Sports and Recreation Books

I'm a librarian and an auto racing fan, and I've read a lot of motor racing books. This is the best racing biography I've EVER read, and she wrote it all by herself. Whether your interest is the Indianapolis 500, NASCAR, sports in general, or women's studies, you'll find something to enjoy in this book, and you will be impressed by the quality of the writing.

BTW, her opinion of Pat Patrick is hilarious; or at least, it's a lot like mine.

Enjoy

I was in third grade when Janet Guthrie made the headlines. I remember reading a kid's book on her life and learning that she had a job as a physicist before going into racing. I had always admired Ms. Guthrie for what she did. A couple of years ago while reading an article on Danica Patrick, I came across the Janet Guthrie website and found the book Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle. I went ahead and purchased it. It has taken me almost two years to finish the book, but I have found it very enlightening and reading. It gives a great overview of her life and how hard she had to work to get into racing and the obstacles she had to overcome. It is a must read for anyone who wants to learn about an amazing female athlete from the mid 1970's. Thank you, Ms. Guthrie for sharing your life with us.

Janet Guthrie was more qualified than many drivers who had quality rides in open-wheel and stock-car racing. She was a graduate of the University of Michigan (B. Sc. in physics), an aerospace engineer and flight instructor while race-car driving as early as 1963 in a Jaguar XK 140 that she prepared.

But being a female in a male-dominated business made for a career that had a very rough road. Guthrie persevered under very trying times to reach the pinnacle in the sport in 1977, qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 - becoming the first woman to qualify and compete in the event - and Daytona 500 - finishing the race as the top rookie driver.

And after nearly 20 years in search of a publisher and several hundred pages cut from her manuscript, Guthrie delivers an excellent read that covers her life on and off the track.

Guthrie wanted to be known as a race-car driver, but there were too many people who couldn't get past her gender. That was from the boardrooms of potential sponsors to initial tough comments from competitors like Richard Petty and Bobby Unser and workers at venues like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway who were determined to make Guthrie know in so many ways that she wasn't welcome & could never compete financially with the top teams.

Though Petty and Unser eventually gave Guthrie props - Petty saying in 1978 that she may win a NASCAR event with a better ride & Unser stating she has done a good job - there were drivers like Tom Sneva and Buddy Baker and others in the industry who assisted her in reaching for the stars. Even though Guthrie blazed a trail, it ultimately smacked into a brick wall when a lack of sponsorship dollars prevented her from competing in the top events.

In 2006, Guthrie was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. A Life at Full Throttle is a story about struggling against institutionalized gender discrimination and how the road to true equity remains under construction.

I started sports car racing about the same time as Janet, also had no money, and enjoyed all the years of scratching and clawing for a ride. I could not have written this book, though, because not only did she do something special, she tells the stories so well. I learned more about her in the book than I did at the time, and as a result of the book, feel the shared history and experiences deeply.

As a mutual friend said, "...it's exposed more about her and what she did and how she did it than most (of her comtemporary racing friends) either knew or understood...it's established more of a camaraderie with other racers ..." than was thought to exist at the time.

I wish she would publish the other several hundred pages she had to cut out of this beek, as I am sure I would enjoy it also.

I was in junior high school when Ms. Guthrie ran in the Indy 500, and was wowed by the fact that a woman could make it auto racing. Those who of us who remember the era before Title 9 know how tough it was for female athletes in any sport, but especially auto racing which remains a male-dominated field to this day.

Cheers to you, Ms. Guthrie, for your excellent career, for opening the doors, for your marvelous record on the track, and for an exciting memoir that's as fast-paced as your race car! Five stars!

An hilarious look at the hard-boiled world of Scottish youth football of twenty+ years ago, contrasted with today's enabled and pampered state of American youth soccer.

and a takedown of all that is suburban flatlining. Late night laughs that kept my girl up and she ended up protesting everytime I picked it up.
I passed a copy off to a Scottish bartender, here in LA, so that she would be able to use the comeback to, "Glasgow" "oh.what part of England is that..." "the scottish part"
Great job Senor Black...E.E.

