Hockey Books

This guide is very helpful. I gives you hints, tricks and so forth. It is very easy to understand and I read it whenever I am losing in my season(I am the St.Louis Blues - go Blues! ). If you are already already good at this game it will make you a grand master. I am only average at the game at best.

I recently bought a Sega Dreamcast and NHL 2K. NHL2K is a very complicated game. I needed some help so I purchased this guide. It has improved my play dramatically. I am the best in my neighborhood and almost always win. A must buy for all those who need help with NHL2K

Prima's NHL strategy guide is the best NHL guide I have everread. It gives you cheats, tips and playing tactics. I would recomendyou all to buy it, that is of course if you have the game, if you don't buy the game as well...

it really taught you that he didnt have the best lif

This book was very good. It told about Wayne Gretzkys life, his stats and how great he really was. Thats why his nick name is the Great One. He set more than 61 records and has set untouchable ones. This is one of the best sport books ever made.

I thought this book was sweet.I liked it because it told me about his life and how he would play hockey with kids twice his age and still get goals.It said how he would win Stanley Cups and Art Ross trophys(a highest goal scorer of the year).Ialso liked it because it wasn't very long.

This is a really great book! It has helped me understand the science behind the game, in turn making me more aware of things that will make the game easier on my body and me more effective on the ice. I especially like that there is a whole chapter on goaltending, which can aide shooters in beating the goalie to the back of the net as well as the goaltender's skills. It was not an easy read if you don't want to sit in silence and focus entirely on reading the book. There is a lot of mental math if you care to truly understand the math. The author did a great job "dumbing" it up so non-physicists can understand.

Alain Haché's The Physics of Hockey an extremely interesting book. As fans, we watch NHL players do some pretty incredible things, but don't really understand how they do them. Mr Haché uses his tremendous knowledge of physics to explain "how hockey happens".

The book explains just about every imaginable aspect of ice hockey. It explains how the ice rink is created and maintained. It tells us why players skate the way they do, why goalies move the way they do, why the players manipulate their sticks in certain ways, why the bodily protection is needed and how it works and how the game generally proceeds.

Haché's style is quite readable, though the idea of applying physics to hockey seems on the surface to be dry. He clearly loves the game and that comes through in his writing. He is both a scientist and a player, and he skillfully combines both of these talents in one very well-written volume.

For a scientist the book is much more meaningful; however, the book has plenty to offer for non-technical hockey fans. The book mixes very technical analyses and diagrams demonstrating physical principles with very down-to-earth prose that general hockey fans should gain a lot from and really enjoy.

The book's one flaw is the way in which the content was organized. The book starts off with a lot of scientific content before moving into the down-to-earth, non-technical prose. In fact, the first topic treated, the physics of the ice itself, is so esoteric, that even I, an engineer, was almost discouraged from moving past it. I was glad I made it through.

If there's a second edition, I suggest that Haché revise the structure of the book. He should write a version that deals with the physics in a way that demonstrates principles without detailed equations and diagrams. Then he should complete each chapter or section with his more technical treatment of each topic, which the non-technical person can bypass without really losing anything in the translation.

The physics is mainly what is called "mechanics". It involves the forces on skates that propel the players and the effects of friction with the ice. It also explains the movement of a puck, both sliding on ice and soaring through the air, and the impact of players on each other or on the boards in body contact. Haché also discusses ice quality and how it affects the play, and how the design of hockey skates achieves maximum usefulness. We also learn how figure skates and speed skates differ from hockey skates.

The difficulty of getting a puck past a goalie is explained in diagrams showing the effective open area of the net, why a goalie moves as he does in order to minimize this area, and why his equipment is designed as it is. Lots of interesting statistics are presented, such as typical puck speeds, both in standard shooting and slap shots, skating speeds and acceleration rates, and sizes of hockey players as it affects their play. The explanation of how a Zamboni works and what ice maintenance is about in general is also extremely interesting.

The Physics of Hockey is an excellent book. Alain Haché's explanations are current (using many current NHL stars) and very interesting (most hockey fans really have no idea how everything happens on the ice from a scientific standpoint). This is a very engaging book for a technical person, but I think Haché missed an opportunity to achieve a broader appeal with a somewhat different organization of the material.

If you like ice hockey and got a B or better in high school physics (and you remember how it happened), this book is a must-have.

