Ball Books

Tiger Woods first came to fame in 1997 when he won a spectacular victory at the Master Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He went on to be one of the most successful professional golfers the game has ever known and won the admiration of a whole new generation of young men and women for the game. Indeed, because of Tiger Woods, the game of golf has a degree of popularity within minority communities that it has never before held in its entire history. Libby Hughes' Tiger Woods is a splendidly written biography of their remarkable young man's career from when he hit his first golf ball at the age of 9 months, through his days as a junior champion in grad school and high school, on to his years at Stanford University (when Tiger turned pro in his second year of college) and down to the present with a representative sampling drawn from his spectacular pro tournament victories. Tiger Woods is a great biography for young readers and will serve to inspire children with one of the most genuinely praiseworthy young men in professional sports today!

Tiger Woods: Golf's Young Master is a very effective book for children to learn to read with. It is something that they like to read about so therefore are more willing to sit down and read it. It is also a great book to read with your kids, you as well as your child can enjoy learning about Tiger Woods. All in all it is a great book and I recommend it.

Tintin and Captain Haddock go to a psychic show. There an Indian fakir puts his assistant into a trance. She forsees a mysterious illness striking a photographer on a recent expedition to recover Incan artifacts. One by one the researchers on the expedition fall into mysterious comas. Near each lies a shattered crystal ball...

For some comic relief here Captain Haddock tries hard to be oh so proper (he has recently aquired his ancestral estate and title). He is fixated on wearing a monocle at all times. This is an involved mystery with many clever bits of detective work and technology used by the characters. This particular book is definitely the first of two parts and doesn't stand alone. At the end of this one Tintin and the Captain are off in pursuit of a potential villain. But we still don't know what was in the crystal balls or how it connects to the Incan curse, and a major character has been kidnapped and not reunited with the heros. So you will have to read Prisoners of the Sun to not be left hanging after this one.

To earn the reputation of a literary giant within the generation of Waugh, Orwell, and Greene is no mean feat. To do so with the grace and genius that characterized Anthony Powell...is nothing short of spectacular. This book of Powell's memoirs is the first one-volume collection to be published in America. The reviews for this book are glowing. "Powell was indeed a literary giant, and eminently deserving of the praise that was lavished upon him."- The Wall Street Journal. "A Master of wit, paradox, and social delineation."- The New York Times. "[Powell was] more fun than Proust, and at least as true to human nature."- John Perry, Salon Magazine

this book has encouraged me greatly to be confident and achieve my dreams in sports and in life. I give it 2 thumbs way up! definently worth the money any day

The authors describe a practice routine that can help beginners, duffers and pros.

Since the object of the game is to put the ball into the hole, the focus is on developing skills to hole shots. The book develops skills starting from putting to hitting the driver. The theory is developing confidence by building on previously developed skills and creating situations to positively reinforce your successes. Mastering each step through a practice routine develops confidence. This stuff actually works. Buy the book, find a practice partner and lower your score.

"The Sweet Side of the Ropes" by Kiernan Kelly

Famous country singer Travis Steel has had enough of the spotlight and the paparazzi. The things that tie him to his hectic life are making him feel bad, so Travis goes back home to Tennessee where his old friend Booger shows him that his ropes can make him feel real good.

Booger is very sweet. What he does to and with Travis is very hot. The storyline in "The Sweet Side of the Ropes" is a very good one.

"Cobalt Dynamus" by H.B. Kurtzwilde

Alous is a performer. With his rope he twists and turns moving gracefully and artfully high above the crowds. Charon and Tonio are looking for a third for their act and they think Alous is the right man for the job. They'll have to convince Alous though.

The things Alous, Charon and Tonio can do tied up in mid air are pretty amazing and erotic. "Cobalt Dynamus" is entertaining and fun.

"A Little Trust" By James Buchanan.

There is an intruder in Brandon's home, so he pulls out his gun and prepares to defend himself against the threat. Then he discovers who it is. What's Nicky doing there?

Fans of Nicky and Brandon from James Buchanan's Cheating Chance will love "A Little Trust". Nicky and Brandon are great characters. I love how they interact with each other. The sex in "A Little Trust" is incredibly hot, which is par for the course for Nicky and Brandon!

Toy Box: Rope is great. Three very different stories with one common theme make it a very entertaining and erotic anthology.

Nannette
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Tavernier was noted for the beautiful way he described natural pearls. Several of his notions like "water", "orient", and "mirror" are still in common usage in the pearl world

This book was written in 1555 and it is the earliest surviving book dedicated to tennis - or to any sport, for that matter. Its Italian title is Trattato del Giuoco della Palla, which translates literally as "Treatise on the Game of the Ball". It is a good title because the book is not really about tennis or real tennis, but rather, as the title suggests, "the game of the ball", from which real tennis evolved.

Antonio Scaino da Salò (1524-1612) was a priest in the service of Alfonso II d'Este, the 5th and last Duke of Ferrara. Alfonso (1533-95) was the grandson of Louis XII on his mother's side and Lucrezia Borgia on his father's side.

In the introduction Scaino gives virtuous reasons for undertaking the work, but the real purpose of the book appears to have been the resolution of a dispute relating to scoring which arose between Alfonso and another player. As it was common to wager on tennis matches, the dispute may not have been academic. Not surprisingly Scaino comes down on the side of his prince.

To the modern reader, the book contains an awful lot of waffle and it is not recommended reading to anyone other than an enthusiast. Scaino gives the impression of an earnest student of the game but one who has not played the game and, consequently, some of his information, reasoning and conclusions appear to be mistaken.

But there is much useful historical information on the game as it was played in 1555, which makes it an invaluable historical tool.

