Sports Books

Ordinarily, I'm not a big fan of the management genre. More aphorisms than pages is not a good combo.

Tim Warneka's *Leading People the Black Belt Way* takes its time to do the job right. Not surprising, perhaps, given how Aikido -- the martial art that provides this book's philosophical center -- rewards patience. Yes, the author provides schemas to help us remember key points, but he never races through them as if prepping Intro to Management students for an upcoming quiz. His goal for his readers is genuine understanding, not rote memorization of bullet points.

Tim's prose is extremely accessible. He talks of problems that managers and their teams actually face. When he introduces concepts from the management canon, he defines them in phrases that don't demand an MBA.

Each chapter begins with a brief "story" that illustrates the upcoming topic. Don't be surprised to find that you've stopped to reflect for a few minutes before you move on. It is the nature of stories to invite readers to contemplate meaning. Far better that you start to grasp these principles organically, rather than have the author bludgeon you over the head.

Tim brings a truly fresh perspective to the management text. I honestly believe that his mission is not simply to make managers get more from their workforce, but to actually improve the world. It's not just that happy workers are more productive workers, but that happy workers are happy. So are happy managers. What's refreshing is that he doesn't consider this naive. It's a worthy common cause.

Perhaps most indicative of Tim's take on both management and the world is his assessment of Ebeneezer Scrooge. We've heard this one so often we can recite it by heart: warm and fuzzy Bob Cratchit, good; cold and calculating Ebeneezer Scrooge, bad. What a refreshing take to see Warneka focus upon Scrooge's redemption. How the Scrooge at the *end* of The Christmas Carol literally embodies the managerial lessons that Tim tries to teach throughout *his* book. We should all be like Scrooge in the end: a good man and a good manager too.

Full disclosure: I have worked with Tim on a business project and know him to be the real deal. But so is his book. Stop enumerating habits and move your darned cheese -- *this* book can teach you a lot.

Leaders must tap into the tremendous emotional power of those they lead. Yes! In a field crowded with many good books on leadership, Tim Warneka has authored one that is fresh, unique and valuable. He dips his consultant and writer's ladle deeply into pools of both leadership and Aikido wisdom, with wonderful results. Having worked as an organizational change strategist and coach for two decades myself and having practiced the Japanese martial art of Aikido for over half that period, I can tell you that you're in for many surprises and bonuses in this book. By this I mean you will come away from your reading investment with many inspiring new ideas and lots of practical tools you can immediately put to work.

Dale Biron
Principal
Core Action Assoc., Inc.
Mill Valley, CA 94941

Leaders are sometimes hard to find. Sure, there's loads of folks that have been to leadership workshops and programs to be indoctrinated with yet another leadership system. But as Warneka points out, "The world does not need one more leadership system. What the world does need is great leadership that draws on the wisdom of the body and recognizes the treasury of emotions waiting to be tapped within every organization."

Using references to the lovely and efficient Japanese martial art of Aikido, Warneka shows us the importance of the above statement. In a text that flows much like a well trained martial artist, we receive epigrams from a well known swordsman, the Tao, today's best and brightest leadership coaches and the ever important thoughts of Ghandi and Einstein. Along with all that we get examples of Warneka's tried and try methods, his well thought out "learning experiments", helpful Author's notes and an extensive bibliography/webography. And while you'll have loads of folks you'll want to buy a copy for, this book could stay in your briefcase or backpack for months and in your library indefinitely.

I could list the 5 core problems that face leaders today, the 4 tools of conflict management or the 7 solutions of black belt leadership that Warneka expounds on and offers solutions to, or I could tell you this:

Whether you're the president of your garden club developing your next fundraiser, a teacher dealing with stubborn union issues, or a Fortune 500 CEO, this book can help.

Heck, it can be helpful in issues that arise every minute of every day in every country on this planet. Working together and living together is what we do as a species, using techniques that borrow from the philosophy of yin/yang, the Gestalt Cycle of Experience, and the teachings of Joseph Campbell, just may help us become those leaders we so desperately need.

If you're looking for a goldmine of timeless leadership treasures, you'll want to add Leading People The Black Belt Way to your collection. This book is unique because Warneka weaves his vast knowledge of eastern philosophy through the basic principles of emotional intelligence. It's thought provoking and loaded with plenty gems of wisdom. He highlights key points with bolding, for easy reference later. Each chapter ends with a summary and a learning experiment to help you implement the key concepts.