Alain Haché is an amateur-league goalie, and a professional physicist. His book analyses all aspects of the game, from the coefficient of friction of ice at different temperatures to the effects of air and gravity on a flying puck after a slapshot.

The book includes references to hockey biographies, medical and physiological papers, and player technique books like "Speed on Skates".

Some reviewers might fault the book for not explaining hockey with only physics; the author uses statistics (to explain witing and losing streaks), and geometry (to explain why goalies come out of the net) in his analysis.

Haché's explanations are well written, and as far as I can tell, technically correct. The author is a student of the game and his reference for it is obvious. For the math hobbyist or amateur physicist who is also interested in hockey, this is a fantastic book.

What Chris & Scott did was allow me to stroll down memory land; bring me back to my younger days growing up in Timmins. The heritage, the way of life. Wow! I am saddened that my 3 boys and daughter will miss out on 'The Rink'. For my peer group, our families were all poor. We had no money. 'The Rink' broke down ALL barriers. The Mahovolich's, Vail's, Lever's.Babando's, Hannigans's, Prentice's, Guidlon's and so on had no money,. But, when we went into 'The Rink', we were equal. And we excelled. 'The Rink' was a way of life. It transcened what living was all about; it really was a contradiction n terms as 'sociologists' would say. For so many of us it was like dying and going to heaven; nothing was wrong with it. When we walked in, the smell was distinct and sooooo familiar. We knew we were at 'home'! We felt secure. When we entered the dressing roomss, we were in a differnet 'mode', one that was somewhat esoteric. The smell of stinky, musty equipment within the sacred, hallowed dressing room was sooo sweet. As our collegues (players) filled in, the commaraderie (as Ken Dryden so poignantly points out in his book THE GAME) is instantly redefined from individuals to a 'team'. 'The Rink' allowed us to be many things to many people. We were more than players and 'they were more than 'fans'. In some respect it ('The Rink') was really the focal point of our lives during the winter months from October until April. If you are not from Northern Canada, this book means nothing to you. If you read it, there is no significance to you, no association. And if you're from the U.S. of A. reading this book is not esoterically confusing, you just won't understand it. IT was not written for people outside of Canada. The unfortunate thing ab out hte book is that it misses 'Rinks' that 'should've ' bee in it. however, we all know that the authors couldn't get all rinks in Canada. So be it. To Chris and Scott, excellent job.

Having just returned from a Canadian youth hocky tournament, it was easy to relate to the stories in the book. I felt I was experiencing the history of the rinks told about. Excellent book.

I believe this is one of the most enjoyable books i have ever read about hockey. I especially liked it because myself, and my hockey team, are spoken of in a section of the book. Cuthbert and Russell really capture the history and spirit of some of hockey's most famous institutions. A must-read for hockey players or fans.

This is a great book and a must for any hockey coach. Where else can you get the mind set of so many great coaches? The George Kingston section alone is priceless and I didnt even know who he was! This isnt a book on X's and O's. Its a book on motivation and leadership. Something that carries over into the "real" world....or at least anything outside of hockey.
I use the info in this book everyday

Highlights are George Kingston, Clare Drake, and Pat Quinn. Spend the $15-$20. Trust me

This book is a must read for the dedicated hockey coach. The 12 coaches interviewed (pro, semi-pro and college) offer their philosophies on "leading" people. The other reviewer is correct. This is not a guide to developing strategy. Rather, a very effective way to explore how you evaluate and develop players, how you create team, how you develop yourself as a coach with a vision, and how you implement the vision. This book is an honest examination by the most successful coaches of their successes, failures, the challenges of being a coach, leading players, and balancing work and life. If you approach coaching hockey as a "calling," to help improve young men and women, you will read and re-read this book constantly.

Good book. It's basically an interview process with all the coaches listed where they write the question asked followed by the response from the coach, with most of the questions being the same. There is little strategy discussed in the book which was the only disapointment I had. Other then that, it's fantastic for anyone in the coaching bussiness or in managenement. Some of the coaches don't go into great detail on things or give short answers, but I'd recommend it for an hockey lover.

I bought two of these books. One for my wife (and me too) and one for my best friend's familt that goes to San Jose Sharks games with us. My wife is already quoting things I didn't know. The other family loves it as well. Plus it's compact, so you can stick it in your back pocket and bring it to the game or have it on the coffee table next to the TV watching the game. Great book.

