuld be a starter in golf. All the complications reduced to simple actions based on allowing ourselves to play naturally, relaxed and easy.
If it's late in your golfing career, you'll wonder why it's all been so dotted with tips, tried and forgotten, when the simple big picture is enough.

May be a bit too "inner" for some, but I enjoyed the book. Good golf tips for all.

The Inner Game of Golf is a great, honest read that that any golfer will be able to understand and apply practically with ease. Tim uses straight forward language, and unlike many other authors, doesn't fill the pages with unnecessary anecdotes about famous players.

It has changed my game, and made me a much more relaxed and composed golfer. Although I'm not a fantastic golfer yet, it has given me direction for improvement and practice, and new enjoyment for the game.

Very highly recommended.

The Inner Game of Golf

Instruction will only get you so far. Any hack knows that. What most don't know, however, is that you can be your own worst enemy on the course, and for more reasons than one.

At the same time, however, you can be the best thing that has ever happened to your game.

Gallwey's Inner Game series has been around much longer than many realize. Not only that, but his ideas were at least a decade ahead of anything anyone was doing.

Gallwey's approach is simple. He divides a person's mind into two big regions. Self 1 is controling, egocentric, and demanding. Self 2, on the other hand, is non-judgemental, intuitive, and generally focused on whatever it is doing at the time. The problems begin when Self 1 starts getting in Self 2's way, giving it instructions it doesn't need, and locking it into a pattern of failure many are all too familiar with.

The goal, as Gallwey sets it out, is to get Self 1 to step aside during the swing and let Self 2 take total control. This is not easy to do, however, especially since many people have yet to realize the existance of these two selfs to begin with.

Gallwey bases his ideas on his experience in tennis, but appears successful in translating them into golf. He set a goal at the outset of writing the book to break 80 by basically putting only the time the average golfer has into improving his game (practice at home, plus a day or two at the range, and one round a week if possible), that and adhearing to his own methods. Obviously, he succeed, which helps give hope to those looking to try the same path.

Overall Gallwey's ideas are clear, and the writing narrative, which may put some readers off. Still, his exercises should help guide golfers into understanding how their mentalities can affect their play, as well as create barriers to further improvement.

The biggest drawback to Gallwey's theory of a Self 1 and Self 2 are that he seems to assign a bad-guy role to Self 1, while Self 2 is the trodden-upon hero. Whether this sort of duality is the final answer to things is a bit up in the air, and does not appeal to a more holistic approach to the game.

The book probably doesn't stand on its own, but works great as an extension of the beloved TV show.

Scrapbooks are so neat! It's the format of the future.

I LOVE Six Feet Under and this book was the sweetest icing on the cake! Very interesting insight into characters and background. Neat pictures inside the funeral home and childhood photos. This is a MUST HAVE for any Six Feet Under fan. GREAT BOOK

Completely dispensing with the usual behind-the-scenes profiles and interviews that fill book companions to popular TV shows, this one stays completely in character as an amalgam of what might have been bits of scrapbooks from the characters in the show. Well worth getting now at the bargain price for those who came in late, but please watch the first three seasons first, or you'll have some events spoiled for you.

This book is so much fun for the 6 feet under enthusiast. Complete with childhood photos of the "Fishers" and stories/journal entries from the characters- it really feels like you have an inside window into the Fisher clan.

While this is a great book for the Six Feet Under fan - which I just became as of 2006-2007 - after renting the discs - and then finally buying the complete set (for only $95!), I just looked thru this book last night and while it's a fascinating and a more "complete" look at the Fisher clan (and also fills in a few things you might haven't known while watching the show), my only complaint is that they should have put this book out after the show is over, since it pretty much covers only up to season 4 - when Lisa disappears. So much more happened after that, and it would have been nice to have a "complete" book that covered EVERYTHING up until the last episode - including "momentos" of things that happened in their future.

