Sports Books

This book was received in a very timely fashion,much faster than I expected.For a used book,it was in excellent condition.I also enjoyed this book very much.It was a heart warming story of a wonderful and some what eccentric family.

What a wonderful book of the American Family. Written from the perspective of the oldest sibling, who is also the only girl, it is just plain fun. Growing up without a lot of money doesn't mean life has to be boring or painful. Parents don't have to be perfect and neither do the kids.

For anyone who grew up around Columbus, OH in the 60s and 70s, this is a must. But, incredibly, O'Neill makes the book fascinating as well for her look at NY and its restaurant scene in the 80s and 90s. And the glue to the whole narrative is her and her family,including her famous little brother, Paul. Well done Molly.

Molly O'Neill has a very engaging writing style that pulls you into her world. It's a world peopled with the wildly obsessed, but go along as the ride is enjoyable. Molly O'Neill writes about a life that straddled midwest big city longings with utopian politics and food plays a big role at all stops. My only quibble is that the book has less to do about being Paul O'Neill's sister than the book jacket may lead you to believe.

After reading this book I ordered several copies as gifts. That probably says it all, but I can't just leave it there. Molly O'Neill and her family grew up in the neighborhood where I live and I was taken by her memories of family life where she was the only girl with five male siblings and a father whose main focus was baseball. The exploits of the boys had me laughing out loud while also being thankful I didn't live next door to them.
I enjoyed reading how Molly's cooking expertise evolved and even included her brothers in this endeavor. Her writing, as always, was a delight.

If my wife read this book, she would divorce me instantly, as she would understand why a Nautically Obsessed person will never change, and will get worse as time goes by.....

Honestly, this book made me realize there are others like me that can't stop thinking about boats and the ocean! It feeds the fire burning in your soul and loads you up with all kinds of facts, concepts, and the author's experience to send you off to the drawing board, the boat show, or maybe West Marine. Great writing and a flow of information that will make you not want to let it down until you've committed to memory. While you're at it, get "Elements of Boat Strength" also. Highly recommended!

Great book for all the same reasons listed by all the other reviews. However I have one to add. At a party, try reading the section titles out loud in a somewhat suggestive tone. It will astound you how almost every single section title can be read literally or perverted. Whether or not the author meant this to be the case he accomplished it quite well as there are many- many sections.

I love books on how things work, and I love books on boats. This one is a great combination of both. It covers a lot of naval architecture subjects and all in just the right depth for the interested novice.

The book begins with a review of different types of hulls and their advantages and disadvantages. That is followed by my favorite section which is the one on the theory of naval architecture - the parameters and how they affect the problem space. After that there is another good section about how to understand a drawing of a hull and relate that to performance characteristics of the boat. Engineers love to talk about tradeoffs and this book covers that really well, including topics like stability and roll resistance, hull strength versus shape and many others.

There is a lot more, but I don't want to spoil the ending, so I will just say that if you are interested in boats as an engineer, sailor or purchaser, then you need to read this book.

Subtitled Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed, this book is a direct hit on its intended audience. Read it once through quickly, then enjoy it over and over again like a favorite song, and you will learn an amazing amount about every sort of boat an individual is likely to own or dream about. Gerr covers design and construction, sails and motors, and boats from homemade paddleboat to liveaboard oceangoing cruiser either motor and/or sail, and everything in between. He covers more about boats than you could imagine he would, and writes wonderfully.
It is difficult to say in a few words how useful, or how enjoyable, this book is. I love it.

Love the book. It is full of "Rules of Thumb" that can save tons of time when trying to design a boat or solve a problem. The techniques shown are great for practical application. The author has an uncanny ability to teach complex subjects in a down to earth easy to understand manner. Highly recommended for boatman, yacht designers, marine engineers and naval architects.

This man is a genius, as much as for what he leaves you to imagine as for what he writes. Great entertainment.

I have always thought that Patrick McManus is the funniest writer on the planet. I read his stories when I need to laugh or relax. Sometimes I irritate my wife by reading it in bed. I try not to laugh out loud, but I only succeed in sounding like I am trying to muffle continuous sneezes.