Alan Black is a force of nature. A Scottish force of nature to be exact. This is a hysterical, thought-provoking, funny, tragic memoir about the world's biggest and most popular religion. soccer. Or football as it's known in the civilized world. But it's also a story of a man coming to grips with his past, with his present and his future. It doesn't matter if you are one of the unwashed American masses who doesn't understand or appreciate the beautiful game. If you've ever been a kid, you should read this book. this is Black comedy at its best.

I don't watch soccer. I don't care about soccer. But this book made me laugh so hard I got eyeballed on the bus as perhaps a bit 'special'.

No one's feelings should be hurt here when he makes fun of you - and yes, he'll make fun of you, and you, and you. He's equal opportunity in mocking athletes, non-athletes, Americans, Scotsmen, parents, coaches, everyone. No need to be offended. Its all in good fun. And its all true.
Really, you have to read this book.

I wrote a review for this book on June 28 and now it's gone. In fact, there were a few reviews up here. Well, thanks to Google cache here's what I said:

When I was a kid in the 1970s, they said in the future soccer would become massively popular in America and we would all use the metric system. Didn't happen. The metric system is pretty much only used to refer to illicit drugs, but almost every American kid in the suburbs plays in a soccer league at least once.

Alan Black's "Kick The Balls" is about his adventures coaching a kids' soccer league, yes. But it is much more. It's about Alan trying to assimilate into the American suburbs. And this is the super funny stuff. No one is safe from Black's barbs: TV preachers, kids, Dockers pants, parents, multiculturalism, the cult of the suburban lawn. Oh and it's not just a snarky hit piece on the easy target of suburban life, Black reserves his sharpest wit to mock himself: a cynical, uncomfortable, Scottish transplant to California. Recommended to anyone in need of a hearty jaundiced laugh at the world and themselves. Extra bonus funny (and insightful) if you are in the position of trying to cope with maintaining your identity and making new friends in a suburban, middle class, vanilla wasteland (i.e., if you're like this reviewer).

This book is pretty cool. It's like reading an encyclopedia of golf. I highly recommend it. The thing is, it only brings you up to intermediate level. If you want more help in deeper mentality of golf or simply play golf with more precision, read "How I Play Golf" by Tiger Woods.

Here is my suggestion: If you're new to golf but are excited to learn, skip Part 1 and jump to Part 2. Why do I say that? Simple. Part 1 talks about history, rules, golf courses and the "anatomy" of golf. They're good to know, but it can bore you from time to time and plus, it has nothing to do with the basics of golf yet. It's like reading soccer rules and how soccer is played. Knowing that can't improve your techniques. Duno also recommends hiring a professional & practice by going to the driving range. Personal preference: Everyone have their own way of playing golf and no one technique is perfect for everyone. If you read the simple techniques explained in this book, it'll get you a long way. Bottomline here is, save time and money by buying yourself a golfnet and turf and practice in your backyard or anywhere you have room to practice.

Part 2 is the perfect place to start if you want to swing that club! It's all about which clubs to buy, how to get good grips, aim better and understand basic swing fundamentals. It's my favorite part that is also worth reading it over and over again.

If you already know the basic fundamentals of golf such as golf rules and/or swinging a club but want to improve your short game, skip Part 1 & 2 and go on with Part 3. It teaches you how to master putting, chipping, pitching and hitting from the bunker. If that doesn't get your money's worth, go on to Part 4 (Become a Better Golfer) which talks about flaws to avoid, bad lies, hills, bad weather, etc.

Part 5 however is somewhat useless in my opinion. It talks about competing, differences between golf clubs, balls and what to do if you take a golf vacation. It's basically teaching you "what to do with your money once you're already a multi-millionaire." I mean, no-duh, everyone have their own preference how they want to take their golf game further. All in all, this book is worth reading and if you love golf like me, buy it just so you can read and reread it over and over again.

