Ball Books

Yeah..What she says..The other reviewer..Good. It's a ball and a blast to find out how other women survive. Jesus loves..Or..But she's a good storyteller. The head editor of Harpers-Bazaar..Yup..A busy woman. Don't want her to die..Vanes

When she died in 1999, Liz Tilberis was only 51 years old and had battled ovarian cancer for several years. Her influence over the fashion world in the UK and USA was considerable and at the height of success she was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. Liz was able to chronicle her efforts fighting the disease before it claimed her and in the years since ... one thing is clear ... take time to live ... because as glamorous as life can be ... it is not immunity against a sudden illness.

I don't think this book was promoted very well when it was published. I just happened upon it in a used book store and picked it up because my stepmother had recently died of ovarian cancer-- and also because I'm always interested in reading about the fashion world. Tilberis sometimes came across as a bit shallow; she apparently took the whole fashion world VERY seriously, instead of viewing it with the detachment and "Well, it's a living" attitude of some fashionistas I know. Also, after describing her very long struggle to have children, which ultimately resulted in her adopting two sons, she seemed to have taken little interest in raising them; her husband pretty much was a single parent, while she lived and breathed Harper's Bazaar 24/7.
But on the whole, I really enjoyed the book, especially the insider stuff about the fashion business. I also appreciated the thorough information that Tilberis gives about detection and treatment of ovarian cancer. By the end of the book she seems resigned to dying fairly soon, but is just trying to enjoy every day that is left to her. She died within two years of the book's publication.

I bought this book for two very different purposes and feel that it is very suitable for each one. It works well in my Catholic school library (K-8) because it covers a range of basic topics, bible stories, sacraments, etc. I also sent it to my son for his small children so that he has a book on hand when they are old enough to need an overview of our faith. The illustrations are attractive and the writing clear and not too difficult.

This book goes into just the detail that a First Communicant can digest to understand about our faith. Our market is saturated with Old Testament stories for little ones. This book, instead, focuses on Jesus' life and beyond. It even explains the Reformation from a Catholic perspective.

This wonderful book combines stories from the Old and New Testaments, episodes from Church history, and explanations of doctrines of the faith. Although the target reading level is 9-12, it's a perfect read-aloud book for children as young as pre-school. We just finished reading the stories from Genesis to our four- and seven-year-olds and they comprehended the text with relative ease. Kevin Davidson's watercolor illustrations are very well done and complement Ann Ball and Julianne M. Will's text. For instance, as one reads the story of creation to younger children, it helps to point to all the "creatures" contained in the accompanying pictures. The book also includes lives of the saints, an explanation of the liturgical calendar, a handful of traditional prayers, and a tour of a church. Highly recommended.

As anyone who owns books on the ancient Maya will probably attest, they have a habit of becoming out of date rather rapidly; yesterday's Copan is today's Xukpi and yesterday's King 18-Rabbit is today's Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good thing. Unlike the vast body of scholarship that Egyptologists can only hope to add a sentence to here or a footnote to there, Mayanists are faced with a field where every turn of the spade yields material that is likely to keep them busy for decades. That is the exciting thing about Mayan studies; every year sees yet more exciting discoveries by both "dirt" archeologists and by "armchair" or more correctly "keyboard" scholars. Every new book on the Maya is welcome and if they are as well written and lavishly illustrated as this one, they are doubly welcome.

I've read much of what has been written about Mayan ceramics and can say with confidence that this is the best book on the subject ever written. The essays in it, by top professionals, discuss the forms and functions of the ceramics, the meaning of their calligraphy, their basic themes and the places particular styles of ceramics come from. Indeed, if you read it carefully and more than once, you too will be able to decipher the principal inscriptions even on pots that are not in the book. There are hundreds of full-color photographs of Mayan ceramic vases and plates in this book. These vases are decorated with pictures of formed the greatest Pre-Columbian civilization. These ceramics depict Mayan textile design, Mayan hair-dressing, Mayan head-dresses, Mayan ceramics (within the ceramic paintings), Mayan concepts of design and of the other worlds below this one. From them we learn of Mayan myth,Mayan ritual, Mayan daily life, and Mayan art. Leaving aside the great monumental art of sculpture and stucco that adorned major structures, leaving aside the structures themselves, and giving credit for a host of varieties of artistic representations ranging from the Tsimshian to the Moche... I think it is an absolute fact that the art that appears on Mayan ceramics is the best that America ever created prior to Columbus and arguably the best... period. This book discusses, describes, depicts and defends that incredible artistic legacy better than any other ever did.

This handsome book covers a wide range of Maya ceramic imagery, and is filled with stunning photographs. The imagery is also broken down by catagory, and is supplimented with explations of glyphs. The accessible text that explores the mythology, culture, iconography, and hieroglyphics on and related to the ceramics. The information is thorough without being overly specialized.

Lots of colour pictures I have never seen before, among them T1 and Q2.
The text covers the development of electric locomotives and the rather unspecific purchase of Diesels, which lead (to the pleasure of the railfan) to a large variety of types.

