Recreation Books

Simply put, this is one of the finest books about horse racing and especially the gigantic black filly who broke the heart of a nation. Jane Schwartz has written a classic about one of the most famous thoroughbreds of all time. She has researched this story so that one feels a part of what actually happened in the life of Ruffian.

This is an amazing book! I loved every second of it from start to finish... I wish there were more to follow. One of the greatest throroughbreds of all times finally gets a great book. I learned so much about her life that just added to her brilliance. Everyone should know about this horse- most don't or say once she saw real speed she couldn't handle it and broke down. This is not the case and whether or not you are a horse lover, know a lot about racing or not, this story will get you hooked. I definately recommend this book, it will not disappoint you! You may shed a tear or two at the end, but it is WELL worth it.

A beautifully told story of a true champion whose heart and will remained strong even when her body failed her. Ruffian was a special horse who mananged to capture the hearts of racing fans and average citizens alike. Her tragic end was truly heartbreaking (get out the Kleenex for the last few chapters). Unfortunately I am not old enough or lucky enough to have seen Ruffian race, but now that I have read about her, I will certainly never forget her!

This book will make you cry, laugh, sigh and then start all over again. It has the imagery in it to put you right there with the people who loved Ruffian. You can see her, and all connected to her. I love this book because it made me feel as if I were there, seeing what was going on. I could almost smell the horses, feel the electricity of the track, and hear the people cheering Ruffian on.

Ruffian: Burning From The Start has the best descriptive narration I have ever read in a book. I have never felt so much joy, happiness, pain, and anger from reading one account of any animal or person. You must read this book to experience it for yourself. There is no comparison to other volumes about Ruffian.

Ms Schwartz has all the heart and the writing skills to rival any other prize winning author. I love this book, had it for a long time and was afraid to read it knowing the obvious horrific outcome. Once I picked it up, I could not stop reading, nor did I want the story to end. You will scream for the real life characters to stop and realize, please do not let her run in that match race!

I have read it many times, and recommend it to others as the Bible of Ruffian.

Anyone who ever watched this filly race knew what a special sight it was, to see her pulling away from the others, compelled to race. She had an excellent trainer but I happen to believe she also had an instinctive drive to use every bit of power and heart she had. This book chronicles it all, from start to finish and it'll capture the heart of both horse lovers and anyone who simply likes to read a good book. Ruffian

I first read this book back in the summer of '83, as a skinny kid, while in college. I was curious about bodybuilding before buying it, but after reading it this book actually inspired true change in me. I immediately began training using the dusty, dilapidated weight-set that sat down in the dank, beer-stenched fraternity house basement that I lived in during the summer. I then graduated to the university gym, and then to a real Gold's Gym- I was working out with real bodybuilders! It was such a rush to get into the true environment of pro bodybuilding. It took seemingly forever to put on muscle but one day it seemed to magically start to happen. It was like a dream come true. I used to sit at a bus-stop waiting to come home after a monsterous workout. I never remember ever feeling so exhausted in my life while waiting for the bus.

Anyway, I managed to get into beautiful shape and excelled in my studies and eventually reached the pinnacle of my profession...and bodybuilding was one element that helped, without a doubt. This book by Arnold and friends was so inspirational to me and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to transform their body/lives or anyone who wants to peer into the world of the greatest bodybuilder of all time. You won't regret buying this book. If you happen to be reading these reviews, Arnold, thank you for the memories. I will always consider you as being one of the top greats of sports and success stories..

Full of information on mental & physical training. Things even I would never have thought about. Recommend it to anyone, well worth the money.

What can we say?

Fantastic book. Great for motivation. After reading this book you will realize that dream really can come true if you put enough effort and passion in them.

This is a must have for anybody wanting to know more about the basics of bodybuilding. This book has loads of pictures, detailed descriptions and is thorough and straight forward. And if you happen to be an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan, even better. Buy it!

**Since two books are being reviewed, I'm posting reviews on each book.

I happened to decide to read some self-help type books because like everyone else, I hit a stagnating point in my career and wanted to read about how some of these purportedly self-made successful authors achieved success in life. By some strange coincidence, I read Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder" then TimothyFerriss's "The 4-Hour Workweek" in succession, and though these two authors may seem an anachronism, the similarities of their central message, namely, how they were able to achieve their dream lifestyle are exactly the same. Only the techniques and philosophical underpinnings differ.

