Recreation Books

My son very good at sports BMX,Soccer,Football He started playing Football 5 yrs ago pop warner He follows NCCA,NFL I told him about Walter Payton & how his stile of running was simular to yours. I bought the BOOK/DVD if he would watch it at the begging of the football this year. He didnt take his eyes off the T.V . He ended the year leading scorer & played in the div. champ. game & All- Stars. My opinion on Walter Payton Great Book, Great DVD, The Best Running Back.

Payton
EXCELLENT, a must have for all Walter fans. The book is very well written and I just loved it. He was an awesome man and a devoted father and husband. Well done Connie and family!

Great book and DVD. Highly recommended for Bears fans across the nation but most importantly, to any sports fanatic period! Walter Payton was and is the greatest sports player who ever lived! You will be inspired to do your best and never give up at whatever you do in life! A great unselfish man who did so much for others; inspiration for the world!
Walter Payton: A True and Genuine Role Model (34)

This book/dvd is a must own for any Walter Payton fan. The 1 hour dvd brings back alot of memories watching Walter bust through defenses. The book is well written and gives some insight into his background as well as his character. I paid $15 less at Amazon than what this package was going for on E-Bay. The best part is that my son got to watch the dvd and see what hard work is all about and where it can get you. He could'nt believe the way Payton could "fly" in to the end zone.

I actually knew Walter Payton. He was my neighbor. This book is a great tribute to him, without any doubt!! He WAS as classy as you may think, too. Still hard to believe he's gone.

If you are a true fan, then this book is a MUST own for your home.

Raising Cole is the true account of a father's love for his sons, and the tragedy of losing one of them early in life. Pittman is the owner of a construction firm, and from his own account is a huge man. Likewise his sons grew to big, strong men, but they never allowed their masculinity to stop them from openly showing affection for one another.
Pittman's story, however, doesn't start with his role as a father but as a son. His father was anything but affectionate, and early in his son's life he followed that same path. Raising Cole recounts his walk toward an open and extremely deep loving relationship with his sons.
His son whose name rests in the title, Cole, was a lineman at the University of Texas with a bright and promising future when he fell asleep on his way back to campus from home and died in a automobile accident.
The book's more poignant moments are Pittman's response to his son's birth and death.
My favorite chapter was "God Shows Up." Pittman admits it is the presence of God that has allowed him to continue these years following Cole's death, not his own strength.
Pittman also states that though it has been years, he still grieves for his son. His grief finds solace in ways I admit I don't fully understand, but then I've never lost a son.
While this book may be of help to those who have lost a child, I think it may hold more value for those who children are still with them, especially men who may be reluctant to be open with their affection.

This book is a must read for everyone because it is so moving. The story that Marc Pittman tells is one that will change you for the rest of your life. The bond that a father and son have is special and the bond that Marc and his two sons have will make you look in the mirror and think about the relationship you might have with your father. I encourage people to read this book and for them to get their friends to read it.

One of the most amazing stories I have ever read. Pittman captures his relationship with his children in stunning detail, while allowing the reader to visualize how this could affect their own relationships. I highly recommend reading this great and inspirational book.

This is an easy to read book with lots of great parenting skills introduced as well as a heart breaking story not to be missed. Not too expensive, buy one for everyone in your life today!


I finished your book this past week while on spring break with my kids and sister in law who had lost her husband to suicide. She frets everyday over raising her two sons without a daddy. I wanted to finish the book before we left each other at the end of the week so she would be able to take it home with her and read it. I had told her there were so many good things in the book about raising kids and relationships... I ended up reading the last six chapters aloud to her on our drive home. My 12 year old son, crawled up in the back seat and listened to the story again. He has read the book twice already. We cried thru most of your story relating to ours and the grief that you experience when losing a loved one. It was healing for us in relation to our own loss. I pray that time has eased your grief some although I realize it never ends.

I also googled Chase and found what a successful young man he is turning out to be at LSU. Congratulations on what wonderful children you have raised... What a proud moment in a parent's life. Now you get a chance to spoil your granddaughter and send her back to mom to do the tough part... That is what my parents tell me. I am sure Payton has you wrapped around her little finger.

What a difference your book will begin to make in my relationships
with my husband and sons. I have ordered copies to give others who are in my life.

