Ball Books

A quick and extremely fun book to read! Watch out Hollywood - this has the making of a movie or mini-series. Filled with conflict, excitement, and brilliant character development, Tripari has you captivated from page one through the dramatic ending! Like a movie you watch for a second time, I can't wait to read it again before the end of the summer.

Good story, great character deveolpment, blind-siding surprise ending. Would recommend, hope for sequel. Very popular here, and rumored to be based on a true story. (local author)

Excellent storyline. Riveting ending. I've seen a lot of movies at the theater, and I can tell you, this book should be turned into a movie. I agree a sequel is in order. Nothing like a good Italian book, with Italian Mobsters in it! Excellent buy for the money.

I pretty much hate all forms of football. The fact that I read a book about football (to the British, that is: the rest of the world calls it soccer) from cover to cover, smirking, chuckling and at times laughing out loud, attests, once again, to the talent of Nick Hornby as a wordsmith. This book is witty and clever, incredibly insightful about obsession and definitely worth a read!

read the first page and you're hooked-a wonderful time.

I read this book when living in England - and though I knew little about Arsenal and even less about the games and players Hornby describes - I understood it completely. Its not really a book about Arsenal, or even football per se, but more about the bond with "our" team, and how that is reflected in our other "real world" relationships. No matter where we are or who we are with, the team seems to always be there in the background to bear witness.

A wonderful read - no matter which team is your obession.

An amusing and easy to read look at the business side of sports. It blows away conventional wisdom you hear from the media or just your average joe fan. I loved the references to the Godfather and other pop culture icons. This guy knows his stuff and backs it up.

This is one of the best best books I have read, and I have been reading these types of books for over six years. It takes the mundane issues of sports economics and makes them easily understood and enjoyable to read.

This is one of the best best books I have read, and I have been reading these types of books for over six years. It takes the mundane issues of sports economics and makes them easily understood and enjoyable to read.

This is a Dover reprint of a book originally printed in the 1930s. As such it is illustrated entirely in line drawings in a similar style to those in String Figures and How to Make Them: A Study of Cat's Cradle in Many Landsby Furness Jayne. The one difference is that each figure is illustrated only with a drawing of the final figure, there are no step by step drawings to show the positions of the hands in the manipulation of the strings. All the instructions given are in the form of step by step text. However I made several of the figures in the book without difficulty and particularly enjoyed the Apache Door.

The book starts with an interesting article by the author in which several of the figures are illustrated as part of the discussion. However although textual instructions are given later in the book you have to refer back to the article to find the illustration of the figure which is a little irritating.

There are other much better books out there but this is quite a good starter which may please a beginner.

Les commentaires de l'auteur sont plein d'enseignement. Les figures sont connues (voir Jayne)

Les commentaires de l'auteur sont plein d'enseignement. Les figures sont connues (voir Jayne)

These piggies are so ingenius. My son delights in this book and all of Arthur Geisert's amazing stories and illustrations. The message of this book is terrific, but the drawings and the intricate plan that is laid out and successfully completed is amazing and keeps the wheels turning in our heads for hours.
If your child likes to play with rope, pulleys, boxes and all sorts of trinkets, then this book will be perfect. Non-thinkers need not apply.

I liked the storyline, but it was also quite techinical. The pictures are quite detailed, but also very small. Includes a nice moral that you shouldn't take things that aren't yours. My son enjoys reading this one, but usually gets a little distracted before the end. It's a quite elaborate plan the pigs use to get their ball of string back. I'm not quite sure if'd I buy it, maybe borrow from the library first and if it's a hit, then invest in your own copy.

This book is so much fun! My boys love it - they giggle and laugh all the way through it. The drawings are wonderful and there's a great message in the end about teamwork! We can't wait to see what Arthur comes up with next!

In HARD BALL, economists James Quirk and Rodney Fort document and persuasively blame the monopoly power and authoritarianism of professional sports leagues for exorbitant ticket prices, high and escalating player salaries, growing revenue disparities between small- and large-market teams, and the leverage owners use to blackmail cities to finance new facilities with taxpayer subsidies. To eliminate these problems, Quirk and Fort advise that "the Justice Department should file suit and break up the existing monopoly leagues into several independent leagues with the antitrust laws applied to the industry created" (see page 177). To be sure, their proposed solution to dismantle leagues will stimulate discussion and research to improve the economic conduct and social performance of the industry. But in RELOCATING TEAMS AND EXPANDING LEAGUES IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS: HOW THE MAJOR LEAGUES RESPOND TO MARKET CONDITIONS (Quorum Books, 1999), John Guthrie and I argue that between 1950 and 1995 leagues and franchise owners made rational decisions to approve team movements and expand league membership. We concluded that market participants-owners, players, sports fans, and communities-together are best equipped to determine the growth and development of professional sports in America. An alternative proposal to mainstream economists, we oppose any bureaucratic role for government in allocating the number and location of teams in professional sports. In our view, innovation and reform of the sports industry should be initiated and implemented by the market and not by regulation.

Hardball is the most enlightening sports book I have read in a long time. Die-hard team-sports fans are traditionally opinionated, knowledgeable, and frustrated that "it ain't what it used to be". Quirk and Forth, both economists, re-describe the world of pro sports in a manner that can affect even the most opinionated. Their rhetoric and logic are compelling and appealing. They even have a solution to bring a Why-didn't-I think-of-that? smile to your face. And, if you care, the book is packed with statistics.

