Players Books

good book. Gave me some ideas to try.

John Krell has collected a concise volume of the teachings of William Kincaid, the father of american flute playing. Krell performed with Kincaid in the Philadelphia Orchestra flute section for many years. Here is a well designed 100 page MUSIC lesson from a master musician. Part 1 - Elements of Technique covers Diaphragm control, embouchure, tone, vibrato, articulation, finger technique, Part 2 - addresses phrasing and musicality, Part 3 - deals with Musical execution, rhythm, tempo breathing points dynamics, fake fingerings, etc. Part 4 - Final notes on repertoire with Appendixes covering tone production, practice routines and an interview with Kincaid from May 1960. An enlightening read with entertaining anecdotes. This book is a must for any professional musicians library. I am a percussionist by trade and a teacher. I have been able to use many elements contained in this book by merely substituting the word drum for flute. It is truly a timeless text with a vast amount of information for the serious student of music.

This is probably the greatest book for flute playing that I have in possesion. I highly recommend this book to any serious flute student, high school or college level. I must say however that these sellers on here are cheating you out of buying this book. Currently the prices I see for this are ranging $180-$200. I bought my book brand new for $12.95 at a nice music store in Dallas. There is an older edition of the book but the only difference between the two is the front cover. No front cover is worth changing the price value of the book by over $100 worth. If you want this book buy it or order it from your local bookstore or music store or write to these idiotic sellers that think they know two cents about a book's worth. It's published in it's second edition by the National Flute Association and I promise it was only $12.95!

This is a gem of a book and one to be savored. I recommend you read a story and put the book down for a day or two before you read the next story. Every one of these players is worth reflecting on for a while before you dig into the next one.

John Nogowski knows and loves baseball, and has created a keeper for any sports library.

Ned Foster

As a life long baseball fan who is relegated to watch major league baseball in a poorly constructed football stadium, where you lose sight of the ball the second the ball goes higher than the short stops head at the laughing stock of MLB, the Metrodome. I am naturally drawn towards reading baseball books reminiscing about a game where baseball was played outdoors on grass. The problem is there are just so many on the shelf it's hard to pick one to read. I came about finding this book by listening to the radio. One night, AM1500 talk show host TD Mischke conducted as usual another fantastic interview with that nights guest John Nogowski where he discussed this book. His knowledge, passion and insight about the game sparked my interest and I went out and picked this book up. It really is a fantastic book about the greats of the game, most of which I never got to see play.

It's really an interesting and unique look at the great players of the past where Nogowski focuses on their final games. Having always had an interest in Joe DiMaggio, because of his desire to have a perfect image, which made his final games difficult since he was not up to his usual standards of perfection. Also growing up watching Cal Ripken achieve so many accomplishments in the Metrodome when he came into town it really made a great read and interesting read. I can't recommend this book highly enough for fans of every age.

"Last Time Out" is a unique baseball book in that it captures some long forgotten moments in the magnificent career of baseball giants like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays and Ted Williams. Using newspaper accounts from the day, author John Nogowski finds a magical way to bring you back to those days of yesterday, so it seems as if you're sitting in a first base box seat as Joe DiMaggio rips a double off Larry Jansen or as Ty Cobb pinch-hits and pops out before a raucous Yankee Stadium crowd. Crammed with career statistics as well as the very last box score that carried the great players' name, "Last Time Out" offers 25 of baseball's greatest on the way out. Their very last time - out.

I didn't buy it from amazon, but recieved it from my older brother. (Zelda tradition I guess?) The guide is very detailed, and even has a little writing from Miyamato himself, the creator of Zelda and other Nintendo titles (like Mario)

Every writing of the guide is as of it was ancient Hylian scrolls depicting Links adventure, so it made it all the better to own it, let alone the fact it tells you EVERYTHING in the game. From tips to secret grotto locations to boss help, it's all here. I'm glad I own it as a hand me down, because I feel like I own one of the first copies. Anyway, this is a must have for anyone who is a Zelda fan, or even newcomers to the series.

