Sports Books

Get In The Game" partly baseball, partly business and partly psychology. Author Cal Ripken, Jr. draws on his vast baseball experience, his family background and business interests to illustrate eight elements of perseverance that make a difference: Right Values, A Strong Will To Succeed, Love What You Do, Preparation, Anticipation, Trusting Relationships, and The Courage of Your Convictions.

Throughout the book, Ripken includes similarities between his career and character and that of Lou Gehrig. As one who has admired Cal from afar, I greatly enjoyed this book. You will too.

this is an awesome book - would strongly recommend - especially but not necessarily for those with any appreciation of baseball at all - think this should be required reading for all high school students - very important and helpful life lessons - baseball is a great american tradition sure but more importantly the sport produces character - knew little of cal ripkin before reading this book - now i am a BIG fan

This book helped me and it helped me help my eleven-year-old son.

One of the parents from my son's baseball team actually said to me last night at our end-of-season party that several games ago it was like a completely different boy began showing up to play. He said he could see my son now has baseball in his head. That's about when I started reading parts of this book to my son. I started taking him to the batting cages. We began really working toward his goals on the field and talking about his goals in life.

This book resounds with the values I've always carried in my heart but have not been able to live due to circumstances beyond my control. Reading it allowed me to see these values do actually work somewhere out there in this world and these values are what I want for my child.

Cal Ripken offers many of his life lessons and experiences he has learned through playing the right way his whole career. I highly recommend this book to baseball fans of all ages and backgrounds.

This book provides extremely useful guidelines in dealing with situations we all eventually run into in our lives. While alluding to baseball related examples, it does not simply dwell solely on recounting Mr. Ripken's impressive baseball accomplishments or relate amusing/interesting anecdotes. Instead it gives thought-provoking insights into two all too fast-disappearing basic axioms in our country's psyche: "practice makes perfect," and "do unto others." I highly recommend this book for everyone, especially young people still in their formative years. In fact, it presents an excellent opportunity for parents to reconnect with their child(ren) by reading it aloud and together, with discussion centering on each of the eight elements as they are completed.

Grasping the Ring is an impelling presentation of nine personal portraits of leaders in sports, the media and national governmental services including two U.S. senators. The author, Dr. Gene Budig, is a greatly respected and admired educational leader who was president of three national universities, president of the American Baseball League, a general in the U.S. Air Force and senior presidential advisor of the College Board in New York City. In reality, Dr. Budig is the tenth portrait in Grasping the Ring, a must read.

The biographies of these distinct and heroic individuals, so elegantly and masterfully nestled together by Dr. Budig's wise and artful hand, weave a delightful and illuminating tapestry of profound impact. The work is not only interesting and entertaining, but it also carries the freight of a stirring realization--that the human spirit can indeed overcome adversity and deposit experiences that shape human history. A very enlightening, thought provoking and enriching book!

These clear and concise biographies of famous individuals who
persevered thru challenging circustances is inspiring to read.
Gene Budig gives the reader the feeling that they are having
a personal interview with these heroic figures.Anyone who has
experienced a roadblock in life must read this book.

Gene Budig has given us an insightful snapshot into the lives of nine outstanding individuals who were driven to success in spite of adversity and sometimes outright hostility.

The essays are made more vibrant because Mr. Budig's personally knew these remarkable people. Reading about each person's strength, innate desire and determination to achieve desired goals makes this a most enjoyable and refreshing read.

Gene Budig has written a delightful and enlightening book about some major sports figures, a gifted newspaperman and the significant politicians, Bob Dole and Bob Kerrey.
He knows all well and profiles their achievements along with their vivid personalities in a riveting way. As a daughter of the Midwest, it made me cheer for my achieving brothers from America's heartland. It is a fast read and you'll learn a lot in an enjoyable way!

This was a great book. Simple and straight forward. His writing style was quite engaging as well. I am new to grouse hunting and this book helped point me in the right direction in terms of where to hunt and how to hunt.

I have a library with every book I can get my hands on related to grouse hunting. There are resources specifically on Ruffed Grouse, guns, gunfit, shooting techniques, and every other aspect of the sport. The grouse hunting guides tend to get a read once or twice and then stay on the shelf. Not so with Walrod's book. It is the one hunting guide I have found myself referencing repeatedly. He has great comparative statistics and charts for locating birds depending on the conditions. It is a very enjoyable read and an excellent resource for the dedicated grouse hunter

From habitat and food to identification he tells it all. Having never hunted grouse before, I found it to have very good information. However I did not find it to be as humorous as a prior reader states. I actually found it to be a bit dry. All in all it is a keeper book to add to my library.

