Leagues Books

I bought this book for my dad who is also the father of a Junior A hockey player in Montana. He LOVES this book- quotes from it and laughs so hard he can barely talk. Highly recommend this one!

There are some great stories, I was shocked coming from Johnstown,Pa how many references and quotes there were from former Chiefs and guys whose names I hadn't heard in years..truly could not put it down!

Excellent book. Well written, first-person account of life in the minors. Really enjoyed it. This is the first book I've ever read start to finish in one sitting. It ain't Shakesphere--and that's a good thing. I hate Shakesphere. This is an easy read, fun and enjoyable.

Roger Snow
Las Vegas

Doug and Adam do a wonderful job of bringing you into the world of minor league hockey thuggery. If you're a lover of the sport, regardless of whether you are a fan of the boys that drop the gloves, it's a must for your library.

I just finshed the book and wished Doug had played for more teams over the years so the story could continue. Doug comes across as a very likeable guy who happens to get his thrills by dropping the gloves with anyone who wants to go. Great insight into the workings of minor league hockey. The book's not expensive, it's easy to read, and very entertaining. Thanks for your memories, Doug!

I knew my infant son had a thyroid problem, my only problem was convincing the doctors there was a problem. This book is packet with great information and really got me up to speed on the thyroid. The only problem I had with the book was that there wasn't a section dedicated to pediatric thyroid problems and it doesn't list specific ranges for where the thyroid levels should be. Still this helped me do battle with the doctors and I got my son's treatment started.

I bought this book for my mother who had been diagnosed with thyroid problems. She was so relieved that outside of the quick treatment in the endocrinologist's office, she could, at her leisure, absorb the seriousness of her disease, be reassured she was not alone, and most of all that there were many others just like her ailing but with a road map to new health by truding the road to wellness together by following the ten steps in this book. With renewed determination, she is already onto step one and looking to step two.

My assistant pastor's wife gave me this book because she had noticed so many of the symptoms in me. When I did the self-assessment, my score was almost the maximum number of points. It blew me away! I took a list of symptoms to my doctor (a page long, single-spaced!). He refused to even read it. (No, I will never see him again if I have any choice.) My TSH test numbers were "within the normal range." He said he would give me zoloft or paxil, but under no circumstances would he give me anything else. The other HMO doctor I saw said the same thing (he was at least civil about it and didn't treat me like a total idiot though). So, I had to pay out of pocket money that I don't really have to see a doctor outside the HMO who specializes in thyroid treatment. As it turns out, this is the top book on his recommended reading list to patients. He looked at my symptoms and test numbers (which I had insisted on knowing from my previous doctor) and said, "Yeah, you definitely have low thyroid." Surprise, surprise! Kudos to the Shameses for spotlighting research the established medical system has chosen to ignore. This has been unbelieveably helpful to me! My only complaint is the heavy emphasis on eastern mysticism.

I have been diagnosed with hashimotos for over 12months now and have been buying, borrowing and reading every book I can get my hands on. This book is the best of all I have read. It very comprehensively covers blending traditional medical solutions with "alternative" therapies to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.

I have read many, many books on hypothyroidism including most of the ones rated as five stars by Amazon.com. This book was the most comprehensive and informative of all of the books I've read. If you're going to read one book, read this one. Not only does it discuss the thyroid and its complications and affect on all body systems, but it goes into detail about blood test levels, tests you should have, mind/body healing, a diet to follow, the level of vitamins and minerals we need on a daily basis, etc. I am the kind of person who needs and likes to have all of the information I can access to help myself. Although I have finally found a doctor that knows as much as me, - for years, I did not. Now my doctor and I share information.

If you have a thyroid problem, this book is well worth your time.

Let me begin by saying that Brian Jacques has my utmost respect. Having had the extreme pleasure of meeting him in person twice, I view him as both an amazingly talented author and a fantastic human being. I started reading his Redwall series when I was in middle school and eagerly picked up the Castaway series during my college years. I have never been disappointed with his uncanny ability for storytelling and creating memorable characters.

Upon finishing this book, I believe it is yet another triumph from Brian Jacques. But I have to admit I had a hard time getting fully interested in it from the very beginning. I even started and stopped the book twice over the last few years before just this last month getting the patience to get past the point I kept stopping at. I realized, upon the third try, that if I could just get past all the early action on the sea, that I would be fine. It's not that I dislike the descriptions and action on the ships - Jacques writes these scenes with extreme attention to detail and I appreciate that. But for some reason I just truly LOVE the village scenes where Ben and Ned meet characters that they help, befriend, and inevitably have to leave. It's more the human element that draws me to these stories and I think Jacques writes those elements flawlessly. Is there a better story of the true lasting power of a love and relationship between a boy and his dog than these? - I truly doubt it. I greatly love and admire the characters of Ben and Ned and my heart finds it easy to follow them on their journeys.