However, not everyone gets it. I have been shocked by watching people read McManus without so much as a smile (though most start snorting like wild pigs on acid) . My only guess is that getting McManus requires a couple things. First, it requires some understanding of his experiences. He absolutely nails all of the stupid things 'outdoors men (outdoors people)' do and think, but don't want anybody to know about. Second, you have to see the self-deprecating aspect of his humor. Third, you can't look for great literature in integrated books. Patrick McManus is an excellent writer, if you see these as independent stories simply collected in a volume. They are meant for adults who want to laugh at themselves. So, If you are willing to or already meet the above three criteria, you will love this book.

By the way, I am a professor of clinical psychology and (other than worrying a little about McManus) I sometimes recommend this and other McManus books. I do this with people who have racing thoughts and anxiety at bedtime, and when I believe they have the necessary experiences to find it funny. It often works quite well. I think of his stories as little pieces of happiness. (Oh, that even makes me sick to hear. Sorry)

This is the second collection of stories by Patrick F. McManus that I have read, and while he is compared to many notable names on the jacket, and I compared him to other humorists I like the first time I read his work, he deserves to stand on his own. It is not an issue of his being as good, nearly as good, or better than another humorist. He is unique and very special, Mr. McManus is an original.

I think the title of this collection, "Never Sniff A Gift Fish", is unfortunate for no such activity takes place within the book. Not unlike the dozens of stories on hunting and fishing, all he generally brings back from an outing is new humor; he apparently catches and shoots virtually nothing. As I mentioned after reading his first book, his friends will stop by and ask that he not even think about whatever it is they are off to hunt or fish while they are off doing it. He has said he is so bad entire states have banned him, as he can single handedly destroy tourism for a state, and no one will lend him small motorized machines as he invariably causes them to cease to function.

This collection is much earlier than the first that I read, and the stories contain wonderful bits about his childhood, and also as a new husband and a father. These are great stories, many that include his young family and virtually everyone is G-rated, place them on film and they would probably be made by Disney. This is great reading, great fun and wonderful humor totally lacking in pretense or show. If this man records his stories on tape I might break a rule that has never been broken, that of listening to an author as opposed to reading his book. And I don't hunt or fish, neither activity is necessary to enjoy these tales as they are about human behavior, his humans are just generally outside.

NEVER SNIFF A GIFT FISH
By: Patrick F. McManus

Have you ever heard of a great outdoorsman? You know, the one whose fly-casting technique can be compared to an old lady fighting off a bee with a broom handle. Or maybe the one whose attempts to pitch the family tent terrorized entire campgrounds. Well, for those of you who haven't heard of him, this book, will give you a little insight into the life of the great outdoorsman. Never Sniff A Gift Fish, is a great source for those useful camping phrases. Here are some of them.

Corn Flakes: A common camp food. Often eaten dry with salt and pepper since no one thought to bring milk.

Camping manuals: Books filled with ingenious camping tips which are forgotten the instant the camper sets foot in the field. "I read about a way to cook a chicken with a camera lens and a wire clothes hanger, but I can't remember how," he says. "Better just fry it."

Downwind: Whichever side of the campfire you happen to be on.
And who could forget "When hell freezes over": An expression used by wives and mothers to indicate the next time you'll get them to go on another camping trip.

This book is a hilarious combination of philosophy and fishing, all rolled into one. I loved the book, and I would definitely recommend this book to any outdoorsman, great or not, that has a sense of humor and a sense of what the author is going through.

i first theses books when i was ten years old and i haven't stopped yet.. we only have four books but i intend to get more of the books.. they are funny.. i like the one where he goes hunting on his bicycle and gets the deer stuck on the pedals.

Rec'd book on time; cheaper than area bookstores. This is not the first time I purchased items from Amazon and I plan to continue. Great job! Thanks!

This is a book that you'll love. There's a lot of things to learn in it and some terms you probably can't listen anymore. A perfect book for a really baseball fan !

This is a book that you'll love. There's a lot of things to learn in it and some terms you probably can't listen anymore. A perfect book for a really baseball fan !

This baseball dictionary is clear, concise and helpful, particularly for people like me. I love baseball, but when I was growing up, girls weren't raised on sports, so I became a fan with sketchy knowledge of the rules and nuances of the game. Since I bought this book, I've learned a lot about pitching maneuvers, stats, history of the sport, slang terms and dozens of other things that make baseball more and more interesting to watch. I'm very glad I own it.

In baseball, what is a crackerjack? A cradle? A drawing Card? Feel the apple means what? What happens when you go to the pump? Who made up Murderers' Row? Open the New Dickson Baseball Dictionary and you'll find out.

