History Books

An excellent resource for the Baseball fan, who is always looking for good books about the Legends of baseball.

This book was very interesting and informative and obviously well researched since the author is a baseball historian. It makes you feel as if you know the players and are living in their time period but it isn't the most enjoyable book I've ever read. You rarely smile or laugh, there's very little that's amusing even though these are two very colorfull and bigger than life characters so I felt the book could have been a little lighter. Also check out two of my favorites - The Teammates by David Halberstam and When Life Was Baseball Teams and Egg Creams by Craig Howard, the last one being much lighter and more about life in the time period than baseball itself. Good nostalgia though.

Mr. Stanton's Ty and the Babe is well researched and a great read for any baseball fan interested in two of the sport's iconic figures. Of course I knew of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth before reading this book, but I didn't know too much about their background and playing days. Not only did I learn about Ty and Babe, I also became more familiar with the long ball era and how baseball changed during these years that the two historic figures competed.

Kevin Grammens

This is a strange little book. For one thing, it presents a far more positive picture of Ty Cobb than one often encounters. Second, golf becomes a key part of the relationship between two bitter antagonists--Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb.

Ty Cobb was an exemplar of the old fashioned "scientific" approach to baseball, bunts, stolen bases, sacrifices, etc. Babe Ruth was a harbinger of a new era--focusing on the home run.

Cobb versus Ruth, while they were in the major leagues together, had a pretty negative relationship. Cobb had little respect for Ruth; Ruth despised Cobb.

The book tells of their slowly evolving relationship, to the point where they expressed respect toward one another by the end of Cobb's career.

Their rivalry took a turn after their respective retirements. Both became avid golfers. They took part in a series of golf matches, where there was much greater camaraderie than when they played baseball.

The book chronicles that strange evolution in their relationship.

There is a nice appendix, which chronicles those games in which they opposed one another. Interesting. . . .

An offbeat little book that ends up humanizing Cobb.

I have now read all of Tom Stanton's books, and I have enjoyed them all. I am one of many that had certain perceptions of Ty Cobb's character based on stereoptypical opinion of Cobb in recent years. But Stanton sets the record straight in allowing us to get to know a different Ty Cobb; one who is a great competitor, but no where near the "evil" man that he has been portrayed as. The Babe is as fun loving as ever in this book and it is a fun read. I would recommend it to baseball fans, and golf fans too!

An excellent resource for the Baseball fan, who is always looking for good books about the Legends of baseball.

This book was very interesting and informative and obviously well researched since the author is a baseball historian. It makes you feel as if you know the players and are living in their time period but it isn't the most enjoyable book I've ever read. You rarely smile or laugh, there's very little that's amusing even though these are two very colorfull and bigger than life characters so I felt the book could have been a little lighter. Also check out two of my favorites - The Teammates by David Halberstam and When Life Was Baseball Teams and Egg Creams by Craig Howard, the last one being much lighter and more about life in the time period than baseball itself. Good nostalgia though.

Mr. Stanton's Ty and the Babe is well researched and a great read for any baseball fan interested in two of the sport's iconic figures. Of course I knew of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth before reading this book, but I didn't know too much about their background and playing days. Not only did I learn about Ty and Babe, I also became more familiar with the long ball era and how baseball changed during these years that the two historic figures competed.

Kevin Grammens

This is a strange little book. For one thing, it presents a far more positive picture of Ty Cobb than one often encounters. Second, golf becomes a key part of the relationship between two bitter antagonists--Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb.

Ty Cobb was an exemplar of the old fashioned "scientific" approach to baseball, bunts, stolen bases, sacrifices, etc. Babe Ruth was a harbinger of a new era--focusing on the home run.

Cobb versus Ruth, while they were in the major leagues together, had a pretty negative relationship. Cobb had little respect for Ruth; Ruth despised Cobb.

The book tells of their slowly evolving relationship, to the point where they expressed respect toward one another by the end of Cobb's career.

Their rivalry took a turn after their respective retirements. Both became avid golfers. They took part in a series of golf matches, where there was much greater camaraderie than when they played baseball.

The book chronicles that strange evolution in their relationship.

There is a nice appendix, which chronicles those games in which they opposed one another. Interesting. . . .

An offbeat little book that ends up humanizing Cobb.

