Recreation Books

Scott Olivieri does a great job of describing what it means for a lifelong fan to move to the inner circle of the Red Sox. While baseball fans will find plenty of stats and baseball analysis, the casual baseball fan will not feel bogged down in numbers and technical terms. The human story of a young college grad having a chance of a lifetime is compelling as well. Particularly amusing is the story where he can't cash a check from Roger Clemens. Can't wait for the next book!

I loved this book! I had a hard time putting the book down. The book was interesting, funny, well written, and a quick read. The club house and personal stories were hilarious. The thing I liked best was that Olivieri brings you through the process of what it's like to go from being a fan, to a stranger in the club house, to a part of the team. After reading it, I bought one for my Father in-law,(a fellow believer)for Christmas. You'll love this book too.

Olivieri has an exceptional talent for telling a story. Put that together with a storyline that brings the reader right inside the Red Sox clubhouse - and the result is a book that makes you thirst for more. The dialogues, descriptions, and insider's look make you feel as if you were in the clubhouse yourself. This book was a great read - I did it in one sitting. I certainly hope that Olivieri continues the story - I will be first in line to get the next book(s) - and perhaps that is the greatest review of all. You don't have to be a Sox fan to enjoy this book but, if you are, it will become one of your favorites.

Since my daughter has been living in Boston for the past 10 years, and I get to travel there to visit quite a bit, I have become a rabid Sox fan (but just in the American League; the Phillies are my team in the National!). I love their storied and star-crossed history, and this book gives me new insights into the baseball culture and system. It's told from the perspective of a fan who gets the "once in a lifetime" job to mingle with the players on his hometown team. There are tremendous locker room scenes, and the players appear to be more human than we really see them when they are just on the field. Even Roger Clemens appears likeable, which is almost amazing! A close read of the book reveals that the writer was not too thrilled with the front office Sox organization, but it's the old story that familiarity breeds contempt. This is a book all baseball fans, and those who enjoy a well written book, will love! Read it, you won't be sorry.

In 1991, Scott Olivieri, then aged twenty-one and a passionate Red Sox fan, lived the dream of every member of the Red Sox Nation, spending the entire season in the Red Sox clubhouse, hoping quietly to improve the team's hitting. Until that year, each batter had had to rely on a pitcher's stats and his own experience in trying to anticipate pitches. Videotape existed, but using it to show a player his individual at-bats was a prohibitively time-consuming process. By 1991, however, Pete Olivieri, Scott's father, had developed a computer program which would not only record each at-bat and each pitch but would allow individual players to call up at-bats instantly so they could be reviewed and studied. Players could also use multiple screens to compare and contrast swings and hits. Without fanfare, the computer suddenly became an essential part of the game.

Olivieri's lifelong love of the team shines through here as he describes being a child growing up a few miles from Fenway Park, playing Little League with Jim Rice's number on his back, memorizing locker combinations by associating the numbers with Red Sox players' numbers, and watching or listening to every game. Even as a youngster, however, he realized that "the Red Sox, ultimately, are a symbol of disappointment." Time after time, he watched a team "with superb talent losing in ways screenwriters couldn't script." His chance to make a difference, using a home-grown computer program to give an edge to the batter, not only allowed him the chance to meet some of his heroes but actually to help them to improve their hitting--and maybe the team's record.

Olivieri's descriptions capture both the romance the game and the tedium of the locker room, the camaraderie of the players and the excesses of the press, locker room "etiquette" and the public missteps of some of the players. He himself is a respectful, "background" sort of person, careful not to call attention to himself so that the players can discover for themselves his program and its opportunities. His opinions of Wade Boggs, Ellis Burks, Mike Greenwell, Phil Plantier, Roger Clemens, and the unfortunate Jeff Gray ring with truth and personal insight. Red Sox fans, computer specialists, and lovers of baseball should be fascinated by this behind-the-scenes look at the interface between the computer and baseball--the beginning of a new era. Mary Whipple

As a sports fan I found Blades of Glory to be a great story of a team's journey toward fullfillment of a life long dream. Rosengren does an outstanding job of highliting the ups and downs of high school athletics and the culture of youth/hs hockey. Additionally, the historical aspects of the book made me more appreciative of past programs and the role the sport plays in the hearts and minds of Minnesota residents.
However, as a high school coach, what I found even more valuable were the qualities and characteristics needed to build and maintain a successful program. Rosengren's brings to life a number of ethical questions that coaches face concerning winning, loyalty, and relationships making this a must read for anyone interested in coaching.

