5 comments about Sports Illustrated: The Football Book.

1. I got this book for my Dad for xmas & he loved it. It has a lot of great pictures, great articles and goes into the history of football. This is a great gift for older football fans.



2. I bought this book for my 17-yr old who is a visual thinker, not a strong reader, but I loved it too! There are some amazing photos in the book and lots of history of the game and some players. I got a strong sense of the traditions of the game and the excitement for the sport. I am a stronger football fan because of it! I also recommend the rest of this 'series' by Sports Illustrated, The Baseball Book and The Basketball Book.



3. This was the comment of my 7 year old nephew (a Jets fan) when I gave him this book. It has the trademark Sports Illustrated photography, plus lots of old photos showing the infancy of the sport, which are interesting to adults and kids alike. He's a beginning reader, but we enjoyed looking at the pictures, with his guessing which teams were shown based on the uniforms. The Amazon price is a bargain. Highly recommended for boys and fans of all ages!



4. This is a unique, beautifully photographed book! It includes the history of football and large, clear photos of some of the best games! My husband loves it! If you're a football fan, you will treasure this book!



5. I bought this months ago and still have it out on my coffee table - that's how much I love this! It is loaded with excellent pictures and makes a great conversation starter when friends and family that come over. The history of the NFL is covered well and the articles offer terrific insights into sports past.

5 comments about Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story.

1. While Klosterman tries to subvert comparisons to Nick Hornby's High Fidelity by mentioning how similar the two are in the closing pages of Killing Yourself to Live, he somehow cannot avoid it.
   
   That being said, KYtL is a good read, despite the fact that it has little to do with its subtitle. It is not, in fact, a journey to the death-sites of rock stars. He visits a few of them but really offers no in-depth insight.
   
   Therefore, I would say that this book is not for anyone really looking for an exploratory deconstruction of death and rock-and-roll. If you're looking for that, then you should look elsewhere.
   
   If you do, however, enjoy Klosterman's self-indulgent nerdiness and disregard for mainstream rock mores, then you'll be please with this offering. There's plenty that will not disappoint, and I found myself laughing aloud in several spots.
   
   KYtL is more like Travels with Charley than a rock-and-roll opus, and much of the humor is derived from the people he meets along the ride, not necessarily the rock stars over whom so many pine. The mulling over of his past relationships (and present ones, as well) does get a bit trite toward the end, but using Montana as a backdrop to defend each of the KISS 1978 solo albums is worth hearing about Lenore for a few extra pages.
   
   While not as varied as Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, it is a stellar offering from Chuck Klosterman.



2. I like Chuck. This is his best book. It follows a narrative so his complex musings on music and the men who have died making it have a cohesion lacking in his previous works. I suppose some prefer the random ruminations he proffered elsewhere but this book is the real deal. His quest is a story about music makers who have died tragically. Duane Allman in a motorcycle accident in Georgia. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in a plane crash in Iowa. Cobain in Seattle. He embarks on a journey across America to investigate the scenes of the crime and invites the reader along for an entertaining and enjoyable ride.



3. I became a fan of Klosterman's after reading "Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs," and therefore had high expectations for this book. Needless to say, it did not disappoint! In this book, Klosterman reminisces about his relationships with four different women while travelling across country on assignment to visit various rock-related "death sites." Along the way, he makes observations about love, music, and just about everything else. Of course all are made with the flair and wit we have come to expect from Chuck.
   
   On the surface, this premise sounds a bit like "High Fidelity" -- in fact, Klosteman even makes this comparison himself toward the end of the book. But aside from the passing similarity that both books discuss relationships via music, they are very different. However, I will say that if you are the sort of rock snob that enjoyed "High Fidelity," it's a slam-dunk that you will like this book. In fact, with the great musical taste that Klosterman hints at in this book (everyone from Led Zeppelin to Kiss to the Sex Pistols), it is hard to believe he writes for a crappy magazine like Spin.
   
   "Killing Yourself to Live" had me laughing and thinking in several places, and made for a quick read that I honestly wish lasted longer than it did.



