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This book is a great read for anyone who is a student of life, not just of a martial art. It is philosophical, historical, and somewhat autobiographical in nature, and its lessons can apply to everyday life. I found the short chapter entitled "YU" or "Bravery" particularly relevant and moving to me personally.

Peter writes that "There is a grace, a depth and a character to the movement of the expert, akin to the fit of a well-broken pair of boots." Peter personifies this. He seems to glide gracefully through life. He is always the gentleman; always the master willing to lend his hand and expertise to the willing and eager student. At times, even in his own well-worn pair of boots! It is an honor to know a man of his character.

This collection of short stories is very philosophical and eclectic spanning a wide range of topics that all have to do with personal growth. The story Ihtaram: A Civil Code takes place takes decades ago on the Arabian Peninsula. The author incorporates Bushido principles as he tells of a good host allowing a murder to happen rather than violate the code of hospitality. The point of this extreme story is to show that the host chose to find resolution by working within the mandated code. I don't exactly agree with this viewpoint but the story was intriguing. I also loved the calligraphy and the quotations.

....ask those who have gone before. Sometimes, I struggle to blend eastern thought with everyday western living. Peter Hobart helps by taking years of experience and distilling it down to an essence over a few pages. Pick out either an idea or concept listed, and gain a new thought (or revisit an old one semi forgotten) to work on. Not just for the martial artist, also for those who wish to live, rather then exist.
The chapters may be thin, so what?! Never say in 300 words what can be said in 30.So, if you are wanting to stetch your mind, or just want a degree of clarity in everyday living, then perhaps this is the book for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Kishido: The Way of the Western Warrior" by Peter Hobart. The book can be read pretty quickly. It contains 50 short chapters in 161 pages and then includes a short Glossary of Japanese terms used in the book as well. While the chapters are short, the contain some very important lessons.

The book is a series of lessons that Hobart's martial art master passed to his students while not only teaching martial arts, but teaching virtues embedded in all traditional martial ways. The instructor taught through example that conduct is just as important as ability. He exemplified integrity, dignity, courtesy, chivalry, truth, trust, benevolence, and wisdom. He passed these lessons to his students, and now Hobart has written them down so the reader can blend the philosophical and spiritual concepts found in martial arts with the physical and technical training of their specific art.

The lessons include:

Part I: Foundation

1. Kishido The Way of the Western Warrior
2. Bumon Lineage
3. Shoshin An Open Mind
4. Junshin A Pure Heart
5. Fudoshin A Determined Spirit
6. Ihtaram A Civil Code
7. Enkyoku The Winding Way
8. Ganshiki Insight
9. Discretio Mater Virtutis Restraint
10. Noblesse Oblige Obligation

Part II: Range

1. Bangei Versatility
2. Bunbuichi Sword and Brush
3. Bokuden, Ima Anachronism?
4. Koji The Master Texts
5. Nihongo The Lingua Franca
6. Shika, Doka, Renga Expression
7. Heiho Strategy
8. Koan Mumonkan
9. Kanpo Healing
10. Garyotensei The Eyes of the Dragon

Part III: Strategy

1. Yohei Mercenaries and Merchants
2. Gi Right Decision
3. Yu Bravery
4. Jin Benevolence
5. Rei Right Action
6. Makoto Truth
7. Meiyo A Matter of Honor
8. Chugi Loyalty
9. Ichigo, Ichie The Power of One
10. Hanare Time to Let Go

Part IV: Harmony

1. The Dao Interconnectedness
2. Docere Versus Ducere Instructors and Educators
3. Primum Est Non Nocere First Do No Harm
4. Chaqun A Son Gout Horses for Courses
5. Shojin Demagogues and Curmudgeons
6. Stare Decisis Tradition
7. Girei Professional Courtesy
8. Kiki Opportunity
9. Kouhei No One is Above the Law
10. Tatsutoriatowonigosazu Leave Things a Little Better Than You Found Them

Part V: Void

1. Kotan Elegant Simplicity
2. Heisei Serenity
3. Fuga Refinement
4. Enryo Reserve
5. Panache A White Plume
6. Gyakute The Unexpected
7. Hokosaki Advance and Be Recognized!
8. Okunote The Other Hand
9. Matsunen The Final Days
10. Renzoku Passing the Torch


As you can see, there are quite a few topics with quite a range of lessons. I think some of the most important are illustrated in the final chapter, those of gi, yu, jin, rei, makoto, meiyo, and chugi; or Right Decision, Bravery, Benevolence, Right Action, Truth, Honor, and Loyalty.

