Scouting Books

Anyone with a background in Boy Scouting will love and appreciate this book. Oh my gosh, the memories that it brought back. I will definitely read this again.

A great read, very uplifting.
Captures the positive difference that Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts create in our world.

A second class scout, I left Scouting at 16, became a father at 21, joined as an adult leader when my eldest of two sons turned 11. Two months later, the Scoutmaster announced at a Court of Honor that his job had gone away and I was taking over as Scoutmaster, and I was too surprised to say no. Steve came home from his first meeting and announced that he was going to be an Eagle Scout as soon as he could, and two years and 4 months later, his mother pinned his Eagle on his shirt, and I, as his Scoutmaster, MC'd his Eagle Court of Honor. His younger brother took a longer route, with more encouragement, and after I despaired of his ever getting there, he decided he also wanted the honor, and had his board of review the eve before his 18th birthday. I bought 3 copies of the book, after reading it, to give one each to my two Eagles, and one to the troop, which I still serve as a troop leader and counselor for several merit badges, in the hope that it will encourage several more boys to achieve. Years later, their Eagle awards opened doors for my sons, and in a way, I am still "paying thier dues".
As an adult leader, I have organised and led our sons and others to most of the high adventure bases, and many other high adventure trips, and as many of those quoted in the book, get more out of Scouting than I put in.

This is a priceless book for someone who is into scouting or who is an Eagle Scout. I bought this book for a family member who was extremely pleased. I would highly recommend purchasing this book!

Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts This is a great book for all Eagle Scouts, both new and old. Makes a great gift for a new Eagle. Solidifies the importance of the rank of Eagle latter in life. I bought two and gave them to knew Eagles. It was a great hit. Not likely to be a duplicate gift and something to refer back to as the scout gets older.

Some of the information in this book may now be out of fashion and sometimes wrong, it is a great pleasure to read "Scouting for Boys". The ideals defended by B.P.: courage, generosity and compassion are as much a necessity today as they were a hundred years ago, when that book was first published.

The idea of an active, "hands on" education still find its echo in today's most recent education innovations.

Of course, the key message lies in the the initials of the author: Be Prepared!

Excellent book detailing the original , if somewhat dated thoughts , of the founder of the Scout Movement- Sir Robert Baden Powell. A must have read for all interetesed in the movement and it's principles

At the very beginning of the twentieth century, retired General Robert Baden-Powell, the hero of the siege of Mafeking, coalesced his ideas for an organization to train young British boys in scouting for the British Empire. Not a very organized thinker, Baden-Powell borrowed heavily from all sorts of unrelated resources - newspaper articles, military dispatches, fiction, and much more - and produced this, his first book on scouting. Originally published as six separate books, this book brings all of them together, complete with original illustrations.

Now, as might be expected from its roots, this book reflects a lot of the biases and ways of thinking from Edwardian England. But, leaving that aside, this is a fun and interesting book that shows clearly the forms that have stayed with the Boy Scouts movement to this very day. The introduction was written by Elleke Boehmer, a professor of Colonial and Postcolonial literature, and is a fairly predictable deconstruction/analysis of B-P and his movement.

Now, as a newcomer to Scouting (my son is a Tenderfoot) did I find anything useful in this book? I sure did. Robert Baden-Powell was very knowledgeable about the subject, and this book sure shows it. (I never thought of tying my shoes like that!) Of course some of the information is out of date, especially the first-aid information, so it isn't really usable by the boys "as is." But, this is a nice resource, one that shows you where Scouting started.

Oh, and I must say that I actually enjoyed the somewhat jumbled organization of this book. It isn't as scholarly and antiseptic as modern Boy Scout books, and the stories and tales laced throughout make the reading much more fun. Plus, I did find the focus on some subjects, such as logic and deductive reasoning, to be quite interesting. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to you!

I was an Eagle Scout as a boy, and now I'm the founding Scoutmaster of my sons' troop. As such, I was anxious to get a copy of this hard cover version. Baden-Powell's work is a classic and well worth the read. The problem with this edition is the Introduction by Elleke Boehmer. Without it, the book is a 5-star. Ms. Boehmer appears a non-believer. Reading her is like taking a pessimistic art critic along side while viewing an art gallery. Far more benefit (for all concerned) would occur without her input. For each positive she states about BP, she mentions a negative. She also spends just over two pages discussing homosexual tendencies (pp xxxii-xxxiii) within BP's works, something which is out of place in this work. I started to list several quotes, but I think one sums it up best of all from the back cover: "She has never been a scout, but she did once shake hands with Lady Baden-Powell at a jubilee celebration in South Africa." I guess that must make her an expert.

