Outdoors Books

Some people may shy away from this book because they think its about basketball. Wrong -- it's about life, about a person who happens to play basketball.

I think every girl should read this book, because it deals with Cooper's issues with self-esteem and confidence, overcoming poverty, and her pursuit of excellence. I also think every mother should read it, because the book shows how effective a role model Cooper's mother was to her. Maybe mothers and daughters should read this book together, and have discussions about it.

This is not an overtly Christian book, but Cooper is a Christian and does not hide her faith. It is not really an evangelistic book, though one can say it is pre-evangelistic.

This autobiography is one of the best, if not the best, that I've read. It's amazing how Cynthia Cooper writes her own story to motivate and make readers have more confidence. She's a real example of a true athlete hero, someone that can be a role model to all. Thanks to her and her success in the WNBA, she's given Women's Basketball a new meaning. Her determination and motivation to become successful is admirable. This book is really an inspiration to those who lack self-esteem and self-confidence. I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone because is really interesting and inspirational. I'm proud of Cynthia Cooper because she's a real good representative of Women's basketball and a great example of determination and success. She also proved that with God's help, anything is possible.

Cynthia Cooper could be a role model for anyone. She knows how to play the game of life as well as basketball: when to hold, when to fold, and a whole lot more.
What impressed me most? Signed to play in Italy, Cynthia didn't hang around being homesick. She took the opportunity to learn and grow.
My favorite scenes:

(1) New to Italy, she'd never even heard of famous cathedrals that someone asked her about. Later, she could have discussed the architectural history and features -- in Italian.

(2) She asked Ford to give her a marketing internship -- and she felt right at home with the men. I use this example a lot when I talk to parents who are concerned that their daughters are more interested in sports than school.

(3) She takes us behind the scenes of the championship Comets.

Hard to put down, well-written, honest -- the perfect gift for any WNBA fan or any young woman looking to her future, in or out of basketball.

Cooper's book has made me relieze that nothing can turninto something. Also Cooper provides a positive role model for anyonewho wants to better themselves and improve their way of life. This is a book that can be enjoyed by all. There was problems growing up, college, overseas (work) love, and death of loved ones. This tells the reader that everyone faces problems at many different stages of life. Also how they could be overcome with the correct outlook. END

This book is about the story and life of a great know person and athletic. It has its good times and bad times. It tells you what happened in her life till the time she published the book. It tells you from her first time she touched a basketball until she became the leauges MVP. If you want to read a great story about a player and her good times and bad times this is the book you should read. It is for sure the best book I've read about a great person and a life she lived. You should get this book no doubt.

I am a big fan of David Halberstam. Like his other books, this one was well written, but I just could not get into the subject matter. The main characters that he follows were uninteresting and pretty one dimnesional in their rowing obsession. Halberstam seems to worship their dedication to a sport that few care about, but I find their masochistic pleasure in continuous pain and lonely training quite odd and certainly not anything heroic. I think that if I had been a rower at some point in my athletic career instead of a track athlete and soccer player, I would have enjoyed this book more. We've all heard the term "too much inside baseball." For me this book was too much "inside rowing" and did not translate into a broader experience for fans of other sports.

Really well written, but a depressing story. I finished the book without any happy illusions about the sport, or sports in general. Nevertheless, a valuable story about the human spirit.

halberstam is very engaging in not merely following the story of the 1976 Olympic US rowing scullers, but in relentlessly digging into their lives for historical details of their rowing past, psychological stabs at what drives them, and their social interaction with their teammates. this book was quite well known in the 1980's, but seems to have been forgotten by many in the rowing community - what a shame!! i expect every serious rower today would still find this an extremely compelling and interesting story, and for those of us who read it 20 years ago, i can testify that it is very well worth a re-read. and the other top rowing book? virtually unknown and quite hard to find, brad alan lewis' `assault on lake casitas' is just as great as `the amateurs', and a fantastic companion to it!!

