Recreation Books

The book I am reading is Jackie and Me. It is written by Dan Gutman. I think this book deserves five stars because it has real events but at the same time its fiction. It's about a kid who travels back in time to meet Jackie Robinson. But the next thing he knows he gets stuck back in time. So the next thing he tricked ant a bat boy to give his Ken Griffin Jr. Card back the key to get back to his time. He also wrote Babe and Me Honus and Me.

Jackie andme is the best baseball book ive ever read but the thing i hate about it isthere is a kid namedant whosi very negative and hecalls african americans bad names thatwe cant speak of but i would recomend the book if you like baseball.

This book was very powerful in climaxs and the segregation.As I read this I was mad at the terms and the abuse the african american people had to stand up to and in doing so were at risk of being killed.But at the same time I enjoyed hearing about the early 1900's ball players so i rate this book a 4 star book.

I purchased the book as a gift for my children. They love the series and have all of them. I highly recommend the series. It engages the minds of the readers in a fictional, imaginative way for those avid baseball lovers.

I liked the book Jackie & Me because I love baseball and I am a Jackie Robinson fan. This book wasn't just about baseball, it was about how Jackie Robinson was a great example of character and belief in himself. I learned it wasn't easy being black in 1940, and Jackie overcame great odds by becoming the first black player in the Major Leagues. He was treated with disrespect by his teammates, other teams and the fans, but he never reacted in anger. He proved himself by showing what a great player he was.

Have you ever wanted to read a good romance with a little tragdey mixed in that will knock your socks off? Well, "Reach for Tomorrow " will by Lurlene McDaniel does just that. The main character in this book is Katie O'Roark. Katie is a college student with an athletic scholarship. She has recentally had a heart transplant.Which has changed her life dramatically.During her summers she attends the Jenny House.The Jenny House is a camp for kids with medical problems to go relax and meet people with the same problems. One summer Katie recieved a letter from The Jenny House. She was thrilled to know she was choosen to be a counselor. Along with some of her friend from the former years she has attened The Jenny House. Last year The Jenny House was burned dwom due to a fire. Katie was excited to know it was being rebuilt. Katie's ex-boyfreind, Josh Martel also is going to be a counselor. Being around Josh brings back so many memories and emothions that Katie just can't handle.

This book revels flashback and realistic detail. Some of the flashbacks that are mentioned are of when Katie was in the hospital and when her and Josh was still together.The realistic detail is amazing. For example, when Eric and Meg go for a canoe ride together the author gives details on everyhting surrounding then and what they do exactly. Also, the author uses a lot of humor in the book. Such as whe nthey have a tug-a-war challenge and the girls lose.They get pulled into a mudd puddle and Lacey says, " I've always wandered what i'd look like as a brunette.

This book is a really good book to read. When I started reading this book I didn't want to put it down. It shows realationships and friendships. If I had'nt read this book and someone had just told me about it I would read it in a heartbeat. That says a lot because i'm not one to read that much. So therefore, this book is a great book for romance and tradgey.

I really loved thsi book. Especially how all the characters from the other stories get together. The scenes with Josh and Katie were heart-breaking and wonderful at the same time. And if you want to know what ahppens between Katie and Josh once the summer's over, you gotta read this book!

Ok.....i have read all of the One Last Wish books and this one by far is the greatest!! Katie and Josh's ending was fantastic...i think Lurlene McDaniel should write more of the OLW books about Katie and Josh's future together...and Lacey and Jeff and Meg and Morgan. The book does leave you at a loss with what happend to Meg and Morgan, Jeff and Lacey, Eric, and Chelsea..it would be great to find out what happens to eveyone. I loved all of the other OLW books too! I couldn't put any of these books down they were great. And Lurlene McDaniel should defiantly write more books about OLW and Jenny House!!!