This book is loaded with information that will make you a better grouse hunter. The author truly understands this game bird and is able to take his insightful observations and perfectly convey them in this book. This book is sure to make you a better grouse hunter. The information on the grouse alone is worth the money and throw on top of that the information about guns, loads, dogs, and success rates of other hunters just makes this a must buy. I highly reccommend this book. I bought a few other books on grouse and this one is head and shoulders above the rest.

Being (apparently) the state advocate and completely tired of all the hunting books which cover only the eastern part of the United States, I found this guide to be a great book no matter where you live and hunt.

A great picture of a Ruffed Grouse taken from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington state shows that the authors detail of habitat and other tidbits of hunting information apply in each and every covey around the country. What weapons to use. The appropriate ammo. The right choke. Statistics, opinions, and hard facts. Did I mention the book covers habitat? Oh! I can't forget to mention the recipes! Think of "Fried Grouse with (Wild) Mushrooms" and if that doesn't make your mouth water then check your pulse (or just read all the other recipes - there's some good ones).

If you have grouse near you, this book will help you find them and hunt them successfully - no matter where you hunt.

I must say that this is one of the greatest books I've read. At first I thought " thousand pages,that's too much, I don't have the energy to do this". So I sat down and started to read, This is quite good, I thought. Ten hours later I just had to admit it, the book had had me mesmerized, I just couldn't put it down ! For those who haven't read this book, I highly recommend you do ! I say: Giddyup !

Douglas Adams once said that he liked dead lines, 'I like the whooshing noise they make as they go by.'

Thankfully he managed to get himself out of the bath enough times to write this gem.

Thanks Douglas

The Hitch Hikers Guide is an amazing book; it ensnares the mind and doesn't let go. The book takes you all the way from the last seconds of earth to the end of the universe, and all in a strange and humors way. The book uses backwards logic and at some points makes so little sense that it makes perfect sense. I loved the variety of characters, the detail, and the abstract thoughts. The book takes and explains the secrets of the universe and even better how to travel it. In this book you will find the answer to the meaning of life, how to get a lift from a space ship, and why no hitchhiker should ever be without a towel.

I recommend this book to anyone who thinks of the abstract or abnormal, or for that matter anyone who has an inkling of creativity in their minds. Recommended to ages 15 and up.

Ok, First off this is the first time I've done this so hang with me. The Reason I read this book was, pretty much, because the movie was comeing out, and I didn't want to see it with out reading the Book first. I'm Glad I did beacause if i had seen the movie first it would have ruined the book for me. The one thing that I noticed about this book was it's so great that you read it really fast, and when u finish you wish you hadn't read it as fast as you did.Anyway I've never Read anything like this book and probably never will again. I recomend this book to any one who likes to read good books.

Everybody's in search of something. For some it's meaning, for others it's a place in the universe, and for the rest of us, it's a digital watch. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy really illustrates that unsure feeling that we all have. Arthur Dent was lost enough on Earth, but after it's demolished, he in desperate need of finding a speck of understanding throughout the rest of the Galaxy. Good luck without your towel there, buddy boy.

I really dug this book. It didn't take you straight from point A to point B, as some novels do. It had twisty unpredictable swerves that gave you a glimpse of points X, Q and H, along the way, even though Q and H had nothing to do with anything. They were there for appreciation. For example, a nuclear bomb makes a quick transformation to a sperm whale before any damage is done. The reader is fully exposed to the Sperm whales thoughts and inner ramblings... all thirty seconds of them. It's beautifully absurd, and I loved it.

I fully enjoyed the nonsense and the silliness of the book. Little details, especially. An incredibly depressed robot, the hailing of digital watches, eager to please doors; all these things didn't necessarily prove incredibly important on the character's quest, but amusing, nonetheless. Without the silliness, this may have been another book about post-Earth days and the last thing we need is just another book about post-Earth days. Have no fear, this is not just another book.