This A to Z complete listing of baseball term is about the best book on the subject there is. Paul Dickson has put together over 570 pages of facts, terms, definitions and trivia that are sure to please every baseball fan.

Filled with over 100 photos and illustrations you are sure to find just about every baseball word you can think of. Also included are a thesaurus, a section of abbreviations and a fully annotated bibliography.

The baseball purest is sure to love this book as a gift, and it is priced to meet most budgets. Overall this book is great reading and makes the perfect handy reference book!

One Fall is a novel that will appeal to wrestling fans mostly, but also to those who know nothing about wrestling. Extremely well-written, I found it hard to put down. The characters are compelling, and the storyline is solid. An entertaining read, and hopefully the first of a series.

This is one of my favorite books. The characters are real and the plot is really good.

I wrote a paper about One Fall for a media studies class. The way the Internet, a live crowd and a TV audience all interact with each other in the story's big finish is a totally cool idea and a sign of the times. Wrestling was one of the first forms of entertainment where the Internet had a big impact and this book uses that history to make a fascinating story.

My copy has been passed around my friends and everyone's read it. It's just one of those books that you don't want to put down.

Pro wrestling has hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. It is shown on national television in dozens of countries. It has a long, storied history, both good and bad. And judging by the quantity of wrestler biographies out there, it has a lot of readers in its audience.

But no one has written a really good, credible novel about wrestling. Until now.

One Fall is a fantastic novel that knows wrestling. It is to wrestling what The Natural is to baseball, a great book for fans to read.

Like a great wrestling match, One Fall starts out quiet, but suspenseful, then builds to a crazy climax, where we all can mark out at the twists and turns of the finish. Joey Mayhem, a new wrestler, has shot to the top of the world with a great television appearance. But just when he's about to conquer the wrestling world, an old demon, the reputation of carelessness, comes back to haunt him when he seemingly screws up in a championship match. Meanwhile, a web columnist discovers a conspiracy to bring down the world's largest wrestling league. When he learns how Joey Mayhem's career is the centerpiece of the conspiracy, chaos ensues.

This really is a great story for wrestling fans. It's more fun to read than any of the wrestler biographies, and honestly, is more interesting than anything happening in the WWE right now.

Like other reviewers on here, I was surprised at how good this book is. There have been lots of positive reviews on wrestling web sites since it came out, so I was expecting to enjoy it. I didn't expect to get so completely wrapped up in the story, though. I was absolutely hooked right from the opening chapter, when Joey Mayhem becomes an instant star, and makes a major mistake all on the same night.

What really impressed me was how every detail in all the storylines became significant as the book raced to its finish. There are several plot threads going in the novel, and they all come together in a really satisfying conclusion. This little novel about wrestling is more tightly wound than most thrillers on the bestseller list.

One Fall is well-written, well-informed, and totally entertaining. I'm recommending it to all my friends who like wrestling.

Since Mick Foley's first autobiographical book reached tremendous success, most pro wrestling books have been biographies about some of the biggest stars. This book is a fictional work (although mirroring some real life situations) and the first real novel in the fiction pro wrestling genre.

'One Fall' centers around young wrestler Joey Hamilton aka Joey Mayhem. Without revealing any important storylines (and there are a lot), Mayhem has a history of being wreckless in the ring and he receives a tryout with one of the "Big Two" promotions, the GWA.

The story takes on twist after twist after a slow beginning. Joey has to put up with mishaps inside the ring and the hostilities the locker room show him. He must deal with a sloppy promoter in Duke Correlli and many other characters who you'll grow your own opinions on.

A sideplot of the book follows internet writer Steve Garcia as he has to compete in the large world of internet wrestling news sites.

Overall, this is a very engaging book and it is hopefully a sign of things to come in a previously untouched genre.

Excellent book. I am not a golfer, but admire Phil Mickelson because it has always seemed to me that he has his priorities straight. His wife and his children are uppermost in his list of what life means to him. Must confess that I merely skimmed the details of the hole to hole play in the Masters tournament being described since I had purchased the book to read about his personal life. However, my husband, who IS a golfer, very much enjoyed the "play by play" in addition to more information on the personal side of Phil. This is an athlete children can look up to and admire without parents fearing an ugly, hidden side. That simply doesn't exist in this athlete. I have always enjoyed watching him play; now I will enjoy those tournaments even more.

This was a very personal book that brought you very close to the life of Phil Mickelson. When he describes his final round at the 04' Masters you feel like you were there with him every step of the way.