Bob Hullar was my father. I was born in 1948 and my Dad went back into the newly formed US Air Force shortly after that and retired as a bird colonel. While my Dad and I were pretty close, he didn't talk much about WWII and what he did. As a kid, I knew that he was a B17 pilot based in England and that he probably dropped a lot of bombs, but that was about it. This book opened up a part of his life to me that I didn't really know and couldn't possibly understand. My mother, Jean, provided a lot of documents, photos and information to the author as he was researching for it. "Half a Wing, Three Engines and Prayer" is very well written and factual, but also manages to convey the incredible dangers these men continually confronted and the courage they must have had to get back into those planes day after day. As I was reading it, I constantly asked myself "Could I have done this?" and "What was I doing at age 25... surely nothing like this!" It helped me to understand my Dad, who remained a quiet, complex man for the rest of his life and gave me a glimpse of what surely was his peak lifetime experience. For anyone who is interested in the World War II and the US Army Air Force, I think it is a must read.
Thanks to the author for undertaking this task and doing such a great job!

It's always a pleasure to find a non-fiction account of any period which is so good you don't want to put it down. Here's an account of the American contribution to the bombing war in the European Theatre of Ops which is truely readable at all levels (no pun intended.) The story concentrates essentially on bombing operations, in a chronological order, explored mainly through the eyes of the bomber crews themselves as recorded in their diaries and wartime interrogations and de-briefings. These experiences are reinforced by solid research into US and German records, just to confirm the men's accounts. The story concentrates mainly on the crews of one bomber group as they go through their tour of duty. But in the process, it recounts what many men saw and did in the air over Germany. This is NOT a statistical account of the US strategic bombing offence. This is an up-close-and-personal account of men at war, trying to beat the odds and survive the full 30 Ops needed to finish a tour and go home. So when planes blow up beside you and Messerschmitts pop out of the clouds behind, you'll discover what it felt like to have your guns jam at the critical moment, to feel enemy cannon shells hammer your airframe, to sense the hand of death at the controls, then to see 'little friends' come racing to the rescue. The paperback edition contains some unpublished aerial photos, and some surprises - like a photo of the first US experiment with flying bombs, which looked like miniature Lightning fighters carried under a B-17s wings. Most of all, this book is a good read - covering lots of action at a ripping pace. It's a good, thick book and well worth the price. I was glad I bought it.

This book is highly informative. My father, a B-17 Bombardier in the 8th Air Force apprecitated the authenticity of this book. Well written without the Hollywood fluff.

Whether this is your introduction to daylight bomber operations over Europe, or you've read hundreds of accounts, Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer will not disappoint. What really sets this book apart from a typical account, is that O'Neill has managed to get the entire crew's recollections mission by mission. Each individual's perspective is different, and taken as a whole provides a remarkably complete picture of life on a B-17 crew during the most intense period of air combat in the ETO. You will be hard pressed to find a better book on the subject.

Half a Wing, Three Engines, and a Prayer , written by Brian O'Neal, is the historical account of a B-17 Bomb Wing in Europe during the Second World War. Though many crews and other wings are followed in the book, the central story is that of the 303rd "Hell's Angels" Bomb Group and the B-17 crew of Lt. Bob Hullar. The period covered is from training in 1942 to combat over Europe from 1943 to 1944.

Though several previous histories of Air Combat in World War II had been written, few had given the full perspective of the individual bomber crew. For B-17s, this consisted of 10 men, 3 of whom were officers and the rest enlisted. Together they flew the airplane, operated navigation instruments and radios, sighted and dropped the payload, and used machine guns to fend off attacks from enemy aircraft along the way. Often noted by the book was the fact that nearly 25% of these air crews would never return from the European Theater of Operations.

The crews of the 303rd Bomb Group began their training for the most part in 1942, following the American entry into World War II. These men came from all walks of life and trained at bases all across the country before being assembled at a base in Washington for their final phase of training, where they trained as the crew they'd be a part of in Europe. From there, they were sent to England, where the 303rd was based as part of the strategic bombing campaign of the 8th Air Force against occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. The Group operated the four-engined B-17 "Flying Fortress", and crews typically flew different airplanes during their tour in Europe, which required 25 missions to be completed. Bob Hullar's crew would fly no less than 10 different aircraft during their tour, several of which were later destroyed, rendered irreparable by damage, and one of which had to be ditched in the English Channel.

