Sports and Recreation Books

A perfect blend of of travel journal and salute to public golf. Anyone with a high handicap, who has played with bare-chested strangers with even higher handicaps, on crowded bald fairways with bumpy greens, will appreciate this book.

When I read the description on the jacket I thought, "No way will this work. He's going to tell us about the 60 rounds he shot, stroke by stroke, such as.... and on the seventh, a tough par five, I got out my trusty three wood etc., etc., etc." It is that but it is more. Slack shares with us the feeling of what it is like to stand at the first tee of a course you have never played on a beautiful spring morning in New England. He introduces us to the people he meets on the course, from the potato farmers of Maine to the Florida "snowbirds" who flew South to escape the Northern winters. Did the book work? I'm getting my clubs ready to try a West Coast version.

Great book on golf. Gives a great look at courses up and down the east coast. There was, however, too much on the history of the towns instead of more on the history of the course and more on the actual rounds he was playing. Was "On The Road" for the golfing enthusiast.

Blue Fairways is thoroughly enjoyable. Slack's sense of humor, coupled with his self-deprecating writing style, make this a must read -- golfer or not. I laughed out loud and also cringed as he described some less-than-stellar golf moments. For those of us who do golf, who couldn't identify with The Look of Pity? Non-golfers will enjoy the way Slack captures what most of us will never have a chance to witness first hand -- the essence of what remains of small towns and hospitality as they teeter on the brink of chain restaurants and cynicism.

If you've ever topped a drive off the first tee or missed a three-footer on 18 while trying record your career low round, you'll be able to identify with Charles Slack's golf game. When it comes to writing, though, he's scratch. One brief example will suffice. Describing the contrast between the front and back nines at the Ponce De Leon course in St. Augustine Florida, he says, "The back nine plunges into the jungle with the suddenness of a Disney ride, into a lush, dark, secretive world of mangrove swamps and ponds curving tantalizingly like lost lagoons. Moving from the ninght to the tenth holes is like putting down a volume of P.G. Wodehouse and picking up Heart of Darkness, all in one morning."

The book is filled with wonderful insights like that one and reminds us on nearly every page of the real reasons why golfers love this sometimes maddening, often magical, game. For those of us who never will have the pleasure of sharing a round with Charles Slack, this book is a delightful substitute.

a good book this is my first hockey training book and I was very happy with it but i would reccomend it for coaches

Peter Twist says it right in the beginning, there is nothing quite like hockey. That makes it really tough to get in shape to play. Even if you're already in great shape, you're game could improve dramatically if you got into hockey shape. That is exactly what Twist tries to do.

The book is organized in such a way that the later chapters build upon the previous chapters. He begins by talking about energy and how we burn fuels different ways when playing hockey. Then he goes into stretching and strength training. If you have ever spent any time around a gym, you'll already know how to perform these movements. The payoff for this book is the plyometric. These are techniques used to help improve your agility and explosive movements. Let's face it, the team that can consistently get to the puck first usually wins. These exercises will provide you with a quick jump giving you an extra step over your opponent and the puck.

Twist writes simply, and his instructions are easy to follow. He uses photos generously when trying to explain complex movements. Both on-ice and off-ice exercises are provided so you don't have to be at the rink or have precious ice time to get into shape.

The book was delivered to me within 5 days and was in excellent condition when I received it.
The book is excellent. It provides some great ideas for hockey fitness. The only draw-back is that a good portion of the book deals with on ice fitness exercises and unless you're a professional hockey player, it is very difficult to have a clean sheet of ice to yourself to work on conditioning. However, there is enough to keep you busy.

This is the book that has elevated the hockey game of a 33 year old goaltender. I've been using it for myself and for the midget hockey team I coach. It definitely gives the team the edge when the the drills are executed on a regular schedule during the season and off season. This is required reading for my youth team and it has not failed.

This book is fantastic. The book is very complete, from beginning to end on the training and conditioning aspect. Not only did it include the fitness portion, but also nutrition, which I was surprised to see.

My only complaint is that each and every exersize should have photos. Most do, but not all of them. There are some exersizes that are not 100% clear on the proper technique.

Other than that it's great.