This is a great inside look at an elite high school hockey program. From the players to the coaches to the parents to the cheerleaders to the fans, no angle is left unturned.

Humor, history and controversy: Blades of Glory has it all. More important, Rosengren taps into truth from a variety of perspectives, including those parents, players, coaches--and scouts whose livelihoods depend upon not just upon a prospect's potential but also his circumstances.

But these aren't the reasons I selected the book in the first place. No, I picked up Blades of Glory because I'm a hockey fan (of all levels) and a hockey player; I selected the book because I have lived in Minnesota and have coached hockey (and other sports). I didn't know I'd learn so much about things I thought I knew about, and I didn't realize I'd get more than just a fleeting glimpse of the big hockey picture.

There is a wide variety of hockey books sitting on the virtual shelves at Amazon.com: NHL autobiographies, training manuals and minor league misadventures. I have read many of these books. I'll continue to read them--and will enjoy them for what they are. But these other books won't likely be laced with the same doses of humanity and history as Blades of Glory.

The story of Bloomington Jefferson Jaguar hockey in 2001 could easily have been written about my high school 15 years prior. I grew up one 'burb over and attended Tom Saterdalen's hockey schools as an early teen. It was held at the Bloomington Ice Garden in "prestigious West Bloomington" - the storied venue chronicled in the book.

High school hockey in the Lake Conference is a very big deal. I knew as much from the time I was a Mite and my dad took me to watch our community's team play. Yes it is competitive. Yes there is a win-at-all-cost mentality that draws fire from many - including some of those that have reviewed the book for this site. You can be the judge of whether that is good, bad, or neither.

We (and I'm including pretty much every male hockey player in my community) all wanted to suit up for Varsity very badly. We wouldn't have wanted it so much if it weren't as competitive, as important. Like professional sports, successes are a great source of civic pride.

Blades of Glory takes you inside this world for one sometimes glorious, sometimes frustrating season. Indiana basketball, Texas football, Minnesota hockey. This isn't participatory high school athletics in obscure sports at some random school. Rosengren does a very good job of capturing the emotions. He also weaves in enough tales to make stabs at social commentary without coming across as preachy.

My only knock against the book is that he opts for an effect that takes things out of their chronological sequence in order to emphasize certain emotions and certain points. (Example - wait until you read about the Jefferson Jaguars GIRLS hockey team late in the book. We hear about how some of the boy players are dating girls that play on the team throughout the book... their successful season is covered late, almost as an afterthought. Another example - much is written about a parent's critical letter to the community paper in the early 90s about Saterdalen's overzealous competitive drive. Context on the source is provided at the very end. I'm not sure why that was held back as some sort of finale.)

Anyone that thinks they'd like this book will. A great work.

A former UM-Duluth goaltender loaned me this book. I enjoyed parts of it, but Rosengren's factual errors call into question the whole narrative that the author asks us to believe.

Among Rosengren's goofs:

1) Larry "Pops" Ross never coached at UW-River Falls, as Rosengren claims.

2) Scott Stevens never went head-hunting for Eric Lindros, which led to Lindros' sixth concussion. I watched that game, and Stevens hit Lindros with a legal shoulder check delivered at chest level. Lindros came across the blue line with his head down and he paid for it. There was no malicious intent on Stevens' part, as Rosengren implied.

3) The United States Hockey League (USHL) is not a "beer league" filled with goonery as some of the Jefferson players in the narrative state. Rosengren later slips in subjective evidence to reinforce the notion that the USHL is a thug-filled, bottom-end league. He's way off: The USHL is a top-tier Junior A league with many talented players that end up playing collegiate hockey and beyond.