The book is full of stories and examples of how the master not only taught the lessons, but lived them as well. I'll say again, you can read through this book quite quickly, but it will mean more if you savor each lesson and look to see if you are applying it to your own life. I know I related many of the lessons to teachings that I've had from my instructors and I looked for ways that I could better live by the code outlined in this book to make me a better teacher as well. I hope to be an example of these traits to my students also, and I truly believe if you are going to teach someone skills that can hurt or kill someone, you must also instill the positive character traits so that person will only use those skills if necessary and will never misuse the teachings.

I highly recommend this book. I believe the teachings Hobart has shared from the wise master will enhance your own martial art journey.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice.

Kishido: The Way of the Western Warrior
I've been studying martial arts for over 35 years (karate, aikido, iaido, and tai chi), and I'm also an amateur historian. Along the Way I've read a good deal (in translation largely) about budo and the historical contexts in which it evolved.

Recently I went in search of books to give as gifts to some of my students, and largely based on reviews at Amazon I picked 'Kishido'. However, to assure that it was 'worthy' for my purposes, I read it before presenting it. I could barely put this book down until I finished it. I've found little else that I've read that has touched me so profoundly and captured the essence of the martial arts, including autobiographies of the masters of the past century.

Not only did I present this to my students, I've now shared it with my peers and teachers, as well as added it to my library. This is one book I'll read more than once, and I highly recommend it to anyone who shares my love of budo.

Whether it is posters, shadow boxes or running for student council, my kids always seem to have "projects" to do for school. This book has been great for inspiring them to come up with creative ideas for the titles. When making the project is fun, they spend a lot more time working on it and can't wait to get to school to show off their masterpiece!

I used this book for my church group girls ages 8-12. They loved trying out the different types of lettering for the cards they send to shut ins. The stencils were great for the younger ones, but the older ones wanted to try it all on their own and came up with some really unique looking cards. I was able to run copies of the pages and pass them around as there are 30 of them. Letters were also able to traced. This would also make a great gift for girls in that age group.

I JUST LOVE KLUTZ BOOKS. THEY ARE FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY, KIDS AND ADULTS ALIKE!
THIS BOOK IS NO EXCEPTION TO THE RULE!
GREAT FUN TO ADD TO CRAFT PROJECTS AND EVEN MAKES SCHOOL PROJECTS AND PRESENTATIONS FUN!
THANK YOU KLUTZ!!!

My daughter loves this book. It kept her busy for hours when she first got it. Now she refers to it for card and sign making. I do too. Nice birthday gift for 7-11 year olds

Have you ever been faced with the prospect of making a poster, greeting card, scrapbook -- any creative project that required lettering? All the rest seems like a piece of cake, until you get to the daunting part of adding the words!

Fear no more, budding artists! The answers to all your lettering problems are here in this amazing little book by Klutz. You'll learn how to do different styles of lettering, how to color it, shade it, make it funky and fun!

I can't imagine any kid or adult that wouldn' enjoy having this educational tool on hand. It's sturdily put together with a spiral binding, making it easy to handle while creating your masterpieces. It also includes a set of colored pencils -- quite a bargain! There are 5 pages of stencils, but I believe that you will soon progress beyond using them.

You will love this book!

This is one of the books I will be reading more than once. I have read a few books on horsemanship and frankly I ended up choking a bit on all the different techniques and advices. Mark Rashid has the ability to let the reader learn for himself and to show us that the horses hold great power as friends and teachers. The storytelling form makes it easy and entertaining to read but gives very little explicit guidlines to the practical work with horses. In stead it offers an opportunity to look into his own way of being with and learning from the horses.

If you have ever had that special once in a lifetime horse you will relate totally to this book. I sure know I did.

