Tracks Books

Tim Rawson has written an engaging and beautifully researched book exploring the saga of wolf control in Denali National Park. He also documents this controversial issue outside that park, both in Alaska and throughout the country. It is an unthinking oversight, however, that the publisher neglected--either in the subtitle or in the Library of congress catalog info--to mention the fascinating character who resides in these pages: Adolph Murie. This lesser known brother of Olaus Murie was largely responsible for our modern day understanding that wolves are an essential part of the ecosystem. Pre Adolph Murie it was popular to think of wolves as vermin in need of extermination. Adolph's life work, as it unfolds in Rawson's pages, turns this scholarly history into compelling biography. Even if you haven't read Barry Lopez' OF WOLVES AND MEN (or if you have any interest in wolves in general), CHANGING TRACKS is a true classic.

Alaska residents and students of national parks issues will find Changing Tracks involving: it details the events which shaped both Mt. McKinley Park and the national policy on dealing with predators in national parks in general, outlining the decisions and actions which have influenced park service policies throughout the country. A variety of experiences, from game managers to conservationists, are presented in this scholarly, involving survey.

Cobi Jones is the soccer player kids watch in the United States. He is their hero. This book will help the beginner through advanced increase their skills. The format of the book is very user friendly. First, the reader learns some valuable information about Cobi Jones, then he takes you step by step through all of soccer's skills. Mr. Jones goes over the rules of the game, then stresses the need for warming up and details some exercises to do just that. He also emphasizes fair play. Each chapter then discusses and demonstrates a soccer skill. Mr. Jones offers excellent graphics appropriate for kids, and gives tips to enhance the skill. To complete each chapter skill, the champion provides games for perfect practice. This book is a very personalized approach to soccer instruction derived from a book. A great gift and "personal coach" for soccer enthusiasts! An autographed practice ball is included!

I loved all the detailed soccer tips I could share with my kids when I coach their AYSO teams. Cobi is their favorite professional athelete and his instruction really influences my kids in a positive light both on and off the field.

I picked up this book at a bookstore and started reading it. It was amazing, so I bought it. I've never been the best coach of my abilities, so I thought the book would help. And it has--immensely. The book is painstakingly detailed, researched (sources at the end of each chapter)--basically, it's the best running book out there.

This book by a world class athlete with over 40 world records is very easy to read due to the frequent headings, colour coding throughout, 50 action photos in colour, and the conversational,concise writing style.

Due to the great detail (e.g., comprehensive index, and over 300 expert references) in 440 pages and 22 chapters, it serves as an excellent reference book on running. However, half the chapters are applicable to athletes in general: e.g., large chapters on nutrition, mental training, injury prevention, weight training, stretching, inspiration etc. Hence it is a book on body, mind and spirit training.

The detailed material would be useful for coaches and trainers, and a range of runners from beginner to elite, and for young and old competitors.

It covers all important aspects of running training including detailed schedules for sprinters to marathoners,i.e., the five energy systems, the five training systems, recovery, etc.

After reading and understanding this book you become your own running coach and an athlete capable of excellence in performance.

When your typical blues fan thinks of cities that were important to the development of this great art form, he usually thinks of Chicago and maybe Memphis. However, Alan Govenar and Jay Brakefield make the case for Dallas, Texas as a major center for the developement of the blues in no uncertain terms. Of course, Deep Ellum and Central Track is not a blues book per se, but rather a well researched historical and sociological treatise on the birth and development of Big D's Deep Ellum and Central Track districts from the earliest days to the present. The authors use lots of primary source interviews with the surviving denizens of this fascinating area of town and paint a truly engaging picture of the lifestyles and business practices of these predominantly black and Jewish areas, particularly around the 1920's heyday of the earliest great blues artists. Such immortal founding fathers as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson and "Oak Cliff" T-Bone Walker were crucial to the growth of the art form, and these and innumerable lesser artists are covered in meticulous and loving detail. The authors also spend plenty of time covering contributors to the local jazz and country music scenes as well, particularly jazz hornman Buster Smith, and country pickers the Light Crust Doughboys, where western swing icon Bob Wills got his start. Even though the work has a decidedly scholarly bent, the numerous stories of such colorful characters as gambling mogul Benny Binion and mammoth shoeshine entrepreneur "Open the Door Richard", provide enough reading pleasure to keep even casual fans enthralled. Researchers will love the nearly one hundred pages of source appendices, and fans of history, sociology, music, and Big D will all want to read this book as soon as possible, for it proves, among other things, that Dallas, Texas was and is a fascinating city, as well as a major contributor to the history of the blues art form.

This is a well researched and well written description of a time and place in Dallas in the 20's and 30's that has long been overdue. The history of blues, jazz, gospel and country was written in Deep Ellum. It was a "good read", and I recommend it highly.

Greyhounds have been revered since ancient times where they appear on the walls of the tombs of the Pharos. For Henry VIII they were his favourite hunting dogs. But in Laura Thompson's book we find a personal testament to a more modern chapter in the history of this noble creature.

Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom came to prominence in the dark economic recession of the 30's, being in some ways a cameo of its elder sister - horse racing. Sharing a deep and longstanding affiliation with Ireland champion racing greyhounds, like cup-winning racehorses, often drew their first breath on the other side of the Irish Sea.