Great book on MJ. This book really goes in depth about the personal character of MJ. Also a very motivating book, especially how it describes the work ethic of MJ. I refer to it here and there when I need to pick myself up in life. Fun read.

I am 39 years old. I have read literally thousands and thousands of books in my life. This is the BEST book I have ever read. After you read this you will wan to go out and ACCOMPLISH something. Just the quotes in the book alone are worth the price. If you have a teenager who plays basketball, buy him or her this book. But you dont have to be an athlete to love it. THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ.

This book was totally awesome. The author showed what a true leader Mike really is. There were so many examples of how his leadership helped so many people. Not only in sports, but in everything, leadership is extremely important.

Fantastic book! Great lessons for anyone with any ambition in sport or indeed life. Mike is a role model for many people, and hearing about Mike from other people's experience of him, just make's you understand what made him so special

Pat Williams' book "How to be Like Mike" is a tight, focused book about what it takes to succeed. The lessons are modeled on the philosophies of Michael Jordan and there is much to be learned from MJ.

My only complaint is that the book tends to falter when author Pat Williams inserts his own family stories. Williams comes across as an authoritarian father who demands that his children do things his way. He seems to bristle at the idea that not every person thrives on competition or wants to model his or her life around an athletic paradigm.

Still, if you can move beyond Williams' interjections, the remainder of the book is a gem.

The title of the book, which became Mr. Sayers' credo throughout life, comes from a quote he saw on the desk of one of his coaches: "My God is first, my friends and family are second, I am third." Mr. Sayers tells the story of a man who lifted himself out of the ghetto with such a love for football, his friendship with Brian Piccolo (one of the very first pairings of a black player and a white player in the NFL) and his near-career ending injury. It is an inspirational story that does not get preachy. He tells of his friendship with Brian Piccolo without getting maudlin (Mr. Sayers and Mr. Piccolo were loyal friends and deeply respectful of each other.) He relates his triumphant return to the Chicago Bears after a knee injury that had almost everyone writing him off (except Mr. Piccolo, who urged him on during rehabilitation.) It almost seems as if Al Silverman turned on a tape recorder and let Mr. Sayers talk. Rather than being pretentious, the way a lot of sports biographies are one gets the feeling that Mr. Sayers is sitting down in an easy chair and is talking directly to each reader. The book, however, was written more than thirty-five years ago and ends before Mr. Sayers' final two (albeit disappointing) seasons. My hope is that Mr. Sayers will either update this book or write a sequel to tell us of his successes after football.

Bought this as gift for my husband. His reveiw: It was okay, interesting about Gayle Sayer's life but not extremely well written. It had little to say about his relationship with Brian Piccolo.

I am third
By Gale Sayers

Devon Hurley

My book is called I am third and itýs written by Gale Sayers. The price of the book is $...and u can find this book in any book store.
I am third is about the football player gale Sayers .He plays football with his friends every day. He grew up in a poor house with barely any food. That didnýt stop him from playing football though. He played no matter what. One time he tried to tackle some one and he got kicked in the mouth and he was spiting out blood his brother played football too. He was older then Gale. Gale was a starter on the high school football team with his brother he only got to play with his brother one season because he was a senior when Gale was a freshman. Gale was a good player. He was like1st or 2nd best in the country. He wanted to go to a four year college to play football. Mississippi State was in other sports besides football like track and basketball. He broke the long jump record for track. His mom and dad were always working on something. Galeýs dad was tall and had long legs. His dad worked hard every day and only got 40 dollars a day. His mom was at home watching all the kids. All the kids in the neighbor hood were on the football team. After gale went to college he was going to go to the pros either the chiefs or the bears. on draft day the Chicago bears picked Gale Sayers the first day of summer training he met Brian piccolo. Brian was a white person and Gale was a black person they didnýt really get along at first of race but after they started playing together. The coach put them in the same room partner. When gale was voted rookie of the year Brian starts to get sick and has to go to the hospital and he finds out he has cancer and has to stay in the hospital for the rest of the season. Later he goes home and is recovering but he gets cancer again a in his chest and dies from cancer. later gale plays the best game of his career he scores 6 touchdowns.

This review is on the book called "I Am Third". In this book it tells mostly about Gale Sayers' football career and some of Brian Piccolo's or Pic. The reason this book is called "I Am Third" is because he says that "God is 1st,my friends are 2nd,and I am 3rd". To understand this book you might have to know a little about football. If you like football stories I would reccomend you read "I Am Third".

