5 comments about The Game.

1. One word "Dry". I tried to like this book. I really tried to like this book. I am sorry, I just can't. Everyone always say that this is the best hockey books ever written. Some say one of the best sports books ever written. I just don't see it. To that I must say that there just must not be any competition for it. I give it a 3 of 5 because I don't hate it. I guess I don't understand it. I recommend you get it and see for yourself it's a classic and worth your time.



2. Dryden manages to give a reflection about the game that comes off like a kid talking about a game he plays with his friends. The play by play descriptions are disjointed and there are not many of them, but the time and effort he puts into the personal story of his team mates, coaches, staff and "the game" are what the book is really all about. This book is incredibly insightful and a joy to read. I never once saw Ken Dryden play nor have I ever seen a game with one of the teams he describes, but the book is about so much more. This is one of the truly great pieces of sports literature.



3. Like reviewer Zeiler, I too tried hard to like this book, but cannot. After struggling thru 180 pages I had to put it away. The rambling wordiness drove me crazy and ran an otherwise good topic into the ground. The short impressions of Houle, Robinson, Shutt, Lafleur and others were the best parts, the rest tedium. I've read "Home Game", a joint effort of Ken Dryden and Roy MacGregor and you can definitely tell when author Dryden has the podium. The style is very evident. Those who think this might be the greatest sport book ever, take a look at Jack Falla's "Home Ice" and "Open Ice" or Brian Kennedy's "Growing Up Hockey". The measure of a great author is the ability to effectively convey ideas in the fewest words, each word seemingly selected for that purpose. This describes Jack Falla and Brian Kennedy. Not so author Dryden.



4. I just finished reading this book, and to put it in one word: it is great.
   Being a hockey fan, it was very interesting to learn more about one of the greatest teams in history: the 70s Montreal Canadiens.
   However, its true strength is not this, but how it presents the history of hockey, the evolution of the game, the impact new rules had on it. I think it also gives a good picture of a pro player's life in the 70s.
   Dryden has a great style, he has a very deep knowledge of the game and its history, and he writes in a very readable style. I can only recommend it to everyone interested in hockey.



5. I also would put it on a list of best book written, period. The author not only relates his own career in its last season but intersperses with it extraordinary observations about hockey, sports and life in general. This is a must read for any sports fan let alone any hockey fan.

5 comments about Playing With Fire.

1. While I have NEVER been a real fan of Theo Fleury nor a fan of the Flames, I got the book because I always had respect for the little man that chose to play hockey like he was 6 foot 2. (plus the Flames were my dad's team since they were in Atlanta). It has given me alot of insight into why he played the game the way he did. I may not have liked Fleury, but I still respected him.



2. I have a lot more respect for Theo after reading what he was going through. I followed him since his rookie year, this book helps answer a lot of questions at to what was going on behind the scenes. Its actually a really good read and Im happy to see Theo where he is today. It says as much about abuse and addiction as it does about hard work and determination. Im a hockey, Flames and Theo fan so for me this book was a 5 out of 5.



3. I really wanted to like this book because I loved the way he played the game. I appreciated his perspective on some of the players he played with and against. No question, Theo was tough. He made an impact but to suggest he was THE star of the Flames, he was putting people in the seats is a little too much.
   I'm glad he's doing better in life at this time. I wish him the very best. I'm grateful for his honesty with his personal life. But I got tired of hearing about all the heavy drinking, drug use and sexual escapades, in each chapter. That said, the book was just, ok to me. It was more like "write what I say and try to organize it chronologically. It's not in the same league as the game.



4. Purchased this book for my boyfriend for Christmas. He couldn't put it down until he was finished it. According to him it was well written and has been lending it to his friends.



5. A very entertaining and motivating read. I great behind the scenes look at the REAL NHL.

5 comments about Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer.

1. Living near Buffalo, I'm a lifelong Sabres fan, but there is something about Bruce Boudreau that appeals to me, so I bought the book. Maybe I just like an honest coach who doesn't give cliche answers and one who wears his heart on his sleeve, or one who paid his dues more than most to make it to the NHL Whatever it is, it's not hard to root for him.
   