It was so good I got a audio copy for my husband.

i find this book very good , iam a golf player and i think that every golf player will enjoyed to read this book , phil mickelson biography is very interesting for a golfer , phil teach : thinks can do when you work hard .

If you are a golf fan, this is a must read. My wife read it too and she doesn't even like golf but she loved it too. Great insights into Phil's personal life, family, and values. Definitely worth the read.

Terry Pluto has written an excellent book and as an Indians fan for 70 years I can easily relate to his personal story and to the history given of the Cleveland Indians. It is an excellent history for the most part, written as only a sports writer can, though he contradicts a couple other writers a few times. I espeically like the emphasis on the heroes of my childhood, Lou Boudreau, Bob Feller, Larry Doby and others on the famous 1948 team. I disagree with his contention that the l948 championship team was not one of the greatest championship teams ever and this is disproved in the detailed book An Epic Season by David Kaiser. Also for a really complete history of the Indians before and leading to 1948, Franklin Lewis wrote a book titled Clevland Indians published in 1949. Sadly, I don't know if that one can still be found or not, even through Amazon. It is more a history. Nonetheless, Our Tribe: A Baseball Memoir is a very good read and brings back the agony of the countless opportunities that former owners of the Indians let get by them. And the new owners may be doing that again today. :( As a personal story it is superb.

Absolutely wonderful weaving of an at times diffcult father-son relationship (congrats for telling it like it was!) and the history of the Cleveland Indians. Never gets bogged down in year-to-year stats and his way of comparing Shoeless Joe and Manny Ramirez's careers was brilliant. The stories about Manny are priceless.

Like all his other sports books, Terry Pluto is easily the best sportswriter on the planet.

This is a superb book because it goes beyond being a great sports book. Terry Pluto's weaving of his relationship with his father into his lifetime love of the Cleveland Indians makes it a book that readers will think about long after they've finished reading it. It's not necessary to be a Tribe fan to enjoy this book. I'd even go as far to say that a reader need not be a baseball fan to feel empathy and self-reflection on his or her parent-child relationship, regardless of whether the person is the parent or the child. I've also read the author's "Loose Balls", a wonderful look back at the American Basketball Association, and recommend that to those who remember the ABA (go Oakland Oaks!) and to those who weren't around to enjoy those years.

This is a fantastic book for any Indians fan who grew up watching games at the old Stadium. It's for all of us who grew up rooting for a sad team who had never won anything before and was never likely to do so in the future. It helps us to remember those days when the important thing wasn't how good the team was or if they had a chance at the Series, but rather spending time with our fathers watching the game. Maybe, just maybe, this book will help us to remember what is really important once again.

This book is as much a story about a son and his relationship with his father as it is about baseball, and tells each of those stories wonderfully. For basball fans it is an entertaining history of the Cleveland Indians and is full of colorful players, managers, and even owners. From the perspective of this one baseball team, the reader has a ring side seat on how much our country, society, and professional sports have changed and grown over the last 75 plus years. Just from the standpoint of the baseball Terry Puto is as good as Ken Burns or George Will.

But the story within the story is really about the author and his father. That relationship is one that is full of joy and sadness, wonderful memories and yet regrets. The author comes to better understand and appreciate his father after a stroke makes it impossible to talk to his father. In a cruel irony, when the time came that the author was ready and wanted to share stories and talk to his father, he was not able to.
All fathers and sons should read this book.

A final comment on Terry Pluto's writing style. I have read three of Mr Pluto's books and appreciate the way he writes in a clean, no non-sense style and yet fills his books with so much detail and color.

TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER LISTENED TO THE DAN PATRICK SHOW ON ESPN RADIO, THIS IS A TERRIFIC COMPANION BOOK. DAN'S WIT AND AMAZING INTERVIEW STYLE JUMPS RIGHT OFF THE PAGE AT YOU. IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN ANY OF YOUR AVERAGE SPORTS INTERVIEWS. HE COMBINES WIT AND WISDOM TO MAKE THIS AN AMAZING READ

i don't really care much for ESPN the Magazine but i dig Dan Patrick's outtakes.that is always cool.this is so cool finding out what folks really dig off the field or court or track.very interesting.that was the most Creative thing that ESPN The Magazine did at the back.i enjoy reading this.

