Recreation Books

I've been fly fishing for over 30 years and live in the epicenter of fly fishing in Montana. I learned a ton from this book ("Barr Flies"). I caught more trout over 20 inches this Summer on the Beaverhead than any time in the past. Filled with great, very specific tactics. Thanks John Barr.

I am usually pretty picky on my fly pattern books and get most of them off the internet. This is a reallyg good addition to your tying library and has lots of info, pictures and organized well. I keep it next to my bench when I get ready to go chase the trout or warmwater fish. Great for remembering patterns I had tied or finding new ones to try.

Barr Flies: How to Tie and Fish the Copper John, the Barr Emerger, and Dozens of Other Patterns, Variations, and Rigs
I have purchased and read many books in the last few years regarding tying and fishing,but this book not only is well-written and enjoyable to read but it just may give you some new weapons in your fishing arsenal! The photography is excellent and Mr Barr's flies,tying techniques and practical suggestions as to how to fish these flies is wonderful.You will not be dissapointed with the purchase of this book!

I just wanted to put in my two cents about this great book and Barr flies in general. I hesitated to try Barr flies for a long time thinking them "Western" flies that our Eastern trout might find insulting. I tied up some Copper Johns and slumpbusters for a Western trip and they worked great in Northern Idaho. So one day I gave them a try on a tough Eastern stream and they worked super here too(helped me avoid a skunk.) They have definately earned a permanent place in my flybox. I'm sure they will in your's too if you give them a try.

It is hard to imagine that anyone pursuing trout on flies could have walked into a fly shop in the past five years and not have walked out with one of John Barr's flies. Even harder to imagine is that this same angler has never heard of a Copper John or a Barr Emerger. Walking into several fly shops in the past four months around the country, I can attest not only to the popularity of his patterns, but the more than enthusiastic reception this book has received among the fly fishing faithful.

I admit to having tied my own Copper John's for years, now. While I doubt that the effectiveness of my flies will change much now that I tie them in de facto Barr style, the step-by-step instructions and photographs sure have them looking just flat-out better than anything turned out at the vise previously. From a standpoint of personal pride alone, this book may be worth the purchase.

John's commentary on the development of the patterns is good entertainment, but what I found to be of great value were his explanations for why he was driven to imitate the food organisms he has included (i.e. why they are important to the trout), how to fish them best, and overall how these flies are incorporated into his own personal system of fishing. The final pages provide photographs and explanations of four fly boxes (which may have been featured in an issue of "Fly Fisherman" previously - I have not bothered to check) containing the book's patterns in an array of colors and sizes, in addition to a few other popular western fly patterns. I know I stand on thin and melting ice at the mere suggestion of such a notion, but the thought of consolidating one's fly assortment to just four boxes and covering all of the bases likely to be met on-stream just sounds outrageously tempting. Perhaps when I have put 200 days on the water for the next 10 years and have 20 original patterns designed to tackle all of the challenges faced in that time, I will be able to do so. In the meantime, why start re-inventing the wheel? A great book, whether you want to subscribe to a complete fishing system, learn a few new techniques and flies to add to your arsenal, or just make your own flies look better.

Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares
Author: Frank Murphy

Reviewed by: Brianna - a Stockbrideg Central School 3rd Grader
***


This book is about Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin was a very successful inventor. Ben invented: flippers in 1717, the Franklin stove in 1742, and found out that lightning was made of electricity. He all so started: America's first library, America's first fire station, and first hospital too he even helped Thomas Jefferson write and rewrite the declaration of Independence in 1776.
There is narration through out the book and on every page there is information. There is very little text so it is easy to read. The book is told as a story it starts when he is a boy and goes through his life. I like this book because it gives a lot of information. I recommend this book to children who would like to learn about Benjamin Franklin. So read the book or you will be missing out!!!

I thought that ths book was really good! I thoght it was so interesting!! Mr.Murphy is my math teacher... and he is amazing at teaching!!! He did very well with all of the writers craft in it. In class for Language arts he encourages us to use writers crafts and he actually uses them in this book!! This book is very interesting for adults who are interested in math and Ben Franklin. It is also a great book for children who are interested in math and Ben Franklin!! I love math because it is so interesting and because I have a great math teacher!!
[...]