This book provided me with the basics of the game and the use of the tools, rules and other essentials and serves as a reference guide to this time. It is clear and simple and straightforward. It can help any new golfer to get into the game and help any duffer to refine his technique.
I recommend it highly.

I have only recently taken up the great game of golf. This book has been an indispensable aid. It explains all the basics of the game wonderfully, with outstanding illustrations and very clear step-by-step explanations.

Since I bought the book three months ago, I have probably read it at least five times - that many times I have gone back to it as a reference for the latest thing ailing my game. And I am sure that it will continue to assist me as my golf game progresses (hopefully) in the future.

I spent a lot of time at the bookstore comparing the different golf guides. This was by far the best book for the price.

This book is a gem. It is organized in a very practical fashion that allows you to focus on each aspect of the game. The range of topics is wide, going from the elements of the swing, the different shots, and all the way to strategy and conditioning for Golf. The book is written with practical summaries that allow you to keep key points in the foreground and get ready to play.

If you only buy one "how to" golf book, this should be the one.

When I wanted to get started with golf I picked up this book. Easy to understand, with simple instructions and explanations. It also has the clearest overview of the basic rules of the game that I've seen. Even the hardest part of any book on golf, the swing, is covered pretty well - I at least have the intellectual knowlege now to on swinging the club. Great book.

This must be one of the visually most pleasing books in my posession. Lovely photos and a great backcast to the history of the Catskills Fly Fishing.

This is a wonderful book and the photos are fantastic.

If you fish the catskills, this book is a must. I have never seen such a great mixture of photographs and text in a fly fishing book. The books takes you through all the rivers, then presents the region's historic people, their fly tying, and their rods and reels.

This is by far the most interesting book I have ever read about fishing in the Catskills. Fly Fishing in America pretty much started there and this book explains in great detail everything there is to know about the History of Fly Fishing. Beautiful pictures on every page only add to the value of this book. Coming from someone who never takes the time to read through a 240 page book, I could not put in down. This happened during fishing season.

As I opened the package that contained my copy of Land of Little Rivers I expected a great book. I had read Mac FrancisÕs earlier book, Catskill Rivers, twice. Within minutes I realized the word "great" was wholly insufficient to describe this exquisite volume. At first I was caught by the, near mystical beauty of Enrico FerorelliÕs photographs--by themselves, more than worth the price of the book! But it is Mac FrancisÕs words that captured my heart and imagination completely. They carried me along, hour after hour, through this absorbing, beautifully told story of the birthplace of American fly fishing.

The author ends his introduction, trying to define the almost supernatural power inherent in the Catskill fly-fishing tradition, with these words: "I believe it is this power -- call it passion, dedication, commitment, vision, love, or what you will -- that has inspired the myriad fly fishers who in small ways and large have created, fought for, and extended a great sporting tradition in a hallowed land, and I respect the honor of presenting them, their feats, and their little rivers in these pages."

With this book, Mac Francis does more than simply honor a great tradition; he and Land of Little Rivers become a part of it.

Without doubt the best baseball book I've read.
Every coach & parent should read this book.

I've read lots of books about coaching at all levels of baseball, but this is one book that I couldn't put down. It doesn't have any drills, but it does have great suggestions for selecting teams. More importantly, it tries to teach coaches and parents to be more mature and to think about the real lessons that we're teaching the kids on our teams (and that they can teach us).

If you coach a youth team in any sport you owe it to yourself and to your team to buy this book and read it.

Life Lessons From Little League Revisited: A Guide For Parents And Coaches is far more than a handbook for would-be Little League baseball coaches - it is also a parenting manual that draws directly from lessons learned in Little League to promote a balanced and nurturing parenting environment that helps a child live up to his or her potential. Chapters warn against harmful behaviors such as the "overachiever" parent, the "blame-it-all-know-it-all" parent, and the "unfulfilled" parent, discuss how to teach and promote harmony, and more. At the same time it embraces the dynamics of the responsibility of coaching a little league team, and prepares would-be coaches to avoid many possible pitfalls - as well as preparing parents to recognize a bad coach (bad defined as "a bad role model for the children") early on. Written in plain and simple terms, Life Lessons From Little League Revisited is enthusiastically recommended for anyone involved in the Little League scene, as it covers numerous common issues and pitfalls besetting anyone in charge of organizing and teaching young people to work as a team.

