Players Books

As a die hard Longhorn I found the stories to be fascinating and often very funny; from Earl Campbell talking about Darrell Royal coming to visit his mom to Doug English talking about his only touchdown in college [which came off a punt blocked ironically by Earl Campell], I thought it was good reading and recommend it to any Longhorn fan who wants to hear a little of the inside 'scoop' on Longhorn football life.

Sit back and prepare to see how over the years, The University of Texas has impacted lives. While the crux of this is supposed to be just about football players, you quickly realize that this book transcends football and really touches how U.T. Austin impacts lives.

I highly recommend for anyone that has every had any connection to U.T. Austin or for any High School student that wants to understand what U.T. is all about.

Hook 'em

VERY AWESOME READ!! SIMPLY CAN'T PUT IT DOWN. THE PERFECT ADDITION TO ANY LONGHORN COLLECTION. BILL LITTLE DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB ON THIS BOOK. IT'S LIKE A LONGHORN TIMELINE FOR PLAYERS. AN INSTANT CLASSIC!!

well, I loved it. It's in a genre all to itself. Part history (told in a hockey metaphor :D), part reminiscence, part modern myth, part morality tale, part social/political/philosophical commentary, and a wild, passionate ride of a story. Absolutely brilliant :D I haven't watched hockey for years but I did love it once and this book rekindled that. The man has a passion for the game.

Any one who has the slightest interest in hockey should read this book. And anyone who likes a good trip really, the canoe voyage to Cardiff is a blast :D Don't miss it! And check out the Malazan Books if you have any interest in fantasy... He has redefined the genre IMO.

Steve Rune Lundin also writes - a lot more successfully - as Steve Erikson. The Malazan Book of the Fallen series.

Just a note.

If you are an old-time hockey fan, have ever had the pleasure of paddling a canoe in the wilderness, enjoy a good love story, and like your reading a bit off-the-beaten-path, check out Steve Lundin's new book, When She's Gone. He stirs up his own concoction of romance, magical realism and Canadian hockey history in an artful blend of true events (such as the demise of the professional hockey team in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), fantastic tall tales and the sojourns and adventures of two brothers, as they make their way in an eccentric, surreal world.

From Winnipeg? Must read.

Cheers,

/RJ

THIS BOOK IS A GREAT LOOK AT HOW MEN TRY TO DEAL WITH TRANSITION TO LIFE AFTER THEIR CAREER IS OVER. A LOT OF GREAT INTERVIEWS AND PROFOUND STORIES ARE TOLD. ALSO AN EXCELLENT COLLECTION OF PHOTOS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK. THE STORY OF PAT SUMMERALL IS A MUST READ. THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ALL FOOTBALL FANS. IT SHEDS MUCH LIGHT ON WHAT AN ATHLETE ENDURES WITH LIFE DURING AND AFTER THEIR CAREERS. THE AUTHOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER ARE RIGHT ON WITH THIS WELL WRITTEN AND EXCELLENT BOOK.

THIS IS NOT A SPORTS BOOK,IT IS A LIFE BOOK,EVEN WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW THESE PLAYERS,YOU QUICKLY FIND OUT HOW LITTLE WE REALLY UNDERSTAND.I DARE ANY ONE TO READ THE PAT SUMMERAL CHAPTER AND NOT BE AFFECTED IN A PROFOUND MANNER.

I just finished reading "When the Clock Runs Out" and I thoroughly enjoyed every page-turning minute. The stories are captivating and the photographs are outstanding. Kudos to Bill Lyon and Cynthia Zordich on a job well-done. A must-read for any football fan or even those of us just dealing with life's transitions. I hope they consider doing another editon featuring more players and their stories. OUTSTANDING!

I put down Prelude to War to start Brian Jensen's book. It's a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a terrific human interest story and it's interesting for Yankee fans, Yankee haters and non-sports fans alike.

Plain and simple, this book is just a lot of fun to read. While some of the stories of what happened to these once great ball players had me near tears, others had me laughing out loud. And still others had me shaking my head, wondering how some of these guys made it to the ballpark on game days. Jensen's easy-to-read style and dry humor that leaks through now and again makes Where Have All Our Yankees Gone a must have for any sports reader who wants to know what life is like once the lights go out.

The Yankees are a metaphor for America. They are the best of all time. People who do not like them feel that way just because they do not want one single team (or country) to be so much better than everybody else, which does not change the fact that they are. People who grow up in New York and still hate the Yankees are like liberals in America who still hate their country.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM

As John Nunn said in his book,understanding chess move by move, those Dragon addicts would never abandon this opening. I just wonder if Chris Ward's claim that Dragon is such a POWERFUL weapon in Sicilian, why supergrandmaster ( those rating above 2650 ) would not use it, and still stick to Najdorf, there must be some reasons on that. Though Kasparov used it as a surprise weapon against Anand in 1995 was successful, but this is just one-off show. Later Kasparov still sticked to Najdorf. So my impression is that Dragon may be good at club level player, for encountering one of those supergrandmaster, I think as Bobby Fischer's comment in " My 60 memorable games", you would be slained!! I always wonder if there is another Bobby Fischer or Fischer re-juvanted in nowaday, all Dragon player would be killed instinctly if they dare to use Dragon defense against him!! Anyway, I still give 5 stars to this book for the clear writing and enthusiasm from Chris Ward.