I have now read all of Tom Stanton's books, and I have enjoyed them all. I am one of many that had certain perceptions of Ty Cobb's character based on stereoptypical opinion of Cobb in recent years. But Stanton sets the record straight in allowing us to get to know a different Ty Cobb; one who is a great competitor, but no where near the "evil" man that he has been portrayed as. The Babe is as fun loving as ever in this book and it is a fun read. I would recommend it to baseball fans, and golf fans too!

I bought this book as a bargain and in the description it said the condition would be knew and the only difference would be that it may be marked as a bargain. However, the condition of the book was really bad and it was so damaged that many pages were lose and the binding was completely broken. I will never buy a bargain book from amazon again, even though the book itself (if it was in good condition) is awesome.

First saw these photos on a trip to Stockholm. Huge photo posters were on display in a park and this book along with the photographer's other books, posters and postcards were for sale. We've all seen photos of animals before but these are quite "up close and personal." There is a "Wow" factor with what he has captured -- whether it be an action shot of wildebeest and zebra hurriedly crossing a river or a panda up in the tree to get a better look. This is not a book you'll look at once but time and time again.

Steve Bloom is by far one of the best animal photographers! The pictures he captures are incredible. Untamed is a great/huge collection of awesome pictures. The pictures and pages in the book are all high quality. Well worth the money.

This is an absolutely gorgeous book, oversized and chock full of awesome photographs of all sorts of creatures. Bloom works in the wild, from a distance and close up enough to devote a full page to an elephant's eyelid. He works in Antartica, in the Amazon, in Africa, Asia, all across the world, with herds of animals and with singles, young, old, and in between. Some of the photos are panoramas, with 2 pages opening towards the middle to full effect.

I first saw the book displayed on a table in an interiors store, and fell in love with it, came home and ordered from Amazon to save $$$. Now it's on the table in *my* living room. Eventually I will give it to my son to go through and share with my now-4-year-old grandson.

Steve Bloom has taken pictoral essays to new heights. In September 2007, a stroke of Irish luck led me to his exhibition in Dublin, Ireland. I spent a mesmerizing hour wandering St. Stephen's Green Park admiring his outstanding mini-billboard sized photographs and felt cheated when I ran out of time. So I bought the book, it sits on my coffee table, and I enjoy it day after day. Untamed is not a collection of animal photos. Instead, Steve gives us a greater understanding of the beast through a series of incredible exposures. Anyone who enjoys wildlife and excellent photography must own this book. It would make an excellent gift for those who share a passion for the wildlife that is vanishing before our eyes.

Just like an accident, if you don't know the risk, you are bound to get hurt. This book tells everyone about the risks, either past or present, in vaccines. These blunders have not been dealt with by government or industry due to the economic impact that any correction might have. They (government and industry) want to scare you into vaccinating for everything because if you don't you'll get sick. Everybody please panic, so that the vaccine producers make plenty of money. Why is it that if Polio has been eradicated in the US are there still polio cases among those who have been vaccinated. How can a monkey kidney virus cause cancer in humans and why was such a dirty animal's kidney chosen as a substrate for vaccine production.
This is a must read for anybody who thinks that vaccine production and development is as sound and safe as the interpretation of the bible by religious zealot. If you are going to invest your faith in anything, invest it in yourself and read this book. If not, wait for the movie . . . because it reads like a medical industrial espionage thriller.

If you enjoyed reading this book, I suggest you also read The River, by Edward Hooper. Hoopers book posits a similar Frankensteinesque consequence of the race for a polio vaccine: the emergence of HIV in central Africa resulting from a batch of experimental polio vaccine, created in Zaire, using infected monkey kidneys.

This book shows just how much the corporations and even our own government do not care about you or me, they care about continuing their domination of our lives and making money.

I've likely had the polio shot that is described in this book, and you probably have too, it was around for four DECADES.

My mother fell into the years where the first horrible joke of a vaccine was first introduced in the United States by Jonas Salk, and she died from ALS in 1995. Maybe there is no connection, Lord knows there are other toxins in our world that could have been responsible, but was it their right to continue to vaccinate us with trash viruses from monkey kidneys? Is this the US or Hitler's Germany?

This book is meticulously researched and written. It's the one book I've run across on vaccines that none of the "pro-vaccine" people I've talked to have been able to debunk.

If you haven't already read this book, do so. It's scary, but I would rather know than not know.

And these are some of the same type of corporations currently pushing for legislation for the HPV vaccine to be mandatory - I don't trust them, do you?