Here's proof: Blake Wheeler, who played with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers in 2004-05, was taken fifth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2004 NHL draft. A bloke named Gretzky runs that outfit. In the NHL's 2005 draft, 26 USHL players were selected by NHL teams.

Must be some beer league. I don't know of any beer leagues that have teams that draw more than 100,000 paying fans a season.

Moving on, I had trouble keeping Rosengren's five hockey-playing characters straight. Perhaps that's on me.

Give Rosengren credit for exposing the drug use among the Bloomington Jefferson players and head coach Saterdalen's erie obliviousness to drug use by his players. I liked the way Rosengren neatly worked in Minnesota hockey history, assuming the new history I read was accurate.

As for Minnesota hockey parents, he nailed the worst ones dead one. I coached youth puck in Minnesota for two decades. While most hockey parents in Minnesota are wonderful people who put the game in perspective, there are the toxic few who only see their investment (child) and nothing else. Some of the Jefferson parents demonstrate what psychologists call "achievement by proxy." It's grossly unfair to any young player.

I sometime suspect that we hockey fans are so glad to have anything in print about our sport that we become giddy with joy reading it. This is an average hockey book that fires some of its factual content wide of the net.

Like one previous reviewer, I discovered this amazing book when I was in junior high. I read an enthusiastic Time magazine review of Jones' surrealist coming-of-age saga in 1974, but didn't actually buy a copy 'til the following year.

Like two previous reviewers, I was struck by the Huck Finn parallels, or anti-parallels. I actually wrote a paper for a high school English class detailing how I felt Jones had used Huck Finn as a starting point, then turned certain aspects of Twain's allegory on end. It was a public high school, so my insights -- indeed my entire topic selection! -- were poorly received. It's just as well that I resisted my initial urge to drag James Dickey's novel/screenplay 'Deliverance,' another allegorical mid-'70s river voyage, into the analysis.

'Blood Sport' is a brutally honest but infallibly entertaining depiction of [male] human nature and the human condition, and it's the last word on what guys are all about. Metrosexuals won't like 'Blood Sport' at all.

Exploring the Hassayampa headwaters is about more than just growing up; indeed, growing up is about more than just growing up! The thematic linchpin of Blood Sport is exposed during Ratnose's discussion of the second law of thermodynamics: Life itself is rebellion, he argues, against the second law, which dictates that energy in a high state tends to become energy in a lower state, all the way down to the inert ...

A terrifically entertaining read. As a military man, hunter and Deadhead (different sides of myself I've often found hard to reconcile) it was a real treat to find a book that included elements of outdoorsmanship, combat, and the absurd (in extrema).

What a great book!! An excellent piece of surrealistic fiction. If you are a hunter, a fisherman or just an old-style libertarian hippie (Your modern tree hugging, gun-phobic, quiche-eating hippie won't like it.), I highly recommend this book.

This novel is without a doubt a classic, grizzly account of manhood and survival, transformation and change. Perhaps if you are one who believes that the spirit of the bear resides inside of you, pick this book up and read it all the way through. It is a magnificent story full of gritty, earthly imagery that will thicken your skin. From gunfights to hemp-laiden philosophy, from sensitivity to utter insanity... Stand up and play the hand god has dealt. Play fair but play to win.

Where's the sequel, Jones?

So glad to see this amazing novel back in print. I read a Dell paperback (with a beautiful full-color cover) when I was in junior high (middle school to you youngsters) back in '75 or so. Blew the top of my head clean off. Broke a bunch of rules and made up some new ones in the process. After I read this I graduated directly to Vonnegut, Brautigan and Castaneda. Blood Sport changed the way I look at writers and writing, and it deserves a spot on the same shelf as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Heart of Darkness and Deliverance. The chapter listing "27 Things I Learned About Ratnose" is itself worth the cover price. Long live R.F. Jones. He has written a true adventure classic.

