Sports Books

This is a wonderful book for people of all ages. It shows how we have what it takes inside of us to overcome obstacles or perceived issues. A great read for anyone who might have a handicap or knows of someone who does. This is also a wonderful read if you love horses!

This book is an excellent way to introduce the LOA to your kids. It's a sweet story for any age -young and old- and reinforces the idea that we do have the ability to change our circumstances at any given moment. I enjoyed the story so much and feel the message is so important that I have given the book to my daughter's teacher. I am hoping it will become a message that she agrees is vital to share with everyone.

Every child and every Adult should read this book. It is a beautiful story, wonderfully told of a little horse growing up. Just like little anyone growing up she is subjected to the pressures of life. Parental, peer, job/school pressure and it shows the reader beautifully how to cope with that pressure. Dandelion, goes from being a misfit. She starts of in the eyes of those around her, a weedy little Dandelion. But, along with her struggles she emerges as a wondrous flower in full bloom.
Every age group will benefit from reading this book...those of us who have forgotten the wonders of childhood, those still in childhood or adolescence it's a must for those going through it and finding it tough. A wonderful gift for Grandparents to give to their Grandchild. A Real GIFT!

Amazingly simple yet so deep, well written, fun yet moving story, with incredibly powerful, inspiring reminder of this truth so many of us had forgotten. Well worth the short time to read it! I have purchased 15 books to present to loved ones- the message is that profound, life changing, and yet simple once we begin to consciously think about it. Horse lovers will love the picture the story paints in their minds, yet non-animal people will still be able to identify to the characters and appreciate and comprehend the message just as much, too. Cannot say enough good about this book!!!!

After years of reading "Notes from the Universe" and dozens of other spiritual philosophies, I found Dandelion to be a little oversimplified. It struck me as the perfect read for a pre-teen or teen who is struggling with life's meaning for the first time, or perhaps an adult who has never explored spirituality before. With the right audience, this book would be very enjoyable and insightful, but if you have strong experience in spirituality, buy it for a teen in your life instead.

Normally Bill Lear Jr. is described in books about his famous father THE Bill Lear (Learjet) as somewhat a playboy who crashed a lot of planes. Perhaps this is the curse of having a famous father? Bill Lear Jr. has his own say here and comes across a bit of an a@#hole but he did fly a lot of high-performance aircraft, starting from an early age. His experiences doing the early air shows and air races are worth reading about. It was a different time when business deals were a bit loose and so I will give Bill Jr. the benefit of the doubt. Even his military experience is notable. Later in his career he seems to have become a successful aircraft and avionics salesman. Like his father, he had problems/opportunities with women and I lost count after wife #3. I find it a bit strange that he writes very little of his relationships with his children. All in all, a good read about a pilot with opportunity and balls.

A friend loaned me the book. Having been in the aviation field all my life I found the book to be very entertaining. If you are merely an aviation Buff or involved, like I am, you will relate to much of the story. It's a fast read with hilarious anecdotes.

Owning and flying a WW II P-38 Lightning at age 17 is just one of the many episodes of his life that Bill Lear vividly brings back to life in this autobiography of his life. His knowledge of all aspects of aviation, his insight into life and relationships, combined with his great sense of humor, make this a book that is hard to put down once you start reading it. The only thing better than reading about his experiences is to hear him tell about some of them in person and I feel fortunate to have been able to experience that.

Non aviation enthusiasts will enjoy this book as well as aviation enthusiasts. It is a great gift idea and everyone of our friends who have read it have enjoyed it.

A book that once you pick up you can't put down. A wonderful insight into Aviation and the adventures of a truly remarkable man.

A great book from one of the coolest guys I know!!
It is a "must" for anybody, who has something to do with aviation.
I would appreciate it, when this book will be continues published.

I love this book, it has helped me post on a trot. (Seemed impossible at first :)

It gives lots of good tips from basics to jumping. Learn how to keep yourself safe. Learn good technique. If you're taking riding lessons, this is a definite must-read.

