Sports Books

You gotta love Stienstra,a lifetime of info on hundreds of fishin spots

This book is a must have for anyone fishing in the state of California. I wish Tom would write one for every state. I don't fish any body of water in California until I look it up in this book. However, I agree with Alex. Tom really should write more about SHORE fishing. We don't all have boats.

When I first moved to California 9 years ago I picked this up and have worn out my copy. A tremendously helpful reference that has introduced me to some of the most wonderful fishing spots I've ever enjoyed. There are many more I've read about that I can't wait to try.

I've seen a number of California fishing books but this one is simply the best. Whether you are flyfishing or using spinning tackle, you want to know the lay of the land, where to fish, when to go, how to get there, who to talk to. This book answers all those things. It is an excellent comprehensive introduction to the fishable waters of California. Excellent maps, directions, and local guides/services for further advice. It breaks down all the areas of California into discrete geographic segments then gives detailed information on the area.

It is clear that Stienstra is an experienced fisherman whether it is on the fly, lures, or bait. This book is for the true fisherman and covers all the offshore, inshore, and freshwater fishing available throughout California. I cannot recommend this book enough. There are so many bad books on fishing and flyfishing, where the authors spout on and on about their theories and thoughts. This is a book that is more like a reference guide and is an essential resource. The author is very well versed in freshwater and saltwater fishing and the writing is straightforward, with opinions registered when they are needed.

Great book for the average fisherman who didn't grow up in Mt. Shasta, Calif. Tom raves about the fishing in Lake Siskiyou, not realizing that the dam ruined some of the best stream fishing I have ever seen. Of course, that was 30 or so years ago. Still, around that area, and I'm not telling where, there are still native trout in small streams located on the Mt. Eddy side. When I say native, I don't mean real native. Those Mt. Eddy lakes and streams were planted years ago, mostly by the CCC. In fact, my father, Eugene Babcock, planted the Mumbo Lakes Basin by mule train when he was with the CCC. I'm now 56 and those easy hikes into the Mumbo Lakes Basin are now hard hikes. If you head to Dobkins or Durney or Eddy Crater lakes without proper gear and physical fitness, you are headed for trouble. Otherwise, this is a great book with true fishing guidelines for Siskiyou, Modoc and Plumas counties. Tom, quit giving away my favorite fishing places.....

Cliff Babcock

This book lives up to its title. Some of the tips are fascinating, although as a "car camper" I may never utilize them (for example, despite the book's recommendations, a Eureka dome tent is more convenient and practical for my family then, say, a hand-fashioned shelther of canvas and rope, or pine boughs). Nevertheless, even the information that I may never utilize myself is fascinating to read, and the book is otherwise full of "smaller scale" tips and tricks (e.g., cooking, tools, hiking and orienteering, etc.) that are useful to all levels of campers.

With this book, Mr. Jacobson has compiled some of the best tips and ideas for camping out of doors. From winter camping to knot-tying, it is a VERY helpful resource for the beginning/intermediate camper. The book is easy to read and easy to reference with subjects listed in alphabetical order. He covers almost anything you could think you want to know about camping, with very good information on canoeing as well. Read this book before you go!

Cliff Jacobson is in my opinion the best canoe-camping-outdoor equipment-how-to guy writing today. And this book is very good, full of wonderful tips and advice laid out in far greater detail than most any of his competitors can muster.

Since I enjoy this author so much, I didn't even mind that the organization of "Camping Tips only the Experts Know" is a little haphazard, using the letters of the alphabet. Nor did I mind that most of the camping tips presented I'd already come across in Cliff's other outdoor books, including his masterpiece, "Expedition Canoeing." However, there were just enough brand new tips to keep me turning pages. And the occasional re-tooled old tip explained in even greater and more helpful detail.

My advice would be, if you're interested in camping, especially canoe camping, then buy everything this author has ever written. You'll be more comfortable and efficient in the great outdoors -- and appreciative of it -- than ever before. But if you can only get one or two of his books, then choose between "Expedition Canoeing" and/or "Canoeing and Camping, Beyond the Basics." They are extraordinary.

Cliff Jacobson is one of the authors of a great series of camping books called the "Basic Essentials". He is popular because he writes in a homey accessible style that gets you interested in the subject and teaches you in simple terms anyone can grasp. In the series are books on camping basics, cooking outdoors, map and compass, shelter, weather, canoeing, fishing, first aid, and more. They are great little library to have but if you can't afford them all, buy this one for all the basics. Cliff has put together a book that has information from all of these and a little more. Some of his "secrets" are really helpful tips you may have heard before if you are an experianced camper, but you can bet there will be some new ones too. An all around great resource for the experianced or rookie camper, I highly reccommend.