I love this book! It introduced me to magic squares. Sometimes they're hard but not always. I read the book in 3rd grade. We were doing math groups and Mrs. Wrigely said" Today we are doing Magic squares."
What is a magic square?" I asked.
"It is 9 cubes that all have to equal the same number." Mrs. Wrigely
And that's how I was introduced to magic squares. I recommend this book for kids 6 and above. I think that because some words may be a little challenging for kids that are 5 or 4.


Mitchell S. 4th grade

what other book can make math interesting? and funny? Mr. Murphy has done it once again with his fabulous work! A++++++++++++!
-Stephanie
Connecticut

I THINK BEN FRANKLIN AND THE MAIGIC SQUARES IS A REALLY GOOD BOOK FOR KIDS. AND MAYBE PARENTS TOO. I READ MOST OF HIS BOOKS. HE WAS MY TEACHER IN 4TH GRADE. HE IS A VERY GOOD WRITER I THINK. HE WRITES AMAZINGLY AMAZING BOOKS. HE IS A REALLY GOOD TEACHER.


RYAN .B
HOLLAND

With the backdrop of the emerging black middle-class in segregated Washington, D.C., during World War II, author Brad Snyder tells the compelling story of two baseball clubs and the push to integrate one professional league.

There is Homestead Grays founder Cum Posey, who is looking to relocate his franchise from Pittsburgh before the start of the 1940 season. And there is Clark Griffith, owner of the pathetic Washington Senators, who can briefly shuffle aside his racism for a business deal that will bring a new revenue stream to his bank account when the team is playing away from Griffith Stadium.

This initial tenuous partnership delivered a surprise to Griffith; the Grays exemplary play on the field found them outdrawing the cellar-dwelling Senators and galvanizing a new generation of baseball fans. That success - even with onerous stadium leases common when NLB teams played in facilities used by Major League Baseball clubs - helped propel the integration of MLB in 1947.

The era is also seen through legendary sportswriters Sam Lacy & Wendell Smith, Buck Leonard - the greatest pro first baseman - and in the offices of MLB, especially the Senators.

Griffith - who certainly could have worked out some type of agreement with the Grays for players to bolster the Senators before the Dodgers signed Robinson - was only a pioneer in segregation, integrating his team seven years after Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers and ultimately fleeing Washington, D.C., relocating his team to the whiter Minneapolis-St. Paul market.

With the success of Robinson came the slow disintegration of NLB - the league that was truly integrated on the field, in the stands and in the front offices - as MLB teams raided the club rosters for established stars and began scouting & signing younger players to contracts.

Snyder has brought this forgotten period beyond the shadows of the simplistic retelling of the past that plagues all levels American history.

Let me be clear, this is a great book, rather than just a very good one. In nine chapters, plus an introduction and conclusion, Washington, D.C., based attorney turned writer has told the powerful and sometimes provocative story of how the Homestead Grays moved to Washington, D.C., and set the stage for the breaking down of the color line in Major League Baseball (MLB). In this important book Brad Snyder moves beyond the singular actions of Branch Rickey's Brooklyn Dodgers and Jackie Robinson, which most people are familiar with, to explore the broader implications of race relations in baseball during the 1940s.

In telling this story, "Beyond the Shadow of the Senators" is filled with heroes and villains. The most significant hero is unquestionably Sam Lacy, a black writer with the "Washington Tribune," a weekly oriented toward D.C.'s large African American community, who consistently called for the desegregation of MLB. Also heroic are the great stars of the Negro Leagues, especially Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson, all of whom came to Washington to play before large crowds in the nation's capital. They demonstrated through their exploits the quality of talent in the Negro leagues, especially when juxtaposed against the hapless play of the Washington Senators of the American League. The villains include Clark Griffith, the financially strapped owner of the Senators whose willingness to rent Griffith Stadium to the Grays proved lucrative, and Grays owner Cumberland Posey who shifted his team from the Pittsburgh area to Washington to cater to the large middle-class African American community in Washington. Both Griffith and Posey had every reason to keep the segregated system intact because of the money they made. Moreover, Griffith was a blatant racist who integrated reluctantly and eventually moved the Senators from Washington to Minneapolis-St. Paul because, as he said in 1978, "you've got good, hardworking white people here" (p. 289).