I'm shocked that so many reviewers raved. First of all, the calorie count was too low for me. I was very hungry. Personally, I believe when you get used to being very hungry, or you get used to quite a bit less food, it is a sign that your metabolism is slowing down. I've had the pendulum swing too often to go through that again. Secondly, I found the last repetitions of the exercises such unpleasant experiences that I dreaded working out as time went on, whereas in the past I would get happier about working out the farther into a program I went. Third, it is very rare to find a body builder, and they are the experts at shedding fat, who doesn't believe that aerobics should be included in training, or who recommends Superslow. Schwarzenegger even reported (long ago) that he and a training buddy tried slow reps and abandoned the technique because it was not getting them the results they were used to. Fourth, I resent that the cover model was a woman who didn't need to lose any body fat. In fact, she didn't have to follow the eating plan at all. Lastly, even though there is in the reviews an example of someone who kept the weight off, I really wonder how the majority of people do after this cycle. It doesn't seem to teach realistic life skills. It certainly is not a health benefit to limit your foods to such narrow choices. Modern hunter gatherers (who most likely eat more like early humans, whom we mostly likely resemble in metabolism) often eat nearly a hundred fruits and vegetables with vastly more natural fiber that you could get in this regime. In additon, my endurance in dance classes did not increase nearly as much as when I switched to weight training plus jogging with intervals of rope jumping. However, it's nnot a terrible book, and if you can take the low calorie count, it is better than programs that don't have a good exercise component. But don't beat yourself up if you hate it. You can always try it again later (if ever) when you more ready for the severity. Or do something that takes the weight off more enjoyably even if it is slower.

This book be da bomb. I know the girl on the cover and she still looks like that, and that picture was taken in 1992 before she tried out for a remake of FAME at the local hipadrome. I know this because that is my main man holmes baby's mama. For real though, she is 35 has 3 kids and still looks like dat. She ocassinally does the diet in the book and ocassinonally smashes down a couple big mac's from our local McD's and washes it down with a jumbo slurpee but still is a pretty hot mama. I guess I got a little off track, but I'm trying to hollar at yall and let you know that this diet does work. Give it a try and you too will be looking like my man holmes baby mama shell-dawg.

I too came upon this book while looking for something on weight training. The before and after pictures got my attention as well as the uphill trendline for female weight gain over time. I like being able to exercise effectively in the privacy and convenience of my home. The weight lifting is immediately rewarding as each session brings improvements. After three weeks of exercise and diet, the weight loss and inches lost becomes dramatic. I lost 13 pounds and many inches in six weeks. His diet recommendations are not very practical for someone cooking for a family; I modified the diet recommendations using other resources to maintain a 1200 calorie/day low fat diet. After the initial six weeks I have maintained the weight loss by lifting weights 2-3 times a week. This book appears to be a dumbed down version of the men's book, Living Longer Stronger, which my husband uses, in that it offers far less theory but I wouldn't call that a major drawback. The bottom line is that the program works. I have recommended it to at least 8 others.

It is a good program and I'm sure it does work as advertised, however there are some drawbacks. First, some of us can't use it. For instance, as a nursing mother I can't superhydrate until after I'm done nursing, nor can I cut my calories as drastically as advocated without jeapordizing my milk supply (I realize this is a temporary problem). My other major difficulty is that it is a 6 week program, and doesn't really provide much information or helpful advice on what to do when you're not following the program. Frankly I'm more interested in what I weigh a year from now, than what I weigh 6 weeks from now.

With those quibbles aside though, it's otherwise an excellent book and program.

This program works!!! it's not easy-it's not hard,IT WORKS, I have lost 100 lbs in 1 year and totally reshaped my body and changed my metabolism,Thanks to the TRUTH in this book!!!!!!!!!!