For someone who's not a rower, Halberstam gets most of this right - the technique, the atmosphere, the obsessiveness (which is common to all levels of rowing, just intensified among Olympians). In some ways the selection for the '84 Olympics was a crux point in the US rowing system, and Halberstam shows just why. If you want to get a view into a sport most people ignore, written by a top author, this is a good place to do it - same if you just want a peek in the mind of world-class athletes. If you want to really learn about the 84' Olympics selection camp, I'd recommend reading this in combination with Brad Lewis' "Assault at Lake Casitas", for a another viewpoint from one of the main actors (and the '84 doubles gold medalist).

Incidentally, the movie Rowing Through was based on The Amateurs. It's quite divergent from the book, but not too bad if you can ignore a good bit of gratuitous sex and some hardly-Olympic-caliber rowing in the scenes on the water.

I read this book in spite of the facts that I have no interest in rowing and know nothing about it. I read it only because it was written by David Halberstam, and I've loved everything I've ever read by him.

This book was no exception. Even though I still know very little about the sport, I now appreciate how grueling it is, and how much training these guys do.

You can't go wrong with a David Halberstam book, and this one's no exception.

This book not only captures the true meaning of friendship; it defines how friendships are formed and enhanced by the great game of golf. Add Konik's deep appreciation for the Scots' gift of golf to the world and you have a work that is a great read and a must for all golfers from duffers to scratch players.

I have played played most of the courses mentioned in this very readable book. Their experiences brought back many fine memories.... To go to Scotland with good 'buds' and to see how golf is part of the basic fabic of everyday life there, really sums up the trips I have taken. It is the next best thing to actually going there. Also true to fact, is that there are really no bad links courses, just lesser known ones....

This read compares very favorably with books such as 'A season in Dornock' and should be read prior to any first time trip to Scotland / Ireland.

Magnificent. Personally, I have never played a round of golf, however, I was encouraged by a golfing buddy to read this book. When I finished the book, I called to thank him. This journey takes you beyond the beautiful courses of Scotland and into your own heart. Author Konik does a masterful job of conveying an introspective look into himself, his relationship with his friend, Don and ultimately an examination into the reader's own being. Incredible.

I'm a tennis man myself and only procured this fine book because I was so impressed by the author's other book, "Ella in Europe," which had me weeping tears of joy. Even though I didn't appreciate the golf descriptions in "In Search of Burningbush," I found the author's perspective on friendship and spiritualism to be a revelation. Before I read Mr. Konik's dog book, I was not aware of this man's writing talent. After reading "In Search of Burningbush," I feel confident in saying that he is one of the great writers working today.

What a fascinating, captivating read. Konik certainly has the gift of a talented wordsmith. Passion exudes from these pages of his desire for a true golf buddy, and it comes in form of physically strapped Don. Through this buddy, life in whole new dimensions is opened for Mike through golf excursion to Golf's Holy Ground.

Connections ensue about lovers, Shivas Irons, bravery, betting and many more.

The whirlwind tour that they have leaves one energized and somewhat mystically partaking in their great turf adventure fortnight in Scotland itself. So much remembered here connects with us readers. For this reviewer, golfing buddies habits which set one off, ala Don's smoking habits. One of my links buds, a psychologist takes his whole bag off the cart to hit a shot which couldn't require more than two, max three club choice. Or those encanted moments after multi-round experiences huddling and going through the scorecards as if they were travel slide shows.

This is just exceptional work. One I'll cherish and turn to again over time to make those connections again. Play on!

This book is an wonderful read. Graham Mackintosh somehow manages to convey the beauty, loneliness, danger, and culture of Baja in a way that is absolutely captivating. I have spent a fair amount of time in Baja myself working with the fishermen, and I thought his portrayals of these interesting folk was spot on and entertaining. I normally don't write reviews, but I could not put this book down, and good books are few and far between in my opinion! Besides being a great adventure story, this book has another side, which in a sense describes the author's spiritual awakening. He's not there, as are so many foreigners, to amuse himself in Baja as if it were a giant playground; rather he immerses himself in the land and the culture in a way that even most of the locals have failed to do!

