Sports and Recreation Books

This book is a must for all riders/trainers who love and care for horses. Reading it was a rude awakening for me since it showed me how harmful my "modern" training and riding were for my horses. I want healthy and happy horses so no more shortcuts for me.
Pascale

I would that every rider, regardless of discipline, would read this book. It relates excellent information that goes against the grain of much commonly held training. Our horses would move with more freedom and pleasure and have long careers instead of early retirements. Well illustrated and explained. It's actually a quick read. The principles are simple and consistent. Very accessible.

This book is great for riders, judges, and anyone interested in the good of their horse. Pictures are very informative to show correct & incorrect riding, training.

There aren't enough superlatives to praise this book. It is a must read in my view for anyone who owns, rides, trains, or works with horses.

Horses are amazing animals so it is up to us as riders to be educated from all points of view. This book explains in extreme depth and anatomically why rollkur and other harsh methods do nothing for the horse except give them a pain in the neck, poor muscling and other problems. If you are sick of being told that "modern dressage" is the way to go then read and be educated, take a stand for your horse.

This book is different from all the other WWE books I have read. All of the wrestlers are in it. It tells you how they grew up what has happened in their life. It also tells how they got into wrestling if it was for the better or the worst. It also tells you about what really goes on behind the curtain, also how they prepare before a match. The book also tells you if you want to get into the business the superstars tell you how you can and what they use to help them stay healthy and strong and some of them flexible. They also talk about what kind of injuries they have had, how long they were out for, and how serious the injury was.

I would recommend this book to any wrestling fan. It is a really good book for people who just started to get into wrestling because it tells you a little bit about them and it has pictures of the superstars. You will also know what their real names are and what there characters names are.

This book is different from all the other WWE books I read. All of the wrestlers are in it. It tells you how they grow up what has happened in there life. It also tells how they got into wrestling if it was for the better or the worst. It also tells you about what really goes on behind the curtain, also how they prepare before a match. The book also tells you if you want to get into the business the superstars tell you how you can and what they use to help them stay healthy and strong and some of them flexible.

I would recommend this book to any wrestling fans it is a really good book for people who just started to get into wrestling because it tells you a little bit about them and it has pictures of the superstars. You will also know what there real names are and what there character name are.

This book is a wonderful read into the lives of WWE wrestlers. One of the best things about this book is that it shows what the real names of the wrestlers are. The best name belongs to Kane, a.k.a Glenn! GOD BLESS YOU EDDIE GUERRERO AND RIP! WE LOVE YOU!

I must admit I wasn't too keen on this book, at first. I thought it was going to be some fluffy coffee table book with loads of pictures and absolutely no substance whatsoever.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

This book gives its audience of wrestling fans a glimpse at some of their favorite performers' lives outside the ring and a lot of what's revealed is oft-surprising and always insightful. I've been a fan for more than twenty years and even I was somewhat shocked at some of what I read. An excellent read as far as coffee table books go.

The pictures are well done and appropriate and the actual content of the book is very enjoyable. I whole-heartedly recommend this selection to wrestling fans everywhere.

"Unscripted" is a coffee table style book from World Wrestling Entertainment. It focuses on the WWE Superstars and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the Superstars and their lives. The book is broken up into three sections, each with the focus on a different aspect of the Superstars' life. In each section, a Superstar gets a two page spread that has photography and something written by the Superstar about his or her life (or career).

I wouldn't say that "Unscripted" is in depth, by any means, but it does gives us descriptions of the lives of the wrestlers that we would not ordinarily have. For example, Chris Jericho writes about how he does not have an ego about what he does because when he gets home his wife still makes him take out the garbage. The Undertaker wrote about how he had almost played professional basketball and how he decided to turn to the ring. Kurt Angle wrote about wrestling in the Olympics with a broken neck and why he did it. Each wrestler gives a little glimpse into their lives, what they do, and why. We really just get a glimpse of the wrestling world through the eyes of the wrestlers. As a fan of the WWE product, I found this to be interesting (if less in depth than, say, Mick Foley's autobiography). This is a coffee table book, however, so there are many pictures and not too much text. This is one you can pick up, look at a two page spread, and then put down again to peruse at your leisure.