   The book is a lot lower-key than I thought it might be - not that much humor or controversy - but I still had no trouble reading it. It's an easy read, which is a compliment. I wish it had more on last season and a detailed report on the exciting playoff series against the Penguins. Instead, it's kind of an afterthought at the end of the book. I assume most of this was written before the 2008-2009 season. The book, however, gives you a good feel of what it's like to coach in the minors.
   
   You just have to be a fan of hockey and you'll enjoy reading this autobiography about an underdog who made good.



2. Growing up going to Hershey Bears games and having the Capitals broadcast in my hometown, I really enjoy reading a refreshing success story about one of the most unique coaches ever to grace an AHL or NHL bench. I really enjoyed reading about his journey from the time he started playing, to his coaching career. I recommend this book to any hockey fan, for a good hearted story about determination and triumph. The only thing missing is Lord Stanley, but I see it in Bruce's future for sure.
   
   GO BEARS, and GO CAPS



3. I bought this book for my husband for Christmas, upon his request. He thoroughly enjoyed it.



4. 
   If you went through youth hockey, loved AHL and ECHL, Junior hockey, wondered why Canada is so obsessed with hockey, and just love the sport then you will not be able to put this book down. "Gabby" covers all aspects of the game through his story and talks about teams, players, and even movies like Slapshot. Without a doubt the book is one of the great stories.
   Armed with the book "Gabby", a copy of Slapshot video, and the Hanson Brothers "Sudden Death" CD honoring Tiger Williams will be your ticket to the pearly gates of also being a hockey lifer



5. Being a Manchester Monarchs (NH) fan and having the pleasure to watch Bruce in action for several years he is a PERFECT example of how hard work pays off. Not just hockey fans will enjoy this book. Anyone with passion for hard work who enjoys something will be able to relate. His honest outlook was GREAT.

5 comments about Hockey for Dummies.

1. I ordered this book for a good general overview as my son has chosen to play hockey when no one else in our family has ever played before. I found it to be a great source of information for a beginner family. Highly recommend this book.



2. I have not recieved the book I ordered yet and it has been over a month.
   I switched my address but I have gotten other mail.



3. The book is easy to read and understand. It has a nice flow talking about the game of hockey that makes it a good book.



4. Though it wasn't received as quickly as I had hoped, it was in excellant condition and well handled!



5. Growing up in "winter country", my friends and I would often shovel-off some frozen pond out in the woods to skate and play a rather unorganized form of ice hockey. Now, I enjoy watching my grandson playing on a Mites team. However, I never really understood the game. What I have found, by reading this book, is that I now have enough information with which to talk hockey with my friends and get even more information on the sport from them. Going to professional and college hockey games is a real blast for me too, now that I understand more about the sport.

4 comments about I Spy With My Little Eye: Hockey.

1. It is a lovely book with wonderful hockey pictures, but much too difficult for my 4 year old and a few too many differences on some of the pages to keep track of for even an older child/adult. My 4 year old does love the photos and hockey theme, though.



2. This is a cute hockey story, but it doesn't hold the attention of my 4 year old as well as some other ones.



3. Do you know what a Zamboni is? If you do, perhaps you are a hockey fan. Long ago the "ice was resurfaced by a tractor pulling a scraper to shave the ice." People then rushed onto the ice shoveling, watering, doing a bit more touch up and then waiting for the water on the rink to freeze again. There have been many advances in the game of hockey over the past 150 years. Helmets have only been used extensively since the 1970s, players use one jersey for home play, another for their road games, and most sticks are now made from "composite" materials. In this book you'll learn a lot of trivia in the "Photo Fact" section beneath each "changed" photograph.
   
   If you love hockey and pride yourself on having a very keen eye for detail you're going to enjoy this book. On the left-hand page you will see an interesting hockey-related photograph with a mini poetic clue underneath. On the right-hand page you're going to find the same photograph with many changes and a Photo Fact section beneath it. One photograph has only 14 changes while you can find another with a whopping 39. There are fourteen puzzles for you to explore. You're going to have to have a lot of patience to find thirty-nine changes!
   
