Sports Books

"You Can Quote Me On That" is more than just a wonderful compilation of great, funny and both brilliant and absurd tennis quotes. It is a history lesson of the changing social, moral and political mores of the times as seen through the eyes of those who knew tennis the best and the least...As well as containing some fine bits of univeral and timeless wisdon, it really provides a glimpse into human nature - it truly is amazing how off base and mean spirited some of the most revered tennis pros have been in the course of tennis history.....And the book is also funny....A great read for all and must read for tennis fans....

This book is like freshly squeezed orange juice. It's fresh, pure and delicious, and you didn't have to pore over long interviews or entire books to get to the juicy parts. Right to the point on topic after topic -- from the profound to the profane. It's an easy ready with quotes of the most famous, and sometimes, least likely people in and around tennis. There are probably quotes from some of the people you've most loved and some who you've least liked. AND lots of surprises as to who said what!

While the book tackles serious and age old topics, it also tackles views on some of tennis' greatest controversies. You'll get a feel for some of the most popular and infamous characters in the tennis world. And you'll get the sweet and wise observations of true authorities. And tennis, like sport generally, is a part of, and a reflection of, life. Many of the quotes reflect personal philosophies and insights of those we normally know only in a sporting context.

It's hard to imagine how someone culled the best of the best without spending a lifetime to put it in one book. It has fairly been called the Barlett's Quotations of Tennis - except it's probably a more fun read.

This is one great book! Paul Fein's You Can Quote Me On That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights And Zingers is one of the most unique tennis books ever published. Why? It's virtually the tennis Smithsonian of insights into the minds of players, coaches, officials, the media, administrators, the intelligencia and others from the world of tennis.

Want to know what your favorite tennis star is thinking about on and off the court? It's here. Want to know what the media think about the players? Check it out. Want to know what the tennis world is talking about? Read on.

I was really excited to get my copy because as Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (IMGCA), I am always searching for new quotes on sports psychology that I can put in our members articles, training programs and our IMGCA Certification programs.

This book is loaded with 1700 quotes ranging over 35 chapters from tennis stars, legends, champions, celebrities, also-rans and the rest of the world's tennis denizens.

Try finding all these quotes yourself, from the hundreds of sources that Paul used in constructing this masterpiece. You would have to work for years to capture all the wonderful tennis quotes in this compendium. Come to think of it, that's probably exactly what Paul did in writing this book!

You Can Quote Me On That is the perfect gift for the tennis lovers in your life.

Paul Fein's "You Can Quote Me On That" isn't a classic page-turner, full of mystery, plot and intrigue. It's just what it sounds like--a collection of quotes about tennis.

Although it consists of 35 chapters, a necessity for organizing the vast material, I still found it difficult to stop when reaching a chapter's conclusion.

Under the chapter entitled "The Feminine Mystique" for example, Fein ends with a quote from Anna Kournikova saying:

"You cannot just be a great tennis player, or just be a beautiful person anymore to succeed in the game. You have to have it all, the talent, the looks, the brains and the drive."

The next chapter, "Paeans To the Champions", starts with this praise for Pete Sampras from Jim Courier:

"He can hit shots the rest of us can't hit and don't even think of hitting."

And then continues as Becker, Agassi, McEnroe and Emerson assess Pete's standing in the tennis pantheon.

What makes the book more than a sum of its considerable parts is the sense of history that pervades it. Nineteen twenties star Bill Tilden, who wrote several books on tennis, is quoted regularly, and we hear from Jack Kramer on early professional men's tennis, Bille Jean King on the struggles of the women's tour, Arthur Ashe on the class and race barriers, Martina Navratilova on sexual orientation. Not to mention Gussie Moran's panties and Suzanne Lenglen's rock star status in the 20s.

It?s a whirlwind tour of tennis history in doses as small or large as you like and it's also a reminder that the more tennis changes, the more it stays the same.

I'll close with two of my favorite quotes:

"Under these absurd and antiquated amateur rules, only a wealthy person can compete, and the fact of the matter is that only wealthy people do compete. Is that fair? Does it advance the sport? Does it makes tennis more popular? or does it tend to suppress and hinder an enormous amount of tennis talent lying dormant in the bodies of young men and women whose names are not in the social register."

and

"Certainly there does not appear to be anything much wrong with the game of tennis itself, although proposals for changing it always are with us. There has been little change since the rules were settled upon and possibly improvement can be had by changing some rules, but a game so stylized as tennis should be treated with great restraint. One of the things wrong may be that so many people keep trying to alter it to suit other people who do not really play it."

The first quote is from Suzanne Lenglen, circa 1920s; the second from Al Laney in 1968.