I think Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson have started something that won't stop until they've created a whole universe. The game is a little hard at first, but that's not enough to lose it any more than one star. It's a really great idea. They've actually produced something that no one has ever thought of before.

I once owned "war torn kingdom" and "cities of gold and glory"
but I lost them both in a house fire. I have always wished to own the entire series. But I would be happy with one for the time being. Info on where to get any would be great.

You're right, these books are genius. Books 1-6 in the series were released in the UK under the name "Fabled Lands". I own books 1, 2, 4, and 5 and would be very interested to know where i could get 3 and 6.

I got this book for my birthday, but didn't play it until 3 months later. I loved it!!!! I found out that Cities of Gold and Glory are part of the Series, all I want to know how many more their and and where I can get them and their name!!!!

My wife found this in a clearance rack at our local Safeway store and thought I might like it. I actually forgot about it until 2 months later. I was drawn into it last week, and could not put it down. I think it is a wonderful role-playing adventure. I only have this one, and am searching for more books. There was a web-site that had the entire series, but it was taken off the web. If anyone can, please let me know where I can find more in the series. Thank you!

Bruyneel's insight into the peleton is unsurpassed and his experiences towards 8 Tour de France victories and countless other wins highly entertaining. However the book is deeper than just bicycle racing and offers insights into living life effectively.

This was a great read I didn't want to put it down. I read some of Lance's books and this gives a different side of the story.

Interesting, well written book . If you enjoy cycling or just watching the Tour de France this book has a lot of the inside stories about the winninsist cycling team - Discovery and how this team director came to the team. He also talks about his winning strategies.

Fascinating stories and in-depth incites into the philosophy behind his great success. I had the pleasure to listen to Johan at a recent book signing in D.C. He's the real deal; humorous, intelligent, and genuine. I highly recommend his book.

As I married into a cycling family, I slowly learned quite a bit about cycling and the madness that is "Le Tour". I fell in love with the riders, their personalities, the traditions, and even Phil Liggett. I was very surprised to find that I really enjoyed Johan's autobiographical account of his winning ways. I knew that he was intelligent, but the man has to be near genius. He toots his own horn slightly but honestly and that can be appreciated. I definitely recommend reading this book. It provided great insight into the man with the plan and the director of the team that should have been in France this July!

This book is about two guys who decide to take a "cheap" vacation and swim the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. It's a good read and a lot of fun.

An enthralling, sometimes humorous read of the Canyon's rapids before Powell Dam was built.

This is the first person account of the only swimming trip that went the length of the Grand Canyon. In 1955 two young men , Bill Beers and John Daggett, enbarked on this one of a kind adventure. These guys to do not come across as thrill seekers but a couple of young men seeking high adventure. It is a fast, exciting read. It brings the Canyon and all it's glory to life.

This was a fun quick read that anybody who has been down the Grand Canyon or has an interest in must read for themselves. I hope to see additional photos and the TV production of this trip.

This account of a unique 1950's trip down the Grand Canyon is highly entertaining, especially because the whole thing seems like such a bad idea. Beers and his friend's equipment & preparation were laughable, and they had no escape plan or backup. But they plunge into the Colorado River (pre-Glen Canyon Dam, even), validate every stereotype about 50's American optimism/naivety, and somehow don't die. Beers' writing is not fancy, but the unaffected prose is well-matched to detailing the no-frills style of his incredible boatless river run.
I enjoyed this book a lot, and admired the author's courage at least as often as I laughed out loud at his actions.

Well written, easy-to-use book that will be of use to not only beginning bakers, but experienced-but-busy bakers. Dodge provides a wealth of information that is often missing from other cookbooks: (1) what steps can be done in advance, (2) what can be frozen, and WHEN in the baking process it can be frozen, (3) useful adaptations, such as the pan size to use when you double a recipe, and flavor modifications. The measurements are given in cups and teaspoons, and the recipes are geared towards a home cook.

She has a great peanut butter cookie recipe that requires NO flour, which is helpful if someone in your family cannot eat gluten.