4. I love reading Chuck Klosterman in Esquire. In fact, I thought he was a late-fortysomething until I read this book and found out he's younger than me. This book is pretty entertaining in the first 1/2, and then it just has nothing to do with music or his original intended purpose of driving around the US writing about dead rock stars and their death locations.
   
   What irritates me about "Killing..." is, I guess, Chuck himself: Stringing along 3 different women across the country; his remark that all women who accuse men of rape might be insane, and lying, and should be checked for this (um, they are, chuck!); and dissing Elvis while glorifying Chuck D.
   
   Ultimately, this tome is a little, immature boy stuck in a thirtysomething's body, who got to drive around the US and recording his every rambling, irrelevant,thought, and being paid for it.



5. An awesome book, was SOOO much fun. You really love the author by the end of it and he really makes you feel like you are apart of the whole thing. His randomness is awsome and the only problem that I had with the book was the comment he made about Shannon Hoon.

5 comments about The Good Life.

1. I am profoundly grateful that the Nearings took the time and trouble to write this book. I am trying something similar in North Central Florida, and while their conditions in New England were quite different in some ways (a shorter growing season, and the availablity of stone are examples), their advice, enthusiasm and encouragement across the years are a great comfort, as well as a good read (by oil lamp!). This is an American Classic, and should never be forgotten.



2. I read this book as a freshman in college. At the time, I had never read anything like it. Leaving the big city, the Nearings set out to live a self-subsistant life. Part how-to manual and part philosophical treatise, the two books in this volume paint a picture of good old American independence. Over a lifetime, the Nearings try to live a life unemcumbered by the burdens piled on the average laborer in the twentieth century--and they succeed!
   
   The quotes that introduce each chapter can get tedious, but they can also be ignored without missing the meat of the writing. From their experiments with farming to their commentary on living a simple life, it's a hard book to put down once you've been sucked in.



3. From what I've been able to piece together Helen and Scott must have been a couple of outcast university professors that were scorned for their anti-establishment (socialist?) teachings. I think they must have been what would later become beatniks (and later hippies).
   
   Throughout their book (actually 2 books) they forecast the social disintegration of the US.
   
   They believe people should only work 4 hours a day and play the rest of the day. To me they actually seem lazy.
   
   They say that when they feel a cold coming on they do as the neighborhood dogs and cats do, they quit eating until they feel fit again. To me, that's a very silly way of treating a cold. When animals quit eating it's because they don't feel like eating. They don't say, "I must be sick so I shouldn't eat." Ridiculous.
   
   They preach about not using animals for food or labor. They also refer to milk as a food not for adults but for baby animals and talk about being vegetarians. Then in one chapter they talk about 3 girls down the road that regularly deliver milk to their house (contrary to their teachings). There is also a photo of them using horses to plow a field and another photo of Helen driving a pair of horses (two more examples of them not following their own teachings) on a snow covered road while she's riding in the wagon or sled (can't tell which since the picture is taken from in front of the horses). ??? Were they hypocrites? Did they eat shrimp cocktail and prime rib on Sunday afternoons?
   
   There is a lot of information that is repeated in the book.
   
   This book is way overrated. It's more of a 'do as I say, not as I do' book. I got very annoyed at the often repeated refences to America's 'disintegrating society'. (Here were are fifty years after the first of the 2 books were written.)
   
   I felt that they may have been frustrated by not being able to establish a large following (as prophets?) so they could create a large commune. Instead, people seemed to come and go from their homesteads.
   
   It seems to be more of a treatise against capitalism and self motivation than for homesteading and self sufficiency. They simply wanted to barely get by. Were they lazy? (People that visited were talked out of working more than 4 hours a day.)
   
   I'm reading it for the 3rd time in 25 years and it is enjoyable to read. There are much better books out there for those considering homesteading. If you are considering homesteading then read some books that are more up to date and don't have such political influences.
   
   This is a fairly well written and somewhat entertaining book (actually 2 books in one) but it's worthless as a reference book for homesteaders.