Timothy Ferriss and 4WW as already reviewed on this page, advocates much of the platitudes written by other self-help authors such as life is short, do not spend every day in a job you hate to buy things you do not need, follow the Pareto 80/20 principle, etc. Of course the most interesting aspect is the notion of outsourcing the repetitive, low level work in your own business pursuits much like the big corporations are doing now to maximize your free time to pursue the things you enjoy, like the "mini-retirements" Ferriss takes regularly to all the exotic places that we all enviously wish we could do. I think this is really the core of the book and is why the book achieved such popularity in such a short time. The world has truly become flat, and the threats and discordance of an increasingly globalized world and outsourced workforce underlies all of us who occupy the once exalted white-collar job. Ferriss masterfully targets this underlying fear and concern, by turning it around and telling the Reader that you can fight back by doing the same think the big companies are doing to you, by utilizing the same technologies and outsourcing techniques, such that eventually you'll be able to kick back in a hammock with a drink in you hand, and in the other a laptop or cell phone with wireless Internet access to run your outsourced business in some exotic location like Tahiti or something, that the book cover depicts so well.

On Arnold, what can I say that has not already been written and talked about the man? To me and many others, he is the very embodiment and walking, living example of what all the self-help books advocate especially on topics like setting goals and visualizations. In the auto-biographical book, Arnold talks about how when he was 15 years old, he came upon bodybuilding and realized that "my life, the answer I'd been seeking. It clicked. It was something I suddenly just seemed to reach out and find, as if I'd been crossing a suspended bridge and finally stepped off onto solid ground." The first half of the book describes the single-minded determination, persistence and hard work he subjected himself to, to achieve his goal of becoming the greatest bodybuilder of all time, then parlaying that success as the foundation to achieve his other goals of becoming a successful businessman, actor and leader. It chronicles his life and achievements from the age of 15 to about 22 when he won the greatest bodybuilding competition, the Mr. Olympia for the first time. Reading this section really allows you to get a first hand account of the mindset Arnold had to achieve the great levels of success he was able to achieve and is eye-opening and invaluable. The second half describes exercises and diets you can do to achieve your own physical goals. While this section may be dated by recent advances in knowledge about strength training, and be biased to people like Arnold with great genetic, physical, nutritional and drug enhanced abilities, you can still benefit from his advices about regularity, dedication and sustained efforts required to obtain that six-pack ab, muscular biceps and of course good health.

Now, what I found so uncanny was the similarities of both authors, in that Ferriss is 29, and found great success in running a business in an innovated way, and used that success to write a best selling book on his first try. Likewise, Arnold was around 29 when he wrote and published his book, and used his great physical presence and huge success in a relatively unknown and marginalized sport of professional bodybuilding to publish a best selling book on his first try. Also, both men are savvy marketers and self-promoters and used those abilities shamelessly to catapult their first time published books to best seller status on their first try. Ferris from what I've read on his blog, used exactly that, his blog and Internet presence to build an audience long before the book was published and also by ensuring he got connected to other best selling authors and learning from them and using their connections to make sure his book would get published and read by a large audience. In another biography I read on Arnold, when the publishers of his book told him he would need to go a 10 city book tour, his response was "why only 10 cities, why not 50 cites", because he understood that to get his book sold and read by a large audience he had to get the word out.

But where the similarities end, the differences are quite pronounced. Though I do admire Ferriss and his marketing savvy, and his ability to articulate his agenda in an intelligent, if somewhat shallow way, I can't help but a feeling that his methods do not have long term viability. In addition, somewhat like Arnold, he's big on his athletic achievements but many seem exaggerated, and many if from what I've read online are unsubstantiated. Arnold, on the other hand, does not need to exaggerate anything, as he won the greatest bodybuilding championship 7 times, was at one time the highest paid actor, has made millions not only from acting, but owning real estate, a publishing company, restaurants and even leases a 747 airplane to southeast Asian countries, and is now governor of California, America's largest economy. His success and track record are for real, and when you read in his book about the psychological attitude he utilized such as goal setting and visualization and the use of good old fashion hard work, determination and perseverance, he never advocates a get quick success scheme.