Wow.
There was a lot of stuff I didn't know. Twenty five years of camping on the average of once a month and I got a lot out of this book. Jacobsen's advice on pitching tarps alone is worth the price of the book. There is a minimal amount of old chestnuts aand lots of really useful information.

Buy it for the great cars!
But it for the great photos of the cars!
Buy it for the play by play of each and every race.
-for the Amazing list pro drivers whom were brave enough to get behind the wheels of these 'Big Bangers!
-for the behind the scenes looks at these monster big block engines and how they pushed the envelope of technology.
-for the wild designs as each team played at the first tentative steps at understanding Aerodynamic down force!

Nothing, nothing was more grand or powerful at that time! So get this book that perfectly captures the time when Racing was Dangerous, but Sex was not.

OK, I am a huge Pete Lyons fan. He lived it and wrote about it so we could also live it. Great job and great book. A must read if you are a Can Am fan or a fan of the "good old days" of motor sports where determination and a few bucks could get you in the game.

This is a delightful book for any racing enthusiast who either loved the Can-Am or wants to learn why older fans revere it.

While Pete Lyons is as scrupulous as someone like Doug Nye about accuracy for such details as chassis numbers, Pete uses such information only to make sure that his narrative is accurate and consistent or to authoritatively state interesting facts, such as the cars that won consecutive events, or won the same events in consecutive years, or were raced by certain drivers.

Pete Lyons and Doug Nye are THE names for any library. Once again Pete lives up to a stellar reputation and this book is another must have for your collection.
Can Am is such a beloved series that you have to have the best book in your library and this is the one to build your library from.
I hope this helps you make your decision on purchase.

Reading Lyons' book is like reading the race reports at the time in Competion Press and Road & Track, with the added perspective of knowing how it all turns out after the rubber dust has settled. The candid driver shots of Bruce, Denny, Dan, Mark and the rest of these heroes of my college days, with the exquisite on-track shots and hardware close-ups, bring it all back in a great rush. It's a very difficult book to set down, time just seems to fly, as it seems those years did. It's a marvellous reminiscence of those larger-than-life men and the fastest road-racing machines ever built.

Tom Anderson's son Marc is destined for greatest. At only twelve years old, this young boy has an amazing arm that carries his otherwise mediocre team. So long as the boy has the right guidance and the right team to enhance his skills Marc will definitely become a superstar quarterback. So when a scout for a better team wants to give Marc the shot of a lifetime, Tom is willing to sacrifice almost anything: his marriage, time with his daughter, and even his son's health.

Anyone who has participated in sports or has children who participate in sports has probably met a man like Tom Anderson. He's not an evil man who purposefully pushes his child beyond his limits. Instead, he just sort of got caught up in the dream of his son attaining something he never had the chance to accomplish. Somewhere along the line, he just forgot to ask his son if it was his dream too.

Tom Anderson has football ambitions for his son and has a daughter with rare soccer skills. He struggles with perspective and balance in his aspirations. In Tom Anderson I saw lots of good and bad youth parents (including myself). The author skillfully keeps us involved in this family where the dynamics and conflicts of youth sports are played out. Tom Anderson spends about as much time and pages in sex scenes (almost exclusively with his wife) as he does in football. A real interesting combination that Dad's will enjoy reading. A very satisfying, well-told story.

I enjoyed the book.

The pages turned rapidly and I had that air flight moment where the taxi to the gate didn't take long enough and I had to be chased off the plane. It was a fun read. The characters have depth and complexities - not all good or bad. How do you know when it is time to step in and defy "the authority" and when do you continue to trust "the authority?" The story made me ask, "What would I do if I saw this happening?"

I played youth sports with my eight siblings in a small town and I now coach my daughters' teams. I recognize in the characters in the story, the personality of many parents that interfere, support, encourage and discourage young children in their pursuit of fun. At times the book brought knots to my stomach where parents knew what was "best" for their child-- whom was the "best" and was going to see to IT. What do you do if you were that kid? He knew he wasn't. I don't remember any parent stepping in to mitigate the trouble created by a misguided parent. My classmate suffered. Look around the stands, sidelines, and field, What do you see?

The book highlights and focuses the light on some of the most egregious actions that parents take in the guise of doing what is best. I would suggest these parents read the book and see if they recognize themselves. Opps - there is no time for those parents in the long-term plan for idling reading good practice time away.