Bless you for the courage to write so that you could minister to others.
Raising Cole: Developing Life's Greatest Relationship, Embracing Life's Greatest Tragedy: A Father's Story

I cant say anymore than has already been said. Please buy this book. Its not very expensive, and you will NOT regret it.

Best approach to doubles ever. Highly recommended.

I bought your book "Unlimited Doubles"last winter. I loved it and showed it to the pro at our club. He was impressed with it and said he liked the way it was presented. I have used everything in this book and passed it around to all my friends.

But, what I want to tell you is that at the time I bought the book, I had just been elected captain of a 2.5 women's USTA team. This was our first year playing competitive tennis. Well, in four weeks, our team is going to the National Championships in Palm Springs. We won the Pacific Northwest Sectional Championships last month.

Your book really helped me get a good grasp on the doubles strategies needed to improve my game. Thank you again,

Fran Wooldridge
Salem, Oregon

After reading or hearing many good things about this book, I thought it was a no-miss. However, this book has to rank in the bottom quarter of my collection, not to mention overpriced. Other doubles books are far superior in translating the essence of doubles. Tourdo simplifies doubles to twelve lessons (aka Point Control System): the essence is being proactive in moving in and to the ball, taking control of the tempo, and aggressive consistency. There is very little on the importance of serving and returning, neutralizing volleys vs attacking volleys, different poaching cues and doubles formations, etc. Since it is so simple, it is actually quite palatable for the singles player trying to become a bit better at doubles or for the 3.0 player trying to become a better doubles player. However, since it offers so little, most players might be wanting to digest a bit more (check out Blaskower's or Braden's doubles books which are superior). I would also recommend it to "mindless" players since often 2-3 (rather than 50) simple cues might make a significant difference. Not recommended for serious players, doubles specialists, or coaches.

Dear Steve, The book was fabulous. This book is for everyone wishing to improve their doubles game and definitely helped both my teammates and I improve our games. Speaking for myself the three areas it helped me with were: 1) better understanding of the 3 zones from baseline to net 2) the basics of service angles i.e. emphasis on serving down the middle more often and 3) the do's and dont's of poaching -- on both serve and returns. With my partner now serving down the middle more, I have become a more aggressive and smarter poacher -- again, on both serve and returns. Never in any other book, article, or video has a book helped my doubles game so much. Thanks Steve!

I've read several of the popular books on doubles including The Art of Doubles by Pat Blaskower, Laugh and Win by Vic Braden, ect. In my opinion these other books are interesting at best but don't hold a candle to Unlimited Doubles. The author's way of breaking down the game into simple concepts REALLY helped me to understand. I no longer worry about all the other things most coaches try to get you to think about like "Who takes the ball in the middle?", and "Should I play the add or deuce court?" I no longer worry about all that because I FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE GAME! I'm poaching more than I ever have, I'm taking the initiative to win and I LOVE IT! No longer do I stand on the court hoping something good will happen. I'm closing into the net and using angles for the first time in my life! I'll be reading this book over and over again. Thank you SOOO much!

Brilliant diagrams, excellent keys, simply mapped out and laid out information for difficult and also the easiest of dressage manoevres. It's bound at the top for a vertical flip, with a hole punched down near the bottom so you can hang the book on a nail on your bulletin board or at home and keep it open while you study it. It has handy hints how to achieve positions and gives you ideas to improve certain flaws. It is by far the best book on jumping exercises I have read so far that is dedicated purely to jumping exercises.

Just about EVERY page has another full A4 riding arena on it showing the pattern where the horse is going, it shows crossbars and it shows trotting poles, verticals, gymnastics and where to place them, it shows where you should be directing your horse and what way to approach with an excellent use of diagrams and patterns which have a key right next to it so the design remains uncluttered and simple to read. It even gives you cheap alternatives to make some jumps yourselves and offers quick solutions. A best buy for anyone serious about jumping - or even dressage - to keep their horse supple and to keep their horse (and themselves!) from boredom. Brilliant.

The best how to book on ground poles and jumping that I have experienced. It's a great tool by an expert to keep your horses (young and old) interested as well as the rider thinking. Linda laid out the book very well. Good illustrations and great explanations accompany each exercise. The ground pole exercises are very helpful to use between jumping lessons. This one is a book to keep and give as a gift to a riding friend!

