Sports and Recreation Books

I don't often read through surfing related books, although I buy them if written by guys like this whom I watched as a kid from a great distance. They typically sit on my coffee table and serve as boredom busters during commercial breaks. But this book was different, fun, and easy to read. Some good life lesson insights from a guy who admits he is nobody's guru. He admits most of his mistakes and passes on some sage advice for young Groms who are just trying to figure it all out. My favorite rant he gave was in the chapter "I will paddle back out". Very good and inspiring. Good job Shaun.

I love this book, I havnt been able to put it down, It brings me back to the days when I surfed, and is filled with the way surfers use to be.

I certainly enjoyed the philosophy and thought provoking points Shaun made throughout his book, Surfer's Code. I only wish all surfers were able read it, especially the young ones that just don't know anything of the history of surfing, its etiquette, and the principles of right of way on the wave. Having surfed since 1956 @ the age of 14, I have litterly grown in the sport and am still very actively surfing today, and I was still able to enjoy and learn from the many of the excellent points Shaun made.

"This zone where waves give up their energy and where systematic water motions give way to violent turbulence is the surf. It is the most exciting part of the ocean." ~ Williard Bascom, Waves and Beaches

Surfer's Code is a beautifully designed book with a sturdy cover and high-quality pages with stunning photographs of surfing. World-Champion Surfer Shaun Tomson presents his wisdom from the surfing community and translates what he has learned into lessons you can apply to life on land.

The book begins with stories of his father and the beginning of his surfing career. Shaun Tomson reveals the challenges and rewards of surfing all while he focuses on the wisdom gained from his experience: "I learned to trust in all the steps that have gotten me where I am. The result is that I feel better about myself, and I have a lot of fun pushing myself into more challenging situations." He also explains his ideas about why:

I Will Catch a Wave Every Day
I Will Watch Out for Other Surfers
There Will Always Be Another Wave
All Surfers are Joined by One Ocean

If you love surfing than this is an essential read showing the behind-the-scenes reality of a famous surfer. The creative writing, quotes, exciting experiences and lessons learned make this a fascinating mosaic of experience. Throughout his life, Shaun Tomson has faced many challenges and he shares his thoughts on life on land and in the ocean and creates lessons you can take with you while facing your own challenges in life.

"I was flying along in almost complete darkness with the wave breaking around me in slow motion. Suddenly the board dropped back down onto the surface of the water, and I came flying out of the barrel into daylight." ~ pg. 154

~The Rebecca Review

This was one of those books that are impossible to put down until you have reached the unexpected emotional end. I found Shaun's elite level surf descriptions immensely enjoyable. I don't surf, but my beloved husband lives the surfer's code, (both in and out of the water), and now I share an inner understanding.

You don't need to be a surfer to enjoy "Surfer's Code". Shaun's 12 lessons don't only apply in the ocean, they can and should be used in all our lives. The world would be a much nicer place! Thanks Shaun. x Cinnamon Stephens

I ordered this quite a long time, and don't understand what took me so long in reviewing it.

As others have said, this book is amazing. The photographs are simply timeless and beautiful. I can't quite describe the vibe that it captures or conveys, but I found myself somewhat saddened by the book. The pictures kind of struck a whole "Dead Poet's Socitey," "Carpe Diem" mood with me. At the same time, they conveyed the beauty of a time in California (or for that matter, the U.S.) that is forever lost and will never be recaptured. A time of innocence and naivete, before everything became so tainted, jaded, and overcrowded.

I don't know, maybe that's just a crock. At any rate, as a surfer of 20 years, this book really touched me. I think it will touch any fellow surfer, or for that matter, ocean lover.

Definitely pick this one up before it goes out of print (as these things so swiftly seem to do).

The faces and images have me so stoked! I have new found repect for the pre-war surfers, they paved the way, building on Duke's foundation.It also gives such a good historical perspective on the pre-war So. Cal. surf scene. It's bittersweet to see that so many of these lives and times were to be selflessly lost in the impending war. It also shows what a utopic place it must have been before the yuppies & developers destroyed so many fabulous spots. Something that magic can never last, it seems.A must for any surfer or red blooded Californian. A delight!