It is A good book to read whether you are into horse or not. It is more of a self help book than training. Worth reading for anyone. Good book on communication between your horse and you.

I am not good at reviewing books, but I will say that if you had a six star rating instead of just five, I would definitely give it a six.
Anyone who is fond of horses or has ridden and/or worked with horses would love this book written by a totally likeable man who looks at training, riding, working and just being buddies from the horse's point of view. This book shows great understanding of the subject. Mark's writing is easy, compassionate, humorous and you just hate it when the book ends. From now on I will buy any book written by Mark Rashid. (TOLD you I was not good at writing reviews)!

a book showing that there is a lot to be learned from our horse if we only care to listen to him/her.

Although I have never been to Charlotte Motor Speedway, after reading this book I felt as if I had.

and now I feel like I could drive it. This is the book that lays it all out in a logical order, explains the terms, the rules and the strategies while taking you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Will the car qualify for the race? You can feel the tension because for that week Huler lived it. This isn't a book full of old stories that drivers told a writer - this is an observation, full of detail - it's good old particaptory journalism like Plimpton wrote, talking to (and about) everyone from the owners and spnsors to the fans and the scalpers. What a great book!

I'd never heard of NASCAR, never wanted to know anything about it. But when I heard a short reading by Huler (the writer) from this book, I had to buy/read it. His writing could be on any topic: ice, dirt, race cars... it's just facinating in an accessable, fun, fast read. I'll read anything he writes now, and gain an appreciation of worlds I never knew. Great read. I just may join the 200,000 on site NASCAR fans next year because of it!

If you want to read one book about NASCAR, I recommend this one. Not because it's a hand-holding introduction, but because it's the best. It just does such a great job describing so many aspects of NASCAR. The organizing principle of the book is to examine a week in the life of Kenny Wallace's Square D Racing Team, but along the way, the author looks at NASCAR's personalities, history, technology, tracks, and fans. Huler has a real flair for description, and a genuine but not fawning affection for the sport.

I've also read Shaun Assael's "Wide Open" and Paul Hemphill's "Wheels," which are similar in many ways but to my mind are both inferior. Assael's book seemed flat compared to Huler's, though fans of Dave Marcis and Bobby Hamilton may enjoy the coverage that those drivers receive in "Wide Open." Hemphill's book spent a lot of time on a thesis that I soon found repetitively handled: NASCAR was once the province of the Southern working man but is now corporate entertainment. Both Assael and Hemphill follow NASCAR for a whole season and seem to get bored with it. Huler stays focused on a shorter timespan to much better effect.

I've read some more technical approaches to NASCAR as well, and found that Huler almost always snuck the information in those books into "A Little Bit Sideways."

Although I find this the best introduction to NASCAR because it's so engaging to read and so comprehensive in the bargain, those who are interested in learning more about NASCAR might also try "NASCAR for Dummies" by Mark "Awesome!" Martin and Juliet Macur. That book lacks Huler's style and story-line, but it does have a lot of interesting information about NASCAR, including some tidbits on strategy and technology that I haven't seen elsewhere.

I lived in the South all my life, always aware of NASCAR, watching races every now and then. Even so, I haven't tuned into to a NASCAR race in probably 25 years. Because of this book, I will when the next season starts.

One can truly begin to understand the mystique of NASCAR after reading A Little Bit Sideways. Scott Huler's obvious love for the material really shines through. His writing transforms what, in lesser hands, could have been a dry and boring recitation of minute details into an interesting and compelling human interest story.

Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Sifu Starr's book is an experience suitable for any martial art practioner. His vivid descriptions of training, when a youth with W.C.Chen are very special. I await the release of his next writing.

I had the good fortune to train under Sifu Starr for a couple of years in the early 90's before time and circumstance took my life in other directions. From personal experience, I can attest both to his great skill as a martial artist and healer, and to his teaching presence in the dojo. I will always remember him with great fondness and respect, which is odd when you consider that he spent most of my time in his school kicking my butt with old school traditional kung fu training protocols. I think that is what the Zen tradition calls "grandfatherly kindness" - where a lot of martial arts diploma mills just put you through the motions and handed you your black belt, Sifu Starr assumed that you were worth the investing the time and effort to really TRAIN.