So once I hit "The Razan" section of the book, I flew through the rest of the pages quickly, reading both morning and night on the train, curious to see what would happen next. I just think, for me, it's more about the characters and their relationships and less about the action, although it is stimulating and Jacques paints a wonderful picture throughout the entire tale.

Overall, I still think I liked The Castaways of the Flying Dutchman better than The Angel's Command, but that doesn't take away from what is a very worthwhile series that Jacques has created, one that I am very excited to continue reading.

This awesome novel by Brian Jacques is one of the best ones yet. I had only thought that Brian Jacques was famous for his redwall books, but then when I studied him, I realized there was a lot more to Brian Jacques than I thought! I reccomend his books to people with lots of adventure and a moderate sense of humor!

From, JULIAN D. Wellsley, M.A.

This book is a great continuer of Castaways of the Flying Dutchman. Once again Ben and Ned are off to sea and this time with a kind,good-spirited,jolly captain. They are chased by pirates and privateers,attacked by ruthless bandits,and befriend a ruler. Together and with some friends they overcome these hardships and to spread good and kindness-on the angel's every command. This book is a real page turner. I could't put it down for hours. It's a real compliment to Brian Jaques's writing. Definitly a 5-star book.

I never read the first book in this series. I came across this book on a sale rack for two dollars and what a deal! Brian Jacques unique storytelling allows you to taste the sea waters and shiver from the cold of the mountains. The story take you from one edge of the world to the other. I have read some books from the Red Wall series and this one is just as exciting, if not more.

Overall, I enjoyed this book whole lot better then I enjoyed the first book of this series. At least this time, the story take place within the framework from the time when the Flying Dutchman got cursed. The story maintained it pacing better and it was more consistence. The characters proves to be somewhat interesting and relatively well thoughtout within the frame work of the book. While Brian Jacques' writing in this series appears to be less impressive then his Redwall series, I thought it was an interesting and somewhat entertaining reading material for the young and the old. Ben and Ned's interpersonal communication keep the story going and I am still not sure if their eternal youth is a curse or a blessing. What would it be like to be young, blond and good looking with a loyal and intelligent dog at your bare feet forever?? It may be the combination of both as they aged in years but not in body.

I did spot several of obvious mistakes in Angel's Command commited by Mr. Jacques. First, when Capt Teal was being threatened toward the end, he was threatened with a "guillotine", a name not used until the French Revolution and not a form of execution in France during the reign of Louis XIII. Second, Teal identified himself as being in "His Britannic Majesty" service, such terms were not used by Englishmen in service of Charles I. I should also mentioned that term "centimes" which was being haggled over at the gates wasn't used until Napoleonic period and five francs is more money then most French would see in a month back in 1620s. Proper term would be "sou" back then which was wortha bout 5 centimes.

Still, the book was entertaining to a point and I enjoyed it. Since this book proves to be a considerable improvement over the first one, I may hope that the third book in this series will also show improvement over the second one.

I'm doing my MBA and the marketing prof. wanted us to read this book. The only claim I can make about the book is, it is a little out-dated. Some of the companies given as examples are either not existing anymore, or are far from where there were in terms of what it is and what it is all about! The book came in exactly the same condition as it was said to be. Thank you Amazon as being the rescue team of our family :)

Helps provide a clear model for analyzing companies and developing corporate strategies. In many ways, it is a more accessible take on Porter's Competitive Strategy.

Treacy and Wiersema make the case that the value of a product or service to a customer can be categorized in terms of efficiency (eg. low cost, on-time delivery), innovation (eg. latest technology or fashion) and/or customer intimacy (eg. customized solutions). They go on to argue that delivering each kind of value requires a different organization and culture, and hence the most successful companies are those whose business strategy is focused on delivering a particular kind of value to the customers that appreciate it the most, while remaining competitive in other areas. The analysis is accompanied by case studies of AT&T Universal Card, Intel and Airborne Express. The core idea of the book is valuable and 200 pages is plenty to explore it in detail.

The book reemphasizes the importance of product or service leadership, customer intimacy, and operational excellence. Organizations willing to be "anything for a buck" will find they loose touch with their customers quickly as they thinly apply talent and resources to serve everyone averagely.