Baja is a magical place that you simply can't appreciate from the comfort of your hotel room, RV, or (God forbid) your off-road vehicle. This book will hopefully inspire many people to seek out solitude in one of the last places in the world you can still find it.

This book was the perfect gift for my husband. He keeps talking about his dream of going in the desert, walking, exploring, being away from civilization for a while,... but he's never done it. This book author DID IT!

I have traveled many times down to Baja, his descriptions reflect my impression of the people and places.

Baja is an adventure, even if by air in your own airplane. Hopscotching from place to place on a peninsula that stretches almost a thousand miles south of California, is quick and efficient but, as always in a single engine aircraft, the prospect of an off field emergency landing is on the pilot's mind.

In Baja, where an arid, desolate landscape, and rugged mountains stretch endlessly below the wings and dry riverbeds host cactus and rattlesnakes, nature ups the ante. These inhospitable thoughts are a memory of my flying adventure to "The Baja" in October 1993, but they are nothing in comparison to Graham Mackintosh's incredible journey on foot following the coastline.

As luck would have it Graham was in Mulege (about midway down the eastern coast of Baja on the Sea of Cortez) and attended the well known Hotel Serenidad's pig roast fiesta with us on Saturday evening. In response to our questions, Graham (this was before I read the book) told us how ill-suited and inadequately prepared he was for his adventure. But his appearance belied an iron will, unyielding perseverance, and an indomitable spirit. It took two years to achieve his goal, then another two more to write the book. My fellow travellers and I sat in awe as he recounted his tale.

The inscription he wrote for me in my copy of the book shows his humility. He very generously referred to me as "A Fellow Baja Adventurer," but I know there is no comparison in our experiences. Thanks Graham, I wish you well. Is there a movie in the works?

I originally read this book several years back and now find myself periodically rereading it as its a spiritual journey packaged in a travel adventure. I dream of doing something like it however will probably not. If you like "cultural experiences" with the locals where you travel to you will love this book.

Absolutely stunning photography, the kind of book people will pick up from your cofee table and become engrossed in. Makes a fabulous gift for someone even remotely interested in the sea/scuba diving ect...The accompanying DVD is worth the price alone. Great addition to any one's home, and the best gift book you can give

As a diver, I have long said that it is sad that the experience of being within coral reefs can't be communicated by photography, film and video. Well, that was before "reef". What a truly rewarding experience it is to repeatedly view and read this wonder. And, it's comparatively inexpensive for such a large high quality publication, too. I also like the fact that part of the proceeds from sales go to the Coral Reef Alliance for saving our planet's threatened coral reefs. Buy this book for yourself, your family and the local schools and library. For me it really is that good.

If you love scuba diving then you will enjoy this book. It includes a beautiful DVD with great music as you watch the fish.Informative pictures and expression of reef and the living creatures contained there. Very enjoyable.

I checked this book out from the library, but now I want it for my OWN! The pictures are beautiful and the DVD is a great bonus.

This book is more than I expected. And the bonus was the DVD. Soooo many U/W videos are poorly managed, filled with backscatter and murky green. This was obviously done by people who wanted to produce a book and DVD which stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Clearly worth the price.

This is a really super book. More that just of story of climbing Everest. It is a story of lives and it is very very good.

A very inspiring book that validated my desire to do what I love and will keep me optimistic about finding my way for a long time!

Battles with snow and ice, battles with cancer, and a charming romance. What else is needed for a great book in the outside genre? Good Writing.

Unfortunately, this book is short on good writing. It will sell as well as a book in this genre can sell but it will not become a classic nor even provide many memories for its readers. Ghost written, the heart and soul of this book was lost in the expedition of commercialism.