I really never liked sports, but this book really moved me because it was a story of two men very different yet very alike. They were both very talented, over the past few months i've been doing so much research and Gale and Brian. I also am planning to do a important report on them, the frienship that they had was great. BUY THIS BOOK!! and the movie Brians song!I loved both. I love Ya Gale and Brian GOD BLESS!

After reading this book you come away with a feeling of being uplifted and transcended into a life you wish you were part of. It made my love of baseball have a deeper meaning, one that will I will carry with me forever. These "baseball buddies" are as real to me as any friend or family member. A very memorable read.

Richard Callori

This is a great story! Just buy it and read it. You'll be happy that you did!

Since I am not a sports enthusiast, this was the first book I've read that had baseball as a theme, or any sport. Something about it intrigued me greatly so I purchased it. I am a bit of a history buff so I thoroughly enjoyed all of the history that was interwoven throughout. But this was also the first book I've ever read in one day! It was that engrossing. The story, the layout of it, the twists and turns, and everything about it was ingenious. And as I read from a previous review, the ending cannot be described accurately. One has to read it to believe it. GREAT BOOK! GREAT READ! WOULD MAKE A GREAT MOVIE! 5 Stars aren't enough!

This book is incredible. I loved, loved, loved it. I read it cover to cover without putting it down. I couldn't; I was captivated after the first few pages. Mr. Valenti does a wonderful job, with so many twists and turns, you'll never figure out the ending. Don't think twice about reading this one......you most definitely won't regret it. This would make a wonderful movie.

A great read! I normally like fiction I was pleasantly surprised and engulfed by Innings Though Time. It kept me interested from beginning though end! Read it, you won't regret it.

My daughter has been enjoying this book. She gets me involved and also had a great time sharing it with her BFF when they had a sleepover! They learn alot about themselves and it's fun!

bought this for my 13 year old daughter for Christmas and she loved it. tends to prefer the high tech toys (e.g. ipod, DVDs) but this was good old-fashioned fun. Plus it was interactive.

If my granddaughter's (age 13) face of joy and her attachment to the book are measurement of the rating for this book, then the book rates 5 stars. The first day she had the book, she worked about 1/3 of the exercises asking everybody in sight to answer the questions. And, we enjoyed participating in the exercises. Great book for young girls.

This is, like, the best book I ever quizzed in. I this Klutz did the best job on this book! I'm so glad I have the book! I got it at my school book fair and fell in love with it (even though it's just a book) at first sight.

I gave this to my 11 year old niece for Christmas and she absolutely loved it!! She went around asking everyone in the family the quizzes. It's colorful, bright and interesting art designs really grabs their attention. I would definitely buy this again for girls aged 10-13.

This book is incredible. The photography is outstanding and the insight into the private world of Jacques Villeneuve was interesting. He's an extremely private individual and still hasn't given everything away - but for now, this book is well worth the effort.

There is no doubt that the photography in this book is spectacular. Any JV fan will appreciate getting a priviledged glimpse into his life - on and off the track, but was the picture of him at the urinal really necessary!

The pictures in this book give an impression on his personal life rather than just his career.It is good to be able to get the chance to see into their personal life without mobbing them on the streets.

I bought this book last year...Good pics (Italian photographer, you know...!), good lines. The impression you get about Jacques is that he's too pure to be true..I think that Gianni Giansanti cought the very essence of this young racing driver. I expecially like the pic at the end of the book, showing Jacques sitting in front of a window open over a big city (San Paolo in Brazil, if I remember well), in the shade, so that you can only get the shape of his body. Wonderful Jacques!

As soon as you open the book, the photos jump out at you. If you read F1 Racing magazine and enjoy the pictures they have in there, you will love the pictures in this incredible collection of JV shots.

Years and years ago a "James Bond Encyclopedia" by Steven Jay Rubin came out and considering it wasn't an "EON officially" sanctioned book (stock photos and mediocre writing) it wasn't all THAT bad. I've been collecting 007 books for a long time, many of them from the internet, and came out dissappointed many times but was able to recover from my initial skepticism to buying this new Bond Encyclopedia when I noticed John Cork was one of the authors. He's responsible for the excelent BOND GIRLS ARE FOREVER and the JAMES BOND LEGACY, perhaps the two best Bond books I've every bought.
Well, the JAMES BOND ENCYCLOPEDIA certainly doesn't dissappoint, hundreds of terrific pictures organized by category (movie, vehicles, girls, villains, etc.) include even the most oscure of entries. While a dream come true for aficionados, it's definetly bound to please casual Bond fans also (and who isn't ?)

