Sports and Recreation Books

THIS IS THE STORY OF THE NEW YORK JETS, HOW FAILURE AFTER FAILURE HAS FILLED THEIR HISTORY. THIS STORY DESCRIBES IN GREAT DETAIL THE FEW SUCESSFUL SEASONS AND THE MANY DISAPPOINTING AND TOTALLY PAIN FILLED ONES. THE AUTHOR DOES A GREAT JOB DESCRIBING AND INTERVIEWING THE PEOPLE WHO WERE DURING THESE DISASTEROUS TIMES. FROM WEEB AND JOE TO THE COMING OF THE TUNA, THIS BOOK HELD MY INTEREST AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL FOOTBALL FANS, I FEEL THE JETS PAIN.

This is a well-written history of the New York Jets. It covers the one great accomplishment (Super Bowl III) and the many failures and disappointments. As a fan you love the team and always get your hopes even though you know they will dash them in the end. This book covers those emotions well.

Gerry gave a very honest account of the New York Jets.

You'll enjoy the stories of the early years. Recounting the selling of season tickets from the apartment of one of the original owners, Walt Michaels finding a "good practice field" while flying home from a game (it was located on the grounds of a NYC prison), the press' examination of Joe Namath's knee in the restroom of a local restaurant and many others.

Those who were at that dreadful Miami comeback at the Meadowlands in 1994 will relive that sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs.

Parcells has come and gone and we still don't have another appearance in the Super Bowl. This book might expain why.

But we return each season with high hopes of reaching the big game. Reading Mr. Eskenazi's book will remind all of us of the pain we go through to have some fun on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the Meadowlands (NJ).

Well written, exciting and very difficult to relive all the abysmal moments in Jets history. END

Along came Bill Parcells and New York thought its troubles were over. Last year we were a half hour from the Superbowl and now we're in the cellar again. If you find yourself scratching your head and asking why. This book has the answers--the history of the Gang Green struggle and where we went wrong.

this is an awesome book - would strongly recommend - especially but not necessarily for those with any appreciation of baseball at all - think this should be required reading for all high school students - very important and helpful life lessons - baseball is a great american tradition sure but more importantly the sport produces character - knew little of cal ripkin before reading this book - now i am a BIG fan

This book helped me and it helped me help my eleven-year-old son.

One of the parents from my son's baseball team actually said to me last night at our end-of-season party that several games ago it was like a completely different boy began showing up to play. He said he could see my son now has baseball in his head. That's about when I started reading parts of this book to my son. I started taking him to the batting cages. We began really working toward his goals on the field and talking about his goals in life.

This book resounds with the values I've always carried in my heart but have not been able to live due to circumstances beyond my control. Reading it allowed me to see these values do actually work somewhere out there in this world and these values are what I want for my child.

Cal Ripken offers many of his life lessons and experiences he has learned through playing the right way his whole career. I highly recommend this book to baseball fans of all ages and backgrounds.

Get in the Game is not only a book about Cal Ripken Jr., his consecutive games streak and his fine career. It's a recap of some simple but overlooked values.

Using his core strength in baseball to describe his thinking, the reader will not only appreciate some particular plays in his career, but also down-to-earth ways of approaching things in life.

This book provides extremely useful guidelines in dealing with situations we all eventually run into in our lives. While alluding to baseball related examples, it does not simply dwell solely on recounting Mr. Ripken's impressive baseball accomplishments or relate amusing/interesting anecdotes. Instead it gives thought-provoking insights into two all too fast-disappearing basic axioms in our country's psyche: "practice makes perfect," and "do unto others." I highly recommend this book for everyone, especially young people still in their formative years. In fact, it presents an excellent opportunity for parents to reconnect with their child(ren) by reading it aloud and together, with discussion centering on each of the eight elements as they are completed.

I wish I had this book when I was a young athlete. The author writes clearly and well. She communicates about typical subject manner. But the book's inspiration derives from her tough wisdom and passionate vision for girls in sports and in life. This book could inspire anyone to make more out of their life.

