Recreation Books

This is a story that is more frightening than anything Stephen King has ever writter. It's a realistic 'The Bad News Bears' that will make any reader with an ounce of empathy feel like crying. The harrowing life that the children of the Cabrini projects must endure in their day-to-day existence is a bleak background of violence, drugs, and society gone wrong. The fact that Little League baseball can serve as a beacon for these kids is almost as amazing that a society like ours can let projects like the one depicted in this book exist.

A powerful, important novel, and one that should be read by anyone interested in learning about the differences that exist in our society.

Coyle gave a great story. He was very descriptive. His writing had the affect to make me able to visualize every character and setting. I've spent time in the projects on many occasions' with friends who stay there and I see these things all the time, except children are growing more love for basketball and football. Yet they still show the heart on the court and gridiron as they did in this story in the diamond.

This book is such a great find. Unlike the movie, this is the non-fiction account of a group of volunteer's attempts to organize a little league team in Chigago's Cabrini Green project, possibly the most infamous in the country. Don't expect any Keanu Reeves ex-gambler coaches to show up. Do expect great candor from the kids and an unmistakable affection from the author (who never appears in the book) for the players. Despite all the news stories you'll ever hear about urban decay, public housing and gang violence, it will never have the impact that some of these stories do (3 players lose their fathers during the season, one's is incarcerated, others can identify a gun's calibre by sound.) This story isn't unremittingly grim though and never is it preachy. Coyle's gift is to just let the children and the coaches speak as the story of the Kikuyus journey to the championships unfolds. There are so many sweet funny moments in this book: Louis' Star Search audition, the trip to the Iowa baseball camp (where hillbillies are more terrifying that gang bangers), Jalen's "Rude Dude" bat. Despite the fact that there are no sudden changes of heart, the players never quite permanently comes together as a team, and the league's two founders end up as mortal enemies, this is nonetheless an uplifting story. Some of the kids have potential, some don't, the odds are against most. Maybe a summer of baseball can't save them but as one of the League's founders poignantly notes, "If we save one, then this League is a success."

The best news is that while Cabrini itself is being razed, the Near North League continues. It's a shame this book is out of print. It is definitely worth seeking out.

In my top 3 books, sometimes my favorite. I would like to know where the author was and want to find out what happened to each and every member the team. I know i can't write, but the author and I, think alike and you will enjoy seeing life through these kids eyes.

... should make this book available again now that the movie HARDBALL has hit the screens. I read this book about three years ago or so when it first came out and thought it was a great read. I gave it to a fellow baseball fan, who is a supervising probation officer in our county. For those who feel that youth baseball (and youth sports) can often be more than just a game, this book is for you. Watching the movie last week brought back thoughts of this book. The movie does some Hollywood license on the story line (they win the title in the film) but essentially is well done and gives the essential message the author sought to convey.

This book and the film should be required viewing for suburban Little League teams which have as "must have" items the latest version $250 bats, batting gloves and all the new fangled gear that passes for "essential" baseball equipment these days.

In the film one of the kids is asked by the coach character as the kid returns to his housing project home full of problems and malingerers "What do you do for fun?" The kid responds: "I plaky baseball for you....." Ain't baseball great. This book plus the a little too sappy film shows us all why.

Hit a Grand Slam is about Alex Rodriguez as a kid and growing up. It teaches you to be kind. I recommend it to people ages 7 and up, even if they don't like baseball. It's also a really good sports book for kids who like sports. It's one of the best sports books I ever read.

I loved this book because I got a chance to learn about Alex's life and how he handled his dad leaving. I like how he expresses his feelings and doesn't keep his feelings inside. I would recommend this book to people of all ages.

This book really affects kids in a positive way. It informs the reader "It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice!" This having been said ever so elegantly by A-Rod himself.

Alex and his team did a great job of affluently connecting the pictures with his stories in such a way that it is one you won't want to put down until finished.

Alex is a great role model, and his book is an excellent reflection of him. His positive outlook shines throughout his book, which in turn inspires the reader, the kids.

Children are constantly searching for role models in the public spotlight. Alex Rodriguez's book introduces them to an outstanding human being who has experienced many of the obstacles in life that young children face today. Alex shares his memories of his past and the events that shaped his youth. Children will identify with his struggles and the concerns that he faced in his own childhood. Wonderful pictures fill the book and are sure to delight any fans of Alex. Most importantly the book carries the message to children that they CAN succeed with hard work, no matter what hurdles life throws at you!