O'Neal relied heavily on interviews from members of the crews, particularly that of Bob Hullar. Each chapter of the book is devoted to a mission flown during the Hullar crew's tour, their targets ranging from coastal towns in France to large industrial cities deep in the heart of Germany. Likewise, the missions varied from somewhat un-remarkable to enormous aerial battles and fierce anti-aircraft fire. Regardless of the target, however, every mission posed extraordinary danger to the crews who flew on them. They remained in constant fear of their own destruction, and this perhaps played a role in how well the individual crew members could remember the particulars of each mission decades after it occurred. When events could not be correlated with the accounts of the crew's, O'Neal turned to the official records of the 303rd Bomb Group and even those of the German Luftwaffe to determine what actually occurred during the air battles documented in the book.

The story of the American Amry Air Force in Europe was first made famous by the story of the crew of the Memphis Belle, which was the first B-17 to complete 25 missions and served as the platform for a now famous documentary on the subject, made during the war. Since that time numerous documentaries and books have been produced on the subject, making it one of the more well understood aspects of the war in Europe.

Overall, one learns a great deal from the individual accounts that are contained in the book. They give an eye-witness view to the carnage and fast-paced action that occurred thousands of feet above the earth during the air war, and offer a glimpse into how it actually felt to be caught in the middle of this. One is surprised to learn the ineffectiveness that often plagued American bombing missions, which frequently missed their intended target or did little damage, despite the involvement of hundreds of airplanes for each mission. At times there were well over a thousand aircraft, both bombers and fighters, engaged in accomplishing these missions. The crew of Bob Hullar , one finds out, was lucky to survive the slaughter that took place at 25,000 feet on an almost daily basis, and the story of the air war in Half a Wing, Three Engines, and a Prayer is forever memorable because of it.

This is a good-hearted book with several genuinely interesting business stories. It contains useful advice and the kind of ground-level insight that isn't taught at business school. I know Alexi, so I'm probably biased in her favor. But I recommend her book highly to anyone interested in reading about how real people overcome daunting odds to succeed at real companies.

This short book is surprisingly literate and very enjoyable, too. The author's bubbly personality infuses the writing with a kind of spirit you rarely find in business books. I would recommend this book for young persons looking to achieve success in marketing.

Balls lays out simply the necessary characteristics a young and growing company must exude in order to market itself through all the copy-cat lookalikes in the market. Utilizing simple, entrepreneurial case examples, the author is able to convey the "Ball" attributes necessary to succeed in business.

This book is one of the best business books I've read all year - maybe in quite a few years. So often books are packed with ridiculous theories from people that spend far too much time on statistics that may be meaningless instead of living in the real world where it takes creativity and energy and enthusiasm to grow a business and market one really effectively.

If you really want to learn how REAL companies are finding unique ways to stay ahead of their competitors then you need this book. I was very pleasantly surprised to find a business book that actually was a true page turner, one that I couldn't put down. You can also relate to all of the companies since the book includes ideas "you can snag" from all sizes of companies and all industries. It's about time a book like this came along.

I read 6-10 business books per year, and Balls! was the worst one to cross my desk in a long time. The book is written like a high school pep rally - lots of enthusiasm, very little substance.

In fact, I am an avid highlighter - highlighting every key thought to come back to the next time I pick up the book. I didn't need my highlighter for this book. It's for sale in like-new condition.