This James Bond Encyclopedia is a must have book. It is very comprehensive and profusely illustrated with photographs. The visual layout is very attractive enhancing this exquisite volume. I spent many hours going through it. It is a very enjoyable James Bond film companion. Being a long time Bond fan I highly recommend this one.

I enjoyed the book and feel it to be a good companion to another volume by a different author entitled "The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia."

It is full of information with plenty of accompanying pictures, and is divided up by subjects (i.e. Bond Villians, Bond Women, Weapons, Equipment etc.). For myself, since that is also part of the Bond world, I wish it had had a section on Bond bloopers (deliberate or otherwise) which occur in the films.

I did notice that occasionally the pictures did not match the captions listed for them (in "The Movies" chapter especially) in that a photograph would be shown, but the caption did not relate to the designated picture.

Also, in the sidebar section of that chapter where different persons connected with the production side of the movies would be listed along with their professional biographies, sometimes the print was hard to read bacause of the background color it was placed on.

Overall, I would recommend this book.

I consider myself well versed in the world of 007. However, reading this book made me realize how much there is out there that I was was unaware of, The authors have shown a greta eye for detail and completeness. And with a nice sense of humor they have added some new facts that I never knew existed.

A pleasure to read.

If I may wax nostalgic for a moment, I can still recall the very first James Bond movie that I sever saw...actually the first three Bond movies...it was sometime in the late 60's or early 70's and my mom took me and my brothers to the drive-in theater to see a triple feature of Goldfinger, Dr. No, and From Russia with Love...in that order. I know I never made it past the credits of From Russia with Love but man...I loved those first two films! I had never seen anything like Bond before with his cool gadgets and those nasty villains like Odd Job and that began a lifelong passion for James Bond. With Christmas approaching, I cannot think of a better gift for the Bond fan on your list than the James Bond Encyclopedia from DK Books.

I've read a lot of books from DK on popular films and while they are always very well done, they sometimes can be a bit light on material. No so with this book. This book contains over 300 pages filled with information that will test even the most knowledgeable of Bond fans. It is bountifully illustrated with over 2000 photographs and images and traces the Bond history right up to the most recent film, Casino Royale.

As the title suggests it is an encyclopedia but rather than just list its hundreds of entries in alphabetical order it lists them alphabetically by subject. The subjects include: The Bond Style, The Role of Bond, Bond Villains, Bond Women, Supporting Cast, Vehicles, Weapons & Equipment, and the Movies. A comprehensive index finishes things off.

The role of Bond covers the six actors who have portrayed Bond with two pages of biographical information on each actor and a list of the Bond films they starred in. Next up is the section on Bond Villains. This section covers Bond villains from the criminal masterminds Blofeld, Hugo Drax, and Goldfinger; crime lords like Frank Sanchez; muscled thugs Jaws, Odd Job, Mr. Kil, and Tee Hee; and dangerous females May Day, Elekta King, and Bambi & Thumper. The encyclopedia gives the film(s) they appeared in, their current status, characteristics, the actor who portrayed them, and a synopsis of their roles in the films.

No book on Bond would be complete without looking at the dozens of Bond Women played by some of the most beautiful actresses in the world: Terri Hatcher, Ursula Andress, Lana Wood, Eva Green, and Halle Berry. The section on supporting cast members covers all the other major and minor characters in the Bond films from Q to Miss Moneypenny. Each Aston Martin that Bond drove is featured in the section on vehicles along with some of the more extraordinary vehicles like the Bath-O-Sub from Diamonds are Forever and the Dragon Tank from Dr. No. And of course all of Bonds secret weapons and gadgets are detailed in the Weapons section.

The last fifty pages or so of the book covers each bond film in chronological order with a listing of cast and crew credits but rather than provide a synopsis of films you've probably seen numerous times the book instead provides anecdotes on the making of the films with all manner of interesting production notes.

This is a book that is perfect for the die-hard or casual James Bond fan.