Baseball is a game. Too many parents and coaches forget this, but kids don't, unless someone - usually a grown-up - makes them think otherwise. I'm glad Mr. Fortanese shared his wisdom and his experience. There's not a single drill, no baseball playing tips, but this is easily the most important book I've read on coaching - and understanding - kids and baseball. I'm very disappointed it's not in print anymore, because I wanted to give it out as coaches' gifts. PLEASE reprint this, and thank you Mr. Fortanese!

I first purchased this book from the Al and Al Little League clinic. The author gives proceeds to help fund Little League clinics where money is in short supply. I figure, good cause, what the heck. It was like finding a a hidden treasure at a yard sale. Got half way through it and loaned it to our high school varsity football coach, who also coaches 7 and 8 year olds. He was equally impressed. He says it has even influenced how he relates to his high school football players. He gave a 5 minute commercial at our coaches meeting. Every coach left with a copy. I think it will turn out to be one of the best investments our league has ever made.

I ordered this book for my Dad only to find he already owned it. When I received it I refused the order and Amazon still charged me shipping, even after I called within hours of my order to cancel and they could not help me. BUt I would recommend this book if you are looking for some good trail food?

Casey

This is such a good book, not only for vegetarian trail food, but for at-home cooking as well. Simple instructions, common ingredients, quick and easy preparation - not to mention great taste!

Highly recommended!

This book is full of quick and easy recipes that taste good. My family used recipes from this book on a 9-day road trip and saved a ton of cash by not eating out every day. The easy clean up and little need for cooking equip make this a great camping cook book.

I stumbled upon this book while perusing other vegetarian titles and must say the Connors' title immediately grabbed me. "Lipsmackin' Vegetarian Backpackin'" -- makes you want to read the book and recommend it to someone, just so you can mouth those toothsome words! Obviously, a healthful lifestyle and thoughtful approach to diet have served the authors' intellectual capacities well, everything about the book is smart. The recipes are mostly contributed, apparently by friends the Connors' have made on and around trails, and the recipe titles are sometimes almost as clever as the book's title; more importantly, the recipes look simple and delicious (at this writing I haven't tried them), and their presentation is smartly organized. Nutritional information is included. For its niche audience, be they vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, or ready-to-improve omnivore, this book has got to be as good as it gets.

My S/O and I took our first serious back-country trip in more than 15 years last week. We relied completely on this book for meal planning and food preparation. We were not disappointed. The recipes are all written in clear language, and are easy to follow. Packable trail instructions are available on-line, which helps with cooking in remote campsites. Of course, we could not try every single recipe -- but here are some of the best ones we tried. We had Olympus Oatmeal for breakfast every day. The Brunswick Stew was excellent, although it took a long time and lots of fuel to rehydrate the dried beans. The Vegan Super Hero Burritos were our favorite. The Whole-Food Granola Bars and Horse Thief GORP (we used unsweetened chocolate chips instead of carob chips) saw us through some long days of paddling and hiking. Our favorite snacks were the Energy Balls. We fought over the last one of those! I would warn others that many of the recipes call for prepackaged foods, such as Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice. People with specific health concerns should check the contents of these items before they use them. Fortunately, Zatarain's makes a low-sodium version of Red Beans and Rice, which we used. Otherwise, this is an excellent book. You can truly trust the recipes. I recommend it highly.

In my opinion, this book is great. It not only shows the technique of martial arts but how the sport can be fun. I have been under the instruction of Glen for two summers now. The group of figure skaters I am with are his youngest students. He makes the sport easy for all of us and tells many stories about how his book came to be and his road to victory. I have to say, this book is about as good as the live show. It's an all-around great book.