Unity of purpose is also essential; a successful firm must act together to consistently and successfully compete. The book is good reading for managers and marketing professionals that need to review their business focus and the alignment of tasks, processes and competencies supporting that focus. The book offers materials to be used in team exercises.

Best Marketing book I have ever read, I will keep this book forever. This is a must read for anyone in the marketing field. This book provides great examples along with real life examples.

Great story by a guy that wasted a lot of years not being himself to balance his high profile job. he went through lots of the same tribulation I did.

This is a heartfelt story that has not been told before -- a glimpse inside the world of major league baseball from the perspective of a perceptive and sensitive gay man. Billy writes with real passion about the sport he loves, the incredible pressure to excel, and the high personal price a gay man pays for remaining in the closet. He has a lot to say about the culture of professional sports, how players relate to each other both on and off the field, and what it takes to excel in a very demanding job. And for those who are not baseball fans, a useful glossary of baseball terms and slang is included at the back of the book.

I am not a baseball fan. I read a review of this book and there was just something that intrigued me about the story. I was prepared to be disappointed but, once I started, I couldn't stop turning the pages to see how all this was going to work out. Of course it was interesting to read Billy's take on the gay part of the story but, I think even with that removed from the picture, this is a moving story of a boy's dream and his struggles to achieve it. It certainly was a most pleasant sojourn into the baseball business and the life of a ballplayer.

GREAT story. I am not a sports fan, but couldn't put the book down once I started to read it.

I think Billy helps to prove that the stereotype that gay men are vain is wrong. Here is a man that could have any gay guy he wants and is more interested in love.

Having to miss his partner's funeral almost brought tears to my eyes. This story right there provides yet another reason as to why we need gya marriage in the US>

Billy Bean played for 3 major league baseball teams (the Dodgers, Tigers and Padres). He was never a star in the majors, but he had a decent career. Would Bean have a story to tell if he was not gay? Maybe, because it seems everyone writes an autobiography these days. This isn't just the story of a gay man. This is the story of a man struggling to discover who he really is.
Bean discusses his childhood, his high school playing days and his years in the minor leagues. While he progressed through life, he always seemed to feel as if something was missing or not quite right. Still he got married and thought he was living the 'right' life.
Eventually and painfully, Bean realized what he was and decided to act upon it, even though he was not ready to go public with everything. Tragically and much too quickly, his first meaningful gay relationship ended with his partner's death due to AIDS.
Bean's story of coping with this loss, while coming to terms with his sexuality is an engrossing story. You can feel Bean's pain. Gay or not, we all go through our own identity struggles. I guess that is one thing that makes Bean's book good. We can all relate to his struggles. Yet, on the other hand, I have no idea what he must have endured, but Bean paints a vivid and often painful picture of his journey. This makes the book a good read for all people.
I won't totally kill the ending, but I will say that it is uplifting and positive.

I love it. It's funny but yet serious. I was able to enjoy myself reading the book. NOthing boring. Everything is in detail.

I have become a football fanatic and this book is part of the reason! It's funny and informative and a good read all around.

This book really inspires me to try to get to know the game of football a little better. Every football season I feel like I should care more about the game to connect with my significant other. After reading this, I have the basic knowledge to start my own passion for football.

This is a fun look at football! Holly Robinson Peete uses such a converstational tone, it seems like she's talking directly to you. It is helpful to a novice football fan, but also enjoyable to someone who has logged in several hours on the couch on Saturday or Sunday.

I have watched football for years. I understand the basics but wanted to know more about intricacies of the game, such as play calling. This book does a pretty good job covering both the basics and the intricacies. It is a little sophomoric at times and definitely for women only. As in, "So and so has the nicest butt in a uniform." "The quarterback is the player who starts the play; you'll know the defense is on the field when the quarterback isn't." So Holly starts the lesson from the beginning--the VERY beginning.

I highly doubt there is an American male over the age of 10 who doesn't know who the quarterback is, but I imagine there are some women out there who have never watched a football game or never heard about a football game. These women I speak of are clearly NOT from Texas. Because, man or woman, you have to be in a coma to live in Texas and not know everything there is to know about football.

I could have done without the chapter on NFL wives (yawn, who cares), but this is a book marketed to women so fluff is to be expected. Be it out of jealousy (at least I am being honest) or disinterest, I have no desire to read about the trials and tribulations of being a rich NFL wife. I saw that chapter title and skipped straight to next chapter.

A few more graphics would have been nice to aid in understanding what she was explaining, but good job overall in covering the ins-and-outs of what is happening on the field from start to finish. Now when the announcers mention a "slant" or "play action" I know what they are talking about or can look it up. Great reference book to have on the coffee table during football season. I wish I had this book years ago.