You Can Quote me on That by Paul Fein is loaded with entertaining quotes from all the great tennis players, many of their coaches, their families, and even other celebrities. From the Foreword by Billie Jean King in which she states " No one and nothing is spared", to the 35 chapters dealing with various topics such as #6.-The Fame Game, and #15. - You've Come A Long Way, Baby!, I was hooked. The quotes are quick and easy to read, with remarkable documentation of who said what to whom and when. I especially liked the nasty comments between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl--i.e. "I've got more talent in my pinkie than Lendl has in his whole body."--John McEnroe.(so politically incorrect these days!). Arthur Ashe's 1970 quote that "Women's tennis won't draw flies.", couldn't have been more wrong, surprisingly coming from one of the greatest endorsers of the game. But my favorite quote, coming from Martina Hingis is "I like everything about tennis; the games, the courts, the competition, and doing everything you can to win. It's such a beautiful sport." Anyone who enjoys playing tennis, watching tennis, or hearing about the good and bad boys and girls of tennis will truly enjoy this book.

I don't think I can add to what has been said about Alibi on Ice, other than I was captivated. I haven't enjoyed reading a story like this for a long while. The tension made me shiver as if I was actually on the mountain. Just a very well put together story that kept me asking for more.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

I grabbed this book while on vacation out in the Northwest. I had spent some time on Mt. Ranier hiking, and thoroughly enjoyed following Mr. Small's murderer up and down the treacherous trails of that mountain.
It's a good suspense thriller, that transports you to Mt. Ranier, it's ice caves and glaciers. Its characters are well done, and its ending a surprise.
A very satisfying read.

One of the threads I like to talk about to readers is not to pay too much
attention to labels. I mention that labels are a marketing advice and most
books cannot be so definitively described and if the reader reads only the
books that are labeled the type of book they usually enjoy, they will miss
some great stories. I, of course, have my own favorite "types" of stories
(I'm an avowed anglophile--you know what I usually read) and the "thriller"
genre has not been high on my TBR list.

Mea culpa. I recently picked up Ben F. Small's suspense thriller ALIBI ON
ICE and was immediately caught up by the depth of characterization, the fun
of learning about something new to my experience (in this case, mountain
climbing!) and the mesmerizing settings that I assumed (never
assume...) would be absent in an action-oriented book. All of which shows
how narrow-minded I've been all these zillion years!

This was a most entertaining and enjoyable read. The most fascinating
quality of ALIBI ON ICE to me is that the reader knows right off who the bad
guy is, and, believe me, this guy is BAD. Rarely do I yelp out loud from
surprise, but I did while reading the first chapter! The excitement comes
from determining how this truly unpleasant character will be caught and
caught he gets in an amazing climax. I also love stories that take me new
places and I'm relatively confidant that if marooned on an icy mountain, I
have learned enough to get myself safely home, if only in my own mind and if
only on my backside.

So don't waste time the way I did, try something new!

Kit Sloane

The Margot O'Banion & Max Skull Mystery Series

Ben Small is a lawyer, and ALIBI ON ICE is about lawyers, corrupt and murdered lawyers. But the action in this taut police procedural doesn't take place in a courtroom. It occurs on Washington's towering Mount Ranier. And a particular strength of the story is Small's use (in the tradition of Dame Agatha) of the setting not just as backdrop but as a character itself, forcing the human actors to confront the mountain's crevasses, snowfields, glaciers and avalanches as sharply as they confront one another.

The antagonist, Emery Boyd, is a studly but sociopathic climber who uses the mountain to kill and hide the evidence as indifferently as he uses women for sexual gratification and to get information about the police probe into the disappearance of his law firm partner, Herman Klein. Boyd's alibi seems iron-clad, or rather ice-clad: he was seen on the mountain at the time of the murders.

Amy Galler, a female homicide detective from Seattle, goes to the mountain under cover, determined to continue the investigation and confront Boyd. But an unexpected meeting with another climber -- ironically, Boyd's best mountaineering buddy -- leads her into romance, vulnerability and danger.

Small slowly spins up the tension into a craggy climax, moving the characters around like chessmen with ice axes. And the climbing details make it clear that Small has spent more than a few hours on the mountain himself. The ending is terrific: satisfying but completely unexpected. I never saw it coming.

This is an excellent first novel, and I look forward to Small's next one.

If you like action thrillers, this should be a pleaser. Snowy, treacherous Mount Rainier is a major character in ALIBI ON ICE, Ben Small's debut novel. You'll find colorful landscapes as you trudge up the mountain with veteran climbers, learning firsthand what it's like to be there. Emery Boyd, the villain, whom you meet on page one, is as despicable as they come. After murdering a federal judge to keep him from revealing a blackmail plot, Boyd finds it necessary (and enjoyable) to keep eliminating those who get too close to the truth.