Ounce upon a legend...

We had both the Nintendo and the Prima guide for this game. According to my son, this is the better book if you just want the hints and don't want the guide to spoil the game for you. Also, he said that this guide has better pictures.

This book was very very helpful during my journey to save Princess Zelda. It contains a fold-out poster, too. I cannot fully describe all of the information that helped me out during the game! Buy this if you need Zelda help for the N64 or Gamecube version!!

this book is both beautifully written and illustrated. Los trully captures New York and all of it's energy.

I had to buy two of these, one to cut out the pages to frame.

It's so refreshing to see a solid children's book about great artists. The illustration is really hip and colorful. I bought this book as a gift, but then got another copy for myself.

Kobe Bryant is all Ready a Important Player but wait until a few years down the line His Best shall come.the Guy is a Good Balance of Talent&Flaw.He is gonna be Scary in years to Come.this Book brings all those Elements&More out.He has had to deal with alot of things On&Off the COurt but He is Headed for Something Special with His Career.the Sky is the Limit for Him.

I read the book a little while back, and I thought it was a great read on the most electrifying basketball player today. At that time, Kobe was going through a lot of growing pains, a lot of failures, crticisms, bad chemistry with teammates. And now, this season, I've seen Kobe's maturation and improvement in the league, playing more under control, playing in Phil Jackson's triangle offense, having better rapport with Shaq and his teammates. His incredible performance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals in overtime was unforgettable and it is only the beginning. Now he is finally an NBA champion with the Lakers, and hopefully, this will be the beginning of another great Laker dynasty, the first of the 21st century!

welcom to the world of kobe bryant this book is nomber 1 out of2,865 books i have read (still counting) this book doesnt just tellyou about kobe it tells you about the whol lakers history and abot how other players reflect on kobe bryant like m.j. & magic Johnson I've read this book 3 times and i never get tierd of it i could tell you at least 5 things kobe has remarked of the top of my head I'm 11 years old & for me to type this much I'd have to love this book! & allso the author r. lazenby is supurb!

I was in college when the WBL existed - I remember we used to talk about going to see a game when we were home on semester break in D.C. but we never got around to it. The biggest game of the year was always when ODU and Lieberman and Nissen would come to maul our womens team - the gym was packed to beyond capacity and always outdrew the mens game. This is an interesting read with all the funny and poignant stories of a league's startup and also some sad stories, too - well worth it.

What would you say about a league that survived for three tumultuous seasons due to players who many times had paychecks bounce higher than the basketballs, a handful of owners who truly wanted to operate a first-rate league and a fandom that came out in impressive numbers for the final championship series?

Karra Porter, an attorney who has represented several WNBA players, pens the first history of the WBL, that operated from 1978-1981. It is an important addition to the knowledge of a reader who enjoys exploring basketball history or wants to better comprehend the battle waged in women's team sports to have viable leagues at the professional level.

Porter covers every facet of the game - from the front office and hardcourt, to the media and fans - and thoroughly describes the financial stumbling off the court that doomed the product on the court.

Ultimately it was the shabby treatment of players that destroyed the league. In the final season, several teams and individuals staged walkouts in protest of not being paid. A showdown between owners who wanted the league to be operated professionally and those who had more shallow verbiage than cash caused a rift that sunk the WBL in a sea of broken promises.

But how close the WBL came to making it.

At least one NBA owner was interested in investing in an existing team, but watched to see if the league would stabilize financially. The league just missed on what became the sports boom in cable television, when a then regional operation in Bristol, Conn., espn, began its search to show sports 24 hours a day.

As much oral history as it is research, Mad Seasons is a great read.

This book from new author Karra Porter was well worth the wait. It is not a dry history of the oft forgot WBL, but rather an engaging and fun read. The years of research that went into this book is obvious with its detailed accounts and interviews. A true labor of love by a dedicated basketball fan, "Mad Seasons" offers an objective "insider's" look at the rise and fall of this pioneering effort.