Recipe chapters are divided into two overall categories: "baker's express," and "cooking in stages." Each one of those categories contains the following sections: cookies and bars; cakes, large and small; breads; mousses, custards, and puddings; pies, tarts, cobblers, crips. In summary, this is a book that the home baker will actually use, and with great success.

I was working on a project that required multiple baked goods. In my search for a variety, I checked out several baking books from the library. Once my project ended, I had fallen in love with only one book and discovered I had to have the book for my own personal use. That book was, "The Weekend Baker" by Abigail Johnson Dodge.

Now, I'll be honest there are 3 things that I think you should consider if you are considering buying this book.
1. This is a hard bound book, which makes it slightly challenging to keep open on your counter as you work throught he recipe. A couple of #10 cans will easily help you out but it is a bit annoying.
2. This book is said to be for those who love to bake but struggle to find the time. While I agree, I think we forget that there are a lot of people who "love to bake" yet assume baking means boxed cake/brownine mixes, premade pie crusts or frozen cookie dough - it is important to note that this book is for people who love to bake FROM SCRATCH and are too busy. (My friend was disappointed in the book when she discovered Abigail is NOT Sandra Lee!)
3. Further to my note in #2, if you are baker who relies on photo images to assure your finished result is correct, you may be disappointed. While the photos that are in the book are fabulous they are sparse and not available for every recipe.

That being said; The Ginger Snaps on the cover are fabulous! I now have a friend that expects the Banana Cake with Fudgy Frosting every year for his birthday and in a recent search for the perfect "shortcake" this book provided the winning recipe! A wonderful book!

I'm a cookbook junkie on a short bookshelf leash so when I found out about this book, I checked it out of my library before I grabbed my checkbook just in case I was being lead astray by another pretty cover. Boy, did I underestimate this book! If you have an interest in baking, buy this book, buy it now, buy it for baking friends! I did.

It looks like a simple list of recipes that you probably already have in any number of other baking books, and really it is, but what makes this book so useful is that it's like all the best recipes in those books are condensed into one easy to read, easy to follow and easy to grab reference. It saves me time not because of any earth-shattering shortcuts, but because I don't have to sift through 10 baking books to find a recipe I want to make or spend time figuring out how I can spread out the recipe over time -- that's already done. And the author is fabulously reassuring that yes, you can do this if you have a few minutes, and yes, it will be worth it!

My only complaint: an index of recipes at the start of the three main chapters would make finding a particular recipe even quicker. Currently, I have to mark them with post-it flags, making my book look like it's eating a tibetan prayer flag.

Thanks for putting the fun back in baking!!

I purchased this book several months ago and I have to say that every recipe I've made has been superb! I really like the way each recipe is broken down into stages and the added bonus of variations to change things up a bit (if you care to do so). I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves to bake, but can't take a whole day to do so. The author really has a passion for baking and it shows, trust me you won't be dissapointed!! Kudos!!

If I had to keep one baking cookbook this would be it. The recipes are fabulous, easy and always fetch rave reviews. It is a definate asset to both the experienced and novice baker's kitchen.

This easy- to- read- page- turner provides new insight into a truly great man. I had admired him for years, but with reservations, due mostly to rumors. After reading this one-on-one report by a man who experienced the good and the bad of Ted Williams, I came away with tremendous insight into a sensitive, caring, loving, beautiful human being. Who knew?? I'm grateful for Richard Ben Cramer's memories of his thought provoking time with Ted Williams, so the rest of us can realize that there was SO much more behind this man than his remarkable life in baseball. I have purchased this book for many of my friends, due to its' uniqueness, and they have all loved it as much as myself. This little book can be read in an evening, but packs a powerful punch!

In a paper-thin volume, Richard Ben Cramer manages to capture the many contradictions of the greatest hitter who ever lived and the last man to bat over .400, Theodore Samuel (Ted) Williams. His book is must reading for any Red Sox fan, and for that matter anyone who wonders why baseball heroes like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose, Joe DiMaggio, and Williams lead such dysfunctional lives, often estranged from their own families.