The story is filled with interesting, believable characters. They include Detective Amy Galler, who suspects Boyd is a murderer, and Emery's long-time mountain climbing partner, John Whitney. The plot hangs around the disappearance of a partner in Boyd's Seattle law firm, Herman Klein, who was hired to settle the dead judge's estate. Boyd has what looks like a foolproof alibi, being lost in a snowstorm on Mount Rainier at the time of Klein's apparent murder. But Amy Galler follows her suspicions, attempting to enlist Whitney in an effort to break his friend's alibi. Things go from bad to worse, and it appears Boyd has engineered another triumph.

There's also a well-drawn, sleazy newspaper reporter who succeeds in generally gumming up the works. You'll have to read the book to get the rest of the story. And the ending has a neat twist. According to his website, Ben Small has another thriller in the works. If it's as good as this one, you won't want to miss it, either.

An all encompassing book about the NFL, from its origins to present day - actually more attention is given to the early days of the league than the present, which is good becoz we all know what's going on in the NFL now - too many books don't provide enough detail about a sport's early days and devote too much print to the now. It has detailed chapters on people like Pete Rozelle and Bert Bell, and their influences, and this book also doesn't trudge through on a year by year basis - it gives an overall view of the NFL.

If you follow the NFL, whether you're a die-hard or the casual fan, then Michael MacCambridge's book is a must read. The details of how the league became the force in sports and entertainment it is today is astounding. The anecdotes of the characters who helped shape the league are a joy to read. This one took awhile, as there is so much information to glean from it, from Bert Bell to Pete Tagliabue, Tex Schramm to Lamar Hunt, Dan Reeves to Jerry Jones, you will not be dissapointed.

America's Game is a cleverly weaved story that any football fan or sports historian should enjoy. Written by sports guru Michael MacCambridge, it brings you through several decades of football, from it's unrecognized start to it's modern day spectacle. The book itself is written beautifully- MacCambrige makes the strong, important parts stand out while still making sure the little details are noticed. America's Game: The Epic Story of how Football Captured a Nation is football history at it's finest.

I could not put this book down! It gives one an amazingly detailed perspective of the history of pro football in America. This book has given me a far greater appreciation for football than I could have ever dreamed of. It is so interesting to read about how the smallest of details changed the course of this sport forever. So many things that the modern fan takes for granted like the salary cap, seeing games on TV or even the logos on the helmets are all explained in this book and their stories of how each and many other details came about are truly captivating. This is THE BOOK for football fans.

I like football, but I was always a little hazy on it's early history. The who, what, when and how of the teams and the game's important people. This book nailed that perfectly!! It's a well written, easy read that lays out the important parts of the NFL's history. A complete touchdown.

Where the book misses the extra point is when the author tries to explain why football is America's most popular game. When doing this it seems as if he is directing the book towards fans of other sports, (especially baseball)as if to say "football is the best, so there!" Basically I think the problem is football is the most popular sport for so many reasons the author is trying to explain something that cannot easily be explained. It's like trying to explain to someone why their favorite color is blue.

But overall this is a great book. If you are looking to find out more about the history of the NFL, this is the book for you.

As someone who followed Barbaro even before his Kentucky Derby win, I craved information about him, especially after he passed away. Of all of the books written about this remarkable racehorse, none does him justice as this one does. The pictures are brilliant and glossy and the writing is comprehensive and well done. I still can not look at this book and not get emotional at seeing all the beautiful photos of Barbaro. It is well worth the price to own this book.

Sean Clancy did a marvelous job with this book. I laughed, I cried (a lot). If anyone followed what happened to Barbaro this book is a must. Thank you Mr. Clancy for writing such a glowing story about this beautiful animal.

This is a very well written book of the Barbaro story told with insight and compassion, without being maudlin. Of course when he wrote the book he thought Barbaro would live, as most of us who were rooting for him, did. So the tone is positive and the pictures are worth the price of the book. A great horse and a great story - worth every penny!

What a gift this is. Wonderful pictures and step by step story of this incredible horse. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

This book was beautifully written and I enjoyed every page. Barbaro touched the lives of so many of us and I still feel the sorrow of his tragic injury and ultimate death. What a courageous animal! I also want to give praise to Edgar Prado who wept for Barbaro and probably still does.

This strong, tough as nails jockey has a heart and lots of soul and I admire him tremendously. Barbaro meant much more than a paycheck to Mr. Prado. I am a fan and admirer of this man who felt so much for Barbaro mand who grieved with the rest of the world at his loss.

No praise and no words could pay proper tribute to Dr. Dean Richardson and all the staff who fought so hard to keep Barbaro alive and whose main objective was that he live a life free from pain. What a valient struggle!

It's wonderful knowing there are still professionals who truly care, and human beings who aren't afraid of having a heart and aren't afraid of allowing the world to see it.