This is a wonderful book. This Book shows how even through adversity you can still rise above, and achieve success. It is a book for all ages, Alex had difficult times, but he did not let it stop him..that is an inspiration.

I first read Hunter's book as a teenage boy and was transported by his stories of hunting dangerous game in the African bush. Hunter's influence was one of the reasons that I became a big game hunter, myself, hunting all over the world including much of Southern Africa and Ethiopia. Still, it is with regret that I couldn't see Africa in a more pristine age as did John Hunter.

It is pitiful that Kenya, the site of many of Hunter's adventures, subsequently banned big game hunting and the traditions of one of the greatest of all hunting nations have largely been lost. I keep hearing rumors that Kenya is "opening up", again. Let's hope so.

Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Conquest of Mexico

This is the best book on African Dangerous Game Hunting that I have read to date. John Hunter (coincidence of name and profession) hunted in Africa (mostly Kenya) in the first half of the 20th century and with his 'cropping' activities for the Kenya Game Department shot staggering numbers of the 'big five'. His unassuming old world style is engaging and I found the book difficult to put down and was disappointed when I reached the end - I was left craving more. That he survived to write his books is testimony to his skill as a hunter.

A great book, one of the best on African hunting I have ever read. Hunter is right up there with Pondoro Taylor as knowledgeable yet entertaining as well.

This book is a timeless classic and definitely, definitely worth reading. If you are a big game hunter (or an aspiring big game hunter), this book is an essential addition to your library. This is quite possibly the best hunting book ever written. Better than Hemingway's accounts, in my opinion.

I first read "Hunter" when I was in college more than 40 years ago, and I can still remember J.A. Hunter's sadness and lament when he described his feelings upon the loss of his dog. In that instance he said "that you grow too fond of a dog. I sometimes wonder whether the pleasure in owning a dog is worth the misery caused by his death." An excellent book that I would recommend to all readers, but especially teenagers and young adults.

This is one of the best hunting books I've read. Dwight provides realistic information with good detail. He doesn't oversimplify things. He discusses various hunting situations that will face each hunter sooner or later. I'm now reading his book on early season elk hunting.

This is a very good book for anyone who is a beginning open country deer hunter. It is also a good book if you have hunted open country and want to compare your tactics to someone else. I know next season I will test some tactics found in this book to see if they work better than mine. I am also going to recommend this book to my hunting partners. It was written in the mid 80's so a lot of advice on optics, bows, and other accessories are dated. If you are looking for a system to hunt open country this book may be for you.

There are several very good "how to" books available about mule deer hunting but Dwight Schuh's book deserves a spot at the top. I have hunted mulies for many years and this is the one book that I always recommend to the first time mule deer hunter. What makes "Hunting Open Country Mule Deer" especially good is that it offers solid, practical advice on spotting and hunting deer that anyone from the novice to the seasoned hunter will find useful in pursuing the 'grey ghosts'. Schuh is right when he claims that you will become a successful mule deer hunter if you follow the advice in his book.

This is a good book for bowhunters that like to hunt in the early seasons. Doesnt go much into rifle hunting or rifle hunting seasons in which deer tend to be more in the timber. At least thats what I got out of it because he doesnt actually say so. He doesnt really say anything about the regular gun season. Most of his hunts are late summer. Not a bad book though easy to read and understand, just not what I was looking for.

I found this book very useful. The book is targeted toward bowhunting but the techniques are useful for any other hunting technology you'd care to apply to deer hunting. It does not try to cover all aspects of deer hunting (tracking, weapon choice and ballistics) what it covers is a technique for locating, spotting, stalking, and close approaching big bucks in wide open country. I found the style to be sort of down home but not in an irritating way. And his style does not get in the way of conveying the vital information in this book.

Being a huge Bears fan, and too young to have seen Gale play, this was a great look at the life and career of Gale Sayers. A little slow at times, but gives a first hand experience on everything in his life, from growing up, to college ball at Kansas, his relationship with Brian Picolo (which always brings a tear to the eye), and life after football.

Obviously, a great addition to the movie.