Really excellent account of the development of Bandon Dunes. I should have read more than the first 100 pages before actually going to Bandon Dunes and playing the three courses - that would have added even more pleasure to the three days I thoroughly enjoyed there.

If you play golf and want to get a flavor for the vision of how a destination like Bandon Dunes became a reality, this is a must read. Bandon is one, if not, the most special golf location in the world. I have played in Scotland and Ireland and Bandon has a purity that few other locations can replicate. It feels like it has been there for hundreds of years and the book explains how it came to be. You will not be disappointed.

I have not read this book, but my Dad is raving about it. He is reading it prior to his trip to Bandon Dunes and he has never thanked me more for a gift. For the golfer in your life who is impossible to shop for--this is the gift for them.

Fantastic story, very well written. A must read for not only golfers, but for environmentalist and landscape architects also.

This book is the perfect gift for your favorite golfer. Even non-golfers and golfers who don't normally read will enjoy this story of dream golf.

This was the book I was looking for when it came to all things surfing. Everything from history, boards, type of surf, how to surf, surf lingo, and great pictures: it's all there.

I bought this for my boyfriend last year and he is still reading it. It is a great book for the coffee table and it keeps you going back for more. It has everything related to surfing in a great layout.

I bought this for my eight-year-old son. He has gotten into surfing recently and can't stop talking about it. He is just getting better at reading, and although this book has a lot to read (which is a plus for those wanting to look up anything about surfing), he is more willing to practice reading when it comes to a subject of interest, so he'll open it up and look up whatever questions pops up in his mind about surfing. Great book!

Or so I presume.

This book has the best history I've seen on Pacific Ready Cut Homes and that's why I purchased it. I'm the author of "California's Kit Homes" and had a devil of a time finding information on this Los Angeles-based company.

I bought "The Encyclopedia of Surfing" and was pleasantly surprised to find information about the company that brought us the Swastika Surfboard. Yes, they made wonderful (and heavy!)surfboards, but did you know they also made and sold 40,000 kit homes before they got into surfboards? (BTW, one Pacific Ready-Cut house had 30,000 pieces of house and a 75-page instruction book - and you thought putting together a VCR stand was tough.)

I also browsed other parts of the book and found it to be an informative and well-researched book.

Rose
author, California's Kit Homes

If you are a surfer or interested in learning anything about the history and names in the sport past and present then you should immediately buy this book. Two copies. Matt Warshaw does an excellent job of detailing almost every major and minor aspect in the history of the sport from onshore wind to "nat young" to "new jersey". There are small black and white photos throughout the book as well. I guarantee you will learn alot from reading just one letter of the alphabet. After reading this book, you can start to talk like Sam George. Highly informative and hard to put down.

In this book, Stevie discovers that the beautiful frisky mare that her parents have bought for her might possibly have been stolen from its previous owner. She goes through a genuinely painful time, as the mystery is resolved. This is one Saddle Club book where the happy ending feels completely earned.

I have read many, many SC books and this one is my favorite! Unlike in many of the others, Gift Horse's ending is not very predictable and Stevie actually faces a serious problem with not only another individual but with herself. Too often SC characters are happy-go-lucky, perfect girls without any problems, but in this book Stevie goes through a genuinely painful and realistic time. If you're gonna read a SC book, read this one. Will Stevie have to give up her beloved first horse to No-Name's rightful owner? Read the book to find out!

I thought this book, Gift Horse was a great book and one of the best Saddle Club books yet! I am a huge fan of all the Saddle Club books, even if this is only the fourth one I have read. My friends reccomended it to me a long time ago, and I just got around to reading it. It really is a wonderful book and I reccomend it to anyone who loves horses and adventure! In this book, Stevie trys to compete with No-Name one last time before the snooty, Chelsea Webber takes her away from her. What must Stevie do to ride her beloved mare one last time? You will have to read the book to find out! It is really good! Keep up the good work Bonnie Bryant!

I've read most of the SC series,but this one rocks all the way!My favorite,to say the least.I've read it three times and cry every time!Do yourself a favor: point your little arrow and click "Buy"! I love this book;you will too!