The book's content is written around the framework of The Seven Solutions of Black Belt Leadership:
1. Know the Five Core Problems of Leadership
2. Understand Leadership as a Relational Process
3. Seek Harmony in Leadership
4. Lead People Rather than Pushing or Pulling Them
5. Cultivate Emotional Engagement
6. Practice Embodied Leadership
7. Follow The Black Belt Cycle of Leading People

Don't worry if you don't really understand the meaning from this list. Warneka thoroughly defines "what is meant" at the beginning of each chapter.

This book is a great investment because it's jam packed with hidden gems. It's so content rich that he could have easily broken it down to several smaller, simpler books. Warneka clearly put his heart and soul into this piece of work.

I'm an avid business book reader and I have to say that I found it to be on the difficult side to read. Each chapter is prefaced with an eastern philosophy based story, which I personally found a bit distracting. If you're going to read it cover to cover, consider taking it in bite-sized chunks to maximize the benefits. Read one chapter every 2 - 4 weeks, complete the experiments at the end, and give your self plenty of time to sift, sort, and learn from the material.

If you couldn't put down Daniel Goleman's books on emotional intelligence, you're likely to be thrilled with this book. On the other hand, if you found Goleman's books to be great reference material versus engaging and inspirational, you'll likely feel the same way about this one.

Regardless, it's a great addition to your business book library.

So begins Tim Warneka's excellent book on leadership. As a practitioner and teacher of aikido, I appreciate Tim's use of aikido as a metaphor and teaching tool. How can we acknowledge and make use of emotional energy? As leaders, we can no longer afford to ignore this question. In "Leading People the Black Belt Way," you will learn core problems facing today's leaders and how to engage and manage them. Through theory, parable, learning experiments, and real life examples, this book offers easily grasped, yet innovative concepts. Read, learn, and enjoy!

The book "Maverick's The Big Story of Big-Wave Surfing" by Matt Warskaw is one of my favorite books. This book is about surfing and its mishaps and adventures. The title of the book is Maverick's, this relates to the book countless times because it is a gigantic storm of waves in California that come every year. There are many different stories, some that are good and some that are sad or not that interesting. This book talks about how surfing has changed over the years. Also how far it has come since 1914. It has some very fascinating stories from surfing a 25-foot wave to drowning and having your last ride. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 because of how interesting it was. I would also recomend this book to all ages because it is such a good book.

This book gives you a feeling of "look at that wave!". If you really want to get an idea of big-wave surfing, find an IMAX theatre showing "Extreme". Then read this book. The photographs are good and the historical information is presented well and has some depth to it. You also get to see pictures of one of the biggest wipeouts ever!

Growing up in Montara just a few minutes north of Mavericks, no one I knew even talked about surfing there. The surfers from the coast surfed the Jetty, and the stronger surfers went to Montara. There were many places around that one could surf, but no one considered Mavericks a surf mecca. No one mentioned it's name.

Seeing is believing. If you have NEVER seen big wave surfing except in pictures you are missing out!...

Enjoy the book. It is a great piece of history about the location and surfing in general!

Look for DVD's and Videos of Mavericks at [their website], taken by locals Eric and Kurt at Powerline Productions.

Not just a nice coffee table book, but also a great story about big waves and big wave surfers. Some of the shots are absolutely spectacular. And what would a book on big waves be without a chapter on Greg Noll - what a character.

This is a fascinating look at the history and sport of big-wave surfing, focusing primarily on Maverick's but also discussing some of the other big-wave spots in the world, such as Todos Santos and Cortes Banks. If you have fond memories of the classic travel and surf-bum movie from the 60s, "The Longest Summer," about great surf spots around the world, you'll probably enjoy this book.

My review concentrates mainly on the dangers, since I was interested in researching that, but overall it's a beautifully illustrated and well-written account of the sport. The author starts with the early history back in the mid-1850s (when a legend has it that a Hawaiian was supposed to have ridden a tsunami back to shore).

I was interested because I used to live for many years near Maverick's, one of the premier big-wave surfing spots in the world, and I was curious what it had to say. I've never been a board-surfer myself, but grew up in southern Cal and did a lot of body surfing when I was younger. One time, I foolishly tried to body-surf a storm-driven 18-footer at Gillis Beach in southern California and got ground into the bottom and held down long enough so I thought I might not get back up to the surface in time. But I survived, and am now older and wiser.

