Recreation Books

This book is the best, but I think I could do without all the colored pictures, a smaller book, and less expensive. After all, are you going fishing, or sitting in your recliner looking at all the nice pictures?

Any fisherman planning a trip to Alaska should check out this reference. There are tips on hiring a guide and exploring the waterways on your own.

This book should definately be on your list if you are planning a fishing trip to Alaska. It is the most comprehesive source of information that I have seen.

I now live in rural Alaska and my husband has fished all summer - fresh salmon can't be beat! This book was spot on and I look forward to using it to surprise my husband with a cool fishing trip. The pictures were excellant and look just like what I live in!

I was very pleased with this purchase. The book covers all of the major sport fish that can be expected in Alaska. Each species gets a detailed treatment including biology, tackle, fishing techniques, and some of the best places to go for each species. The authors also provide a detailed discussion of the various geographic regions of the state (including contact information for guides and air taxis) making it easy to plan a fishing trip by region or by species. The book is filled with photography that beautifully illustrates the fish and places of Alaska.

I had a good time reading through this reprint of Morris Morgan's 1893 translation of Xenophon's "The Art of Horsemanship" (350 BC). Unlike many of the other ancient Greek translations and authors, this one is very easy to read.

The text itself is fairly short and reads quickly, sprinkled with wisdom. After the text is another short portion from 1893, which talks about "The Greek Riding-Horse", based on Xenophon and all the other available sources. Additionally, the footnotes to the text are quite interesting--I read them, for the most part, en block after reading the text.

As the title implies, the text is a very hands-on, practical guide to "everything you need to know" about how to take care of and look good riding a horse, reading like a "Horsemanship for Dummies" book. If you're interested in Ancient Greece and horses, you've got to read this short "instruction manual", though if you're only interested in the ancients, it's still fun to breeze through this text, nevertheless.

If more people took the time to educate themselves about horses and horsemanship in general and Xenophone's book in particular, perhaps we not see so many "show horses" of various popular breeds so physically manipulated by in breeding for only one or two specific traits rather than breeding for the whole horse. What was true in Ancient Greece is truer still today - without good feet, balance in the body and common sense a horse is worthless. Bravo to Amazon for bringing us this excellent book dirt cheap!

The material in this book is thousands of years old but amazing in how modern the approach is to horsemanship. Most of Xenophon's advice is timely even today. It shows how little has changed over the centuries.

This is a must if you are passionate about horses. It is so clear and to the essential point that it is a pleasure to read.

Xenophon covers several aspects of horsemanship, from grooming, leading, and choosing a horse, to mounting, riding, and training a war mount. Very, very interesting to see what is still applicable today. While this isn't a "training" or even a "horse care book," its a great historical reference from those interested in how horses we cared for and trained 2000 years ago. However, for those looking for a story or a book to teach riding skills, I suggest you look elsewhere. Those interested in dressage will find this worth-while, as it is considered the oldest text on the subject.

. . . this would have to be it. I actually started getting jealous that HE was the one who wrote to all these players, and HE was the one who got letters back from them. But I got over it quickly and just shared in the joy and the fascinating discoveries. What a treasure trove, made even better by the author's showing us copies of the actual handwritten letters from the players! Also it's gutsy how he shares with us the story of how this project resulted from a period of emotional difficulty that he went through. The style is casual yet flawless -- as easy to read as anything you'll ever find.

Having my own collection of "baseball letters" similar to Swirsky's thoroughly enjoyed this book. I even envied a few of his responses that I was never able to receive and was relieve to find that I was not the only baseball fan to journey into letter writing.

It is a collection of responses to letter's Swirsky sent to baseball players in a varied range of topics. Some answers are short and simple while others provide a more interserting response. Either way, if you are a baseball fans or have even written to a baseball player, past or present, you should enjoy this simple and enjoyable book.

I *love* this book. It's a great compilation of some of the most interesting questions one can ask his heroes. Mr. Swirsky doesn't just stick to the basics, he asks players who played in the 1930s what baseball was like in that era, he asks legends to put together their all time All-Star team, and asks players their impressions of up and coming (soon to be legendary) rookies! I was very impressed by Mr. Swirsky's knowledge of the game, and his ability to ask questions we wouldn't have thought of.