The faces and images have me so stoked! I have new found repect for the pre-war surfers, they paved the way, building on Duke's foundation.It also gives such a good historical perspective on the pre-war So. Cal. surf scene. It's bittersweet to see that so many of these lives and times were to be selflessly lost in the impending war. It also shows what a utopic place it must have been before the yuppies & developers destroyed so many fabulous spots. Something that magic can never last, it seems.A must for any surfer or red blooded Californian. A delight!

I've had this book for a while, and I'm ordering more for Christmas gifts.

I recently got the wonderful "Riding the Rails," about teens during the depression who hopped freights to go Huck Finning. My father did this and wound up hanging out at "The Big Rock," which wasn't in San Onofre, but in Malibu. But conditions were similar: then, you really could camp out on the beach.

Like an idiot, I let my Dad pass on before asking him the details of those years. Now, the best I can do are secondary sources. But these help me reconstruct a picture of that world of his that ended with World War II.

Around the world, there is a stereotype of Southern California, which is immediately dashed upon visiting Hollywood Boulevard. However, the stereotype isn't so much lie as anachronism.

There really was a world that matched the current anachronism that is still the image of Southern California. Get this book, and you'll understand what I mean.

In the movie, Atlantic City, Burt Lancaster's character says with nostalgia, "You shoulda seen the ocean then." It was an ironically funny line. But in this lovely collection of photographs we do see the ocean back then, in a time when one could camp on the beach in privacy, feasting on abundant lobster & abalone. The 100 pound boards have a beauty of woodcraft no longer known in the sport, & the surfers ride them like boats, upright & confidently. They look so much like us. The women are pretty. The waves are works of art. Those distant surfers weren't environmentalists, but they, more than anyone, were witnesses to what is now lost. Don James was a genius even when he taking snapshots.

I am beginning a Qigong practice. After researching many books on the art, I decided on this one. I feel very lucky to have found it. It is a clear and helpful guide to the practice. Yang Yang is a scholar and martial arts master. You will benefit from both his skills. He very clearly directs you in a practice, while explaining the intention behind each direction. In a complete practice, you seek to acquire the internal and external aspects of Taijiquan. If either component is missing in your practice, "gong", the fruit of practice, is limited. Specifically, Dr. Yang Yang's complete curriculum includes, "Three essential pillars": Qigong, Taiji Form, and Push-hands. My advice is to search out a copy of this book and buy it. I think you will appreciate it as much as I do.

Best book on Taiji for beginners or more advanced that I have read. It is very clearly written. Scientific literature review is very helpful.

I am a Yang-style tai chi student but found this book to be perfect for everyone. Yang Yang perfectly captures the essence of our art and presents it in a readable and enjoyable style. I read it slowly to savor every concept and every turn of phrase. This book is highly recommended to those just beginning tai chi or those who have been doing it for many years. If you have never experienced what tai chi can do for you, this book will send you looking for the nearest sifu.

Yang Yang's book, Taijiquan, is very deep and goes beyond what most people will ever know or need to know about Taijiquan and science. As a M.S. student in Exercise Science, as well as a practitioner of Hunyuan Taijiquan, I was very impressed at the depth that Yang goes into in describing the neural mechanisms at work in Taiji. He also points out various topics that western science can delve into that has yet to be investigated.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Taijiquan as well as to students of Exercise Science in order to better understand why Taijiquan is as helpful as it is in delaying aging processes.

Whether beginner or expert, Master Yang Yang's book will provide a foundation on not only what Taijiquan is and is not, but how to work your way into an understanding of it.

The book begins with some self-history of Master Yang Yang, then dives into what exactly Taijiquan is, and what it means to practice a martial art, with emphasis on both words. There follows an excellent chapter on how to pick an instructor, which is often neglected in the face of advertising and convenience.

The meat of the book goes through the three pillars of Taji practice: meditation (feeling and building your Qi), forms (using and extending your Qi) and push hands (feeling Qi from the outside). In each section, he provides the why's (why is meditation crucial), the how's (how to get started, the basics) and motivation (if you need any). The chapters also discuss how these three pillars are linked to one another.

The final chapter, "Why Practice Taijiquan?" pulls it all together, describing what you will, might and will not get out of efficient practice.