I've been training BJJ for about a year now, and I'm on the small side (130 lbs) so I find myself on my back a lot, and I quickly learned the importance of an effective guard. For me this book has probably done more to improve my training than anything else (except actual sparring). I usually fight guys much bigger than me (between 180-220 lb) and until I learned how to use the guard effectively I was basically a grappling dummy for my opponents. But now I'm constantly surprising my training partners and myself with how effective and varied these techniques from guard are, and I credit this book with much of my improvement. The guard is great because you can attack with all four limbs while your opponent can only use their arms.
Kid Peligro is an excellent teacher and offers many of the subtle details that make the difference between submitting and being submitted. For example, the section on breaking the posture and the 4 pages on the basic cross collar choked improved my game more than anything. Everyone knows this choke, but the minor details make it really dangerous, especially when you don't have a lot of muscle to force the choke. Before, most guys I sparred with weren't too worried about my choke, I was convinced I wasn't strong enough, but since reading this book I've put several guys to sleep because they wouldn't even considering tapping and now they try hard not to even let me get a grip on their collar. This opens up many more opportunities to attack with sweeps, arm bars, and omoplatas. What makes this book so good is the authors' understanding of students and the basic mistakes they make, as well as the very clear explanations and photos. The moves are integrated into a complete system that will put you years ahead than if you tried to figure this out on your own. That being said, there is plenty here for higher belts as well. I think the Essential Guard is essential reading for anyone taking BJJ seriously and interested in dramatically improving their Guard game. It should be know that there isn't a lot on the half- guard, it's mostly breaking the the posture, replacing the guard, opend and closed guard, butterfly, spider, and attack combinations. If you want a good half-guard game, I recommend Eddie Bravo's Mastering the Rubber Guard. These two books compliment each other well.

Thank you for writing this book. This book gives details about the guard that would take thousands of dollars to learn in a jujitsu school. I hope the authors write a book about how to pass the guard that is as detailed.

I found this book very useful and well laid out. I use this book whenever i get busy at work and can't attend bjj class as often as i would like. Very easy to understand with good pictures. My only negative comment is i wish the butterfly guard section was thicker.

I loved this book the second I opened it. This book has a great lay out and an easy step by step process to help any gaurd game at any level. I opened it a read it the first day and put some new simple techniques into effect my first session. The chapter on setting up and combonations from one technique to another is GREAT, This is what all new BJJ strive for. Great book and a must get for anyone interested in improving there gaurd game.

This book is going to greatly improve your understanding of the guard, wow, all the small details, and focuses on different aspects of the guard makes this book a must have. It is all done with the Gi. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in improving their game.

The book explains in easy to understand detail what I need to do and what I need to avoid. the rest is up to me.

Frank
Bronx

I've been shooting for 4 years now after taking 15 years off. This book has a seemingly endless amount of great, technical advice and tips. Diagrams especially helpful. I will re-read it over and over again as I try to become a better shot. Great buy, great book. Curt L.

I can warmly recommend this book both for the novice and some more experienced trap clay sporter. A lot of illustrations with easy text, a very logical approach to major techniques. In all a very good info and "inspiration" source.

Whether you're unsure about what is wrong with your gear or yourself. This book gives a great in-sight into what probably is the problem & then how to go about fixing it. For the novist, it gets you asking the right questions & seeking advice, for those more experienced it has some excellent tips and strategies. Well written & excellent diagrams.

Lots of good tips, but especially for anyone who wanted to learn about all the shotgun sports. Another recommended learning source is Leon Measures - "Shoot where you Look" in DVD and Bill McGuire's - "Focus and Fire" DVD.

This book is just an "okay" introductory text on capoeira. A major draw back is the centeral focus on capoeira regional, a better text would be "Ring of Liberation" because it more comprehensivly covers capoeira.

The book Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form was not only well-written but was interesting as well. This book educates you about the history of capoeira, capoeira practitioners, and even a short summary of how Mestre Acordeon was introduced to the art of capoeira. I would highly reccomend this book to capoeiristas, as it was very helpful to me. Axé.

Amazing book, absolutely amazing. It is not for the person wanting to learn how to do capoeira, but for anyone, beginner or master, who wants to read a great history and personal journey.
It even travels into the spiritual, deeper significance of capoeira.
GREAT BOOK.

Mestre Acordeon takes you on a journey through capoeira, sharing his experiences and inviting the reader to use his imagination.
A truely inspirational piece from a truely inspirational master.