This original text of BP's "Scouting for Boys" is an excellent read. You can skip the introduction, however. The intro is a steaming pile of horse excrement written by someone seething with contempt for BP and the Boy Scout movement. Why it was included with the book is beyond me unless it's to provide bum fodder whilst camping. Remember, a scout is thrifty!

When one sees the title The Scouting Way: A Daily Guide to Living With Scout Values, they might assume that it is a book about the life of a boy scout. This book is so much more. It is an inspirational guide to living a life full of the values and ideals similar to those of scouts.

The accounts from various professionals give it a well-rounded feel - a remarkable insight into every day life. Whether speaking of happiness, teamwork, honesty, or reverence, there is a viewpoint and a story that will literally lift you from your chair. Sporadic lists and activities, including lists of things to make you happy, give it a particular uniqueness.

Tom Jones, a space shuttle astronaut, demonstrates how to turn disappointment into happiness. He was successful in "dealing with adversity and overcoming it mentally." What a great concept, right?

Letitia Baldridge tells of her childhood struggle when moving to a new town and dealing with the sadness associated with feeling left out. Even the story of her 7th birthday party could force any adult to see the importance of friendliness.

This book is a true inspiration. It's an emotional and intellectual effort to demonstrate the ways in which the values of scouting can be applied to the life of every reader. Although the style is simple, you will be overwhelmed (in a good way) with sentiment. It is a must-read and it will be sure to get your priorities and perspectives in order.

This Book is a great gift for a highschool or college graduate. This should be a mandatory read for the 21st century that may need a re-adjustment in their moral compass.
I would highly recommend this book.

Dan Marrazzo

It is really, and I mean this, together with Scouting For Boys, the best book I have ever read about Scouting. I can 't express how this book is changing the way I look upon my own life. Every day, right after breakfast, I read the daily story, its introduction, and the hints for that day. Every single day without exception.

On one hand, I'm glad that I may say honestly that many of the given hints and things to do are already common to me in my everyday life. But on the other hand, I also realise I have a long way to go before I can proudly say that I live The Scouting Way in every aspect of that daily life. And the book will most certainly help me to get closer to it, day after day.

Until now the book inspired me on two things. First I wrote an own story on my Scouting life. But the second is far more important. As everyone makes some kind of a New Year's promise, by example giving up smoking or something like that, I've promised myself what I've written in my story: to do my best to follow the rules and guidelines of Scouting in every aspect of my life, to spread out the words about Scouting to everyone who wants to hear them, to bring happiness to everyone as it was brought to me in all those years and to remain Scout for ever.

So, the only thing I can do here in this review is thank the authors for sharing those great stories with me. Please keep on doing this and I'll keep on using these stories to improve my own life and the life of everyone surrounding me.

I am the Proffessional Staff member for Scouting New Zealand with the responsibility for Resource Development, Youth Programme Delivery and Adult Leader Resources and Training

I have subscribed to the Scouting Way Newsletter and as a result of that I purchased a copy of the Scouting Way Book in November 2001

This book embodies the true Ethic and Values which form the basis for Scouting anywhere in the world, it supports the Promise and Law which are at the very core of our purpose

I find the examples in the Scouting Way to be fresh, thoughtful and above all else examples of very good practice expressed by work face adult Scout Masters, messages are simple to understand and show the values that young people and adults adopt as members of Scouting

If this book were available and being used by all Youth Workers both volunteers and proffessionals eg teachers the communities from which they worked in would be immeasurably improved

Acceptance of a values based programme by more young people would enhance their lives and that of their future families, this book gives them this opportunity

Scouting Worldwide will make use of this resource as it is a very valuable tool for youth development

I congratulate Sanfra and Jeff Schwartz on their publication of the Scouting Way Book and I look forward to further issues

Stephen Lock
Programme and Training Manager
Scouting New Zealand
....

The Scouting Way: A Daily Guide To Living With Scout Values is an inspirational guide to living one's life by the principles, virtues, and values of Scouting. From Cheerfulness and Patriotism to Honesty, Continual Learning and Reverence of God, thirty different positive values are examined in depth with informative and compelling essays, thoughts, examples, and encouragements to live one's life in better terms than ever. Evocative of fond memories from one's scouting days, The Scouting Way is an upbeat, first-class highly recommended guide to physical and spiritual self-improvement.

