Sports Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Among Rosengren's goofs:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where's the sequel, Jones?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by Vicky Burkholder
on 07/13/2008

Who has not been to summer camp, even if only for a day? And as an adult, who has not sat in his or her industrial beige/grey cubicle on a clear, beautiful summer day and wished they were once again that carefree youngster jumping into a frigid lake or pounding initials into a piece of leather?

Josh Wolk, a senior writer for Entertainment Weekly, decided to spend part of the summer before his wedding doing just that. He returned to his old haunt as a counselor, hoping to find his boyhood before stepping solidly into adulthood. His lighthearted look at the goings on at camp will keep you laughing. But, just as in life, all is not high-jinks and pratfalls. He is looking back at this from the perspective of twenty years beyond most of the people there. But he gives even the serious stuff a humorous edge.

If you've ever been to summer camp, or even if you haven't, you'll enjoy this book. It's both funny and nostalgic, a perfect blend of entertainment. So grab your gorp and bug juice and come along for the ride. You'll be glad you did.

I enjoyed this book from line one. Josh Wolk is a wonderfully funny story teller. Even if you never spent any time in summer camp, you will love the stories and characters. I didn't want it to end!

I am never at all sure why I like reading camp books. I hated the actual camp experience, due to overwhelming homesickness and general dislike of being in groups! But I love reading about camp, and this is probably the best book about it I've ever read. Josh Wolk spends the summer before getting married working as a counselor at the camp he attended for many summers as a boy. The best part of this book is that it really doesn't romantize the experience. Josh feels like a misfit much of the time, the 14 year old boys in his cabin can be very, very hard to deal with, the other counselor in the cabin doesn't pull his weight at all...but still, he has many moments of remembering what he loves about the camp. It sounds like a great camp. I have 13 and 10 year old boys, and I wish now that overnight camp wasn't out of our price range, as it sounds like it could be a wonderful experience.

I hope Wolk writes more books. I'd love to hear about his life as a parent, as he seems like someone with real insights.

Even though it's been 35 years since the first time I was a counselor, every year around Fathers Day I have the urge to grab my sleeping bag and head up to camp for staff orientation. This book reminded me of why that urge is still so strong - why I spent six summers of my life as summer camp staff, working 14 hours a day most days and making less than I could have working a virtually anywhere else.

In the summer before he married and entered a new phase of life, the author chose to relive part of his childhood by becoming a camp counselor at the same camp he'd attended as an adolescent. Although older than the typical counselor and with a fiance waiting at home for him to finish his adventure, the authors experiences of feeling like he didn't quite fit in with the staff, his struggles with trying to stay upbeat after weeks of little sleep and hard physicial work and the silliness he shared with his campers mirror the experience of every counselor, whatever age. His story rang so true - although I worked at two coed YMCA camps rather than an all boys camp, the songs, jokes, activities and adolescent angst are universal.

For those who were campers, it's a window into the mysterious life that counselors led. For those of us who staffed camps, it's a sometimes funny, sometimes touching reminder of why we chose spend our summers without creature comforts of home, making little money while living with other people's children.

I take that title from a Frank Black song, which I think is a pretty accurate way of describing the nervous step you take into full-fledged adulthood. "Cabin Pressure" details Josh Wolk's step.

I first took notice of Wolk through his terrific writing at "Entertainment Weekly." He wrote day-after commentary on the "Real World" that was so gut-bustingly hilarious my friends and I used to E-mail the highlights to each other. After a while, the writing was so good and the show so bad, we stopped watching the show and just read the wrap-ups.

Wolk's best skill as a writer is his gift of observation. Give him any scenario and he can instantly break it down, expose each player's motivation, and end it all with a hilarious analogy.

He brings that keen observation to "Cabin Pressure," his tale of heading back to camp as a counselor on the brink of his wedding day. Having remembered camp as a kind of innocent oasis, Josh wants to reexperience it one more time before he becomes, gulp, a husband and a father.

Wolk fills us in on summer-camp life -- what he remembered from his day, what has changed, and what hasn't. The best part of the book is Wolk's interaction with the kids in his cabin. He does an amazing job of letting you know each one, whether they are charming, maddening, or depressingly and prematurely stressed-out and miserable.

I don't necessarily think I bought into Josh's overall theme here -- this whole nostalgic innocence trip -- but it doesn't matter because "Cabin Pressure" is often hilarious and reading this book is like a well-spoken, really funny friend telling you his best summer-camp stories.