In all fairness to Ferriss, he understands well the need for a catchy title and book cover and the frustrations of all the corporate cogs stuck in their Dilbertesque cubicles and to bank on their frustrations of now only working a dull and frustration job for long hours, but having that very job be outsourced to another country! And despite the ease with which he makes it all sound, there was much planning, strategic surveying, and persistent hard work to get his book and the image surrounding it to sell as well as it has. I think if anything, you can learn a great deal from how he got to where he is, and is in fact the very kind of traits Arnold talks about in his book that lead him to his success.

Not to berate the general attitude of this great country, but I think America has too much of a mentality of quick fixes and gains. Don't like your physical appearance, just to do plastic surgery or suck the fat out with liposuction. Likewise, all the get rich schemes too many to mention that permeate our national psyche. Reading how an immigrant like Arnold Schwarzenegger achieve his success with a positive attitude, gold old fashion hard work, determination, persistence, setting objective and attainable goals resonates with me much more deeply, especially since my parents are in his same age range and immigrated to this country with nothing and achieved success using his principles.

In conclusion, while I find Ferriss's book a bit gimmicky and shallow in details of how he achieved his lifestyle, it is still a worthwhile read and though many could claim much of his advice is common sense, if we all lived life utilizing true common sense intelligence, wouldn't we be all successful? Arnold's suggestions are to set clear and objective goals, visual yourself achieving success, and working hard everyday to achieve your vision. What could be more common sense?

Both books are worthwhile reads, but if you had to choose one, I'd pick Arnold's any day. His successful record speaks for itself.

-Don Kim

The best book on bodybuilding if you're a beginner! I bought the book and it's got more info jammed in fewer pages than anything you'll ever read. The different methods of training, technique, and the importance of rest and recovery. The specifics on nutrition alone is worth the price. The author shows examples of diet planning and how to manipulate your metabolism for maximum muscle. The author does not focus on worthless supplements, he simply pushes good nutrition and pumping iron. I am constantly referring to this book after three months of reading and re-reading. There are plenty of pictures and advice regarding how to avoid injury.
The only negative about this book is several errors in grammar.
But the stuff is so practical and easy to read who cares! A great compact easy to carry book that I still keep on my nightstand.
This author is showing what one bodybuilder did to build real muscle and compete to win the big prize. Whether you're just looking to tone or build muscle, this book will help you look good naked!

A very good book that delivers what it promises. The book is intelligently broken into topics that cover the exercises, the grouping of exercises into workouts, how often to exercise, how many reps to perform and nutrician. Each section is written to cover people who what only to tone up, people who want to loose weight and those who want to gain weight/bulk up.

His advise on all this really is 'realistic'. He stresses the basic exercises (bench presses, squats, pull ups, etc) to build a good foundation before progressing onto the more specialized exercises like cable crossovers. He points out that suppliments are not only expensive but aren't necessary if you simply eat the right foods at the right times.

Although the end of the book covers various aspects of competing, I think the book is best used by beginners to intermediates. It is the only bodybuilding book that I will need buy.

I think this is the book for working people who want to build muscle/tone them/loose weight etc. Most books seem to be considering that the reader is into professional body building. So, even if you start the program, you end it soon because it is just too much effort. This however is really a realistic approach and thus, you can continue it and getting results. I started with Arnold's book and the 5 set approach. That was just too much as I never had enough time for the same. Eventually after a month or two, I left the program. Then later on, after several years, I got this book and this was a no-nonsense approach, which I can adopt easily with my extremely busy work schedule and part-time graduate degree even!

I have lifted weights on and off for 25, sometimes pretty seriously, occasionally achieving quite a lot of bulk and definition, but this book finally gave me a real plan suited for guys like me - athletic nerds who want to be in shape.

It really is realistic; it is complete (diet, "dungeon" (basement) workouts, and - importantly - safety, are covered thoroughly), easy to follow, and the pictures are great. Many times, the author says "Look, I've done this excercise tens of thousands of times, and this is how you really have to do it. Watch out for X, Y, and Z, and don't fall into the various traps of bad form that can result in injuries, slow development, or uneven development).

