Sports Books

After many years of driving minis, I thought I 'knew everything' - no, no, no. This book extensively covers everything one should know from buying the Right tack to lessons from the beginning lunging lessons on to the top. Very pleased I picked this book.

This book is easy to understand for the beginner yet is full of quality classical driving and training principles. It also incorporates natural horsemanship(so old it's new again!) principles. Highly detailed but not overwhelming. Excellent book. This should be the bible of Carriage Driving.

I have only read portions of the book at this point but plan to read all of it. I am completly ignorant of harness driving but recently purchased a miniature horse that I plan to finish in carting. This book has been an excellant resource. It is very detailed, but easy to understand. It mentions things to keep in mind that might not be obvious (like if you're new to harness or your horse is, you should have a bucking strap on your harness to save you a lot of frustration). I also like her approach to working with the horse - it is definately working WITH the horse and not BREAKING the horse. I have not read any other driving books yet to compare, but I am happy that I started with this one.

This is the book for anyone who is serious about training their horses for driving with no corner-cutting. It is obvious that this book was written by a true horse trainer for true horse trainers, people who love horses and are dedicated to making the training experience a joyful and life-long experience. Heike Bean's book covers everything you need to know starting with the very basics, horse anatomy, hoof structure and shoeing, conformation, collection, bits, harness, carts and carriages.

This is truly the best book on carriage driving ever written. It is the bible for people who know the sport. This is the one book you truly need if you want to learn carriage driving. You can tell from the first page you are in the hands of an expert.
The only thing wrong with this book is you can hardly ever find a copy. If you find one, grab it. ( I don't know what's going on but there were about 10 reviews of this book here, all of them glowing, and they seem to have been erased. Everyone in Driving knows how great this book is.)

An excellent book for anyone starting to learn celestial navigation. It provides sufficient theory to explain the basics without baffling anyone able to understand simple arithmetic and geometry. This is the best book on this subject that I have read to date.

Before crossing the Atlantic in 1978 on my 22' sailboat, I read many books on celestial navigation and became convinced that it was an inpenetrable subject and then, on reflection, I realized that that could not be so as so many navigators had had less geometry etc than me. I figured the authors did not really know what they were talking about. And then I came across Prof. Blewett at the Boston Museum of Science, teaching on 10 Wednesday evenings. After the first lecture, on the noon sight, she said, if you your boat is going faster than 20 kts then you don't have to come back for more. That is all you need. She was absolutely right. But I did continue -- I took the course so I could do the fun-and-games of star sights too. I can now teach her course in 45 minutes.

Celestial navigation, like knots and splices and reading maritime charts and tide tables, is one of the essential sailing skills. Whether you are a daysailer, weekender, blue water cruiser or lone circumnavigator, there WILL come a time when the GPS quits, the Loran won't work, and you're going to say, "Where the &$@!* am I?". If you haven't learned celestial nav at that point you had better be a real quick study or have hired a good estate planning lawyer.

But assuming that Clarence Darrow Dershowitz Kunstler Belli Nizer, Esq. isn't in your crew, Mary Blewitt's book is a good thing to have. Brief, concise, and Ptolemaically simple to understand, Blewitt takes the hocus-pocus out of asking the heavens for directions. The difficulty with learning celestial nav isn't so much the math (as most people want to believe) as it is that modern man is SO far out of touch with the natural world that looking at the night sky is like looking at---something dark and mysterious. However, add a few very basic, easy-to-grasp concepts to your skill set and your Sunfish will suddenly become the Santa Maria.

Knowing celestial navigation will help you to sail anywhere and, even better, to know where you are when you get there. To that end, this book is an invaluable learning tool.

An excellent and clearly written book.
Easy to follow and understand.
A must for anyone interested in this subject.
Written by an expert for both beginners and experts.
I am delighted I purchased it.

This is a neat little book to read if you're serious about finding your position without the benefit of GPS. It's well written and the computations required are basically only addition and subtraction. You can practice using a GPS instrument to check your sights. (What you will find is that you need a lot of practice to get even close!)