Someone remarked in a previous review that this was a horrible mistake -- no, it wasn't. A mistake is when you shut your finger in the door and then realize how and why you did it, so that it doesn't happen again. This was calculated crime, in my opinion, by the "powers that are" on millions of Americans. They knew it was there [SV40] and they made choices to leave it there. What other viruses are in there that no one has found, or even bothered to look for?

The other reviews have more than expressed the high level of journalism these authors have attained. Suffice it to say they should be inundated with movie offers by now. This is indeed the most compelling read in a very long time.
It is appalling to know just how reckless (and criminal) the vaccine programs really are and how deep the disregard for the public health. I promptly sent "Virus and the Vaccine" to a friend who is a top cancer specialist, to get an outside opinion. He too was blown away, horrified and found the book a powerful read. If your here and wondering if you should get this book..YES READ THIS BOOK. You will not regret it.
It is my opinion that the authors have done a great service to this country (and humanity) by dedicating their talents and time to uncovering this outrageous tale of woe. A Nobel Prize might just be in order! I am buying this book in lots, and sending copies to the most influential people I know (and my family). Bravo! S.A. Sarnoff, Founder & Pres. Health Advocacy in the Public Interest, Santa Barbara CA

This book is a frightening expose of the potential damage done to millions of unsuspecting Americans who were receiptents of polio vaccines that may have been carelessly contaminated with monkey virus that somehow eluded the best intended manufacturing processes of that day.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning for themselves whether vaccines may have caused more harm than good over decades of use. Let us hope the authors are wrong, because if they are right, the harm done will be uncomprehensible.

We have here an engaging chronicle of the last years of G. I. Gurdjieff's life set against the tragic backdrop of war, its madness, shame and deprivation. Paris was under Nazi occupation for over four years during the Second World War, beginning in June 1940. All during this period, Gurdjieff continued to live in his small apartment at 6 rue des Colonels-Renard, where he met regularly with his students.

There are thirty-two transcripts of these meetings, which were attended at great hazard, with spies and checkpoints everywhere. The discussion is focused on the spiritual work of self-remembering and self-observation which Mr. Gurdjieff is teaching. He is not interested in "who wins war . . . all have ideals, all have peaceful purpose, all kill." He has seen enough of war and revolution, what he calls man's "chief particularity. . . the periodic arising in them of. . .the urgent need to destroy everything outside themselves". For him, war is the result of the slavery that men have accepted and embraced as their lot. There can be just one solution to war and that is to teach men and women how to free themselves from the hypnotism of contemporary life.

Alongside Gurdjieff's quiet discussions with his pupils, we hear Hitler's historical justifications, the fumbling and surprise of politicians and military men as France's defenses fail and she is overrun, the rationalizations for collaboration and the calls for resistance from her intellectuals on the right and the left. The author has faithfully drawn a picture of the crisis Hitler represented for the West. He points to the passive support Hitler received from the elites of many countries. They admired the new "barbarians" and hoped the Germans would deal a blow to communism. We also hear brave accounts of the resistance, and the challenge to action facing writers like Albert Camus, Andre Malraux, and Francois Mauriac. We see Charles de Gaulle, with his difficult personality which isolated him from the rest of the French military before the invasion, and how well it suited him for the historical role he would eventually play, pressuring Churchill and Eisenhower on behalf of the Free French Forces.

With these two perspectives, author Patterson has given us a new point from which to see those conflicted times. He casts new light on the often puzzling mystic and teacher, Gurdjieff. This is a remarkable meditation on war and I recommend it highly. It was nominated for the National Book Awards in 2001. Well researched and documented, it is an extremely interesting read and it will be welcomed by serious students of the Gurdjieff work as well as general readers.

In Voices in the Dark, William Patrick Patterson takes us to Gurdjieff's meetings in Paris during the Nazi occupation. The records of the meetings are interspersed with accounts of the historical events taking place. Gurdjieff's oft-given instruction to the student to "outwardly play a role and inwardly not to identify" takes on a new importance during these times. Yet the problems of a student of the Fourth Way seem the same as always from the perspective taken in the meetings: work with attention, struggling with self-love and vanity. The timelessness of the teaching brought by Gurdjieff, a work in life, is brilliantly illustrated in this book.