The writing is friendly yet never verbose. The reader is encouraged at every step of the way, and the sample workouts and diets make things concrete.

This book is the best bodybuilding/weight training book I have read. It is a no bull approach that gives you the straight details without all the frill. This is not a catalog of grunts posing, it is a real book for real people who want to get into weight training.

Melfa is direct and honest on what you need to do. The nutritional information is the easy to understand and gives you a complete break down of how to eat for either muscle building or fat loss. I found the nutritional section to be much more consise then most other books. Considering that eating right is more the 50% of weight training, I don't know why so many other books have skimped on this section. The excersises are consise and clear. Melfa explians all aspects from beginner up to advanced competive training with clear photos and detailed examples for performing each excersise.

I've checked out just about every book in the library about body building and this is the one I wanted to buy. I am constantly referring to it, any and all questions are addressed. If you want glossy, full color printing in a large bound book so you can gawk and dream, then don't buy this book. If you want to be serious about getting into a training program and progressing, this is the book to buy.

I purchased this book here as a guide to hopefully 're-learn' how to run, the mental part of the sport as well as the physical. I used to run 5Ks 10 years ago, and decided to start again, and hoped the book would help the emotional part of getting back into shape, and this time without the shinsplints and wrong shoes and diet that plagued my first foray into running. As a book written by a woman for women, I hoped that it might contain specific information and advice geared for the female body, and to that end, it does succeed.

While most of the writer's insights and advice are - yes - common sense, sometimes seeing it in writing makes it New again, so there I would give kudos to the writer. Her references to the many types of races, how to race with children, spouses, how to prepare for a race or how to train more efficiently are also helpful, as is the never-saw-it-like-THAT way that running can help the aging female body.

However, there is definite distinction made in this book between a Runner and a Jogger, and if you are the latter (as me), or cannot immediately go out and do 'and easy 5 Mile run', then this book might not exactly help in the 'help me at least get out and MOVE' area. She pretty much alludes that this is a book for RUNNERS. I run because I enjoy it, it is good for me, and it's a great way to stay in shape. I have no need to have a 'best time' for a mile, ten miles, marathon, etc. I'm competitive, but not to the point that I will dedicate my entire life to the next schedules race. Maybe I have the wrong attitude about it all, but it still seems rather elitist at times, which is a shame since interdisposed with all the running mantras are alot of really good advice points.

Even though this seems - to me, at least - to be a self-help book for women who want to run, really, unless you are either a former 10K+ runner or marathoner, or have the luxury of living in a safe area where you can run over hills and along stretches of roads (gee, kind of like the cover of the book), it reads as a 'welcome back' for the mid- and long-distance runner.

I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend. I can honestly say that it changed my life. It has everything a woman could need know about running. It got me from the point of not being able to run 5 minutes to running my first 1/2 marathon (and certainly could have gotten me to a marathon if I had any desire to run one). It has fantastic nutritional advice, great training plans, and advice for every situation a woman runner could find herself in.

The book is easy to read - I read it in a couple sittings the first time through, as thought it were a novel. The essays and stories are powerful and helpful. It is well edited and organized.

If you are a beginning runner, or if you have been running for year and you are looking for a new running guide, this book will be a great purchase. A number of friends have purchased it on my recommendation and they all say that it was a fantastic purchase.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I picked it up from my library a few weeks ago and ended up buying it because I think it will be such a good reference book for me in the future.

The number one thing that sets this book apart from the other running books I've seen out there is that it's written by a woman for women. Kowalchik knows what she's talking about, and she's been there. She includes chapters on safety, nutrition, running through pregnancy or menopause, and what to wear in any season. She also includes the training schedules she used to get ready for 5Ks, 10Ks, halfs and marathons. The graphs and information in this book makes it worth the buy.

This book was a birthday gift last year, and I loved every page (except for the few parts that don't quite pertain to me...running while pregnant, running during menopause). I have since recommended it to others and have given other copies as gifts. I even keep it handy as a reference material and resource.

The book is written in such a tone that it's very easy and enjoyable to read, and the author gives a ton of practical information for runners of every level -- from nutrition information to training schedules to advice about running with your dog.