Contradiction: Williams respected authority (never argued with umpires and liked the military life), but he refused to conform to societal customs, e.g. wearing a necktie.

Contradiction: He was an obsessive perfectionist, but often half-hearted on defense or while running the bases.

Contradiction: He was a self-centered loner, but unfailingly generous toward charities.

Contradiction: He resented the Boston sports press, but wanted no publicity for his unselfish work for the Jimmy Fund.

Contradiction: He came from poverty, was poorly educated, yet became a dyed-in-the-wool Republican and establishmentarian.

One thing Ted never lost was his potty-mouth, which he used to rail against the "knights of the keyboard," Boston's habitually self-righteous sports reporters who attacked him not only for his lackadaisical defensive habits but even for his failure to call his mother on holidays (she was a Salvation Army worker who wasn't home, anyway) or stay home for his daughter's birth (she was born two months prematurely, but he was supposed to have known it would happen). The more Ted cursed at his enemies in the press, the more they'd dig up irrelevant dirt to throw at him. Things never improved. He also refused to tip his cap for the fans after a home run, resentful of earlier booing.

So why did Ted Williams enjoy such a renaissance in public aspect, especially in Boston? It wasn't because he changed as a person. On the contrary, as Cramer makes clear, his later life (with his life partner, Louise, whom he settled down with after three unsuccessful marriages), was filled with the same profanity, the same volatile temper, the same need to be right all the time that the younger Ted Williams exhibited.

What happened, apparently, was that the public was no longer exposed to the constant friction between Ted and the press, and so remembered only the good stuff: his .406 batting average in 1941, his home run that decided the All-Star game that year, and the home run in his last at bat in 1960, all of which were replayed via TV highlights regularly. John Updike's dissertation on the 1960 home run helped, too.

Cramer makes us understand Ted Williams. Like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose and Joe DiMaggio, he was no scholar. Also like them, he was able to cultivate a specific skill set on the baseball diamond. He became (arguably) the greatest hitter who ever lived. Still, his lack of education and lonely childhood left vacuums in his life...he compensated for the first by having to be right all the time, and for the second by finally admitting to Cramer, "I was a terrible husband and father."

In the interest of full disclosure, the present writer met Ted Williams at two Red Sox fantasy camps.

Richard Ben Cramer wrote a somewhat controversial but well-researched biography of Joe DiMaggio. The major difference between this excellent portrait, and the latter project, was that we see and hear the protagonist in his own words. At times, it is a loud, booming voice full of life, stories, regrets, and accomplishments of one of our sporting legends.

Mr. Cramer does a masterful job weaving this interesting portrayal. This book is rather brief compared to the DiMaggio biography; however, it has more "life." The bulk of this work concentrates upon an interview that took place in 1986. It is written in such a way that the author fades into the background. In a strange sense, the reader feels present. As if we are sitting with Mr. Williams in his living room, and spellbound to imagine what will come next. The sheer force of his personality makes this a very entertaining and informative read.

Compared to the modern day ballplayer, Mr. Williams was indeed a rare bird. He had interesting and intriguing opinions about hitting, fishing, flying jet planes, marriage, lemonade, fickle fans, and the traffic patterns of the Florida Keys. ;-) He is both arrogant and enchanting, if one can imagine such a thing. Mr. Cramer draws out Williams in a way that writers of his own era failed to do. He showed him respect and deference, but like so many of the fish that Williams loved to catch, didn't allow him off the hook on tough subjects. In a way, this interview perhaps was a cathartic exercise for Mr. Williams.

The unfortunate circumstances that surrounded his death made this book quite pertinent. What do we think of him now? The best hitter to ever live, a true American patriot, a lover of the great outdoors, and a man who defined life in his own strike zone.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this excellent work by Mr. Cramer.