With the possible exception of Mr. Patterson's autobiographical Eating the `I', Voices in the Dark is his best book to-date. A strong opening immediately takes the reader into the Paris of World War II, and into the emotional and psychic turmoil that characterized that time. A turmoil that is all the more striking with its relevance to our current "age of terrorism." This topic alone would be worth the price of admission, but Mr. Patterson deftly interweaves this with two others. One is a seemingly minor theme - the role of the occult in Nazi Germany - though this takes a surprising turn as its impact on western occultism in general is exposed. The third stream consists of previously unprinted transcripts of G. I. Gurdjieff meetings with students in the midst of the Nazi occupation. Interestingly, there is little commentary connecting these streams; the relationships are built by juxtaposition.

The story of occupied Paris is based on the experiences of such luminaries as Charles De Gaulle, Jean Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus. Mr. Patterson allows these protagonists to speak for themselves, quoting from diaries, transcripts and letters. Personally, I was most struck by the words of Jacques Lusseyran, a blind resistance fighter, who rose to become leader of an entire network.

Interspersed through the storm of events impacting Paris is the quiet nexus of meetings conducted in the face of curfews, privations, and Nazi checkpoints. Despite the incredible barriers each person faced in simply attending meetings, there is no mention of these external events. Yet these same events lend the context in which real questions arise.

Mr. Patterson presents us with authentic voices, which reflect both a particular moment of history and the recurrence of experiences throughout time.

Voices in the Dark is a rich collection of notes from Gurdjieff's meetings in Paris during the WWII Nazi occupation. This is essential material for anyone who studies Fourth Way literature and a good introduction for those would like to start.

As with his earlier book, Struggle of the Magicians, Mr. Patterson carefully weaves the meetings in a historical context. But unlike the former book, he adds an additional element that consists of `voices' from prominent leaders (from both sides), writers, and philosophers of the day. I would have thought that, given the dangers and rapid changes people lived with on a day-to-day basis, many of the questions in the meetings would have focused on how to live and survive during those dangerous times. However, it seems that, because of the difficult and life-threatening times, students were doubly serious about their inner work. The context - the dangerous situation - makes what was spoken of during the wartime meetings that much more rich, important, and insightful.

This book made me ponder what is truly important in life. And I recognized that it's not the `outer' things that are important (which we tend to give so much value to), but all the seemingly `little' inner things that we take so much for granted in ordinary life.

One of the things that Mr. Gurdjieff said in a wartime meeting - which has stayed with me for a long time after reading this book - is that God does not exist for a person while his or her parents are still alive. I don't know why, but this statement, in particular, really struck me. After a long period of contemplation and the recent event of a family member becoming ill - perhaps terminally - I have come to a far deeper understanding of what this means and its implications in terms of my own spiritual study and growth. Given this recent insight (some months after having read the book), I'm now certain that a first reading has only scratched the surface of the book's potential value for me. The material provided here really warrants further, serious study.

"Voices in the Dark" gave me a greater appreciation of the Work. The people who were in the Work continued their self-exploration even though they were in the midst of WWII. It must have been very difficult under these conditions of war to keep to one's spiritual aim, but it showed what Gurdjieff's students valued. For most people, however, the war became the focus of their lives. This juxtaposition was beautifully illustrated by the interweaving of what was happening in the war through the writings of people of that time and the transcripts of meetings that Gurdjieff held with his students. Reading this book reminded me that hope needs to be placed in consciousness and Being and not on the external conditions. For that reminder I am grateful.

I purchased Lou's book after I had found his website when I was planning my latest trip to Walt Disney World. After looking at his site and even signing up for the forum, I knew I had to purchase this book I'd been reading about! And I am so glad I did. The trivia is fun if you're reading alone or if you take turns reading with a partner and it's multiple choice too. Even more, the answers are found following each section with a short statement to provide further information about the correct answer. What I really love about this book is that the layout makes it a simplistic read that doesn't get boring. Even though it isn't a guide book, anyone (or any family) planning to take a trip to WDW can benefit from the exciting learning experience the book has to offer. It is a must read for first timers and fanatics!

Fantastic book! What you may have thought you knew...but didn't! An interesting book of facts that help you understand the making of Walt Disney World. A must have book for Disney mania! Volume 1 is just as interesting!

Just received the Walt Disney Trivia Books, Volumes 1 & 2. I've read through both and cannot wait until my next WDW vacation. Thank you, Lou, for writing the best Disney trivia books ever. Just one question, when will there be a third?

My son and I love this book and we've only read the first section. We can't believe how much we're learning and how much we didn't know. We're enjoying finding out all the "little" things we never knew about Disney World.