Fans and women's basketball professionals alike should read this book to see just far we've come and what the phrase "playing for the love of the game" really means.

I would, however, have included the unpublished "Media Glare" chapter (see the book's website for more info) rather than the "Snapshots" chapter. While the snapshots are interesting and amusing, media coverage remains a hot issue among fans and I think many would have been greatly interested in it - particularly as it also gives us the history of the first women's college basketball poll.

Maurice Ashley is a superb chess teacher. Anyone who wants to learn or already plays chess will love and benefit from this title. In an intelligent, inviting, engaging, and entertaining approach, Maurice Ashley explains basic and intermediate strategies for playing and thinking like a chess master. He provides loads of varied practice and down-to-earth advice in clear and accessible language. This is the BEST chess teaching software I've experienced.

This program was recommended to me by a former high school football coach, who gave up the sport to become the chess coach. My nephew age 14, and my kids, 10 and 8, loved it immediately. Ashley uses an easy-to-follow sequential approach to teaching the game. My nephew played me after completing about 75% of the first training level. Much to my surprise and embarassment, he won. I have never taken the time to study the strategies behind the game of chess, but have played for many years, and consider myself to be a logical thinker--certainly one who could best a 14 year old novice! After that humbling experience I decided to go through the training myself. So far I am quite impressed and I enjoy the lessons greatly. It goes without saying that any chess Grand Master is brilliant player, but Maurice Ashley is equally brilliant as a teacher. I'm ordering three more copies: one for my notebook, and two for gifts.

I purchased this software because my son (age 6) was learning to play chess. Software reviews rated this program highly. They were right. My son loved it and learned a lot. (I learned a lot too!). My son has finished all the lessons and has moved on to Chessmaster 8000, but I think that Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess was the best way to start. The enthusiasm of Maurice's descriptions really keeps the interest up. The lessons are simple and well designed, teaching beginning concepts easily. The verbal commentary on some world famous games was really educational.

This book is awsome if you're a tennis player or if youjustwant to read about a great champion. It's about how Monica getsstabbed in the back by a wierd guy and how she is brave enough to start playing again. In my opinion everyone should read this book.

Monica Seles is a good tennis player. She once was in 66th place, but she got better. She got stabbed at a teen tournament and had to go to the hospital. Then she could't play for a while. I thought it was crazy that someone would stab her.I like to play tennis myself, so I liked this book.

I read a lot of books about Monica. I think this book is for all people who already know who Monica is. And if you are a big fan of WTA and of a perfect tennis player like Monica is you should buy this book.

"As one of the most gifted players in U.S. soccer history and national team captain, Claudio Reyna has helped the team to be more successful and competitive internationally. Through his professional experiences in Germany, Scotland, and England, he's become a great pro and a wonderful student of the game. More Than Goals is a special look at what motivates this great player and how he's developed his skills. I highly recommend this book to all soccer enthusiasts."

Bruce Arena
U.S. National Team Coach and Technical Director

"When Claudio's on the field, teammates know he's going to get them the ball and that he'll help them to play better. More Than Goals gives insights into becoming that kind of player."

Landon Donovan
2002 and 2003 U.S. Player of the Year

Tired of typical linear, from-youth-to-star books? Unsatisfied with "how-to" drills? If so, this is the perfect antidote.

Claudio's story as a genuine American soccer hero is a special one -- and he tells it in an engaging, exciting way. With the help of talented soccer journalist Mike Woitalla, Claudio weaves various parts of his career with thoughts on the state of American soccer today. Using his father (his first coach) as an example, Claudio describes his view of American soccer -- the ideal, and the reality.

The book can be read and enjoyed by many audiences: young players seeking inspiration; coaches looking for tips on how to teach and motivate, and soccer fans hoping for an inside view of a true American hero.

The U.S.'s greatest soccer star, Claudio Reyna, has always put more effort in his game than most players, and he does the same thing in this book. Instead of simply writing an autobiography, or an instruction manual, he does both in More Than Goals. And he does it with great style too, using his own personal experiences to illustrate the general principles and techniques that have made him one of the world's premiere players. If you're a fan who wants to know more about Claudio, or a player who wants to learn how to take your game to the next level, this book is for you...