I was initially not going to write a review of this book, as there are already many justly praising it. The one negative review, however, saying that this book has little in it not in Harold Peterson's "The Man Who Invented Baseball" (published over thirty years ago) gave me pause. On one level it is clearly true. I remember as a boy my father telling me about Alexander Cartwright and the New York Knickerbockers, and dismissing the Abner Doubleday story. I don't know that he read Peterson's book, but the timing is right and Peterson did popularize the Cartwright story. This provoked me to dig out my out copy of Peterson and read it for the first time in many years. I can now definitively assure you that David Block is most certainly not just recycling Peterson's book.

They agree that there were earlier versions of ball-and-stick games, which they discuss, and that the version of the game that has come down to us as modern baseball was standardized by the Knickerbocker club.

That may make it look like they have similar theses, but they really do not. Peterson's thesis is right there in his title: someone invented baseball and he knows who it was. Earlier versions were fundamentally different from the Knickerbocker game, and the Knickerbocker game was the product one man's flash of genius. Earlier games are discussed, but they don't really matter, since the Knickerbocker game is taken as being so different. The discussions of earlier games mostly are there to discredit the Doubleday story, which typically has predecessor games being even more primitive than in the Cartwright story

Block's goal is also named in his title: he is seeking baseball's roots. The Knickerbocker game is part of a story that began centuries earlier. Earlier versions aren't a distraction, they are the story. Only by knowing what came before can we see what the Knickerbockers did and didn't do: what parts of their game were selections from an existing menu of options and what parts were true innovations. It turns out to be far more interesting than any myth of a heroic lone genius.

Why should we believe Block rather than Peterson? Peterson's is a book with no footnotes, but with detailed descriptions of events down to quoted conversations. Even if the events were found in histories that actually cited sources, we would know that this is fiction. Peterson probably considered it putting a human face on the story. I consider it making stuff up. He does that a lot. The chapters on early ball-and-stick games are a mish-mash of solid data, poorly understood facts, and utter fiction. So it is that he can, on adjacent pages, give two contradictory accounts of the origin of cricket. He has a story to tell and he isn't going to let facts get in the way. Block's book started out as an annotated bibliography of early baseball sources and Block is meticulous about documentation. When he is forced to interpret beyond the actual evidence he tells us this. You come away knowing exactly what is really known and what is educated guesswork. It is honest history.

I rarely give five stars in my reviews, but I have no qualms about doing so here. The book is quite simply the important book on the subject published in my lifetime. It may be surpassed some day, but that day isn't likely to be soon. For the foreseeable future this is the one book to own if you have any interest in the origins of baseball.

Having just been to Block's talk at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, this reader got an eeyeful and an earful, bought the book and began reading it on the "el" on the way home and kept reading far too long into the wee hours of the morning.

Althought I'd like to have seen some of the compelling documents that were at Block's library presentation included in this volume, as a reference book on the incredible linkages to the game of baseball, Block's work is fascinating and as he said, still ongoing.

I'm a SABR member, too, as well as the Executive director of The Old Timers' Baseball Association of Chicago. sorry, I've never heard of the 1972 book that the sole negative reviewer mentioned, but this award-winning hunt for the origins of baseball takes odd turns throughout history, and while it may not be worth a hill of beans to fans in the Cubs bleachers today, for researchers, this is a great mystery that will, no doubt, be ripped off endlessly by hack writers for decades to come.

Kudos to ya, Dave; if this is your first big dig, I'm stoked to see what you unearth next!

The author seems to be primarily engaged in trying to debunk three myths: (1) that Gen. Abner Doubleday invented the game, (2) that the real inventor was Alexander J. Cartwright of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, and (3) that the game developed from the English game of rounders.

For the first, there has already been so much evidence that Doubleday had nothing in particular to do with baseball, so it would seem there was little more that could be said, except that, in fact, the author finds out some interesting evidence that he believes to be the main reason that A. G. Spalding might have favored Doubleday's claim-- that Spalding and Doubleday were both adherents of the same religious cult!

Regarding the Cartwright claim, the author has much less to say. He accepts that the Knickerbocker Rules were an important step in the development of baseball, but in addition he states that there is evidence that Cartwright's role in developing those rules was less significant than has been believed. And he shows that organized baseball games occured before the adoption of the Knickerbocker Rules.

It is in debunking the third "myth," I think, where the author strains to do something undeserved. So the name "rounders" does not seem to have been used prior to the nineteenth century. But the author admits that "rounders" was simply a name that has come to be assigned to an earlier English game, and that baseball developed from that game. The difference between that and the "myth" he is trying to debunk is minimal. If you really think it makes a difference between saying "baseball developed from rounders" and "baseball evolved from a number of games, but the most important was the game now known in England as 'rounders,'" you can accept this book's argument. I don't see it that way; to me "developed from rounders" and "developed from the game now known as rounders" are not significantly different.

But the book is interesting. It should be in your possession if you're interested in baseball, and especially in its history.

Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search For The Roots Of The Game by baseball historian and expert David Block is a well researched, expertly written, inherently interesting, reader engaging, in-depth study of baseball and its historical roots. Baseball's actual origin is in Europe and Baseball Before We Knew It resents a wry and informative authorship of Block's intricate study of the great 'American' sport. Baseball Before We Knew It is very highly recommended reading for baseball fans and students sports history for its invaluable documentation and seminal, groundbreaking collection of information compiled and comprised to create what may easily be seen as the ultimate book of baseball. No personal, academic or community library Sports History collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of David Block's Baseball Before We Knew It!

I have just read a number of rave reviews for Baseball Before We Knew It, so I won't try to outdo them. But I am a member of SABR and interested in tracing the development of 19th century uniforms and caps. I had email contact with Mr. Block before he finished his book, so my anticipation was high, and now I can say my expectations were more than met. From a practical and special point of view, I can now hang my "uniforms" on Block's chronological reconstruction, knowing that not every issue is settled, but that wide new vistas have been opened for my own research. His chronological flow chart toward the back is most helpful for the historian. Now we need to watch a good documentary movie on the Discovery Channel, so we can "see" what a game of ball looked in the Middle Ages. Would Kevin Kostner be interested?
Great job, David Block!
Jim "Batman" Battenfield of California

Keith shares with you his life and his love. As a man Keith bares his soul for everyone to look at and into, if you have the guts. Because looking into his, you've got to look into yours and that isn't always easy. Keith knows MOTIVATION, from the inside out and back again. He also teaches motivation to young students of the game and to executives at Fortune 500 companies. You will learn a lot about yourself reading this book. In fact you'll learn a lot about life, the ups, the downs, the joys, the pains, but more importantly what it means to get up off the ground one last time and keep going. Thank you Keith for writing this important work.

hey, i was in your thrid period english class in 2003-2004. I bought your book and had you sign it. now for senior year AP english 12 i'm finally going to read it!

Hey Dorney, This is Eddy W. Well your book was good and as I'm reading these reviews, they seem to be from students. Anyway, I thought the book was very enjoyable and you have got to get me the movie rights. Don't worry. I'll get get David Spade or somebody to play you.

See Yah!

Awesome book,I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more from the Author.It is a must read for football and even non football fans.I found the book hard to put down and wanted more at its conclusion,Bravo Mr. Dorney (big cheese)I really enjoyed the memories you shared it brought back alot of good ones for me also.Keep up the good work!!!

A great read, brought back many memories & emotions from my years gone by on the gridiron. It'll stir you whether you played Pee-Wee, HS, College, or Pro Football.
Don't let this one go by without reading, you won't be sorry..
Thanks Keith!!!

First of all, the title of the audio book "Canoeing With The Cree" is misleading. This work is not about Cree Indian canoeing style. Nor is it about a trip taken with Cree Indians. It is about two boys, Eric Sevareid (later a famous journalist and TV reporter) and Walter Port aged 17 and 19 respectively, who take the trip of a lifetime canoeing some 2200 miles from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay over the course of one summer. Although they do occasionally paddle with or get assistance from both Indians and whites alike, they are pretty much on their own in the world of 1930- No GPS, no satellite phones and a route with long undeveloped stretches between towns and eventually trading posts. The route was incompletely mapped, and nobody could find record of this route having been used before. A better title might be "A Summer Canoe Adventure; Triumph Over Adversity" or just "From Minneapolis to Hudson Bay By Canoe".

Eric and Walter managed to obtain sponsorship from a local newspaper before they asked their parents for permission to take the trip. The parents reluctantly agreed... The boys quickly obtained a used canoe and christened it "Sans Souci". They packed a non-useful pup tent, mosquito netting, a .22 rifle, fishing gear, food, $5 and some traveler's checks and they were off!

From the beginning, they were doubted by nay-sayers who didn't believe they could do it. Even well into the trip, their final destination raised eyebrows. Indeed, it was a daunting task, and many miles had to be covered before the early winter freeze-up in the north country. In addition to pressure to beat the weather, Walter found out he was offered a college scholarship that would only be valid if he showed up at school in late September. The boys risked their futures and their lives by undertaking this trip.
Along the way they encounter blistering heat, and freezing cold, illness, injuries, doldrums and windy weather, flat water, rapids, and wind-blown whitecaps. At one point, they cheat a little and ride aboard a ship when they were wind-bound on Lake Winnipeg, but the majority of the trip was just the two boys paddling through wilderness, even many miles going upstream! There were many miles of portaging their boat and gear between waterways, only occasionally aided by a friendly passerby. Most meals they cooked themselves- Even a dinner of (ugh) carp! You can almost feel their struggle as the cover mile after mile, hour after hour racing towards the saltwater of Hudson Bay.