Is it worth reading? You bet. If you are a man with a taste for the outdoors whose significant other would rather go shopping, you will eat your heart out for not having the wisdom of Phil Ershler in carefully using bimbos until you found the woman who would follow you to the tops of the world. If you are a woman who wants some encouragement in following your man, this is the book for you. If you are a fan of high altitude climbing, you will enjoy reading this book.

It lacks tension, that force which makes you stay up late turning pages. But the elements of outdoor adventure are there and, after all, those of us who read this genre are used to mediocre writing and passionate about the subject. So, all in all, it is a worthy read

This book was suggested to us as not only a mountaineering story but a story of life's struggles. We weren't disappointed but very humbled. This dual autobiography (each taking turns telling their story) was a fast-paced read, taking us from childhood to mountain top, leaving out nothing. A very intimately detailed sharing of two full lives. Color photographs support the many stories and stages in the Ershler's lives.

Phil and Sue Ershler's story has everything I enjoy in a book - adventure, courage, inspiration, challenges faced and challenges overcome, and the kind of love that can, literally, overcome mountains. As a small-time climber myself (Rainier's the highest I've ever summited), I could relate to the love of the mountains the Ershlers feel, and the enjoyment that comes in testing oneself emotionally and physically in a mountain ascent. But this book is about more than just mountain-climbing - it's about facing life's unexpected curveballs with a positive attitude, it's about setting goals and working for them, and it's about appreciating all the good in life and living every day to the fullest.

Karen Molenaar Terrell

Gave this book to our Son so we will see if he enjoyed it after he has time to read it. Thanks for shipping it in a timely matter.

Its Christmas 2007 and I am a big Tony Stewart fan. I received this book from family and wasnt all that thrilled since it only goes up to 2002 and to be honest I know absolutely nothing about dirt racing, sprint cars, midget cars, USAC, IRL, or Kart racing.
Well I do now.
I started glancing through the book and got hooked. Its written by Tony (with another writer Mark Bourcier ) so its in his own words. Its Tonys thoughts and memories. It gave me a huge insight into a racer I thought I already knew a lot about. I really enjoyed reading it, from his start as a child up to his NASCAR career. It has a lot of comments from a lot of people he has met in his life as a racer and a regular guy. If you are a Tony fan or a racing fan, this is really a good read. I doubt if hes this open now but he is just as honest and he hasnt changed his feelings.He discusses his honesty and troubles and fans and lots and lots of racing. I knew he was good but after reading this I came away more impressed than ever. I plan on checking through Amazon for more. more. more.

I loved this book. It was very entertaining. It really held my attention. As a matter of fact it only took me a week to read it all. That is pretty good for me and always a sign of a good book. I highly recommend it. It had some pretty funny stuff in it.

this book is a great tool for those wanting to know just how someone as talented as Tony Stewart got where he is. Its a book on racing and stays out of being too personal.

Well, I would think it would be a great book, however, I have been waiting for more than two (2) months for Amazon to sent it to me. I hope those of you who order it have months to wait for it to be shipped to you. Good luck and happy racing!

"You Can Quote Me On That" is more than just a wonderful compilation of great, funny and both brilliant and absurd tennis quotes. It is a history lesson of the changing social, moral and political mores of the times as seen through the eyes of those who knew tennis the best and the least...As well as containing some fine bits of univeral and timeless wisdon, it really provides a glimpse into human nature - it truly is amazing how off base and mean spirited some of the most revered tennis pros have been in the course of tennis history.....And the book is also funny....A great read for all and must read for tennis fans....

This book is like freshly squeezed orange juice. It's fresh, pure and delicious, and you didn't have to pore over long interviews or entire books to get to the juicy parts. Right to the point on topic after topic -- from the profound to the profane. It's an easy ready with quotes of the most famous, and sometimes, least likely people in and around tennis. There are probably quotes from some of the people you've most loved and some who you've least liked. AND lots of surprises as to who said what!