Everyone can benefit from this, but young girls to young ladies will be stronger for reading it. It teaches more than my writing has the power to explain. I bought it for my daughter...thought I'd read a chapter to check it out first and ended up reading it through. It gives great insight to what it takes to be better than readers may have dared to dream...to push past the insecurities.

if you are a female athlete or you work with female athletes this is a great book for you. it is a quick, easy read, full of personal stories and examples. very motivating, excellent book!

This is a wonderful book for girls of all ages, but especially for pre-teen and teenage girls. I loved it! I would recommend it for anyone who has daughters!

Let me just start by saying that I've had this book for 2 years and could never get my daughter and husband to read it. So, on our way to yet another tourney, I had 5 hours to read it out loud to them. They loved it! My husband is a coach for our local girls softball team, and we had just won the district championship and were going to "state" a couple of weeks later, and my husband liked the book so much that he used it as his "bible" during the practices leading up to the tourney, and also at the tourney. This was our 3rd trip to "state", never having won the championship. But this year we won, due partly to this little book. It's written in conversational form, and is a very easy read, yet it packs a punch. These ideas are great, and implementing them into a "team" picture was easy. They were great team-builders also. Our team was so close during this tourney, and this helped their play. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone that plays or coaches anything. (Also, this book is not just about sports...the big picture is about girls in general, and how they can achieve their goals by implementing these ideas into their everday lives.) Get this for the girl or coach in your life!

The title of this book can be a little misleading. It provides a wealth of information for racers of all skill levels and experience, presented in an easy to understand format. The authors' styles are entertaining to say the least. The best value I've found yet for books of this type.

This is got to be the most informative book on sailboat racing. Just reading it once will give the reader many basics on how to enjoy better performance on the water. Studing the material will ensure the reader would become a better racer and competer.

I have to say, this book got me to second place in a regatta filled with 4 and 5 year racers. It is clear and consice and takes into account the fact that you may or may not have ever raced before. Principals are clearly explained in everyday language and the important rules are explained. For those people looking to start Wednesday night racing - this is your book!

I have raced my 36 ft sloop lightly for the last 5 years and wanted a book to help me improve my finish (2nd every time but only 5 in class). I have now read 7 books on the subject. Most frustrated me as they only talk about racing upwind and downwind. My class races up, down, and reaching. To make matters worse, my class is no spinnaker. So, typically the upwind talk is how to tune a boat with a fractional rig, which I don't have, or a spinnaker, which I don't use. Some only talk about boats so small you can tip them over. This book covers everything, up, down, reaching, no spinnaker. It talks about little and big boats. It does as good a job on tactics as any of the books and in fact better than most. It is an easy read and not full of typos like some of the others. I highly recommend it.

I'm going to use this in our yacht club's "Introduction to Sailboat Racing" class. It's a good starter book for someone just getting into the sport and it's written with a nice blend of folksy antecdotes and hard "bullet point" information. There just enough of each subject to get a taste, but not so much as to overwhelm. Other books and on-the-water experience will fill in the blanks. Q&A review at the end of the chapters highlights the key information. If you're just getting started in sailboat racing, "Getting Started" is a good way to do it.

I ENJOYED THE BOOK IMMENSELY.IT IS GREAT STORY OF A BOY GROWING UP AND HAVING ONLY GOLF AS THE ONLY POSITIVE THING IN HIS LIFE.
IT IS S STORY ABOUT GOLF, BUT ALSO ABOUT GROWING UP WITHOUT YOUR PARENTS LOVE.

Absolutely captivating story...loved the story of Bobby and Boy Lee. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the game. Share it with your friends.

The second book by the author I have read... sheds new light on Hogan and the game of Golf that we love... can hardly wait for his next book on Bobby Jones

This is the second book that I read from Bob Thomas. I enjoyed it very much. I found that I could not put it down. I enjoyed reading about golf in the 1950's; and how golf saved this boy's life. I also enjoyed the character Boylee, the elder caddie. I like Bob's writing. I look forward to his future novels.