I've had a few other misadventures, such as having been pulled out by a couple of riptides (including one that pulled me underneath the water briefly), so I've always had respect for the ocean, and I figured big-wave riding must surely be even more dangerous. Photos of lone surfers dwarfed by enormous waves have always amazed me and sent shivers up my spine, as I remembered my own scary encounter with a wave. Oddly enough, the author goes to some pains to dispell that notion by recounting various statistics and many anecdotal stories about the sport.

For example, although it's possible for a big-wave to hold a surfer underwater long enough to drown, this is very rare. More likely is for a surfer at the more crowded small-wave sites to get knocked unconscious by someone else's board who wiped out and to drown that way. Or there's the possibility of an unsupervised and inexperienced surfer drifting into a strong riptide. And as the author says, "No big wave surfer ever tested the odds as boldly as the untrained, pot-bellied, beer-staggered, citizen body-surfer."

Mark Renneker, a UCSF physician and avid big-wave surfer, gathered data and compiled statistics on injuries and concluded that cheerleaders were injured more often than big-wave surfers.

Peter van Dyke, another big-wave fan, had some other comments, pointing out that in one recent year, a half dozen Grand Prix racers were killed but not one surfer, and many more bull-fighters were killed. He said that big-wave surfers were so unconcerned about their fitness that they trained on "cake, Kool-Aid, ice cream, and cigarettes." He also pointed out that the last surfer to die at Waimea was Dickie Cross back in 1943. By 1994, no-one had yet died at Maverick's (although that would soon change with Mark Foo's death).

The book also contains a full chapter going into the events preceding and following Mark Foo's death. One of the things that becomes apparent there is that surfers aren't so much killed by the waves as by occasionally getting their ankle straps caught in underwater reefs so that they can't surface. Although no-one to this day knows what killed Mark Foo, it's possible this was part of it, and one of the other surfers had the same thing happen that very day, although he was able to get free just as he was running out of air and get to the surface.

Still, because of the perceived dangers, out of 5 million surfers world-wide, only about 100 are regular big-wave riders.

But as I said, the book also contains a more general discussion and history of the sport from the early days to the present, using Maverick's as its point of departure. There are many spectacular photos, including a fantastic two-page spread of Mike Parsons riding what's thought to be the largest wave ever ridden at Cortes Banks, an open ocean reef 100 miles to the west of San Diego.

By the way, I agree with the previous reviewer about possible huge waves up in Alaska. In fact, in Puget Sound they sometimes get 60-foot waves, and they can get 20 or 30 foot waves at the mouth of the Columbia river in Oregon, where the Coast Guard trains captains in the heavy surf handling of boats. Also, off the tip of South Africa there is an area where, because of the way the ocean currents travel up from Antartica combined with a sea floor that funnels the wave energy, it's thought that 100-foot waves can occur. (In fact, it's one of the few places in the world where large ships occasionally disappear, and it's suspected huge "rogue waves" may be responsible). There was also the finding of the underwater quake that caused a tsunami to go 2000 feet up the mountainside at an uninhabited bay up the west coast of Alaska. No-one saw it but the devastation was so dramatic it wasn't hard to figure out the cause when it was discovered later.

The largest wave ever recorded (at least by a reliable observer) was by the USS Ramapo back in the early 1930s. The ship was about 120 feet long and completely fit on the side of an enormous sea wave that passed under it in the mid-Pacific, and was estimated to be 134 feet high. Now that's a wave any surfer could envy.

this is a fantastic read, if you have ever climbed any mountain this would probably interest you

I'm not sure, but I may have been one of the pilots on the C-130 that helped to coordinate the rescue of the team off of Mt. McKinley. Rescue 489 sounds like one of the 17th Troop Carrier Squadron's aircraft. And, I recall dropping (parachuting) a couple of radios on the emergency frequency to a climbing team that we helped rescue. The aircraft commander and I are discussing this particular rescue as "I speak."

As I recall, the person from the expedition that was talking to me was very very reluctant to leave the climb, finally asking what it would cost. When the team was assured that there would be "no cost," things did change... :-)

On the rescue that I'm describing, perhaps the one covered in this book, the Army Huey helicopter had difficulty landing at such a high elevation, and carrying out such a load. I watched as the helicopter lifted off, and it had to dive down toward the base of the mountain to get into more dense air, and to gain associated lift. On the way back to the airport, we slowed the C-130 down, and lowered the flaps, so the Huey helicopters could fly on each wing tip...