   I thought this book was well written and the photographs exciting and interesting, but there is an "almost" fatal flaw you won't notice until you get the book. Unless you are willing to mark up your copy of the book circling the changes, it is hardly worth the asking price for one use, especially if you'd like to have more than one youngster take advantage of this marvelously fun book. However, I did find one way to solve that dilemma. I took a piece of clear plastic wrap and covered the right-hand page with it and then I could easily circle the changes and count them. I had a great time, but unless you are a smarty pants you'll have a LOT of trouble spotting some of the very subtle changes in these pics. Have fun!



4. I purchased this book for my son. The pages looked like cheap copies. If this weren't bad enough, the pages were bound upside down!

5 comments about The Magic Hockey Stick (Picture Puffins).

1. This book is fun to read, cute artwork, with a lesson for all. My son enjoyed it very much and read it to his class for this birthday. Easy to read, fun to dream, easy for kids to connect.



2. Recommended to us by the PR staff at the Carolina Hurricanes and we love it!



3. Once again, you have sent a book that will also become my grandson's favorite reading. It is a pleasure ordering books through this website.
   Jan



4. Nice illustrations, good story with rhyme. Better for ages 6 and up probably.



5. A great read! My 4 year old can now recite just about every page word for word. The main character is is a girl so the story line promotes equality!

5 comments about Z Is For Zamboni: A Hockey Alphabet Edition 1. (Alphabet Books).

1. This board book goes through the entire alphabet, giving each letter it's own page and it's own hockey term or reference. The terms touch on the game of hockey itself and the history of the sport. However, I was a little disappointed in a few of the references.
   There are some that are so old, obscure, or nonsensical that parents may not even know what it means or who the person is (e.g. "Y is for two glorious Canadian Years-- the Summit Series and the Salt Lake Games"; huh?) More than a few are just plain unimaginative. And there are plenty of terms I would like to have seen in the book but didn't. There's no Playoffs, no Faceoff, no Net. It refers to the Stanley Cup as "Lord Stanley's Cup" (putting it under the letter L) which is technically correct but isn't how it's really referred to.
   Also, the writing is iffy at best. Nothing rhymes or has any sort of rhythm whatsoever, and at times really isn't even grammatically structured very well.
   Overall, though, even though it doesn't sound like it, I do like the book. Most of my dislikes are nitpicky. It's a cute book, especially for the hockey fan who wants to get their kid into it the sport as well. It's a fun and educational read.



2. Beautiful drawings. Great for young hockey fans. Our 5 year old loves it. Have the numbers one too. Perfect reading for Stanely Cup season or any other hockey time. Lots of interesting facts too.



3. We are a hockey family, so we've enjoyed this book since the little guy was a year old. There are in-depth hockey descriptions or short. Now he's 2 and can say many of the short phrases. He loves this book!



4. I am always curious to learn just what letter will be used in the title of an alphabet book. "Z is for Zamboni" is perfect! Why? Because what I know about hockey is contained in the title: a zamboni (to quote the book) is "a machine that cleans the ice, ensuring for tomorrow's game/ a surface smooth and nice."
   
   I looked at all the hockey books in the children's division of Amazon, seeking just one representative, informative book about hockey. I had a request from one of my younger patrons/students for a book on hockey. Being familiar with the alphabet books, I knew this one would not disappoint. In fact, I am sure it will delight.
   
   But back to that zamboni. "The ice of the hockey arena becomes rough and chopped-up after the players skate on it for awhile." Repairing it was difficult until Frank Zamboni, in 1949, "invented a motorized ice-resurfacing machine" which "scrapes off a thin layer of ice and lay(s) down an even amount of water" at the beginning of each period and each game.
   
   Does the above wording seem written for ages 4-8, the intended audience? The way all these alphabet books works is this: the little rhyming quatrains and illustrations are for kids and the more detailed information on the sides of each double-paged spread is for older audiences, making this book one for all ages. That is pretty much true for all the alphabet books.
   