What's also interesting is that 99% of the responses are handwritten! In this day and age of email, it makes the book more intimate and personal!

This is a great coffee table book, too, as it's great for reading in small portions--when you want a slice of baseball history! The companion book, Every Pitcher Tells a Story, is also wonderful and features more great letters. I highly recommend!

This book is rich and full of exciting baseball history, as Swirsky writes to professional baseball players of all decades and teams and poses questions to them on their careers and reflections of America's Pastime. Not only is this book interesting in a historical prospective, but it's very fun to read and analzye. The work that went into this book is noticeable, and both the letter to the player and the response from the player (as well as many great pictures) make this book a timeless classic. Bravo to Seth Swirsky for such a job well-done.

I bought Mr. Swirsky's new book "Every Pitcher Tells A Story" and was so taken by its originality that I bought his first one "Baseball Letters". They are quite different and it's hard to tell which one I enjoyed more. I was glad he didn't write to the same players--every letter was a new 'experience'.Great reads.

Shaw Grigsby is obviously a Bass Master and tells his own story in a humble and consistently interesting way.

The one thing that is a bit off-putting about the book are the "testimonials" included between chapters. We're already convinced that Grigsby is a good guy--the gushing endorsements from third parties seem excessive and not in very good taste.

This isn't your typical bass tips book. It's that and so much more. Yes you will gain valuable knowledge as to how to catch more and bigger bass. Shaw truly is a master and his tips are golden. But he also offers insight into what it takes to be a professional angler, into life, into fishing in general, and the history of bass fishing. It's a biography and more and it stands heads above the numerous books in this genre.

great book, I met shaw grigsby, and I must say if you read the book, youll feel like you now him an honest book,

The title of my review is evident throughout this fine book. Anyone serious about bass fishing should read it. I've read my copy about 4 times already (since 1998 when I bought it) and it never seems old. This is a MUST have.

I give this book a 5, and I own a lot of fishing books.

When I first purchased the book it seemed a bit small, would it be worth it? It was.

In short chapters it discusses how to improve your fishing, tournament ethics, and family fishing. That's a lot of ground.

Tired of all those birds nests in your spinning reel? Why not follow Shaw's advice and cast and tug your line gently. No more snarls. Shaw doesn't use the word ethics but that's what he's talking about for tournaments. Read it, and you'll fish differently with your buddies. As for family, Shaw's kind remarks about his wife, kids and dad are special.

I didn't realize it until now but this is a great kid's book also. It works on different levels. Hope the review helps.

Scott Olivieri does a great job of describing what it means for a lifelong fan to move to the inner circle of the Red Sox. While baseball fans will find plenty of stats and baseball analysis, the casual baseball fan will not feel bogged down in numbers and technical terms. The human story of a young college grad having a chance of a lifetime is compelling as well. Particularly amusing is the story where he can't cash a check from Roger Clemens. Can't wait for the next book!

I loved this book! I had a hard time putting the book down. The book was interesting, funny, well written, and a quick read. The club house and personal stories were hilarious. The thing I liked best was that Olivieri brings you through the process of what it's like to go from being a fan, to a stranger in the club house, to a part of the team. After reading it, I bought one for my Father in-law,(a fellow believer)for Christmas. You'll love this book too.

In 1991, Scott Olivieri, then aged twenty-one and a passionate Red Sox fan, lived the dream of every member of the Red Sox Nation, spending the entire season in the Red Sox clubhouse, hoping quietly to improve the team's hitting. Until that year, each batter had had to rely on a pitcher's stats and his own experience in trying to anticipate pitches. Videotape existed, but using it to show a player his individual at-bats was a prohibitively time-consuming process. By 1991, however, Pete Olivieri, Scott's father, had developed a computer program which would not only record each at-bat and each pitch but would allow individual players to call up at-bats instantly so they could be reviewed and studied. Players could also use multiple screens to compare and contrast swings and hits. Without fanfare, the computer suddenly became an essential part of the game.

Olivieri's lifelong love of the team shines through here as he describes being a child growing up a few miles from Fenway Park, playing Little League with Jim Rice's number on his back, memorizing locker combinations by associating the numbers with Red Sox players' numbers, and watching or listening to every game. Even as a youngster, however, he realized that "the Red Sox, ultimately, are a symbol of disappointment." Time after time, he watched a team "with superb talent losing in ways screenwriters couldn't script." His chance to make a difference, using a home-grown computer program to give an edge to the batter, not only allowed him the chance to meet some of his heroes but actually to help them to improve their hitting--and maybe the team's record.