The three areas I found most useful: 1) Nutrition information. I am 90% vegetarian, and I learned that my protein intake was far beneath what it needed to be in general, let alone for a runner. She provides recommendations/alternate food choices for vegetarians and just gives a lot of useful general nutrition info. (If you are a strict vegetarian and need a lot of diet information, you prob need another book. But if you want a good foundation, this will do it.) 2) Training schedules. She has everything from a 5k to a marathon, and she provides Gold, Silver and Bronze training schedules that allow you to choose the training program that fits your goals and time constraints. 3) History of women in running. I was fascinated (and horrified) to learn that women were not officially allowed to run marathons in the U.S. until the 70s, and the women's marathon didn't become an Olympic event until 1984.(It was considered bad for our reproductive organs. For the few women who did compete in marathons prior to the 70s, their times were not even recorded...not even for the woman who broke a world record in 1963.)

Overall, the book is an inspiring read while providing a wealth of practical information in an easy-to-read package. And the history of women in running chapter is prob just one of many reasons I decided to sign up for my first marathon for this fall.

This book is good for beginning runners...not a lot of new info for those of us running a long time (and who read a lot about it.) It does have a decent section about running during pregnancy, which is why I bought it. Overall, worth reading if you are a woman and love running.

...it should be this one. All the basics are here, copiously illustrated (some of the images featuring judo's founder, Jigoro Kano) and explained in a fair amount of detail. Although other books may offer more variations and flashier presentations, herein can be found all the rudiments of Kodokan judo. If the subject interests you at all, you simply must own this book. With judo's popularity on the rise (even professional mixed martial artists, typically reliant on either wrestling or Brazilian jiu-itsu, have begun to reevaluate judo and its usefulness in the combative context), no serious student of the martial arts can afford to ignore Kano's work, and this book is the gateway to understanding that work.

Complete text of traditional art by authoratative author. Excellent reference of techniques. Chinese author has slight problem with english in this translation. Does not delineate when or where to use techniques. Must learn Chin-na with instructor to learn this.

As stated above, this book is considered the foundation of Judo, both modern day and early judo. Please be aware that this book is not to purchased and read as a novel: it is to supplement judo training in the dojo and assist with one's desire to achieve success in the sport of judo.

I purchased the book with the hope that it would include more detail on the martial aspects of Judo, i.e. atemi (strikes), leglocks, and other things considered illegal in competition. It has some, but speaks of them very generally, and always refers one to the Kata. As a general reference it good, but not exactly what I had hoped.

I have been practicing /training in Judo for approx. 3 months, great book for review /insight before and after training and performing at Dojo.

Where this one shines: compact and to the point, definitely our style. It covers all of the island and the hikes they list inside Haleakala Crater and near Hana were terrific. Bring your binoculars for the whale and windsurfer action. We had several guides with us, but the most consistent useful information came from this one.

Friends asked us how we saw and experienced so much in just a week and we attribute it to doing our homework first - mapping it all out with the Trailblazer.

Beaches are the reason we went to Maui and this was the guide we used to find them. There were several dozen to higrade. When we arrived we noticed many of the street signs were missing or twisted the wrong way so we navigated using the maps and mile markers in the Trailblazer guide. Even our rental car map didn't have the detailed streets this book had.

We have three kids and they spent hours and hours boogieboarding and their UV protected rashguards that we also bought on Amazon paid off plenty. The bike tours were closed so we hiked in Haleakala State Park. Trail distances we needed and trail distances we got. We felt like we were on another planet. They suggested we bring warm clothes and water, thank goodness we did.

Organized, detailed, dangerous places to avoid, the advice was priceless. This was our first time on Maui and this book really did blaze the trail.

All the fun stuff. My teenage boys loved it and wanted to try everything they listed. Our hikes were group affairs, waterfall destinations being first choice, Haleakala took second. This book is organized by region with all the activities linked to the highway mile markers and cross referenced on the interior maps. This saved us time and we also spent less on gas.

In six days we really covered ground. We drove the entire beautiful coast stopping here and there to snorkel where they indicated it was best for beginners. Excels when it comes to easily finding the snorkeling and hiking zones and wild beaches. We are big Trailblazer fans now.