The Walt Disney World Trivia Book is like the friend I've always wanted who flies me down to Disney (for free!)and proceeds to take me through every park, attraction, and resort, telling me things I never knew about my favorite place. With a loyalty only a true Disney connoisseur can possess ("ever hear of some guy named 'Bugs Bunny'? Hmph. Me neither."), Lou presents his information the way I like it-it's personal, frank, and fun. Kind of like Lou himself...drop him an e-mail, and you actually get an answer! If there is one Disney informant to swear by, it's Lou Mongello. Some of his facts I knew, some made me laugh, and some made me realize that perhaps I'm not the Disney expert I make myself out to be. All I know is that those around me will have to endure new rounds of Disney fact-spouting. I almost feel bad for them. They had assumed they were safe after our (sniff!) last Disney trip in 2005. Although I shouldn't really mourn the trip's passing; with the WDW Trivia Book, I'm there all over again.

The Weeping Chamber was one of my first Christian fiction reads. And it surprised me. This genre is very A-typical. But this book takes you on a historic journey with enough weight and mystery to keep you turning the pages. I liked everything about it, especially when the past becomes unraveled and we see the pain our character is hiding. I've loved this book for 10 years and still do.

THIS BOOK IS VERY WELL WRITTEN. I LIKE THE MAIN CHARACTER BECAUSE HE IS HUMBLE AND DOWN TO EARTH. JESUS IS VERY WELL DISPLAYED. YOU WANT TO STEP INTO THE BOOK AND MEET THESE CHARACTERS. SCRIPTURE IS PLAYED OUT PERFECTLY.

For years, I've enjoyed Brouwer's mysteries and thrillers. His prose is tight, and he creates memorable characters. I picked up "The Weeping Chamber" wondering if his style would be complimentary to a historical novel. I expected it to be a bit more religious in tone than his previous work, and worried that I might not enjoy it as much.

I should've known better.

As always, Brouwer refuses to fit into preachy boxes. Yes, this is a beautifully written and researched book. It never feels heavy-handed in its details, and yet it feels utterly believable, breathable. Even better, though, it deals with very human struggles. We meet a man named Simeon, who has faced personal grief and resulting guilt. He's lost a child, and his marriage is estranged. Cautious in nature, he's not sure what to think of this new "miracle worker" from Nazareth. Is this man insane, or is he truly God's Son? Soon, Simeon is caught up in the intrigues of those last days of Jesus' life, even intersecting in an unexpected way.

If you want a book that captures the feel of Israel in Jesus' day, and if you want a book that makes those days seem as humanly pregnant with emotion and struggle, then you owe it to yourself to pick up "The Weeping Chamber."

I keep a list of books that have made a strong and marked impact on my life, and this book is very near the top of the list. I found this book in a catalogue and started reading it without any expectations of greatness, but this book made a large impact on my life. Weaving the familiar story of Christ into a person's life, Brouwer threads the pages with truth about God and His love and power. It is not a fast-paced book, but an almost relaxing read. Of course, there are plots turns that will keep your attention, but the soothing way the words flow as you read of the struggles of Simeon is beautiful. I have read this book many times, and I still love it.

This is a great novel--and I'm not too much of a novel reader. I could tell you about the story, but you can read the comments provided by Amazon to get that. I don't have anything else to add to that part. I write the review not to tell you the story, but to tell you that it's a great novel.

I picked this up off a 2-dollar shelf or something--I assure you that this is not the kind of book I would look at and say "Mmmm...now THAT looks interesting." Rather, it is more likely that I would look at this book and think "Mmph...not for me." In retrospect, it is quite remarkable that I bought it at all--regardless of the low price.

So, since I now had the book, I might as well read it, right? So I did. In two days. I don't think I put it down when I had free time. The book is such an easy read, and very entertaining. I was truly impressed by the book. I guess it is one of those books I could call "heartwarming," or "precious." Believe me, coming from a guy, that's quite a compliment (winks). I think I even teared up at the end. Again--coming from a guy, that's kinda impressive, don't you think?

I'm sure the girls are ready to buy it now...just because it made a guy cry...

But guys--don't be turned off becuase I used patty-cake terminology like "precious" to describe this book. It's a great book. It's an entertaining read. It's captivating. It's interesting. It's good. It's not a long book, and I'm pretty sure that if you pick it up, you won't put it down...at least not until you finish it (or it makes you cry too).

Great book.