I really like romance novels. The way Lurlene McDaniel explains the character's emotions is unbeliveable! My favorite book by Lurene McDaniel is "Reach for Tomorrow," the second in this McDaniel series. It is about a girl named Katie and she goes to a camp where sick kids go to have fun. Katie meets up with a bunch of friends including her ex-boyfriend,Josh. When they saw eachother, they freaked out. Then she found out that he has been in an accadent and they didn't know if he was going to live. She and all the campers are all worried. She goes down to the chapel and prays for him. A couple of weeks later they got married in the chapel. Katie's favorite camper,Sara, was supposed to be in the wedding but....If you want to know what happens, read "Reach for Tomarrow." I really like the book "Telling Christina Goodbye," also by Lurlene McDaniel.

in my opinion, Reach For Tomorrow is Lurlene McDaniel's best book.It was great how she put in Eric, Megan, Sarah, and Morgan from the other one last wish books. The only OWL character missing was Dani from Mourning Song. I hope Lurlene writes a sequel that describes what happens to Josh and katie now that they're married, if meg and morgan stay together, and what happens to the other characters. YOU GOTTA READ ABOUT THIS FABULOUS JENNY HOUSE REUNION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coney Island the basketball playground of America is the setting for the Last Shot: City Streets and Basketball Dreams. 4 stories of H.S. basketball players who goto Abraham Lincoln H.S. and play for the might basketball team the Railsplitters (What a cool name). I mainly bought this book because Stephon Marbury is featured as one of the four people in it. I myself grew up in Brighton Beach one town away from Coney Island so I know how life is... This book is true and real and I recommend this book to any sports fan or anyone who is looking for a real treat.

A classic piece of sports writing, but for everyone. The author is a writer for the New York Times Magazine. In this book he writes about the lives of some high school basketball players/high school students (in that order).

Like the other posters have noted, it's not just for basketball freaks. It's a well written story about some kids in the 90's who live in the projects in Brooklyn, Coney Island for the most part, and how much basketball means to them. In the book it seems like basketball is their only path to success. But they are up against the recruiters, hustlers and the SATS (which they need to get a 700 on but that's just out of reach for most).

You get to meet the student athletes, Russell, Corey, Tchak, and Stephon, their parents, coaches, recruiters, local prophets, etc, and the author treats them all with a level of respect the New York Times Magazine accords the suit wearing sharks.

If you get this book, you won't have to read long before you're committed to reading the whole thing. It's a very rare book indeed that leaves me wanting more. I would have loved to read a sequel. Alas, we only get an afterward, but the story had to end somewhere and the afterward was, well, quite the shock.

If you like hoops you would love this story. Darcey frey the author who's also a sports writter follows the life of three young men who's dream is to become professional basketball players.Living in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn these three men are faced with durgs violence, and everything you see on the streets of Brooklyn. A very inspirational story, and a indepth look on the career of Stephon Marbury.This is a book you would want to share with a friend.

This book should be a classic, if it isn't already. As someone who hasn't a great deal of interest in basketball, I can throughly recommend it simply for the author's style. The man's prose reads like a dream as he brings the characters to life in an inimitable way. He enables you, the reader, to go right into the streets of New York and live the lives of each of his main characters, to get to know them, understand them and - in a sense - to *be* them. A definite must for your library.

The book, The Last Shot, journeys into the streets of Coney Island in New York City, and into the lives of four young men aspiring to become basketball all-stars. These boys of Coney Island are Russell Thomas, Corey Johnson, Stephon Marbury, and Tchaka Shipp, all of whom are "to-be" high-school seniors with the exception of Stephon who is yet a freshmen. Corey, Stephen, and Russell live right in the Coney Island "projects", or districts, amidst the violent gangs, drug dealers, and drunks of New York. We learn that even the police are rarely seen in this area although a reason for that is never provided. It seems as if the only way for boys to focus on positive things is through basketball. Numerous basketball courts exist in the projects but one, in particular is important to these four boys called the Garden. Countless hours are spent on this court, practicing shots, dribbling, playing pick-up games, and organized tournaments. Also playing basketball for their high school Varsity team, these young men are recruited by a large amount of NCAA basketball coaches. They all have the potential to play college ball at Division One schools but how do they deal with the negative influences that surround them daily? Missing the required 700 point SAT score would mean, sadly their hopes and dreams of playing high-level college basketball would be shattered. This story reveals the riveting truth behind where many of our NBA all-stars originate from.


S.K. --Grand Rapids, MI

Coach Summit is without a doubt the absolute best college basketball coach-male or female ever. And she doesn't even have to throw chairs. My hat's off to her and her program. Talk about integrity, work ethic and understanding of the game. Her book shines as a testament to her abilities. You have a lot to learn, Geno.