I bought this book for my 9-year old son who is really getting into hockey this year. This book is absolutely terrific and is a must have for the casual or the serious hockey fan.

I love this book and would give it to anyone who is interested in hockey.
I didn't really know much about hockey until this year when I decided to find out why my husband liked it so much, what's the big deal? The action is pretty exciting, althought I'm not into the fighting. So my husband gave me this book so I could look up all sorts of things about the game. What's a hat trick? or icing? There's a rink diagram showing what the different lines mean and areas on the ice. I even stumped my husband with some trivia about awards.
This book lives on my coffee table.

This book ranks with Ken Dryden's books, The Game and Home Game, and Jack Falla's Home Ice as being among the best hockey books I've read, and I've read a ton. Tropic of Hockey is equal parts travel journal (with visits to China, the United Arab Emirates, and Romania), hockey manifesto (weighing in on topics as diverse as the Hungarian invention of the blocker and Wendel Clark), and bawdy anecdote collection (particular highlights are Chinese bathrooms and hockey equipment adjustment). Dave Bidini manages to do all expertly and interchangeably, creating a book that's difficult to put down. The cover of my edition has a quote from Roy MacGregor, a dean of Canadian hockey writing, that calls Bidini, "The Bill Bryson of hockey writing," which is not only a good comparison, but a deserved compliment. Highly recommended for both hockey fans and people who enjoy entertaining non-fiction.

I was like Dave that got bored of hockey, his book was interesting and entertaining.
His writing style is probably not for all, but I enjoy it.
This is a man that truly admires the game, and although his hockey skills are not the top of the class, he certainly knows how to have people understand what he is looking for on his travels and the joys he gets from meeting people that also love the great game on ice.

Anyone who can't resist the chance to spend their free time packing a giant bag of stinking equipment and heading to a hockey rink at hours other people reserve for sleeping or partying can understand.
Dave Bidini finds the same love for hockey in China, Dubai, and Romania, from the beginners to the town favorites. I play hockey in Yokohama, and having travelled with the navy I've found myself hunting rinks in places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Bahrain, and Dubai. His descriptions of the ex-pats, the passionate beginners and intermediate players, the social interactions, and the contrasts and similarities and ups and downs is right on. Not only that, it's a funny, honest book.

Highly recommended for anyone who has forgotten the pure joy of learning the game, not to mention the value of basic facilities, equipment, and opportunity many take for granted.

well, I loved it. It's in a genre all to itself. Part history (told in a hockey metaphor :D), part reminiscence, part modern myth, part morality tale, part social/political/philosophical commentary, and a wild, passionate ride of a story. Absolutely brilliant :D I haven't watched hockey for years but I did love it once and this book rekindled that. The man has a passion for the game.

Any one who has the slightest interest in hockey should read this book. And anyone who likes a good trip really, the canoe voyage to Cardiff is a blast :D Don't miss it! And check out the Malazan Books if you have any interest in fantasy... He has redefined the genre IMO.

Steve Rune Lundin also writes - a lot more successfully - as Steve Erikson. The Malazan Book of the Fallen series.

Just a note.

If you are an old-time hockey fan, have ever had the pleasure of paddling a canoe in the wilderness, enjoy a good love story, and like your reading a bit off-the-beaten-path, check out Steve Lundin's new book, When She's Gone. He stirs up his own concoction of romance, magical realism and Canadian hockey history in an artful blend of true events (such as the demise of the professional hockey team in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), fantastic tall tales and the sojourns and adventures of two brothers, as they make their way in an eccentric, surreal world.

From Winnipeg? Must read.

Cheers,

/RJ

This is the first History book that I found interesting. Not only does it give you good information... but it shows different views on events in history.

I have yet to finish reading the entirety of this rather extensive piece on the history of America, but so far have found this book to not only hold my interest, but to provide a wealth of important, and often fascinating information. I think all Americans should read this book because it teaches about the true foundations of our country. Some facts may be difficult for some to accept, such as the atrocities committed against the Native Americans, among others, but nonetheless they need to be told. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who really wants to learn about how our country came to be what it is today.

this book made my love hockey even more and know more about the howe family and there lives and i live in mich and gordie in on of the most see people in ths town and state

I am not an avid reader, but this book kept me glued to every page. Gordie and Colleen Howe share many interesting stories of not only their life with hockey but also of their family. I recommend this book for everyone, especially hockey fans.