Racing Books

In his book Forty Years A Speculator, Fred Carach does an excellent job of convincing the reader that the big blue-chip companies are NOT the way to invest; rather, other stocks are worthy of your dollars because of their income potential, or the fact that they are good penny stocks or inexpensive enough that you can double your money, perhaps many times over. Fred's humorous tone is very appropriate, as he convincingly conveys in a conversational tone that it is laughable how some people ignore inexpensive yet high-quality stocks as if they are not worthy of investment. Fred lays his cards on the table, listing many stocks that he deems investment-worthy and his rationale for investing in them. Many of these stocks are NOT the ordinary stocks that the investment pundits say you should invest in. Fred will convince you that you can intelligently gamble your way to riches by being a contrarian investor. This book is a must-read for every investor who wants to be an intelligent gambler and for those who want a successful alternative investment approach. Fred should be applauded for sharing his excellent work and advice with his time-tested and novel investing approach.

People stand up and listen. This is a book that can be a difference maker for you. Buy the book. Read it. Apply it! This gives the every day guy a chance. Don't be fooled by the title. This is an excellent well rounded and well thought out investment program that nobody it talking about...nobody! Don't wait.
Joe - Woodstock, VA

Although humor may be sprinkled throughout this whole book, it should be taken very seriously. He gives a very well thought out, and examined approach to very high risk investment. He gives not only relevant stock examples, but also relevant historical examples. My only recommendation is to read one or two general trading books, before reading this one, otherwise you won't be able to fully appreciate his alternative view of investing.

For grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure, I would give "Forty Years" a 3-star review. It became more clear as I continued reading that the manuscript skipped a stage or two in the editing process.

But who cares about that? Really, nobody reads an investing book and worries about grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. We're there for the meaty details of how to make the most with our hard-earned money, and "Forty Years" is chocked full of meat. I've never been one to accept the conventional manner of investing - buy and hold the blue chips - so I'm taking this as an opportunity to stretch my muscles a bit in the world of gambling, er, investing.

Scared money doesn't make money, and, finally, with Carach's advisement, I have a channel to vent my desire to make money before I'm 70. Thanks Fred!

I read this book with great interest because for the past four years I have been using similar investment strategy. From my experience, I can confidently say that the strategy in this book really works. My own research convinces me it will continue to work for quite a long time to come. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to protect or enhance their wealth. In fact I would suggest reading it at least three times.

The title of this book can be a little misleading. It provides a wealth of information for racers of all skill levels and experience, presented in an easy to understand format. The authors' styles are entertaining to say the least. The best value I've found yet for books of this type.

This is got to be the most informative book on sailboat racing. Just reading it once will give the reader many basics on how to enjoy better performance on the water. Studing the material will ensure the reader would become a better racer and competer.

I have to say, this book got me to second place in a regatta filled with 4 and 5 year racers. It is clear and consice and takes into account the fact that you may or may not have ever raced before. Principals are clearly explained in everyday language and the important rules are explained. For those people looking to start Wednesday night racing - this is your book!

I'm going to use this in our yacht club's "Introduction to Sailboat Racing" class. It's a good starter book for someone just getting into the sport and it's written with a nice blend of folksy antecdotes and hard "bullet point" information. There just enough of each subject to get a taste, but not so much as to overwhelm. Other books and on-the-water experience will fill in the blanks. Q&A review at the end of the chapters highlights the key information. If you're just getting started in sailboat racing, "Getting Started" is a good way to do it.

I have raced my 36 ft sloop lightly for the last 5 years and wanted a book to help me improve my finish (2nd every time but only 5 in class). I have now read 7 books on the subject. Most frustrated me as they only talk about racing upwind and downwind. My class races up, down, and reaching. To make matters worse, my class is no spinnaker. So, typically the upwind talk is how to tune a boat with a fractional rig, which I don't have, or a spinnaker, which I don't use. Some only talk about boats so small you can tip them over. This book covers everything, up, down, reaching, no spinnaker. It talks about little and big boats. It does as good a job on tactics as any of the books and in fact better than most. It is an easy read and not full of typos like some of the others. I highly recommend it.