Not understanding very much about golf I enjoyed the humane side
of "Golf Gave Me Something To Love".
It was interesting to read about how the experiences as caddies
when children shaped their futures and ideas as adults.
I also enjoyed the mischief they got into as children.

i agree with all the others who raved about the breadth of the coverage. i also agree that there is a wealth of information not available elsewhere, or at least not readily obtainable. unfortunately trivia is only really fun if the reader has some familiarity with the person whose identity he is trying to discover. a really large portion of the book is devoted to questions about players that even diehard baseball trivia buffs have never heard of. to me this is a fatal flaw, in spite of the many interesting facts that can be gleaned from the questions and hints. i think the book also suffers from the fact that the answer pages are not more easily accessed. if you are dying to know an answer to one of the many interesting questions you might very well get sidetracked before you ever find it. all in all i think the book is a good value, but just think buyers should be aware it is not quite so perfect as some of the other reviewers would have us believe.

This author has gone to a lot of trouble to put together lists of players who hold both important and somewhat trivial records. All are interesting, though, and some of his questions that come with his lists are dynamite. The really amazing thing is how many of them already have to be updated because of what happened in 1999. But you can do that on your own with a bottle of Whiteout. The chapter here on pinch hitting alone is worth getting this book for.

If you have a teenage son, as do I, I don't see how you can go wrong here if he likes baseball. My older son got this book for his birthday and that was the last we saw of him for about a week. He still loves it so much and is so possessive of it that I now have to get another copy to give my younger boy for Christmas. P.S. Their father might just wind up getting one too.

I have to take exception to the last reviewer even though I'm not really a big fan of the 19th century either. This book takes you on a complete journey throughout baseball history unlike most similar type books that would have you believe everything that happened before 1900 doesn't count. Sure it counts, and Nemec's book convinces you--okay, me anyway--that every player and record he cites in it is important from 1871 to the present. I will agree, though, that the answer section leaves something to be desired. My solution was to insert a kind of permanent bookmark so I could turn to it easily. Anyway, I really liked it a lot even if I too didn't exactly bat 1.000 on all the questions.

Here comes the stats lovers dream book. If you are into baseball, really into baseball, by the number you really need this book. Nemec's ability to bring out the true statistical breakdown of the National Pastime was amazing.

Every baseball fan should be asking for and buying this true work of art. The book, in quiz form, does give charts, pictures and short stories on every possible topic from singles hitting to the home run.

The book takes the reader from the early years of the game, right up to the modern day players. You are inundated with numbers, facts and figures that should keep your conversations going for years to come.

I wasn't able to find any category that wasn't covered in this book. The book even covered the not so good players, as well as the Negro leagues. The book is "The Ultimate Test for the Ultimate Fan". A great job and a great book.

This book is awesome, and simply the best as it pertains to condition, class, and form. A must have, will simply improve your handicapping skills by leaps and bounds.

As you can see from the others reviews; all positve, all five stars plus!!!

Essential to any bettor's library. This book has cut my handicapping time in half as I eliminate the absolute non contenders in minutes. Combined with form analysis, this book also points out the strong favorites and chalk in just a bit more time.

This is the most valuable book I own on horse racing. James Quinn writes so clear and knows so much about the sport. This books tells you all the different types of races and what horse is most qualified to win those races. It has helped me out so much. I don't bet, but I enter contest online and you have to be prepared for every type of race when you enter them. An excellent read for everyone.

I've read several books on handicapping and wagering on racing. Some have been very good and very helpful.
None were as helpful as this.
As a casual handicapper, you learn to look at speed figures and try to guess who's fastest. But the fastest horse doesn't always win. Class and form are sometimes overlooked.
This book taught me to look at who belongs and who doesn't. And who was meant to win this particular race.
After you read this book, you won't miss as much regarding class and form. This will likely lead you to more live horses at longer odds. Especially when so many others use speed as their primary criteria and create short prices for the horses with the highest Beyers.
And the appendicies are a tremendous tool for day-to-day handicapping. A must-read for any serious handicapper.

Quinn takes class evaluation of thoroughbreds to a new level and backs it all up with statistical data to prove which horses are best suited for each race and it's conditions. Quinn explains in exceptional detail how to seperate contenders from pretenders. I don't think you want to throw a true beginner into this, but novices can substantially improve their understanding and win percentages by mining this volume for ideas of what to look for. The Appendix summarizing what kind of horse to look for in each type of race is worth it's weight in gold and is something almost anyone with even limited experience can apply to their handicapping. I can honestly say that I believe my handicapping is going to a new level as I read and re-read this book to absorb the material.