I LOVE this book! I don't know why it's just really great! It's one of those books that you can read over and over again and still not get sick of it! Stevie Lake is having an amazing time on her new horse, No-Name, but then a girl claims that No-Name is HER horse. Will Stevie have to give up her beloved horse? Find out!

This is a really cute book for toddlers/preschoolers/K-2 kids. It helps with colors for the really little ones, then with short sentences to read or write later. I actually bought this for my 10 year old daughter - lol - she always loved this book. I guess the bright colors and sparkle of the foil cut outs of the eggs appealed to her in Kindergarten when she saw it in the school library - she's checked it out every year at least 6 times ever since (4th grade now). Every kid has a few books that they just adore and can't get enough of, so I got it for her to keep and give her own kid(s) some day (she has my old copy of "Bambi's Fragrant Forest" - a 1970's scratch 'n sniff book). It's a visually pleasing book and little ones will enjoy it.

I love the illustrations in this book!!! My 2-year-old may be a little too young for the story, but she loves looking at the pictures.

My son learned his colors because of this book! Each page has a different color of egg, the story rhymes so well, and its a lift-the-flap book! The pictures have so much detail sometimes we spend extra time looking in the background for other animals and talking about what they are doing. We've had this book for a year and it is still very popular at our house!

I purchased this book for my nephew and he absolutely loves it. Beautiful illustrations and a very cute story for children from 1-6 years old. However, the book seemed a bit warped when I purchased it but I attributed it due to the delivery process.

One of the nicest things about this book is how well it is designed. Children love beautiful materials and this book delivers. Today, electronic media is so prevelant in childrens' lives. This book, though, offers children the opportunity to relax and read pages filled with awe and wonder. Quality colors, papers and decorations invite children into the Natural Easter world of the forest and imagination. It's beautifully adorned with sparkling, jeweled pages made to entertain and peak interest.

The first time I read this book, I was a young teenager. I thought the author really captured the essence of a teenager and what kind of pressures they face. I highly recomend this book... It was very well written.

Great book for early teens, even pre-teens. Kids at risk identify with the main charactor, love the animals, wish for someone like the old man to be there for them.

Imagine having a mother who doesn't seem to know you exist. Unless she needs money or someone to take her frustrations out on. Imagine having a father who hasn't had contact with you in two years, even though he lives only a couple of hours away. A father who kept taking you back to an abusive mother until he became too busy to even come see you at all.

Sean just plain doesn't care anymore. So he's been suspended yet again for fighting - big deal. It'll be just another vacation. That is, until he's assigned community service at a local ranch. Starting immediately.

Mr. Hassler, the old geezer ranch owner, puts Sean to work cleaning out stalls, spreading manure, and unloading feed. Things change when he helps deliver a colt that imprints Sean, instead of its mother. Their bond helps him explore his tangle of emotions about his parents and Mr. Hassler.

HERO is a heartwarming story about a young man in search of someone to love and respect, including himself. Rottman leaves the reader wanting more as Sean faces a new future with his dad and the ranch.

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

Now here's a book that clearly defines the meaning of "hero". Rottman's books always have a good message for us. They often deal with mature subjects, drugs and alcohol, but never glorified. His books are great for mature readers. A clear look into what life is like for many young adults today.

I think this is a good book. I like all the characters and I like how this book is setup. This book is good for all ages. Good classroom book for teachers. I read this book in my reading class. I got into the book really fast and I couldn't put the book down. My favorite character in this book was Sean. He was a nice kid inside and it shows you in the book. At first he seemed like a trouble maker and later he shows you the real him. With a farmers help (Mr. Hassler). I really don't read books. It's not my thing but when I read this one it had me going for another one.

this book was written from someone who probably had to experience these things. Im white, im sometimes immature, but that doesnt mean that you bust on every white kid whos friends with a black kid! Hell, im friends with a black kid.