Even if a mother is not going to use breastfeeding to space her children, the information contained in this book is invaluable. This is an amazing resource on breastfeeding and how God designed it to be. Kippley has truly opened my eyes to how backwards our society is with regards to what is considered "normal" for caring for a baby. She clearly explains the symbiotic relationship between mother and child in a way that lets me know my instincts have been right all along.

This book should be very popular today, with all the hype on organics, purity, and getting what is natural. This book gives clear instructions on how to go about natural family planning in the simplest, most natural way. Sheila Kippley is a woman who is proud to be a woman. She does not seek equality with men by trying to live like one, abandoning her children in the process. She knows that equality is not "sameness", but that the dignity of a woman elevates the entire society. What is more dignified than a good, selfless mother? What is more womanly? What is more powerful over the next generation?
If you are interested in finding the support and courage it takes to become a truly good and selfless mother, this is the book for you. Another book by Sheila that really fired me up with encouragement and peace was Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood; God's Plan for You and Your Baby. They both answer the question that sadly, needs to be asked in our society; What is a mother supposed to be?

Good book and very informative, but I found alot of references were based on religion which may put some people off. i.e. use this book to help space out your children, however accept any pregnancy as a miracle from God..etc... I also felt it guilted me a little that I would be de-bonding from my child by going back to work! However, if you move away from that and read the facts of the book - demand feeding, co-sleeping etc, it is very informative and has been useful. I'm still glad I bought it.

If you're not going to be around your baby nearly 24/7, don't bother buying this book. I just got it in the mail three days ago and have already read half of it, because for me it's something I'll really be able to do if I want. The "family bed" idea seems a little far out for our society, but the author does a good job of explaining its value. Also, I now understand why people I've talked to personally who mentioned they or someone they knew "exclusively" breastfed, but still became pregnant almost immediately. It's because "exclusive" breastfeeding isn't the same as what the author prescribes and calls "ecological" breastfeeding. Some of the ideas presented seem strange and even opposite of what you may have heard. For me, they were things that I happened to have an inkling about, because I had done a college research paper/presentation that focused on some of the variances in other cultures relating to touch. I also happened to learn how they actually potty-train infants and with considerable ease -if you're with the baby 24/7 that is. I don't know if this books talks about that at all, though I doubt it. Anyways, like I said, if you can be around the baby practically always then this will work. And unlike what you may think, it doesn't produce an unhealthy attachment but rather allows the baby to mature all the better because he doesn't lack a sense of security. Which was something highly notable I saw when I'd done my research paper. The biggest challenge that I foresee (for myself) is the attention cynics will naively give it, and not being able to fit back into my collection of bras and stuff -yeah, it's silly, but there's nothing else I can think to complain of. Too bad Victoria's Secret doesn't cater to those who are nursing, right? :D

There are so many myths out there about breastfeeding and fertility, and I find myself referring to this one quite a bit to clear it all up. I probably read this book with the opposite frame of mind of most of its readers. On a personal level, I've used it to learn more about trying to conceive while breastfeeding. Others who want to space children will learn great information. It's a shame that women in our society don't understand their bodies. This book sure helps.

JLA: THE NAIL is a 1998 Elseworlds offering. For those not in the know, DC's Elseworlds line, much like Marvel Comics' What If series, takes superheroes out of their mainstream continuity and tweaks them into a new context and into an alternative history. This allows comic book writers and artists the freedom to dream up dynamic (even disturbing) twists that the corporate high muck-a-mucks normally wouldn't condone with their established cash cow titles. JLA: THE NAIL tells of what the DC universe would be like if it had no Man of Steel in it.

JLA: THE NAIL posits that, on that fateful day Jonathan and Martha Kent would've chanced upon an alien infant in a rocketship, they instead suffer a flat tire, which forces them to stay home at their farm. Thus, there is no Clark Kent and no Superman. Cut to many years later now, and the Justice League of America is active in their superheroics. But this isn't a League looked on with favor and admiration by the average bloke, and even the League members tend to sharply bicker amongst themselves. Without Superman's inspirational impact on his fellow crimefighters and, especially, on the general public, metahumans are perceived as untrustworthy and dangerous. There's even a rumor floating around that metahumans are actually alien invaders in disguise.

Then a fatal incident involving Batman enflames the public's xenophobia to a boiling point, and the capes find themselves struggling for their very liberty and lives. Acting on the gnawing suspicion that someone is manipulating events and triggering the fear and unrest amongst the populace, the Justice League desperately investigate. But there are serious losses and repercussions to be shouldered. And when the shadowy culprit is at last unmasked, it turns out that the League seriously lacks the might and wherewithal to even put up a credible resistance.