Their struggles were not always against the elements. Sometimes they got bad directions, including instructions to run the rapids on the right side of the river, when the safer course was belatedly found to be the left side. They made it through, but it was pointed out that the local Indians sometimes didn't... Another struggle they faced was a result of stress due to the elements arduous journey, when they briefly came to blows. Fortunately, they got past their fight and continued on their journey and remained lifelong friends.

This audio-book is highly recommended, and is worthy of repeated listenings.

The late CBS News Correspondent Eric Sevareid's highly regarded adventure chronicle Canoeing With The Cree has been given new life in an enjoyable audiobook production released by Holton House Audio. The story, as written by the late Mr. Sevareid, is one of an epic journey through the Canadian wilderness during the summer and fall of 1930. Sevareid and his friend Walter Port, both just teenagers, set out from Minneapolis, Minnesota, in an attempt to do what no one else had ever done before: canoe over 2,200 miles north to the Atlantic Ocean.

Holton House Audio chose Mr. John Farrell to record Sevareid's epic tale, and it has chosen well. Mr. Farrell's pleasant baritone displays a wide range of emotion that consistently matches both the intensity and innocence of Mr. Sevareid's story, and Farrell's reading style adds what almost seems like visual and sensory components to the recording. At times, as I listened, I could see and sense the stillness of the Canadian wilderness that Mr. Sevareid experienced, while at other times, the tone in Farrell's voice led me to imagine the deafening roar of crashing rapids. I could sense the perils that Sevareid and his friend faced on many occasions. Also, Mr. Farrell's ability to give characters in the story their own unique voices added yet another enjoyable aspect to this quality recording.

I found it refreshing that Canoeing With The Cree was exciting, and yet profanity-free. The recording would be a great addition to any public library's audio collection, and it would also be appropriate for use in High School English classrooms. I intend to start using it in my own Alternative Education High School class this fall, and will make this wholesome and engaging story a regular part of my curriculum for many years to come.

Eric Sevareid's Canoeing With The Cree is a great story, and it's been well told by Mr. John Farrell. I highly recommend this new Holton House Audio recording.

This story is about two high school boys who decided to take a canoe trip during the summer of 1930. Not only is it an adventurous tale but it is a lesson about survival and the determination to accomplish a goal. It is well written and very descriptive making the journey very realistic. This is a must read especially for teenagers who love the sport of canoeing.

2250 miles in a canoe - a great adventure and a book worth reading. I can't add much that isn't already perfectly described in this book.

At the start of the trip during a brief stay in Fargo, North Dakota, a friend and doctor named Frederick Gronvold sets the boys on their journey in a proper frame of mind. "Don't let anyone, no matter who he is, convince you that your trip can't be completed. You have youth and strength, and courage too, I hope, and with a little common sense you can do it."

When the journey finally ends and the boys share their tale with the adults at York Factory, they are asked why? Bud responds simply, "Oh, for pleasure, I guess." A journey simply for the sake of the adventure. It is an idea lost on some of the adults listening to the boys. "Pleasure! What a jolly funny kind of pleasure!" Better yet, maybe the idea isn't lost. Colonel Reid continues, "Oh well, that's youth. Things look different when you're young, I suppose. My word, I almost believe I envy you."

Enjoy the beginning and the end; enjoy the pineapples and everything in between. Enjoy the journey simply for the journey; it's an adventure that is perfect for any reader of any age!

"Eric Sevareid made his name as a CBS news correspondent. But at a young age, Sevareid experienced an adventure most only dream of. Sevareid detailed the journey in his book "Canoeing with the Cree". Now to mark the 75th anniversary of Sevareid's journey, two Minnesota men plan to make the same trip." Tim Post

In 1930 two young men paddled their way from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay in Canada. A trip of 2200 miles. Everyone told them it could not be done. Eric Sevareid, then a 17 year old, fresh graduate of high school, and his best buddy, Walter Port, planned the entire trip. They garnered financial support, collected supplies and a canoe and paddles and off they went. Five months later after trials and tribulations, they made it to Hudson Bay. Their journey is documented by Eric Sevareid, who gathered the weekly diaries he sent to their local Minneapolis paper, and in 1935, he wrote this book.

I stepped back in time to the 1930's when life seemed to be more innocent and the world a safer place to be. Sevareid who went on to become one of the most revered journalists of our time, wrote in an unpretentious manner, and we can feel the excitement of their adventures. They traversed unknown land and water. No one, it seems, had ever accomplished this trek. Even the best canoeists in the country failed. How then, did these two young lads accomplish this journey? Intelligence and good luck, I'd say. They questioned everyone they met, took upon themselves to digest all of the information and made decisions based on their best judgement. And, most of the time they were correct. They had no radio, no maps( this was uncharted country), little preserved food except for hardtack, but they had their ingenuity and the assistance of all of the people they met.