Zirin was an important discovery for me. As a kid, I followed professional baseball and basketball with a very childlike passion. Later I got disgusted with the general state of the corporate franchises and drifted away from any interest in watching sports in any form. After being assigned as a teaching assistant to a course on the history of sports in the modern world, I picked up Zirin's first book and this one to help me appreciate the political side of professional sports. I'm of the audience Dave Marsh of XM Radio had in mind when he wrote that "the people who need to read Dave Zirin most are people who don't think sports is important at all. Zirin knows it is and he continually shows how it fits into the rest of our world."
I believe Zirin also has much to say to those who already understand the importance of sports. The debates over race, class, business, jingoism, steroids, and so on, that rage within the world of sports bear directly or indirectly on just about every area of politics and public life. In all of these essays -- which explore the political underbelly of major league baseball, the NBA, the Olympics, soccer, and more -- he shows a fine understanding of the precisely these kinds of connections and the ways people with political influence routinely use sports for their own ends.
Zirin has strong opinions, and that in itself is not unique. But he expresses his arguments more cogently and supports them more effectively than any other opinionated sports commentator I've ever heard. This is what enables him to engage and challenge the preconceived beliefs of every one of his readers. Furthermore, he's an outstanding writer. Welcome to the Terrordome frequently had me outraged over a fact or quoted statement and then, sometimes on the same page, I'd be laughing out loud at a particularly funny or audacious turn of phrase. Whether or not we agree with Zirin should not make or break the book's significance. If we really want to challenge our sometimes ossified views of the world, we've got to seek out writers like Zirin, who offer perspectives entirely lacking in the weak analysis, calculated outrage, and narrow political perspective on offer in the overwhelming majority of mainstream political commentary.
My only complaint is that there should have been some endnotes, not just to document the quotes he uses but also to help orient the book in relation to other writings on sports with which Zirin is in dialogue in his essays.

I enjoyed the book. I am glad to know about the authors website to get his new writing. I thought the book was insightful and great for a fan like me.

Sports are the world's great distraction, especially in the United
States. To really understand American culture, and other cultures too,
you have to understand sports to get why people get so very fanatical
about them. In a sense, they are a form of reality TV, except they
envelope so much more. It is very easy for radicals to dismiss sports
as a distraction from more important things, like changing the world,
but in a sense, by dismissing sports, they also dismiss sports fans,
which is a great deal of people. It's also important to understand how
sports is used to distract people, and why athletes are told to shut
up and be good soldiers. So having said all that, when Dave Zirin put
out a sequel to his first book, "What's My Name Fool?", I read it as
fast as I could.

Much like his first book, "Welcome to the Terrordome", (Chuck D
does the introduction, since the title is taken from a Public Enemy
song), the book is broken down into chapters exploring different parts, exploring
politics in the sports world. Roberto Clemente was a Hall of Fame
right-fielder for the Pittsburg Pirates from 1955 to 1972. He is often
described as baseball's Latino Jackie Robinson, in that he never shut
up and never backed down from disrespect. He was outspoken on issues
of the day, like racism, segregation, colonialism in Latin America,
civil rights, the war in Vietnam, and media mockery of minority
players. Clemente was instrumental in winning a World Series for the
Pirates in 1960, yet finished 8th in MVP voting because of his Puerto
Rican heritage. When non-white baseball players had to eat in the bus
while in the South, he led a protest against segregation and demanded
that all players be treated the same. He died in a plane crash on his
way to deliver relief supplies to victims of an earthquake in
Nicaragua a year after his retirement and remains one of the best players to ever play the game..

Another topic is how Major League Baseball sets up minimum wage
baseball sweatshops in the Caribbean and Central America, where the
only options are the army, the factory, or baseball. In the so-called
"America's Game", baseball, nearly a fourth of the league are foreign
born Latinos. During the World Baseball Classic, sponsored by MLB in
an effort to show-case homegrown talent, the Team USA was trounced by
Latin American teams. Interesting statistics like how 6 of the last 10
American League MVPs have been Latino, and here's why. In the
Dominican Republic, US teams run "baseball academies", where young
boys who have dropped out of school attend to get trained how to play
baseball, some coming with soapboxes for shoes and tattered clothing.
99 out of 100 don't make it to the MLB who attend these academies

Around the world, soccer, or football as it's known outside of
the States, is by far the most popular sport. It's famous by soccer
hooligans in Europe, full-scale riots in Latin America, and national
pride all over. Players like Diego Maradona are heroes in the third
world, for standing against corporate globalization, war, and famously
"avenging" the Falkland War in 1986 World Cup against England. In
2002, he attends the protests against the Summit of the Americas,
where he says that Argentina will never enjoy the fruits of corporate
control. Another famous player, Ronaldo of the powerful Brazil team,
goes to Palestine to meet with a Palestinian boy who wrote him a
letter asking him to meet with him, and brings international attention
to Israel's travel bans when he is stopped from meeting with him.