4. They didnt fit in urban society and when they moved to the vermont woods the natives thought they were whacko's .Okay so they were communists/marxists but they were very interesting people,learned, avante guarde and diverse, helen was even into UFO research.In this book you will see there experiment was basicaly a failure even they admit it at one point.the mistake i believe they made was there constant building projects and basicaly what became makework in my view. they brought into the woods there modern urban assumptions such as the view of work for works sake ,they even buy a rock quarry and start mining so they can get more rocks.Hauling stones around and garden food did keep them in shape but they were terribly dependend on trucks ,draft horses and had constant maintanance work[something early on they vowed never to do}. Seems like alot of work for subsistance living,very engrossing read though.



5. A very good read for anyone who dreams of ditching the rat race and living a more relaxed life that is in harmony with nature.

5 comments about Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. This book is one of those books that have quite an affect on you. By the time I was done I had a bit more of knowledege of how slavery really was. Clearly I had no idea until I read it. I really wanted to cry so many times during the book.
   
   Everyone should read this book.



2. Some say this isnt true, after reading it seems that some is fiction. Especially extensive quotes years after the events from someone who coulnt read or write at the time the events occured and would have no way of recording them for future use. Somewhat drawn out. Keep looking there may be something better out there on the subject.



3. I used an excerpt from this book included in a women's literary anthology used in my women's literature class. It was one of the many classes' favorite reads. For their final they were allowed to concentrate on one class assignment, write a documented essay, and from it, give an oral presentation with visuals....several successfully replicated, small scale, the yard and house with attic where Jacobs describes as being hidden for years... an incredible true story for everyone of all ages!



4. Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is unique in that it is one of the few firsthand accounts written by a woman. The book is a tribute to an extraordinary woman who spent much of her life fighting against slavery. She also provides details into the reality of this dark period of American history, constantly struggling with how a nation can be Christian and yet allow the practice to continue. It is impossible to read this book and not be impressed with the quality of this historical figure.



5. Concerning this edition (the book is a must read)... Dover's thrift editions are just that--thrifty. The text is close together and the overall readability of the edition is fair. It works, but I'd like to see Oxford or Penguin make a "classic" edition with a scholary introduction, footnoting and contextual information like 19th century reviews, etc... A good edition, needs improvement, but then it wouldn't have a "thrifty" price!

No comments about Out of Nowhere: The Inside Story of How Nike Marketed the Culture of Running.

5 comments about Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War.

1. This is a great book and he was a VERY IMPORTANT man! It is sad that very few people have ever heard of him and that his body of work has been ignored by the military (except for the Marines) and the media. His contributions to the business world are also a well-kept secret. What is interesting, though, is that those companies that employ his methods are probably pretty successful.



2. Robert Coram deserves high praise for being the first to write about a true American hero, but this first biography has serious flaws and should not constitute the "final word" on Boyd or his work. Another biographer is needed to more closely examine Boyd the man, and render the kind of judgement in that regard that is usually required of a serious biographer.
   
   John Boyd personified, more than any other person in living memory, the fine line between genius and madness. Perhaps it's too soon to be exploring this aspect of his legacy--the gunsmoke hasn't yet dissipated from the most recent "Boyd inspired" military action, so it's no surprise that we might hesitate to "get into all that." But it's obvious from reading Coram, even if he simply chooses to state the bald facts without comment, that Boyd wasn't just "eccentric." "Eccentric" is having oddball hobbies and peculiar clothing. Boyd was indeed eccentric in those areas. But he was "more than eccentric" when he became obsessive, when his insomnia caused him to spend hours reciting this theories to people over the telephone, when he yelled at general officers and when he, yes, neglected his family. Some spark of madness drove him on--he was what they used to call "touched"--as in "touched by the Divine."
   
   The history of mental illness in Boyd's family is something that Coram does mention, but he skirts over the implications when he introduces Boyd's children as they begin their life in a Washington, D.C. apartment. They are described as "quiet" and "sensitive" as if these words still meant "strange." Apparently, these "code words" are supposed to "clue us in" that all is not well, but straight, simple and direct language grants people the dignity they deserve. By tip-toeing around the subject Coram gives the impression that it's somehow obscene. If that's the way he feels about it--well, it's his book.
   