There also follows a quite well done appendix on the history of Tajiquan and the Chen school.

This is not a technical "how-to-do-the-forms-and-moves" book. For that, I recommend Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming's series of books and DVDs (or, if you are lucky enough, take one of his seminars).

You will not learn Taijiquan from this book. But you will get a excellent background and a sense of what it is, how you should approach it and practice it, and what it can become inside you. Master Yang Yang writes not only with thought and intellect, but you can feel the passion that he has for his art. Martial artists say that the art lives through them, and that comes through in this book.

I agree with the majority of reviewers here, but I think you have to be an intelligent reader to appreciate it. For example, on page 20, in golf the author discourages distracting activities while opponents are playing, but you could disturb opponents, especially musically competent ones, while you yourself are playing, "by constantly whistling a phrase with one note - always the same note - wrong." In the footnote he actually writes the musical notation of a suggested phrase, the horn motiv from Wagner's Ring, with the second note changed from an A to a D# with a glissando (sliding up to the high note). I laughed out load before I even tried to play the phrase on the guitar. I realize that some won't see the humor here, but what incredible depth in the descriptions of these tactics!

I first bought this book, thinking it would be along the lines of Sun Tzu meets Frazier...I wasn't disappointed, but the '50s writing style is not fluid to read

This tome offers a complete introduction to the theory and practice of gamesmanship. Though some of the ploys are outdated, if properly executed, these gambits will most certainly put the gamesman in the one-up position. The coverage of countergamesmanship, while sparse, is essential reading for gamesman at any level.

This book instantly turned me into a Potter fiend, and I subsequently tracked down first editions of all four -manship books. This is dry, deadpan British humour at its absolute finest - I've never seen an American writer come close, except for Mark Twain.

I came across this at some rummage sale, and once I started reading it I was instantly hooked on Potter's dustbowl-dry wit and bought all his other books. Each is outstanding, but this is still the best. For the uninitiated, this has nothing to do with playing games; it has everything to do with attitude, games people play with and against one another in life, and poking fun at our egos and self importance...and the egos and self-importance of others. There's no explaining Potter's humor - you either love it, or you don't get it at all. I love it. Even the 'diagrams' are absolute screams. Only Wodehouse was as funny or funnier than Potter.

W.P. Kinsella is an excellent writer of short fiction. Many will know him as author of Shoeless Joe which became the movie Field of Dreams (Widescreen Two-Disc Anniversary Edition).

Kinsella also has written a number of short stories, relying on baseball as the theme, but with themes that are universal. This isn't the "get the big hit to win the game" story, but rather baseball as a metaphor.

With any collection, the question of best and worst short stories come up. Particulary strong is the opener "The Last Pennant Before Armageddon" which deals with a prophecy that the next pennant that the Cubs win will be the last pennant that any team ever wins -- a prediction that still hasn't been tested since this piece was penned in 1984.

The collection also closes strong with "The Thrill of the Grass" dealing with the baseball strike and a populist secret revolt against artificial turf -- a methphorical return to purity.

Excellent work. Kinsella is truly a master writer.

W.P. Kinsella writes fiction that is a reflection of his true love of baseball. His devotion to his topic is evident to his readers in each of his works of fiction that often seem too realistic to be fiction. Particularly in this collection of stories, the line between fact and fiction is blurry.

"The Last Pennant Before Armageddon" is the highlight of the set as other reviewers have noted. As one might guess based on the title, the plot involves the Cubs winning the pennant. Though some countries, playoff alignments, and even teams from the story no longer exist, the end of the world would seem to be the logical conclusion to a Cubs pennant victory. The swerve at the end of the story may or may not surprise some readers.

Other highlights in the set include "The Night Manny Mota Tied the Record", "The Battery", and "The Thrill of the Grass". In a plot that preceded anything written by Mitch Albom, "The Night Manny Mota Tied the Record" explores the feelings after the death of Yankee catcher Thurmon Munson. Would a hardcore (non-Yankee) baseball fan give his life to save Munson's? "The Battery" takes readers to Santo Domingo where a wizard created in the vein of author Terry Pratchett sees the birth of baseball playing twins. While at least one twin excells in baseball, the wizard is the star of this story. "The Thrill of the Grass" is set during the 1981 players' strike, though the same scenario woud apply to 1994. The narrator breaks into an empty stadium as the story begins. Though he dislikes the lack of activity, he is most appalled by the artificial turf.