I'm a librarian and an auto racing fan, and I've read a lot of motor racing books. This is the best racing biography I've EVER read, and she wrote it all by herself. Whether your interest is the Indianapolis 500, NASCAR, sports in general, or women's studies, you'll find something to enjoy in this book, and you will be impressed by the quality of the writing.

BTW, her opinion of Pat Patrick is hilarious; or at least, it's a lot like mine.

Enjoy

I was in third grade when Janet Guthrie made the headlines. I remember reading a kid's book on her life and learning that she had a job as a physicist before going into racing. I had always admired Ms. Guthrie for what she did. A couple of years ago while reading an article on Danica Patrick, I came across the Janet Guthrie website and found the book Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle. I went ahead and purchased it. It has taken me almost two years to finish the book, but I have found it very enlightening and reading. It gives a great overview of her life and how hard she had to work to get into racing and the obstacles she had to overcome. It is a must read for anyone who wants to learn about an amazing female athlete from the mid 1970's. Thank you, Ms. Guthrie for sharing your life with us.

Janet Guthrie was more qualified than many drivers who had quality rides in open-wheel and stock-car racing. She was a graduate of the University of Michigan (B. Sc. in physics), an aerospace engineer and flight instructor while race-car driving as early as 1963 in a Jaguar XK 140 that she prepared.

But being a female in a male-dominated business made for a career that had a very rough road. Guthrie persevered under very trying times to reach the pinnacle in the sport in 1977, qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 - becoming the first woman to qualify and compete in the event - and Daytona 500 - finishing the race as the top rookie driver.

And after nearly 20 years in search of a publisher and several hundred pages cut from her manuscript, Guthrie delivers an excellent read that covers her life on and off the track.

Guthrie wanted to be known as a race-car driver, but there were too many people who couldn't get past her gender. That was from the boardrooms of potential sponsors to initial tough comments from competitors like Richard Petty and Bobby Unser and workers at venues like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway who were determined to make Guthrie know in so many ways that she wasn't welcome & could never compete financially with the top teams.

Though Petty and Unser eventually gave Guthrie props - Petty saying in 1978 that she may win a NASCAR event with a better ride & Unser stating she has done a good job - there were drivers like Tom Sneva and Buddy Baker and others in the industry who assisted her in reaching for the stars. Even though Guthrie blazed a trail, it ultimately smacked into a brick wall when a lack of sponsorship dollars prevented her from competing in the top events.

In 2006, Guthrie was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. A Life at Full Throttle is a story about struggling against institutionalized gender discrimination and how the road to true equity remains under construction.

I started sports car racing about the same time as Janet, also had no money, and enjoyed all the years of scratching and clawing for a ride. I could not have written this book, though, because not only did she do something special, she tells the stories so well. I learned more about her in the book than I did at the time, and as a result of the book, feel the shared history and experiences deeply.

As a mutual friend said, "...it's exposed more about her and what she did and how she did it than most (of her comtemporary racing friends) either knew or understood...it's established more of a camaraderie with other racers ..." than was thought to exist at the time.

I wish she would publish the other several hundred pages she had to cut out of this beek, as I am sure I would enjoy it also.

I was in junior high school when Ms. Guthrie ran in the Indy 500, and was wowed by the fact that a woman could make it auto racing. Those who of us who remember the era before Title 9 know how tough it was for female athletes in any sport, but especially auto racing which remains a male-dominated field to this day.

Cheers to you, Ms. Guthrie, for your excellent career, for opening the doors, for your marvelous record on the track, and for an exciting memoir that's as fast-paced as your race car! Five stars!

This book is responsible for my love of Dick Francis. The story of an up and coming jockey who finds himself in a slump, who is responsible and how he gets himself out of it is riveting.
He writes beautifully and gives such good characterizations that his books are a delight to read.