What a wonderful book - filled with statistics, stories and sometimes pictures. It takes the champions of the 20th century (American thoroughbreds, for example, Horse of the Year, and tells the stories of their racing careers decade by decade. Each chapter of text is followed by Past Performances, as put together by the DRF. There are stories about long-ago horses I haven't seen since Robertson's History of Thoroughbred Racing in America. It's going to take a long time to read this book - not because it's slow reading, but because I keep going back and forth in time to compare stories and speed fractions.
One thing I'd change - even if they didn't have the space to tell the story of each champion, I wish they'd found the space to have a picture of each one. As they say.....one picture is worth....... I love looking at pictures of the old racers and the newer ones - line them up next to each other and look at their relative build, then go to the track and see who reminds you of the great old geldings or the powerful sprinters. Now THAT's data!

i already wrote a review praising this book, but i wanted to leave another to let people know that they don't have to pay the extravagant prices wanted by the thieves selling here on amazon. simply go to drf.com and you can get this book for the list price of $50. i'm not affiliated with them, i just think it's wrong for someone to try and over-charge by 7 times because someone might not know where else they could get the book.

For all of us in the Horse Racing business as owners, toutes, fans, etc, everyone knows the Daily Racing Form is the key publication for past performance data and news.

The PP's(past performances) of famous champions of the past really open your eyes as you see that some of them ran within days of their last start in Major Stakes races and others ran at tracks that no longer exist, or across the country and both coasts in the same season.

The best of the best are in here, and as DRF did a very good job with arrangement and information. Its like looking at the Breeders Cup Entries of the Immortals !

Best Regards to All, MC - TheStickRules.Com

a good book which serves as both an overview of horse racing in the 20th century, as well as offering loads of past performance lines so race fans can compare the greatest thoroughbreds.

I bought this as a birthday gift for my 25 year-old daughter, and it's her favorite of anything I have ever given her! She has always been really good at spouting names, numbers, years, tenths of a seconds, etc. Now she'll be insufferable! This book is absolutely loaded with all the racing stats you could ever think of! She actually WHOOPED when she opened the package!!! She opened it and explained all the racing stats to me--she understood every bit as soon as she saw it (I was still in boondoggled land!) The book DID have some of my favorite recent horses in it (such as Bertrando and Paseana) and it had ALL of her favorites in there! It also contains pretty much all the great horses of the century. One thing even I noticed and really loved in this book, is it tells who the jockey was in each race.

And of course, the unsurpassable Secretariat is in here; all his races. I still think that seeing him win the Belmont and with it the Triple Crown, was the greatest moment in sports history! The reruns are unreal, but there was NOTHING like seeing it happen!

I can't speak as an owner, trainer, or one who bets. But as a "serious fan" of racing, I can truly say this is one extraordinary reference manual to have on hand. WELL worth the price!

For those who are interested in doing Rally Obedience at a competitive level, this is a must read. It is a well-written book and also well-illustrated to show the reader exactly what the author is talking about and where exactly the dog/handler should be during each exercise. So... GET IT.

This book helped me understand how to teach my dog the commands in Rally Obedience. It has a great step by step description of each command, and how you are to use the clicker. It has really helped me in teaching my the basics.

This book is well written and easy to follow. I was able to get a good sense of the ins and outs of rally obedience.

I have a 10 month old basset hound and we have completed one Rally Course. I used this book and its techniques as a supplement while training my basset. It's a great approach and my dog picked up on the positive clicker reinforcement very quickly. I'd highly recommend this book. It's been very helpful in how I train my pup.

This book does a lot of stuff for you and your dog pupil(s). It teaches you how to make the dog enjoy working, make concepts super easy for it to grasp, make it so the dog learns the behaviors it needs very, very well, and, of course, tells you what the APDT and AKC rally courses require of you and how to go through the courses and kick butt! Basically it prepares you and your dog for a great, delightful journey down the training road :)

I was floored by thoroughness of expertise and professionalism in this book, which goes hand-in-hand with the sheer passion for the game and wisdom in teaching children that comes through on every page. No detail of technique, sportsmanship or strategy is left out here, and the book is as useful a guide for would-be coaches inexperienced in the ways of the game as it is for veteran coaches looking broaden their knowledge base.