We decided to visit two islands because we had heard how different they were: Maui and the Big Island. We chose the trailblazer books to guide us since they were both crammed with incredibly helpful information. For hikers and snorkelers and sightseers they are a gold mine. They are written in clear language and the outings are well arranged with accompanying maps.

The tips for getting out to Hana were treasure trove status and put us out in front of the chain of cars we saw heading out at 2pm. Leaving at 7:30 am before the tour buses made all the difference. We could have used another few days on Maui and regret taking only one hike down into the crater. We plan another visit in 2009 and our first order of business will be watching the sunrise on Haleakala and taking a helicopter tour.

Thanks Trailblazers for sharing and demystifying wowie Maui.

Maui was new to us. This guide ranked quite highly for navigating and made driving the circle tour so interesting. We frequently used the large index. The guide is laid out with all the activities logically numbered, like a reference catalog (spiked with humor and tips). Also, they streamlined their list of hotels and only include the ones they would stay in, mostly affordable - same with restaurants. We prereserved an oceanside hotel room in Kihei and would stay there again. It had a nice beach access for winding down at sunset.

Full page maps are in each section and since this island is so small they accentuate the stops that rank highly and coincide with the beach and trails they describe. It made sense in every way and the only time we joined the tourist mill was on the Hana Coast - we should have left at dawn like they said. Another thing we liked is the all space they've given to landscape photographs which helped greatly with our everyday destination decisions.

The story, the pictures, the illustrations and the good information all made me a lot better goose hunter.

This book is full of things that you should know and things that I did not know. I am glad I purchased this book from Amazon.

I liked the chapter on concealment. There was a lot of good information in that chapter.

It was the best waterfowl book that I have ever read. I will recommend it.

This is the worst book on hunting I've ever read. The author has no love of geese, to which he constantly refers as "those damn geese." Nor does he seem to appreciate the hunt. His only interest is in "killing those damn geese." To the author, the only reason for hunting is killing. The only reason for geese is to kill them.

The author goes into some detail about techniques, including decoying and concealment, and this may be helpful to beginners. However, anyone with interest in learning how to hunt should read any number of books written by people who are hunters, not killers.

I can't believe I missed out on this one as a child... but it's just as good coming to it as an adult. The perfect lazy Sunday afternoon book to read. Adults can also escape to the wilds of Lake Windemere (Lake District), to sail up the Amazon, do battle with pirates and search for buried treasure on Cormorant Island.

The year is 1929 and story is about four children - John, Susan, Titty and Roger (in age order) - who are holidaying on the shores of Lake Windemere with their mum and baby sister, Vicky. The children are an adventurous lot and love sailing in their boat, the Swallow. Towards the end of their holiday they persuade their mum to allow them on an adventure for a week. They're allowed to sail across to the island not far away and make camp there by themselves.

This is a great adventure for these intrepid explorers. They discover a retired pirate, camp, bathe in the lake, fish and cook for themselves, and are threatened by a rival group of bandits, the Amazons (otherwise known as Nancy and Peggy). All in all a great week of fun and adventure is had by all - brilliant to read about, although there are very few children who'd be allowed to do this now! Inspired by the author's own childhood holidays at the south end of Coniston in the Lake District.

This wonderful book was written about 75 years ago, but is still extremely popular today. It is ageless. I first read it as a nine or ten year old and have read it several times since then. The last time I read it I was in my late 50s or early 60s. Every young person should enjoy it immensely as a fictional story. But there are many moral and ethical issues that are slyly inserted into this novel. The biography of the author and how he came to write this book, which was the first in a series of 9 or 10 novels, is a fascinating story in itself.

The Swallows and Amazons series was one of my favorites when I was a child. The story, set in the Lake District of England where Wordsworth and other great poets grew up, is a gentle adventure tale about children camping out on an island and rigging a little sailboat. It is slower paced than children are used to today. But I think a sensitive boy or girl would find it reassuring that the children solve their own problems of navigation etc.

While it didn't bother me as a child that the language was distinctly British, as I'd been prepared by the Winnie the Pooh stories, and Wind in the Willows, I would recommend Swallows and Amazons as a bedtime story to be read aloud by an adult reader. The reader could then explain the language. A map of the UK would help too, as the story is set in the Lake District.