It's gotten to the point now that every time I see the names of Alan Davis and his longtime inker Mark Farmer on a title, I just shell out the money. Davis's track record has been exemplary, going back to his Captain Britain and Marvelman days. With Farmer, he produced amazing illustrations on EXCALIBUR and, most recently, on Fantastic Four: The End. So, yes, I'm sold on these two not only as artists but as storytellers. JLA: THE NAIL, compiling the 3 issue limited series in one trade paperback, showcases this team's reliably polished, jawdropping art, as well as one hell of an interesting story.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the world is a far better place with a Superman watching over it. In Superman's absence Alan Davis unveils a grimmer, more cynical, more perilous world, with the lunatics that much closer to running the asylum. Speaking of nutjobs, Joker plays an instrumental part in making things take a turn for the worse for our heroes. In this darker reality, Luthor has amassed massive political influence and receives full support from Perry White and Jimmy Olsen.

I would've said that Alan Davis goes wild with this concept, if I haven't already read his sequel Justice League of America: Another Nail (Elseworlds) (in which Davis gets cosmic and goes really ballistic). As it is, with this one, he throws a lot of stuff at you but keeps it from getting too confusing. The pace is relentless, with several story arcs going on simultaneously. The current JLA lineup comprises of the Martian Manhunter, the Atom, the Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), the Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Hawkwoman. These superfolks are exquisitely visually rendered, with Alan Davis indulging in spectacular splash pages for each JLA member. Character-wise, Davis doesn't try to do anything revolutionary, doesn't stray too far from the mold, although Green Arrow is now more bitter and Batman more tortured and driven (there are extenuating circumstances). We also see an angry Hawkwoman more in line with the JLA animated series version. Sorry to say I find Aquaman, the Atom, and Hal Jordan to be still somewhat boring characters. However, the Flash versus Amazo sequence is sure to elicit cheers from the Flash supporters.

But Davis doesn't stop with the JLA. He introduces plenty of guest stars, other superhero groups and various supernatural and near-immortal entities. On the more mortal side, Catwoman and the Kents (sans Clark) also have prominent supporting roles. The main villain was quite a surprise (I'm still not sure if I'm disappointed or not). On the other hand, I did have a glimmer of how the day was probably gonna be saved. Overall, JLA: THE NAIL is a ridiculously satisfying comic book read, and, if you know your DC history, there's even a pretty interesting 7-paged afterword by Alan Davis. Davis and Mark Farmer once again demonstrate that they make a formidable storytelling team. So if you happen to see their names on some title you've never heard of, just go ahead and shell out the money. It'll be the best bunch of dollars you'll spend that month.

An alternative history of long-standing superhero team the Justice League of America. Bits of rather stilted dialogue notwithstanding, you should enjoy the story and art in this volume.

This is an Elseworlds story about the Justice League of America, it looks at what would have happened when a car tyre puncture stops the Kent family from finding the baby Superman.

Without Superman around the environment the heroes have to operate in is a lot tougher on them politically.

I just read The Nail and Iwas extremely happy that I bought it. THe silver age is my favorite era of comics and Alan not only wrote them believably well but drew them well too. the last time I saw work this good was mhis work on batman and the outsiders

This DC Comics/Elseworlds graphic novel is a thorough tale of the JLI without Superman. Alan Davis did a excellent work making the established DC characters in their altered forms, like Green Arrow severely crippled, Hawkwoman(in a truly cool Hawk costume)now a widow, Robin and Batgirl murdered by the Joker in front of The Batman and Jimmy Olsen(Superman's Pal in the Current DCU)as the main villain. The Nail is beyond a shadow of a doubt the best JLI graphic novel I ever read in a while.

This is a vital book if one is a serious baseball fan. It has all the key (and not so key) stats from every season of big league ball. It also has team histories, greatest player profiles, and an overview of the game's history by John Thorn. So yes, I recommend this. However....
The editors made a decision to revert to the 1876 and 1887 scoring methods. (In 1876 walks were outs; In 1887, they were hits). So Tip O'Neill is now listed as having the best batting average ever (.492 in 1887).
While I disagree, I could respect the decision if it were consistent. However, the editors themselves can't even agree. In the Braves' team history, it says that Hugh Duffy's .440 mark in 1894 is the best average ever. This completely contradicts the book's listing of all-time top averages.
Furthermore, saves did not become a stat until 1969, so if Thorn & Co. were serious about going with how things were scored in a certain year, there would be no saves listed before that season.
Finally, if it is revealed that batting averages from a given year were in error, the correct totals are listed instead. But (and this is just plain nuts), if the correct totals result in a change to the batting champion, they list the person with the lower average first! For instance, for the year of the Cobb/Lajoie controversy, it lists the batting leaders as:
Cobb .383
Lajoie .384
Total Baseball recognizes that Paul Hines led the NL in average, home runs and RBI the same year. Yet it refuses to list him as a Triple Crown winner because that year it was erroneously believed he did not lead the league in average! Such silliness is not in keeping with an otherwise excellent reference.