This book brings back a lot of memories from that time; it is very much written in Mr. Starr's "voice", and it showcases his wry humor, zest for life and training, and his larger than life personality. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in what really goes into the training of a real martial artist. I also hope that the book brings Sifu Starr some of the recognition and acclaim he deserves after a long, distinguished career.

Pete reminded me that it has been over 38 years we have know each other, and I stand corrected. On the third reading of the book I began to remember myself as one of Pete's students and how he taught us with the nearly same mannerisms of his teacher. I having no experience then in the arts, learned not only the physical rigors of the training but of the philosophical aspects as well. What age has taken from me, the knowledge still remains strong .

Now it has been almost 40 years later and I still can visualize the teachings, both mental, spirtual as well as physical. This book is valuable for the stylist as well as a parent wishing to know how to work with or understand their teenagers. The method and learning is the same nurturing Chen gave to Pete, and Pete sharing it with us.

I gave a copy of it to one of the people I work with and it is a copy in my classroom as well for my more difficult students to read as well.

This was an absolutely wonderful text. It really drives home what the martial arts teach. The stories are thought provoking, entertaining, humorous and motivational. Thanks Sifu Starr!

As a ShoDan-level assistant karate instructor, I'm always looking for good books to help me become a better teacher and practitioner. I've found martial arts-based memoirs to be particularly helpful and encouraging. I recently stumbled across "The Making of A Butterfly," and it was no exception.

Phillip Starr began his martial arts journey in the 1950s. His family moved a lot due to military service, so he studied at a couple of different clubs. In 1961, his parents finally settled into a more permanent living situation in McLean, Virginia. There, the author began looking for yet another dojo (they weren't easy to find back then). He finally found a karate school and resumed his training. However, Mr. Starr was fascinated by kung-fu, and so after more searching he discovered a Chinese Sifu (master) who taught out of his home.

Mr. Starr approached Sifu Chen and respectfully asked for instruction. After some initial rebuffs to test his resolve, he was taken on as Sifu Chen's only Caucasian student. Sifu Chen demanded much from his students, so the training sessions were often physically and mentally challenging. Despite some resentment from the other Asian students, Mr. Starr eventually earned their grudging respect. And more importantly, he became a surrogate son to Sifu Chen and his wife Mei. He often learned as much at their dinner table as he would during a typical class.

Mr. Starr writes well - the book is an easy and informative read. Each chapter encapsulates a principle learned from Sifu Chen, such as chi, discipline, and courtesy. Of course, these lessons were usually learned the hard way. Sifu Chen used many methods to impart both his knowledge and his character to the author. I found the inclusion of Mr. Starr's thought responses toward his teacher (denoted by italics) to be quite fascinating. It was easy to identify with his honest internal expressions of incredulity, or appreciate ah-ha! moments when a lesson hit home.

Unfortunately, Sifu Chen passed away in 1971 from a kidney ailment. But in 1982 Mr. Starr took what he learned from Sifu Chen and created another martial art called Yilichuan (One Principle Boxing), thereby continuing his teacher's legacy. "The Making of A Butterfly" lets us in on Sifu Chen's timeless martial arts principles, and provides insight into a good student's mentality. It's a recommended addition to every martial artist's library.

Bought this as a gift and never got to read it personally, however, was told it was a great book. Marv's a legend, and any Bills fan should take a read, capturing those "glory years" of the Bills.

Extremely hokey and a tad bit hurried through the end, but a pretty good book covering his life of football. *Mr. Levy really needs to lay off the use of superlatives as almost every player or team he has coached was the greatest at one particular thing or another. Also, I don't think Mr. Levy intended that the descriptions he has written regarding his locker room motivational speeches were to betray the fact that the players most likely considered the gravely serious war metaphors that he was constantly drawing on as a little too serious to be applied to a football game. No wonder why they consistently fell silent as he left them to contemplate his words. I can hear in my mind a player asking another "Like, we're playing a game here, right?" as Marv proudly leaves the locker room. Marv comes off as a classy guy hoping to coach again. I hope he gets his wish.