   If, on the other hand, Coram's discomfort with mental illness reflects a reaction to the many "psychoanalysis biographies" that crowd the shelves, then he picked the wrong subject. If he wanted to write a biography of Boyd that minimized his emotional problems, he should have spared us the "embarrassment and shame" of having to read the book's epilogue. This portion the book slanders Boyd's survivors in an attempt to "once and for all" dismiss the notion that mental or emotional instability may have played a role in the dazzling career of this extraordinary person, who bullied the biggest and the baddest and came out smiling. Boyd was a winner--but he was also a man with some serious issues. But using language (as Coram does) like "embarrassing" and "shameful"--what, exactly, is he attempting to say there? It reads like some bizarre recollection of the attitudes from the nineteenth century, when they considered anything involving mental health to be "embarrassing and shameful." Writing those words is not something that you do if you are a professional, as Coram certainly is.
   
   Finally, it seems that Coram is just not willing to state the obvious conclusion--that "divine madness" may be more divine than mad. That people like John Boyd could be routinely overlooked, ignored, rejected and thrown out--and only the fact that Boyd had managed to cleverly wedge himself into the military system saved him from being dismissed as a "crank." Boyd's true legacy should be an inspiration to the cranks and the crackpots of this world--since quite a few of them turn out to be right, eventually. Coram doesn't want to go down that road--so he should have left well enough alone and ignored the issue entirely. But he had to tack on that epilogue. Four stars reduced to three by the epilogue and the damage it does.



3. This book was brought to my attention by a fellow docent at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Az. We had been E-mailing on matters involving the military, military planes and those that fly them when he indicated that as far as he was concerned "BOYD, THE FIGHTER PILOT WHO CHANGED THE ART OF WAR," was "required reading" for someone with my interests.
   
   Was he ever right, with that assessment.
   
   John Boyd had a certain genius about many things. When it came to military aircraft, how to fly them, how to fight them he was without peer. He expanded his knowledge and thinking into military theory and in doing so has had untold influence on many of our leaders, both military and political. He was uncompromising, often uncouth and ferocious in his passion to seek the truth. He did not suffer fools well, especialy those with stars on their shoulders.
   
   Those who measured up to his values and beliefs were friends for life. Those that stood in his way were challenges to overcome and in that regard, although he was never a true American ace as a fighter pilot, he was one many times over in dealing with the arrogant, the self absorbed and the career chasers.
   
   His life is an amazing story. He was a failure as a parent and sadly lacking as a husband and that part of his life is difficult to read about.
   
   John Boyd's life covered a tumultuous time in the military history of the United States. Robert Coram has told it in a manner which is true to both his memory and his accomplishments. The author himself put it best when he noted: "For while America likes to believe that it often produces men like John Boyd, the truth is that men who embody a warrior spirit combined with sweeping and lasting intellectual achievement are rare, not only in America, but in any country. They seldom pass among us. And they do so only when there is a great need."
   
   John Boyd is a person that anyone with an interest in military history needs to know about and there is no better way than in the pages of this book.



4. An incredibly entertaining and thought-provoking look into the life of Col John Boyd, USAF, one of the most controversial figures in Air Force history.
   
   As a young fighter pilot/engineer Boyd came up with Energy Maneuverability Theory which paved the way for how the world would view fighter design and tactics. Later Boyd would expand his area of influence to include tactics, strategy, and creativity. The OODA loop being one of his most famous works as well as maneuver warfare which the Marines used to help transform the way they do war.
   
   Boyd was known for his utter disdain for the politics of rank that permeated the Pentagon and the wide-spread misuse of funds. His confrontational style didn't play well with many, but his ideas were too valuable to the Air Force, so he was always bailed out at the last second.
   
   He told many that during their career as military officers they would come to a crossroads where they would have to decide if they wanted to be someone, or do something. He chose to do something and the military hasn't been the same since.



5. I just chanced upon this book in Boders while visiting Penang recently and was pretty much riveted from the moment I picked it up to the moment I finished it, about 3 and a half days later. It is really an intriguing and gripping read and the life of this extraordinary man is certainly worth studying. The author (Robert Coram) is clearly fascinated with his subject and brings his passion to bear on this work of modern historical writing. The only fault I can find is that, as a piece of historical scholarship, it should have been much more diligently and thoroughly footnoted, which could have been done without reducing the book's excitement or the ease with which it can be read. I definitely will buy multiple copies of the book and hand it around to my friends.