Okay, Shelby is great. No question. And his knowledge and grasp aren't just encyclopedic, they're unsurpassed. That having been said (deep breath) if you're coming to this from the PBS series because you fell in love with his voice and insight there, you're probably going to be disappointed. Ken Burns turned to Shelby for insight, for color commentary, for a sense of the soldier on the ground. And he supplied it, in spades, with that slow southern drawn and his dead-on sense of events. This books is strictly a "great man" summary of the war. You won't find much of the common soldier, and beyond body counts and the odd quote you won't learn much about how the man-in-the-field felt or experienced events. For that matter. you won't find much about what Shelby thinks or feels about it to. While he is encyclopedic, in a strange way, it actually crowds out his voice and sensitivity, so you learn a lot about events -- in great detail -- but very little Shelby's own evaluation or perspective about them. Which for this reader, was the real reason to pay the price of admission. I doubt I will move on to the other books in the series as I'd planned -- it's incredibly informative without having any particular narrative drive or being in any way really gripping. Think of it as the Encyclopedia Britannia coverage (rather than a book by one man whose mind and erudition you love) and you'll get some idea. Oh, and for those of you tempted to get the audio version, again, I'd think twice. I was looking forward to Shelby's quite, authoritative drawl in my ear, but they chose a Northerner (award-winning, actually, but nonetheless!) who to my ear has an annoying drawl and stopped his mic every few pages so he's continually coming back in slightly different sound and register. Sorry to write this, really, wanted to love this book and the whole series.

Shelby Foote knows his stuff. Over 800 pages of exciting Civil War action, from the secession crisis of early 1861 to the inauguration of Mississippian Senator Jefferson Davis as President of the Confederate States. From Yankee disaster at First Manassas to Robert E. Lee's embarrassing debut in western Virginia. From riverboat actions on the Mississippi and its tributaries, to George McClellan's snail-like movement up the York-James Peninsula toward Richmond. And on and on, until October 1862, when the Confederacy retreats from failed invasions of Kentucky and Maryland.

As I said, Foote knows what he is writing about. He has plenty of stories to tell about the first two years of the Civil War, and he'll keep the reader busy with his storytelling. Along with James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom and Bruce Catton's work on the Army of the Potomac, Foote's Civil War Narrative belongs on the shelf of every Civil War enthusiast, this volume as well as the other two.

I could write a very long and boring review about this book but i won't. This series of books is one of the best about the war. It doesn't get bogged down in troop movements but it gives the reader an excellent overview of any particular battle. It shifts from theater to theater with plenty of adventure on all pages. This is not just an account of the Civil War, it is an account of all the aspects that make us who we are today. Enjoy not only the best retelling of The American Civil War but also one of the best American books of all time.

As military / political narratives go, this book is first rate. Foote explains the battles as well in a comprehensible way (something that many military history books don't do). The book is interesting and moves along (something that most 800 page books don't do either). Overall, it is a vivid picture of the people and the history.

That being said, here is my critique: reading this book is a major undertaking. The book is 800 pages and is only the first book in a triology. According to Amazon, the entire triology is about 3000 pages. While I do not consider myself a civil war buff, I guess I am one now -- at least for a third of the war. While well written, its not the kind of prose that you can race through. This is a major reading commitment.

A reading marathon like this raises a unique issue. Noone wants to read 3000 pages and conclude they could have spent their time better. While I have labored through inaccurate and ridiculous history books, these books were a lot shorter and I knew they were inaccurate / ridiculous when I read them. Worrisome to me, two reviewers say the book is inaccurate and I should read McPherson. I don't take that to heart though; reviewers of McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom say you should read Foote.

Overall, a great book and recommended. Now I'm off {sigh} to read volume II.

Mr. Foote has done one of the best outlines of the American Civil War period. If one wants to read a book that is just chocked full of interesting incidents and characters. Then one needs go no further then these 3 massive tomes. Just don't be put off by their massive size, it is well worth the time.
While Bruce Catton is a good rivial, he is a Yankee. Mr. Foote is a true son of the South and so you get a much needed Southern View point that is missing in most of the current popular books on this turning point of our nations history.

Having missed most of the tv show, i decided to read the Dragonball manga.
I had a very claer understanding of the story, but it contained some rather explicit sexual humor. I wasn't surprised that... wait gotta go. Lupin III is on...