"Raise the Roof", along with "Reach for the Summitt", is a must read for anyone with an interest in collegiate sports, particularly women's basketball. It gives you an insight into the world of Lady Vol basketball and a deeper appreciation of why the Lady Vols phenomenon is more than just a team or a basketball program. It gives you an awareness of why Lady Vol basketball is more aptly described as a tradition. It also gives you a feel for why in Pat Summitt's world losing is rare, unacceptable, and necessary, all at the same time. The book is a testament to why her players adore her and why they choose the Tennessee way and tradition rather than play elsewhere. Candace Parker, arguably the best player to date to wear the orange, remarked recently, "I came to Tennessee because I was one of those people lining the court [for an autograph as a 7th grader] to see coach Summitt and the Lady Vols [during a Depaul-Tennessee game]... To be a fan of women's basketball is to be a fan of Tennessee. And that's a responsibility that we have to represent our school. It's something we don't take for granted." You get to feel why every loss by the Lady Vols is a grief session. You get to feel why Chamiqua Holdsclaw, arguably Tennessee all-time most prolific scorer, wept inconsolably after a loss in her last game in the orange. The book is also a monument to what one woman from a humble beginning with an unwavering passion to succeed has helped to guide a generation of women to excel as individuals while ultimately doing, in the Tennessee way, that which is for the greater good of the team and by extension preserve the Tennessee tradition. You will come away with a sense of why Pat Summitt is the ultimate motivator in women's basketball today.

Raise the roof is very good. i have read the book so many times that the front is about to come off. I love coach summitt and the lady vols. This is a book that i would like to be buried with. The stories are great and the season was the best i ever saw. GO LADY VOLS!!!!

Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Pat Summitt is genuine, frank, and honest in her emotions and actions toward her life, her teams, and her family. What a ride!

Read about the 1997-98 basketball season when the lady Vols aimed for a three-peat. The history-making season comes to life in this book.

A Walk For Sunshine by Jeff Alt is the story of his 2,160 mile trek-through on the Appalachian Trail, from the southern end in Georgia to the Northern end in Maine. This is the oldest trail in the United States, started in 1921. Jeff's dream since childhood was to walk it without interruption, but it was not until the end of his college degrees in marketing that he was able to do so and to accomplish the feat with an extended purpose. He has a mentally retarded, cerebral palsey brother who is in a care center, Sunshine, in Toledo, and Jeff decided to promote his walk and gather sponsor's money for equipment for Sunshine. With lectures, slide shows, newsletters, emails, and magazine and newspaper articles he gathered more than his goal of $10,000. He perservered through six months of blistered feet, rain, sleet, snow, heat, varmits, doubts, fears, and lonliness to go all the way to Maine. His book, a portion of which goes to Sunshine, is the fascinating detailing of the dream trek, which thousands wish to do and only several hundres accomplish. Jeff now sponsors annual fundraisers and leads short Appalachian hikes to continue to raise funds for Sunshine. He has raised now over $100,000. A really gripping and inspiring book!

Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (2/08)

"A Walk for Sunshine" is a non-fiction account of Jeff Alt's thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in Spring 1998. The Appalachian Trail, also known as the AT, is a 2,160-mile trail through forests, meadows, mountains, and streams from Georgia to Maine. Hiking from one end to the other straight through takes 3-6 months. Jeff Alt did his walk in 147 days. He did this hike not only for himself, but also as a fundraiser for Sunshine, Inc., a group home for people with disabilities, where his brother lives.

The purpose of this book was for Jeff to tell the story of his hike and how he organized it as a fundraiser. Jeff kept journals throughout the trip and mailed them back home. He did an amazing job of compiling these journals into this book. It was written in an easy-to-read style with short chapters. I felt like I was walking the trail with Jeff. In 3-4 pages we had walked 15-20 miles. His fun storytelling and friendly, easy style made me think. Maybe I could really do this too.

Jeff stresses the importance of family and friends as the inspiration and motivation throughout his journey. Jeff did his hike for Sunshine, Inc., a group home where his brother lives with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. Sunshine organized a short accessible day hike to correspond with Jeff's hike. They sent cards and letters to him on a regular basis. His family arranged to meet him at various points on the hike. Jeff made it clear that he could not have finished this hike without them.