In the book's case, I want the next book to explore what happens to Marc and his Dad's relationship if Marc becomes the second stringer? Tom (Marc's Dad) couldn't handle it. Knowing what he was willing to do so far to get his soon the "right," the "best," opportunity, what would he do and how would he justify it? That is just one of the many untold stories the books sets-up. Marc's twin sister Katie has her own issues with her Dad's misguided help. Why does Katie always have to help and Marc gets to skip the household chores? I want to know more.

I recommend the book to anyone who has ever watched a youth's game. I am looking forward to the next book.

As I read this work my mind went back to the many football games and baseball games that I attended with my sons in their youth and I wondered how guilty I was in pushing my children where they did not want to go in these competitive sports. From birth we teach our children to do the best they can and sometimes we go overboard pushing them beyond their limits. In this book, Catch a Rising Star, we meet Tom and his son Marc who are thrust headlong into a game where winning maybe losing and losing maybe exactly what should happen.
From the beginning of Marc's life Tom pruned him to be a football star, but Tom never considered the factors of life that would play into his decision for the future of his son.
As life progressed, Marc indeed was superior to other children in this game, but Marc lacked the spark that was required to take it to the limit and Tom almost destroyed his son and family by foolishly trying to light the spark that was not there.
In this book our author explores the unrealistic expectations that many parents pile upon their children in sports and the destruction these actions can cause. The storyline pulls you in and craft-fully the author illuminates the part over zealous parents with an agenda of their own play in the life of our children's sports. Often to their destruction.
This is an eye-opening read done in an entertaining way and one that all parents, couches and those who overshadow our children in any competitive area should read.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review

My husband used to coach little league, and I saw many parents as depicted in Don's book. It's a sad state of affairs. Don is an eloquent writer. The story seems to leap off of the page. I'm sure this is the beginning of a magnificent writing career for Mr. Albertson.

This was a used book I purchased and I have to say I was very, very pleased with the condition.
The author of this book puts everything in very simple terms & makes it easy for a newby to follow along.
I really love it & was glad to add it to my collection of polymer clay books that is ever expanding thanks to Amazon!!!

I collect books on Polymer Clay Artistry and Beading, and this is one of the best of any genre. An absolute classic, suitable for beginners and more experienced clay artists. If you ever thought of Polymer Clay as a relative to Play-Doh, you won't after reading this lucious book.

I love this book and I know you will too if you are into clay or just thinking about trying it. The projects are all wonderful, with easy to follow instructions. Everything to keep a beginner or an advanced clayer busy. Sarajane Helm out did herself this time. Can wait to see what's up her other sleeve.

It is a beautiful book to look at and to admire. But if you are a beginner I suggest going with "New ways with Polymer clay" and or "The polymer clay techniques book". The Techniques book is very helpful!! I loved this book but for now all I can do is look and dream.

I first seen this book at a crafting store and with their price came home and found it on Amazon.com at a lower cost..thats the first most important thing...I really love the way they incorperate the mica's in the projects to give them a very rich expensive non crafted look..I was very impressed with the projects in this book and reviewing it before I bought it was the selling point for me..Mrs.C.

Lowell does excellent work in this book capturing life at the Olympics, mixed in with family problems, and how athlete's aspire to greatness despite all the odds. It is superb. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Tori must have felt wonderful after winning the Olympics. This book was sad and happy. I wished that Tori could've somehow worked her strength past this awful disease and still have been able to skate. A beautiful heart- wrenching story.

This book was great and I liked the way it ended.The book shows Tori's feelings,and also had chapters on other characters insights.I give this book five stars,it was the best of all the books in the Silver Blades series.It's great!!!!!!!!!!

This book is about two skaters who have followed their dreams to skate at the Olympics. Melissa Lowell uses her imagination to create two skaters going to the Olympics instead of Kwan and Lipinski. This book is one of a three-book miniseries and of all of them I think it's the best! I'd give this book 5 stars, the first one for the drawing on the cover, the second one for the creativity of the book, third for the surprises, fourth for the adventure, and fifth for the humor. At the end there is a big surprise! Tori, who has a disease that can have her end up in a wheel chair, won the gold and Jill is in third. It was a great book. I'd recommend it for ages 7-12. I hope you enjoy the book!

This is the final book of a three-book mini-series. The end of every chapter leaves you hungry for more. It is about two girls trying to rising to the top of the world of figure skating. In Chance of a Lifetime, Tori and Jill are competing in the Olympics. Tori is skating with a serious muscle diease against all odds, and trying to be strong when all she recieves is pity. The other girl, Jill, finds out how differently alternates are treated at the Oympics than skaters competing. This book is sad at some points, funny at others, and really a thrilling book overall. It's a must for girls who love ice-skating.