This book has just the right mix of theory and analysis as well as tactical themes. Unlike some books (such as The Complete Dragon and Ultimate Dragon by Gufeld and Stetsko) this book focuses primarily on white systems against the Dragon and offers one or two systems against each of White's systems. It also covers early deviations once the basic Dragon position has been reached (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cd4 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6). It includes some brilliant wins by Black (which is what the reader should strive to emulate) as well as some examples of Black players underestimating the potential strength of White's kingside attack.

There is even a section on anti-Sicilians which help the reader to find lines in which play is similar to that of the Dragon so that the reader does not have to sift through pages of an opening reference to find an antidote.

All in all, a great buy for players looking to add the Dragon to their repertoire.

Chris Ward is an expert on the Dragon. This is the second edition of the book and he has other publications on the subject, at least one video and a website where paying customers get his latest analysis. Above all he has the incredible ability to present the Dragon in all its beauty. Chris style is original, funny and makes learning the Dragon a pleasure.

This book presents complete sample games on each variation and there is an index at the end with the opening tree. One caveat: the book does not deal with the anti-Sicilians. For that you need to look elsewhere. Chris only presents a few pages on this subject and as soon as the word gets out that you are a strong Dragon player, guess what? Your opponents start playing the closed Sicilian or an anti-Sicilian. I hope on the third edition he takes a deeper look on this issue.

If you only buy one book on the Dragon, get this one.

Tom Jones is apparently this author's real name, and he has an ear for the real people who bring us the real game of big-league baseball. Done in a Studs Terkel style, "Working at the Ballpark" lets us know what it's really like behind the scenes on game day in the voices of the people who make the games possible. A must for any baseball fan.

This is an entertaining book. I like how the author preserves the speaking styles of the 50 baseball people interviewed. This makes for very enjoyable reading. I especially enjoyed reading about batting, hitting, and coaching techniques from people like Leo Mazzone, Ron Jackson, and Mike Hargrove. I also enjoyed peeking into clubhouses to see what really goes on, to read about the tensions between ballplayers and the media, and to read how plain folks like ushers, beer vendors, and mascots make their living. I recommend this book strongly.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in readking about baseball from a different perspective. If Studs Terkel had written a baseball book, this is probably what it would have read like.

50 interviews with people with ALL SORTS of careers at a ballpark--players, clubhouse workers, mascot, landscaping, announcer, ballpark vendors (food, beer, etc.).
My favorite interviews were the ballpark architect, the umpire, the shortstop who goes to art galleries when he travels around the US, and the "from Connecticut" ticket hustler.

I like that I can read one interview at a time or several in a row.

This would be a good gift for any man. I will keep it in mind for the impossible-to-shop-for 15-25 year old. It also strikes me as a good graduation gift because everyone in the book talks about how they came to have that job.

I am female 32 years with limited interest in pro sports...

As a special ed teacher who works with middle school students with learning disabilities, I have found this book invaluable. Neil Smith is a great role model because he has not let having a learning disability limit him. By reading about Neil Smith and his struggles and successes, my students have a real life example of what is possible.

I love this book. I am a special education teacher in an interrelated setting. Many of my students are young athletic males that struggle with a disability. I loved the format of the book and the personal insight that Neil gives in regards to his learning disability. My kids were amazed that Neil had tests read to him while he was in the NFL. They recognized the modifications that teachers used for him to help him reach his goal. This book is a must for any teacher with student overcoming a disability.

Everyone who has serious reading problems needs this book. It is a very special story of success told so children can understand. It is written in a 40 page picture book format.

I think that this book will help everyone who wants to know how to play Yoshi's Island; Super MArio World 2

i made to to harry hedgehosgs cave but tont know how to get out of it can you help me with this level

Yes, I know it's an older game, but hopefully new gamers who have gotten kicks out of Yoshi's Story and have never experienced the original, pay attention. This book is your key to find everything this game has to offer. Instead of general overviews and large, undetailed maps, you'll find hundreds of screen shots depicting the most important parts of each level, along with helpful, witty captions that explain exactly what you need to do and how to do it. You'll have no difficulty finding every red coin, flower, and bonus room, not to mention the most effective and quickest methods of tackling each boss. Also included is a barrel-full of hilarious remarks--just check out some of the enemy character descriptions! All in all, this book will tell you everything you need to know about this game--even its origin and how it fits in with the rest of the Mario series. 'Nuff said.

All players of the game of pool will see themselves, and laugh out loud,
while reading this well written and wonderfully illustrated book.

Makes a great gift for your favorite pool player.

I especially enjoyed the illustrations, this seems like a great book for anyone interested in pool and a tongue-in-cheek way of becoming a better player.

The insights would be funny enough and the cartoons only make it that much better. quick read. Everyone who likes to shoot around at their local bar and thinks they're pretty good should be given one as a gift.

I love it! Finally a cookbook written in "man" language. Nothing complicated about these recipes. Now I can pig out with a pigskin. I hope they do one for my favorite sport...NASCAR.

2 Regular Guys is a primer for those wishing to throw a great party-especially during the football season. Easy, fun and a fresh new idea. A great gift book and the food is really good for ordinary people. Jill Bertolet