Though not all of the stories were gems, baseball fans are certain to enjoy this collection just as much as Kinsella's other works.

My brother told me about W.P. Kinsella in 1984 and I've been a huge fan ever since. I've read everything I can find by him, starting with "Shoeless Joe" and this might be my favorite book of his. He has written at least three collections of baseball short stories and this is easily the best.

Most of the stories are not so much about baseball, it's more a case of using baseball as a background and common thread to tie the stories all together.

These are the kind of stories you can read over and over again. One of my favorites was the story about the fans who decided to turn the latest player's strike into a chance to replace astroturf with real grass. With the stadium shut down for the strike, they came in and returned the field to a natural state. I've always thought that when the players strike they should strike to get rid of astroturf; a cause many fans could get behind.

I don't know of any baseball fan who would not enjoy these stories.

A collection of baseball stories - or rather, stories involving baseball and baseball players in some way. Kinsella is at hist best when he stays close to earth - hopeful bush leaguers, women trouble - but tends to go way over the top when he tries to involve more "magic" (in his own words) to the game and the story. The Iowa Baseball Confederacy suffered from this problem, and so do a few of the stories in this collection. But when his "stories aren't about events, they're about the people they happen to", he has a wonderful touch. Some of my favourites in this collection are "Drive me to the moon", about a Rookie leaguer and his affair in a one-horse town in Canada, "Barefoot and pregnant in Des Moines", about a big league star and his marriage. Some of these stories are true gems and fully warrant the five-star rating; others are filler, but then even the most classic games have their straightforward 6-3 groundouts.

W. P. Kinsella writes with poignance and wit, capturing both the humor and the occasional tragedy of the game. This collection displays some of his best work.

My alltime favorite among this collection is "The Last Pennant Before Armageddon." In the wake of the Cubs' collapse this fall, a work like this has real prescience and is somehow reassuring that there was a higher purpose behind it all.

Still, there are other strong stories in the mix. In one, the narrator is offered the chance to trade places with the recently-killed Yankees catcher Thurman Munson. Another, more whimsical story takes you inside the clubhouse of the 1951 Giants, as a surprisingly literate team debates whether The Greaty Gatsby is an allegory.

For me, "The Last Pennant Before Armageddon" is reason enough to buy this book. In the wake of the 2003 NLCS, I feel a dire need to read it . . . repeatedly.

This is a magnificent work, weaving the history of the Phillies and A's through the socioeconomic changes in Philadelphia during the tenure of Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium. Although I am not a Phila. native nor am I a Phillies fan, I found this work fascinating, and could not put it down! An absolute must for any library of information about historic stadiums - WELL WORTH THE MONEY AND TIME!

The author did an outstanding job in writing this book. I've visited Philly several times on business. The nature of my business took me to the distressed areas of North & West Philadelphia. I visited 21st & Lehigh where Shibe Park formerly took & now has the church covering part of the grounds. I only wished that I could have seen the park during its existence. I had the opportunity visiting Philly on a weekend pass when some Army buddies back in 1968, but unfortunately we didn't think about attending a ballgame at Connie Mack Stadium. My loss.

If your a native Philadelphian, Phillies, or a baseball fan you must read this book. It talks about not only the A's, but the Phillies, and even the Eagles and their ownerss. It talks extensively about the immediate neighborhood, North Philly, and the problems that both Connie Mack & the Carpenters faced owning the stadium. I didn't think the book would be as near as enjoyable as it proved to be. The Amazon reader's star ratings are usually grossly over graded, but not in this instance.

The best baseball books earn their sentiment. Bruce Kulkick's book does just that. It is a grown-up story written with passion and anger and affection. The author knows the game, knows that IT IS a game and does a balancing act that should satisfy fans of Big League ball, 20th century American history, and any city planning student around. Baseball is said to be a perfect game in its dimensions; if the distance between bases were any shorter, far too many hits would be produced, if the distance were longer, nobody would ever get aboard. Kuklick is a writer who carries off the same tricky balance. Elegaic and important.