As a Novice in the Martial Art's I found this book to be clear and engaging from the Introduction to the Conclusion, Glen Doyle guides you through a concise understanding in "The Martial Artist's Way".

With every page that unfolded in front of me I was so immersed in reading "Choosing A Style" to "Cross-Training" that I found myself highlighting his words, as Sifu Doyle has become instrumental in my journey.

Written in an unpretentious style, this book would appeal to anyone who is interested in the martial arts, and has a lot to say even to those who aren't. Glen Doyle's engaging personality brightens up every page and keeps the book lively. He is obviously someone who lives the talk and walks the walk. I found it fascinating even though I'm not a martial artist. Almost every page has quotes that will linger in my mind and which I can apply to my every day life. I would definitely recommend this book.

Glen Doyle is refreshing with his book by the relaxed method of how he tells it to you, instead of the usual "down the throat" other books portray. Each chapter is insightful, meaingful and compassionate. I already read the book but I keep going back to it because I always pick up something new from it. My favorite chapter is titled "Making your Style your Own." Glenn tells you to listen to the voice in your head, to find the courage to change your mind if a style isn't working for you.

Sifu Doyle writes from the body, the mind and the spirit, and shares the depth of his experience in practical, down-to-earth terms. His book is like a new-found friend and a long-time buddy rolled into one - a welcome traveling companion on the journey of life. With clear examples and accessible language, Sifu Doyle elucidates the power and dissipates the myths of the inner world of martial arts. The chapters on Choosing a Style and a School contain sound advice for beginners. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on Training, Cross-training, and the Street.

Sifu Doyle's book is a valuable resource for everyone because his style encourages the reader to look into themselves for answers and encompasses concepts that are universal to any ongoing process - training, running a business, running a household, any art or craft. As an acupuncturist and a martial artist, I wholeheartedly look forward to referring many people to "The Martial Artist's Way" in the years to come.

If you want your kung-fu techniques to be real, then you must read this book, then assess your techniques closely, and then work, work, work on them. Some more words: kung-fu - as any tradtitional martial arts - is about self defence, not sports figting (no matter how brutal), or bar-brawling. If you want to get stabbed into your ribs, take up wrestling. That's up to you.

Martial Mechanics is a great book for those practicing or who are thinking about practicing martial arts. While the book focuses on striking techniques, I think the message of proper posture and use of the entire entire body ( esp. abdomen ) transcends into all martial disciplines. I found the chapter on breathing techniques ( which is rarely taught properly ) really useful.

This is a very good book for anyone thats into the martial arts. I read the other book by this same artist (author) & it was very good also. This one was probable better written than the first.

Martial Mechanics is an innocuous title for an immensley powerful book! I am a student of the martial arts for 23 years and fortunately a practitioner of YiLi Chuan in the 1980's. Even though I am no longer officially affiliated, I was a student of a wonderful instructor of YiliChuan, a senior student of Master Phillip Starr. What Sifu Starr has done is to deliver a timeless, authentic, and ultimately practical skill set, and useful guides to put your martial art, whatever system that may be, as fundamentals are universal to any good art worth it's salt, in alignment with the soundest of martial principles. This stuff is GOLD! If you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced practitioner, this book is literally a treasure, a workbook, and a glimpse into what real martial arts look like, and when putting the principles into practice, what they feel like on the giving and receiving ends. These fundamentals I was privy to when I was just getting my "martial feet" wet so-to-speak, and those that have these skills intact, in my expereince are few and far between in West Texas certainly, and in many other locales too. I highly and exuberantly recommend this tome of martial transformation, as I am recommending this book to both students and friends alike. "When one goes to the well of knowledge, drink deeply or drink not at all." Drink Deeply my brethren! Drink deeply and get this book. I await the advanced volume with an expectant heart. Thank You Sifu Starr.