The North Country was mostly woods. Camps, small towns and two larger towns had been established for hunting and trapping. Most of the humans they met were Indians who were kind and generous. As a matter of fact, most of the people they met were in awe of their journey and shared whatever food, equipment and conversation they were capable. The trip was amazing when we look at the obstacles they faced. Water, roaring cold water, sometimes rapids, sometimes falls, no maps, only the word of mouth of strangers, and cold brutal weather at times. Or hot humid weather with flies and gnats. They discovered all sorts of wild animals but were never in real danger. They had their tent, two paddles, food, water, ponchos and several blankets. This seems like a story of new adventurers discovering a new world, and in fact this is what they were. Two 17 year old lads set out on an adventure and one day after another they found one. Extraordinary when you think about it.

Since the time of Eric and Walter, several other duos have made the trip by canoe. However, they had maps, food that could be kept for months and the best of camping equipment. This is not to lessen these young men's courage, but to think 78 years ago, this was accomplished with such primitive arrangments and care.

This was an exciting read and one page after another flew by. The book was difficult to put down. Easy, simplistic writing. but some of the most important writing I have found. The boys parents and friends did not hear from them often and at times, I am sure the parents were worried. But the two lads persevered and the trip was taken.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 06-26-08

Not So Wild a Dream

The Eleanor Roosevelt Story

The first book was excellent; this one was OUTSTANDING! Telep continues on the storyline he started in the first story and improves upon it by adding more characters, more action, and more bad guys. If you're into Descent, get into this book! You won't be dissapointed.

I am amazed. Most writers that make sequels to books end up completley ruining the second book and basically destroying any chanses the series has for a 3rd book. I expected the same when I read this one. I was completley wrong. This book is even better then the first! I was really able to connect with the main charachters better in this one yet it still had all the action a book needs to keep its reader from falling asleep. Definatley buy this one! It's worth it!

Descent: Stealing Thunder the very good book . You must have it! Who love game series DESCENT, founded in this book all what want. The best design of this book give pleasure when get it in hands. Well, I'm happy have this book!

It's been almost two years since I bought this book, I've finally taken the time to write a review. All there really is to say is that this book is great. The first one was great, this one is great, and the third is great as well. Buy them all, read them all. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Author Peter Telep made me more of a Descent Fan. By reading the Descent: Stealing Thunder I got more involved with the characters and the story line. Peter gives clear understanding in the world of Descent.

This is an excellent reference book. It covers all the basic hand/arm and foot/leg techniques. The stop action photos are helpful in showing the complete movement of a technique. The text is written very clearly in easy to understand terms. That's one of the reasons I always recommend this book to my beginning adult (Shotokan)karate students. My students always tell me that they find it very helpful, especially when practicing at home and needing a reference to guide them. This is a "must have" book for any level karate student.

THE book on Shotokan Karate as taught by the Japan Karate Association. Besides having hundreds of pictures and explanations of techniques, it is filled with numerous action pictures of the Masters of The Japan Karate Association from the 1950's and 1960's era.

Simply put, a MUST have for all Shotokan Karate-ka!

Kicking Theory: Nakayama says, "If sufficiently mastered, kicking techniques can have a more powerful effect than attacks with the hands." "To counteract the shock of hitting with a foot strike, place the supporting foot firmly on the ground an fully tighten the ankle of the supporting leg." "Attempt to absorb the shock with ankle, knee, and hip of the supporting leg, and keep the upper body well balanced and perpendicular to the ground." "To achieve maximum effect, kick with the whole body instead of with the leg alone. Pushing the hips forward during the kick helps achieve this goal."

Punch theory: "Notice that the muscles at the front and side of the abdomen are strongly tensed, linking the chest and hipbones firmly together. When the hips are properly set and the body is correcly supportted by the thigh muscle, the standing position is firm and stable. This table foundation enables the power of the hps to flow to the chest, shoulder, and arm. Power can be concetrated only when the hips, chest, shoulders, arms, wrists, and fists are firmly linked, and all necessary muscle function fully."


1. R Punch: Step L 45, L inward block, R step forward into a horse, R chop to kidney, two hand grand to R shoulder, pivot and throw to ground, R knee ribs and R punch to face.
2. R Punch: Step R 45, into a Left cover, L knife block, R chop to neck, L bear claw to face, R upcut to solar plexus.
3. R Punch: From a L Cover, step back into a horse, Pivot to the right and lean to the R, L knife block and grab, pivot L and lean to the L, and R chop to the neck.
4. R punch: Step R 45, R chop to the temple, R knuckle down opponents lead arm, drop down into a low horse, and R hammer to groin.
5. R punch: Step back R cover, L outward block, L punch, and R reverse punch to face.
6. R punch: Step backward into a low R cover, L rise punch to chin deflect opponents R with L forearm during the lunge, R knife hand safety to your left side of head.
7. L punch: R cover, L upward block and grab, R invert knuckle punch behind L ear, and R wheel kick to ribs.
8. R punch: R cover, step L 45, R upward block and grab, R wheel kick to solar plexus.
9. L punch: R cover, R upward block, R downward backknuckle to face, R snap kick away.
10. L punch: L cover, R inward block, grab and pull, R side kick to the ribs
11. R punch: R cover, Step L 45, L inward block and R vertical finger to solar plexus or armpit.
12. R punch: R cover, upward X block, R grab, L chop to the throat
13. R punch: R cover, upward X block, L grab and pull down, R step in, R chop to the throat