THIS BOOK GIVES A VERY NOSTALGIC AND DETAILED LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF SHIBE PARK AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD. MUCH DETAIL AND DRAMA IS GIVEN TO THE EVENTS THAT GRACED THIS GREAT PARK. ALSO COVERED IN DETAIL ARE THE SHORT STAY OF THE EAGLES, THE RIVALTY OF THE A'S AND PHILLIES. THE BUNGLING AND MISMANEGMENT OF THE MACK FAMILY AND OF THE CARPENTERS IS ALSO VERY WELL DOCUMENTED AND WELL DESCRIBED. THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM SURROUNDING THE JOUNEY TO AND FROM SHIBE PARK AND THE DETERIORATING NEIGHBORHOOD ARE ALSO A VERY WELL COVERED PART OF THIS MUST READ NOVEL. I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO PHILADELPHIA, BUT THE AUTHOR MAKES THIS HISTORIC PARK INTO A STAPLE IN BASEBALL HISTORY. VERY RECOMMENDED.

University of Pennsylvania historian Bruce Kuklick has written with "To Every Thing a Season" a masterful analysis of the role of the relationship of Major League Baseball (MLB) to the city of Philadelphia and its culture in the twentieth century. He takes as his nexus one of the most significant of the concrete-and-steel stadiums built by various teams in the first part of the century, Shibe Park, home to both the National League Phillies and the American League Athletics--A's for short--for much of its history. Shibe Park, built by Connie Mack and others for $301,000, opened its doors in 1909. It was the home of the Athletics until they departed the city for Kansas City in 1954 and the Phillies between 1938 and 1970 when they moved to Veteran's Stadium.

This is sophisticated history, not the once-over-lightly narratives of many baseball histories. Kuklick emphasizes the interrelations of the A's, the Phillies, and the residents of Philadelphia with Shibe Park as the point of convergence. Connie Mack, the owner of the A's, provides the human face of much of the description in the book and his successes and numerous failings on and off the field give "To Every Thing a Seasons" much of its dramatic power. Mack built two great baseball powerhouses with the A's, the first time in the years surrounding 1910 and again in the years around 1930. In both cases he dismantled those teams and sold the players to other Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises. The Phillies had far fewer good years than the A's, but did manage to win a National League pennant in 1950, and came close in 1964 when a late season collapse allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to take the pennant.

Kuklick does not recite too much of the on-field activities of the Phillies and A's, but instead focuses on the role of Shibe Park, and by extension its occupants, in the life of the Philadelphia. As such "To Every Thing a Season" is quite excellent urban history, and at some level also business and economic and social history, rather than sports or baseball history. Kuklick is correct to conclude, and this very fine book emphasizes it: "Part of the story of Shibe Park is one of proprietorial rapacity, cynicism, and the limitations of even admirable people in an industrial society" (p. 190). Kuklick's epilogue is a superb contemplation of the social function of MLB teams and their home cities, using Philadelphia as a model. It helped generate a shared identity and taught camaraderie and patience and acceptance of the world and its fortunes. In the end, Shibe Park served as a collector of memories for the city, of both good and bad events. It became, over time, the city's equivalent of the family kitchen table.

There is no question but that any reader will learn quite a lot from this book, and I recommend it as the starting point for serious investigation of MLB and its relation to the homes of its various franchises.

This book is excellent. The book is easy reading and has easy to apply mental techniques to improve racing and training. Swimming in open water is my "weakest link". This book offers many mental training techniques that should be helpful.

I found this book to be good with many ideas. It did get a little redundant at times, which can probably be attibuted to emphasizing approaches to mental training. It definitely gets across the need for mental preparedness and ways to go about it. Reading it a couple times and and doing the exercises included in the various chapters is necessary to get the most from the book and approach.

I saw the author at the Velo Swap in S.F. in December 2006. Gave a great presentation and his way of thinking fit my training regimen for my bicycling. The style and presentation fit my mindset and when it is rainy, snowy, blowing or just don't care. You realize you are not alone and gives the tools and techniques that get you going. Not your average mental training guide but new stuff and odd angles make you approach your workout and mind in a different way

Success in sports requires as much mental strength as it does physical, and this book will teach you how to approach your sport... and your life.