An adult storyteller might be interested in a biography of the series author, Arthur Ransome, who led an adventurous life - including work in the Soviet Union and marriage to a Russian woman.

Enchanting
It's hard to explain what makes this book so charming: The writing, the way the children and their relationships with each other are shown so clearly and believably, the very real adventures they have, the sense of place....but listing those traits doesn't do the book justice. It's also really funny in places! Ransome creates a world that is clearer and lighter and more enchanting than the one most of us live in -- but he's also written a realistic book. The Lake District DOES look the way he describes it, and there could be children like the Swallows and their friends the Amazon pirates.

The books are for all ages, and I think they are also inspiring and a good influence! They make me want to have adventures -- and they encourage parents by example to let their children have them. The parents in the books are responsible, teach their children well -- and allow them to adventure on their own. They can do that because they've taught the children to have good judgment and be responsible.

Arthur Ransome's own favorite in the series was WINTER HOLIDAY, which I also loved. Once the original characters leave the series, it loses its interest (for me, anyway) -- children who enjoyed the first books will also probably like Blow Out the Moon by Libby Koponen and all the E.Nesbit books.

About 60 years ago I read as many books from this series that I could find in my local public library. I had passed through a phase of devouring the Dr. Doolittle fantasy series (so damaged by the motion pictures using that title - how could they cast tall lanky Rex Harrison in the role of a short cuddly grandfather-like figure?) Another series in which, as an American boy fascinated by warplanes during the Worl War II era - I went on to become an aerospace engineer - I was enthralled, was "A Yank in the RAF", which I don't think would translate to the 21st Century very well. But the series that made the most impact on me was Ransome's Swallow family. As with Hugh Lofting's Doolittle, the author's drawings enhanced the books.

I have not visited there yet but I plan on touring Britain's Lake District (I don't think I was cognizant of where the tales took place, except I knew the children were British. They liked to drink ginger beer; in the US we had a ginger ale drink, but not ginger beer and I was curious to have some.) I have long wanted to live somewhere that would allow me to experience the thrill of mastering the small sailing boats of the story. The closest I came was living near the Pacific in California and near the Potomac River. But the boats in those regions were larger and not terribly accessible. I did go sailing with friends and tried to sail on my own in a marina with a rented boat (a too narrow and crowded venue for a novice just learning to tack and unfamiliar with how to dump wind from the sail when being carried in the wrong direction.) I have gotten to taste ginger beer. I have also used the children's means of including coded messages in their letters in the form of dancing stick figures around the page's margin (the secret was to ignore other parts of the figures and concentrate on the positions of the arms, which were standard semaphore code.) I introduced the code to one of my daughters when we were in the "Indian Princesses" organization. (Is the name and programs of that organization offensive to American Indians? I'm sure its founders weren't sensitive to the fact that American Indians still existed.)

I will introduce this series to my precocius 6 year old grand daughter when I think she is ready.

Jim Corbett put together his experiences in the forests of the Himalayan foothills. The details are truly amazing. It does also provide a great ammount of details about wildlife. In a nutshell an epic collection. Does not get any better than this.

Probably the best big game hunting book ever written. Will keep you on the edge of your seat and I do not recommend reading it while camping in the woods (especially if the woods happen to be in India). Corbett describes stalking man-eating tigers and often they stalk him. These are not made-up stories nor are they self justifying. Corbett ONLY hunted tigers that the local population asked him to, after dozens or sometimes hundreds of people had been killed. His descriptions are beautiful and picture an era (India in 1900-1930) that has long since gone. I have read it many times, the first when I was about 11 years old.

This book was written by not only a very brave man but a man that possessed great character and class. His only reason for hunting these Man-Eaters was to rescue the villagers from this ever present terror. He took no money for his efforts. Very exciting reading without ever a hint of bragging about his extraordinary gift of successfully hunting the most dangerous animals on earth.

I can't speak highly enough about the book. His discription of his journeys made you feel as if you with right there with he and his men. If you like the outdoors and adventure, you simply must read this classic.

A lot of tigers and leopards die in this book. If you belong to PETA, then, this isn't the book for you. Jim Corbett begins with the premise that tigers and leopards who kill humans must be killed.