Riding lessons are expensive, so it's important to get the most bang for the buck. This book will help. Mike Smith explains the basics of riding clearly, and offers some classic "what to do if...?" scenarios one is certain to encounter while interacting with horses. In addition, the photographs are very helpful in illustrating topics like posting the trot and dismounting properly and safely. I have found that this book helps me review specific material covered in an actual lesson, and also gives me ideas for further discussion with my teacher. Mike Smith's writing style is straightforward and enthusiastic. Highly recommended for beginning riders of all ages, and one of the best books I've seen for a riding student. This book covers English riding only.

I love this book, I have been taking lessons for about a year and a half, and I bought this book after about 6months of lessons. It clearly explains so many things, I constantly refer to it. I think that all new riders should read this book before even going to their first lesson, to give a clear explaination of horse lingo, positions and care. I think this has been the most constant resource that I have used to explain things that my instructor and I are having trouble with.

Mike taught me to ride as an adult student at Woodland Horse Center in Maryland back in the 1980's. I'll never forget his patience, humor, and innate "horse sense." I've since moved to Wellington, Florida (a major equestrian and polo center), for reasons I thought were mostly unrelated to horses. I haven't ridden in many years. So there I was in a store looking for a book to help my son Will Tedesco, who at [...] and maybe 40 pounds is just beginning to ride. Imagine my surprise to come across this book, which I hadn't known existed! At 50, I'm once again feeling that old tug to get back on a horse, and I'm sure Mike's sensible advice will again stand me in good stead. Unlike most of his readers, however, I'll be able to hear his voice inside my head reminding me to "steer!"

I realize many techniques of English riding are transferable to Western, but, as a Western rider trying to improve my seat and aids, I found this book frustrating and unhelpful.

The product was great and Woody's book store communicated great through email about the purchase and ordering information. The only thing is the number of days that it took to ship was confusing; I thought it would get to me sooner, but what the number of days meant was when it would be shipped as opposed to it arriving to me.

This is a great book. Inspiring, entertaining, hilarious, and real. Mark doesn't pull any punches in this. It is not a self-pity book nor does it try to lecture the reader. It is a real account of someone who is very inspiring, yet doesn't pretend to be what he isn't.

Once I started reading this I couldn't put it down. Awesome!!!

Mark Zupan makes you think about what you have, not what you do not have.

He may be in a chair, but he is not handicap. Mark Zupan speak frankly and openly about his life before and after. He does not blame anyone for his injury.

Make you think you life is O.K. and despite what happens you can survive and go on.

Life is not so bad.

Sometimes, people who have been "handicapped" in some manner end up withdrawing into themselves. A few of them are downright miserable. Mad at the world for being stuck in the situation they're in... the best they can hope for (because they're depressing to be around) is to have people feel sorry for them.

Mark Zupan (who, hopefully, you know from the astoundingly-good, and deserved-to-win-the-Oscar documentary, MURDERBALL), is NOT one of those people. He doesn't WANT anyone to feel sorry for him. (In fact, he doesn't even want to be seen as a "role model," or an "inspiration," though [sorry Mark!], to a lot of people, he is.)

Mark was an athletic, fun-loving 18-year-old, having a blast in South Florida when everything he knew changed in an instant. Sleeping off a night of heavy partying in the back of his buddy Chris Igoe's parked pickup, he had no clue when his friend got in and (also drunk) drove off. Not too long thereafter, Igoe swerved off the road and Mark ended up flying out of the truck-bed, over a fence, and into some dense foliage overhanging a small lake. (Igoe had no idea Mark was in the truck bed, so when the police came, they never looked for him.)

Mark regained consciousness, only to find himself unable to move (he didn't know it yet, but he was paralyzed from the neck down), hanging upside-down from a branch with his nose just inches from the water... and getting closer by the moment. He hung there for 14 hours, before a workman heard him yelling for help.

And that's just the START of the story!

In the years that followed, he has not only become one of the star players of the sport known as Quad Rugby (a.k.a. Murderball), his attitude about his "situation" (whether he likes it or not!) has helped untold numbers of others* to better cope with their own situations.


* I know of what I speak. My young and lovely wife has been in a wheelchair for several years due to Multiple Sclerosis. After seeing the movie MURDERBALL --and *especially* after meeting Zupan at a tournament, her attitude went from "good" to fantastic. She's no longer "the girl in the wheelchair." She's simply my wife, who's fun to be around, and who's interested in doing the things she CAN do, rather than fretting about the things she can't.