Finally! I've been waiting for an entire book devoted to the monopoly power in pro sports ever since reading Stephen Ross's chapter in "The Business of Professional Sports" advocating the breakup of these monopolies. Quirk and Fort's Hard Ball fits the bill nicely and advances many of the same views as Ross, namely that multiple, competitive leagues would result in lower ticket prices, fewer public subsidies for stadiums, and the penetration of professional sports into all markets that demand and can sustain it.

The authors of Hard Ball are certainly well-qualified to discuss this subject, having earlier published Pay Dirt, the so-called bible of sports economics. Hard Ball is much easier to read than Pay Dirt and seems to be aimed more at the non-academically-inclined sports fan, being much lighter on economic theory and a little more narrowly focused. Although Hard Ball doesn't have the detailed historical discussion that Pay Dirt has, it still gives a good overview of the problems caused by the monopolies and how they came to be. It discusses in detail how the owners, players, leagues, TV networks, and politicians are affected by the monopoly power and why these groups have little, if any, financial motivation to fight it.

Perhaps Hard Ball has a couple of minor shortcomings. First, there is very little discussion of whether pro sports leagues are a "natural" monopoly, a view that is held by experts who oppose the position advanced by Hard Ball. The second is that, while the authors demonstrate clearly and throughout the book the potential economic benefits of their theory as public policy, their final chapter offers a rather feeble attempt at persuading the reader of the benefits to the sports fan in the form of increased competition and availability of big-time pro sports. But overall, Quirk and Fort embark on a very interesting and convincing discussion of the topic.

Continuing their trend from Pay Dirt, the data tables at end of Hard Ball serve as a comprehensive and invaluable reference. The Hard Ball data concentrates on financial numbers during the 1990s in all four major pro sports leagues. While some of the data is pretty basic stuff (media income, salary averages, etc.) other charts are quite amazing (for example, one showing that the correlation in the 1990s between payroll and winning percentage in MLB is so small that it is statistically insignificant). As with Pay Dirt, even if the text doesn't inspire you, the data supplement alone is worth the purchase price of the book.

I have copies of two books by John Feinstein...Hard Courts and A Season Inside. Both are fantastic. A fascinating look at a year (1990) on the professional tennis circuit. A must read for any follower of the game.

John Feinstein is such a fascinating writer and sports critic that someone should recognize his work in some way, shape or form. "Hard Courts" is a microscopic scrutiny of the men's and women's tennis tour throughout the entire 1990 calendar year. Though a bit outdated, it is a book for all ages and all sports fans. Feinstein's writing message is as effective as his many inteview appearances on National Public Radio. He is blunt, obsessed and even subjective, but also well-informed, uncontradictory and fair, and most definitely, never arrogant. Enjoyable reading!

Read the book in 2 sittings, even though I've never picked up a racquet in my life! Feinstein brings characters to life and provides great insight into the Pro Tennis circuit. Good read for any sports fan.

I use this for a free activity sheet in my Elementary Library for a "brain twister". really fun, but as a "reproducible" sheet are a bit small for standard size paper. Fun with Seasonal and Holiday-oriented sheets.
NPO

This book is great for young and old alike! Hours of entertainment with over 1100 hidden objects! Kept me busy for weeks! Cute drawings. Super for teachers, too.

I HAVE HAD A MILD "SILENT STROKE" AND MY DOCTOR SAID FOR ME TO TRY 'HIDDEN PICTURES' PUZZLE BOOKS TO HELP WITH MY COGNITIVE MEMORY. IT'S A CHALLENGE ON SOME OF THE PUZZLES, BUT,I BELEIVE IT IS REALLY HELPING ME....

THANKS,
JCI

We used this guide to choose and find trails to hike during a three week trip to Hawaii in 2002. We only went on 9 of the 44 hikes described, but this guide was nearly ideal for us with clear and easy-to-use descriptions and instructions.

This is the Hawaii that you were dreaming of! Lush , tropical paradise without the competition of crowds at the beach! Let this author guide you to a private waterfall or atop a lava rock mountain to appreciate all the beauty hawaii has to offer. Great trail directions. Easy to follow with bits of history thrown in for entertainment. Offers trails for all ability levels, day or overnight hikes.

As time is of the essence while travelling, I wanted to make the most of my time on the islands. This book allowed me to explore and choose a hike that was perfect for the length of my stay. I felt comfortable with the route laid out on paper. I was dissatisfied with THE BUS route and scheduling on Oahu as compared to the simple statement under how to get there. I had to explore a different route and connection but felt that THE BUS system was to blame. Otherwise, I felt that the book did sufficiently lead to the perfect hike for me at the time. The trail was beautiful and I look forward to using the book again down the road.

Thanks to this book, I've managed to stay in the top league at my school. Tony C

A fairly well written book considering how dry the subject matter is. Some of the jokes they use to lighten the load is very very funny stuff.

Very interesting. I picked up the book and thought, "Hey, why not try to learn table-tennis." Now, at least I know my serves and I feel that I am progressing well for a beginner.