I was hesitant to buy this wondering if I could really learn something about mental training from a book. I decided to give it a try and I am very glad I did. This is one of the best Ironman prep books I've read. I highly recommend it.

Excerpt from 8/25/07 Tulsa World review by Horse Racing Correspondent Richard Linihan, "Many horseracing critics are calling it (Triple Crown Winner: The Earl Sande Saga") one of the best books of its kind ever written."

Triple Crown Winner: The Earl Sande Saga is the biography of a tall, lanky kid who learned to ride in competitive horse races on the "leaky-roof", dirt track, racing circuits, eventually rising to the top ranks of North American jockeys racing on the most prestigious courses in the country. Sande was a distinctive jockey who, in a time when other jockeys routinely resorted to the whip, used the whip sparingly, preferring to coax supreme efforts out of his mounts with a gentle hand while riding them to victory and singing in their ears. Biographer and horse racing enthusiast Richard J. Maturi has done a truly excellent job in presenting the life story of one of horse racing's most memorable jockeys -- Earl Sande.

Author Richard J. Maturi hustled around the country like a jockey's agent when Triple Crown Winner was published. I saw him being interviewed in the outdoor paddock of Thistledown Race Track in Cleveland, OH, and a few days later he conducted an interesting phone interview on a Thoroughbred talk-radio show based in Cleveland.

Earl Sande can be considered the "lost athlete" in the Golden Era of Sports; a renowned jockey as dominant in his popular sport as Bill Tilden in tennis, Babe Ruth in baseball and Jack Dempsey in boxing. But his name has somehow gotten dropped when mentioning that period when athletes became larger-than-life celebrities to the public.

Like too many athletes then and now, Sande retires on top of his game, but must come out of retirement for financial reasons. And unlike so many stars who fail miserably when age rots away ability, Sande adds an exclamation point to his brilliant career when the odds were stacked against him.

Maturi starts his journey in unearthing the Sande story through a very unique circumstance. He then leads the reader through the dead-ends and great triumphs in putting the fragmented pieces of Sande's story together.

The text falters when Maturi relies too much on the staid statistical reporting of Sande's racing achievements. It simply stalls the creativity.

Also, to push the story along, Maturi has quotes from Sande that are nothing more than wooden in nature. His "comments" upon his wife's death, for example, would lead one to believe that this personal tragedy really did not phase him one bit. If Sande was so stilted, then Calvin Coolidge was actually one wild and crazy guy!

The Thouroghbred industry oftentimes does a poor job in relating the rich history to what is happening on the track today. Maturi does a great job out of the gate in researching Sande, but comes up short in striding to the winner's circle due to portions of the text failing in the deep stretch.

I laid aside "Triple Crown Winner: The Earl Sande Saga" long enough to watch undefeated Barbaro move into the saddling area at Churchill Downs. I studied the horses and listened to the commentators as the trainers gave their jockeys a leg up. With jockeys Jerry Bailey, Gary Stevens, and Pat Day retired, I said to my husband, "I'd sure like to see Edgar Prado win the Derby this year."

The last time I watched a horse and jockey claim all three jewels in the Triple Crown, I was in high school. Spoiled by three amazing horses during the seventies-Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed-I thought winning the Triple Crown was pretty common. With no winners since then, I know better now.

This decade, racing fans have savored a resurging interest in the sport of kings, thanks to the book and movie Seabiscuit and four horses that came close to claiming the elusive Triple Crown. My husband and I settled into our recliners and watched Barbaro-rode by Prado-"Run for the Roses" and win with a commanding lead despite a stumble at the start. I wonder if this colt might be the one.

After the race I returned to Earl Sande's story. Like the little-remembered Seabiscuit, Sande slipped into time without the attention and recognition he deserved. America now knows about Seabiscuit. It's time Americans revisit the accomplishments of one of the greatest Hall of Fame jockeys.

Sande's career spanned decades including the Twenties, a golden era for horse racing. He left home and went into racing as a thin Midwestern kid almost too tall to be a jockey. Good friends and horsemen along the way helped him develop his natural talent. Soon Sande rode in the big races with great horses. He logged some of the top stats in the sport, including a lifetime percentage of in-the-money wins of 60.9 percent.