This book is deceptively short, yet like Ted Williams swinging at a baseball in his prime --- it packs one hell of wallop! Amazingly, the reader gets a very well-rounded picture of Williams the man, Williams the out-sized legend, Williams the S.O.B. and of course in his most famous guise as baseball's "greatest hitter who ever lived." The last man ever to hit .400 for a season with 521 career home runs to his credit (including one on his last ever time at bat), he was also the only man ever elected to both the baseball and fly-fishing halls of fame. His life was extremely rich and full and reads like it was five lifetimes rolled into one. A fighter pilot during WWII, many argue he may have even forfeited some of his best years in baseball to serve his country.... Considering his well-established contributions to the science of hitting, that's a scary thought! Anyway, if you're looking for a short and breezy read on one of baseball's all-time-greats look no further than this book by Richard Ben Cramer.

Ted Williams lived the kind of irrepressible life that Hollywood tried to invent for its toughest actors; old-skool masculinity personified, he was the finest baseball player of a generation (if not all time), a fisherman worthy of Hemingway's prose, and a lifelong Marine who served his country in not one but TWO deadly wars, the second of which nearly cost him his own life.

He was the eternal paradox, the New England sports hero with the "When Guns Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Guns" bumper sticker on his pick-up truck, the all-time All-Star outfielder who practiced his swing while playing defense, the surly bane to those in the sports press charged with selling his image to the Boston public, and the eternal cynic who could never fully give himself to the public's adoration because he would always hear the 2 or 3 boos among the thousands of cheers his very presence on the field generated.

This book does a fine job of encapsulating the highlights of Williams' career, covered sparingly among a (then) current interview of the man as living legend approaching his 70's. But the real joy and success of the book is the author's capturing the essence of the magnitude of Williams to the point that you can't possibly help but feel that you are listening to the man thunder away in your own living room, rather than from a far-off house in the Florida Keys (or from the more appropriate peak of Mount Olympus). Most enjoyable to me is the author's penchant FOR PRINTING WILLIAMS' QUOTES IN ALL CAPS (wherein I can't help but read them aloud -and at suitable volume- to my fiancee', much to her dismay).

We have a suitable account of Williams' life after his time as an active player and manager, but before his health began to rapidly deteriorate. It is a full portrait, balancing the more infamous qualities of the man with those that Williams fiercely guarded during his lifetime; that he was, beneath the callous exterior, as warm and giving a soul that baseball would be far more fortunate than it deserves to have as an ambassador today.
It's a joy to read, seemingly almost an afterthought in its brevity, but when considered that it was only ever supposed to be an article for Esquire magazine, it surely ranks among the finest sports writing of all time.

My son is three, and obsessed with race cars. The illustrations are great, and give him lots to look at. He likes to count the race cars, and sing the song. Highly recommended.

My preschooler and I heard this book read at a library story time. We checked it out. Now I'm buying it. It's a given that he likes the subject and the song. The best part for me is that he's trying to read the book himself. He reads it to me and to his brother. He even read it to a friend of mine and her daughter.

The illustrations keep us busy too. He picks up on small details in the pictures and tells me stories about the drivers, especially the bad sport penguin.

My son first learned about this book in his Pre-Preschool class. We were at circle time and his teacher started to read it and I knew instantly he would love it. He loves Nascar to pieces and this book iced the cake. He is only 3 so he flips through the pages telling me the story. And, since some of the numbers on the cars are numbers in Nascar Nextel Series he thinks the book is about real Nascar cars and he tells me about the drivers. We spend hours with this book each week.

Great action photos on inside cover. I follow Nascar and reading the book makes me fill like I am at a race. A favorite next to wheels on the bus.

A fun variation on "wheels on the bus." We got this book from the library, and our son really liked it, so we purchased it. He loves the race cars and the animal drivers.

I found this book, with its exquisite pictures, sexy and very entertaining. The women are lovely, sexy and strong, and as a gay woman, I truly appreciate that combination.

"The women" here are unprecedented in history: women with much greater muscularity and strength than many men (including me). Until the 1980s, women did not have the chance to build this huge muscularity. Yet within a few years, massively muscular female bodybuilders (FBBs) were on the scene. Are these women (1) grotesque freaks or (2) a new kind of femininity? The author thinks it's #2 and presents these photos are proof.