This book has so much info on different exercises and each exercises has little hits about when to use this exercise and what to watch out for while riding it.

This book breaks the demands or jumping down into a logical progression of skills until it takes the insecure beginning rider into a confident partner to the jumping horse. If these lessons are followed correctly, it can also take a training level horse into a skilled show jumper. This book is a must for anyone interested int he discipline of jumping.

This book creates a great foundation to train yourself and your horse to excell in jumping no matter what your intentions may be. I personally would recomend this book for all ages and engligh riders even the one's with no intention on jumping.

This is my second copy of this book as I lost my first one since I take it everywhere. It is great just to pick up and turn to a random chapter. There is so much in here that I never knew about golf course design, and it really made me appreciate what goes into making a good golf course great. Tom Doak truly is a master of his craft.

I bought this gift for my nephew who is majoring in landscape architecture. From the moment he opened the gift, he began reading it immediately and couldn't put it down. That tells me this is an excellent book and one worth purchasing......

Quite simply the best-written, most useful book on the often confusing world of golf course architecture. Just as with any art, taste is certainly subjective. This book looks objectively at criteria used to appreciate this very exciting aspect of golf. An appreciation of golf course architecture is essential to understanding why certain golf courses appear mundane and even dull or uninspired to the uninitiated eye and yet are revered by connoisseurs. Tom has a very good style of written education that is rooted in his strong opinionation on the subject. He truly believes in himself and what he writes. This book can enrich the appreciation of golf for almost any player.

It's a pity that he doesn't have the ability to update his out-of-print Confidential Guide to Golf courses. Paired with this book one understands an erudite point of view based upon the well-researched and extremely deeply-rooted opinions of perhaps the world's most able golf course architect. Just as in the anatomical sciences of living beings, the golf course is a living being and one can study it. Today, Doak and his team are not afraid to take chances and think outside the box or at least deep into the archives, unlike virtually all other "top architects" of today to create golf courses that are fun to play for nearly all golfers - the ideal of his idol Alister Mackenzie.

Tutored by Pete Dye, he is the pick of the Dye litter and can write well to boot. He gives any golfer literate in the English language a heads-up on this exciting aspect of golf appreciation which escapes perhaps 90% of the American golf public. I was way deep into golf architecture before I got either of Tom's books, but they remain the two I recommend above all others because this book is so concise and the companion volume is so outrageous. Unfortunately you have to dig up a (very expensive used) copy of Confidential Guide if you are unfamiliar with the Doak scale because it isn't in here (10 point scale). Before Doak, everything above a 6 is a "10" to most people. (Basically it's a logarithmic scale in which 3 is average, 5 is "average good" and everything above a "7" is well worth going out of your way to see.) Everyone has favorite golf courses and understanding the theories of architecture and strategies will give a deeper, more meaningful appreciation.

At least this book can teach you what to look for. Your golf-stricken loved one will thank you for it again and again if he or she has not yet read it. Most people I know have read it multiple times after the first read in a single session.

Tom Doak as author and golf course architect never fail to amaze. He's the best when it comes to the game of golf.

I recently purchased this book, and since doing so, I have seen my scores go down. As a recent college grad, I had a lot of time to play golf this summer, and this book, with Doak's insights into how courses are not only set up to penalize the player, but to help them, can assist you into understanding certain aspects of the wonderful game that we refer to as golf. The diagrams and drawings make it easy to understand what is being described in the pages, and he also does a good job by making the book readable for those with little to/no knowledge of the game of golf. If you enjoy golf, and you want to both understand the courses you play on and lower your scores, than this is the book for you.

My daughter and son both LOVE this book. It gets them excited and shows them a little of what to expect. There are real kids' opinions and reviews of rides and attractions. My daughter very much enjoys reading all about Disney! She'll definitely be prepared when we set off for our trip!! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!

This book has all the answre's to questions on disney world. It's a fabulous book . It has every thing in it we need to know. We will definitely be taking this book to disney world with us, when we go in june.

This book was an excellent resource for us when taking our 20-month old to Disney World. Originally we bought it for the autograph section, but it soon became handy for reading quickly about each attraction at the separate parks. The tips written by children themselves were also helpful. The book is softcover and lightweight - easy to carry in your backpack all day at the parks.