   The history of hockey, players, terms, sporting events, and participation in the sport are items included in the book. And, wow, I learned quite a bit in my read-through. Young readers will have a field day with this book. No, make that: Young readers will have a hockey game with this book. No, that means hitting and shoving and perhaps a P: penalty for two, five, or ten minutes. Do you know that, unlike other sports, when a player is sent to the penalty box, there is no replacement player? That's the double-edged penalty: against the player AND the team. Interesting item: P is for puck, "black rubber to the core." Obviously, puck represents the P, not penalty, because the word "puck" is lesser known than "penalty."
   
   K is for King Clancy: "How much can one man do?/ Not only did he play and coach,/ he was a manger, too." And a referee. In fact, he is such a legend that an award was set in his name and presented annually to the player that "best displays leadership skills on and off the ice."
   
   Oh yes, I forgot. I know Gretzky, in addition to zamboni. Wayne Gretzky "is considered by many to be the greatest player to ever play the game of hockey...and holds over 60 NHL records for scoring and playmaking." Indeed!
   
   Other letters: E is for equipment (Jacques Plante was the first goalie to wear a mask--1959)--the illustration shows two boys, age 8 or so, sitting on a bench in the locker room, intently putting on their uniforms with their equipment next to them (my favorite illustration!), S and T are for penalties--Slash and Trip, H is for the Hall of Fame, which opened in Toronto in 1961, U is for Team USA, "Who, to everyone's surprise,/ at Lake Placid won Olympic Gold/," and O is for the "Original Six,/ the first teams in the NHL:/ Boston, Toronto, New York, Montreal, Detroit, and Chicago, as well."
   
   This review began with the last alphabet letter and will close with the first: A is for Arena, but also All-Star game. An interesting factoid: "The fans often pick the team starters."
   
   It is widely known in educational circles that a good test is also a teaching tool. I hope this review serves the same purpose, not only to enlighten about the book's contents, but also to offer a few hockey facts for brain storage.
   
   Although intended for audiences 4-8 (I want to extend that to 12), "Z is for Zamboni" is the kind of directly presented information with excellent illustrations that entice adults to appreciate it along with their children. Highly recommended to those seeking background knowledge of the game.



5. This is a decent beginner book for young hockey fans. I would've used different words for a couple of the letters, but overall it is a good book. This is not a glossary, as I originally expected, but instead incorporates some history and legendary players. We take our 19-month-old son to quite a few PENS games, and this helps to pass time at intermissions.

5 comments about The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

1. I picked this book up on a whim because it looked interesting and I'm glad I did, it has to be one of my favorite books I've read in the past few years. I quickly finished it and it definitely deserves 5 stars. The book is very well written with the game versus the russians interspersed with mini-biographies of the members of the U.S. team. You really develop an emotional connection with the individual members. While the movie "Miracle" is great it missed so much about the history of the players, which this book excells at. Highly recommended



2. Though they were a group of young, no-named amateurs who came from nowhere to win the gold medal over Finland in the 1980 Olympics, the U.S. hockey team was loaded with Midwest and East Coast talent and well prepared prior to competition. In fact, far from just being thrown together and told to play, enigmatic coach Herb Brooks took the team on a grueling 61-game schedule through Europe prior to the Olympics, and the squad faced off against a few NHL teams for good measure. So though the Americans weren't seasoned professionals like the Russian team they beat in the Olympic semifinals on Feb. 22, 1980, Brooks' team was finely honed, competitive and extremely well conditioned by that point. Thirteen U.S.A. squad members went on to play in the NHL, paving the way for future Americans to get drafted in the league during a time when Canadian players mostly ruled it.
   