The Hoopster is a good well rounded book about love, family, sports, racism, and finding yourself. Andre Anderson is a good basketball and also a good writer and he writes for his local magazine but when his boss assigns a project to write about racism he writes his report but then he gets beat up by some racist white people he learns alot about himself and life i think this book is really good

This is a very original and well thought out book. It has many twists and turns and really makes us look @ our society today and our acceptance of different cultures.
This book is a very daring topic to write about. This book is about racism, and how it nearly stops someone from fulfilling his destiny. It makes us change our minds and rethink sterotypes. It is a awesome book and u wouldthink so too. my favorie part about this book is that it teaches about racism and how people sterotypem others

5. The Plot:
This is a very original and well thought out plot. It has many twists and turns and really makes us contemplate our society today and our acceptance of different cultures. My favorite line in this book is "If a black person is caught walkin' 'round 'da street at night....he's up to no good. If a white man pays for a cup of coffee with a twenty dolla' bill...he's wealthy. If a hispanic don't speak english while shopping in a store... they're illegal."
4. The imagery:
The way the author uses words to depict an image in your mind is extodinary.You can hear, feel, see, taste, and smell the basketball games. It is an amazing book filled with tons of imagery.
3.The characters:
If you are a very multi-cultural person this book is perfect for you. If you are not very interested in other cultures this book is pefect for you. These characters are people who anyone can relate to. These characters are so true to life. When you read this book it's almost as if you known these people for a long time. The characters are phonmonal.
2.The layout:
The way this book is formated is so something can be happenning one moment, and then in the next paragraph it's two years later.
This is a good layout because it leaves in air of mystery. But don't worry, there is a very complete ending.
1. The reality to our generation:
This book is a very daring topic to write about. This book is about racism, and how it nearly stops Andre from fulfilling his destiny. It makes us change our minds and rethink sterotypes. It is a very well-written book.

In Alan Lawrence Sitomer's novel we meet Andre Anderson, an African-American teen nicknamed, "The Hoopster." Andre is athletic, does well in school, and is an aspiring writer. He has landed the internship of his dreams, working for a small local magazine. His next door neighbor Shawn, although white, is like a brother to him, and at the open of the book, they are enjoying a happy and relatively uneventful summer.

When Andre is asked to write a feature story about racism for the magazine, initially he is put off by the topic. He doesn't think he has experienced racism personally, and feels that a lot of people use race as a crutch instead of assuming personal responsibility. When his boss refuses to let him off the hook, Andre works hard and creates a heartfelt article that gains him a lot of attention. Unfortunately, his article catches the eye of a local hate group and he becomes the victim of a senseless and brutal hate crime that threatens to change his life forever. He must rely on his family, friends (Shawn in particular), and all of his strength to overcome his physical and emotional wounds.

THE HOOPSTER is the first of a planned trilogy of books. The story is well-written, with believable characters and a good pace. As I read, I found myself thinking over and over, how nice it would be to see this book played out on the silver screen. The book has an urban feel, yet it doesn't buy into the prevalent stereotypes and includes young people with positive dreams and goals, who live in two-parent households with caring adults. While the main character is black, the supporting characters come from diverse backgrounds, making this a story that will attract a diverse audience of readers. While girls may enjoy this book, boys, even those who tend to be more reluctant to read, will especially like this engrossing and realistic story.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Carole,Stevie,and Lisa go to the track, and to see some of Mr.Mcleod's horses race.the trainer,Garvey ,is involved in a bribery with another jockey,so Mr.leod's horse will win....

I like most of the Saddle Club books, but I found this one D-U-L-L and B-O-R-I-N-G. Ms.Bryant did really well with #69 Endurence Ride and excitement picks right up in #71 Horse Talk but I don't know what happened with this book! After reading the other horse racing books,#43 Photo Finish and #21 Racehorse, I thought this would be great, but I was wrong. I mean three boys named Josh and they ALL like Carole! Yeah right! The part with the trainer,Garvey, and the Jockey was NOT that great. The whole book was unrelistic! Carole should have told a grownup after Garvey threatened her! The Saddle Club should give up Mysteries and leave the detecting to Nancy Drew.

The three Saddle Club girls, Lisa Atwood, Stevie Lake, and Carole Hanson find out about a bribery at the race track about how a jockey will make sure his own horse won't win and that another will so that he gets money...before they know it, the Saddle Club isn't at the track for horse races anymore. They're in on another race...for their own lives!