But he then begins his exposition with the story of the Champawat man-eating tigress, and how he first undertook to hunt such a beast. As I followed him into the jungle, I couldn't help but marvel at his recounting of his fear, his missteps, his eventual triumph.

But what I loved most of all was his keen eye for detail. Corbett isn't satisfied to say, "I shot the man-eater;" he must explain why that tiger's old paw injury forced her to substitute humans for her natural prey. And as you go on in the book, you begin to sense that Corbett is not a hunter who kills to bolster an inadequate ego; rather, his great joy springs from his natural affinity and long years of association with tigers, leopards, and the other denizens of the jungle.

It's probably worth knowing that in his later years, as the wilds of India became overrun with people, he turned to photo safaris; he wished to share his experiences of viewing these animals in their native habitat with the entire world, without doing any harm. If you, then, can sympathize with such a perspective, I wholly recommend this book; you'll come away with a new fascination with the great creatures we share our planet with.

If you love the game of tennis, you'll love Paul Fein's insightful comments on the game that fill this book. From the "look behind the curtain" that Paul provides in his interviews with Pete, Mac, Jimbo, etc., to the well thought out logic he applies to many of the current controversies of the game, you will find much interesting, amusing, and thought-provoking material in Tennis Confidential. Buy it!

Tennis Confidential is not an encyclopedia, but it IS encyclopedic. There's a lot of substance within its covers: player profiles, interviews, controversies, history, greatest matches, and even a brief history of racquet design.
Fein's passionate concern for the sport is evident throughout. He writes, "If tennis tries to be all things to all people, it will lose its brilliant uniqueness and end up being nothing much to anyone." His book, however, comes close to being all things to all tennis fans.

As Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (IMGCA), I am always searching for new material, stories and background on sports psychology that I can bring to our members via articles, training programs and our IMGCA Certification programs.

I have followed Paul Fein's writing for years and have always been greatly impressed by his tennis acumen, his intellectual depth, and his writing style. He is one of the very best tennis writers being published today, and this book, Tennis Confidential, is no exception. This is a superb addition to the tennis literature, and one you will want on your bookshelf.

Paul's in-depth analysis of the social context of tennis is remarkable, and I really appreciate his engaging interviews with tour players that reveal the hidden mental dimension.

This book has appeal to all tennis players. I highly recommend this book for players, coaches, teachers, parents and officials.

As a former coach of several world-class players and also former National coach for the French, Swiss and Hellenic tennis Associations, I most appreciated the originality and expertise in Tennis Confidential. Pro tennis has plenty of controversies about on-court coaching, the scoring system, equal prize money, ranking systems, doubles reforms, the service let, etc. The essays analyze them with more thoughtfulness and fairness than I've seen before. Your opinions about certain issues will undoubtedly change after you read these essays. Interviews and features with Agassi, Serena Williams, McEnroe, Ashe, Navratilova, Borg, Sampras and other champions are also eye-openers. History fans will definitely enjoy the six retrospectives and the 10 greatest matches. On a light note, everyone will have fun with "True Confessions" and the amusing and sometimes shocking trivia that is sprinkled throughout the book. Several of the articles received writing awards. This is a book you will want to read and re-read.

As a tennis fan, especially in a family with few tennis fans, I enjoy reading outside material about the game. Not tips on playing, but about the pros, especially stories, history, analysis, etc. So I figured this book would fit right in with my appetite, especially from the subtitle, 'players, matches, and controversies.' I was right!



Tennis Confidential contains all of this and more! I was excited to read about events that happened before I was around, and also enjoyed reading about events that happened while I was around, and Fein brought a fresh and inside perspective to dozens of topics. Chapters I particularly enjoyed include the Burning Issues section, in which Fein examines modern topics like power, blacks' domination, new stats, and more; Controversies, with topics such as equal prize money, women's tennis superiority, the let rule, and more; and all time top 10 matches, with many surprises, but deep analysis.



No wonder my 2nd favorite sport is baseball. Both it and tennis, my favorite, invite analysis, discussion, controversy, have rich histories, and no clock. Reading this book allows me to appreciate the game more, want to discuss it more, and proud to be a tennis fan.
Plus, the author is very friendly and happy to discuss his work. I met him at a tournament, and we took a picture together.