Like everyone, Sande faced his share of setbacks. Unfair treatment, financial problems, a traumatic racing accident and the resulting health problems all conspired to keep Sande down. Yet, this comeback kid kept on. He overcame serious injuries to win the Kentucky Derby. Later, he came out of retirement and rode Gallant Fox to the 1930 Triple Crown. Once America's top money-winning jockey, he also became the top money-winning trainer.

Maturi tells Sande's story in a conversational style weaving an interesting biography. He includes Sande's comments, friends' perceptions, and reporters' coverage throughout the book giving readers insight into the athlete, the friend, the husband, the lover of horses. The book covers Sande's up-and-coming years, his successful career, and the end of his life. The black and white photos, illustrations and racing memorabilia depicted provide telling glimpses into Sande's life and transport the reader back in time.

If you can't get enough of racing this season, pick up a thrilling piece of the past and read about one of America's greatest jockeys of all time.

A very well done, beautifully bound book that chronicles both the tragic and triumphant life of jockey, Earl Sande, culminating in his reaching the absolute pinnacle of his sport. Often, it has been the 4-legged characters that captured audiences' hearts in books and movies of the past; now finally, an incredible tribute to one of horse-racings' all-time greats, Earl Sande, will take your breath away. Humor, tragedy and triumph are all captured in this rich and detailed biography. The dozens and dozens of period photographs make this exciting ride all the more real while truly immersing one into the Golden Era of Sports. Let Maturi take you on a ride from the grandstands to the stables to the mud-flung tracks in early May as the story of one of the greatest jockeys ever, unfolds. Certainly deserving of a movie script, this epic account of one of racings' greatest contributors is definitely a "Triple Crown Winner" in my book! Highly recommended for every and anyone!!

If you have a martial arts school or just a club, this is a must have book! Go for it immediately!

If you are a martial artist who wants to make a living full time and not just do martial arts on the side then you NEED this book. You'll learn how to set up a very successful school that you can be proud. Every instructor no matter what should get this book!!

...and this time around it should at least ruffle your feathers!

John Graden, Martial Arts Master Teacher, has gone to the heart of what it takes to be an effective Martial Arts teacher today. Without completely disgarding the training ideas of the past, he instead shows how to build on these ideas, how to use what we know about the psychology of learning, the physics of motion and the economics of the 21st century to create a learning environment that firmly turns it's back on the "Dungeon Dojos" of the last century and creates a modern, safe atmosphere where serious, effective and (dare I say it?) FUN martial arts training can take place!

(Lest any naysayers regard the concept of "safety" and "fun" as somehow being contrary to "real" martial arts training, I refer them to the summary chapter entitled "A School Full of Pooh Bears"--it will open your eyes!)

There are lots of things to learn here, lots of great writing, too. If nothing else, I will always remember Mr. Graden refering to the war-like aspects of the Martial Arts and explaining that this doesn't mean that every class is devoted to destroying the enemy. He explains: "...that our foundation is one of peace through superior firepower."

I like that. Get the book. You'll like it, too.

John Graden has a unique way of showing you everything you need to successfully run a top martial art school in today's age.
He does it with the insight of someone who has obviously "been there and done that".
This new book can be used by any martial arts instructor, regardless of style, as a step-by-step blueprint for everything from how to negotiate a lease for your school up to how to train and compensate an employee/instructor.
No one else in the industry has his superb talents. The martial arts industry will forever owe a huge debt to this man for showing us how to be a professional success without selling out!

The content of this book accomplished two very important things for me, as a martial arts businessman - 1) it re-affirmed what I was already doing in my business and, most important, 2) it provided me with new concepts, methods and ideas that will help take my business to the next level. Awesome resource!

I haven't had a chance to read the book as of this entry, but I feel it was about time that someone wrote a book about ECW. Too often people will herald WCW and WWE but forget about the ideas and stars from ECW that both companies made fortunes off of. ECW is near and dear to my heart as it was a welcomed change to what wrestling was showing at the time. I wish this book included more of the classic ECW pictures from times past but I still anticipate sitting down to read it.

great book so many facts and great way to introduce a new fan to ECW

From the author behind acclaimed wrestling travelogue Slamthology, Turning The Tables takes a fascinating and detailed look at the company that revolutionised professional wrestling, the reasons behind both its success, and its downfall, and all with the insight and acerbic wit that readers of his previous book have come to expect from this author.