If one were to look outside of one's immediate family for a role model, Marv Levy would be a wise choice. Marv Levy is not all about football, although he has spent most of his adult life in one capacity or another in the game. His body of work is as a human being, caring for his players and family. In this era when books usually have some axe to grind against those who "done someone wrong," Levy seldom has a bad word about anyone, and any are usually absolved before the end of the paragraph. His book details his life, the good times and bad, the celebrations and defeats, and the fights and absolutions. He is a unique man who has written and interesting and worthwhile book about his experiences, written in a positive light about incidents that helped him grow as a man and a leader. For those looking for a good football book, an inspirational book or inpiration of life, read Marv's book. It's well worth it.

[Four of Four stars] Marv Levy of Chicago
and Iowa is sort of the Red Auerbach of
Pro Football. A journeyman, who maintained
his class and sense of humour which is not
just soundbytes in NFL films clips.

Mr Burns does us an injustice below in his
review by criticising the very fine Montreal
Alouettes of the CFL, but CFL fans will love
the chapters on our favorite League, particu-
larly, "My Grey Cup Runneth Over". The only
knock that one can have on Levy, and it's a
slight one, is that he hung too long onto
Kelly at QB (Frank Reich should have started
one of those Super Bowls) and Thurman (fumbles)
Thomas, who was simply an overrated player.

One spot in Marv's fine book, he maintains one
of the hardest things he ever had to do was
keep lightning quick Steve Tasker (one-time
Kansas Jayhawk) on the bench! Tasker, like Levy
is a class act who deserves to be in the NFL
Hall-of-Fame and could have been one of the
greatest RBs or WRs of alltime. Marv, as bad
as the NFL is getting even having you back in
the League at 81, again with the Bills (this
time at G.M.) is a breath of fresh air. Thanks
for all the memories. Your dad and my granddad
chewed a lot of the same turf in World War I.

Recent history has been kind to Marv Levy as the magnificence of having won four consecutive AFC Conference championships is now replacing the earlier bitter pill of lost Superbowls. Marv Levy has become the ceremonial uncle of professional football today. He is to pro football what George Foreman is to pro boxing, the friendly enduring face of a brutal sport.

This is a campfire book, a grown-up bedtime story about a bright young lad from Chicago, one of those lucky folks who got paid to do what he liked. It is a tale remarkably devoid of rancor or regrets but rather a mixture of self-deprecating humor, a bit of self-serving forgetfulness, colorful characters, and the pleasures of the jocular world of organized football. In his preface Levy advises us that his writing style is the re-creation of the pleasures of his memory. Take away the Kansas City Chiefs and he would have had the perfect life.

But before arriving at Kansas City, there were the minor matters of World War II, college, and building a resume. Levy entered the Army Air Corps with the help of a friend who, shall we say, understated Levy's vision impairment. When this problem was later detected, Levy was scratched from pilot training and spent much of the war in Florida as a weather observer. After the war, already in possession of a bachelor's degree from Coe College, Levy began his much heralded graduate work at Harvard. In truth he opted out of the law school in three weeks, choosing instead to earn a masters in history and collecting inspiring anecdotes for use in the Buffalo Bills' locker room years later.

Levy had abandoned law school because of his desire to coach football. After a stint as assistant coach back at Coe for the mighty "Kohawks," Levy over the next fifteen years crafted a highly respectable resume of work as head coach of generally mid-range college football teams, primarily New Mexico, California, and William & Mary. It was a stunning upset of the nation's number one team, Navy, by an undermanned William and Mary crew in 1967 that brought Levy to the attention of NFL, and eventually to the staff of George Allen in Washington as special teams coach.

Levy could not help but be influenced by his Redskins boss. Allen referred to his defensive linemen as "rushers," benched the popular pass-happy Sonny Jurgensen for the workmanlike Billy Kilmer, and played for the least mistakes. A running offense, a veteran opportunistic defense, and juiced up special teams play were his trademarks. Allen seems to have taken to Levy because of the latter's own imaginative thinking about the critical nature of special teams' play, which comprises about 30% of an average NFL game. Moreover, Levy could not have missed how Allen cultivated an image and played the psychological card adroitly.

