Recreation Books

I have a past of 15 years in the fish business in my family company (third generation) and I'm a commercial fisherman since 10 years ago and I know something about commercial fishing and fishermen.
If you like to know how that fish you love to eat come to your table and about the real life and feelings of the people who made it possible this is the only book you must read.

This was by far of the three books i have red by william mccolskey the favorite he has another book called fish decks cannot find on amazon have to let you know about that one.

unlike highliners and breakers this one is nonfiction and follows along as the author goes back to alaska and around alaska where he served in the coast guard 20 years before and now is crab fishing and goes fishing around georges bank of the coast of chile and new zeland ,indonesia,and japan.looking for fish and shellfish. it also extensively covers the wreck of the exxon valdezand the effect on the fishing industry and the enviroment.Fisherman were making more money selling back buckets of oil back to exxon.He goes to the tokyo tsukiji market which i have seen on a national geographic program. This place is huge they figure they have on any given day 330 different species for sale which come from all around the world for example They have prawns and shrimp from 64 nations the market and auction generate enough trash to fill 200 trash trucks a day.It cover alot of the political side of fishing and how the different regulations have come about to protect the fish.
You read this book it is amazing that they fish with nets miles long and never think about depleteing the resources.Also learned tha over fishing was not the only thing affecting the amount of fish being caught runoff from farms both animal and agricultural.And fish farms that apeear on the surface appear to be a good thing end up causing harm to native fish.

The author knows his subject matter but gets too heavy with all the legal bs and too light on the human stories. Seems like the author couldn't decide if he wanted to write a text book or a down to earth type story.

The best book I've read dealing with the social AND political AND cultural aspects of commercial fishing. Making no excuses for the industry or the people who condemn it. His stories are compelling and enrapturing as well as extremely informative. It'll give understanding of why the worlds oceans are in the state they are in and all the players who have caused it to be where it is. Enjoy!

This is a superb book. McCloskey writes from such a deep base of personal experience, that within a few lines we are transported to the heaving, noisy and often foul-smelling deck of a rusty trawler pitching in a cold northern sea or the cramped camaraderie of the galley on a Japanese squid boat. You feel the shudder of the steel deck as the boat pitches into a steep swell, taste the salt in the air and gag on the stench of diesel fumes and dead fish. The book is a collection of essays, exploring the challenges that face commercial fishermen in various parts of the globe. We hear lots of languages - Russian, English, Spanish, Norwegian, Japanese and more - and experience very different cultures, each united by the sea and the grueling task of pulling food from its depths. Gradually, the similarities grow much larger than the differences. No matter where he is, McCloskey can rapidly blend into the crew becoming just one more figure shrouded in foul weather gear pulling in the nets. This remarkable desire to muck-in with the deckhands no matter how hard the work or how severe the conditions, is the secret to his vivid and exciting writing. I can never look at a piece of sushi or a bag of fish and chips in quiet the same way.

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

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

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

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

Excellent work. Kinsella is truly a master writer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I can only echo the other reviews and state that this is one of the best books for coaches out there. This is the one book I'd keep if I had to toss out all of the other soccer books on my shelf. You don't have to pay the thirty bucks or more charged here. It's still available from Reedswain for much less.

I think that this book is the finest book (to date) on coaching the female athlete at the highest levels. In my time as a NCAA Div. II women's soccer coach, a girls high school coach, and premier level girls soccer coach, I have found Dorance's theories and models to be highly useful. This is NOT a book for the recreational coach. The focus of the book is the philosophy and foundation of creating soccer champions.

Anson's insight into the mind of the female athlete is not only clear and concise but, it is uncanny as well. I have found the ideas in his book have led me to a better understanding of my own players. This understanding has helped me form a consistant winning program where ever I have coached.

I would highly recommend this book to any individual who is looking for more theory and philosophy to coaching. This book is not a daily practice guide with drills and games, rather it is an excellent source for building a successful women's soccer program.