The unwritten motto on the trail is "Hike your own hike." Jeff takes that motto one step further in this book. He extends it beyond the trail. Anyone can reach their goals by taking it one step at a time and doing it their own way and from their own inspiration. A Post Script in the book talks about how to organize a charity fundraiser and life lessons Jeff learned from the trail.

This book really inspired me. As someone who has always wanted to walk the Appalachian Trail, I was so excited to read each page and really soak in what the reality of a three-month hike would take. Jeff makes the point that people need to take the time now to reach our goals--not to wait for retirement or when we have more time. Take the time to make our lives what we want. I recommend "A Walk for Sunshine" to anyone interested in reading an inspiring book about reaching goals.

What a great read! I must confess that this was one of those books that I found quite difficult to put down once I read the first few pages. As has been well covered in other reviews, briefly stated, this is the story of a young man who takes the challenge of the Appalachian Trail and hikes all 2,160 miles of it in one shot, to raise money for the Sunshine Home, a home for the developmentally disabled where his brother lives.

The concept of walking this trail, to become a through walker, has fascinated me for years. Age and health have more or less shut that door for me now, but I do enjoy a good story from those who actually made this wonderful journey. This is certainly one of those good stories. The author's enthusiasm, iron will, commitment and simple bright outlook on life are quite inspirational. Jeff Alt is not a professional writer. Actually, he strikes me as simply "one of us" and this is quite nice. I note that several reviewers have compared Alt's work with that of Bill Bryson, i.e. A Walk In The Woods. I personally could not make that connection. Where Bryson obviously walked very little of the trail, was sarcastic and down right hateful when writing about fellow walkers and the natives of the area, we get the complete opposite with A Walk for Sunshine. Alt has the ability to laugh at him self, has conducted himself as a gentleman, and, with a few justifiable exceptions, has mostly nice things to say about the people he meets, both on and off the trail. This is very refreshing.

I like the writer's apparent honesty. This was a very difficult trip. The author does not gloss that over one bit. On the other hand, he does not indulge in chest beating nor does he become one of those annoying "experts" that we all meet in places and situations such as this. Unlike some other writers who have written about their experiences on this trail, the author stresses that he did prepare himself, spending quite a long time in training and spent countless hours working out the logistics of the trip. If found all of this to be quite interesting.

Alt's relationship with his surroundings was quite well documented. What was difficult was identified as such, what was beautiful was also. It is obvious that Mr. Alt has a great respect for our wilderness and treated it as such. The author also had the valuable ability to laugh at himself, and you get the feeling that while he certainly took his mission to raise money for his cause serious, he never once takes himself that serious. Again, this is refreshing.

This is a very readable book, a true joy. I do recommend this one highly. I have no doubt I will give it yet another read down the road a bit.

Jeff Alt's 147-day, 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail journey inspired an annual charity walk which has to date raised over $140,000 for the special needs home at which Alt's brother resides in Ohio. In A Walk for Sunshine, Alt describes his half-year hiatus from civilization, during which he encountered the kindness of strangers, the ravages of the wild, the extremes of nature, and the breath-taking beauty of the American countryside. Our narrator is humorous and positive, finding the beauty and laughter everywhere. Alt includes an epilogue of "Life Lessons From the Trail" featuring inspirational discoveries for the reader to draw on in his or her own life challenges.

The original book suffered from sophomoric grammar errors and poor spelling, but the updated edition allows Alt's enthusiasm and inspiration to shine through unencumbered by a lack of editing. Highly recommended.

A brisk mile around the block toting a water bottle is a just the right walk for me so reading about someone who enjoys a 2160 mile hike lugging a 50 pound backback is mind boggling. While I enjoy my comforts, a cozy bed, sweet smelling clothes, tasty meals, moderate weather etc. Jeff Alt, doesn't mind roughing it with a sleeping bag, sweaty duds, freeze dried food and braving the elements.

Reading Jeff's journey is awesome. I have the benefit of getting an idea of what it is like to walk the Appalachian Trail without actually having to do it. I mean something inside me wants to be adventuresome but the truth is I know I wouldn't make it past the first couple miles.
To successfully walk the trail you have to really want it. There is a lot of planning involved. Selecting just the right gear, arranging for the right amount of food.....the list goes on. Once on the trail you encounter a variety of experiences that you have to be mentally prepared for from wild animals (and people) to bad weather to health issues.
Jeff is pretty detailed about his experiences. He discusses the nitty gritty from smelly socks to foot blisters.