This book is a wonderful resource for elementary school aged children. My 6-year-old poured over this book before our trip to Disney and it helped prepare him for what to expect. Since returning from our trip a few weeks ago, he still looks at the book almost every day to point out things he remembers and what he'd like to do next time we go back. This book was completely worth the money spent on it.

BOUGHT THE BOOK FOR MY DAUGHTER (WHO'S 8) AND SHE IS SO EXCITED ABOUT GETTING SOME AUTOGRAPHS AND FROM LOOKING THRU IT SHE KNOWS WHAT THE BEST RIDES FOR HER ARE! GREAT PICTURES IN FULL COLOR-VERY KID FRIENDLY!

This book was informative for me, I am a Cheerleading Coach, and this was informative to pass on to my girls! I didn't agree with the way that the cheerleaders or the sport of cheerleading were portrayed sometimes, but overall, it wasn't bad.

This is a great book for anyone who is involved in cheerleading in some way. Honestly I'm not sure if non-cheerleaders would enjoy it. As a former member of a competitive college cheerleading team that competed against SFA for years, I find it surprising that the topics of eating disorders and steroids within the world of collegiate coed cheerleading weren't further explored. Despite the glossing over of these topics, the book is well written and very entertaining. I definitely could not put it down, and even though I knew the outcome for the teams (especially SFA, considering I was a spectator at the 07 nationals), it was still enthralling and somehow suspenseful. A MUST read for any cheerleader.

Torgovnick reveals a vibrant and nuanced world that most of us have never seen. I've held stereotypes about cheerleaders for years. But this book has dismantled those judgments and shown how being a cheerleader doesn't necessarily mean being a tiny bouncing dumb blond. Torgovnick gives us a fly-on-the-wall view of the pains and triumphs of these three teams, and along the way, we meet characters who win our hearts. Smart, funny, and honest. Anyone who is interested in subcultures (and who isn't?) should read this book!

I am 52,and a retired senior NCO from the US Army,thus hardly the type of person this book is aimed at.Therein lies the beauty of it.It immerses the reader into a fascinating world that heretofore was unknown to me."LCLM","DBAP","little girl syndrome" and "ringchaser" are just some of the terms you will learn about.Riveting,fascinating and a bit disturbing (drug abuse,eating disorders)this book will cause you to put off what you otherwise had planned because you won't want to put it down.Bravo !

Kate Torgovnick's prose expertly captures the tension, tears and triumphs of three teams trying to make it to Nationals. I was amazed by the rigor and level of athleticism that goes into making the routines look so effortless. At moments, I literally found myself holding my breath as Torgovnick described the gravity-defying acrobatics of her cheerleading subjects. By the end of the book you'll be rooting for your favorite team.

The depth and breadth of this book are astonishing. I just started reading it seriously a few days ago, and rather like the car, it goes quickly. The tone is stiff-British and humorless, although I'm glad it avoids so many of the exclamations and hyperbole usually seen in books of this type.

Much of the text is made up of quotes from the main players involved with the F1 project, but Doug Nye adds much from his knowledge of racing and cars in general. Near the end the author wisely lets Rowan Atkinson, better known as Mr. Bean, give his impressions of the project. The hundreds of captioned pictures, sketches, and notes make for a revealing peek into the car's gestation. Many times I felt as if I were seeing privileged information, to be kept within the company, although its obviously not as sensitive as it once was.

If anything, this book outlines what a torturous and exhaustive process creating a road car from the ground up really is. So much has to come together to make the finished product, and not one of the problems presented an obvious solution. One bit of irony concerns how McLaren were searching for a specialized facility to construct prototypes. By coincidence, such a building was owned by Ferrari, who were looking to sell. McLaren boss Ron Dennis pounced on the deal, avoiding a delay of months or maybe years to the project. Ferrari were perhaps less than pleased by the acquisition... Other than that, there was no luck involved in the McLaren F1 process, just slavish testing, sleepless nights, and an obsessive refusal to compromise anything. The total budget is never given, but it's hard to believe the McLaren F1 ever made any money.

The book also includes a large poster/chart with the F1 GTR's full racing record, as well as the number and body color of each chassis. Not to be missed.