The title of the book, which became Mr. Sayers' credo throughout life, comes from a quote he saw on the desk of one of his coaches: "My God is first, my friends and family are second, I am third." Mr. Sayers tells the story of a man who lifted himself out of the ghetto with such a love for football, his friendship with Brian Piccolo (one of the very first pairings of a black player and a white player in the NFL) and his near-career ending injury. It is an inspirational story that does not get preachy. He tells of his friendship with Brian Piccolo without getting maudlin (Mr. Sayers and Mr. Piccolo were loyal friends and deeply respectful of each other.) He relates his triumphant return to the Chicago Bears after a knee injury that had almost everyone writing him off (except Mr. Piccolo, who urged him on during rehabilitation.) It almost seems as if Al Silverman turned on a tape recorder and let Mr. Sayers talk. Rather than being pretentious, the way a lot of sports biographies are one gets the feeling that Mr. Sayers is sitting down in an easy chair and is talking directly to each reader. The book, however, was written more than thirty-five years ago and ends before Mr. Sayers' final two (albeit disappointing) seasons. My hope is that Mr. Sayers will either update this book or write a sequel to tell us of his successes after football.

Bought this as gift for my husband. His reveiw: It was okay, interesting about Gayle Sayer's life but not extremely well written. It had little to say about his relationship with Brian Piccolo.

I am third
By Gale Sayers

Devon Hurley

My book is called I am third and it�s written by Gale Sayers. The price of the book is $...and u can find this book in any book store.
I am third is about the football player gale Sayers .He plays football with his friends every day. He grew up in a poor house with barely any food. That didn�t stop him from playing football though. He played no matter what. One time he tried to tackle some one and he got kicked in the mouth and he was spiting out blood his brother played football too. He was older then Gale. Gale was a starter on the high school football team with his brother he only got to play with his brother one season because he was a senior when Gale was a freshman. Gale was a good player. He was like1st or 2nd best in the country. He wanted to go to a four year college to play football. Mississippi State was in other sports besides football like track and basketball. He broke the long jump record for track. His mom and dad were always working on something. Gale�s dad was tall and had long legs. His dad worked hard every day and only got 40 dollars a day. His mom was at home watching all the kids. All the kids in the neighbor hood were on the football team. After gale went to college he was going to go to the pros either the chiefs or the bears. on draft day the Chicago bears picked Gale Sayers the first day of summer training he met Brian piccolo. Brian was a white person and Gale was a black person they didn�t really get along at first of race but after they started playing together. The coach put them in the same room partner. When gale was voted rookie of the year Brian starts to get sick and has to go to the hospital and he finds out he has cancer and has to stay in the hospital for the rest of the season. Later he goes home and is recovering but he gets cancer again a in his chest and dies from cancer. later gale plays the best game of his career he scores 6 touchdowns.

This review is on the book called "I Am Third". In this book it tells mostly about Gale Sayers' football career and some of Brian Piccolo's or Pic. The reason this book is called "I Am Third" is because he says that "God is 1st,my friends are 2nd,and I am 3rd". To understand this book you might have to know a little about football. If you like football stories I would reccomend you read "I Am Third".

If you like Sudoku but find it a little boring try the killer puzzles. Math additions make this an exciting book. I have done this book twice already, and it was just as enjoyable the second time as the first.

I encountered Killer Sudoku in a Will Shortz sudoku variants book and became hooked on it, and this is a great book of it. It allows you to move between a variety of solving techniques taken from both regular Sudoku and Kakuro. The puzzles here come in a good variety of solving difficulty, with enough easy ones for you to practice your techniques on, and enough challenging ones that you won't get bored.

I ran into Killer Sudoku accidentally, and became hooked ever since. The (simple addition and subtraction) math involved adds a new dimension to the puzzle. Unlike the standard Sudoku, Killer Sudoku puzzles have more twists and surprises waiting to be explored. The more difficult puzzles in this book are very satisfactory in harboring many pleasant and exciting ones.

The books contain 110 puzzles of 5 levels. When you advance to the last two level, your skill and fun are elevated as well. I guess after you mastered the game, you may want to get books with only difficult ones (and they should be so published). One nice thing about this book is that the puzzles seem to have been tested, and there is a 'par' time for each one of them. For easy one the pars are ten to 20 minutes, and the hardest ones up to 90 minutes. These par times are pretty good in that I tended to exceed them in the beginning, but after I have advanced to high levels and came back to do some easier ones that I skipped I often beat the par. The time competition factor also is a way to enjoy the easy ones.