-Jonathan Sabin

A fast paced, gritty look into an Athlete's brush with death and the long road to recovery. If you are looking for the next inspiration for a cheesy After School Special on overcoming adversity...don't read this book. If you are looking for a well written, insightful look into how one guy copes with tragedy and disability, then this is an excellent read. To say Gimp has texture is an understatement thanks to its subject, Mark Zupan, a quadriplegic athlete who was made famous by the documentary Murder Ball. Gimp details how this proud, perhaps arrogant athlete dealt with a tragic accident that cost him the full use of his limbs thanks to drunken night that resulted in a brush with death and a debilitating spinal cord injury.

Gimp does not spare us the details that are often left out of such stories including the uglier side of human emotion. The books subject faces Zupan's denial, doubt, guilt, fear, despair and loss as a result of his tragedy. While he ultimately comes to terms with his injury and recovery, it is not without some serious setbacks, some self inflicted. It is this part of writer Timothy Swanson's writing that really sets Gimp apart. He does not spare Zupan some hard looks into his darker nature to include arrogance, self indulgence and outright self destructiveness at times. If there is a villain in the book, it is Zupan himself and his own feelings of despair and anger. It is Swanson's description of Zupan's struggle with his own dark feelings and fears that give the story its power.

The book is not without its own sense of humor and offers a dark amusement that Zupan has for the hand life has dealt him. Gimp deftly shows Zupan's outlook on life which is headstrong and confident but not without his fair share of hidden frailty in the face of a near death experience. In fact, the description of the actual accident that describes Zupan clinging to life, literally perhaps, is the book's strongest section. I have many friends who suffer from war wounds, especially brain injuries from IED's or "danger close" air strikes and I can say from personal experience that Gimp does an excellent job at looking at how proud warriors (in Gimp's case a world class athlete), deal with injury and recovery. I recommend this book without reservation to certainly anyone who knows someone who suffers from a disability or who has seen the documentary Murder Ball. The book has broader appeal to fans of sports writing as well since the book leaves no doubt that Zupan is an athlete. The fact that it is an easy read and has a brisk pace is no small feat given that other works of this genre tend to drag on, lack direction and are often burdened with sappy and clichéd, touchy-feely housewife book club nonsense. Zupan's force of will as described by Swanson carries the book along as does the suspense of how he will cope with each stage of his recovery and his entrance into the world of quad rugby aka Murder Ball. I thought it was a great read and recommend it without reservation.

I like to read the old books about golf. Five Lesson from Ben, Swing the Clubhead, etc.

I like this book, it provides insight about how to play really good golf. I have read over couple of dozen golf books and this is certainly the one in top of my list.

In comparison of new golf books versus the old ones, I found that there is more fundamental skill that descripted very clearly for the old ones. Maybe, it is because in the old days, if you need to play well, you can only rely on the technical skill, but today, you can sometimes rely on the technology. It is not easy to find those secret from the new published books.

Probably one of the best instructional books on Golf every written. I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in learning more about the game of golf or improving there game.

This is a simple book that I have read and reread for profit and for pleasure many times since I was a teenager working as a caddy and golfing as often as possible. Although I was unable to play too much golf during the past summer on account of a hospitalization, I know that I will be rereading this succinct primer over the winter in anticipation of hitting the links again next Spring.

Tommy Armour writes with precision and grace. His brief book is truly intended to help the novice golfer and contains valuable advice that will help these players take several shots off of their scores. It is filled with basic instructions that are easy to understand, commit to memory and implement. I always found the material on assuming the proper stance and employing the proper footwork to be most beneficial.

To a small degree, some of the advice contained in the book, which was published fifty plus years ago, may be somewhat dated. Armour was writing in an era when golfers still used actual persimmon woods (driver, brassie and two spoons), not oversized drivers and forgiving metal woods for their tee shots. New technologies have allowed professionals to hit drives that would have been unimagineable in the past. Long drives once measured two hundred fifty to two hundred seventy-five yards. Now, many top players can exceed those distances. Nonetheless, apart from the instructions on tee shots and hitting a driver, much of the material contained in the book is still relevant for contemporary golfers.