Though Jeff had a mission for his journey (to raise funds for The Sunshine Home, where his brother is a resident) you can read through the lines and know that he loves the discipline and conditioning of the trail.

The softcover 285 book is an entertaining read. I especially enjoyed the back section, Jeff's lessons from the trail. These were lessons he learned while walking. Lessons like the simplest things can serve the biggest rewards, go after your dreams now and more! He also includes a suggested reading list at the back of the book.

Kudos to Jeff for the great read, what he accomplished and the beautiful, positive way he shares his story.

Lee Mellott

I read The Promise and it was a baseball fans dream, full of Yankee anecdotes and the sharing of personalities such as the batboys Ralph and Joe, the clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, big pete little Pete, Al Rosens stolen bat, the great Rizzuto, Berra, the antics od Stengle and martin, and the GREAT JOE DIMAGGIO- I aM AFRAID THAT BEN CRAMER'S BOOK ON DIMAGGIO WILL TRANISH HIS MEMORY. i HOPE NOT. WE NEED HEROES AND TO ME DIMAGGIO WAS A BASEBALL HERE AND A MANS MAN--

If you like tradition and the history of the game read Searching For Heroes The Quest oF a YANKEE BATBOY . i LIKED THE BOOK BECAUSE IT WAS INFORMATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL- The Yankees of the fifties were team players who played for the love of the game---A GREAT BOOK.

I read The Promise and it was a baseball fans dream, full of Yankee anecdotes and the sharing of personalities such as the batboys Ralph and Joe, the clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, big pete little Pete, Al Rosens stolen bat, the great Rizzuto, Berra, the antics od Stengle and martin, and the GREAT JOE DIMAGGIO- I aM AFRAID THAT BEN CRAMER'S BOOK ON DIMAGGIO WILL TRANISH HIS MEMORY. i HOPE NOT. WE NEED HEROES AND TO ME DIMAGGIO WAS A BASEBALL HERE AND A MANS MAN--

my name is dean and i live in farmingdale---- about two months ago Mr. Carrieri appeared a Borders book store and spoke about his experiences as Yankee Batboy in the 50s---- his eperiences were fastinating. His hero was Joe Dimaggio wh kept his promise to young joe and Joe Carrieri kept his prmise to the reeaders who share his love of the game. Dimaggio may not have been a hero to everyone but he was a hero on the field and that was the focus of the story. The writing was clean and the read fast----I loved it.

I HAVE BEEN READING SOME NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT DIMAGGIO AND THAT MAKES ME MAD. THESE INSIDE WRITINGS SHOULD BE BETTER LEFT UNSAID. WHAT RIGHT DOES A WRITER HAVE TO REVEAL THE INNER MOST SECRETS OF A PERSON BE HE BEGGAR KING. IT IS NOBODIES BUSINESS TO READ THAT DIMAGGIO WAS GREEDY OR CHEAP.THAT IS WHY I LIKED THE PROMISE. IT DESCRIBED A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYER WHO SYMBOLIZED GRACE AND STYLE-AN AGE OF INNOCENCE-WHEN PLAYERS PLAYED FOR THE FUN OF IT-

I was tired at work for a week because i had to force my self to stop reading each night! The book had good stories and really lets you know where Y2J came from and how he paid his dues. One of the better Wrestlers Autobiographies i have read!

Fozzy....All That Remains Reloaded.......the greates musical recording in the history of recorded music. A Lion's Tale....the greatest literary work ever unleashed upon mankind. Ok, but it is a great CD that took me completely by surprise. I had the book as a present for Christmas, and while surfing Amazon stumbled on the reviewer mentioning Fozzy...I got the CD and I have nothing to say besides it's a great, catchy CD.All That Remains Reloaded (W/Dvd)

This book was not expected to be this good! After reading the inspirational stories from other wrestlers, this is definitely a must read! I caught myself laughing out loud a few times which hasn't happened in quite a while!