An excellent detailed review of how the McLaren F1 came about. From the basic concept test platforms to the engine design by BMW to the final long tailed race version. Gives a clear presentation of Gordon Murray's philosophies in putting this amazing vehicle together, even shows sketches that go back to his college years. The three seater concept with the driver in the middle was not new to Gordon's mind.

More than a decade have past since the McLaren F1 was on the street. No one has ever surpassed it. Not even themselves, with the new Mercedes SLR Mc Laren. So if you really want automotive history on your house, this is it

This book is a 'must have' for anyone interested in the McLaren road car. It is one the best books to cover a single model that I have ever read.

The 'insiders' view of documents and photographs could never be possible without the help given from the factory.

By reading the book, and seeing the photos, one can truely get into the mind of Gordon Murray and his team.

The comprehensibe book on the Mclaren F1 supercar in great detail.From the ideas,designs,testing right through to the racing models this book covers everything you wanted to know.
Colour photos,diagrams and a story of this unique car make this book everything enthusiasts want.A huge book that belongs on ever car lovers book shelf.

If you love the Mclaren F1 supercar this book is for you.

If you are just looking for something to get yourself through a couple months of soccer than the first book is more useful.

We did use a couple of these drills. If the season went longer I think we would have used more of them.

My husband and I have been youth soccer coaches for years, and have a stack of books and drills. Recently, I purchased this book and it has both energized our soccer program, and made coaching really fun. Kids eat up these games! No more lines... no more boring drills... no more complicated set-ups. We can choose a couple games, add a scrimmage, and have a ready-made, fun, purposeful practice. Great work, Tom Fleck and Ron Quinn!

If you are a parent who has been drafted into coaching your child's rec league soccer team, this book is a lifesaver. I have been a rec league coach and assistant coach on and off for 7 years, and have been an assistant coach in travel/select leagues. Prior to reading this book, I was a "form-two-lines-and-dribble/pass-around-the-cones" kinda guy. Practices consisted of small-sided games and various "drills" (ie. standing in line). Planning practices was always a chore, and sometimes the practices themselves, according to my son and other players, were downright boring. I wasn't as bad as "Coach Calisthenics" (you know the guy -- "line up around the center circle and let's do jumping jacks..."), but oh how I pity my pre-enlightenment players.

In an "off" year I took the "F" license coaching course from the US Soccer Federation and the book was given to us at the end of the class. Since then, I've bought a copy for each coach I've worked with and have used it at almost every practice to date. Now the kids are having fun AND learning at the same time, whether they are aware of that or not.

No need to explain what's in it, as the "why" of buying it is what matters. I highly recommend this book to all coaches, but particularly those at the rec level. In fact, rec leagues should provide this to ALL of their coach-volunteers, as it will make practices infintely more fun and might even help raise the performance bar of American soccer players in the long run.

I received a copy of this book as part of a U6/U8 coaching clinic that I attended last fall. The instructor had a lot of praise for the text, and incorporated a lot of the coaching philosophy and the drills into his presentation.

The book is full of good, common-sense coaching advice that's particularly useful for the novice coach, although I think that even seasoned coaches will find some great ideas here.

I've used quite a few of the activities in my practices, and they really do work quite well. The backbone of each and every one of these drills is that they get ALL of your kids involved in practicing. There is nothing here that puts your athletes in enthusiasm-sapping and attention-deficit producing lines. Every drill is carefully designed to keep your kids moving and learning at all times.

The text is clear and well-written and the pictures and illustrations do a good job of supporting the activities. Overall, it's very well-done. I've been coaching for 6 seasons now, and I really wish that I had discovered this book sooner.

Highly recommened, especially for new youth soccer coaches.

My wife bought this for her youth boys soccer team and found it to be very helpful in setting up drills to keep the boys busy and learning. She played soccer through highschool and still found the pages to be full of helpful ideas.

Worth the price.

Here is one terrific writer who as a parent I would encourage you and your kids to select from some terrifically written books especially for kids who don't read enough or haven't grasp the value of well written books!

I read with both of your younger kids to keep them honest (i.e no shortcuts) and to insure they have comprehended the story well enough to have something meaningful discussion to talk about.