The tone can shift from body-odor humor to some strong emotional connections with the boys, and all the while Wolk's razor-sharp observation and pitch-perfect punchlines remain.

After reading Wolk in "Entertainment Weekly" all those years, and laughing my butt off, this book lives up to all of my expectations. Funny and insightful, "Cabin Pressure" is a wonderful debut book.

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

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

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

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

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

wow, the set of fabled lands books are brilliant, they transport you into a whole new enchanted world where anything is possible. I would well recomend these books to everyone. I just want to know what happend to the last six in the series?, i,ve been looking for them everywhere!

The best solo RPG game ever!
These books create the most amazing fantasy world.
They allow you to roam about how you want to.
It was planned that enough of these books would be released to cover the map that is contained in each of this series.
However, I heard, that they charged too little for each book (in England I think they were just £5 or £6!!) so they couldn't finish the series for financial reasons!
An absolute shame - I do anything for the last few books!!

I strongly reccomend this wonderful roleplaying game. Absolutely non-lynear storyline, many different characters to start your game with and many mini-quests in the global quest.

I have been playing the Quest for more than 3 years, and it was a pity that only 6 books have been published. This is the most astounding Role Playing Games I have ever played. Specially for people who do not of RPG games on computers. I wish that Jamie Thomson and Dave Morris become aware of this and please publish the remaining 6 books.The descriptions in the book for places, characters and actions are so good that I have abandoned to play Fighting Fantasy Series. Best of all, for all readers, is that the adventure is unlimited and you can go back and forth.

wow, the set of fabled land books are brilliant, they transport you into a whole new world where anything is possible. I would well recomend this book to those of you who like to escape for a few hours into a land of fiction. I would just like to know what happend to the last 6 books in the series?, i,ve been looking for them everywhere!

This is a Great Book by Tina Zhang and Frank Allen on how to do Northern Wu Style Tai Ji. Having studied Wu Style Short Form for 6 months with Frank Allen I can honestly say that many things he taught me in person are explained in great detail in this book. All students of all styles of Tai Ji will benefit from reading it and incorporating its techniques into their daily practice. If you are interested in Tai Ji You Must Get This Book !!!!!

This is a great book on the art of tai ji quan (tai chi chuan). It offers an excellent overview of the internal martial arts principles of Wu style tai ji quan, and addresses the aspects of the art that contribute to good health and longevity. The history of the Northern Wu is very interesting and includes rare archival photographs. The form and practical application of the postures are well presented, as is the section on the Wu sword form. This is the kind of book you buy to keep as a lifelong reference as you develop the skills of tai ji quan - from knowing the techniques (zhao shu), to understanding internal energy and gaining tai ji quan power (dong jin), and progressing to the advanced level where the spirit is calm, happy, relaxed, and free to use flowing techniques at will (shen ming). (See Chapter 8.) I can't wait for the authors' book on Bagua, due out this summer!

Not only does this book offer a detailed description and clear photography of the Tai Ji Form and Sword Form, for these alone would be reason for those practicing or interested in Classical Northern Wu Style.
What makes this book invaluable for ALL internal martial artists is its direct and straight to the point explanations of the martial applications, how to apply the qualities of a Tai Ji practice to become more effective, and specifically what training methods the internal fighter will utilize in contrast to an external stylist. It is within these teachings that Tina Zhang and Frank Allen show their understanding of the complete art, integrating all the components into a whole... which is the essence of Tai Ji.

Although it is always preferable to have a teacher, this book goes a long way towards providing the images and text for learning Taiji on your own, which is an unusual occurance. The images are sharp and there are many of them. Using figure numbers, the images are linked to the text, which is as clearly written as is possible.

The introduction gives excellent background on the evolution of Northern style taiji and provides biographies of the people that developed and spread the art. The introduction is followed by a section on the Principles of Wu Style Taijiquan, which provides interesting information on the differences between the hard and soft, and the external and internal martial arts styles.

The Wu style described in the book consists of 83 movements with images covering the beginning and end of each movement plus images for all key changes in posture.

In addition to the Taiji form, the book contains a good section on Push hands, which incluses more than 50 images showing fighting applications using the Wu style movements.

The Classical Sword Form is also presented and the presentation is just as well done and extensive as the Taiji form.

The book is a well done, authoritative, excellent addition to the martial arts literature.

On the bookshelves of the martial arts section there are few books that can truly be called thorough and complete. The "Classical Northern Wu Style Tai Ji Quan" by Tina Zhang and Frank Allen in one of these few.