This is the Holy Writ of baseball's statistical gurus. The problem is that they ohly update about every other year. As the "OFFICIAL" tome of MLB, the least they could do is release an update after each season.

This book rates every player against his own and other eras. The highest ranked player NOT in the Hall of Fame is the great Cubs shortstop Bill Dahlen.

That said, 2002 is the year, Cub fans. The ghost of Bill Dahlen is back, looking like Alex Gonzalez! Play Ball!

This is without a doubt the best baseball reference book you can buy until the next edition is published. It's got the statistics of every player from every season from 1871 to 2000, as well as a number of excellent essays about the history of the game and those who played it. Those essays are enjoyable and informative, as are the world series and playoff accounts and the awards register, but the real triumph of the tome is the player register, pitcher register, annual record, and all-time leaders sections. This is where the hot stove beauty of baseball meets its ultimate argument settler. And even given its ultimate status, there remain some arguments that evolve from its numbers. Did Cap Anson win the NL's batting title in 1887 with his .421 average (counting walks as hits), or did Sam Thompson have the NL's best batting average at .472 (not counting walks as hits). As of this edition, John Thorn and Pete Palmer say that Anson won the batting title and had the best batting average. In all previous editions they stated that Thompson deserved these honours. Their argument in this edition is that Anson won the batting title fairly by the rules of the day and that it is not for us to take away this crown retroactively. In this they are correct, but they have gone too far. While Anson cannot justifiably be stripped of his batting title, it is obvious that the NL's best batting average in 1887 belonged to Sam Thompson. Similarly, while Abner Dalrymple may have won the NL's batting title by the rules of the day in 1878 with his .354 average, it is obvious that Paul Hines had the higher batting average at .358. Dalrymple cannot have his title stripped from him, but we should acknowledge that Hines had the higher batting average. Ultimately, while good-intentioned, Thorn and Palmer's decision obscures - instead of clarifying - the historical record. In fact, they are not even consistent with their application of the decision. They state in the glossary (and I think elsewhere) that in some of professional baseball's early years pitchers were awarded an assist for strikeouts (unlike the current practice). However, they have decided that they will not follow this practice despite the fact that their decision regarding batting averages in 1876 and 1887 necessitates that they do so. Quite frankly, I'm glad that they do not, because doing so would only similarly muddify the historical record. I fear that the reason for the decision stems from the status of "Total Baseball" as the Official Encyclopaedia of Major League Baseball. As a result, they are hamstrung by the decisions rendered by the chowderheads who have run Major League Baseball since its formation. This means that they follow Major League Baseball's hysterically ludicrous decision not to consider the National Association (1871-1875) a major league, despite the fact that they admit that it should in fact be considered as such. Also, I would like to see the players and teams and seasons of the International Association (1877-1878) included in the registers. It was not a minor league, as even this book sporadically attests, although Bob Hoie does acknowledge that fact in the first paragraph of his fine essay about the minor leagues. This league saw itself as being in direct competition with the National League, despite having the flawed structure that doomed the National Association. As such, it should be viewed as a major league, regardless of what Major League Baseball would erroneously have us believe. This would place baseball's first major league African-American ballplayer forward by six years to Bud Fowler's appearances for the Lynn (Massachusetts) Live Oaks in 1878, and would put the first pennant outside of the United States ahead by 115 years to the London (Ontario) Tecumsehs of 1877.

Also, I must take umbrage at the decision to arbitrarily devalue the performances of players in the Union Association and Federal League. Their arguments are impeccable but irrelevant. Even if these leagues were inferior, they were still major leagues and their games counted for just as much as did those of the National League, American Association, and American League. If they take this stand, why not also devalue the National League and American Association of 1890, or the NL and AL of 1942-1944. These leagues also had inferior talent; why not arbitrarily devalue them as well?