What I enjoyed most about this book was it brought back old memories of how low wages and pay was as a kid hustling for odd jobs in the 1950's and 60's just to have money in your pocket... not like today as Paulsen reflects how life was life when he was 16 in 1955 and hitchhiked 300 miles to get a job at the Birds Eye fresh-frozen vegetable plant at an astounding wage of one dollar and five cents per hour ($8.40 per day).

Also the other thought that crossed my mind reading this particular book was now I know how the famous celebrity "EVEL KNIEVEL" who was captured attention for performing similar stunts on his motorcycle in the 70's came about...

Mr. Paulsen - Thank you for the wonderful gift and legacy you have given readers of all ages!

Have you ever wanted to set a world record? Have you ever wanted to do something crazy? The characters in Gary Paulsen's How Angel Peterson got his Name do just that. At the age of 13, Paulsen and his friends break the world record on skis, wrestle with a bear, jump through a hoop of fire, and more.
The characters in the book have the same mind as young adult. It is a good choice for boys and some girls ages 11- 15 because they can relate to Gary Paulsen and his friends. This book is action packed and the fun never stops. Gary wants to tell his friends not to do the amazing stunts that they do because they might get hurt but he has the curiosity to keep his mouth shut. He wonders what will happen to Angel while breaking the record, what will happen to Orvis when he wrestles the bear?
Breaking the world record of 74 miles an hour on skis isn't easy, especially when you live where there aren't any hills. Another thing, there wasn't safety gear. The trouble starts when they pass the record at 82 miles an hour. They hit a place with out snow and Angel flies off his skies. Later he told his friends that he heard the Angels sing. They were singing "Your Cheatin' Heart" by Hank Williams."
Orvis Orvison wasn't very popular and was always being beaten up at school. He also couldn't talk to girls. So he got the girls' attention by showing off. Whenever there were girls around he would always be two feet higher or jump five feet farther then his friends. At the carnival he saw a sign that said wrestle with a bear for one minute win $25. Orvis saw some girls and got in the ring with the bear.
A New York Times Best Seller and a 2004 winner for the ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Paulsen's memoir about his childhood is not to be missed by middle school readers who want to read a book that will put a smile on their face. Teen readers will be able to find similarities between themselves and the characters in the book.

Book review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name

How Angel Peterson Got His Name is a book about a group of 12 year old boys doing crazy stunts and hilarious pranks. Each of these kids has a crazy and stupid dream or stunt that they want to accomplish. Even though they could end up dead if not very close to it, they still try. Gary Paulsen does a great gob describing all of these stunts and giving you a great picture of what is going on in the book.
Although this book is chopped up into little stories each with a stupider and crazier stunt than the last, it's still funny and a great book to read. But since there are just a bunch of little stories that fit into one which sort of makes it easier to read because you're not having to keep track of one big story. Rather than just a bunch of little stories so if you don't like one story you can just read the next one and see if you like it. That's why I would recommend this book to struggling readers that don't like to read big books because they are ether hard to understand or that if you miss a part then you may have skipped an important part in knowing the story.
Overall this is a great book with a crazy and outrageous changing plot full of surprising and funny twists along with all of the stupid stunts. In the end almost all the kids have gotten in trouble or hurt.

Pretty much all readers who have read this book say How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Gary Paulsen is a great quick read. It's a great book for reluctant and struggling readers. It's a good book for these people because number one it's a short book but long chapters which is good because it will make the reader read to the end of the chapter, number two it's a very funny book, and number three there's quite a bit of characters so there will be quite a bit of similarity between the reader and the characters.
There isn't really a main character in this story it's all about a group of kids and the things they do for fun or to get girls to like them. Some of the kids will do anything to get girls attention. For example, a memorable scene is when, this one kid tries to wrestle a bear at the carnival, but the first few times he doesn't do it, but then he tries one more time and succeeds by getting tortured by the bear, because the objective is to stay in the rink for 1 minute. And then there was when the kids were really bored they decided to skateboard in the street and hold on to the back of the cars to go really fast.
By the end of the book, readers are hung off with questions like what would happen if our world was just like this book, or what would happen if the people in our world were like the people in the book.

I thought that I could totally relate to this book because I am also his age and I thought it was awsome to compare each other. This book always kept you on the edge of what they would do next.It was a funny book and was a book with morals. If your the type that likes funny and true stories, this is the book for you.