Mestre Acordeon's book has long been praised for its clear writing, for his thoughtful coverage of the history, philosophy, and artistic traditions surrounding this art-form. Other reviewers (see below) have noted that the book was among the first in English to introduce readers to these aspects of Capoeira, while also offering a glimpse into this one mestre's personal and life-long journey. Having assigned his book to students (both graduate and undergraduate alike), I have had ample opportunity to hear students' glowing reviews: most of these students had never heard of Capoeira, nor even seen it played, before having read his work. In retrospect, they (and I, too) consider this book an excellent way to delve into the topic. While there's recently been a flurry of new scholarship on Capoeira (at least 3 books in English have come out in 2005) that matches Capoeira's growing influence around the globe, Acordeon's book remains one of the best places to start one's exploration. Axe ASCAB!

Bruce Frantzis' books on chi gung top of my list for useful, immediately applicable explanation and technique. And, for an overall introduction to the possibilities offered by chi gung, this newest book is the best of the best. It's the most user-friendly of his books yet. He provides an excellent context so you understand what he means by chi, and how delving into the world of chi can improve your life and enable you to take responsibility for your health. Then he gives clear directions for 5 energy exercises that will give you immediate results. So you get both from this book: first the words, the explanation about why you would want to develop your chi, and then practices that actually give your body the experience he's been talking about.

I've been doing Frantzis's Energy Gates exercises for a few years now, and was excited that his Chi Revolution book teaches three exercises from the Dragon and Tiger set, which are new to me. The exercises are simple but powerful, and I was surprised that doing even the very first step revealed structural imbalances that I hadn't noticed--while simultaneously providing an avenue to correct them! Doing the exercises for just a couple weeks has already improved my ability to feel the energy in my other practices. I got so excited about this that I ordered Frantzis' new Dragon and Tiger Teaching Manual so I can learn the rest of the exercises. That's the greatest thing to me, that everything you learn from The Chi Revolution is remarkably useful as it is, and, if you get excited by your progress, you can go more deeply into any of the practices through Frantzis's other books and training programs.

The Chi Revolution teaches, in straightforward text and clear illustrations, a very good introductory workout which will demonstrate the possibilities of energy practices to someone with no previous experience. Other chapters introduce chi work in context of Eastern and Western medicine and culture. Very valuable.

The easy to understand writing style makes this an effortless read, which lets you get down to absorbing the information better than any other book I've read in this field. It's also a great motivator for your practice and the health giving exercises presented here really work.

If you're embarking on anything chi related to improve your health, or just curious about the subject, this is an essential read and should be your first stop. Highly recommended.

This little book has quite a lot in it. Frantzis manages to make it both a beginner's book about Taoist Chi practices and a book relevant to those who are more advanced and are curious about the heart and soul of Taoist Chi and spiritual practices.

I really found it very useful to my own Chi Gung practice. The things he emphasizes over and over again, like getting go, training to feel inside your body, relaxing at physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels really revamped my ideas of how to do Chi Gung. It is also an entertaining read, as the author has an entertaining writing style and puts in personal stories here and there about his own very interesting life.

The practices towards the end of the book are taken from some of the other things that he teaches (Dragon & Tiger Chi Gung comes to mind most prominently) and to my inexperienced eye it seemed like a very good starting point for beginner practitioners. The moves are simple, and portrayed in a candid and straightforward manner.

Bang for the buck, this is a must have in any Chi Gung practitioners library. Destined to become a classic of books on the subject IMHO.

Another accessible, very practical book by Bruce Frantzis. Read the first section of this book if you are looking for information on the benefits of chi gung and you want to understand what it will do for your health and well being. Not only is chi gung a great way to feel better and have more energy, but people are using it to prevent and heal all kinds of chronic degenerative conditions, improve their mental function, and balance their emotions.
Read the second section of the book if you are interested in understanding the breadth and depth of what Taoist practices can offer you. In this very readable book, you will begin to understand what Taoism is all about, rather than some poetic or cryptic philosophy that is not very understandable.
In the last part of the book, you are given an amazing gift. This section teaches you five very easy to learn, yet very potent exercises. These exercises are quite effective. Don't be surprised if you feel benefits right away. The price of the book is miniscule compared to the benefits you can begin to feel from doing these exercises. The information in the first two sections of the book will inspire you to do the exercises taught very clearly here.