A LIONS TALE IS PROBALY THE FUNNIEST,MOST ACCUARATE ,MOST ANTISIPATED PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING BOOK IVE EVER READ,AND IVE READ THEM ALL!CHRIS JERICHO'S ACCOUNT OF HOW WRESTLERS SEE THE WORLD AND HOW THE WORLD SEE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLERS IS AMAZINGLY FUNNY.HE GAVE LOOK INTO WRESTLING THAT DOESNT DEPICT ONE OF DRUG USE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,WHICH ALOT OTHER PRO WRESTLING BOOKS ARE SADDENED BY.I LOOK FORWARD TO JERICHOS SECOND BOOK DUE OUT IN 2009.BUT UNTIL THEN.A LIONS TALE IS THE BOOK FOR ANY WRESTLING FAN,ANY CHRIS JERICHO FAN,HE IS TRUE AMAZING!

Great read, funny book like as if Jericho was actually talking to me right in front of my face. This book was all Chris, Peter Thomas Fornatale said himself on the co-authors note that all he did was brain-storm and give some ideas to Chris. Any Wrestling fan should get this book, one of the, if not the best Wrestling Biography eeevvverrr.

If I had one book about driving to recommend this would certainly be it. Skip Barber managed to cover pretty much every aspect of how to drive fast around a track in step-by-step, clear and easy to understand fashion. The book is well ilustrated and well structured.
I personaly haven't taken classes at his school, but I'm pretty shure that all the knowledge he tries to pass and his method are put down in words in this masterpiece. It's the closest from a racing driving class you can get without actually driving around a track with an instructor at your side.

From what I've read so far, it is a great book which covers the aspects of "Going Faster" (whad'ya know?) More theory, rather than dealing with the hands-on-at-the-track-i-need-to-make-sure-the-car-is-running-before-i-go-out, part. Great for people (like the book says) "who want to get into racing or want to appreciate more of what the pro's do when they're spectating from the stands. I haven't read Speed Secrets yet, but from what I read from the reviews, it should be similar.
Compared to Secrets of Solo Racing (which I have read), there's much more useful information for me, because it has more material covering driving rather than covering the entire autocrossing experience (volunteering, clean up, what to take to the track...you can get this from your close autocrossing friends. So focus on driving well with what you have).
All in all, main point is, great book if you want to learn how to drive fast.

My wife and I just completed our first high performance driver training event sponsored by our local Porsche Club of America chapter. The book was recommended by my driving instructor. It seems to be a very detailed version of the Skip Barber Racing School classroom material. Lots of photos and diagrams that make the concepts easy to understand. Reading the information is like listening to my driving instructor all over again. I've purchased two other books on the subject. One was so technical it was difficult to understand and the other was 98% the author telling how great he was during his racing career. This book is spot on. It is a must have for anyone who is about to attend a driving school or is a spirited driver.

If you interested in racing or virtual racing, this book is fantastic. It's an interesting read probably for even just fans of racing. I keep my copy on the toilet and have had many productive sessions.

When starting my book project "Go Ahead - Take the Wheel," I decided to focus my book on how people can start racing be it autocrossing, high performance driving events, and wheel-to-wheel racing on budgets ranging from economy to extravagant. I choose not to go into much detail on driving techinques in part because there are fantastic books such as Going Faster and Speed Secrets that serve as resources on driving techinques.

This is a book that a racer will read through once, then continually come back to read again learning new things each time. It truly is one of the great books on how to drive a racecar.

The fly tying bible! must I say more?

Very good and instructional fly tying book.
All aspects of fly tying techniques are covered and assisted with many pictures.

A must book for any fly tier. If you buy a book on fly tying this should be the one. Outstanding quality, and at Anazon price is a great buy.

As a new fly tier "The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference" has the information I was looking for. The text with the pictures makes learning new techniques fun. I would recommend this book to any one that want to learn fly tying.

I gave this present to my mom who is an extreme fisherwoman, and she loves it. I haven't been able to get it away from her since Christmas. Very good buy!

Is a good reference for tying techniques.
I would have preferred if I could find the entire dressings and not only the hundred plus one techniques to tie wings or whatever but probably it would have become too big.
To be improved in CDC use.