Sifu Starr has done it againg! Martial Mechanics is a stand alone work, that lives in any genre; thus making it a classic for the ages! Anyone exspousing to "work smarter, not harder" would grow by leaps and bounds. Martial Mechanics is suitable and highly recommended for all combat arts. I personally study Japanese bujutsu and have studied the Brazillian brand. I highly recommend this book to grapplers/submission wrestlers! If think I am bullshidoing you, go read chapters 8,10 and 11! As matter of fact be a blessing to someone and provide a copy of Martial Mechanics for them. I can promise you, they would be the better for it! Peace!

Depending on your preference, top game or guard work, Eddie Bravo's books are excellent variations on the art. Rubber Guard was excellent and the Twister doesnt disappoint either. Victory Belt does a great job of showing alternate angle photos of the techniques, limiting the amount of blindspots. The only problem is the landscape of bjj competition, some moves aren't allowed in various tournaments. But there's plenty to add to your game and helps to keep training fresh and fun. Bravo has encouraged practitioners to think outside the box and be inventive.

This is one of the best jiu jitsu books ever it gives in great detail insight to Eddie Bravo's game.

I got this book because I really liked how Mastering the Rubber guard was set up and hoped that Mastering the Twister would be just as useful and enjoyable. I can honestly say that it was and that I was very pleased with the purchase. What I liked about both products was that they both teach a System of techniques that all link together and include "go to" moves for when things don't go according to plan. I also liked the personal stories that Mr. Bravo included; I felt that the combination of these two elements took these books well beyond what most martial arts books provide. The value of these books is that they are useful as reference, good for new ideas as they contain an unorthodox BJJ game, and they are highly entertaining. Definitely well worth the purchase. Keep up the good work!

Just like his book on the Rubber Guard, Eddie Bravo's 'Mastering the Twister' is an innovative, effective and insightful system of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu without the gi, that both intermediate and longtime practitioners will benefit in many ways from.

Like 'Mastering the Rubber Guard', this isn't just an encyclopedia of moves and positions, but a complete gameplan and system. There is a flow-chart that details each position as it transitions to the next, and Eddie goes into excellent detail on the intricacies of each technique. Like other Victory Belt published books, this is as good an instructional you will get short of a DVD video release. Highly recommended.

This is advanced BJJ however, so beginners will be adviced not to just jump in without a firm grasp of the basics. It should also be noted that Mastering the Twister is a direct "sequel" if you will to Mastering the Rubber Guard, so it will be good to start with that book first, though not totally necessary. What MTRG did for the bottom game, MTTwister does for the top game.

Eddie's system is freaking awesome! I am an accomplished grappler and have always been interested in new techniques, etc. I was already familiar with the twister and a couple of the setups, but Eddie's book blew me away. My top game is so sick right now, that not one of my fellow students, nor my coach, can touch me!
If you have some grappling experience, this book will revolutionize your top game.
If you are new, this will help you, but you might get lost in some of the more complex transitions.
Either way, Eddie Bravo and his system kick butt!

If you are a competitive skydiver, it's worth picking up. However, there are better books for non-skydivers, like "The Pursuit of Excellence"

Using this book and some other training I was able to gain the tools needed to finish my AFF and do it in style. After failing my level 4 I needed a boost. After reading this and realizing that a lot of what I was going through was normal, and getting my mind in check, I went out and nailed the rest. I've got 12 jumps now and gaining more confidence all the time. Thanks John!!

Bill K.

Excellent book. Applies to all parts of life, not just sports performance. Gives the best explanation of how your thoughts impact your performance that I have ever read.

If you are serious about your skydiving, you must get a hold of this book. I'm sure you heard, or read Jack Jeffries' review of this book, he's right. Skydiving, as are other sports, is a mental game. MORE so than other sports because we only have about a minute of "pratice" time, each time we go up. That is important to remember. The author explains simply the techniques and exercises he uses and teaches to fly with proficiency. You'll breeze through it with his plucky attitude, and personal stories that relate to the ideas he teaches you. You won't be disappointed! And like the title says, it will help you in life as well. Mental training is where it's at. Get into the zone and WIN competitions!

I have been a Parachute Instructor for 38 years and I recomend the book to all my students.