I loved how suspenseful it is when they are trapped in the snow cave for a week. I would definetly recommend this book to anyone about the age of 12. It is kind of challenging.

this was an awesome book. it was so suspensful i couldnt put it down it was like my fingers and eyes were glued to the book.i had a great time reading it.the people in this book went through alot of bad luck.im not going to describe it though for those of you review readers who havent read the book.this book was the complete oppisite of a waste of time and i highly recommend reading it because there is so many bad things happening like death, frostbite, and wind speeds i didnt even know were possible that its amazing anyone could have survived a adventure such as that.this was a good book i highly recommened it for anyone looking for a good time , or anyone who hasnt read a good book lately, or ,OH THE HELL WITH IT! I recommened this book to anyone, anywhere, anytime!

This book is incredible. You cannot put it down. A great gripping TRUE story!

These books are great fun. the move very fast with great action.
I have read all of them and do not know how many books the series will have and i do not like this! The web site does not have it and the books read very fast so now I am waiting for Mouse but starting to tire of this.
B

I'm a librarian and I started purchasing this series for my grandson about 3 years ago. Everytime I asked him, he hadn't read them yet. I was sure if he started them, he would like them. This fall he had to have a book to read in school that represented his interests so he took the first one, reluctantly (hates to read). He was about halfway through the book when he called me and said,"Grammy, would you mind getting me the rest of the Five Ancestors books? They're awesome!" He's now reading the second one and looking forward to the rest of the series. He's 11, turning 12 in May. I would reccomend this series any time for boys who think they don't like to read.

I think the book was better than hope for. You need to read the frist book first than you will get the story.

The Five Ancestors series by Jeff Stone is an exciting series about five young monks from an ancient Chinese temple called Canghzen, or, literally, Hidden Temple. The books are the same story, but from different views, because they split up. I think these books are a great adventure, and I also liked Tiger.

Book 2 of Jeff Stone's 'Five Ancestors' series, Monkey really deserves a reading of Book 1 for a smooth transition - and be aware, this is a projected seven-book series - but the action- packed martial-arts story set in 17th century China will win fans wherever they begin. Five young, orphaned monks specializes in a different style of kung-fu reflecting his personality: here Malao faces his temple's destruction and an encounter with a band of wood monkeys who save him and introduce him to a wilder side of his soul.

I love this book! I don't know how many times I've re-read my copy but I find new ideas every time I do. Here is tradition and the real spirit of the martial arts. No matter what martial art you practice, GET THIS BOOK!

Lowry's book, a collection of his articles, is surprisingly consistent in theme. His outlook reminds of Merzel's "Beyond Sanity and Madness" for his fairly stern reminders that the Path lies within simplicity and that the early lessons in any of the martial arts (and many other Eastern disciplines such as Qigong and Zen) contain the essence that you, as a beginner, are unfortunately unlikely to recognize for a long time.

I also enjoy his viewpoint regarding the the 'need' for less ego and posturing; instead he consistently points out that 'Master' depends upon what is deep inside and is displayed through consistent behaviour at all times. Certainly this viewpoint is sorely lacking in many so-called 'Masters' at this time.

Lowry also gives some valuable insight into aspects of Japanese culture that are quite fascinating including Noh and the tea ceremony. He also includes many tidbits about visiting Masters that I found very informative.

Even if you are not that interested in martial arts I believe there are many lessons in this book that make it worthwhile to read.

Written by a Westerner with a Japanese mind. I have followed Dave Lowry's column, The Karate Way in Black Belt magazine for years. Some issues I purchased just for his work. This delightful book is a collection of his best stuff. It is an insightful look at Zen, the martial ways, the mindset necessary to truly master a Japanese art, and the implications thereof in Western society. He is clear, articulate, and never preachy. I liked it a lot.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

This books brings together a number of Lowry's columns over the years on Zen and the martial arts, and you can learn a lot that is worthwhile about Zen and how a Zen master would apply these principles in everyday life from reading this book. There is no doubt in my mind that many martial artists and westerners in general could benefit from adopting certain Zen principles in their lives, especially in regard to the West's dysfunctional obsession with the individual ego and individual consciousness.