Levy, a man not without ambition, was anxious to run his own ship, and in 1973 became the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes. Once the flagship of the Canadian Football League, the Alouettes were an artistic, aesthetic, and organizational shipwreck, bedeviled by an atrocious stadium, poor attendance, and impossible weather. Levy guided Montreal to the Grey Cup final in his first year and a league championship the following season. His five successful campaigns in Canada brought an invitation to come back south of the border and take the reins of the young Kansas City Chiefs.

In many ways the Chiefs Levy inherited in 1978 were very much like the present day Chiefs-a potent offense with a porous defense. He also inherited an overbearing club president, Jack Steadman, who did not understand Levy's priority of drafting for defense [Art Still, Mike Bell, Gary Spani, among others], nor his coach's penchant for a tough ground game a la his contemporary "Ground Chuck" Knox. Perhaps reflecting the thinking of his old mentor George Allen, Levy believed that an adequate quarterback could direct the Chiefs, as Billy Kilmer had in Washington. At Kansas City Levy inherited the aging QB Mike Livingston and drafted Clemson's Steve Fuller. Steadman--and Lamar Hunt himself-- created what was probably an unnecessary controversy in their criticisms of the quarterbacking position, a situation aggravated by the arrival of yet another QB, the gunslinger Bill Kenney.

The Chiefs improved, and the defense became stellar, but neither Hunt, Steadman, nor many of the fans were satisfied with a .500 team. Released from the Chiefs in 1982, Levy would always remember how a meddlesome front office and instability at the quarterback position could undermine an otherwise flawless rebuilding program. Thus, when Levy accepted the Buffalo Bills' call in midseason 1986, it is no coincidence that he had already over the years cultivated friendships with owner Ralph Wilson and his executive staff of Bill Polian and John Butler, and that the quarterback situation was quite stable under the maturing Jim Kelly. Clearly a unity of respect and purpose among all levels of Buffalo management marked Levy's years with the Bills and allowed the team to focus entirely on drafting, development, and execution.

Levy assumes that most readers know of the exploits of the Bills in their glory years, and as a rule he paints with a broad red, white, and blue brush. As a history major himself, he has forgotten or omitted some situations that still intrigue knowledgeable observers: his protest of Cincinnati's no huddle offense to the NFL Commissioner prior to the 1988 AFC Championship [a style of play which, ironically, would become the hallmark of the Bills, the K-Gun] or Thurman Thomas's missing helmet episode at the opening of the 1992 Superbowl. But there is self-revelation as well. Levy was over 60 when hired by the Bills; he admits that he had begun to doubt whether he would ever coach again. How could he know then that his best days were yet to come?

The Pitch That Killed was first published in 1989 and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. It's still in print almost 20 years later. Author Mike Sowell does of masterful job of telling the story of Ray Chapman, Carl Mays and the 1920 pennant race.

He provides the interesting backgrounds of Chapman and Mays, two players that probably couldn't have been more different. Everyone loved Chapman, while Mays had no friends and plenty of enemies. Both players are brought to life by Sowell's thorough research, his insight into their personalities and interesting observations.

Although the fatal beaning doesn't occur until page 173, Sowell keeps the reader totally engaged up to that point.

After Chapman's death, Cleveland manager Tris Speaker went into a deep depression and he called the incident, "the hardest battle I ever had in my life."

Even though the fatal beaning was ruled an accident, many players threatened to boycott games if Mays pitched for the Yankees, based on his past actions. Many felt that he had intentionally thrown at Chapman.

Despite their grief and the absence of Chapman, their starting shortstop, the Indians stayed in the thick of the pennant race. Light-hitting Harry Lunte filled in admirably for Chapman until he suffered a pulled muscle, forcing him out of the lineup and opening the way for rookie Joe Sewell.

The rise of Sewell, the exciting pennant race, what happened to Mays after the incident and what happened to Chapman's wife and daughter, make for an interesting final fourth of the book.

This book should be part of every baseball fan's library.