If you have to choose just one book each year to give you as much information about the coming year in baseball: who the players are, who all the teams' prospects are, what they all did last year and a forecast of what they will do this year -- then this is THE book you should buy. Featuring analysis from some of the leading writers and analysts in the game this book has it all including situational stats and diagrams showing batter/hitter tendancies. Whether you are a ROTO-nerd, a Fantasy junkie, or (and I know there are some of you out there) a genuine baseball fan, you WILL love this book. It has it all!

The Scouting Notebook is an excellent book and a must-have for each new year for the true baseball fan. This book contains in-depth analysis of all regular major league players and many top prospects. It can give the reader an idea of what to expect based on past tendencies. A wonderful book!

If your league allows for the retention of players from year to year, this is the book to get. As a fantasy owner, I have been collecting these books for over 10(?) years and I find them invaluable in trade negotiations or just picking up that extra infielder off the waiver wire. What this book gives me is not just the stats, but observations on why a batter is hitting like he is, or why a certain pitcher should be performing better.

Also, pull out the book while watching a game on TV, the pitching charts for both the pitcher and hitter add an enjoyable twist to the game.

This is THE book for fantasy baseball nerds. This will be my third year in a row using this book as my primary tool preparing for draft day. But, you don't have to be stat crunching geek to enjoy it - the book will be enjoyed equally by "lovers of the game."

For anyone out there who loves hard core baseball this book is for you. Every player from every team has a biography and a scouting report. If you did not know him before the season you will definately know him by spring training. This is a must for baseball fans.

This was one of my favorite books when I was a child. My copy was getting a little ragged, to say the least, and I had to pick up a new copy for my own child to enjoy. I can't recommend this book enough!

It has beautiful illustrations and a fun story for those of us who enjoy the outdoors, scouting, spending time with Dad, or just a good Berenstain Bears book!

I still have my copy from when I was a kid. It brings back memories of having my father along as a chaparone for Girl Scout trips. The moral of the story is that well meaning parents don't always know the right way to do things and should they should learn to listen better to their children.

Like other Berenstein books, Dad's a doofus, while the kids are wise in this camping-out adventure.

This is a fun story with nice artwork that I've ready many times to my kids (now 3 1/2 and 2). Frankly, I've gotten kind of tired of it -- the dad-bashing routine gets repetitive after a few dozen readings.

But the kids like it, and I think it will be a good one when they start reading on their own, too. There's even some good camping tips ("Put up your tents before it's late").

This tale of Papa Bear's prideful camping advice that ALWAYS turns out wrong is a classic. I LOVED this book when I was young, and indeed I still do! I never mind reading it to my 3 year old daughter. We quote the line "Your stew is stewing well, but doesn't it have a funny smell?" to each other as an inside joke.

The Bear Scouts leave on a camping adventure, but at the last minute Papa Bear insists on going to "help out". His son and the other scouts always use their Bear Scout Guide, and always have success. But Dad ties his own knot which fails, makes stew of roots that tastes awful but then gladly devours the fish the scouts catch, and so forth. The rhyme is fun and memorable, the illustrations are captivating, and I would recommend it to anyone!

Your child will love Papa Bear's misadventures as he attempts to teach the Bear Scouts the "correct" way to conquer the out-of-doors. Luckily, the Bear Scouts also have their bear scout manual along.

The illustrations (especially of Papa Bear "experiencing" the outdoors) and rhyming words will pull in your preschool or early school age child, and they will request this book again and again. This is a Berenstain Bear classic!

This is a great book, maybe the best book on baseball ever written. What's the competition? The Boys of Summer is very good indeed, but on the whole, I think "Dollar Sign" is even better. It really covers the whole history of the game, from the early teens to (almost) the present day, and does so from a very interesting perspective - that of the talent scout. Here are a series of larger-than-life characters, each with a silver tongue it seems, and an endless reservoir of anecdotes and baseball analysis. It's just one of those books that's a pleasure to read and sink oneself into.

My hat is off to author Kevin Kerrane. This book reflects a huge amount of research, but comes across with an easygoing quality, wearing its scholarship lightly.

It's unfortunate that it's out of print, and the used copies are so expensive. But if you can find one for a fair price somewhere, you wouldn't be disappointed.

Dollar Sign on the Muscle belongs on any short list of the best baseball books ever written. It has the ability to change the way you look at baseball by taking you inside the fascinating world of baseball scouts and their never-ending search for the "arm behind the barn," the "good face" and the many other phrases that you'll never forget after reading this book. Kerrane is a marvelous prose stylist but one who never draws attention to his own felicity for words -- instead, he uses that gift to effortlessly draw the reader into the scout's world (especially the bygone era of scouting before the advent of the amateur draft). I can't recommend it highly enough.