There is also some advice which the modern player may find a bit odd, such as what happens when

... the ball bounces off a doorstep (it doesn't count as touching the ground as long as the doorstep is a hand width from the ground and the ball bounces a hand width from the doorstep).

... the ball hits a spectator and bounces back into play (play on, unless it is thrown back by the spectator).

... the ball comes to rest on a roof (it is out if it cannot be reached and in play if it can be reached).

... the ball goes in one window and out another window (it is out if the window is out of reach and a chase where it goes in if the window is in reach).

... the ball lands on a passing cart (the ball can be hit as long as it is still moving on the cart, but if has stopped moving a chase is marked where it hit the cart).

You learn something every day.

Books on houseplants normally give a nice picture a short description of the plant with some cultural hints. I've always been disappointed with the limited information available on these common plants. In my opinion, lack of proper information is why so many people think they have a "brown thumb." Recently, while scanning through the Ball Publishing Catalog, I discovered a wonderful book on houseplants.

Lynn P. Griffith, Jr. Tropical Foliage Plants: A Grower's Guide. Ball Publishing. 1998.

Lynn Griffith, the author, is President of the A&L Southern Agricultural Laboratories, Inc. that does agricultural testing and consulting work for clients in Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. He has written many articles for technical journals about growing plants based on his trial and error learning and results of the testing he does for clients. This book pulls together his knowledge on the most common foliage plants.

Tropical Foliage Plants: A Grower's Guide is actually written for the grower producing foliage plants for local greenhouses, florist shops, and other stores. Since it is written in easy to understand language, it is also suitable for the hobbyist grower. Griffith provides information on habitat (where the plant originated), uses, varieties, propagation, culture, nutrition, diseases, insect and mite pests, disorders, tricks, and interior care of each plant covered.

The book is organized using the scientific name with the common name given also in the titles. Here is a complete list of the plants discussed:
Aglaonema (Chinese evergreen)
Anthurium
Aphelandra (Zebra plant)
Aralia/Polyscias
Araucaria (Norfolk Island pine)
Asparagus
Bromeliads: Aechmea, Billbergia, Guzmania, Neoregelia, Nidularium, Tillandsia, Vriesa
Caladium
Calathea
Chamaedorea (Parlor/Bamboo Palms)
Chlorophytum (Spider plants)
Chrysalidocarpus (Areca palms)
Cissus (Grape Ivy)
Codiaeum (Croton)
Cordelier (Ti plant)
Dieffenbachia (Dumb cane)
Dizygotheca (False Aralia)
Dracaena deremensis (Janet Craig, Warneckii)
Dracaena fragrans (Corn plant)
Dracaena marginata (Dragon tree)
Epipremnum (Pothos)
Fatsia
Ferns: Adiantum, Asplenium, Davallia, Nephrolepis, Platycerium, Pteris
Ficus benjamina and Ficus retusa (weeping figs)
Ficus lyrata (Fiddle-leaf fig), Ficus elastica (Rubber plant), Ficus maclellandii (Alii)
Gardenia
Hedera (English ivy)
Heliconia
Hibiscus
Howea (Kentia palm)
Maranta (prayer plant)
Peperomia

Philodendron
Phoenix (Date palm)
Ravenea (Majesty palm)
Rhapis (Lady Palm)
Schefflera actinophylla (Umbrella tree)
Schefflera arboricola (Dwarf Schefflera)
Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily)
Succulents: Beaucarnea, Crassula, Euphorbia, Hoya, Sansevieria
Succulents: Cacti
Sygonium (Nephthytis)
Yucca
Other foliage varieties: Acalypha (Copper leaf and Chenille plants), Aeschynanthus (Lipstick plant), Ardisia, Aspidistra (Cast iron plant), Bambusa (Bamboo), Begonia, Caryota (Fishtail palm), Fittonia (Nerve plant), Homalomena (Emerald Gem), Pilea, Plectranthus (Swedish ivy), Radermachera (China doll), Saintpaulia (African Violet), Sinningia (Gloxinia), Strelitzia (Bird of paradise, Tolmiea (Piggyback plant), Zebrina (Wandering Jew).

Strengths

Information is presented in an easy-to-read and well organized format. If necessary, the information is presented in two ways. Example: Temperature is expressed both in Fahrenheit and Centigrade.
Growers will find the technical information needed to grow these plants in a greenhouse setting.
A photographic section shows common problems.
Information is presented on using the plants in interior settings so the hobbyist has enough information to grow them well. This includes giving fertilizer information in terms of "teaspoons per gallon" and light levels needed expressed as foot candles and klux.
References for each plant are included so the grower or hobbyist will have an easier time finding additional information.

Weaknesses
Colored pictures for each plant would eliminate the need of looking up the plant in other identification books.
This book would be even more valuable to the hobbyist grower if a page of abbreviations and their meaning had been provided.
I strongly feel the plants listed under Other Foliage Varieties should have been given more attention. These plants are common in my local florist shops and garden centers.

General Comments

This book will remain on my bookshelves for as long as I grow houseplants! I learned why my effort at growing so many foliage plants has left me less than satisfied with the results. I didn't realize how many plants were sensitive to fluoride in the water or that they were sensitive to alkaline water. As a result of reading this book, I will either select different plant species to grow inside or I will invest in a distilling system. I also learned that most common houseplants need an acidic (low Ph) potting media. Since my local water is very alkaline, all my plants wind up in media with a high Ph. This is something else I must address in order to do my best at growing many common foliage plants.

Those houseplant lovers who collect all the plant species possible will find this book an absolute necessity. It will be one of your most used houseplant books.