Olivieri's descriptions capture both the romance the game and the tedium of the locker room, the camaraderie of the players and the excesses of the press, locker room "etiquette" and the public missteps of some of the players. He himself is a respectful, "background" sort of person, careful not to call attention to himself so that the players can discover for themselves his program and its opportunities. His opinions of Wade Boggs, Ellis Burks, Mike Greenwell, Phil Plantier, Roger Clemens, and the unfortunate Jeff Gray ring with truth and personal insight. Red Sox fans, computer specialists, and lovers of baseball should be fascinated by this behind-the-scenes look at the interface between the computer and baseball--the beginning of a new era. Mary Whipple

Olivieri has an exceptional talent for telling a story. Put that together with a storyline that brings the reader right inside the Red Sox clubhouse - and the result is a book that makes you thirst for more. The dialogues, descriptions, and insider's look make you feel as if you were in the clubhouse yourself. This book was a great read - I did it in one sitting. I certainly hope that Olivieri continues the story - I will be first in line to get the next book(s) - and perhaps that is the greatest review of all. You don't have to be a Sox fan to enjoy this book but, if you are, it will become one of your favorites.

Since my daughter has been living in Boston for the past 10 years, and I get to travel there to visit quite a bit, I have become a rabid Sox fan (but just in the American League; the Phillies are my team in the National!). I love their storied and star-crossed history, and this book gives me new insights into the baseball culture and system. It's told from the perspective of a fan who gets the "once in a lifetime" job to mingle with the players on his hometown team. There are tremendous locker room scenes, and the players appear to be more human than we really see them when they are just on the field. Even Roger Clemens appears likeable, which is almost amazing! A close read of the book reveals that the writer was not too thrilled with the front office Sox organization, but it's the old story that familiarity breeds contempt. This is a book all baseball fans, and those who enjoy a well written book, will love! Read it, you won't be sorry.

As a sports fan I found Blades of Glory to be a great story of a team's journey toward fullfillment of a life long dream. Rosengren does an outstanding job of highliting the ups and downs of high school athletics and the culture of youth/hs hockey. Additionally, the historical aspects of the book made me more appreciative of past programs and the role the sport plays in the hearts and minds of Minnesota residents.
However, as a high school coach, what I found even more valuable were the qualities and characteristics needed to build and maintain a successful program. Rosengren's brings to life a number of ethical questions that coaches face concerning winning, loyalty, and relationships making this a must read for anyone interested in coaching.

This is a great inside look at an elite high school hockey program. From the players to the coaches to the parents to the cheerleaders to the fans, no angle is left unturned.

Humor, history and controversy: Blades of Glory has it all. More important, Rosengren taps into truth from a variety of perspectives, including those parents, players, coaches--and scouts whose livelihoods depend upon not just upon a prospect's potential but also his circumstances.

But these aren't the reasons I selected the book in the first place. No, I picked up Blades of Glory because I'm a hockey fan (of all levels) and a hockey player; I selected the book because I have lived in Minnesota and have coached hockey (and other sports). I didn't know I'd learn so much about things I thought I knew about, and I didn't realize I'd get more than just a fleeting glimpse of the big hockey picture.

There is a wide variety of hockey books sitting on the virtual shelves at Amazon.com: NHL autobiographies, training manuals and minor league misadventures. I have read many of these books. I'll continue to read them--and will enjoy them for what they are. But these other books won't likely be laced with the same doses of humanity and history as Blades of Glory.

The story of Bloomington Jefferson Jaguar hockey in 2001 could easily have been written about my high school 15 years prior. I grew up one 'burb over and attended Tom Saterdalen's hockey schools as an early teen. It was held at the Bloomington Ice Garden in "prestigious West Bloomington" - the storied venue chronicled in the book.

High school hockey in the Lake Conference is a very big deal. I knew as much from the time I was a Mite and my dad took me to watch our community's team play. Yes it is competitive. Yes there is a win-at-all-cost mentality that draws fire from many - including some of those that have reviewed the book for this site. You can be the judge of whether that is good, bad, or neither.