That having been said, I have a problem with books like this. The problem is the same one I had with Alan Watts's famous work, The Book, On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, back in the 60's and 70's, which I saw as catering to that segment of the western readership who are perennially eastern-obsessed and therefore too naive and uncritical of their philosophy. Back then, there were just too many young people, who, having rejected whatever western culture they were brought up in, simply accepted, lock, stock, and barrel, Zen, Tao, Vedanta, and/or Buddhism after having read one or two books and therefore having finally discovered "the truth."

Well, looking back, that is perhaps too harsh an assessment, and as I said, you can learn a lot that is important and worthwhile from reading Lowry's books about Zen and eastern philosophy. But having studied many of the world's philosophies and religions, I would have to point out that no one philosophy, whether eastern or western, has a monopoly on the truth. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and no one philosophy or system has all the answers. But overall, I think Lowry has done an important service by writing so clearly and articulately for the westerner who may be at a loss for how to approach a subject as esoteric as Zen philosophy.

I had one more comment, by way of leaving you with a little more perspective perhaps on the relationship between east and west. The great philosopher of history and culture, Frederick Northrop, in his comparison of eastern and western modes of thinking, once pointed out that at the highest levels western epistemology and Zen both become theories of perception, although they take different approaches. The western approach is to look "hard" at something, trying to analyze every possible facet of the perceived object. The Zen master's approach is just the opposite. His approach is more passive, but also more reflective and receptive. He sees more by "looking softer," and letting the object reflect its qualities to him by emptying his mind of all preconceived thoughts. This is the principle of "mind like the moon," and it is one of the most interesting Zen principles, and a useful one for the martial artist too (at least Mas Oyama thought so, which is good enough for me). Lowry discusses many other Zen principles in his book and how a true master might apply them in his everyday life, and that you may also find useful in your own life.

If you study martial arts to become mentally strong and approach that "zen" state, this is the book for you. The chapters are like short lessons; each can be read independently and out of sequence. David Lowry does a great job emphasising martial arts is not about being better than everyone in your dojo or becoming an ultimate fighter, there is an art and a "way" to be gained by studying martial arts.

Awsome book! dident know it existed, but now i have it and its super nice.

Obviously, this is an important book to just about any skateboarder, myself being one. However, I'd like to reiterate that this story is universal and can be inspirational to anyone of any lifestyle. The overall theme of this book is different from many other "overcomming the odds" style of autobiographies. Although Rodney's achievements in life are truely astounding, the true message throughout the book is that self-expression and self-acceptance are two of the most important things you can ever achieve in life. At least that's my take on the whole story.
I would recomend this book to anyone struggling to find themselves in life. This book, disguised as a simple skateboarder's autogiography, might just be the eye opener you've been waiting for.

I'm 27 years old and grew up watching all the legends like Rodney, Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, etc. This is an amazing book not just because of it's relation to skateboarding, but because it tells a story of what it's like to sacrifice everything for what you love. If you are passionate about anything in your life and especially if you are young, facing opposition, reading this book may inspire you to follow your heart and what you believe.

I can relate to this book a lot because my father and Rodney's were of the same batch. I also felt that we had similar struggles as misfits in life. I highly recommend this book to anyone. It's an interesting read and a great story of someone who succeeded in life.

If your a fan of Rodney Mullen this book is a must own, as soon as it came in i couldn't put it down me being a Skater and a fan of Rodney this was a real treat. The book talks about Rodney's early life, the beginning of his career and his rise to fame, and with all the drama along the way.

Possibly the best book I ever read. Although the history of skating through Rodney's eyes is fascinating, the true treasure of this book is seeing the world through Rodney's eyes. It is a beautifully told story with generous honesty. Being a skater is irrelevant to liking this book. If you've ever been young and had dreams, then you should be reading it.

Here are contemporary teachers talking clearly about things that are often shrouded in needless mystery and myth. Yet the truly mystical aspects of these arts becomes even more convincing when discussed concretely, and the practical aspects are clarified. Though not intended as a training manual, the book offers a great deal of profound and useful guidance and inspiration. If you're a devotee of any of these arts or qi gong, the book is really fun and helpful. I read it in two days and look forward to rereading it. It's definitely worthwhile. I hope for a second volume with other teachers.

I just received this book and have really found it interesting. I really like that it features so many different folks. Some of them are famous some not but they all have something to offer and their differences help make the book accessible to more people.