This is a Great Book by Tina Zhang and Frank Allen on how to do Northern Wu Style Tai Ji. Having studied Wu Style Short Form for 6 months with Frank Allen I can honestly say that many things he taught me in person are explained in great detail in this book. All students of all styles of Tai Ji will benefit from reading it and incorporating its techniques into their daily practice. If you are interested in Tai Ji You Must Get This Book !!!!!

This is a great book on the art of tai ji quan (tai chi chuan). It offers an excellent overview of the internal martial arts principles of Wu style tai ji quan, and addresses the aspects of the art that contribute to good health and longevity. The history of the Northern Wu is very interesting and includes rare archival photographs. The form and practical application of the postures are well presented, as is the section on the Wu sword form. This is the kind of book you buy to keep as a lifelong reference as you develop the skills of tai ji quan - from knowing the techniques (zhao shu), to understanding internal energy and gaining tai ji quan power (dong jin), and progressing to the advanced level where the spirit is calm, happy, relaxed, and free to use flowing techniques at will (shen ming). (See Chapter 8.) I can't wait for the authors' book on Bagua, due out this summer!

Not only does this book offer a detailed description and clear photography of the Tai Ji Form and Sword Form, for these alone would be reason for those practicing or interested in Classical Northern Wu Style.
What makes this book invaluable for ALL internal martial artists is its direct and straight to the point explanations of the martial applications, how to apply the qualities of a Tai Ji practice to become more effective, and specifically what training methods the internal fighter will utilize in contrast to an external stylist. It is within these teachings that Tina Zhang and Frank Allen show their understanding of the complete art, integrating all the components into a whole... which is the essence of Tai Ji.

Although it is always preferable to have a teacher, this book goes a long way towards providing the images and text for learning Taiji on your own, which is an unusual occurance. The images are sharp and there are many of them. Using figure numbers, the images are linked to the text, which is as clearly written as is possible.

The introduction gives excellent background on the evolution of Northern style taiji and provides biographies of the people that developed and spread the art. The introduction is followed by a section on the Principles of Wu Style Taijiquan, which provides interesting information on the differences between the hard and soft, and the external and internal martial arts styles.

The Wu style described in the book consists of 83 movements with images covering the beginning and end of each movement plus images for all key changes in posture.

In addition to the Taiji form, the book contains a good section on Push hands, which incluses more than 50 images showing fighting applications using the Wu style movements.

The Classical Sword Form is also presented and the presentation is just as well done and extensive as the Taiji form.

The book is a well done, authoritative, excellent addition to the martial arts literature.

On the bookshelves of the martial arts section there are few books that can truly be called thorough and complete. The "Classical Northern Wu Style Tai Ji Quan" by Tina Zhang and Frank Allen in one of these few.

The history section is a concise look at the history of Tai Ji Quan from the perspective of the northern Wu style school. Instead of just regurgitating the usual legends, it tells an interesting story and gives the reader a quick introduction to the confusing and convoluted field of martial arts history. Unlike many Tai Ji books it actually has some new information, specifically about the Northern Wu style so that any Tai Ji player will get some new perspective on the development of the art.

The principles of practice are well laid out and to the point. There are many facets to be worked on here from alignments, to breathing, vision, and more. Very interesting are instructions on Compression and Expansion which is often absent in Tai Ji practice, yet is one of Tai Ji's most useful and enriching aspects.

The form is taught carefully with full instructions, yet not overlong or boring. Tai Ji enthusiasts should be able to make a close comparison of this with their own work and see how it is the same and different. The sword form is also fully taught and should also be quite useful for comparison.