I am very disappointed by the lack of an all-inclusive fielding register, and the lack of pitcher batting, but I do understand that the economics of space must be acceded to. Nevertheless, it would be nice if Thorn and Palmer would provide us with a website from which we could access this data (sort of an unpublished appendix). I don't ask that they place the entire record online, but for the sake of 'total'-ness I do ask that they make the information accessible for those of us who need to know that Joaquin Andujar had 32 strikeouts in his 57 at bats of 1979, while turning two double plays in that same year.

Complaints aside, this is an excellent book that is truly magnificent. I don't envy Thorn and Palmer in their task of trying to please millions of baseball fans who demand nothing short of perfection. As with umpires, we demand that Thorn and Palmer be perfect, and then we expect them to continue to improve. Amazingly, they somehow manage to do so.

If you're a baseball stats junky (like me), how can this not be the perfect book?

They decided to add a whole bunch of hokey stats, while leaving out some of the vital one's. Come on guys..."adjusted" batting averages instead of pinch hitting stats? A seperate section for (incomplete) post-season stats, rather than listing them with regular season stats?

Let's bet back to basics and skip the nonsense!

Total Baseball is definitely a must for every baseball fan, from hardcore to casual. And it can be a gateway for many who haven't enjoyed the blessings of this beautiful game. There's everything you need to know: from team histories, great essays on the Negro Leagues. There's stuff for the stat nut as well: from sabermetrics to a handy guide on how to score a game, some insights on Women and Baseball, and of course, the hefty, precise and so accurate register of every player in Major League history. There's even a chapter on International Baseball results, that suprisingly, does NOT include the champions of the Venezuelan League, and does have the Dominican and Mexican team champions. Anyway, all in all, if you love baseball or simply you want to understand baseball, this book is for you.

It's difficult to understand how this genocide could happen without first understanding the deeply ingrained anti-Semiticsm and racial jealousy that preceded it. This book helps to illustrate that and more.

Some revisionists point to Nazi film footage of Jews wearing yellow stars playing music, eating and dancing. They say this proves that the holocaust is a hoax. In this book one can see the bitter irony of how a people of honor and humanity can kill their own brethren by day and sing and dance by night - all while in captivity, under the watchful eyes of guards who can strike them down at any moment. It's so insane that it's a challenge to explain and and comprehend and yet the book manages to capture it.

This book is also a study of humanity - from the irrational desire to survive at all costs, to the strong human characteristic of organization. Humans organized to build the pyramids, humans organized to implement the Final Solution, and humans organized the revolt at Treblinka. I'm awestruck by their courage.

Any disbeliever in the Holocaust needs to began their re-education by reading this unique book. This is the finest book on the dark side of human nature and man's inhumanity to man. This demonstrates what happens when the majority turns their heads and rationalizes that what is happening to their neighbors is not their concern. Not recommended for children, but I gave this to my 15 year old granddaughter who is doing a special project in high school on the Holocaust including a visit this summer to several death camps in Eastern Europe including Treblinka.

The following review is based on the original (1967) edition. The book begins with accounts of the mass shootings of Jews by the Germans at Ponary Woods near Vilnius (Wilno, Vilna).

Common themes in this novel-like book are "Jewish passivity", affirmations and denials of faith in God, and preparations for the daring revolt. Steiner estimates that the bodies of the 700,000 murdered Treblinka Jews, prior to cremation, occupied 90,000 cubic yards and weighed 35,000 tons (p. 282). This means that the average body occupied 3.47 cubic feet and weighted 110.25 pounds.

A major factor behind "Jewish passivity" had been the deeply-ingrained pro-German orientation of most Jews. Steiner comments: "Even more than Polish Jews, they [the German Jews] had still refused to accept the reality of extermination. On this subject Ringelblum noted in his journal that the first deportees from the Warsaw ghetto referred to Hitler as unser Fuhrer. This terrible blindness lasted to the threshold of the gas chambers." (p. 164). Further east, the following was the attitude of Polish Jews living in a village near Bialystok: "At the beginning of the German occupation no one had been worried, and if it had not been for the obligation to wear a yellow star on the chest and the left shoulder, it would have been possible to believe that life would go on as it had in the past, with its great poverty, its small satisfactions, and the immense joy of Sabbath evenings." (p. 195). The foregoing adds refutation to the claim that the massive Jewish-Communist collaboration, in Soviet-conquered eastern Poland, had been motivated by Jewish fears of Nazi extermination. It is obvious that, back in 1939-1940, few Polish Jews had such fears.