   Told in a straightforward, no-frills manner, Wayne Coffey's "The Boys of Winter" is a compelling read, especially the portions that focus on Coach Brooks and life in 1980, a simpler time in some respects compared to today. As Coffey aptly mentions, this was before the days that corporate sponsorship, drug testing, judging scandals, self-proclaimed "dream teams" and an overall glamorous, corporate vibe pervaded at the Olympics. Held in remote Lake Placid in upstate New York, the `80 Olympics are now know as the "last of the small games." Some of the athletes and coaches felt the Lake Placid venues had a "grade school" atmosphere, and one U.S. hockey player was shocked at the crowd's ultra-quiet manner in the half-empty arena during the team's first Olympic game.
   
   But as the squad got closer to its ultimate quest for gold, all that changed. As has been documented ad nauseam, the gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team gave Americans something to feel joyous about during a bleak period in the country's history. A deep recession, high inflation, long lines at gas stations and a major international conflict with Iran had people feeling down. Interestingly, for all the mind games he used to motivate his players, Brooks steered clear of using politics to get his team going. Instead, he chose to implement innovative strategies to compete with the high-flying Russian hockey team, things that lesser coaches would have shunned.
   
   An excellent judge of character and talent, Coach Brooks, who sadly died in a car wreck in 2003, was one of a kind. He taught new-age ideas on the ice but had an old-school, obstinate style of coaching; he coached with an iron fist but encouraged his players to be creative on ice; few coaches in history have worked their players harder than Brooks in practice, yet he gave them free reign off the ice and had no team curfew. His contradictory and sometimes complicated and aloof manner rubbed some people the wrong way, but Brooks' coaching skills cannot be denied. Along with the illustrious `80 gold medal on his resume, he also coached the University of Minnesota to three national titles, and he had some success in the NHL later. In the hockey world, Brooks is a legend.
   
   Overall, the U.S. hockey team in 1980 were a tough, intense bunch of guys who lived and breathed for their sport. They were cocky as a whole -- some in-your-face attitude is likely a prerequisite to win a gold medal -- but their manner was also down-to-earth and their goal pure -- simply to win for the country they loved. Like the movie Miracle (Widescreen Edition), Coffey does a good job of giving this somewhat faceless team a new life and energy, interspersing player bios with on-the-spot action from the U.S.-Russia game that takes some hockey knowledge and can border on tedious at times. Nonetheless, "The Boys of Winter" is ultimately very inspirational, and its common theme of enjoying present achievements but moving on with your life is excellent advice for anybody.



3. Celebrity bios are something that my mom lives for, but if it's hockey (and figure skating for that matter) polar bears couldn't keep me away. I was glad that Coffey put out this blunt and artistically written piece defining "the greatest moment in sports history" because the Miracle HBO documentary left me flat (just under an hour but had great classic clips of the '80 team's tourney tour) and Disney's Miracle was heartwarming but left out the nitty-gritty (and by that I mean UGLY) of what these guys had to endure to SURVIVE on Herbie's team let alone make the cut. Coffey's prose style was especially impressive splicing together each player's background and the US-USSR game's play-by-play as if the actors in Miracle were having flashbacks (hope you're reading this O'Connor!) during the game.
   
   The book's foreword was written by none other than #30 himself, the Golden Goalie, Jimmy Craig. Now I've read a few articles (that I could find) on Jim back in his hockey heyday (including the SI issue where he was featured on the cover) and judging by the tone of his interviews Coffey was right on the money about his complexity and uncensored opines, but he seemed pretty shy. On the other hand, the team's on-ice chatterbox certainly grew into that role (judging by the guy's website advertising his corporate motivational speaking tours) off the ice since his NHL life turned out to be one of those celeb morality tales. Whatta salesman- and he became one after retirement. But it was nice to hear from the flip side, Craig's Minnesotan counterpart, #1 and the answer to a trivia question, Steve Janaszak. This bond salesman who became a Long Island transplant turns out to be cool as a cucumber over the fact he got NO ice time during the Olys and very little game time overall for that season, despite being MVP the season prior when Minnesota U won the '79 NCAA. The saddest account was #15 Mark Wells, his was a true Cinderella story battling a crippling back injury, a failed business, and pain killer addiction after winning the gold. As for the Charlestown native growing up rough in an all-Irish 'hood, #17 Jack O'Callahan proved himself to be the badass (and then some) for Brooks, the Blackhawks, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. And if you're wondering why #16 Mark Pavelich was a no-show for the '02 Olys (and ironically he has the most decorated NHL career out of the group) the story of a hunting trip with his best friend gone horrifically wrong might provide some illumination.
   