A note on the combat applications. Any Chinese martial arts book that is missing the fighting uses of the form should be considered useless. This is where the hard gongfu training is demonstrated. The creativity and proficiency of the author is always shown best in the applications. Your form may be great but are your fighting moves silly and wrong-headed? In the case of "Classical Northern Wu Style Tai Ji Quan" the answer is decidedly not! The applications are a short section, but instead of wasting endless space on explanations, the pictures are worth a thousand words. Each shows the essence of a fighting technique, and almost all of the Wu style form movements are demonstrated in combative use. The demonstrations are clear and provide much fodder for exploration and experimenation by the reader. They are simple and direct so you can grab a friend and quickly get to work trying them out with no wasted time.

Finally the theory and translation of the Tai Ji classics in the end is of course another mandatory part of a good Ta Ji book. The special points of Northern Wu Tai Ji are also translated so the reader gets a small taste of what makes this style unique.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all Tai Ji Quan players, and all who want a close look at the intricacies of Chinese martial arts.

Sincerley,

Jess O'Brien
Oakland, CA

It's not every day...
It's not every day you come across two people with such unconditional love and devotion for each other; it's not every day you come across someone who is able to embrace courage, hope, and determination with death staring her in the face; it's not every day you come across someone who has turned "giving back" into their main mission in life; and it's not every day you come across someone who has not only been given a second chance at life via a heart transplant but has lived a life which most can only dream to attain.

"The Climb of My Life" is a well written, captivating journey that will be hard to put down. It reveals to the reader, through humor and tears, how Kelly has faced adversity and pursued her journey. I am inspired by her courage and strength to step out beyond my boundries. Thank you Kelly for this.

Kelly Perkins shows the world how the human spirit can overcome just about anything and literally soar to new peaks. Dreams come alive in this memoir that will inspire you to push aside whatever fears you may have in your own life to take that next big step. Your next step may not be to the top of Mt. Fuji or Mt. Kilimanjaro, but after reading about how Kelly handled her illness and heart transplant, and began to climb mountains around the world on a borrowed heart, you may find yourself googling one of these famous mountain ranges to see what it might take. What a wonderful way to start off the new year.

This is an amazing story about medical miracles, undaunted courage, steely determination, steadfast love, and ultimate triumph. While most of us won't face the sorts of challenges described here, there are many lessons to be learned. The inspiration of Kelly's story is a gift. If you want an exciting story about real adventure, this book is for you. If nothing else, this book should inspire every one to become an organ donor.

If you have a heartbeat, you'll find this book moving and inspirational. What would you do if you were a healthy, active, outdoors person and suddenly became sick -- very sick? This is not a theoretical question for Kelly Perkins and her husband Craig. "The Climb Of My Life" is the story of an athletic, healthy young woman who was blindsided by a heart infection that almost killed her. Kelly is alive today because she received a heart transplant, a miracle made possible by medical science, and because of another woman's forethought (her donor's), her own will to live, and Craig's dedication.

But Kelly did more than survive. She was determined to reclaim the vigorous outdoor life she once led, even though doctors and others cautioned her that this was unrealistic. Not only did Kelly survive and regain her former vitality, she accomplished something that few "normal" people ever achieve: climbing some of the highest mountains in the world, while speaking all over the world about the importance of organ donation.

Those who have met or know the Perkinses, as I do, were already aware of the general outline of their compelling story. But it was only upon reading the book that I became aware of their struggles, despair, hope, and joy. This is a wonderful story, told with honesty and humor.

Gertrude Stein once observed, "Everything is so very dangerous that nothing is really very frightening." In The Climb of My Life, author Kelly Perkins takes us to places far past the so very dangerous to tell us over and over that life is not about losing heart.

On loan for us all in this candid personal narrative is a close study of sacrifice--both ultimate and intimate--and one woman's commitment to live her "after life" reinventing the limits of what we all take for granted as that thing we call the known.

Kelly and her indefatigable partner, Craig, do something Kelly's surgeons could not: They take the heart out from the cavity of the chest and place it into our hands so that we might, for a moment, let us say a heartbeat even, experience this organ as a source of life more infinite than our own.