Steiner touches on various issues related to prewar Polish-Jewish relations. She cites the experience of Adolf Friedman, who considered himself a "Pole of Mosaic persuasion": "He had belonged to that minority of middle-class Jews who had believed that assimilation was possible at the time of the Constitution of 1919, which made the Jews almost full-fledged citizens for the first time in the history of Poland." (p. 102)

Polish nationalists have at times accused Jews of shirking military service. Steiner confirms the validity of this accusation when she discusses its implication for the impending Treblinka revolt, albeit with the following spin: "...few Jews knew how to use a weapon. Treated as second-class citizens, massacred from time to time during pogroms, openly despised by all `good Poles', most Jews had tried, often successfully, to avoid military service. The majority had no military training." (p. 157). This also confirms the reason for relatively few Jews being admitted to the AK.

Most Holocaust materials tacitly assume that Poles were responsible for most if not all of the killings of fugitive Jews, but Steiner doesn't. After suggesting that 40 of the Treblinka escapees survived until the arrival of the Red Army (historian Yitzhak Arad estimates 70), she comments: "The others had been killed in the course of that year by Polish peasants, partisans of the Armia Krajowa [AK], Ukrainian fascist bands, deserters from the Wehrmacht, the Gestapo, and special units of the German army." (p. 335). In view of the fact that Germans and Ukrainians were incomparably more prone to kill Jews than were the Poles, this takes on further significance.

I am no holocaust historian so I cannot comment on the book being fact or fiction. The book is, however, a VERY compelling read. I literally had trouble putting this down. The writing is very vivid and it is a extremely thought provoking book.

This is a good novel, in the strictest sense. I understand it was written in the 60s, probably before or after the Treblinka trials of the 60s, but there are many inaccuracies in this book, something that has also been said by survivors like Richard Glazar and even former SS man Franz Suchomel. Ive studied this particular area of the holocaust, that is, the Operation Reinhard camps, for many years, as there is still little info o the subject, especially compared with Auschwitz/Birkenau. SS men Kurt Franz (nicknamed Lalka, meaning Doll in Polish) and Kuttner, nicknamed Kiwe by the inmates of Treblinka, are the main SS men in the story. But it wasnt Kuttner that got the name of the Angel Of Death, that was reserved for August Miete of the SS. The book does mention, of course, the murder of SS man Max Biala by a prisoner named Berliner. The book, as a novel, is good in and of itself, i just wish these novelists didnt feel the need to make up things when the truth was just as shocking, if not more shocking. I could give many examples but it would take too long. It seems the author of this book kind of had composite characters of the SS, such as calling Kuttner the Angel Of Death when that was not the case, though Kuttner was terrible in his own right. There is no mention of SS men like Hirthreiter, Willi Mentz (the gunman of Treblinka who often worked in the "filed hospital" of the camp, where some new arrivals and prisoners themselved would be shot above a pit that was almost kept lit with the help of sulfur and similar things. If you want the best accounts of the Treblinka experience, i recommend Richard Glazar's book "Trap With a Green Fence" and Samuel Willenburg's account titled "Surviving Treblinka", and the book Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka, published by Indiana University. There is also the book "The Death Camp Treblinka" by Alexander Donat, which has many firsthand accounts of what when on in that place of carnage. It is not the easiest book to find, i foind it at a library years ago and i just found a copy on here that was going for nearly 200 dollars, but i will get it as soon as i get the funds. Anyway, this is a good NOVEL, as we dont know many of the dialogues that took place in the camp during lights out after a day of sorting clothes and witnessing innocents being chased down the "Road to Heaven", the fenced path that led to the building containing the gas chambers which were equipped with carbon monoxide to brutally murder those shoved in the chambers...i guess i could recommend this book, as it is good in and of itself as a novel, but there are way too many inaccracies when looking at it from a historical point of view as I do. Perhaps worst of all was the misrepresentation of some of those who perished in the camp, and who have no way of defending themselves. Get Glazar's Trap With A Green Fence and Willenburg's Surviving Treblinka, then get even more deep with books like Donat's "The Death Camp Treblinka". And Gitta Sereny's book "Into that Darkness", featuring interviews from survivors and former SS men in treblinka, most notably Franz Stangl and Franz Suchomel, and the interviews play off each other, just to confirm things that may or may not have happened in Treblinka, especially with things that these individual SS men had done or not done. But this novel Treblinka is good, i suppose, for beginners to get an understanding of the place, but there are more and better accounts of what REALLY happened in Treblinka...so there is my 2 cents. But just remember that some survivors were offended by this book, as if it were manipulated a bit. But, nonetheless, it is a good read, and once you research other aspects, you can yourself correct the inaccuricies of this book should you read it again, as I have done.