Most famously, Zirin goes into the famous head-butt incident at the
France-Italy World Cup when France's Zidane headbutted Italy's
Materazzi. Materazzi comes from an Italian fascist club, and Zidane
instantly becomes a hero in much of the Third World for responding to
Materazzi's racist taunting. It follows a culture of right-wing and
left-wing organizing in soccer fans, where political parties and other
organizations try to recruit fans at matchs and brawls often break out
over politics. (I've often wondered why there wasn't much organizing
at sporting events in the US when it seems so obvious.) The Prime
Minister of Italy even comments that "The French team is made up of
Negroes, Islamists, and Communists." In effect, people of the Third
World root to beat First World teams because of the history, and cling
to the ideals of hope and pride and dignity through them.

The world of sports is not a separate world, nor is it just for men,
and nor is a perfect world of saints. Just like all aspects of the
world we live in, the best thing to do is to understand it and
understand the people who follow it. I think I've just about always
fit into my work situations pretty fast by being a die-hard
Philadelphia sports fan, particularly the Eagles, as well as just about
everyone in this city is as well. When Donovan McNabb says that black
quarterbacks are criticized different than white quarterbacks and that
there's racism in the league, I applaud him for stating the obvious
when others are afraid to do even that. Left-wing sports fans might be
few and far between because of many on the left's complete rejection
of sports fans in general, but sports writers like Dave Zirin remind
us that the there's social justice in everything in life, if you look
behind the scenes a little bit.

The politically charged sports book Welcome to the Terrordome by Dave Zirin. The book covers the connection between social and cultural issues and sports, and it's really a great read. Among the topics Zirin connects are race relations in baseball thru Roberto Clemente, public financing of stadiums and how politicians often exploit sports figures.

While the title suggests a book about public financing battles of sports arenas, it really is suggestive of a broader context of sports and poltics. If you are reading only for the stadium connection this book might be a disappointment, but otherwise it was a delightful bonus as Zirin hits many aspects of sports, sports figures and sports coverage in the context of politics and life.

Not a book for a sports fan, but more for politically aware and interested people who enjoy sports or understand the large role it plays in our society.

A very interesting book that will leave you thinking, observing and expanding how you see the sports world....and isn't that pretty much why you would read in the first place?

-Cudo

Additional comments related to sports entertainment and operation in the Gameops.com Editor's Blog, www.blog.gameops.com.

Amongst sports writers David Zirin is a man among boys. He hasn't just mastered a single aspect of the genre; he has reinvented it with the complete package, which is showcased in Welcome to the Terrordome. Zirin combines acerbic wit, original insights (which is rare in sports journalism), a higher understanding of 20th century social history and an infallible drive to deliver "untouched" goods (partly allowed I suspect by the nature of the non-profit publishing company of the book). It's a breath of fresh air as his motives are only to inform and influence and not to sell anything or apologize for anyone.

The best part of Zirin of course is his ability to recognize and extrapolate on sports as a microcosm for important societal issues such as race, social and economic inequality. While I don't necessarily agree with all of Zirin's opinions, I found myself often putting the book down just to logically think through his positions and how they refute or support my own beliefs. I consider myself well versed in both sports history and social history yet I constantly was introduced to new events, people and history within the varied topics Zirin covers (Bonds, Olympics, Ali, Cycling, Clemente, etc.). To top it off Zirin has a great sense of sarcasm and I laughed out loud numerous times throughout.

This book is important because it has a potential to reach an audience not normally associated with higher-level intellectualism; namely sports fanatics. This is part of Zirin's overall argument in the sense that he criticizes modern sports athletes for not using their leverage to tackle social issues but are instead highly paid slaves of the corporate world.

Bottom Line: Full of energy and insight and should be read by anyone (including non-sports fan) who are interested in how the sports world is interconnected and related to various aspects of social justice. Genre defining.

I think THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO looks great. The author's style is filled with intimate details, and he's able to take me places I'll never get to go to.