Bruce Driver's talent both as a former Stanley Cup winner and a long time coach combined with Clare Wharton's flawless and engaging writing style makes this book an absolute must for hockey lovers new and old.

As a USA Hockey certified Referee I recommend this book to anyone involved in youth hockey at any level.This is how hockey should be taught.

A complete resource for coaches, yes, but also something every hockey fan and parent should read too. Presented in a concise and logical manner, with no detail left out. Extensive photos and drill diagrams for all situations. I found it to be very well written.

If you've wondered what's happened to Stanley Cup winner Bruce Driver since he wrapped up his illustrious 15-year career playing hockey with the New Jersey Devils, you'll find the answer in the new book, "The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Hockey". Admirably, Driver has been teaching young, would-be hockey stars the secrets of the game.
Don't be put off by the long title - in this volume, Driver, and co-author Clare Wharton have scored a major goal with this highly readable and entertaining offering. If you've stumbled across it, you've found treasure. Driver has wisely teamed up with Wharton, a skilled writer with an extensive background in Hockey. She has taken the shoulder pads, the knee pads, the helmet and skates of the material and, with humor, molded them into a star of the ice.
With sections on everything needed for first-time and veteran coaches alike, NHL drills appropriate for youth hockey, proven team-management techniques, tips on teaching and understanding hockey fundamentals and so much more, Driver lets us in on all of his secrets.
Hockey moms (and they are legion) who have had to spend endless afternoons - and early mornings, if time on the ice is limited - driving their little Drivers to the ice rink for practice, and dads, stuck at work but footing the bills for all that expensive equipment, will be happy to learn, through this enlightening tome, what happens to junior once he gets there.
"The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Hockey" is a winner! Anyone with even a passing interest in hockey, or sports in general, will find Bruce Driver and Clare Wharton's book a delightful experience.


Art Scott
Mystery writer
And Historian

Overall, this is a great book that touches on all aspects of hockey. I am a high school hockey coach and this book has some really nice drills and information in it. We are using a couple already in practice that work great. One thing that I was hoping for (4 stars instead of 5)was a little more intense drills or more detailed info for the higher levels of hockey. Also, it only has 3 goalie drills which was a little disturbing. As a goalie coach as well as an assistant, I find that upsetting since the position is so important, but yet it's the most overlooked. However if you are a parent or coach looking for a book that touches on every aspect of hockey as well as drills this is definitely the one. I do find the parts on dealing with parents and setting up practice plans also helpful. It was well written and has a lot of great info from an NHL player and Stanley Cup winner. It is one of the best books that puts it all together for you to learn the sport of hockey. I would suggest picking up the book: Complete hockey instruction by Dave Chambers with this book and as far as goaltending is concerned, go to www.hockeygoaltender.com. That has some of the best info concerning that position. With these 3 items you would have a pretty good arsenal on coaching and understanding the sport.

So, as a native Hoosier having the pleasure to read Day's book, I have to say first that it was highly helpful to those of us that aren't rabid football fans (yes, believe it or not there are a few of us in central Indiana.) She explained the passion behind the sport in a way that I could relate to as a single - love. As a person who fully understands the plight of the young urban single professional, Day also does a great job of presenting what is a challenge for many young, bright, professional talented singles - struggling to find Mr. or Ms. Right. Although I'm not convinced there is a Mr. or Ms. Right for each and every one of us, I enjoyed reading Professor Day's plight, which many can fully understand. Every single should read this book (and also all those marrieds out there) to fully understand the challenges. And WAY TO GO for Day to hold out for Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right Now!!!

Cathy Day's "Comeback Season: How I learned to Play the Game of Love," offers a fresh and sophisticated examination of modern society. If you are looking for a run-of-the mill, cliche, quest for love story, than this is not the book for you. However, if you are someone looking for a great, character-driven story that seeks to examine what life is all about, particularly our sometimes troubling, virtual life of the 21st century, than this is definitely the book for you. With her smart and witty, but down-to earth, midwestern voice, Cathy Day serves as an excellent guide for all readers who are attempting to traverse through their own labyrinth of love. Without a doubt, you'll be cheering for Cathy Day, play-by-play, in this incredibly, well-written book. A must read for any individual who seeks to understand both 21st century life and its complex dating structure.