I am not a soccer coach. This book was recommended to me by a volleyball coaching mentor. He recommended it and said it was the best coaching book he had ever read.... I agree.

There is not doubt why Anson Dorrance is one of the best soccer coaches in the world. His insights into success with female athletes is extremely helpful and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be a better coach, period.

This book is an excellent guide for ways to develop your soccer team and take them to a new level. This is more for advanced coaches, but I think beginning coaches can utilize these techniques also. Covers great program building techniques for youth boys and women of all levels. Great resource for all soccer coaches.

I've only coached men's college teams, but I'm convinced Anson's principles represent a foundation for the future of coaching -- for athletes of either sex. Competition is fun and practices need to be fun. The days of drill sergeant as coaching model are over.

Kids from most countries now have hundreds of choices in terms of different sports and entertainment. Every minute of practice needs to be fun or they'll do something else. And it's only going to get worse.

Obviously the "competitive caldron" can create women's US college soccer champions (UNC won the title again in 2000), but it may also be our best chance to lure the upcoming Sega generation into team sports.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by Obsessedwithwrestling.com's Brad Dykens

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I knew the author, Paul Haven, as a teenager in NY, so when I saw this book I had to pick it up and read it. This book had me smiling the whole way through. I enjoyed every page. I am eager to pass it along to my pre-teen nephews who play baseball for their town. I will certainly save a copy for my son when he is old enough to read it. Reading this book brought back memories of listening to the author and friends discussing baseball in Central Park 20 years ago. Some passions never die! Great book, Paul. I can't wait to read your next one! -LS

My eight year old baseball nut of a grandson read this cover to cover yesterday as he traveled with his family to Arizona for camping and a couple of spring training games. Given its length, his parents thought it would keep him busy for a couple of days. Not so.

My 9-year old son loved this book. He writes: This was definitely the best baseball book I have ever read! The main character, Danny Gurkin has tons of crazy ideas about giving the sluggers good luck. Sometimes they seem to work. But the sluggers are cursed when a poisoned pretzel kills a bubblegum tycoon. Paul Haven is a great writer.

Witty and creative, it breaks away from standard kids' fare. For baseball lovers especially, this would make a great gift.

I'm always on the lookout for a good story to read aloud to my 2nd graders, and this one fit the bill. Haven's engaging and quirky characters, combined with the baseball setting, and mysterious goings on made for a lively read that generated a lot of enthusiasm. Parts of this book reminded me of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, while other parts reminded me of Shoeless Joe.

A good story to read aloud, and a perfect one for sports-minded 4-7th graders to relish.

Now featuring a new afterword by author Charles C. Alexander (Professor Emeritus Of History at Ohio University), Ty Cobb is the classic biography of one of baseball's most brilliant, volatile, and intimidating presences. An inset section of black-and-white photographic plates illustrate this chronicle of not only Ty Cobb's robust life, but also the startling transformations taking place during twentieth-century baseball. A fascinating, deftly researched and highly readable "must-have" for fans of baseball legends.

TY COBB BY CHARLES C. ALEXANDER (1984)