As a lifelong Beach Bum, I have read this book numerous times and felt the true peacefullness and calm I always get at the beach. We all need to embrace the Ocean and all who live in it. There are angels like Wyland who have devoted their life to preserving the ocean and this book shares some of the most touching and beautifull stories I have read. I encourage you to read this if you love the ocean,live by or dream of visiting it someday.

Many of us that were raised near an ocean feel a special connection to it. We are lured back by the soothing waves, beauty, and wonderful memories. The authors of this book effectively take you there, reminding you of the good times and the lessons learned. As you read, you feel the same sense of peace and comfort that the ocean gives. I was particularly moved by Michael Geers' writing in Letters. He movingly describes how the lessons and memories his mother introduced during childhood, continue to guide and comfort him as an adult. He illustrates how the ocean can provide us with physically, emotionally, and even, spiritually uplifting experiences. If you love the ocean and yearn to be close to it again, pick up a copy of this book. You will feel like you've returned.

This book is really excellent. I was in a diving trip in the islets of spratlys when i started reading this book. It really had my eyes fill with tears. The book not only did touch my heart but also my soul. Never did i regret buying this book!

Wow! I received this book as a gift from a co-worker who knew I was a fan of the work of the artist Wyland. I had seen the Chicken Soup series for years, but found most of the stories to be a little too similar. This book was a VAST improvement and really deserves a look from anyone who thought the Chicken Soup series has burned itself out. I was particularly drawn to the story, "The Sea and the Wind that Blows," by E.B. White, the author of "Charlotte's Web." White, a long-time sailing aficionado, realizes for the first time that he is getting older and is becoming a risk to himself by sailing alone ... and must make a painful decision to give up his beloved pasttime. He ultimately decides that the point of life is to do what you love, and in so doing, decides to continue his sailing adventures, regardless of the consequences. It's a message for everyone who has ever considered giving up on something precious. The other stories are great too -- they come from around the entire world -- but are too numerous to explain in this review. This was simply a great gift that I will treasure as long as my paperback copy holds out.

Coming across this book is much like finding a bit of treasure from the sea. Plenty of "pearls", "gold", and "jewels" are to be found here. There are lovely stories, poems, cartoons, drawings and paintings to be cherished. Each one comes from the heart. Anyone who knows the "Chicken Soup" series of books will know what to expect, each contribution is amazing. Those who have not yet been introduced, this volume will be a wonderful place to start. The ocean theme will bring close to home the importance of the ocean and our responsibility towards it. The Sea's power and mystery reaches out to each of us in all parts of the world. What sets this one a bit apart from others is the inclusion of Wyland's art and his personal stories. This is a soulful, spiritual, and beautiful man who deeply loves the sea and is doing what he can to bring that out in all of us in order to protect it for the following generations. His moving stories will bring you closer to that part of us that that love the ocean and all that live in it. Don't miss out. It is unforgettable.

"Chief Bender's Burden" by Tom Swift is a great story, well written about a Native American baseball player turn of the century into the middle teens of the 20th century. He played for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics and they were world champions for a number of years. Bender was a big game,money pitcher who was at his best in pivotal late season and post season games, ie ( Lew Burdette, Milwaukee Braves; Curt Schilling Arizona d-backs, Boston Red Sox). Baseball was truly a national pastime then, where every community with enough people to field a team, had one. Swift does a great job trying to be accurate in every detail. However, it was the era of Grantland Rice and other great writers whose descriptions were the only reports, other than box scores, of the games. Swift includes fantastic examples of their writings. A compelling read about baseball and society during that time in our country.

This book was a delight to read. It is both informative and entertaining. Although it is a work of history it is a very easy and interesting read. Tom Swift has done his homework as the book is filled with many details describing the life and times of this hall of famer. I recommend it to all fans of baseball history and eagerly look forward to his future works.

A great book on an early 20th Century forgotten Baseball pitcher who is in the Hall of Fame. "Chief" Bender was one of the mainstays of those early great Philadelphia A's teams. This is a about a native American player who excelled in Major League Baseball in spite of all the racial comments, taunts and low expectations of Native Americans. There is information about his days at the Carlisle School. Tom Swift also uses the racially charged quotes from the papers of those years to demonstrate what he had to live with. His real name was Charles and like Baseball in those days everyone had a nickname some weren't too flattering like "Chief", "Rube" and "Dummy" While this is not a movie where the character has flashbacks of his past, Tom Swift starts with the 1914 World Series game 1 in which the "Chief" lost and continues to go back to that game leading off of many of the chapters of the events surrounding that game. I don't understand by discussing all the racial sterotypes on the man why then does the author keep going back to that same unsuccessful game? To me it is slamning the man all over again. If you can get past this stupid movie technique then the book is a worth while read.