Dragonball is a great manga!It's about a monkey tailed mountain boy named Goku who meets a girl by the name of Bulma who is searching for the the seven mystical "Dragonballs" which when all gathered together,will grant the posseser any wish.Seeing how strong Goku is,she convinces him to join him.The art is very humorous and so are the characters(especially Goku).A word of caution however.I do not recomend this to young children seeing as how there is some nudity and potty humor in it.Still though,it has great humor and art and I reccomend it to anyone,espcially to those who like adventure.

Having missed most of the tv show, i decided to read the Dragonball manga.
I had a very claer understanding of the story, but it contained some rather explicit sexual humor. I wasn't surprised that... wait gotta go. Lupin III is on...

what a cool comic its so cool but this i for ages 18+ it contains blood strong vilonce languge strong sexuly content sex sceans nudity and a little boy pulls of a women underwhare and its shocking it also contains lots of boob seceans but its cool but it contains adult content it says on back of comic so get ready for sex vilonce and nudty with dragon ball uncensord

I'm going to start it off by saying this: Don't buy this because you watched and liked the Dragonball/DBZ episodes you saw on Cartoon Network. Instead buy it because Toriyama's art and writing are great. It's a solid retelling of the myth of the monkey king, Goku, and his journey to please the great dragon Shenlong, with some changes and comedy thrown in. The fluid art keeps one reading, despite the unfamiliarity with the format (the book and its panels all go from right to left).

I suggest picking this up. Get this manga, then get the others. They blow the anime out of the water if you can read, and if you can't, then just look at the pictures, because those are good too.

This book is a joy to read. Although we know fresh, funny Maddie will find true love with the determined Duke, we would not have it any other way. The characters are charming and you like them more and more as the story unfolds. Waiting patiently for tales of Madilyn and Gabriel's friends may prove difficult. Olivia Parker is a hit.

This was a wonderful read! Fun, entertaining and exciting from beginning to end! Although at times it may have been somewhat predictable, it was such an enchanting read that it didn't matter to this reader! It was just so fun to read! Made me smile all the way through and I was so sad when the book ended.....!!

AT THE BRIDE HUNT BALL

What an enchanting little gem of a book! I read this book in one sitting and it charmed the pants off me!

In her debut novel, Olivia Parker has incorporated a delightful blend of romance, passion, laugh out loud moments and tenderness, which reminds us that this is the reason why we read romances.

The story isn't convoluted. It has no horrid villains or pulsating mystery woven in it and its is not part of YET ANOTHER SERIES!!!!. What it has is a lovely story of two people who are simply attracted to each other and ultimately fall in love.

Gabriel Devine - Duke of Wolverest is a man that has decided to remain locked in the throes of bachelorhood and has no plans on ever announcing any nuptials in the future. That being the case, he convinces his younger brother Tristan, to select a bride and carry on with the familial name.

With the help of his sister Rosalind, he selects seven women from the ton, invites them to his ancestral home for his brother to make his selection and announce it at a ball.

Madelyn Haywood has no plans of attending the ball, or for that matter being selected. She has heard all about the Devine brothers and their horrid and lewd reputation. Unfortunately, she is selected as one of the seven debutants, much to her dismay. She refuses the invitation - but her conniving stepmother blackmails her into accepting.

Her best friend, Charlotte has been selected as well and is in already love with Tristan so she decides to go and keep an eye on her sweet hearted and naïve friend.

The story is simple and charming. The budding relationship between Gabriel and Madelyn is lovely - Madelyn's character and behavior (lets just say a series of unfortunate accidents befall here wherever she goes) completely charms Gabriel and there are some LOL moments that befall the stuffy Gabriel. Oh, and she's half American and rather outspoken - say no more!

Yes the plot is tried and true - we have all read this before - but Ms. Parker does a grand job of telling a story that is tender, passionate and beautiful in its simplicity!

**** PS - there are a couple of reviewers that have DISSECTED the book and only mentioned its faults... try to ignore those, okay? Yes, there are a few errors and maybe some imperfections .... But overall - the charm and loveliness of the book makes you overlook them completely. Let me know if you agree!