None of "the women" here look like men in drag. All have elements of conventional femininity: stunning faces, luxurious coiffures, slender waists, and curvaceous hips. Some model seductive lingerie. But the also have massive biceps, shoulders, and backs, as well as hard, flat, strapping chests with virtually no bosom. (As part of their exercise regiment and diet, FBBs tend to increase their chest size while dramatically losing breast mass.)

So what are "the women": half man/half woman monsters or a new kind of "muscular femininity"--elements of traditional womanhood combined with a new look of strength and power? For me, it's a "new femininity." The elements of traditional womanhood are so seductively powerful in these women that I could never call them masculine. The best description for them is "titanic." The Titans in Greek mythology were a race of massively muscular men and women--the women far more muscular than an ordinary man. Yet the Titan women still had al the traditional elements of womanhood at the same time. And that's "the women."

Two concluding observations from reading this book. First, what we look for in a woman's body depends on what we expect from them. If we expect clinging fragility, we look for a weak, delicate body. But in the age of Xenia, "muscular femininity" no longer sounds like an oxymoron. Second, if a man regards these women as freaks, it may be because he is encountering (for the first time, perhaps) a woman who is more muscular than he, threatening his sense of masculinity. As a small, quite unmuscular man, I long ago realized that not all men are muscular, nor all women weak. Ladies such as "the women" teach us that muscle alone does not define either masculinity or femininity, and they make us more accepting of people who don't meet traditional stereotypes of womanhood or manhood.

In conclusion, this book is a MUST for any man (like me) who admires and is attracted to very strong, muscular, yet feminine women. People with negative stereotypes of FBBs will have them challenged. The photos themselves are creative, artistic, dramatic, and seductive.

My favorite photo: the cover shot of the massive Nikki Fuller in a perfect combination of demure femininity and regal muscularity. A true Amazon Queen!

I found the photos in this book to be quite beautiful. The women are shown as exotic, beautiful bodybuilders - not gross overly muscular freaks, nor phony "Miss America" plastic beauty queens. And for those of you that are wondering, yes there are nudes in the book. Why that detail is always ignored in reviews is beyond me. I guess they want to make you buy it before that is disclosed.

This book remained on my coffee table for years. I wanted others to see how beautiful feminine muscle could be. The pictures are just magnificent. They are of some of the top female bodybuilders of that time. Today, it seems the sport is taking a turn in a downward direction. The sport is constantly struggling to get the recognition & respect it deserves. This book is an excellent portrayal of "Female Beauty".

When i got this book i was very excited. The pics are very great and i like it to look at them. Unfortunatley they are not enough pics of these women who are the most beautyfull girls.
Denise Rutowski, for example, is wonderfull, alluring and i adore her. This one pic (scroll a little more higher) where you only can see her right side (she puts her arms on a chair and looks to it), is the best pic i ever have seen. A wonderfull face, great hands and hair and excelent biceps/triceps. Fantastic.

Not that I'm a huge fan of sweaty men in tights, but Mr. McAvennie totally captures the essence of the ring. A truly worthwhile read for any wrestling fan, and a pleasant diversion for the casual observer. Bring on the smackdown!

Brilliant. This the best WWE book I ever read.

I great read on the year of 2002 of wrestling. This has everything thing that happened within the year of 2002. It goes to pay-per-view to pay-per-view and laying out how all the story lines developed week to week. This is a great bookd if you want to know how everything was laid out and done.

THIS BOOK IS ONE OF THE BEST WRESTLING BOOKS I'VE EVER READ. IT HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WWE AND MORE!!! THE WRITING IS BRILLIANT THE PHOTOS ARE GREAT AND ALL THE INFORMATION ON EACH WRESTLER IS THERE

THIS IS A DEFINITE BUY FOR ANYONE WHO CALLS THEMSELVES A WRESTLING FAN.

A thoroughly comprehension year-in-review of almost every aspect of the 2002 season.
Well written, well researched, it's full of facts and behind the scenes dope that are presented in a witty and amazingly insightful manner.
I'd never heard of Mr.McAvennie before but he's a sports writer to watch out for- more like this please!
Matched with literally hundreds of great photos, this is a must for anyone who's got the slightest interest in WWE.