We (and I'm including pretty much every male hockey player in my community) all wanted to suit up for Varsity very badly. We wouldn't have wanted it so much if it weren't as competitive, as important. Like professional sports, successes are a great source of civic pride.

Blades of Glory takes you inside this world for one sometimes glorious, sometimes frustrating season. Indiana basketball, Texas football, Minnesota hockey. This isn't participatory high school athletics in obscure sports at some random school. Rosengren does a very good job of capturing the emotions. He also weaves in enough tales to make stabs at social commentary without coming across as preachy.

My only knock against the book is that he opts for an effect that takes things out of their chronological sequence in order to emphasize certain emotions and certain points. (Example - wait until you read about the Jefferson Jaguars GIRLS hockey team late in the book. We hear about how some of the boy players are dating girls that play on the team throughout the book... their successful season is covered late, almost as an afterthought. Another example - much is written about a parent's critical letter to the community paper in the early 90s about Saterdalen's overzealous competitive drive. Context on the source is provided at the very end. I'm not sure why that was held back as some sort of finale.)

Anyone that thinks they'd like this book will. A great work.

A former UM-Duluth goaltender loaned me this book. I enjoyed parts of it, but Rosengren's factual errors call into question the whole narrative that the author asks us to believe.

Among Rosengren's goofs:

1) Larry "Pops" Ross never coached at UW-River Falls, as Rosengren claims.

2) Scott Stevens never went head-hunting for Eric Lindros, which led to Lindros' sixth concussion. I watched that game, and Stevens hit Lindros with a legal shoulder check delivered at chest level. Lindros came across the blue line with his head down and he paid for it. There was no malicious intent on Stevens' part, as Rosengren implied.

3) The United States Hockey League (USHL) is not a "beer league" filled with goonery as some of the Jefferson players in the narrative state. Rosengren later slips in subjective evidence to reinforce the notion that the USHL is a thug-filled, bottom-end league. He's way off: The USHL is a top-tier Junior A league with many talented players that end up playing collegiate hockey and beyond.

Here's proof: Blake Wheeler, who played with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers in 2004-05, was taken fifth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2004 NHL draft. A bloke named Gretzky runs that outfit. In the NHL's 2005 draft, 26 USHL players were selected by NHL teams.

Must be some beer league. I don't know of any beer leagues that have teams that draw more than 100,000 paying fans a season.

Moving on, I had trouble keeping Rosengren's five hockey-playing characters straight. Perhaps that's on me.

Give Rosengren credit for exposing the drug use among the Bloomington Jefferson players and head coach Saterdalen's erie obliviousness to drug use by his players. I liked the way Rosengren neatly worked in Minnesota hockey history, assuming the new history I read was accurate.

As for Minnesota hockey parents, he nailed the worst ones dead one. I coached youth puck in Minnesota for two decades. While most hockey parents in Minnesota are wonderful people who put the game in perspective, there are the toxic few who only see their investment (child) and nothing else. Some of the Jefferson parents demonstrate what psychologists call "achievement by proxy." It's grossly unfair to any young player.

I sometime suspect that we hockey fans are so glad to have anything in print about our sport that we become giddy with joy reading it. This is an average hockey book that fires some of its factual content wide of the net.

Like one previous reviewer, I discovered this amazing book when I was in junior high. I read an enthusiastic Time magazine review of Jones' surrealist coming-of-age saga in 1974, but didn't actually buy a copy 'til the following year.

Like two previous reviewers, I was struck by the Huck Finn parallels, or anti-parallels. I actually wrote a paper for a high school English class detailing how I felt Jones had used Huck Finn as a starting point, then turned certain aspects of Twain's allegory on end. It was a public high school, so my insights -- indeed my entire topic selection! -- were poorly received. It's just as well that I resisted my initial urge to drag James Dickey's novel/screenplay 'Deliverance,' another allegorical mid-'70s river voyage, into the analysis.

'Blood Sport' is a brutally honest but infallibly entertaining depiction of [male] human nature and the human condition, and it's the last word on what guys are all about. Metrosexuals won't like 'Blood Sport' at all.