**** PPS The next installment is Charlotte's story.

I liked this book! I don't care about a few errors if I really like the story and I enjoyed this one. I've read so many books lately by veteran authors that were absolutely boring and completely cliche, so this was a step up. The duke was lovable and he loved his heroine and we didn't have to wait til the last line of the book to hear him say it. This author has promise and I'll definitely buy more of her books.

I loved it. Its so nice to read a romance that is actually romantic. No nasty villian, no sadness, no tortured hero, no abuse....etc etc.
Very nice writing for a debut author. Wonderful characters and a very sweet story.Looking forward to more from Ms. Parker.

Excellent, funny read for all minor league baseball enthusiasts. The book also points out the sleazy side of local politics which prevented two individuals from preserving an historic landmark and satisfying the wishes of local residents. Minor league baseball in its original form is a throw back to a simpler time when strong family (and community) values were important. Just as major league baseball is leaving average fans in the lerch due to high prices, much of minor league baseball is moving in the same direction. Thankfully, there are independent teams who are not beholden to major league organizations who will move a team at the drop of a hat for a better stadium deal elsewhere.

I am reluctant to give and am usually suspicious of gushy, mushy reviews about books, but I have to make an exception for this extraordinary book mostly because of the risk that Bouton and his courageous friends were willing to make to their families' personal risk and financial future. I was also delighted by the details of the interchanges between the unstoppable guys and their pragmatic wives. And the support they gave each other. As with all of Bouton's books the story that is told is much more inclusive of our society as a whole than the mere retelling of a particular episode in the lives of teams whether in Seattle or in Pittsfield, MA. They are really books about what 1)we value as a society, 2)about our need for idolatry with sports persons, and 3)With the amount of denial we want or need to maintain our personal self-images. If someone needs a bogus hero-worship identity to maintain their self-esteem then they should not blame or demonize the people who show them a mirror. They should look clearly in the mirror and take responsibilty for their own lives rather than living vicariously.

I couldn't put this one down and read the entire book on one long day of traveling cross country. The book is about a lot of things. Love for the game of baseball, if not the business of baseball. What kind of crooked nonsense goes on in thousands of small towns across the US every day with bogus politicians defying the will of the people they are supposedly there to serve. How companies that screw all of us somehow convince people and politicians that they are looking out for our best interests. But most of all, this book is about the absolute need all American citizens have for a free press, and a free press that is intelligent, well-informed, willing to take risks, and willing to do its damm job. When the press rolls over, there really is no hope of outing the kinds of crooks and morons Bouton smokes out. It's a very compelling read and I comend Bouton for writing it (even if his originally publisher wimped out).

As a resident of Pittsfield and a fan of baseball I fully supported building the new stadium. Pittsfield is awash in drugs, crime and economic stagnation. A new stadium would have brought in a new minor league franchise, a venue for concerts and other sorts of activities. In the end a great thing for Pittsfield. But thanks to Jim Bouton and other non residents (or part time "summer" berkshire residents) the initiative was defeated, Wahconah park was never renovated it can't attract any minor league teams because it is so far under code it is helpless. So now it sits there unused and decaying like the rest of our once great town.

Thanks alot Jim.

This book is Erin Brockovich, the Insider, It's a Wonderful Life, A Civil Action, and Field of Dreams all rolled into one awesome book. I just read this in two days. It is both fantastic and infuriating. I am so mad I want to go up to Pittsfield and shoot some of these people. The situation faced by Bouton is so frustrating; yet this kind of behavior goes on every day all over America. The book is both inspiring and discouraging. It makes me want to go full bore for a similar cause; but it also reinforces what I already know: That it's almost impossible to change anything. But this book has an unknown (at the time of publishing) happy ending. Read the book and then check out Bouton's www.foulball.com for the latest news. Anyway, this is an absolute must read for ANY AMERICAN. You don't have to be a baseball fan, or even know what a bunt is to appreciate it.