This book starts with a bang and never lets up. Dick Francis' novels are admittedly formulaic, but it's a winning formula for sure. The ending is a bit unrealistic, but so what? In life there's a time for being serious and a time for losing yourself in an exciting story with an interesting main character.

This is the second book that I've read of Dick Francis's (currently reading "Blood Sport"). The plot seems to be shorter than Francis's other novels, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
Story tells about a beginner jockey who takes advantage of a chance to race on a good horse. That chance takes him to the winners' circle. However, all this success is envied by some of those around him, that cause him to suffer loss after loss. The jockey starts an investigation that leads him to learn of his enemies. The hero's character is explained piece by piece as the story unfolds and becomes more interesting, especially with his love for his cousin.
Whether you're a horse-race fan, or not (like me), you'll still enjoy this novel. The ending is missing a bit of closure, in my opinion, but still has style and reveals more of the jockey's character.

This is one of Francis' very first books. Written in the early 1960's and set in England, 'Nerve' concerns the exploits of a young and aspiring top steeple-chase jockey. If you haven't read Francis before, you are in for a very nice and enjoyable low-key thriller. Its hard to point to another author and say that Dick Francis is like him or her, because his work is so unlike other writers. Every one of Francis' books has pretty much the same plot outline, but in a strange way, this is not at all bothersome. One reads a Francis book to enjoy the characters and the inordinant amount of plot laden tension that is somehow packed into such a mild mannered little book.

Every time I pick up one of Francis' books I think of the Jean Cocteau movie from the early 50's I think called Orphius. Its based on the old greek myth where some guy goes to hade's (the ancient greek underworld) to rescue his wife who was stolen from him by a god. He gains her freedom on the condition that he not look at her on the way back until they are out of Hade's. Only at the very last step, he does turn around and she is turned into a pillar of salt or something like that... Anyways, in Cocteaus version of the myth, he has the main characters cast as poets, and they drive around the French country side being flocked by admiring fans and lovely young women. The poets there are the rock stars of that fictional society. Well, Francis creates a world very similar to that with his horse racing books, where the entire country of England revolves around the going ons of different aspects of racing.

One interesting aspect of this book, discussed by other readers in this review forum, is that of the human condition known as 'Nerve.' Rob Finn is made to look as though he has lost it over the opening chapters of the book and the mystery revolves around why this was done and exactly who is behind it.

I would highly reccomend this story to anyone... Its a short novel that has with held the test of time though it is entering its fifth decade since publication. It's not the greatest mystery ever written if only because Francis never really took a risk as an author. But this is also one of Francis' very best efforts and will entertain you in a mild mannered way.

Dick Francis has written so many bestselling mysteries, it's mindboggling. He excels in crafting enormously engaging, civilized whodunits, which go down smooth as cognac. Mr. Francis has a habit of introducing elements from the racing world into his novels (for those not in the know, Francis used to be a jockey). Yes, it's true that his heroes all come from the same mold and the stories do contain certain formulaic elements, but I think Francis's magic lies in the humanity and empathic nature with which he cloaks his protagonists. His heroes are all too human, all too flawed, and uniformly unassuming and Britishly reserved. Yet, without exception, they all have unexpected pluck, hidden strength, and the inner fortitude to do the right thing. In four decades, Mr. Francis has written some of my favorite mysteries: Forfeit, Rat Race, Reflex, Hot Money, The Edge, The Danger, Decider, and To the Hilt. And then there's Nerve.

Nerve holds a special place in my heart. I first stumbled across Dick Francis's mystery books years ago when I was a kid thumbing thru a Reader's Digest book. That book contained a condensed version of Nerve, which I went thru in a flash. As soon as I could, I went to the public library and borrowed the full-length version and tore thru that one, too. Since then, I've read everything that Dick Francis has ever written and I've enjoyed every one tremendously (even his anthology Field of Thirteen), but, thru the years, I've come back again and again to Nerve and its charismatic hero Rob Finn. It's just such a darn good story.