I began in 1957. I obtained my first copy of Dynamic Karate in 1966. After almost 50 years of practicing karate I have not found a better book. The book explains and illustrates proper form, proper techniques, proper stances and proper torque to achive maximum impact. All Karateka should read it. It is a must for instructors. I am no great fan of Shoto-kan. However,the application of the basics is universal and timeless. This book will help any karate student attain proper form... and form is power...regardless of the type of karate studied. This is important in an age were there are so many bogus teachers that have no concept of form, body dynamics and real fighting. You'll stop falling on your front kick after you read it!

In a skillful conceived layout, Masatoshi Nakayama's book, Dynamic Karate lacks nothing in providing teachers and students with the smallest of details needed to master Karate.

The author's credentials for presenting the basics for a wide variety of Karate techniques include being a student of master Funakoshi Gichin who took the foundations of "Chinese Hand Techniques" and built Karate-do (empty hand ways), which is the style presented in this book.

The first part of this enlightening book, which deals with the fundamentals in great detail, devotes considerable text and images to assure the reader understands the importance of stance and balance. The section on using the hands and feet as weapons, which shows alternate techniques as well as the currently preferred technique, is clearly written and diagramed. The fifty chapter, which is devoted to punching techniques, provides insight on theory and practice. This is followed by a related chapter on the theory and practice of striking techniques. Chapter 7, which is devoted to kicking techniques, includes some fantastic images of kicking dynamics. Placed as almost an after thought, Chapter 8 provides great text and images of blocking techniques. In this chapter, considerable effort is made to make the reader aware of the differences between proper and improper form.

In the final part of the book, the reader is treated to the applications of the techniques describe in all the previous chapters. The book ends with chapters on basic training, calisthenics and exercises. Note that there are no chapters on forms; Nakayama presents forms in separate publications.

There are other great books on Karate (Tae Kwon Do by Richard Chun) but there are none better than this. If I could only afford to buy one book on Karate, this would be my choice.

Any sports fan who picks up "Eagle Blue" will not be disappointed, although you should like this one even if you could care less about hoops....Basketball is the stage for the story, but not the story itself. This isn't your typical book depicting some world-weary NBA star or jaded coach. D'Orso makes you care about the players and coaches at a tiny school literally in the middle of nowhere, thus their wins (and losses) somehow become your own. If that were as far as this book took you, it would be satisfying just on that basis. But it doesn't end there.

By the time you're done reading "Eagle Blue", you'll likely become sympathetic with the people populating its pages. Theirs is a culture that has been decimated, and you can see very real defeat among many tribal members. Note: D'Orso interjects his own politics when he talks about ANWR, but it's not as much a distraction as it could've been. The real story is how a group of teenagers galvanizes a town with nothing else to cheer about despite the efforts of some people, mostly outsiders, to kill what they have, and he thankfully keeps the focus on that.

If you're at all like me (and God help you if you are), you'll fight to stay awake until 3AM because you literally do not want to put this book down and fall aleep.

Boldly honest, "insiders" perspective from an outsider. Interesting insight into modern Native life in Arctic Alaska.

D'Orso's honest, unembellished presentation of everyday life for the characters - team members and townspeople of Fort Yukon - allows the reader to gain an open true look at what everyday life entails in this part of Alaska. It brings out the difficulties of living in the outposts of Arctic Alaska, Native vs. modern culture, politics vs. the land/natural resources/hunting/etc., and of course the tale of a group of young men and women representing their town as members of high school basketball teams. The pressures faced by these young men as individuals, family members, and town members and how each deals with it and grows shows a great view of life as it unfolds for them. Their daily lives are woven around the story of the basketball team and the course of a season sharing the success and adversity over the course of the year. A wonderful mix of human interest and basketball.

Highly enjoyable read.

This review of a basketball team's season is about an entire culture and about life. You'll be rooting on the Eagle Blue as you read this true story.

I've read many books about a sports season that, in a boring way, review game highlights. D'Orso reviews the entire culture, what basketball means in bush country, Alaska, in prose that is wonderful and intelligent.

Excellent book on life and sports. I'd recommend this to everyone, especially players and coaches at all levels.