Armour discussed realistic strategies that will help most ordinary players eliminate strokes from their scorecards and improve their enjoyment of the game. I am an enthusiastic, but not particularly consistent golfer, but I still try apply these common sense lessons whenever I play. Armour was an advocate of scrambling and not quitting on a hole despite a bad tee shot. You could recover from a poor drive and still try to make a one putt par.

Tommy Armour's great strength as a writer is that he explains things in nontechnical language that can be clearly followed. Diagrams and charts are basic and kept to a minimum. Unlike so many other pros, Armour also had a sense of humor: on the subject of putting, he admitted that he was not an expert by any means and, apart from imparting some essentials, he simply recommended that his pupils stick with whatever works for them!

Armour was a tournament champion, who later went on to have a successful career as a teaching professional and club designer. The popular Armour line of clubs is still being manufactured today.

If you prefer to pay for golf instruction by the pound and insist upon illustrated diagrams and stop sequence photos, this book is not for you.

When I bought this book, I was looking for something that would really step up my game. I wanted to be consistent. Armour's book can show you how to be truly consistent at golf. This book is aligned with Hogan's theory on golf instruction. So the rationale since Hogan got so much success using his technique, it must work. Many golfers don't realize that Hogan had awesome flexibility and talent to get away with using his technique. If you don't have the body of Hogan nor the flexibility get the following:
The Ultimate Golf Instruction Guide: Key Techniques for Becoming a Zero Handicap Golfer or Better by Patrick Leonardi. The isbn is 1933023090. I used this last book and I don't have much flexibility and I improved right after using the techniques in Leonardi's book. I went from an 96 stroke average to about a 88 stroke average within 7 weeks. I play twice a week so this definitely says a lot. All I have to say is that this book works.

Bear in mind that this is a book originally published in the 1950s. It's widely regarded as an all-time classic, but it's now very dated. Armour was an excellent player (one of the great iron players of all time) and a superb teacher, but some of his theories are no longer in vogue. I can tell you that way back in the early 1960s this book, through Armour's focus on the hip turn, transformed me literally overnight from a beginner who sliced the ball to someone who has fought a hook for the last 40 years. I bought this updated edition strictly for its sentimental value, and I wouldn't foist it on someone who was serious about achieving his or maximum potential because a GREAT deal has been learned about the golf swing since this was written (and today's equipment demands a different sort of swing anyway). However, if you've played for awhile and just can't seem to get the hang of the golf swing, this book is so straightforward that it may be just what you need. You'll end up looking like Julius Boros rather than Tiger Woods, but odds are that'll be a major improvement if you're now shooting over 85. Armour was a transplanted Scot who was very eloquent, and this book is a pleasure to read for that reason alone. Some of his most basic wisdom ("THINK WHAT TO DO -- that's concentration in golf") still sticks with me every time I play. A ROUND OF GOLF WITH TOMMY ARMOUR, in which he steers his 90-shooting friend around the course in 79 by making him play within his limitations, is also excellent.

If one were to have only a single book on Hunter Seat Equitation, this should be it. Written by the leading trainer of top riders and instructors of the past few decades. Buy this book. The basics are covered in such a way that it will become a part of "how it should be done". This book will be on your bookshelf as reference as long as you ride.

Have now read 4 times and keep finding fundamental gems of interesting tips. Good pictures that clearly ilustrate the text descriptions. Highly recommended by riding instructures and they were right.

This book is an excellent resouce for both students and trainers. Mr. Morris has outlined a distinct training method, which is easy to follow. He explains concepts very well. I highly recommend this book.

I've never really benefited from reading books about riding in the past, but Hunter Seat Equitation changed that! I constantly refer to the book when I'm riding and it has made me much more aware of my body and aids. The pictures are wonderful and really give a good example of what you are trying to achieve. It even includes things you might not expect, like how to choose the right horse to compliment your style of riding. Wonderful book.

This is the best book on how to ride. Written logically, and so the reader can understand how to ride. Watch the video after reading the book. Every time you read it, you get more out of it.

I should have written a looong time ago. I've added an extra copy
to our Canton 'Library" just to loan out to new people or to
people who wonder "what are you DOING"! Some things are different
from Kingdom to Kingdom but as a whole the "Dream" is the same all
over. Buy it...read it!