Highly recommended for going through the levels and mastering the game. If you are looking only for tough Killer Sudoku books, this one contains about 20 very good ones.

If your bored of Sudoku and not finding the standard puzzles challenging you need to try these out. The page layout of this book is good there is ample room to write your number combinations and there are suggested times for each puzzle. The paper used in the book is softer but stands up fine to an eraser.

I do enjoy regular Sudoku. But there are a couple of problems with it. First, while it uses numbers, it in no way uses the properties of numbers. Second, the level of effort to solve such puzzles is generally uneven; you may get a few numbers early, but then it gets very tough, and soon after that it is easy again. When it is tough, you may have to write down possible values in a square or guess, and that's unsatisfying compared to being able to simply write down correct numbers in blank squares.

With Killer Sudoku, one does get to use the additive properties of numbers, so there really is a difference between the symbols! And the level of effort is more nearly even. In addition, even hard puzzles generally can be solved without writing anything down but the answers. It is my favorite Sudoku variant ("Greater than Killer Sudoku" is my second favorite).

This book is about at the right level. Do not be scared by the "deadly" puzzles at the end, as I found them to be easier than some of the earlier ones.

I recommend this book to all those who enjoy a challenge and have some time on their hands.

I've been coaching Little League for five years now, and loved reading this account of Little League from about 20 years ago. The stereotypical depictions of coaches that Geist uses are still dead-on accurate, as are his descriptions of how bad the catching equipment is, and how to hide a bad ballplayer that you have to play in the infield. This is a priceless look at Little League ball that anyone who has ever coached should enjoy.

There are lots of laughs to be had, and you'll find yourself sharing parts with other coaches you know.

I am sure the book is great-the book was purchased for a gift.

I do a ton of reading and just went back and re-read this book. This is probably my favorite all-time book. This book has to be the funniest one I've ever read. Geist is not only a gifted writer, he tweaks all the right people and no irony goes unnoticed.

The humorist columnist Bill Geist had many years of experience coaching his son's little league baseball and kids basketball and his daughter's softball team. He relates his experiences with his usual wit, sarcasm and humor. The book focuses on a particular season of little league baseball where he was able to work with his son Willie's team and actually win the league championship by upsetting Knavery's team in the final game of the season. The tale tells how he bends the rules (though not as much as some other) in a way that still allows the weak players to have fun and yet stay competitive. There is a large degree of truth to the various caricatures of players, coaches and parents that he presents in this tale. But some of the stories are so incredible and it seems like fiction is mixed with reality but clearly it is based on real experience. I relate to many of the issues he brings out. ...
In the epologue Geist confesses that he want his son Willie to be a star player but was satisfied that he made the high school varisty teams. In the end no matter how good or bad they are in little league they all eventually stop playing to do other things that interest them more or they find to have more success and rewards.

To illustrate the humor in the final game losing 12-4 Geist gives the kids sugar treats to pick up their energy. A rally starts but thinking ahead with the worst hitter Monique likely to come up with two outs, Geist gets a 40 ounce drink and gets her to leave on a bathroom break. ... This book has short easy to read chapters and integrates Geist's softball and basketball experiences in the theme of the little league season whereas Dunow had long chapters going back and forth from little league with his son to his childhood experiences with his father. Both books are good in their own way. But this one is much easier to read and more light hearted.

At least, I'm half of Mean Gene Huffman. Gene Ret and I were conglomerated into one large, gawky intimidating Little Leaguer. Who was the more large, gawky, and intimidating is one of the great debates of our time.

Great story. I never knew my drunken high school antics were witnessed by Bill Geist until I got to the end of the book. Geist saw me crash through his bushes and play some sloppy basketball with his son and friends for a few minutes while reminiscing about the old Little League days. And, he parlayed my mishap into a convenient parable on lost youth to wrap up his story.

Well, he's just lucky they were playing basketball that night and I wasn't trying to unload my ferocious fastball or swing a bat. Stay young, eat flax, and long live the glory days of Little League.

For me this book is a little too heavy- too scientific - I'm teaching children most of the time - This book will enrich our knowledge beyond instructions - I like this book but I think I need to read and read again to catch the idea and use it in my class.