Since I was born and raised in Cleveland, I am well aware of the demise of Ray Chapman in a beaning by Carl Mays on August 20, 1920 in New York's Polo Grounds.
What Mr. Sowell has documented is a season of baseball which in itself stands as the most incredible epoch in Major League history. Consider these facts.
1. Babe Ruth set a remarkable record in the dead ball era of hitting 54 home runs.
2. The Black Sox were discovered and the fate of the game stood in the balance.
3. Ben Chapman was struck by a baseball to his head and died.
4. Carl Mays was a great pitcher who probably belongs in the Hall of Fame but was stigmatized by this one pitch.
5. Joe Sewell who replaced Ben Champman ends up in the Hall of Fame.
6. Tris Speaker the player manager of the Cleveland Indians, was totally devastated by Chapman's death, gathers himself and his team and leads them to a World Series triumph.
Not much has been talked about this World Series. In fact many books have been written of so called great games ie "The Shot Heard Round the World", or Kurt Gibson's "I don't believe what I've just seen" home run. But take it from me, October 10, 1920 in game five of the World Series three incredible things happened in one game.
1. Jim Bagby became the first pitcher to hit a home run in the World Series.
2. Elmer Smith hit a grand slam home run which was also a World Series first.
3. Bill Wambsganss turned the only unassisted triple play in World Series history.
All this happened on the corner intersection of East 66th and Lexington the location of League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Sowell has gone beyond the basics to recreate a time of American History. This book is indeed an American Classic about baseball. This truly was the most incredible season.

Everything that the other reviewers have said is dead on. This is a fascinating story, simply on the surface, but Sowell digs deeper and finds so many more interesting storylines. Even if you're not an Indians fan, there's a lot to love in this book. The 1920 season is amazingly fertile ground.

The only reason I'm holding back that last star is more because of a technical issue. While the book is clearly a non-fiction story, there are moments that Sowell writes about as if they happened, when there's no way he could know that. There's a scene early in the book between Babe Ruth and Carl Mays that has to be fictionalized as there's no way Sowell could know what these two said to each other. It's just strange to read because it's laid out as fact, when it's clear it isn't.

That said, it's a minor point. The book is fantasic.

To this day, Ray Chapman remains the only player to have died as a result of injuries sustained on a baseball field. While the intentions of pitcher Carl Mays may be open to debate, Mays threw the pitch which fractured Chapman's skull and ultimately caused his death. In his book, Mike Sowell documents the events that preceded and followed this catastrophe.

Ray Chapman was the sparkplug type of player that seems to will good teams to win. In marrying the mayor of Cleveland's daughter, he also seemed to be living a charmed life. Chapman's life came to a sudden end when one of Carl Mays' underhand style pitches struck him in the head and eventually killed him. While baseball seems to fade in importance in the shadow of the death of another human being, the Indians continued their successful drive to the pennant. It would seem a fortunate twist of fate for the Indians that a future hall of famer named Joe Sewell would replace Chapman in their successful run to becoming champions. It almost make the plot of the book seem surreal or a work of fiction.

Carl Mays, who was a disliked character even before the beaning incident, achieved further scorn after the incident including threats of a boycott against his playing and death threats. The 1921 and 1922 seasons would see Mays reach the World Series. But accusations after the seasons would invoke the shadow of the Black Sox when it was suggested that Mays took money to throw games. Despite favorable stats, Mays was bitter to never reach the hall of fame. It was suggested that the black cloud over his World Series performances affected his selection more than the beaning.

"The Pitch the Killed" is a tragedy, that keeps readers interested. Even knowing the winners in advance, readers may find themselves pulling for to the Indians as they read. The main plot is a piece of baseball history that fans of the game should discover. It is hopefully, one that fans will never have to relive.

Fascinating look into a little-known event in Major League Baseball. Extraordinary detail. The characterization of Carl Mays and Ray Chapman is outstanding.

This is a very solid, down to earth book for women on how to play better golf. For beginners, it might seem to have a lot of technical jargon, but that isn't the main theme of the book. This book explains how and why you need the correct grip, stance, swing, finish, etc. It goes into the "mind" part of the golf game and then gives exercises and drills to help you improve. Good golf book to keep for reference.

Excellent book on how to get more power in your swing for hitting great golf shots. Many diagram and suggestions to help hitting the ball longer and straighter.