He did his research well and he relates the tales and legends of the SCA as well as we could do ourselves around a fire after a fine day at War.

If only the rest of the world could have Wars like ours, where no one is harmed and more friends than enemies are made.

I remember some of the people mentioned in the book. I left the SCA a long time ago because of lack of time. Every now and then I think about going back into it but I'm geographically isolated. This was a nice look at the SCA and the changes that it makes on people in it.

In sooth, it matters not if ye be SCAdian or mundane, this book will delight and inform ye. Partick O'Donnell's "voice" is a perfect balance between jaded old-timer and wide-eyed newbie, to what we call "The Dream". His observations are spot on, and witty. His appraisal is honest, neither sugar-coating the bad bits nor over-stating the good bits. As a long time player in the SCA (16 years and counting) I can vouche for the authenticity of his descriptions and his analyses. Great fun, and a good read!! I agree...buy TWO COPIES! One to read and one to loan. Your friends will thank you, and who knows...they might even come to war with you. Highly recommended. Hie thee to thy Shopping Cart and there addeth this book! Disappointed thou shall not be.

I'm a swordfighter, using real armour and real swords. I found the whole insight into the SCA culture quite fascinating. But I found the best part of this book to be the following of one SCA member from his beginning in the SCA, to him becoming a well rounded person. It was a very interesting, very human story. Being from Australia the SCA movement is no where near as big here, so it was nice to see how the yanks do it.
In the last few chapters the author covers some groups from England. I found this quite fascinating, and I reckon he could do another book on it.

All in all a decent read.

Never Give Up is the journey of Tedy Bruschi and how he went from Super Bowl Champion/Pro Bowl participant to hoping he could lead a normal life. Bruschi suffered a mild stroke that impaired his vision and ability to walk. He and his wife Heidi received a crash course in what it means to have a stroke and how it can impact your life.

Bruschi details how this event caused turmoil in his personal and professional life and how he went from being completely striped of any hope of playing football again to becoming a leading spokesman for stroke awareness. The book is well written and a very fast read.

This book is well beyond a book only for New England Patriots fans; it is a great inspiration for anyone who is facing adversity in their life. Highly recommended.

Truly insperational. I love Tedy Bruschi and this shows the heart of a true sportsman and a great person. This book is easy to read and a must read if you are a PATS fan at all!

I haven't finished the book, but what i have read is excellent. It was well written, and I felt it explained in the details of his life.

I am a HUGE Patriots fan and i could not put this book down. I am 14 years old and i have to read every single night and i was excited when i started to read this book. This book makes you think about what you have and the things that you take for granted. Even though the patriots lost the super bowl i got over it quicker than i would of since i had just finished the book. I liked the insight on what goes on and what goes through the NFL players head. You have got to read this inspirational book!

I bought this book for my husband for Christmas. He has hardly put it down since he got it. I can't wait for him to finish so I can read it!

Just what I needed to get started with my Garmin 76csx. Good price and arrived on time.

Excellent book for me. I bought my first GPS for hiking and canoeing and this really helped me prepare for using my GPS in combination with maps. Lots of great bits of advice and quick and dirty instruction on GPS units, maps, compass navigation etc. Most importantly I learned that one uses a GPS in combination with maps. It does not replace them and you must teach yourself solid map reading skills and good old fashioned compass navigation. This book gives you a great overview as well as just enough detail to encourage you to learn as much as you can.

This is a great resource book for any outdoor enthusiast using a handheld GPSr. The book covers all the basics from how GPSs work, to understanding waypoints and bearings, and what to do and how to recover from a navigation disaster. After reading this book you will be better prepared for any outdoor experience using a GPS to its maximum potential. Learn primitive navigation techniques, trail mapping and even highway navigation using your GPSr. This book integrates an important chapter on fusing map and compass skills to compliment your GPS. Finally, if than wasn't enough, the author Stephen Hinch manages to squeeze in a chapter on Geocaching, naviagtions games and orienteering relay races. A great addition to your library on GPS and Navigation.

As a newhbie to GPs, I found this book, Outdoor Navigation With GPS: Hiking, Geocaching,etc. easy to read and understand.
All aspects of GPS useage are covered fully and concisely.