This is the best biography I have read. It provides important details about an player important in baseball history, and also illuminates the history of many Native Americans and how they were assimilated into society in the late 19th early 20th centuries. This is one to purchase and keep.

When I saw there was a new biography of the great Chief Bender, I grabbed it up. Tom Swift has done a great service by bringing the life of Charles Bender to print. He is one of the all-time greats and should not be overlooked.

Swift also lets the reader get to know the man behind the legend, and the Chief was a Hall-of-Famer in nearly every aspect of his life. He was a great man and a great pitcher. Connie Mack said that if he had to win one big game, there is no one he'd rather have on the mound. And Connie Mack saw them all, from the 1880s to the 1950s -- from Cy Young to Walter Johnson to Lefty Grove to Whitey Ford.

There are a few problems with the book, which keeps it, at least in my mind, from meriting five stars. Swift begins his book with the opening game of the 1914 World Series, and then he keeps coming back to it throughout. This doesn't work for a number of reasons, especially since this is the "big game" the Chief lost (the A's were swept in the series by the "Miracle" Boston Braves). There are also occasional problems with Swift's prose. He uses sentence fragments to good effect in some cases, but in most instances, they just confuse the issue and make it seem as though he doesn't realize that a fragment is not a complete sentence. I also felt that many of his similes were weak.

Lastly, a book about a baseball star should include that player's career statistics, but this Swift fails to do. I found myself going to a web site to view the Chief's stats.

Overall, however, I enjoyed getting to know the great Charles Bender a little better.

this book is very good, for anyone doing musculoskeletal health, or related. covers everythin under the sun, well recommended

Anyone working in sports medicine should have this reference guide in their library. It's an outstanding resource that will help in diagnosing an injury.

Awesome book !!! I'm a P.T. and Athletic Trainer getting
back into sports medicine and this book is a "must" for
your library. It's well organized and covers such a variety
of subject matter regarding injuries,rehabilitation, specific
medical injuries, and even aspects on the use of supplements
by athletes. It also contains functional anatomical references
that aid in the evaluation and differential diagnosis of
the injury. Great Book !!!

This is an astounding book. When was the last time you saw a 900+ page hard cover book packed with useful photographs and excellent line drawings...The practical advice in this book is unparalleled. No wonder it is an international best-seller. It arrived quickly and well packed from Amazon. Keep up the good work and thanks!

The second edition (2001) of this work is indeed an outstanding resource. My daily work includes imaging of sports and musculoskeletal injuries. I find this book frequently useful to supplement deficiencies in my knowledge and experience, and a most useful companion to the second edition (2001) of "Musculoskeletal Ultrasound" by Marnix van Holsbeeck and Joseph Introcaso.

Highly recommended as a workbench resource to those interested in imaging of sports injuries.

This is a marvelous book and companion to the video which deals with wild horses in the Rockies. The photography is superb and the author's style is easy reading while capturing the beauty of the wild horse. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in horses, both domestic and wild.

The book is wonderful. Beautifully written and photographed. However, people should know that Cloud's herd of wild horses is in great danger of being rounded up and permanently removed from the Pryor Mountains in Montana which has been cleared of all other herds of Mustangs. The Bureau of Land Management has caved in to cattle and sheep ranchers who want all wild horses removed from the range, including Public Lands and areas such as the Pryor Mountains where cattle are not grazed.

The heck with being a book for teen girls ----- it is a book for all horse lovers and non horse lovers alike! Beautiful photos and a GREAT TRUE Story! It is WONDERFUL!

Cloud, Wild Stallion of the Rockies is the BEST horse book that I have ever read! It is a true story about wild horses in Montana. It is interesting and very exciting! I also enjoy watching the DVD. I highly recommend this book to any one who likes horses! Definitely a 5 star book!

Cloud: Wild Stallion of the Rockies is an interesting book, with vivid photographs of mustangs. I received it as a gift back when I was still obsessed with horses, and could not get enough of it. Even now that I only slightly like horses anymore, I find this book very enjoyable.

Interspersed with moving photography, this is Ginger Kathrens' story of a wild stallion called Cloud. She followed his herd before he was born, and followed him all over afterwards. A simple but well-written documentary that, I can only imagine, rivals the show produced on Nature's television series, this is a must for any young horse-lover, or even an older one.

I highly recommend this book. The pictures are full-color and the story is superb; you will be getting your money's worth with this book. Long live Cloud!