Exploring the Hassayampa headwaters is about more than just growing up; indeed, growing up is about more than just growing up! The thematic linchpin of Blood Sport is exposed during Ratnose's discussion of the second law of thermodynamics: Life itself is rebellion, he argues, against the second law, which dictates that energy in a high state tends to become energy in a lower state, all the way down to the inert ...

A terrifically entertaining read. As a military man, hunter and Deadhead (different sides of myself I've often found hard to reconcile) it was a real treat to find a book that included elements of outdoorsmanship, combat, and the absurd (in extrema).

This novel is without a doubt a classic, grizzly account of manhood and survival, transformation and change. Perhaps if you are one who believes that the spirit of the bear resides inside of you, pick this book up and read it all the way through. It is a magnificent story full of gritty, earthly imagery that will thicken your skin. From gunfights to hemp-laiden philosophy, from sensitivity to utter insanity... Stand up and play the hand god has dealt. Play fair but play to win.

Where's the sequel, Jones?

What a great book!! An excellent piece of surrealistic fiction. If you are a hunter, a fisherman or just an old-style libertarian hippie (Your modern tree hugging, gun-phobic, quiche-eating hippie won't like it.), I highly recommend this book.

So glad to see this amazing novel back in print. I read a Dell paperback (with a beautiful full-color cover) when I was in junior high (middle school to you youngsters) back in '75 or so. Blew the top of my head clean off. Broke a bunch of rules and made up some new ones in the process. After I read this I graduated directly to Vonnegut, Brautigan and Castaneda. Blood Sport changed the way I look at writers and writing, and it deserves a spot on the same shelf as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Heart of Darkness and Deliverance. The chapter listing "27 Things I Learned About Ratnose" is itself worth the cover price. Long live R.F. Jones. He has written a true adventure classic.

This program works!!! it's not easy-it's not hard,IT WORKS, I have lost 100 lbs in 1 year and totally reshaped my body and changed my metabolism,Thanks to the TRUTH in this book!!!!!!!!!!

I'm shocked that so many reviewers raved. First of all, the calorie count was too low for me. I was very hungry. Personally, I believe when you get used to being very hungry, or you get used to quite a bit less food, it is a sign that your metabolism is slowing down. I've had the pendulum swing too often to go through that again. Secondly, I found the last repetitions of the exercises such unpleasant experiences that I dreaded working out as time went on, whereas in the past I would get happier about working out the farther into a program I went. Third, it is very rare to find a body builder, and they are the experts at shedding fat, who doesn't believe that aerobics should be included in training, or who recommends Superslow. Schwarzenegger even reported (long ago) that he and a training buddy tried slow reps and abandoned the technique because it was not getting them the results they were used to. Fourth, I resent that the cover model was a woman who didn't need to lose any body fat. In fact, she didn't have to follow the eating plan at all. Lastly, even though there is in the reviews an example of someone who kept the weight off, I really wonder how the majority of people do after this cycle. It doesn't seem to teach realistic life skills. It certainly is not a health benefit to limit your foods to such narrow choices. Modern hunter gatherers (who most likely eat more like early humans, whom we mostly likely resemble in metabolism) often eat nearly a hundred fruits and vegetables with vastly more natural fiber that you could get in this regime. In additon, my endurance in dance classes did not increase nearly as much as when I switched to weight training plus jogging with intervals of rope jumping. However, it's nnot a terrible book, and if you can take the low calorie count, it is better than programs that don't have a good exercise component. But don't beat yourself up if you hate it. You can always try it again later (if ever) when you more ready for the severity. Or do something that takes the weight off more enjoyably even if it is slower.

This book be da bomb. I know the girl on the cover and she still looks like that, and that picture was taken in 1992 before she tried out for a remake of FAME at the local hipadrome. I know this because that is my main man holmes baby's mama. For real though, she is 35 has 3 kids and still looks like dat. She ocassinally does the diet in the book and ocassinonally smashes down a couple big mac's from our local McD's and washes it down with a jumbo slurpee but still is a pretty hot mama. I guess I got a little off track, but I'm trying to hollar at yall and let you know that this diet does work. Give it a try and you too will be looking like my man holmes baby mama shell-dawg.