Now in an updated second edition, Outdoor Navigation with GPS is a no-nonsense guide to basic GPS navigation skills, useful for all kinds of outdoor activities ranging from hiking, mountain biking, and fishing to geocaching, outdoor photography, canoeing/kayaking, and any other activity involving the negotiation of wild terrain. Written in a jargon-free style accessible to readers of all backgrounds, chapters cover how to program waypoint coordinates and reach them, prepare for and recover from disaster, read topographic maps, and much more. Black-and-white photographs and diagrams illustrate this "must-have" for outdoorsmen in the modern age.

Tyler is incredibly focused. He is determined to make baseball his life. Even though he is only thirteen, he already has a plan to get noticed at home in his California high school during the school year, but then to also make a name for himself during the summers playing in a New York City league with his cousin. He is certain this summer he will make the New York all-star team and begin getting noticed.

Right away, though, there is a problem. Tyler has a terrible temper that causes him to get into fights with other players, on the other teams as well as his own. When something gets to him or he feels he's been treated unfairly, he simply explodes. He thought his abilities on the field would get him onto the all-star team, but the coach almost immediately pulls him aside and tells him that unless he can show a little maturity, he has no chance.

At first Tyler is even more furious at the coach for telling him he's not in control. But then he decides to do something to change the coach's opinion of him. It's not easy to reign in his temper, and a lot of the time he's just acting relaxed instead of really feeling it. But then he begins to reflect more on his life and the lives of his family members and their connections to violence and war. Eventually he begins to view himself and those around him in entirely new ways.

I liked the connection to the Vietnam War, although at times I thought the book lost its focus and the author couldn't decide between a story about baseball and a story about the effects of the war.

Unfortunately, I really didn't like the character of Tyler. I found him irritating and wasn't really rooting for him to be successful.

I started reading "Over the Wall" on a Saturday, and could hardly put it down until I finished it on Monday.

Like John Ritter's other books, "Choosing up Sides" and "The Boy Who Saved Baseball," this is a well written and very entertaining story. I especially identify with Tyler's struggle to replace anger with empathy, despite what other people might think about him. I tend to react with anger, at least at first. Anger is the "easiest way out." Identifying with people and understanding their side is much more difficult

Tyler strives to become a better baseball player to compensate for his parents' mental absence and to rekindle their interest in his life. Tyler's strenuous quest is expressed with foreshadowing. This occurs early on when he disputes the umpire's bad call when he knows he was safe.

All of these writer's craft techniques: foreshadowing, comparing and contrasting between characters, and having the minor characters take control of the greatest part of the plot, are brilliantly expressed. "Over the Wall" by John H. Ritter was one of the greatest books I have ever read. Now I can't wait to read "Under the Baseball Moon" next.

Tyler is a great shortstop and a terrific all around baseball player. He only has one flaw, he has anger issues. After every bad call he gets angry and is involved in a fight. Sometimes he gets in fights because people make fun of his bright orange hair. Tyler's coach, Coach Trioli, tries to help him by showing what happened in the Vietnam war. Now Tyler knows his coaches secret past and why he is so nice, but will Tyler get over his anger problems or will he be kicked of the and kicked off the league forever.

Hi, my name is A.C. Murphy and I thought that "Over The Wall" by John H. Ritter was a good book. My Favorite character would have to be Tyler's cousin Louis. Louis is my favorite character beacuse he plays 2nd base just like I do. In the beginning of the book, Tyler comes from San Diego and goes all the way to New York City. While Tyler is in New York City, his cousin asks him if he wants to play on his baseball team. So Tyler decides to play. They have a really good team. But in one game, Tyler gets in a fight and is kicked off of the team and reuins his chance on making the all star team. Towards the end of the book, Tyler apologizes to his coach and his coach gives him a spot on the all star team. If I were to rate this book on a scale from 1-10, I'd rate it a 10 because baseball is my favorite sport, and I've playing since I was three years old.

I think that John H. Ritter is one of the best authors and I really liked Over The Wall. The reason why I liked the book was because it's about baseball, and it's my favorite sport to play. I think that my favorite character would have to be Tyler's cousin Louis because he was tough and he played 2nd base. I play 2nd base also. If I were to rate this book from a scale of 1-10, I'd rate it a 10 because it was a really good book.