While the book tackles serious and age old topics, it also tackles views on some of tennis' greatest controversies. You'll get a feel for some of the most popular and infamous characters in the tennis world. And you'll get the sweet and wise observations of true authorities. And tennis, like sport generally, is a part of, and a reflection of, life. Many of the quotes reflect personal philosophies and insights of those we normally know only in a sporting context.

It's hard to imagine how someone culled the best of the best without spending a lifetime to put it in one book. It has fairly been called the Barlett's Quotations of Tennis - except it's probably a more fun read.

This is one great book! Paul Fein's You Can Quote Me On That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights And Zingers is one of the most unique tennis books ever published. Why? It's virtually the tennis Smithsonian of insights into the minds of players, coaches, officials, the media, administrators, the intelligencia and others from the world of tennis.

Want to know what your favorite tennis star is thinking about on and off the court? It's here. Want to know what the media think about the players? Check it out. Want to know what the tennis world is talking about? Read on.

I was really excited to get my copy because as Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (IMGCA), I am always searching for new quotes on sports psychology that I can put in our members articles, training programs and our IMGCA Certification programs.

This book is loaded with 1700 quotes ranging over 35 chapters from tennis stars, legends, champions, celebrities, also-rans and the rest of the world's tennis denizens.

Try finding all these quotes yourself, from the hundreds of sources that Paul used in constructing this masterpiece. You would have to work for years to capture all the wonderful tennis quotes in this compendium. Come to think of it, that's probably exactly what Paul did in writing this book!

You Can Quote Me On That is the perfect gift for the tennis lovers in your life.

Paul Fein's "You Can Quote Me On That" isn't a classic page-turner, full of mystery, plot and intrigue. It's just what it sounds like--a collection of quotes about tennis.

Although it consists of 35 chapters, a necessity for organizing the vast material, I still found it difficult to stop when reaching a chapter's conclusion.

Under the chapter entitled "The Feminine Mystique" for example, Fein ends with a quote from Anna Kournikova saying:

"You cannot just be a great tennis player, or just be a beautiful person anymore to succeed in the game. You have to have it all, the talent, the looks, the brains and the drive."

The next chapter, "Paeans To the Champions", starts with this praise for Pete Sampras from Jim Courier:

"He can hit shots the rest of us can't hit and don't even think of hitting."

And then continues as Becker, Agassi, McEnroe and Emerson assess Pete's standing in the tennis pantheon.

What makes the book more than a sum of its considerable parts is the sense of history that pervades it. Nineteen twenties star Bill Tilden, who wrote several books on tennis, is quoted regularly, and we hear from Jack Kramer on early professional men's tennis, Bille Jean King on the struggles of the women's tour, Arthur Ashe on the class and race barriers, Martina Navratilova on sexual orientation. Not to mention Gussie Moran's panties and Suzanne Lenglen's rock star status in the 20s.

It?s a whirlwind tour of tennis history in doses as small or large as you like and it's also a reminder that the more tennis changes, the more it stays the same.

I'll close with two of my favorite quotes:

"Under these absurd and antiquated amateur rules, only a wealthy person can compete, and the fact of the matter is that only wealthy people do compete. Is that fair? Does it advance the sport? Does it makes tennis more popular? or does it tend to suppress and hinder an enormous amount of tennis talent lying dormant in the bodies of young men and women whose names are not in the social register."

and

"Certainly there does not appear to be anything much wrong with the game of tennis itself, although proposals for changing it always are with us. There has been little change since the rules were settled upon and possibly improvement can be had by changing some rules, but a game so stylized as tennis should be treated with great restraint. One of the things wrong may be that so many people keep trying to alter it to suit other people who do not really play it."

The first quote is from Suzanne Lenglen, circa 1920s; the second from Al Laney in 1968.