I too came upon this book while looking for something on weight training. The before and after pictures got my attention as well as the uphill trendline for female weight gain over time. I like being able to exercise effectively in the privacy and convenience of my home. The weight lifting is immediately rewarding as each session brings improvements. After three weeks of exercise and diet, the weight loss and inches lost becomes dramatic. I lost 13 pounds and many inches in six weeks. His diet recommendations are not very practical for someone cooking for a family; I modified the diet recommendations using other resources to maintain a 1200 calorie/day low fat diet. After the initial six weeks I have maintained the weight loss by lifting weights 2-3 times a week. This book appears to be a dumbed down version of the men's book, Living Longer Stronger, which my husband uses, in that it offers far less theory but I wouldn't call that a major drawback. The bottom line is that the program works. I have recommended it to at least 8 others.

It is a good program and I'm sure it does work as advertised, however there are some drawbacks. First, some of us can't use it. For instance, as a nursing mother I can't superhydrate until after I'm done nursing, nor can I cut my calories as drastically as advocated without jeapordizing my milk supply (I realize this is a temporary problem). My other major difficulty is that it is a 6 week program, and doesn't really provide much information or helpful advice on what to do when you're not following the program. Frankly I'm more interested in what I weigh a year from now, than what I weigh 6 weeks from now.

With those quibbles aside though, it's otherwise an excellent book and program.

What a great story. I heard a portion of the audio at www.sportsbythenumbers.com with this book: UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports (Sports By the Numbers) Bootlegger's Boy is a great story told by Barry Switzer and well worth the money. If you love OU, this book is for you.

I never really had a Grandfather. One died the day I was born, and the other one died when I was about 7. I don't remember them, and I don't remember talking to my one Grandfather.

Listening to Barry Switzer has always felt like listening to what I imagine listening to a Grandfather is like. Does that make sense?

He has a very calm, matter of fact way of telling a story. Seeing him talk on TV or live in person is a delight. He seems to have such control of himself, and he has always appeared composed and respectful. One thing I have always liked about the King is his way of telling it like it is, he won't pull punches if there is something controversial to talk about. He attacks conspiracy and controversy with a straight face, and a cool head.

Bootlegger's Boy is a great autobiography in that it tells a very complete story. Barry does a good job of describing the important events in his life that shaped the man he became, and the man he continues to be. He knows that he is no saint, and I appreciate how he is a man about things. Barry's philosophy is one of taking responsibility for your words and actions, and also holding others to that standard as well.

Sooners will never get tired of the King, for he was a great coach, and he continues to be a great man. A very inspiring book in my opinion. If you want a book that will get the hairs all over your body to stand on end and light a fire under your tail, look no further.

As a rabid Oklahoma fan, I had this book for some time before I actually read it. Whether the reader loves Barry or hates him, after reading this book, admiration and respect will develop for this popular coach.

I chuckled as I read some of the stories, and cried when I read others. Barry holds nothing back and his personality comes through. This man is Hall of Fame anyday, in my book.

Love him or hate him, Barry Switzer is a college football icon. Published a year after his banishment from the University of Oklahoma (following a series of turbulent off-the-field incidents), Switzer tells all in his rousing autobigraphy, BOOTLEGGER'S BOY.

The title is not an exaggeration; Switzer's father was a womanizing, hard-drinking Arkansas bootlegger, while his quiet mother battled mental problems and an addiction of her own. Able to overcome such dysfunction (and some of his family tales are fascinating), Switzer was able to utilize his athletic ability to play football at the University of Arkansas under legendary coach Frank Broyles. When his college career was over, Switzer realized his calling was coaching; Broyles gave him the opportunity by letting the young lineman join his coaching staff. In the mid-60s firebrand coach Jim MacKenzie was hired to restore the football "monster" at OU, a monster that the great Wilkinson had created. MacKenzie offered Switzer a position on his coaching staff; Switzer became a Sooner, and the seeds of destiny were sewn.

Chuck Fairbanks, succeeding MacKenzie (who died tragically after just a year on the job), promoted Switzer to offensive coordinator. Switzer writes he was looking for an offense to revolutionize college football; an unorthodox, high-risk option offense, known as the "wishbone," captured his attention. Switzer installed the offense and the Sooners took off, figuratively and literally, as NCAA rushing records were shattered. When Fairbanks bolted in 1973 to go to the NFL, Switzer was handed the keys to the OU program, and the rest, as they say in the Sooner Nation, is history.