1 comments about Comfort: A Journey Through Grief.

1. Ann Hood has experienced the worst grief of all - the death of a child. Hood first shared her story of loss and redemption through her best selling novel, The Knitting Circle. Comfort - A Journey Through Grief is the true story of how Hood has mourned the death of her five year old daughter, Grace. It is a book to share with someone who needs consolation in the time of death.

5 comments about Working on the Edge: Surviving In the World's Most Dangerous Profession: King Crab Fishing on Alaska's HighSeas.

1. I bought this book for my husband because he loves the tv show - actually, so do I! Anyway, he loved the book and is already asking me when I am going to order him more Spike Walker books. By the way, my husband doesn't usually like to read so I was particularly impressed that he liked this book.



2. I literally devoured the book. If you love the sea, and had some experience with it, it will be very easy to fully understand the powers that these people where facing. The story shows in a very plain manner the continuous struggle of mankind in order to take advantage of the earth's resources. It shows many aspects of human nature: Love for the sea. Thirst for adventure and freedom. GREED, and what men can face in order to satisfy it. And (something that people who have been in the sea for a while completely understand), the incredibly simple and strong relationship that develops between crewmates.
   I enjoyed very much reading this book



3. This book is a great add-on, if you are a fan of the deadliest catch on the discovery channel. It gives a true account of how the crab boom started and the crazy amount of money you could make in just a 29 day season. I really enjoyed this book and would recomend it to anyone who likes to read about adventure situations.



4. this book is amazing, I couldn't put it down. it made me feel like I was actually on the boats with them.
   
   buy it... read it...



5. Great book! Told the stories in a factual manner with a bit of a sense of humor. Made me feel like I was there. Loved it and quickly have shared it with my sister to read.

No comments about American Son: My Story.

5 comments about Mark Twain: Four Complete Novels.

1. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Allison Snow
   11-2-03
   Language
   Tom Sawyer was always getting into trouble. He'd do anything form pretending he was dead to tricking his little cousin with his pet tarantula. Overall Tom could be a great kid, but Tom just wanted to be himself. Mark Twain wrote this wonderful book. This book is exiting and will take readers to another world. I will tell you one of Tom's adventures to get a good look on Tom's personality. Tom was a troublemaker and loved it.

   Tom could be a great kid that is, when he wanted to. I think that his middle name should be trouble. He is a very odd little boy ill tell you that. One night Tom ran away while bribing his little cousin not to scream for Aunt Petunia. Tom shoved a rag in his mouth and set his tarantula jar on his stomach. He snuck out and went towards the woods while picking up friends on the way there. While he was running he tripped over a log and fell in the creek. Tom started to drown. Huck came to the rescue as he pulled Tom out of the water and gave him CPR. Tom coughed up water and looked to se who saved him. Unfortunately Huck hid behind a tree. Tom vision started to clear up on the walk back home.

   Once Tom snuck back trough his window he went down stair for breakfast. While sitting down at the table Tom swats a newspaper down on the table. "What's for breakfast," he said. Aunt Petunia pulls out the jar with the spider in it and smacks it down on his place mat. Tom knew she was mad. As normal, Tom was in trouble, again




2. What a great book to have when you want to have some of Twain's finest stories. This should be a must-have for any reader's library.



3. I was never interested in reading when I was in school. I started reading after I graduated high school. Good thing too. Now, I can't stop reading. And I'm actually interested and understand better today. Mark Twain's stories may seem..... old. But still a VERY good read.



4. For Twain enthusiasts definitely recommended. For others the book may be found lacking. There are definitely some highlights here for everybody, but mostly the Twain devotees.
   
   If you're not a big fan of Twain I'd skip it. if you are an admirer of the Great One, then dig in.



5. Everyone knows them, but most of us have forgot them. These classics bring back memories of the stories we "Had" to read during our formal education years. Now as an adult one can really appreciate the humor and styling of Twain. Kinda of like watching kids cartoons nowadays....these stories are really more for the older reader/viewer than the kids, no wonder I disliked it so much when I was younger.