I recently had the opportunity to read one of Lawrence A. Kane's books entitled, "Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory and Communication Techniques in the Dojo" and found it to be a fantastic book for anyone involved in the teaching of students and not just those involved in the martial arts. This book is a fantastic source for reference material concerning the art of teaching, and yes, I do feel that teaching is an art form.

The approach Lawrence takes in this book is simple, yet loaded with an abundance of information that shows you various methods that you can easily incorporate into your own particular style of teaching regardless of what the particular subject is. I can almost guarantee you that if you purchase this book and study it for a few weeks, and then start applying the information that you have learned, that you will see a notable improvement in your own teaching ability, while at the same time see a marked improvement in your students.

When I first read this book, I identified with a lot of the mistakes that Lawrence mentioned concerning my own teaching style especially when I first started teaching students a little over 20 years ago. Although it is imperative that we as individuals make our own mistakes, it is not that easy or desirable to make mistakes when you are responsible for the development of another individual. Although Lawrence's focus is on teaching the martial arts, a lot of what he tells you could also be used when teaching your own children. However, you would have to modify your teaching method a bit.

The following is a brief review of each of the six chapters in this book and what there main focus is on.

Chapter One: Understanding Learning Style Differences

In this chapter, Lawrence delves into the different types of personalities that an instructor will undoubtedly find in his students, as well as, how to tailor your teaching style to best suit each individual personality type. He also delves into the use of the five senses in order to enhance your teaching ability so that your students not only retain more information, but also enjoy the lessons being taught.

The five senses are; seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, and smelling. Although it isn't practical to employ the use of all five in every lesson plan, you should try and devise a few that you could use once every month or so. I used a similar approach once teaching a group of law enforcement officers and the response I received was very encouraging. It works so use it.

Chapter Two: Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Tool to Understand Student Predilections

This particular chapter is quite complex, yet Lawrence makes is all seem rather simple with his easy to understand explanation of the various personality types and how they are best suited to learn and retain information. In this section, Lawrence supplies you with some very good resource material to have your own personality tested in order to determine what type of personality you have and what method of teaching is more conducive to your ability to learn.

Chapter 3: Applications of the Six Teaching Styles to Martial Arts

The six teaching styles discussed in this section are; modeling, lecturing, cooperative performance, independent performance, knowledge capture, and role reversal.

Lawrence describes in detail each one of these teaching styles and provides good examples of when to teach that particular method and how to apply it to the teaching of the martial arts.

Chapter 4: Fostering a Positive Learning Environment

In my humble opinion there is one section in this chapter that perhaps says it all when it comes to the ability to teach another person, and that is the attitude of the teacher.

This was the single most important thing that jumped out at me when I read this book. Although there is tons of useful information provided within the pages of this book, none of it is going to be worth the proverbial hill of beans without the proper attitude being displayed by the teacher.

Etiquette or respect for oneself and others is so vitally important not only to the learning environment, but also the living environment where we have to co-exist with so many different people from a vast array of backgrounds and cultures.

Another great subject that Lawrence brings up in this section is the importance of a solid emotional and physical environment in which to teach your students. The one undeniable single factor that is prevalent in everything that Lawrence discusses is the teacher. He or she is the one who will make or break a class and/or the students in it. You can have the most exciting subject and something that you are hugely passionate about become the most boring and painful experience if the teacher is horrible. Or you can take the most boring subject and make it interesting if the teacher is passionate and knowledgeable about how to get his/her information across to the students.

Along with a lot more information on the role of the teacher, Lawrence also spends some time going over some very solid information on how to find the martial art and martial arts school that is best suited for you.

Chapter 5: Developing and Implementing Lesson Plans for the Dojo

This section covers not only how to devise, refine and implement a lesson plan, but also how to adapt when the plan you have is not working. It also covers a lot of really solid information on the martial arts itself and the various nuances that are prevalent within it.
Lawrence also has a lot of really solid useful information concerning the martial arts and their use in a self-defense situation. He gives a couple of really good examples from his own personal experience that shows what may be a preferable way to handle a situation rather than resorting to physical means. Although one must always keep in mind that no two situations are going to be identical and what may work well in one situation may not work well in another.