"Comeback Season" made me vaguely uncomfortable at first, for which I blame this simple fact: I'm a man. I don't read books about dating, especially women dating, not even if they have a catchy football angle. And to be utterly truthful, the last time I did any reading about football, I was thumbing idly through a year-old Sports Illustrated while waiting to get a cavity filled. So one would not think that I would even countenance reading a book such as this.

However, after hearing a radio interview with the author, I was moved to check it out, in part because I, like Ms. Day at the beginning of her book, am 37, educated, and single, and I would be hard pressed to think of a single acquaintance of my own age who is stil, well, single. Like Ms. Day, I have spent an inordinate amount of time wondering what's wrong with me, not out of unhealthy self-absorbtion, but genuine concern.

The difference between me and the author is that she decided to take action to change her life. And then she wrote this book. I assume you've read the synopsis already, so I won't dwell on the plotline, other than to say it is by turns funny and profoundly thought-provoking, a performance-art journal and a diary of 3 a.m. despair. It showed me a situation quite similar to my own, but from the perspective of a member of the opposite sex. And, no, guys, you'll find no feminist rants here, no man-hating or man-baiting. The most refreshing thing about the book, considering its subject matter, is its almost total lack of ideological or gender-based rancor and its refusal to indulge in victimology. Like her earlier novel, this memoir is peopled by fully-realized human beings, both women and men, who are by turns weak and courageous, despicable and generous; no heroes or heroines, nor blameless victims, nor mustache-twirling villains. Nor are there quick and easy self-help solutions: Cathy does not get a makeover, a new wardrobe, and a frontal lobotomy and immediately find the love of her life; nor does she halfheartedly embrace a bitter compromise. Instead, she finds her own core and an unknown strength of character with the help of her loving family and friends and the virtues she's learned from her sports heroes. She comes to terms with the past decisions she's made, and finds grace and meaning in her present life, without earth-shattering calamity, divine revelation, or Oprah. Rather, she finds that the simple, sometimes hackneyed, often maligned influences in our lives - football, family, friends, silly 70's rock songs - can lead us to our better, greater selves.

What a wonderful book this is. Cathy Day's search and struggle to find "the right one", like the fight of the Indianapolis Colts, is told so honestly, and in such beautiful prose, that it's impossible not to be beguiled by this book. The portraits of men, friends, and family members are precise and perfectly rendered. I'm not given to reading about dating, but this book is about so much more than that: it's about the desire and the need to--to steal a line from an old coach--"make something happen" in life.

This is a wonderful book that's fully of humor and humanity. It's a title I've recommended to my friends and family as a (true!) story that hits close to home for any intellegent person looking for their soul mate. The book has resulted in a lot discussions about relationships and the many dating moments that we've all experienced trying to find the right one. Cathy - don't give up!

If you care about walking fast, and especially if you care about your place in walking races (judged racewalks or otherwise) then this book is for you.

This book isn't designed to sell anyone on walking as a sport; this is written for readers who already know that they want to spend time and effort into learning to walk fast.

There are sections on many of the aspects of walking; e. g. technique, drills to perfect technique, common racewalking errors, and a few workout schedules. The book is written in a conversational style. He also includes interviews with elite racewalkers.

There is also a handy chart which outlines: "if you have problem X, correct it with Y" which is VERY helpful; this helped me in getting zero cautions or redcards in my last 4 judged walks.

If there is a downside it is that some of the photos are a bit small; I'd also recommend that he upgrade his "poor technique" example photo to look a bit worse; perhaps he could use a photo of a thick-skinned novice walker.

I've been to Dave's clinics, I've spoken with him personally, and reading "The Complete Guide to Racewalking Technique and Training" is just like having him right next to you, cracking jokes and commenting on everything. If you do not have the option of working out with other racewalkers regularly, definately pick up this book and re-read it a few times. You'll always pick up something new.