If this is the same book I remember from many years ago...it is worth reading again, as it about the kind of people that are a part of "Money Ball"...

Dollar Sign on the Muscle was the first work of serious literary journalism I ever read. I bought in the sixth grade, in the gift shop at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., which I was visiting for the first time with my parents. I read most of it in the airport and on the flight home to Florida.

The book had a more significant impact on me than the trip to Washington did. It was astonishing to me that books like this existed in the world. When we returned, I raided all the narrative nonfiction books about sports from the Palm Beach County library. Most of them weren't so great, but I did, by way of this search, find my way to George Plimpton, Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, etc., which set me on a lifetime course of better and more fulfilling reading.

I recently reread Dollar Sign on the Muscle, and it's better, actually, than I remembered. It's a historical document, now. The scouts and the world of old-time baseball men belong largely to the past. The era of Theo Epstein and Billy Beane, with its emphasis on all things quantifiable, is probably good for baseball, but it's not terribly romantic.

But that's not what makes the book so good. It's the knack Kerrane has for rendering his characters whole. You feel like you know these guys, you know what makes them tick, you know what it's like to spend an afternoon with them, you know what they want, need, desire, what makes their hearts beat hard. Many of Kerrane's old scouts are likely dead now, but in the pages of Dollar Sign on the Muscle, they live and breathe like they did then.

Perhaps with time, this book will find its way into print again. I hope so. Meantime, see if you can find a used copy somewhere. It'll be worth whatever it costs you, I promise.

An excellent book for any baseball-fan. Extremely funny and entertaining. Everybody will learn more about scouting und the new edition lets you know how the career of the players scouted turned out.I fully agree with the assessment of Rob Neyer of espn.com, who included the book as honorable mention amongst the best baseball books of all time.

Every year this book loses more and more of it's edge. It's good at saying what a player does well but is overly gentle about what a player does not. Back in the late 80's the book was brutally honest (if you get a chance read Ray Knight in the '86 book ... the year he won the World Series MVP). Now that was entertaining. Sure they were wrong on occasion but they had the guts to tell it like they thought. They've lost that now. Take a look at the "other players" grades. Over 90% are C's. What's the point. That said ... I'll still get it.

A terrific book that exposes the strengths and weaknesses of every Major League Baseball player and some of the up and coming stars who are close to reaching the "show". Follow every players at bats and pitching outings with this great scouting book that pulls no punches when analysing the players. A book I can't put down, every Baseball fan should have a copy in their library.

To all you Baseball Prospectus diehards, your 2005 collection is not complete without this book. This book provides traditional scouting methods that you won't find in any other publication. If you want to know the assortment of pitchers a hurler throws, you can find it in this book. The best part of about this scouting guide is the detail description of players' tendencies and skills. The book also goes into detail about the 30 ballparks around the league and provides a one page report about the tendencies and stategies of all big league managers. While I love to read the performance based analysis of Baseball Prospectus, I think that book has failed to capture the total picture of ballplayers in its publication and I use the Scouting Notebook to get both sides of the story. Remember, a successful baseball team needs both a blend of brilliant sabermetric and scouting analysis to be successful.

If you only buy one baseball annual in 2005, this should be the one! The Scouting notebook effectively humanizes the players to such a degree I felt like I could manage them to a pennant. The writing style is crisp,and clean, easy to understand without becoming boringly predictable. This book makes for a fun companion for the 2005 season.

Along with Baseball Prospectus and the Bill James annual, this is a book that should be on every fan's coffee table throughout the baseball season. Full of detailed scouting analysis on hundreds of major leaguers, it complements the statistical annuals perfectly, helping to provide a complete picture of each player.

There are 22 players listed for each team, with 12 getting full pages and the others shown with 2 on a page. Each player's vitals are included on their page, along with situational stats. For batters, a diagram is included to show hitting tendencies, while pitchers are given a pitching profile showing a further breakdown of their performance versus the league average. The player evaluations are divided into 4 categories - a recap of their 2004 season, pitching or hitting depending on their position, defense, and a 2005 outlook. For the players who have to share a page, the hitting/pitching is cominbed with the defense. Managers and stadiums are also given individual pages, and the park factors and managerial tendencies are useful.

Since more than 22 players contribute to any team, each franchise is also given a couple of pages devoted to "Other" players, whose stats and evaluation are presented in a succinct, boxscore-type format. Each team also has a section where several of their top minor league prospects are evaluated. This number is limited, since the book's main focus is on players expected to contribute to the big team in the upcoming season.