Chapter 6: Conclusion/Stages of Teaching

This section is rather brief as I am sure the author intended and merely goes over that which he has discussed in the previous chapters. However, there are some very good tidbits of information included here and in the next 40+ pages.

This book, like all of Lawrence's books, is filled with solid useful information concerning whatever subject he has written about. There is much that can be learned from them and I highly recommend that you purchase them and study the information contained in each one of his books.

Shawn Kovacich, martial artist/author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

Excellent, Excellent Book. Great insights for using proven teaching methods and applying it to Martial Arts.
Also other cool stuff!!

A good teacher should also be a good student, if they hope to convey and assist the development of correct principles in others. I believe that pertains not only Martial Arts, but to any aspect of life. The challenge, is understanding that not all students learn, process, or retain information the same way (regardless of age).

Lawrence Kane has created a tool for those serious about imparting knowledge to their students in ways they can understand...and excel. The valuable information in this book is essential to those of us who truly care about what (and who) we teach.

A highly recommended book.

Their are many martial arts books outlining the basics of about any martial art you could wish to learn, but Lawrence A. Kane's Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory And Communication Techniques In The Dojo is different from the rest. Lawrence A. Kane is a man who has taught and created martial arts classes and business seminars, and who focuses on the teacher of martial arts as much as the technique. Readers will lern just how to motivate and retain students, optimize time, and adjust to individual learning styles and talents using Martial Arts Instruction: is an informatively instructive and very strongly recomended manual.

Men And Speed is an informative survey of NASCAR racing history and is written by a journalist who had exclusive access to Roush Racing, a large motorsports operation. Miller spent a year on the NASCAR racing circuit with owner Roush and his drivers: the result is an epic of racing events.

This book is a must have for any and all Roush Racing/NASCAR Fans. Every page I read sent chills up my spine and tears down my eyes. G. Wayne Miller gets up-close and personal with the Roush Guys and tells all the stuff we want to hear and all the stuff some of us would never come close to knowing. He is a super writer and a great person as he keeps the Roush fans up-to-date with his continuing adventure with the Roush guys. I hope he would consider a Pt. 2 because I know it would be just as great! Thanks for this wonderful insight!

Interesting look into the workings of a NASCAR Winston Cup team.

This book gives the reader a wonderful glimpse inside the 2001 NASCAR season as seen from the eyes of the drivers of Roush Racing. This particular season can be seen as the breakout year in which NASCAR gained much prominence for the following reasons: 1) the death of Dale Earnhardt 2) the intense media scrutiny regarding safety 3) the heightened public awareness and growing fan base 4) the relative under-performance of many racing teams.

This book will give you the inside story on all of these events and more. Highly recommended for the NASCAR fan and casual observer alike!

This is an awesome book. Somehow, Miller manages to write a compelling review of a year in racing which is enjoyable by both NASCAR novices as well as diehard fans who don't make non-race related appointments on Sunday. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about NASCAR from the inside. The anecdotes are exciting and amusing. The overall view of the Rousch racing endeavor is fascinating. I couldn't put the book down. Great job Mr. Miller!

If you go hunting or wild camping it is important to know what land is for public or private property. Also very useful by driving with car (any car). Easy to know which street/road are ok for different kind of vehicle, truck or motorcycle.
The size of the map could be better it is not very handy, but so you don't need to have magnifying glass to use this guide.

We bought this book with the idea of just wandering Michigan for our week of vacation. We wanted to avoid the Interstate as much as possible. This book was great for our plan! There are many roads and towns on these pages that aren't on a regular map! We really enjoyed traveling back roads, while never feeling lost.

This book is incredibly detailed and easy to use. Along with a GPS, there is nothing you cannot find. Whether an occasional traveler or a resident, this is a must to have for God's Country, Michigan's U.P.

I spend a lot of time off the beaten path. This map is great for getting there and back. Very useful. This is my third one, as I keep wearing them out.

I have been using DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteers for many states for many years. I have always found them very useful for travelling over the back roads and secondary highways as they give one detail not found on the usual road maps. They also list parks, historic sites, recreaton areas, etc. which are also very valuable when travelling in unfamiliar areas.

While I also own a GPS system for my automobile, it doesn't give you topographic detail or large area views due to the limitatons of the small GPS screen. However, I find using both the DeLorme Maps and the GPS system to make for very efficient trip planning.