Fun, Enjoyable and Fast..... You could read whenever you feel like with no pressure of forgetting what happened... Different People with different Things... Big Names....... FUN FOR LOVERS OF THE GAME Patrick is great as usual...fun and Loving]

This is one of the best sports related books I have ever read. I am a subscriber to ESPN the magazine and enjoy reading the outtakes column in every issue. This is a must for sports lovers!

Dan Patrick exemplifies outstanding sports reporting. In Outtakes, he engages his dry sense of humor and mixes it together with his extraordinary knowledge of the sports world. Outtakes is a candid collection of interviews with sports' celebrities of past and present. He is not afraid to ask the questions that everyone truly wants to ask, and the word associations are outright hysterical. Patrick is one of the wittiest people on the face of the earth. Outtakes just shines with this. The book is an easy read, and has a good, steady flow to it. It is one entertaining ride into the insightful mind of Dan Patrick, sports' guru. Just hold on, because the laughs come hard and fast.

The one thing I dread about traveling is dragging my heavy luggage around. I appreciated the author's solid tips on packing lighter. I'm going to try her bundle packing method in 2 weeks and believe it will work just great. I appreciated her lists and pointing out the things I probably could leave behind. She also listed many websites where I could review and buy luggage and packing accessory items. If I follow her advice I think my next vacation will be a little more pleasant than previous ones. Thanks!

First, decide you're ready to travel hassle-free (or as close to it as possible). Next, visualize your perfect carry-on travel wardrobe. Author and packing expert Judith Gilford makes it all a breeze in this readable, oddly interesting handbook. She includes specific lists to jumpstart your thinking about packing for business, vacation and special itineraries - adventure, business or cruise travel, for instance. She offers great tips, from how to pack a layered bundle to keep your clothes wrinkle-free to the best practices for stain removal. getAbstract recommends her guidelines if you want to be able to travel light and still have everything you need upon arrival.

I got this book used, so for me it was a good value. I read it in a day, at least the parts that pertained to me. I did get some useful info. and have dog eared at least 20 pages for my upcoming travel, she mostly talkes about carry on, but it would be helpful to read if you check your bag too. I travel usually 3-4 times a year and each time have slight packing anxiety, what am i forgetting ect. and end up bringing way too much. A helpful guide book.

Provided excellent help to my wife as she prepared for a trip to the Holy Land

All my life I have yearned for some unknown knowledge. Feeling incomplete, I began at an early age to selfishly take in as much information as possible. I read everything I could get my hands on, encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks, but nothing could quench this thirst. That is until I found this book. I still remember the day fate brought it to me. Opening its crisp pages I began to take in its glorious advice. Immediately captivated, I read the book uninterrupted from cover to cover, twice. Hours later, as I reluctantly closed the book, I breathed a sigh of relief. My soul at rest, I put down "The Packing Book: Secrets of the Carry-on Traveler".

Must admit that I am probably biased since my daughter,Dina Dembicki, was involved in the "making" of this beautiful tribute to the drivers and their "kids". Having seen what it takes to put it together makes me appreciate it all the more. Dina spent 12 to 18 hours a day doing the layout and putting the book together. As the Design and Print Production, Graphic Arts person, she spent every moment loving this book. Ryan and Krissie Newman are not only wonderful human beings and loving "pet parents" they are generous with their time and aid for all living animals. The Ryan Newman Foundation is responsible for the Catawba County Humane Society's new housing facility for which this book donated all net proceeds to the new building construction. These are the kind of folks who can be assured to make it to Heaven!! This book is now in it's 2nd printing thanks to all animal and NASCAR lovers who bought one. My thanks to them and everyone else responsible for making this book such an astounding success. By the way, Krissie is even prettier than her photo!

I love this book!! I love the Nascar drivers and how they show their love for their pets!!

This is a BEAUTIFUL book that provides funds for a GREAT CAUSE. NASCAR driver Ryan Newman and his wife, Krissie, have made humane treatment of animals their personal mission. It is encouraging to see a young couple consciously chooses to "GIVE BACK." Buy this book for the cause as much as for the enjoyment!

This is a WONDERFUL book for anyone who loves pets and NASCAR. The photos are wonderful. The stories show these NASCAR people just like families everywhere who love their pets. Great read. Easy book to read "a little at a time".

This book was alot of fun to read and had great pictures. I am a dog lover and a Nascar fan so this book was perfect. It helps you get to know your favorite driver by the type of pet he has and the stories about them. You will not be disappointed by this one.