It isn't how to, but most how to martial arts books are useful only as an occasional reference piece. This books is more vital because it's more fun to read and because the various opinions presented challenged me to rethink what I've been taught or what I'd been thinking.

Additionally the book is pretty entertaining which sadly cannot be said of all Martial Arts books.

In summation it's much more T'ai Chi magazine than Inside Kung-Fu and that's a really, really good thing.

Then this is an excellent book to start with. In this collection of 12 interviews and one essay, there are numerous departures for fruitful musings on the martial arts in general and on those typically classified as "internal" in particular. While some of these teachers try to shy away from the use (and abuse) of the term "qi", they all fundamentally agree that there is no real distinction between "internal" and "external" arts. Beyond that, though, the opinions expressed by the 13 teachers gathered in this volume can be extremely divergent.

The volumes opens up with a real bang, in this reviewer's opinion. Tim Cartmell certainly has strong opinions. Whether you agree with him or not (and some of the teachers represented in the text appear not to), his essay is a breath of fresh air in comparison to the stale discussions of the historicity and lineage of mythical figures like Zhang San Feng. [Yes, yes, there was at least one historical figure with this name, but the use of this figure in martial arts is purely mythical.]

Likewise, if there are any died in the wool Bruce Lee fans left out there, then James Wing Woo's depiction of him as a "horrible martial artist" may raise your hackles.

All of the interviews in this book gave me something to think about. If you enjoy hearing about the lives and opinions of life-long martial artists, then this is an excellent book. If you want a little stimulation to help jumpstart thinking and introspection on your own practice, then this book may well work. It will fill a worthy slot in my bookshelf.

This is a really fascinating read which presents the views of various contemporary practitioners and teachers of the Chinese neijia (internal schools). Each chapter provides valuable insight into the true nature of these unique arts and gives you plenty of food for thought.
If you practice an internal form of Chinese martial arts, you need this book-

Nei Jia Quan: International Martial Arts is collectively written by thirteen knowledgeable teachers of Tai Ji Quan, Xing Yi Quan, and Ba Gua Zhang and is ably edited by Jess O'Brien. Nei Jia Quan informs the reader of the many varying perspectives of the philosophy, history, training methods, and fighting technique that make each of these fighting styles unique and individually inspiring. As an informed and informative introduction and in-depth analysis of each of the martial arts practices of China, Nei Jia Quan is a very highly recommended read for all students of the martial arts, as well as those with an interest in Chinese history and general culture.

My husband loved this book! He was thrilled to know more about this amazing man than the movie reviled.

One Good Run: The Legend of Burt Munro
Anyone who has seen the movie "World's Fastest Indian" must read this book. I couldn't put it down -- tremendous

I have seen The worlds fastest indian eleven times now and read both books.If you are really into bikes you must do both the film and the books.Burt was a genius and a real character and I wish I had met him.Watch the film and read the book.If you love bikes and a good laugh,you will enjoy both.

Tim Hanna, the author, has nailed the essence of both Burt Munro and late '60s hot rodding. This book is delightful in its exposition of what it's like to follow a dream, even into old age. It's a treatise on just being yourself, without pandering to society. It's about learning to talk to people to win them over. It's about doing with your own hands what "the experts" say can't be done.

If ever there was an opposite to "chick lit" this is truly it.

An awesome insight into the life of this brilliant man, warts & all. The detail of machines, races & records as well as his personal nuances makes very easy reading. Anybody who had heard of Bert or the film based on his record run will find this book gives life to the details!

This book is a rare combination of entertainment and information woven into a fast-paced narrative. The author is an experienced newspaper sportswriter, and that background gives her writing a pace and focus that perfectly fits the subject matter.

NASCAR's history is complicated; it is unique in American sports because it is wholly owned by a single family, the Frances. The actual racers are, in effect, independent contractors who perform day labor at the various racetracks that the France family franchises. The author makes all of this clear in one of the best analyses of the business of car racing that has ever been written.

At the same time, she explores the background of NASCAR's original stars, the good 'ole boys from the South, many of whom souped up cars to haul moonshine liquor during the Prohibition era. As the sport matured into the business it is today-- mostly because the France family made it do so-- those drivers were replaced by Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and the like. Finally, today, the drivers are not only skilled professionals but corporate spokesmen as well. This could have been boring material, but the author's news writing skills turns it into an exciting narrative.