Nerve, published in 1964, was only Francis's third novel at the time. Yet, even back then, he had what it took to tell a captivating, suspenseful story. The quick plot breakdown of Nerve: Rob Finn has started to make a name for himself as a jockey when he is kidnapped, tortured, and left for dead. Torn up and bleeding, he manages to escape and get help. He then coldly plans his revenge on the bloke what did him wrong. Sounds like a simple plot, but Francis uses his narrative skills to lure the reader into following Rob Finn as he attempts to get back at his disturbed tormentor. It's gripping stuff. Francis's detailed breakdowns of Finn's pain-filled efforts to get back to racing form so soon after he was tortured will make you cringe, as you wholeheartedly pull for the fella. Our hero is very human, vulnerable, and very relatable. Yet, Francis is talented enough as a writer that, by the end of the book, you'll feel some sympathy towards the dastardly villain. And, as an added bonus, Francis throws in one of those unrequited love subplots, as Finn, who has been eternally in love with his beautiful, talented cousin, Joanna, bittersweetly continues to carry his torch. Joanna, alas, does not reciprocate.

I don't know how Dick Francis does it. I'm not into horses or horse racing. Yet, his books never get old for me, and the horse racing elements actually become interesting stuff. I really, really believe Dick Francis's gift, when it gets boiled to its essence, is how well he's able to make the reader relate to his lead character. Every one of 'em is immensely rootable. Before I read Nerve, I mostly read fantasy and sci-fi novels. Nerve introduced me to the world of mystery novels. So, for that reason and also because it's a crackling good tale, Nerve will always be one of my favorites.

Also, glad to hear that Dick Francis has a new book (Under Orders, starring Sid Halley) coming out in a few weeks. I cannot wait.

Primarily written for children of all ages, but as a grandmother
of eight, I've read it myself more than once and love the bonding
between the teenage girl and the colt. Obviously the author knows horses and loves them very much. She includes a lot of exciting racing action and keeps you in suspense until the very end to find out if you will have a smile on your face or tears in your eyes. Hopefully there will be a sequel!

Fast paced as its titled mount, The Red Colt covers the personal and emotional ground of Cate, the teen aged heroine. The short novel traces a story that begins with tragedy but ends in victory! Along the way, the reader is carried along by the anxious, dynamic happenstance of the plot. The writing is artfully embellished with racing terminology and knowledge of equitation. The tale champions the power of human love and determination over spiritual and natural misfortune. A good read for the young adult -horse fancier or not! John Carbone

Julie Caracci brings the thrilling world of horses and hardships to life for her readers, young and old alike. I continue to be surprised and gripped every time I read it. Strongly recommended to anyone who has ever had a passion for anything, especially to children with dreams of their own.

This book was a real page turner. The characters were very interesting and the story was one of debth, fact based and a great story for all ages.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes horses, horseracing or for anyone who just wants a good read!

A true to life and telling story of life experience centered around a young thoroughbred colt, from the persective of a person who is obviously deeply connected with the equine world. A great short read for current and aspiring horse owners, trainers, and riders everywhere. Looking forward to the next installment from this talented writer.

This book is like a personal trainer for inline (roller skating). I started reading this book in July 2006 and by August 2006 I was so much faster in inline skating. This is from someone who has never taken any lessons and started to skate on his own. I did the Northshore Inline (Duluth) half marathon later in Sept 2006 in 1 hour 6 mts (pretty impressive by my own standards). I keep referrring to it once in a while to keep up my training and speed.

This book is thorugh and even those of us that are completely uneducated about athletics and how to improve in them can understand clearly what is written in this book. I was afraid it would be too technical but it caters to all levels of knowledge. I am very impressed. I plan to start impleting these practices very soon.

A must have. Loaded with information and great pictures. Also very technical training schedules for the serious skaters. Not too much for short trackers but still alot of useful skating information.

From the background I had during my competitive years in the sport of inline speedskating, I believe the book is a complete and technical guide to the basic terminology, strategy, and mechanics that are involved with speedskating; both on ice and inline skates. There is heavy usage on photographs to show you the correct way to skate to reach your potential but to achieve what is seen in the picture typically takes years of training with coaches to show you the ways to train your body to achieve the form and stride of an effecient inline skater.