Audio book review

Charles C. Alexander's Ty Cobb is an illuminating review of the legendary early Twentieth Century baseball superstar. This audio book, read by Walter Zimmerman, is written more like historical biography than a baseball book
Alexander dispels many long-held Cobb myths. Cobb was mean and nasty, but not nearly the ogre of legend. In fact, Cobb was a devout Christian (Baptist), very well spoken, a man who cared about his public image, and engaged himself in many acts of on and off-field kindness. Caricatured as a savage racist by revisionist history, Cobb actually was kindly in his relations with the many black people he grew up with in Georgia, some of whom worked for his family. He had no patience for blacks he considered uppity. He was not Branch Rickey, but he was not the Grand Dragon of the K.K.K., either. Miserly? Sometimes, but without fanfare he took care of players who had hit the skids. A spikes-sharpened demon? You bet, but Ty also shook hands with his combatants after the dust settled, and performed various acts of dovish peacemaking for the benefit of hostile fans.
Alexander is not a psychiatrist, but it is obvious that the fact that Cobb's mother killed his father in what may not have been an accident, during an incident that occurred because Mr. Cobb suspected Mrs. Cobb of having an affair, shaped Ty's combative nature. What has been lost over the years is that Cobb became friendly with Babe Ruth (common legend holding that he always hated him). Cobb was a shrewd millionaire investor who never needed to work after baseball, therefore separating himself from regular contact with people while living in huge mansions that were too big for him, after his wife left. Most telling is the relationship Cobb had with his two male children. He raised them strictly, and because of baseball travel left much of the child rearing to his wife. When he retired, they were grown up and on their own, and Cobb had genuine regrets for "missing" their childhood's. He wished he had been a doctor, so he could have been home for his kids, and when one of his sons went into medicine, Cobb lamented that if he, too, were a doctor they would have something in common. With all that baggage in tow, Cobb had to endure the premature deaths of both of the boys from untimely illnesses, living the last 20-odd bitter years of his life blaming himself.
Cobb may have been hard to live with, but this book empathetically explains some of the demons that drove the man into becoming a brilliant stock manipulator, a taskmaster father, an unfeeling husband, a reviled teammate, a hated opponent, and in the opinion of those who saw him, perhaps the greatest baseball player who ever lived!

Perfect companion to Al Stump's bio of Cobb. Alexander is more factual; Stump gives the reader a more thorough understanding of Cobb and his peculiarly ferocious personality. (The Alexander and Stump biographies portray a man who is one part Bedford Forest, one part Patton, one part Perot and one part Michael Jordan). For instance, Alexander devotes little more than one paragraph to Cobb's nervous breakdown in August, 1906. On the other hand, Stump details the inhumane hazing Cobb received from his yankee teammates in 1906 due to southern upbringing which led to Cobb's breakdown and fed his massive paranoia. Stump does a much better job on detailing Cobb's rivalry with Babe Ruth. Alexander briefly mentions the rivalry; Stump details the intense hatred Cobb felt for Ruth. For example, as player-manager of the Tigers, Cobb would often scream at the thick-lipped Ruth from the dugout, "You Nigga', Nigga' etc., etc.." However, where Stump takes many of Cobb's stories and yarns at face value, Alexander sifts through the clouds and tells the reader what is definitely true and leaves out what might be lies. Ty Cobb is the most interesting baseball player of all time though not the most important (Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Roberto Clemente and, because of his role in free agency, Catfish Hunter were more important than Cobb). To get a real good feel of Ty Cobb, you need to read two books. Mr. Alexander's book is one of the two.

Alexander approaches baseball history as a historian; not a mere storyteller. This book reflects that approach. Alexander reports the feats and faults of Cobb, but doesn't try to pass judgement. Cobb's career speaks for itself (men are still chasing some of his records). However, in our age of political correctness Cobb's misbehavior speaks louder.

Alexander details a complete Cobb. For all his faults Cobb was mannered and gracious in public (most of the time), a perfect host (if he liked you) and a generous philanthropist. This is the side most other Cobb bio's whitewash.

This book proves useful as a resource about Cobb. It details the facts about his life season by season. The only way to improve the book would be to add more detail and color to some of Cobb's exploits-- but then the book would have to be about 500 pages.

I consider this to be the primere biography of Ty Cobb. However, those looking mostly for anidotes, stories and that harsh personality brought to life might want to check out Al Stumps' "Cobb". I suggest reading both to develop the full image of the Greatest innovator baseball has ever seen.

Ty cobb was the most ideal hitter in baseball before "the Babe" opened its new era.

The author described well enough for me to understand 1900-1910's players, ballparks, other circumstances around baseball.

I sincerely recommend this book to all the baseball fans.