This book is chock full of information on how to racewalk. I have racewalked for 6 years, but found the information to be outstanding from training tips to stretching and flexibility drills. Walkers who don't actually compete in events would benefit from the information provided and would become better, more efficient walkers. Runners would also benefit from learning the how to racwalk and use it as a cross-trainer. A highly enjoyable read.

The Complete Guide to Racewalking covers the whole gamut of racewalking from how to do it, to how to train, what to eat, how to compete and even discusses the physiology and psychology of walking. Racewalking differs from athletic walking, power walking or fitness walking. These are fast ways of walking for recreation or fitness. Racewalkingis an Olympic sport and has an official definition and rules by the USATF. Good racewalkers achieve amazing speed and endurance.

The author is a former cross country runner and has been a world class racewalker and coach for over 25 years. This book is the straight scoop. I got interested in racewalking because after years of running I developed knee and hip problems. Racewalking was reputed to be injury free and excellent exercise. I had attended a couple of racewalking clinics but still hadn't got the hang of it. I wanted a detailed description of racewalking technique and found it in this book. While there's no substitute for having an experienced racewalker show you in person how it's done, this book is the next best thing

I bought this book based on the Amazon.com reviews and I was NOT disappointed. I wanted to learn how to walk faster and have been able to achieve my initial goals in the few months I have been following Dave's training and technique advice. The book is well written, has many amusing bits, so is a good read as well as being of immense practical value. I keep referring back to it over and over.

Apart from golf tips that constitute on its own a sufficient reason to purchase this book, you can get a grip on valuable practices for your day-to-day life. Not only will they be helpful at work, but also in your personal area. This is a book which is worth its value for money and that must be discovered as soon as possible. Thank you Gay !

I first purchased this book because I was looking for something to help the eternally finicky golf game. This book has actually been helpful for my golf game. But it has been even more helpful and inspirational for the business side of my life. I think the three secrets are extremely important to keep in mind every day if you want to be successful in your current job and also be able to move ahead with your career.

I thought the book was so good that I have gotten more copies for my family, friends, and co-workers. One co-worker that has never golfed before thought the book has extremely valuable concepts for work. Getting my co-worker to read a golf book was the most difficult part. Making a new energetic believer in the three secrets was easy.

I loved reading Conscious Golf, and it has had a huge impact on my tennis game! I just played tennis for the first time in 3 weeks this morning (after reading the book) and focused on completing each swing. This made the most noticeable difference on my serve. In fact, the person I played against (who, in the past, has beaten me by substantial margins), asked, "What happened to your serve?!" since she could not seem to return it! She was convinced that I spent my 10 day trip to Ojai at a tennis camp on the sly, instead of the Conscious Living for Professionals Training with Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks!

I have worked in the Golf Industry for the past 13 years (10 years as a golf professional within the PGA of America) and have only understood the importance of the second secret from this book in the last month through Gay's teachings. It has re-awakened my passion for golf and the reality of playing without the pain from my past 2 back operations. Thank you Gay for expanding into the golfing arena and sharing your knowledge with me (and others), I now have the tools to choose endless fun in golf, business and life.

I wanted to read the book over and over and over again. It really could be this simple and there's only one way to find out for sure...do it. I take that back, don't do it...live it.

At ClubWeb Solutions we recommend this book to our customers...people like us who have experiences in business as well as in and around the game.

This book is about the South and northern places in the mid 60's-80's. To be sure it is about a gifted black athlete having to survive a white society that wants somehow to be with him in his quest for greatness. Much more than that, this book is about racism at its core, promise, insecurity, and reluctant goodness, and we should hope that Morris's honest and understandable "sorta" autobiographical dissertation on his homeland Mississippi will compel us to take another look at where we are as a society. We should not let Pete, Willie's mid-life dog, be the best of what we can be.

This is a must read-especially for the young athletes of today. This man was a legend! Hands down the best running back in the country during his era!
Having met him, he's a modest, humble man who loves football and loves his hometown. Would love to see this made into a movie!
Get it, you won't be disappointed!