Like many rags to riches to rags stories, the tale of ECW is a captivating one, and here John Lister takes us on the complete journey, covering every major incident throughout ECW's storied history, the characters, the angles, the fans, and the deals taking place behind the scenes. There's even a shocking discovery that blows the lid on a long established piece of ECW folklore. Even long term fans have plenty to learn from this book, and will also enjoy reminiscing about the glory days of the original ECW. For fans whose only exposure to ECW is the recent WWE revival, and wondering what's the original story behind the relaunched version they see today, Turning The Tables will bring them completely up to speed.

Some critics may make mention of the fact that the author didn't actively interview anyone connected with ECW for this book, but actually, that makes it the better of the ECW books on the market. In writing this book, the author has no agenda, no bias, and as a journalist and long-time fan not actively involved with the company or its employees, has no need to twist the facts, gloss over certain events, or attempt to rewrite history. Turning The Tables gives a more complete picture of the story than similar books, rather than having the pacing and emphasis determined by who was available for interview at the time of writing, and it's because of this that it really stands out above its competition.

So, for fans of professional wrestling and ECW - be it the original incarnation or the 21st century relaunch - Turning The Tables is an invaluable guide to the cult company that left an indelible scar carved into the forehead of the business.

IT WAS the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of violence, and it was the age of extreme. But this tale began in the city of brotherly love -- Philadelphia. Extreme Championship Wrestling is a cultural anomaly that will forever go down in the memories of wrestling fans as a revolutionary style of anti-establishment fueled by a cult of passionate fans that had as much to do with the product as the men inside the ring.

John Lister, based out of the United Kingdom, set out to uncover the seedy underbelly of the phenomenon known to wrestling fans the world over as ECW. The concept is technically the property of Vincent Kennedy McMahon but the memories belong to the fans. "Turning the Tables, The Story of Extreme Championship Wrestling" is a celebratory journey down memory lane for crazy fans of Extreme wrestling. Lister takes readers back even before the beginning and after the end, hitting on all points in between. He exposes what happens backstage and recalls some of ECW's most unforgettable moments. Credit is given to the important people who kept the company going as long as it did, and proper tributes paid to the army of extreme wrestlers who gave their blood, their bodies, and in some cases their lives, to make ECW so great.

Turning the Tables is a great book about something that interests all wrestling fans. Through the pages of this book you will experience the true influence that ECW had on all aspects of today's wrestling product and you will be left with a newfound feeling of respect for Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Rating: 7/10 - Must have a genuine interest.

Reviewed by Obsessedwithwrestling.com's Brad Dykens

My initial viewing experience in Cleveland (OH) with the ECW television program was through shows airing on a small station based in Akron/Canton (OH) that was not picked up by most cable outlets outside that area. I was lucky enough to have a Sony Watchman that picked up the station.

Based on that TV show and word of mouth, ECW sold out its first show in Cleveland at the Agora nightclub, which was known for holding metal shows. Needless to say it wasn't the typical crowd found at WWF and WCW house shows held at the larger venues in the city.

Lister captures that energy and excitement of ECW as it built up its following from Philadelphia and the East Coast to taking the product nationwide, and then the collapse of the organization (with the rebirth as a subsidiary of WWE).

Lister is not hampered one bit by not having access to those involved in ECW for interviews (most likely due to the recent book and DVD put out through WWE). Rather, Lister takes secondary sources, along with his encyclopedic knowledge of the organization through viewing shows live and on tape, to weave an outstanding and unbiased look at the company.

He also points out key points in storylines that appeared in WWF/WCW sometimes years later and also has enough information on what was happening in the major organizations to place ECW in its proper historical perspective.

A major plus is Lister's comprehensive list of wrestlers who were part of ECW. That in itself is worth the price of the book.

I want to remember ECW as the inovative organization with performers willing to push the (bingo) cards off the table and that kicked hard to force WWF/WCW to alter its product, no matter how lame the knock-offs ultimately were to fans "in the know."

If there is one book you want to pick up to chronicle the history of ECW, Turning the Tables is it.