The history section is a concise look at the history of Tai Ji Quan from the perspective of the northern Wu style school. Instead of just regurgitating the usual legends, it tells an interesting story and gives the reader a quick introduction to the confusing and convoluted field of martial arts history. Unlike many Tai Ji books it actually has some new information, specifically about the Northern Wu style so that any Tai Ji player will get some new perspective on the development of the art.

The principles of practice are well laid out and to the point. There are many facets to be worked on here from alignments, to breathing, vision, and more. Very interesting are instructions on Compression and Expansion which is often absent in Tai Ji practice, yet is one of Tai Ji's most useful and enriching aspects.

The form is taught carefully with full instructions, yet not overlong or boring. Tai Ji enthusiasts should be able to make a close comparison of this with their own work and see how it is the same and different. The sword form is also fully taught and should also be quite useful for comparison.

A note on the combat applications. Any Chinese martial arts book that is missing the fighting uses of the form should be considered useless. This is where the hard gongfu training is demonstrated. The creativity and proficiency of the author is always shown best in the applications. Your form may be great but are your fighting moves silly and wrong-headed? In the case of "Classical Northern Wu Style Tai Ji Quan" the answer is decidedly not! The applications are a short section, but instead of wasting endless space on explanations, the pictures are worth a thousand words. Each shows the essence of a fighting technique, and almost all of the Wu style form movements are demonstrated in combative use. The demonstrations are clear and provide much fodder for exploration and experimenation by the reader. They are simple and direct so you can grab a friend and quickly get to work trying them out with no wasted time.

Finally the theory and translation of the Tai Ji classics in the end is of course another mandatory part of a good Ta Ji book. The special points of Northern Wu Tai Ji are also translated so the reader gets a small taste of what makes this style unique.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all Tai Ji Quan players, and all who want a close look at the intricacies of Chinese martial arts.

Sincerley,

Jess O'Brien
Oakland, CA

Flies like the Clouser minnow are well known and easy to tie, I
was interested to see how the man himself tied his flies.
The good photographs and step-by-step instructions make it easy to duplicate the patterns correctly.
Since these patterns are so succsesfull in both fresh- and saltwater I
regard this book as a must have for any flyfisherman.

I fish specs and reds in the flats, and when I'm not throwing top water, I'm using a Clouser...this book has led me to experiment with other than the Clouser standards with great success. The book is well written and the photography of the flies is superb. Glad I added it to my fly library, it certainly will be a classic.

Clouser's Flies: Tying And Fishing the Fly Patterns of Bob Clouser Highly recommended fly tying tutorial for Bob Clouser patterns. Tying sequences well illustrated with large, clear photos. Great for seasoned beginning or intermediate tyers wanting to advance their skills. Must have book to add to any flytyers library.

This book is an important read for anyone who fishes & ties Bob Clouser's flies; that would probably include everyone who flyfishes fresh or inshore salt water.

This book gives very clear instructions with great high res color pictures showing how to tie some of Bob Couser's most popular flies. He gives great advise on general fly tying techniques that will help you with other tying as well. It also goes through proportions and helps you to understand 'why' his flies are designed the way they are for better fishing. Pretty much one of the best fly tying books out there for specialty patterns.

As a machinist, and amature gunsmith, I'm fairly well versed on how to modify guns. However, there's no need to reinvent the wheel if it's already been done. Since this was my first 10/22 buildup, this book helped just by being able to see all the different possible combination of parts one could use for a modified 10/22. The accuracy tests with various ammo brands vs. different rifle mods give the new owner a great place to start. If you've been around modified 10/22's for a while, this info might not be too much of a surprise. But for the person getting into this type of gun for the first time, it is very informative, and time saving in the long run.

The first shipment was wrong, I returned it with a picture of the cover showing the thumb hole stock. Second book arrived, the same as the first.
Not the thumb hole stock, but the none thumb hole stock which I had. I want the edition with a thumb hole stock on it, even if it is just a new cover on the one I have.
Why is it people do not think, read and pay attention to what or why things are returned? I'll go to Barns and Noble at the mall and try there.
The first book is very, very good if you shoot and own a Ruger 10/22! It has more information, how to, where to find, about the 10/22 than any book I have found to date.

This book is a 'must have' if you own a Ruger 10/22 rifle. Very informative!

This book was well written and organized. I found it very helpful in answering some questions I had about my Ruger 10-22. It was a good value.

Excellent presentation of both text and illustrations. Material very helpful to both inexperienced shooters as well as old pros.