The only complaints I have about this book are minor. One is that the stats in the back of the book list batting average first among stats for hitters. I think even non-stat junkies now accept the fact that OBP or OPS are better measuring sticks for hitters, so I think it would make more sense to list one of those ahead of average. However, that's truly a minor issue. The focus of this book is scouting, and that's something it presents beautifully.

This is one I look forward to every year, and the 2005 edition does not disappoint. This is one to keep by your side during the baseball season, as it should prove both informative and entertaining.

I refer to this book on a nearly daily basis, and it is a must for any serious baseball fan. If you're in a fantasy, roto or sim league, you need to have this book.

Don't miss it.

When's the new one coming out?

John Sickels does a tremendous job. The book is well organized, well written, thorough, and doesn't cloud the joy and anticipation of baseball. The best of the STATS books, and always on my 'must-buy' list every year.

there is no better, more accurate source for minor league future stars and role players available at any price. John Sickels is the best!! He spends his winters watching baseball, and he spends his summers also watching baseball. he talks to coaches, managers, players and scouts. his seven skill approach is the most accurate forum for determining future success. I learned the importance of strike-zone judgement, and noone can convince me it's not the single most important factor in determining future success. My roti-team is stocked with Sickels reccommendations. Eric Chavez, Gabe Kapler, and Matt Clement for starters. it's easy to say now, what great players they will be, but John told me FIRST!!!

I'm writing this because Sickels deserves it. After years of roto info overload I now prepare for Draft Day with only three books: Sporting News Baseball Register (so i can see the statistical history of every player on the 40-man rosters), and the masterpieces from Benson and Sickels. The key in a competitive league is all timing, and Olkin gives you a better feel for WHEN a player will bloom than anyone else. John, thanks for helping me win 5 out of 6 league titles in the last two years. But I'm worried now that my competitors will start noticing your book at my side...

If you're a serious fan like me, especially if you do fantasy baseball, purchase this book. It is the most comprehensive text on the top prospects in baseball and a must have!

I constantly refer back to it throughout the baseball season.

Reading this book is like floating down a river with a little whitewater, glorious scenery and intelligent company--it's a joy! The two perspectives add depth to the forward movement.

This is one of those books whose real storytelling power sneaks up on you. It's a case study in Americana, in the guise of a travelogue. Dudley and Seaborg met a remarkable group of characters on their journey -- a cast few novelists could dream up -- and they share their new friends with us in a delightfully readable way. The writing is so crisp and the imagery so vivid that you can practically hear the crickets chirping as you read!

Seaborg and Dudley have made an incredible journey, and done a great service to the hiking community. They had an audacious mission, to link the nation's great long-distance trails with the cities in between and lay out a way to get from coast to coast under one's own power.

To many of us, this sounds like a dream assignment. But Eric and Ellen faced many challenges-finding a route through a maze of mountain ranges, urban parks, farm roads, rail trails and river crossings; securing the cooperation of local hiking clubs and wary landowners, enduring a cold winter, networking with the media, writing a guidebook, and taking their case to Washington to gain designation as a National Scenic Trail. It was hard, often frustrating work, yet their good humor, physical strength, and boundless enthusiasm saw them through and got the job done.

We're all the richer for it. The book is a real page-turner. Eric and Ellen take turns telling their story, and they make you feel you're right there with them. Especially compelling are the times they get separated. You'll experience first-hand the fear of a woman alone in the wilderness, and the grim determination of her partner to find her. In the end, they'll have you cheering as they accomplish their task.

An adventure for the ages. Don't miss this book!

Finding routes for hikers to cross against the grain of this country's physical geography is this book's ambition. Seaborg and Dudley succeed admirably. This is no Sierra Club/Appalachian Traiil Club guide (trail 26: Old Rag to Shiflett Hollow...). This is the chronicle of an ambitious attempt to chart a way to walk across America.

This is one of my little sister's favorite childhood books - and the included cookie recipe has become a family favorite!

The Pee Wees have to make cookies and let Mrs. Peters taste them. They try and try, but still couldn't make them. My favorite quote from this book was when Molly says to Rachel, "You've got a hex on those running shoes!" This is an excellent book. You can read and enjoy it anytime!

We read this in our homeschool as a fiction read aloud. My son who is seven enjoyed hearing the book. He liked hearing about the scouts adventures. I'm sure we will be reading more Pee Wee Scout books soon.

I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. MRS. PETER'S EXPLAINED HOW TO MAKE THE COOKIES IN A FUNNY WAY. I AM A 3RD GRADER AND BELIEVE THAT I WILL REALLY ENJOY READING MORE OF PEE WEE SCOUTS!