You Can Quote me on That by Paul Fein is loaded with entertaining quotes from all the great tennis players, many of their coaches, their families, and even other celebrities. From the Foreword by Billie Jean King in which she states " No one and nothing is spared", to the 35 chapters dealing with various topics such as #6.-The Fame Game, and #15. - You've Come A Long Way, Baby!, I was hooked. The quotes are quick and easy to read, with remarkable documentation of who said what to whom and when. I especially liked the nasty comments between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl--i.e. "I've got more talent in my pinkie than Lendl has in his whole body."--John McEnroe.(so politically incorrect these days!). Arthur Ashe's 1970 quote that "Women's tennis won't draw flies.", couldn't have been more wrong, surprisingly coming from one of the greatest endorsers of the game. But my favorite quote, coming from Martina Hingis is "I like everything about tennis; the games, the courts, the competition, and doing everything you can to win. It's such a beautiful sport." Anyone who enjoys playing tennis, watching tennis, or hearing about the good and bad boys and girls of tennis will truly enjoy this book.

Nothing in this book got me excited about going to Mexico. The natural attractions of the U.S. seem to be far more numerous and spectacular. The author was stretching to fill a book on Mexico's natural attractions - he covers ruins, city parks, and agricultural enterprises. The photographs in the book do not convey any beauty of Mexico.

An honest and informative guide to Mexico. The most complete Eco-guide to the National parks and reserves of Mexico that I've ever read. Includes information I've never seen any place else. A good reference source for every region. Well written, easy to read, and very useful. Steve

I am the author of two guidebooks in this series, BELIZE: ADVENTURES IN NATURE and GUATEMALA: ADVENTURES IN NATURE, as well as dozens of travel articles about Latin America (including Mexico). I am flat-out amazed at the breadth, depth, and detail found in Ron Mader's MEXICO: ADVENTURES IN NATURE. Put simply, there has never been a book like this...and there have been hundreds of guides written to Mexico. Nowhere else will you find the information complied here, about everything from whale-watching to birding, turtle-helping to Maya ruin-exploring. These are aspects most tourists never know about, because nobody tells them about much beyond the traditional turista circuit of big hotels, crowded beaches, and mediocre restaurants. If you want to truly experience the incredible diversity of Mexico natural treasures, you'll start by getting your hands on this book! (Particularly useful is the extensive listing of e-mail addresses and websites, as well as practical info about hotels, restaurants, tour services, and transport)

I am the author of the "Adventure Guide to the Yucatan," a guidebook to Mexico's fascinating peninsula . I used Ron Mader's book for reference as we discovered the best of sustainable tourism and nature preservation efforts in Mexico. Mader is right on in his evaluation and helpful comments. Very well organized. More and more people are trying to travel in an environmentally sound manner and we support that in our book as well. Kudos to Mader!

Biodiversity junkies are always ending up off the pavement in the jungles or on mountain tops and wondering where do we get our next meal, and how the hell are we going to get out of here. Mader comes up with answers in a country where surprisingly little has been written to guide the booming ecotourism trade. Lonely Planet and Moon barely scratch the ecotourism surface and brush over Mexico's fantastic national parks and reserves. Mader lives down there so this is no parachute quickie research junket type book. He has done his homework and gone beyond the obvious places (Palenque, Copper Canyon) to explore some of the most remote but best spots. Lucky gringo. I found his book helpful for finding contact leads in Oaxaca and Veracruz states that led to great guided trips with local enviro groups.

I look forward to exercising about as much as I like eating a bowl of cold mashed potatoes but after buying this book I actually look forwrd to working out with the ball and I feel great afterwards. Perhaps I'm a bit challenged using (how to) books but this is written well enough and has lots of pictures that even I enjoy working out.

I have really enjoyed this DVD. It has great instruction for beginners as well as challenges as you progress. I purchased the book as well but really don't need both.

Exercise Balls For Dummies has everything it takes to be on the best seller list. The chapter that focuses on stretching alone helped relieve years of chronic back pain. Great job to the author LaReine Chabut for writing and illustrating such a complete and comprehensive guide for everyone. A must read on everybody's list!

Book just as described here on Amazon--just what I was looking for!!

This is a great book with easy to follow directions for each exercise. This book also has photos that make following the written directions so much easier. EXACTLY what I was looking for!