Great book, I bought it after having figured out which islands to visit using the book by the same authors, no worries Hawaii, which is a must buy if you don't know where to go and what you want to do. Following input from the first book we picked 1 day Honlolu, 5 days big Island and 9 days Kauai.
The big island trailblazer is unique in that the information on trailheads and how to find them is really really accurate, if you have to follow a dirt road for 2 miles and then stop next to a hidden bridge then that information is there. You rarely spend hours searching for stuff, the detail on where to look for something once you get to the end of the trail is less good, but that is because in the islands appear not to go in for signposts in a big way, so we were often looking at something and wondering whether or not this is it. Best ofs were generally good, didn't understand focus on Hilo, we went there on a Sunday and it felt like a run down sad little town, but maybe on a weekday there is a different vibe. The only negative is that restaurants mentioned a little more information on them to help you chose would help unless you like the sticky table-top ketchup bottle and drip coffee atmosphere and generic grub, this is fine if it is what you want, but you don't need a guidebook to discover such places, of course to be fair the book doesn't target the foodie population nevertheless a little more selectivity would help though or just a little more text on the restaurants. From personal experience if you are staying in Kapaa on Big Island try the restaurant Rapanui, a small hole in the wall joint run by a saturnine chef from New Zealand and his partner, its location is not attractive (in a mall when you enter Kapaa on the coastal road from the north on the left after the bend in the first mall), and it is BYOB but the food is really, really well cooked, from a European stand point, fresh, flavourful, beef melts in your mouth, rice/coconut nuttily satisfying, great, cooked but crunchy veggies, freshly made sauces, not a bottle or deep fryer in sight. Another great place to eat is Jays on the road towards southpoint, before the turn-off to Puuhoonuau (I forget the spelling) national park, two step snorkeling and the painted church from Kappaa, it is described in the guidebook, really spectacular and don't be put off by the appearance of the kitchen/living area. Oh and for sandwiches, a satisfying stop is Choicemart on the Highway 19 approximately in the area of the Manago Hotel, Choicemart is on the left, there is a great Vegan Cafe next to Choicemart and the sandwiches sold there and in Choicemart are spectacular. The locals recommend Choicemarts plate lunch especially on Lau Lau Friday. We tried to get it on Sat and it was all sold out. And the snorkeling at two step was the best we had on the island. Ok after all that digressing: if it is culture/food you are after then you need an additional book or to do some food research ahead of time online, for hiking, biking, walking and general reliable information then the trailblazer is a great book. Another option is to get the No worries Hawaii that has almost all information on all islands best ofs etc and then supplement that with a more foodie cultural guide for the islands depending on what you want. We did this for Kauai, although Fodors Kauai while better on culture etc really did badly for hiking and trails and was way less reliable than the Sprouts books.

Lots of detailed info, good maps, great pics, best directions and extremely well laid out for picking out all the cool places everywhere on the island. We lucked out and got to see lava flowing down the mountain near the volcano. For driving directions and staying out of danger, it's full of dos and don'ts.

This was this best thing we took with us on our honeymoon. It's so well organized and we used it as a tool to plan our daily escapades. I highly recommend this book for travelers who haven't been before and are looking for ideas and advice from authors who tell it like it is.

Reading this guide was truly a breath of fresh Hawaiian air. The authors passion and knowledge of this island jumps off the pages. For our family it delivered so many fun little sidetrips since our 3 kids love the water. What made it different from all the other travel guides was the intelligent way the sightseeing places were presented following along on the highway. It made picking and choosing the day's activities so easy.

There was always something to discover around every corner. It is concise, to the point and took us through fields of lava to white sandy beaches and reef pools where it was safe to swim. Turtle watching became a favorite pastime.

If you haven't yet been to the Big Island, you owe it yourself to get a copy before you go to see what's in store.

I would say this is THE guide to take on your trip if you don't have much time and you need information presented in easy-to-follow format. All the listings are numbered so you don't have to dig out the information.....the trail descriptions are right there as is the mileage. The maps and photos and they way they are laid out is very appealing. The advantages don't stop there. The authors have added historical and cultural information, just enough so we could appreciate this place we had flown so far to see. For finding the hiking trails and all the beaches which were quite hidden, it was a jewel. The most beautiful were north of Kona unseen from the highway.

As a tool for maximizing our family time and sticking to our budget, having this book paid off. The sense of freedom being our own tour guides was a huge advantage. Driving directions were key and knowing the lay of the land before arriving made everything seem friendly and familiar.

YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. We have traveled to the big island many times, but still have not discovered or seen everything. This book reaches beyond of the general guide books and one of the other more popular reads about the island. Great for those who are into hiking and especailly for driving tours. Snorkelers will like some of the off the beaten path places to go.