I also believe that some of the material is dated regarding the current face of the sport but the book is a staple in the sport and is a worthy look for outsiders and internally at the facets of the sport of inline and ice speedskating. For anyone interested in speedskating either on ice skates or inline skates, this book is the most comprehensive guide from a champion speedskater that covers most facets of the sport.

This is a great book for anyone involved in in-line or ice speedskating. Being a speedskater myself, I have had much success using the book. It is great for novice and elite skaters. The book offers a lot of information regarding techinique and training. I hope others have or will have as much success using this book as I have.

A MUST-HAVE FOR ANY SPEEDSKATERS LIBRARY!!!

A fact filled book on the basics from one of the greats. A good read even if you aren't planning on going racing.

The basics are here, even though the book is some 45 years old. A good place to start from.

The Technique of Motor Racing
by Piero Taruffi

Aloha,
Thirty years ago I was a driver for the "Jim Russell International Racing Driving School" out at Willow Springs, CA USA. One of the greatest times in my life. Jim Russell (JRS) at that time had schools simultaneously on five continents. We taught in so many languages that we did not have a textbook of our own. JRS was busy training movie stars and World Champions for Formula One Race Car Driving. JRS put students in signal seaters from day one! We use to order Taruffi's by the case. It had been "The Book!" for over ten years and was very hard to find. I think Harry Morrow would get them for us from England. They would sell out every time. We could not keep them on the shelf.

I use the principles I learned every time I take to the road. I believe it has helped make me a safer and definitely faster better Motor Vehicle Driver. Probably contributed to my long life, considering I am in the habit of winning on or off the track.

For decades I did not see Taruffi at all. Sometimes I would pick them up in old bookstores. I am glad for the sake of all future drivers that someone has had the wisdom to keep Taruffi in publication. Just the fact that it is around after all these years should tell you something.

Even today, you will seldom see them sold used. You will never see them sold cheap. Many driving books are about the author. Some are about street driving. Taruffi is pure Racing!! How you can drive a car faster. The essence of driving. I do not see how things could have changed enough to invalidate anything Taruffi has had to say. Decide for yourself, you can always return it.

If you have read every book on Motor Racing ever published. You will find The Technique of Motor Racing not only has a lot to offer you. It may just be the most compact bit of Racing Knowledge you have ever found in one place.

Pass Um`
-ooO-(GoldTrader)-Ooo-

The classic corner lines and driving technique discussed. I bought this book based on Niki Lauda's (F1 World Champion 1975, 1997) recommendation of it in one of his books.

This book, first published in 1959, is mostly devoted to cornering, and this is the best publication about turns on flat surfaces with high adhesion, used in sport racing, and this information is still valid.

It has a pretty little chapter on physical training of a driver, with the schemes gymnastic exercises recommended for a motorist.

The details of driving position and handling of a steering wheel are mentioned, but not covered well enough.

Nevertheless, the cornering is explained fairly well, in 69 pages full of formulas, schemes and illustrations.

If you need a deeper text-book about fast and safe cornering, which is not only applicable to sport but also to driving on public road, and which covers slippery surfaces like ice, snow and dirt, I would have recommended a published work by Professor Tsygankov.

Aladdin's Treasure is a racehorse that was raised at Edgardale. He is going to run in the Kentucky Derby! Two weeks before the Derby, Aladdin is spooked and his jockey is thrown. She becomes afraid of him and the colt doesn't act the same. His jockey thinks he should be scratched from the Derby. Will Aladdin still get to run? This book was great! Definitely read it!

I loved this book, and I really enjoyed it, but on the cover, where's Aladdin's shadow roll? I think the cover artist shouldn't have forgotten it, it's too importiant!