This is an excellent look into the history of NASCAR and into the current operations of the sport. It contains a wealth of material that the real fans will find valuable, and it clearly explains the sport for the casual viewer. I recommend it highly.

If you'd like to learn about the history of racing but want it on a more personal level, this is the book for you to read.

Love the book, gives just enough history of the sport and enough current information mixed in with fun stories about the past and present drivers.

A must for all fans of NASCAR, whether casual or hard-core. This book traces the sport through the lens of a witty, sophisticated, Springsteen-loving, private-school-educated woman. Liz Clarke is hardly your average NASCAR writer, and this is far from your average NASCAR book. The brilliant character studies here of champions like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt show Clarke's resolve to part NASCAR's curtain and reveal the men who made the sport so much more than simply turning left. Read it and you will be glad that Clarke -- who has written about the sport for years, starting at The Charlotte Observer and now at The Washington Post -- has embraced this sport with her uncommon insight. What this book needs more than anything else is a sequel!

I'm delighted with the book and had a great "ride" reading it. I recommend it to anyone who is a newbie to NASCAR (like I am) or has enjoyed it's growth.

This dazzling book could have been called "Loving the Enemy." That is, in fact, what Nelson Mandela did to prevent a much feared bloodbath in South Africa as it passed from the hated Apartheid regime to majority rule.
"Playing the Enemy" shows how he did it - first by winning over his prison guards through forgiveness and simple human kindness then by his shrewd seduction of the white government leadership and finally by making the obsession of white South Africa, its Rugby team, the team of all South Africans - black and white.
It's The Greatest Story Ever Told for the twentieth century - and beyond!

There has been plenty written about the master statesman Nelson Mandela, but John Carlin's story about how Mandela transformed his nation by leveraging the sport of rugby is truly inspiring. This book is a must read for anyone who has ever been discouraged from creating change. Mandela's mindset and approach to liberating his country is unmatched.

Playing the Enemy is a very timely book. In these days when nations are often more divided than before, Nelson Mandela's instinct to show respect, friendliness, and common purpose with those who saw him as an enemy is a beacon that lights up the potential for all people to come together to accomplish more. John Carlin has used the Rugby World Cup imaginatively to illustrate the essence of President Mandela's approach. Mr. Carlin is a wonderful story teller, and you'll feel chills as you read the many great moments he brilliantly captures in Playing the Enemy.

Leaders have always used foreign enemies to bring their purpose together. Who realized that this could be done at the level of sport rather than through war as a way to unify a country where people were deeply suspicious (even paranoid) about one another?

I was glad to see that Mr. Carlin provided lots of background about how someone imprisoned for decades became the leader of a reconstituted nation in South Africa and went on to accomplish things that not even the most optimistic would have expected. President Mandela's story is one for the ages, and this way of telling the story makes it easier to understand for those who never saw South Africa during the Apartheid regime.

Although I had long studied and worked to help change the government in South Africa from the inside and outside, the political impact of the international boycott of the South African rugby team had been lost to me. I hope those who would like to encourage governments to behave more appropriately towards their people will remember this example.

Bravo, Mr. Carlin!

This book is an absolute masterpiece of writing, a true gem and one that will certainly melt the hearts of many. On the surface it is about a rugby match between South Africa's Springboks and New Zealand in 1995. But it is representative of much more because, as the author shows, this match helped bring together South Africa after the fall of Apartheid, healing, at least in a small way, the anger of the blacks and the fear of the whites that the new nation would reject them. This was clear when Mandela came to support the rugby team, which had been seen as a symbol of Afrikaner nationalism, wholeheartedly. The book is more than the game, it covers many important characters and their reactions on the day of the match. The author is certainly an expert on South Africa, having lived there as a journalist, and he understands the soul of many of the people of the country. He understands also the history of the Afrikaners, the tradition of the 'Bitter enders' who had fought the british to 'bitter end' in the Boer War. This is a very nice book, an important story and one that will surely inspire. Unfortunatly the story paints a perfect utopian pciture of South Africa, one that has not stood the test of time. With the murder rate the highest in the world, AIDs running wild, farm invasions and the prospect of a new president whose motto used to be 'bring me my machine gun', South Africa's 1995 rugby match may well have just been a moment of reconciliation that could not last.

Seth J. Frantzman

A marvelous book. Anyone who wants to understand the hope (and the chances for failure) in post-apartheid SA should read this book, particularly in the light of Mbeki's failure and the test that is to follow.