Laura Thompson's book takes us right into the heart of people, places and of course the dogs she knew as a child. With the hindsight of an age in which some of the great Stadia like White City in West London have already been lost, she takes us on a journey which immortalises a generation of owners and trainers.

For anybody who has ever spent an evening at a Greyhound Stadium and wondered what lay behind it all.. this book is the inside track.

This is not just a history of greyhound racing, it is a deeply moving personal insight into Laura Thompson, her love for dogs and her love for the father who owned and raced them. The book is Fever Pitch with heart; I wept buckets reading the damn thing. It is full of compassion for the greyhounds who run in the name of business and sport, and full of guilt for the fact that they give so much pleasure while being used, all too often, as playthings. It is also a journey into a completely separate world of which I hitherto knew nothing, and which came wonderfully alive for me. I found this book by accident in a second hand shop and couldn't help myself from wanting to say something about it - it is really beautiful.

it is a excelent book, is easy to understand. I found a useful ideas and techniques that i didn't see before. everybody must read this book. pablo

Please look into the second edition, Problem Solving

Be clear on one point: this book is not for general consumption. Helm is writing for a particular audience, and that is thoroughbred horseracing handicappers and bettors. That said, I cannot recommend this volume highly enough. Witih the explosion in computer technology over the past several years, and the attendant availability of rafts of information, there are very few true "frontiers" left to the race handicapper. Pedigree -- a horse's bloodlines, and all that they suggest about his/her abilities -- are, in Helm's view, the last unexplored territory. He begins with a compelling examination of the current state of the thoroughbred breeding industry. But his truly original contribution to the ever-growing literature of handicapping follows, as he creates a cogent technology for applying pedigree information to the analysis and playing of specific types of races. In Helm's view, the real opportunities at the racetrack arise when one can, based on reliable data, project that a horse will be able to accomplish something that it has not yet attempted. So, a first-time starter may be backed with confidence...if the bloodlines suggest precocity. A sprinter may be backed in a distance race...if the pedigree suggests stamina. And so forth. Races that previously appeared to be unplayable become golden opportunities. Bottom line: this stuff works! Since this initial volume, Helm has published several updates, and puts out annual "Sire Ratings," so that those of us who use his essential technology can work with the most current information.

With the publication of Exploring Pedugree horseplayers finally have available information(an a perspective of how to use it) that allows them to intelligently evaluate debut runners in maiden races, as well as young horses stretching out, switching to the turf or trying an off-track for the first time.

"A quantum leap in handicapping consciousness." The Cramer-Olmsted Report

"A major breakthrough in handicapping." Daily Racing Form

I am a teacher (not of French obviously!) but I studied four years of it in high school and college French and never really learned how to speak much. I have searched for and tried many intermediate level "how to" sets for French and this set is the best I have found so far.

It has about 16 lessons with a dialogue of 3-4 minutes and then 10-15 minutes of various drills. The book does not "teach" grammar, it assumes that you know about 2-3 years of high school French. The dialogues seem faily up to date and interesting. For me, this set was at just the right level. Others always seemed to be for beginners or way too advanced. I know there is a big market for this beyond-beginner, but not too advanced level, but few book/audio sets are there.

One of the BEST features is that it is on CDs rather than cassettes. This is a BIG plus. Often, when I want to go back, I just want to hear all the dialogues again, or just do all the drills again. With CDs, you get right to the place you want to be. ALL language sets should be this format. Wake up, all you publishers out there!

The only thing this set should do differently is to create a little more space in the drills and have more of them that are just a bit easier. Most students just need more, more, more practice speaking, speaking, and speaking.

I highly recommend this set of CD's. They provide an excellent way of increasing your comprehension and speaking skills. I listened to them for hours while driving in my car which presented a wonderful opportunity to increase my comprehension and speaking skills greatly. The conversations are organized around relevant practical situations with French speakers of varying accents. Each conversation is followed by oral practice drills based on varying grammatical issues and important practical phrases. I really think that those who devised this course did a truly outstanding job. If you drive frequently these CD's provide a particularly good opportunity to learn French.

My three year old has me read this to her over and over again and has been getting very excited for the snow to come and to go skiing!

I'm an eleven year old girl and I live in a ski resort. The ski resort is Aspen/Snowmass. It is a wonderful and beautiful place to live and vacation. I just bought and finished reading this book. Suzie Shane (main character) reminded me of the first time that i went skiing and how nervous I was. It was very very scary! It was very funny to see how other kids feel the first time they go skiing. I would recommend this book for all beginer skiers of all ages. If your like me, you'll like (love) this book too!

outstanding i own the book and have read it several times it is very well writen and show that teens do have problems expressing emtions to parents, so they have to pretend to be something else to deal with the problems they face

This ALA Noteable book tells the story of 16 year old Paul who tries to fit in at home and in school by studying the relationships and similarities between humans and animals. Paul sees his father as a "great Ant." He sees himself as a preditor, a generic male animal, and follows his instincts until he actually becomes various animals. A truly imaginitive way of dealing with feelings of alienation and isolation