Ranging broadly from social history to baseball and back, Snyder captures the essence of the history of the Senators, the Grays, and wartime Washington's racial situation. It is a story of love and hate at the same time, as well as the quest for dignity of the minority population in a divided city. "Beyond the Shadow of the Senators" is a powerful book. Enjoy.

Brad is an excellent researcher and writer. This book is not only enjoyable but educational. I met Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe and Lester Lockett, two former Negro League players, a few years ago and their stories started my interest. Brad fed that interest beautifully. I look forward to Brad's next book on Curt Flood and the reserve clause. His attention to detail is consistent with his legal background.

Tim Moreland, PhD
Salisbury, NC

"Beyond the Shadow of the Senators'' is a must read for any serious student of baseball history. The author put a massive amount of research into this engaging account, of which I knew nothing even though I grew up in Washington not long after these events took place. This is an outstanding work in every regard. I have never met the author and I am not an African-American (not that anybody should care); I am just a fan of baseball and its history. If you are, too: Read this book.

This is a great, and true-to-life (i.e., "complex") story about the institution of 'Negro' League baseball and the various parties who profited and railed against it.

Key people that are introduced and brought to life are:
Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson -- three of the greatest ballplayers who ever lived;
Clark Griffith -- the pioneering, penurious and controlling owner of the Washington Senators;
Sam Lacy -- the ahead-of-his-time, DC-native who tirelessly advocated for the integration of Major League Baseball; as well as
Cum(berland) Posey -- the shrewd owner of the Homestead Grays -- the dominant team of the loosely confederated Negro Leagues during the late 30's and 40's.

Tangential to this story are:
the decimation of the post 1933 Senators, mostly due to finances and an inadequate ballpark;
the relative prosperity of Washington DC during the years of the depression and WWII and the partial equality of African-American government workers that led to a vibrant culture and ability to spend on entertainment;
the move by Posey and his "partner" (many of the Negro League baseball teams were financed by numbers entreprenuers) to Washington from their Pittsburgh home and the welcome of their rental payments and gate pctgs. by Clark Griffith;
Judge Landis' death, the increasing awareness of America's incongruity in its fight for freedom and democracy in Europe while maintaining a virtual apartheid culture at home; and
the greed/opportunity of baseball owners to find the best talent at the lowest price which ultimately led to Rickey's "great experiment");

This book also fleshes out the background and conflict around Jackie Robinson, who was rightly judged to be a great man and the right vehicle for Rickey's efforst, and the shared opinions that he was a good, but not all-time great Negro baseball player. [Check out how well a 42-yr old Satchel Paige pitched for the World Championship Indians in 1948.]

The shifts in attitude between "separate but equal" and complete integration by the various parties reveal primarily self-interest. Judged by the standards of our time, I share many others' great respect for Sam Lacy and his tireless, moral advocacy and feel sorry for the Negro League baseball owners who were mostly left with nothing as they rarely had enforceable contracts that protected their relationship with their players.

Clark Griffith was an "innovator" in attracting inexpensive talent from Cuba. Many of these players represented themselves well on the ballfield but would only be acceptable if they were of "Spanish" descent.

Utterly inconceivable now, but the norm for over 60 years (since Cap Anson helped institute the "gentleman's agreement" against employment of African Americans in the early 1880's) was to allow a Major or Minor League ballclup to employ pretty much anyone (Swedes, Germans, Irish, Italians, Jews, etc.) anyone, except African-Americans.

It has often been discussed that without Jackie Robinson (& the parts played by Branch Rickey, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Ben Chapman, etc.) the 1954 "Brown vs. Board of Education" decision would not have happened as quickly.

This book provides a wonderful companion story to the integration of major league baseball which, in my opinion, is one of the most significant stories of 20th Century United States.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other than that it's great.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Or so I presume.

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

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

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

Rose
author, California's Kit Homes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

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

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