Ball and his cohorts have assembled an excellent collection of color photos of the PRR. Coverage is biased to the eastern end of the system, but this is not bad. There is an interesting story of the testing of early electric locomotives at the start of this book. A must for any true pennsy fan.

This is one of the "must have" books for every fan of the PRR. The color photos from the 1940s and 1950s (which make up the bulk of the book) are classic images of the railroad before its decline, and the text (which is limited to about the first 35 pages, plus photo captions, helps the reader understand the Pennsylania Railroad and its operations, particularly in the eastern half of the system. For those seeking more "technical" information, Staufer's Pennsy Power series will have more data, but the photos found here will complement the data found there. Those looking for historical information will some find some historical data here, although they may also be interested in Burgess & Kennedy's Centennial History of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Messer & Roberts' Triumph series, or in Rush Loving's book, The Men Who Loved Trains. There are also numerous other volumes published on the PRR, including many from smaller publishers.

Last night, I picked up this book to send to my son. He is a minor league player and recently had "Tommy John" surgery to his pitching elbow. I have read Dave Dravecky before but this time I was "hooked" on the first page! What a wonderful book for that baseball player in my life --- and me! Thank you, Dave, for sharing your love of the game but most importantly, your love for Jesus Christ. It was clear that when we are out there on the mound, all the pressure is on --- Jesus is with us in each inning! Even into "extra innings"! Absolutely buy this for that baseball player or baseball lover in your life!

If you are a baseball fan and a Christian, this book is a must read. Dave Dravecky has done a wonderful job of marrying baseball lore with biblical wisdom. He leads us through nine-plus innings of stories from the ballpark, expanding on each as an analogy for the Christian walk.

With quotes from the Bible and assorted baseball legends, bite-sized stories and lessons, colorful photos and the odd dash of humor, this book should be on the coffee table of every Christian baseball fan.

Larry Hehn, Author of Get the Prize: Nine Keys for a Life of Victory

My 7 year old son spotted this book in the Christian book store two weeks ago and we bought it. He played Pee Wee baseball last spring and loves the sport. My wife and I have read a chapter with him at bedtime each night and I finished the book Saturday morning on my own.

The anecdotes are funny; the insights are touching and deeply meaningful, and we all have enjoyed this book.

I plan to buy several copies and give them to neighborhood parents of children who play baseball.

C.K. Laurence lives in Miami with her husband in what they've dubbed "the Laurence Manor." She holds a Masters Degree in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University. She has worked with the University of Miami Hurricane Football team and is the proud owner of a national championship ring, which can be seen on her finger at her website. Laurence spent many hours with Miami detectives and CSI personnel researching THE QUARTERBACK'S DEMONS.

Kyle Sands is the veteran quarterback for the Miami Demons. He is dating a woman of dubious sexual mores, and it takes him a while to come to the conclusion that she is running around on him behind his back. He spends one last painful night with her at a rave he doesn't want to attend and then goes back to her apartment to officially break off their relationship. The next morning she is found brutally murdered, and Kyle is the number one suspect. Two Miami detectives are investigating, and immediately Will Kaufman and Karen Brandt are at each other's throats regarding the murder. Karen has a history, having grown up with Kyle, and Will's motivations are rather more unclear:

"But Will stuck to his guns. 'Oh yeah, geniuses?' He eyed the two of them. 'Like there's never been a case of a clean-cut football hero that's run amok over a woman. Those divas think they can get away with anything - including murder - just because they're hot items on the field. Maybe they don't think at all. Except for the fact that they do get away with it.'"

C.K. Laurence has written a knowledgeable mystery about professional football that is gritty and honest. She does a great job of both hiding her culprit, as well as creating so many suspects that even her fictional detectives are stumped. The fun is in the exaggeration of "the prima donnas" and the groupies the industry attracts. Laurence has done her homework, and she creates characters that range from straight-arrow clean cut to pond scum.

THE QUARTERBACK'S DEMONS is a thorough and well researched first effort from a woman with a great sense of humor, of timing, and of human nature. We'll forgive her for trashing real life football heroes who might be on our team.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

This is great stuff. I couldn't put the book down and, in fact, left work early a couple days to go home and pick it up. C.K. also used an excellent photographer for her back jacket photo.

Hopefully, there'll be another soon.

Riveting plot lines, great characters, twists, turns and a shocking finale make THE QUARTERBACK'S DEMONS one of the best mystery novels I have read in a long while. C.K. Laurence's debut is nothing short of spectacular. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the author's next offering.

The importance of this book in serious rose research lies in the photographs of the roses in their growing habitat. Most rose books show close-ups of the flowers, rather than the entire bush, making it difficult to see how large the flowers are in relation to the leaves and the plant. Seeing the plants growth habit is also important in choosing a rose, which this book illustrates most admirably. In addition, the historical facts and cultivation information reward the researcher with the most complete volume on roses published to date. If you must buy only one rose book, this is the one to own!