   Those are just a few of the stories, take them to heart as this book makes them real people and that's what fueled mythos of the Miracle Team. Also, you can't help but NOT hate the Russians. Yes those evil Commie Reds (BTW communism is a bunch of crap or Cuba and to a SEVERELY lesser extent North Korea would be paradises) are human too with foibles, families, and a crazy coach that looks like a chicken. Stan Laurel- I mean Boris Mikhailov, pfft! You can't beat that guy? Pfft!



4. I just finished reading Wayne Coffey's book "The Boys of Winter" and old memories came back,
   as I was at that game on February 22-1980 in Lake Placid. The book tells this incredible story
   in a fascinating way. Once you start reading it, you cannot stop reading, so interestingly it
   is written. You learn a lot what happened befor and after this game.
   I highly recommend this book.
   Bernard Samter February 25-2010



5. Anyone who fondly remembers the "Miracle On Ice" will find this book to be an enjoyable walk down memory lane of the greatest sports event in the history of the United States. The author's unique storytelling intertwines the play-by-play of the semi-final game between the USA and USSR with the individual stories of the game's major "characters."
   
   The story of the game and circumstances surrounding that time in US history has been told so many times, that many of the tales in the book are familiar but the author keeps it interesting. He also provides more insight into the Soviet team and its background than I've ever previously encountered. The only dissapointment for me was the lack of attention to the other games that the United States played during its Olympic run.

5 comments about Knock Me for a Loop.

1. After finding a naked woman in her fiance's hotel room, Grace Fisher assumed the worst and broke off all ties with hockey star Zack Hoolihan. She vandalizes his apartment, including his Hummer, steals his dog, and cuts him off from her life. Zack honestly didn't know what happened and how the groupie got in his hotel room, but he's adamant about convincing Grace that he hadn't been unfaithful. Too bad Grace wouldn't hear any of it.
   
   Zack is helpless, drowned in misery and injured himself. This is when Grace comes in to play nursemaid, giving Zack hope that they could get together again. But Grace is even more adamant against believing him, what with her hang ups with trust.
   
   Zack and Grace's plot of misunderstanding really interested me. I wanted to read how it will play out. Here's a man at total lost of what to do, stuck in a middle of a misinterpretation with the woman he loves, and then there's Grace, a woman heartbroken from a very suggestive incident. I don't know who to side with in this kind of situation. I can totally understand Grace's instant assumption of the worst. Cheating is end of the line. Although it was obvious that Zack didn't know the woman in his bed, Grace's fury was understandable. I can understand how fury and hurt can mask everything out, even reasoning. People wonder why hadn't she rationalized everything once she'd gotten a chance to calm down? Because it hurts too much to think about it. In situations like this it is very hard to trust the slightest bit.
   
   I do agree that Grace's overreaction and unreasonable destruction of Zack's property was out of the line, but it was simply out of normal, humanistic reaction. The fact that she stayed and nursed him back to reality said a lot about her feelings for him. Zack did more than he should to try to win her back, I admit (the knitting -- Good lord I'll take him back in a heartbeat), but somehow the feminist side of me kind of felt that it was right.
   
   I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would, but it was still a good read, nothing better or worse than Heidi Bett's previous series. Grace and Zack burned with passion for each other, so there is no keeping them apart. When there's a will, there's a way.