For sixteen seasons, Switzer commanded a college football powerhouse; during his tenure the Sooners captured twelve Big Eight championships and three national championships. Switzer attributes his success to his Arkansas upbringing; growing up, most of his friends and neighbors were African-Americans. As a result, Switzer was more than comfortable approaching black athletes--at a time when other major programs were tentatively recruiting minorities--while reassuring parents that he would take good care of their sons. His recruiting redefined collegiate athletics, opening the doors for black athletes nationwide to participate in Division One football.

Switzer's affection for his players is genuine. Page after page, account after account, the King (as he's known by Sooner diehards) fondly recalls his relationships with a plethora of All-Americans: the Selmon brothers; Joe Washington; Billy Sims; Tony Casillas; J.C. Watts; Keith Jackson; Brian Bosworth. Switzer was no stern disciplinarian, he readily admits it, and this "lack" of discipline created a perception of an outlaw program--a perception that came home to roost in 1989, when he was forced to resign by the OU administration during a series of troubling incidents that ultimately put the Sooners under NCAA probation.

Switzer defiantly addresses the NCAA allegations, refuting some and pleading "guilty" to others. To enhance his arguments, he points to antiquated NCAA regulations (and keep in mind, this book was written years ago), regulations that, Switzer maintains, permeate a double standard. As an example, Switzer argues, why is it permissible for a chemistry professor to dig into his pocket and buy an airplane ticket for a homesick student during Christmas break, but not an athletic coach? Switzer's defense, along with his account of the events leading up to his ouster, make for fascinating page turning.

Praise him or revile him, Barry Switzer's mark on college football is eternal, and BOOTLEGGER'S BOY is the King at his good ol' boy best. I only wish he would come back with a second edition describing his four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Three national championship rings and a Super Bowl ring. Not bad for a bootlegger's boy.
--D. Mikels

This book is something to be revered by Sooner fans. Barry's recounts of the great games and great people around OU's glorious runs in the 70s and 80s bears reading. I just re-read the book after keeping it down for a few years, and it just gets better with time. If any of you out there need ammo for those Barry bashers, you need this book. Barry Switzer is a great man, and every Sooner fan should remember that.

Barry covers his childhood, personal struggles, and his years at Arkansas. He then talks about those great 70s teams that we know get to see on ESPN Classic.

Probably the most interesting part is his line item by line item response to every NCAA violation that OU was found guilty of. Barry pulls no punches and is not afraid to admit guilt where he saw it. His candidness is something special.

You might find this book hard to find, but try your hardest and hit the auction sites, etc, you should be able to turn it up, and you won't be sorry.

Amazing book, absolutely amazing. It is not for the person wanting to learn how to do capoeira, but for anyone, beginner or master, who wants to read a great history and personal journey.
It even travels into the spiritual, deeper significance of capoeira.
GREAT BOOK.

This book is just an "okay" introductory text on capoeira. A major draw back is the centeral focus on capoeira regional, a better text would be "Ring of Liberation" because it more comprehensivly covers capoeira.

The book Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form was not only well-written but was interesting as well. This book educates you about the history of capoeira, capoeira practitioners, and even a short summary of how Mestre Acordeon was introduced to the art of capoeira. I would highly reccomend this book to capoeiristas, as it was very helpful to me. Axé.

Mestre Acordeon takes you on a journey through capoeira, sharing his experiences and inviting the reader to use his imagination.
A truely inspirational piece from a truely inspirational master.

Mestre Acordeon's book has long been praised for its clear writing, for his thoughtful coverage of the history, philosophy, and artistic traditions surrounding this art-form. Other reviewers (see below) have noted that the book was among the first in English to introduce readers to these aspects of Capoeira, while also offering a glimpse into this one mestre's personal and life-long journey. Having assigned his book to students (both graduate and undergraduate alike), I have had ample opportunity to hear students' glowing reviews: most of these students had never heard of Capoeira, nor even seen it played, before having read his work. In retrospect, they (and I, too) consider this book an excellent way to delve into the topic. While there's recently been a flurry of new scholarship on Capoeira (at least 3 books in English have come out in 2005) that matches Capoeira's growing influence around the globe, Acordeon's book remains one of the best places to start one's exploration. Axe ASCAB!