Looking beyond tourist haunts, photojournalist explores inner beauties of Mexico's largely unexplored regions which contain some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. Wonderful color photographs and Spanish/English essays. -Pioneer Press

Al abrir las paginas relucientes de "La tierra salvaje de Mexico," se vera vislumbrado por la riqueza del tejido historico que caracteriza a Mexico. El libro es un rico contenido de templos de la cultura Maya, cara indegenas, ritos antiguos, pueblos, bosques y montanas virgenes. -La Onda

En THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO/La tierra salvaje de Mexico el fotoperiodista John Annerino captura a bellezo y el espiritu de la gente nativa y de la tierra salvaje que ellos habitan por medio de imagenes vivas e imponentes con texto en ingles y espanol. Viajamos a troves de seis regiones distintas de Mexico: las remotas selvas de Chiapas; las ruins maya de Quintana Roo; la Sierra Volcanica Transversal, una meseta hobitada que es la tercera mas alto del mundo; la Sierra Madre Occidental, el hogar legendario Canon de Cobre; la rica bioregion de Baja California, y el Desierto Sonorense, uno de los grandes desiertos del Nuevo Mundo. Aqui esta una evococion brillante de la gente y de los lugares en las areas de Mexico que son poco conocidos y rara vez visitodas. -La Casa del Libro

John Annerino's odyssey through Mexico is recounted in THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO, a photo book with extensive text in English and Spanish. Annerino skips the cities and concentrates on lesser-known areas. The scenery, of course, is a knockout, but Annerino's photos of the people are the ones you will remember. -Union-Tribune

This is a great book, covering just about everything you could hope to know about the first six seasons of the show. I really enjoyed the writing by Colucci and the actor/producer/director/guest star anecdotes. I don't care for the format of the book, though - the episodes are usually covered two-to-a page, in column format (yecch). Some of the interlude pages are kind of cheezy (i.e., there's a page listing all of Will & Grace's various boyfriends) and some of the pages with behind-the-scenes info (i.e., the decor used for Grace's office and Will & Grace's apartment) have a corny-looking layout. Hopefully by now this book has been expanded to include the last two seasons and the historic Finale, and the aftermath of this groundbreaking sitcom. Incidentally, "Will & Grace" was remarkably consistent - the first five seasons were consistently great. Season six slipped a bit, probably due to the writers having to work around Debra Messing's pregnancy, but Season 7 came back stronger than ever. The last season of most sitcoms is, predictably, never the best, but the earlier seasons more than make up for it. This book does capture the magic of Seasons 1-6. Thanks, Jim Colucci.

"Will & Grace: Fabulously Uncensored" is a must-have item for every fan of the now-defunct but forever-classic television program, but it will also be of interest to the casual reader who may be curious about the "behind-the-scenes" makings of a modern sitcom. This book is dense with anecdotes, factoids, and gossip; it outlines the fascinating history of the inception and casting of the show, along with exhaustive information on how the episodes are put together, from initial writer's conferences and cast readings, through rehearsals and show tapings, including furious last-minute script rewrites, and, at least in one instance, the firing of a guest star during the performance. I would offer, however, a few words of warning: the book only covers to the end of Season Six (a "W&G" quiz featured in the book's appendix contains a couple of incorrect answers due to further developments in Seasons Seven and Eight); and the proofreader for this tome should be shot -- I stopped counting typos and misspellings after I reached a dozen, and I wasn't even a third of the way through the book. The wary should, of course, be more concerned with the former than the latter, and I offer it only as a cautionary note to avoid undue disappointment. Otherwise I highly recommend this book to all!

This book is great for people who are obsessed with the show. The colorful (and I mean COLORFUL) pages are filled with photos, episode summaries (seasons 1 -6), cast and character bios (on minor characters as well), witty quotes and a lot of behind the scenes articles and tidbits. It makes a great coffee table book to pick up and flip through and relive the laughter.

What more can I say that hasn't already been said in these other 5 star reviews?

If you loved those crazy characters...you'll love the book. You'll learn fun tidbits & laugh as you recall your favorite moments from the show.

I bought this book not expecting much. Maybe a few pictures and a few words from the actors. I had the Friends magazine and it didn't do anything for me. I felt it was just something they put out there to make money and so didn't put a lot of content into it. But being a Will & Grace fan, I figured I must buy it just to complete my collection. Boy, was I wrong!! This provides you with a colorful history of the whole series. It contains a LOT of information. I am sooo glad I bought this! It is worth the price. If you are even a remotely a will & grace fan, you need to get this. You will thoroughly enjoy this!