I received this book when I was 7 (I'm now 23) years old before starting lessons for the first time. It has remained one of my most beloved childhood memories and favorite book. A MUST have for all young riders and those who are young at heart!

I am a beginning adult rider and I absolutely loved this book, it is funny and helpful on all levels for beginners. I think all new riders should read it!

My husband and I were referred to this book by our riding instructor. We are both grown adults, but have no real horse experience. Even though this book seems to be geared toward children, it is very helpful for the adults who may not want to admit how little they know!!! This book answere all those questions you think may be too silly to ask your teacher! It's great for all ages!

The name of the book is Happy Horsemanship by Dorothy Henderson Pinch. The book is about how horses behave, how to control a horse, how to trot, stop, canter, gallop, jump, the tools used for taking care of a horse, the materials, you need to ride a horse, the different kinds of reins, what not to do, and how to take care of a horse.

I think this book is great. I think this book would be great for a child that is learning how to ride.-Kristine

Having instructed students and trained horses for over 35 years, it's still tough to find books good enough to recommend to people trying to learn about them. THIS book does it with flying colors.

Everything is in here: safety, compassion, how-to handle a horse and ride, along with why things are done the way they are. Presented in a fun & light-hearted way from the horse's point of view. Very understandable.

Even though the book was written in '66 it is superior to and far more practical than the tomes being written today that confuse an experienced horseperson, let alone a novice. Whether riding English (as illustrated) or Western this book tells what needs to be known.

I bought it for my 13 yo niece just starting with horses & have recommended it to adults who have spent years with horses.

The book was in excellent condition and the delivery time was speedy.

This book discussed many strategies and skills that are very beneficial in playing the game of baseball.
I would recommend it to anyone

This book was recommended to me by Coach "Hutch" of the University of Michigan's Lady Wolverines, and I've not been disappointed. I highly recommend this book for both coaches and players (over 16).

Great read for any serious baseball player, coach or parent. One of the BESt books I have read on baseball.

I teach high school sports psychology and have used this book as a text on several occasions. I now make it mandatory for all of my softball and baseball players as additional reading. Their feedback has been nothing but positive regarding performance enhancement. I strongly recommend this user-friendly text for any sport!

I liked this book and enjoyed reading it -- it was sad and funny at the same time, and should serve as a strong warning to would-be martial arts students.

My only complaints (why I docked it 1 star):

* It is very poorly edited -- rife with typos and other minor bugaboos. A skilled editor could have improved this book considerably.

* I would have liked to see more names, facts (court dates, etc.) and resources (Web sites, links to articles, etc.) to support the claims and stories. (Not that I don't believe them, but hard evidence would further support the book).

Also, it would be interesting to know how the schools continue to operate today, now that Kim is out of prison.

I have spent thirteen years in this cult. The worst feeling that I have(in post moo) is that I allowed myself to be compromised by the nefarious deeds of a manical sociopath and his underbosses. I denied reality and distanced myself from my family because I "believed". This is a must read for those who are searching for [true] martial arts as well as a warning for parents who are looking for an activity for their children. Stay Away from oom yung doe. Joe Smith unveils the entire charade in his service with the moo; the truth/reality is twisted and a person's life is degraded to the point of unconditional surrender to an evil PIMP. Through Joe Smith's experiences, the only way out is for someone to simultaneously embrace the truth with the conscious mind and the heart.

Chris Carreon-PA

This book provides fascinating insight into the notorious Chung Moo Doe (a.k.a. Chung Moo Quan, Oom Yung Doe, etc.) martial arts cult founded by John C. Kim (a.k.a. Chull Kim, Jack Park, or "Iron" Kim). Although the group was exposed in the CBS investigative report The Cult and the Con in the late 1980s as well as in the article "Cult of the Quan" in Martial Arts Professional magazine, the organization still exists today. Having served time for tax evasion and conspiracy, the founder and thirteen members of his inner circle have already been released from prison. No doubt fearing repercussions, the author writes under the penname Joe Smith.