I learned more from reading "Quest for the Rose" than any other horticulture book I have read. It is a fascinating book. After reading "In Search of Lost Roses" I became very interested in roses throughout history. Humans have been breeding roses for different characteristics for thousands of years. This book teaches modern rose lovers practical lessons about different varieties of roses: which roses grow well in hot climates, or dry climates, or the most northern climates, which grow tall and will clamber up a nearby tree or wall, and which will stay small and compact. All these characteristics are determined by the plant's ancestors, and the country of their origins. As an example, I had always heard that it is very hard to find a cold-hardy yellow rose. "Quest for the Rose" explains that the genetics that favor a yellow bloom originated in the most uniformly warm climates of the world. If you love roses, and are curious about their development over the years, you will really enjoy this book. Make sure to also read "In Search of Lost Roses", about a horticulturist's discovery of historic roses.

This book provides an in depth history of the rose, plus modern roses. It gives good descriptions of the plant, its care and even its scent. Lots of good photographs

I will not say much about this book because you must read it to understand the content and the significance of this rare book. The older title of this book was called "In pursuit of truth." This book is beautiful in every aspect. 1. Lets you unfold the truth in the world. 2. Provides best exercises to become argumentative and rational person. 3. It gives you logical reference to "What is logic? What is true? What is objective truth?" There are so many wonderful aspects about this book, I can't list them all. I guarantee that when you finish this book, you will be good at anything you do: computer science, logistics, linguistic, literature, philosophy...etc. I will say no more. Beautiful!

I've taught applied logic at the university level for over 25 years. Feldman's book is the best text on "informal" logic. If I had my way, every student would be required to work through REASON AND ARGUMENT, either late in high school or early in college.

If you want to develop or improve your skills at identifying and evaluating arguments and reasoning (and you do, don't you?), this is the book for you. Like no other text on critical thinking or informal logic, its clear, simple, precise and no-nonsense approach will help you become a clear and precise thinker. Get a [used & cheap!] copy, study it, master it, and you will soon be able to see through much of the BS that is offered for and against all sorts of views, claims, beliefs, and policies. On the positive side, you will learn what kinds of reasons would be good reasons to support various views and learn to rationally critique and defend your own beliefs and the reasons why you hold them. Invest in your mind by investing in this book!

I'm amazed at all the great images of early Santa Ana -- commercial buildings, residential, Pacific Red Car, downtown business district, churches, schools, even the 1933 Earthquake. The captions are equally great. What a wonderful resource for those interested in a bit of history - or just to see what life was like 40, 50, 90 years ago.

I was born and spent a great deal of my life in Santa Ana, and my mother has lived in this area since 1931. This book has excellent postcard pictures not only of past buildings but even existing buildings and sites. Looking at these buildings you are familiar with and realizing they existed long ago gives me a feeling of continuity. Books like this also give you an idea of where we were and how we came to be what we are today.

I puchased this for my dad's birthday because my parents grew up in Santa Ana (I was raised there as well). They had a ball looking through it-we spent the evening listening to their stories about places in the book. Great book!

What if the White Sox had been the first major league team to field a black player? Rutkoff imagines it, populating his rich story with people both real and imagined. Among the real: An imperious, double-dealing Chuck Comiskey, owner of the White Sox. Among the imagined: The Negro League hero who makes the leap into the majors a black blues singer from Memphis whose heartbreaking tragedy is a riveting subplot and the Jewish fixer who finds himself in the middle. Full of fascinating historical detail (the author is a noted historian at Kenyon College). You've never heard of this small-press novel, and what a pity: It deserves an audience among baseball fans, Chicagoans, history buffs, blacks, whites, and just about and anyone else who cares about why America is the way it is today.

Full disclosure: If you read and love "Shadow Ball" as I did, you may also enjoy my novel "To Love Mercy" -- because it's a virtual sequel to "Shadow Ball." "To Love Mercy" takes the story forward three decades, to 1948. It's a tale of blacks and whites, Christians and Jews, how children see the world, conflict and forgiveness ... and the White Sox!

This is a beautifully written and imaginatively conceived historical novel. Its author is a well-published academic historian who teaches at Kenyon College. This is his first novel. Peter Rutkoff brings together several strands of American history (e.g., baseball, race, and Chicago.) Real people--Rube Foster, Charles Comiskey, and Shoeless Joe Jackson--encounter the author's wonderfully-drawn fictional characters. Rutkoff's evocation of Chicago is also as superb as it is knowledgeable. And the storyline--which I won't reveal--is most compelling. This is, as they say, a page turner. If your literary appetite combines baseball and American history, read this book!

I came to this book through my interest in social history. I came away from the book a fan of baseball as well. The author drops you into 1919 Chicago and into the heads of all those involved in a high-stakes and incendiary decision to bring a Negro player to the Chicago White Sox. Despite a new appreciation for baseball, for me the highlight of the book is the portrayal of "small" lives. The tragedy that racial prejudice brings to a young, poor woman coming to Chicago from the South makes this book resonate much longer than any game-winning home run.