At last count I have 350+ chess books, and probably 35 of them are games collections by GMs. My favorites are, in no order, "Secrets of Grandmaster Chess" by Nunn, Korchnoi's recent two-volume work, Kasparov's "The Test of Time," Tarrasch's "Three Hundred Chess Games", Timman's Best Games, Alekhine's Best Games, and Taimanov's Best Games. But over time, one book has emerged for me as head and shoulders above all of them, and this is Tartakower's "My Best Games of Chess, 1905-1954." It is a shockingly brilliant work, on every level that matters to me. It contains 210 games, annotated with brilliant wit, humor, and chess insight. Tartakower was so placed historically to have crossed swords with the old masters, the hypermoderns, and some of the modern Soviet era post-war players. He saw it all, and created some of it. His opening repertoire was varied and interesting. There are Catalans, Frenches, of course his namesake variation in the Queen's Gambit, Retis, Blumendfeld Counter-Gambits, Nimzo-Indians, orangutangs! (which he invented after 'consulting' with an orangutang during a pre-tournament visit to a zoo with other players), and many more. He talks often about static versus dynamic action, of critical moments, coordination of forces, outposts, etc., in a wonderfully instructive and enlightening manner. But it is his writing style that really stands out. One reads Alekhine's annotations and pictures this severe man, chain-smoking cigarettes, pounding the table to make his point. One sees Nimzowitsch as the slightly deranged mad scientist, fascinating but obscure. Tartakower comes across as the brilliant and kind professor, who holds you spellbound as you soak up everything he says. Many games collections ebb and flow. Sometimes I get bored with them or decide to only play through certain openings. This massive book (450 pages) has me glued to every game, not wanting to miss a thing. The games are introduced by little stories of the setting that shed humorous light on many figures in chess history. He gives personalities to many of the secondary lights, whose names we have only seen in books. For instance, check out his introduction to game 57 against Mieses (I have babbled enough and it is better to give you a sample of his writing): "As was said by the French master, Alphonse Goetz (who had come as a journalist representing several French newspapers) in a fine speech during the opening ceremony, one could not find a place more idyllically suited for a tournament than Baden-Baden. In the first week of this tournament, although I ran all sorts of risks, I only succeeded in drawing my first five games. Relying then, on this 'law of series,' Master Mieses facetiously apostrophised me on the eve of our encounter with these bantering words: 'Have you had sufficient preparation for obtaining your 6th draw?' These thoughtless words must have evidently provoked Destiny, who sleeps (according to a Homeric phrase) 'on the knees of the gods,' and here is how this anticipated 'draw' turned out." Here are a couple of remarks from that game: "7. QxP P-K3 Giving himself up to passive defence, Black shelters behind bastions that still seem intact."; "13. 0-0 B-Q2 Asthma-breathlessness-suffocation: as usually occurs, the germ of an incurable sickness does not stop spreading, and so gradually leads to catastrophe." The book also explores critical variations at length where appropriate. This book may be hard to find these days, but I cannot recommend it enough. It is may favorite chess book.

Dr Tartakower, poet, chess master, romantiicist, gambler(!) patriot, was born in Russia, migrated to Poland and then to France. This book brings his almost 50 years of top class chess together in one volume. Great Chess and a bargain price! You can build an opening repertoire here; get the sense of proper endgame play; and see how a Master plans to beat other Masters. Descriptive notation; plenty of good diagrams.

Tartakower had tremendous flair, as a player and as a writer. He played the hypermodern openings, but he was around before and after their heyday too. He saw it all and played it all. This book is better, in my opinion, than Alekhine's collection of games, but it is not as famous since Alekhine was a world champ. Tartakower was a tremendous writer who poured himself completely into his work. I consider this book to be an essential part of my collection, and I will never part with it. I am pulling it off the shelf constantly. Get it.