This book is filled with excitment! I'll tell you a little about it Aladdin's Treasure is a black colt and his owners are thinking about running him in the Kentucky Derby. But before the race Aladdin is badly spooked and throws his rider and it's up to Ashleigh to convince his owners not to scratch him from the Derby. Derby Day is really interesting and I recommend it to any horse lover!

This book was great! :) I liked it a lot, especially that Ashleigh helped solve the problem to make him run better. But it is a little unrealistic that a little girl figured it out, when these top-notch trainers were stumped. But still, congrats to Chris Platt on a great book! I like the Ashleigh Series, although if you've read Ashleigh's Diary you inevitably know what happens in the end. When is it going to end? Not that I'm waiting or anything... Well anyway Derby Day is a good book! Email me if you read the series too! JoHorse1@yahoo.com

This book was a wonderful edition to the Ashleigh series. Both Ashleigh and Rhoda are faced with confidence problems and they help each other out. Although, in the early Thoroughbred books, Ashleigh says she has never been to a track. And here, there is a Derby winner. But this book was one of the best books in Thoroughbred OR Ashleigh series. Keep up the good work! Signed- a faithful reader

Excellent book - unfortunately I didn't buy the british version right away - which comes with an extraodinary CD. So I bought the british version as well and offered the american one to a friend. LONG LIVE OLD EUROPE

This is among the best car books I've ever seen. The photography is all new - no recycled press photos you've seen over and over. The writing style is clear and evocative of the best story telling. It could have been published as 21 monthly articles in Road & Track. The tone is friendly without being silly. It contains technical information without getting hopelessly bogged down in minutiae. HOWEVER - as I was reflecting how cool it would be to download audio recordings of these cars in action (imagining a website) I read that the UK version comes with a CD! Why isn't this in the US version? As the Buddhists say, all suffering stems from desire... Now if I could only buy (and maintain!) my fantasy Chaparral and Ford GT-40 and Ferrari Daytona and Mini-Cooper S and Lotus 21 and Jaguar D Type and supercharged Bugatti and Porsche 911 and Cobra and Buell superbike...

It can be ordered through Amazon UK; It's called "Into The Red" and the engine sounds on the CD are awesome.

This book is outstanding. Nick Mason's brief account of each car's history and how he came to buy it is interesting and often humorous and Mark Hales' account of the driving experience conveys great feeling. The photography is also of very high quality. BUT you must buy one that comes with the CD, the book is titled 'Into the Red' outside the USA. Listening to the CD (loud!) while reading the book is an awesome experience which should not be missed. Particularly track 5, the V16 BRM, the sound of which will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck!

Recently I bought the UK-version of this book. It is called 'Into the Red' and comes with a CD with sounds of the sportscars described in the books. I agree with all other reviewers: this CD plus book is a must-have. The pictures in the book are beautiful, the text by Mason and Hales is technically, humorously and very interesting to read. Even if you are not full into racingcars, this is still a very nice book to have in your bookcase !

This is a great book. It has a wonderful amount of information. It is good for the beginner as well as an advance horse person.

Ever since I read this book, I ride my horse and when I go out and barrel race in the gymkhanas that I attend in my club, we are truly great as a team. When I first started western riding this summer I wasn't so good, but after reading this book I've gotten tougher and my horse has gotten so much faster! I know after this winter and reading it over and over, we will be unbeatable.

This is one of my favorite barrel racing books! I have owned it for years and refer back to it often when I need to "tune up". I've had the opportunity to attend a few of Sharon Camarillo's clinics and she has written two of the best barrel racing books out today! She is not only a great barrel racer but a absolutely fabulous teacher! Her books give clear easy to read instruction with great pictures to help you visualize. I loved it! Shirley, from MN

I thought this was a great book.I have improved my barrel racing ALOT since I started reading this book. It is sooooooooooooooooo AWESOME!

If you enjoyed this book also read: 'Running to Win at Barrel Racing' by Martha Josey

I read this book from cover to cover and I always refer back to it for tips and help. It's a great book for the beginner barrel racer or the seasoned racer. It's full of great pictures and information. I loved it!