Carole,Stevie,and Lisa go to the track, and to see some of Mr.Mcleod's horses race.the trainer,Garvey ,is involved in a bribery with another jockey,so Mr.leod's horse will win....

Well written book! It gives information about racing and what goes on at the racetrack. At the climax, it leaves the reader on the end of there chair wondering "What's happening next! " Stevie, Lisa, and Carole go on a lot of adventures together and victory or failure, they pretty much always have horses on there mind. Bonnie Bryant writes great horse books and if you like the Saddle Club series, you'll love the Pine Hollow series! I recomend this book to anyone who loves horses and racing.

After reading several excellent reviews of this book, I purchased it for
my nepbew's birthday. I have not read the book myself since I lived through that period.

It was a year of Fire and also the year of Grace for Jackie Robinson!! It is an amazing book to read about a great person who changed history and loves baseball!! It is more than just baseball and it has so many things to show that shaped Jackie's life so much. It is also spiritual and emotional book that leaves you to become a stronger person to make a great difference in the world.

I really liked this book and normally I dont like reading. Ijust wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. I think Jackie Robinson is a vary good romodel because no matter what, you should never give up. Because Jackie never gave up he ended up being one of the best baseball players to ever play the game. But most of all he broke the color code for all professional sports.

This biography does an outstanding job of giving an overview of Robinson's life and times, from his early, awnry but talented years in Pasadena, through UCLA, then the military, and then the Brooklyn Dodgers and beyond. It paints a picture of a strong willed gentleman with enormous pride, dedicated to his family, and dedicated to the idea of racial integration and equality. The influences of his mother on his early, somewhat (understandably) confrontational character, that allowed him to ultimately be the individual who paired with Branch Rickey to integrate "America's Pastime" are clearly laid out.

Some reviewers have faulted the author for not being more interpretive of Robinson's politics - specifically, that he was a Nixon supporter in 1960 and a Rockefeller supporter in 1968 (while also being a strong supporter of Civil Rights, active in almost every civil rights organization) and Humphrey supporter as well. I think the book lays out all the facts for the reader to see for themselves. Robinson's coming of age - in an era when a Dixiecrat from a Jim Crow state (LBJ) led the passage of the Civil Rights Act - was a time of a shifting political landscape that didn't settle out until near his death (he also broke badly with Nixon later in Nixon's career). The Republican party's mantra of self-reliance, and Robinson's determination to succeed in business in the same way he did in sports, made his attraction to the party not a big leap; the alienation of this country's African American establishment from big business was not a pre-ordained fact in the time Robinson lived.

Finally, Robinson's own family struggles were also a reflection of the confusing and troubling times in which he lived.

Robinson died too young for us all. This is a great book and I would highly recommend it..

i'm not particularly interested in baseball, but i am particularly interested in American history from the human perspective. i could have read a much more dry account of the turmoils that dominated American race relations throughout the middle of the 20th century, but instead i've read this fascinating account of those terrible, backward days from the perspective of a true pioneer, Mr. Jackie Robinson.

of course he is looked back on now as a symbol, a mythological figure. i always knew peripherally of Jackie as the same thing most people do: the first black man to play major league baseball, a step forward & up in the painful struggle of the times. but this book presents him as a human being, a fallible man who lived most of his life not on the baseball field, but in a relentless pursuit of his ideals and desire for a better life for himself and everyone around him.

the reviewer before me questions the biographer's lack of judgement of Robinson. i am curious as to why he feels Rampersad should insert his own analysis; the biography presents analyses of Robinson by many of Robinson's contemporaries, and then presents the recorded facts available to clarify incidents & statements. yes, this is an intensely personal biography, perhaps too personal in places. it is very much centered on Jackie's private correspondences. it is absolutely told from Robinson's persepctive, as best can be reconstructed from his widow Rachel & the papers he left behind, but it feels very honest, not at all like an airbrushed bit of hero-polishing. it is in places very blunt about Jackie's shortcomings as observed by his peers & contemporaries.

before i stretch this out any longer, i'll just say that this is the most engrossing biography i can ever recall having read. it's an account of a fascinating life in an amazingly recent time, in an America that seems so long ago but is still discouragingly recent. readers will learn not just about Jackie Robinson, but about two American eras as well.