"Smith" explains how he was taken in by the "True, Right, and Correct" teachings of a narcissistic sociopath. He sold his new Oldsmobile Cutlass, drove away his friends, gave up on his college education, changed jobs, and ultimately spent tens of thousands of dollars to earn a nearly meaningless black belt and become an instructor in the cult's system. Eventually he became disillusioned with the group, developed the fortitude to pull himself away from their teachings, got his life in order, and wrote about his experiences.

While the author's writing is a bit uneven and (understandably) overly vitriolic at times, there is nothing a good editor couldn't fix straightaway. His story is interesting and important. Packed with riveting vignettes of cult life, this cautionary tale is one that all devoted martial artists and aspiring practitioners ought to read.

The book elucidates why otherwise intelligent people would join a cult. Often it's because the group fulfils and/or exploits deep-seated psychological needs that victims may not even be aware of. Aspiring martial artists can become particularly vulnerable to such manipulations, since they often approach the arts with little foreknowledge, save for the ubiquitous Hollywood fantasies they watch on the silver screen. Expecting to find mysterious Asian rituals, eager practitioners hear plausible legends and see bogus displays of fighting prowess. This chicanery reinforces their predispositions. Even legitimate martial artists wear distinctive uniforms, associate with like-minded individuals, and perform activities that are nearly unfathomable to the uninitiated. Cult leaders selfishly twist the conventions and hook victims with the promise of inimitability, status, and power, and the pull to join and stay in the cult becomes very strong indeed.

As the author so aptly states, it's a slow process, like the boiled frog analogy. Put a frog in warm water and he's happy. Increase the temperature slowly and he'll stay in, trying to continually adapt. Turn up the heat too high, throw too much cultness at him at once, however, and he'll hop out and leave, maybe telling other frogs not to go near the cult's pot. So the smart, effective cult leader slowly raises the temperature and waits until his victims have adjusted. Then, after the new norm has been established, he further refines the cognitive dissonance so it doesn't seem all that bad. What was once intolerable now becomes acceptable. Victims reinforce their new beliefs while the cult insidiously takes over their lives.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults and Martial Arts Instruction; co-author of The Way of Kata and The Way to Black Belt

Note: Originally reviewed for Clarion Reviews

I was a member of the inner circle of the Chung Moo Quan organization in the late 70's and early 80's. I found Herding the Moo to be an accurate account of the dynamics that exist at the top levels of the John C. Kim organization. These pages reveal the inner workings of the cult that are veiled from the public eye in a very calculated way. Former cult members will easily recognize the pattern of lies, deceit, and betrayal, as well as the subtle techniques of grooming that we fell prey to as loyal followers of John C. Kim.

I laughed at Joe Smith's antics which typify the ridiculous missions we were assigned. I wept when I discovered that women other than me had been sexually abused in this cult. I raged when I learned that this charismatic charlatan has continued to masquerade as a martial arts master for over 30 years.

For those currently involved in Oom Yung Doe, Herding the Moo will provide you with information to ponder. I hope that it will generate questions. Do not hesitate to pose those questions to your instructors. For parents with children in OYD, Herding the Moo is an essential read.

Kim Rieser; Helena, MT (formerly Naperville, IL)

I read this book cover to cover, and then read it again. I have to say it is a very accurate account of how the cult of Oom Yung Doe (Formerly Chung Moo Quan/Chung moo Doe), operates. It clearly shows step by step how a young beginner is slowly indoctrinated and brainwashed into the cult, and how their lives slowly decay a little at time until they have been totally swolloed up. You can see how bank accounts are drained step by step, and how lives are ruined, marriages destroyed, and ultimately how ones soul is blackend by the experience.

This is a good book not only for those who are in the cult of John C Kim, but also for those who have family members, or friends involved. Every martial arts school that is anywhere near an Oom Yung Doe school should have one as well.

It is a well written, and well chronicled book. I found it to be an enjoyable read, and the writer's sense of humor complements the all too real events that occurred in the story.