I liked the techniques on how to hit the ball longer. It helped me add some yardage to my drives. Another book that I also love is the following:
The Ultimate Golf Instruction Guide: Key Techniques for Becoming a Zero Handicap Golfer or Better (isbn;1933023090)
This second book helped me so much with hitting the ball with more control with driver, short irons, long irons and the short game. Since using this book, I lowered my handicap about 8 strokes. I now can score in the low 80's with ease. At the rate I'm improving, I know its possible for me to be a scratch golfer by using the techniques from The Ultimate Golf Instruction Guide. Power Golf for Women taught me how to hit the ball longer. The Ultimate Golf Instruction Guide taught me how to hit the ball at any target I choose with a much higher degree of accuracy.

I was impressed with this author's book Golf is a Woman's Game, but Power Golf for Women is an absolute gem. Once again as I stated in my review for Golf is a Woman's Game, this book applies to men as well. I do believe this one will end up one of golf's finest books.

This book is terrific! If you like this book, I also recommend Golf is a Game of Confidence by Kathryn C. Wilder, Ph.D. et. al.

Absolutely outstanding and well structured. Gives a proper understanding of the fundamental theories and equation formulations, which are the building blocks for any concept to start with. Highly recommendable!

Good luck finding this much information about vehicle dynamics in any other book, that is as well put together and easy to comprehend as this one. Well suited to those with engineering/math/science related backgrounds but not all of the information is beyond grasp of most people.

A very informative book on the engineering fundementals, it would be good if a second edition with more mordern race vehicles was in the works.

I think i've bought this book a bit too early in my learning curve!
This is a book intended for the Professional Race Engineer, or an extremely motivated amateur.
It contains a wealth of mathematics for vehicle dynamics.
Very exciting, i expect to have years of fun with the various chapters in this book.

Milliken lays down the fundamentals and advanced topic of vehicle dynamics as applied to racecars. The text is not for beginning or nontechnical readers in the slightest manner. Milliken points out many subtle and difficult areas to understand, which take hours of studying to fully grasp. For those seriously considering a career in this field or to the extremely interested reader, this text is the source of information.

Nice, solid mystery for kids, with lots of action, and a couple of great nod-nod-wink-wink bits that readers will love!

I read this book after Mr. Hale spoke at our library last year. Even if you don't like soccer, you'll still love Red Card. It has action and adventure, and it's a really good mystery. I didn't figure it out until the end...

My wife and I always check out the books we give our boys (ages 8 and 10). We grew up on the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, and we loved the pleasure those books brought us. Until recently, we'd been unable to find anything new on the market in the way of great mystery/adventure fiction. You know what I mean - pure, unadulterated, fast-paced fun. There are a lot of books out there about kids with "issues", which is fine - they're certainly needed. But if alot of the kids today are anything like my wife and I were when we were young, then there's a need for a modern Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew.

We'd all but given up on finding anything like that, until I noticed a teaser on an uncle/nephew mystery writing team in last week's Apple eNews email from Apple Computer. I checked out the full story on Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot on Apple.com's Pro site. I was intrigued. I ordered both books in the Zeke Armstrong series. I read both Red Card and Green Streak in a single day (when I should have been making sales calls). They blew me away. They took me back to my youth. I gave the books to my wife. She stayed up until 3 AM reading them. They blew her away. They took her back to her youth. We gave them to our boys. They devoured them. For the past two days, all they've been able to talk about is Zeke and Pow Wow, Zeke and Pow Wow, Zeke and Pow Wow. My wife and I have never seen them so excited about books.

At last! In Zeke Armstrong, we have a worthy successor to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Thanks to Apple Computer for bringing him to our attention.

Okay, I got into the Zeke Armstrong Mystery series backward. I read Green Streak first. I loved it. My ten year old son loved it. I ordered Red Card and received it yesterday morning. Like with Green Streak, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I had it finished by the time my son came home from school. He picked it up and kept reading until HE finished it. We both understand why this book won the Agatha Award, and we expect Green Streak to win even more awards. Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot have definitely got something going with the Zeke Armstrong Mystery series.

Mr. Hale came to our school to tell us about this book. I reccomend it to anybody who likes mysteries. I don't really like soccer, but I still give this book two thumbs up