I recently read "The Courting of Marcus Dupree" and found it to be exciting and spell binding. My entire family was caught up in it. The book is an excellent tale of the birth of a young Black male in a troubling time for the South. The way Willie Morris related Marcus' birth and powerful strength to the struggle of his town and state was awesome, he should be the Mayor of Philadelphia or the Governor of Mississippi. I expected the book to be totally about football but it proved to be much more. It made you laugh and cry at times because of the tremendous pressure on Marcus Dupree, the 17 year old athlete that was blessed with such miraculous skills. The book made you feel like you were at the games when he made some of the beautiful plays. It was so intense that you wanted to get to the next page, but never wanted the book to end. I wish it was reprinted.

I read this book again recently and it was better than I remembered. It was so interesting to see how one 17 year old boy could dominate one small town's conversations. I expected this book to be a tale of a high school football star and his recruitment, but I got more, much more. Willie Morris examines the importance of football in Mississippi and how Marcus brought blacks and whites together with his play. He had insight in to Marcus that nobody outside of his family and high school coach could have had. Overall, a great read.

As an OU fan and a person who remember Marcus Dupree light up Norman during his brief time, I was very excited to have a little bit more background on this fascinating person.

The book hits several different topics. Obviously his recruitment of many football schools at times take center stage. But much of the book also discusses the effect of a black athlete becoming a state hero in Mississippi and gaining fans of all races. The foil of Dupree's time to that of two decades earlier when three cival rights activists were brutally murdered by the Klan. And the author, Willie Morris, contrasting and comparing his life with what he sees around him while following Dupree.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great personal account that takes you back to 1981 Mississippi, civil rights, and the power of football.

Even if you are not interested in the Bulldogs of Georgia you probably will find "Damn Good Dogs" a delightful book; beautifully illustrated, the book relates the history behind the English bulldogs that have become the University of Georgia's mascot beginning in 1956. Sonny Seiler, who has owned the bulldogs, has put together (with Kent Hannon), a pleasing book filled with many photographs. A chapter is devoted to each of the dogs relating their lives and what occurred while they were mascot and the growing fame of the Ugas. I first saw this book on a visit to Savannah and was charmed by it from the moment I opened the cover.

This is a large format book that was thoughtfully designed and is a great tribute to the remarkable dogs named Uga.

I am a lifelong University of Alabama fan but I have always known and admitted that Uga is - bar none - the coolest dog on the planet. And any dog who bites back at an Auburn player knows his football! My all-time favorite was Uga V and I was thrilled when he was rightfully named the greatest mascot ever by Sports Illustrated and made their cover. I was also excited to see this book.

This book is a great overview of the lives of the Ugas, their owners, and the Georgia football program. If you love dogs and college football, you'll love this book.

This is a good book. I highly recommend it to Ga. fans. UGA is a staple of the entire Georgia program and his lovable story is one that all college football fans can enjoy. I recommend "A Tailgater's Guide To SEC Football" as well for any serious SEC Fans.

Despite the fact that I am from Georgia Tech, the long time feud of UGA, sarcastically, I am also an English bulldog lover, having owned 2 English bullies in my life thus far. I highly recommend this book to all bulldog lovers, even if they are not associated with UGA.

Guaranteed to please all Georgia fans and English Bulldog lovers, this entertaining book contains the individual stories of six beloved Ugas who have served as mascots for the University of Georgia since 1956. Filled with delightful photos, illustrations and memorabilia spanning nearly five decades, it is loaded with fun facts, heartwarming stories--even poems written in their honor. Uga flies free on Delta, has an air-conditioned doghouse and an official Student ID Card, eats steak, attends social affairs, occasionally wears a tux, has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, in Coca Cola ads, in Playboy magazine, in Animals Who's Who, on credit cards, in movies, TV shows--and more! Following lavish funeral tributes, Ugas I through V were interred in a mausoleum at Sanford Stadium with inspiring epitaphs outlining their achievements engraved on bronze tablets. Uga VI has already made a name for himself "woofing" his encouragement to a well-deserved SEC title in 2002. GO DAWGS and long live Uga VI.