2. I had high hopes for Knock Me for a Loop, the final book in this trilogy by Heidi Betts and three women who love to knit. Much beloved talk show host Grace Fisher and her former fiancé, star hockey goalie for the Cleveland Rockets, Zack "Hot Legs" Hoolihan made quite the impression on the last book, Loves Me, Loves Me Knot mainly because the way Grace reacted when she found a hockey groupie in Zack's hotel room. She went ballistic, thinking he cheating on her, even though Zack denied it to the skies. I was very interested in seeing if these two would work things out and get back together, but in Knock Me For a Loop, I found Grace and Zack to have no chemistry and their interactions were beyond dull. Zack has a major Pete Pan complex and is a slob, while Grace is the total opposite. Unfortunately these two don't have enough of an interesting attraction to one another, and by the middle of the book I was close to giving this the good old label of DNF (do not finish).
   
   Grace as a woman scorned was exactly what I enjoyed about her character. She refuses to be walked all over even though Zack has begged and pleaded with her that he is innocent. And when Zack has a very bad accident on the ice and hurts his leg, he feels his life is over. He misses Grace desperately and soon eats and drinks his sorrows away. He doesn't even have his trusted dog, Bruiser for support, who Grace stole, renamed Muffin and dresses in pink sweaters and booties she has knitted. While Zack spends his days watching soap operas, eating junk food and secretly knitting, his two best guy friends are sick of seeing him this way. Grace does still care for Zack and against her better judgment, tries to help him get back on his feet again. She even moves in with him, which Zack thinks is a great sign for their future. But Grace still feels she can't trust Zack. These two begin to talk, and become friends again. Zack wants to take their friendship to next level and have her back as his lover and fiancé. But Zack needs to grow up and come clean with her and show that he isn't a cheater and does respect Grace, so much so that he may even let her in on his new knitting hobby.
   
   Knock Me for a Loop should have been a sexy and fun read about former lovers reuniting, but because the action and interactions between Zack and Grace were very low key and again no convincing displays of attraction between the two, I found myself very bored. I am not a big one for flashbacks, but in this case, I would have liked to see a few of these scenes of when Grace and Zack first met, their courtship and eventual engagement. We are told that these two really heated up the sheets when they were a couple, but there was no inclination to this fact, even when Grace decides to give into her sexual frustrations and have that one night to remember with Zack. Why just one night? Grace is still convinced that Zack was a low down dirty dog and slept with a hockey bunny. Only when Zack does something drastic, and perhaps if he had done this action from the beginning, then there would no drama and upheaval in both their lives, does Grace change her mind. But then we wouldn't have a story and this very profound moment is supposed to fit because isn't until the very end, giving out lovers their happily ever after.
   
   This was a major miss for me and I was wishing for a bit more. Lack of passion and the mundane personalities of Zack and Grace left much to be desired.
   
   Katiebabs
   
   Tangled Up In Love
   Loves Me, Loves Me Knot



3. Knock Me for a Loop is the enjoyable third book in a trilogy by Heidi Betts. It definitely worked as a stand alone novel as I have not yet read the first two. It centers around the rekindling romance between fabulous talk show host Grace Fisher and her ex-fiance and star hockey player, Zack Hoolihan. Apparently, in the previous novel, Grace stumbles upon one very naked "puck bunny" in her beloved's hotel room. Not cool. So what does she do? She dumps his sorry butt and trashes his home. She even has the gall to take his Saint Bernard. Now, I don't really condone all this silly business- it makes our lovely lady a little annoying. I mean, come on, take the high road. But! We all have our weaknesses, so I won't fault her that. ;] Grace is determined, hot headed and will not let a man walk all over her. I love a woman scorned. Now, don't think for one second that our slobarific athlete didn't deny the situation. Zack pleaded, called and text Grace until the cows came home that he didn't do anything, he has no idea what the puck bunny was doing in his hotel room. Hmm..? Likely story!
   
   After months of being separated, Zack gets badly injured during a game. He sends himself into a deep depression, missing his physical therapy, not getting out of the house... something needs to be done. Now that his friends are feeling guilty and don't want to be around him- they encourage Grace to check in on him. Turn him into the old Zack. Skeptical, she does it. She even brings the dog back. It is nice to witness Grace rebuilding her trust in Zack even though he has a lot of growing up to do. There is an undeniable spark between Grace and Zack as they rekindle their love, but there wasn't as much chemistry as I was hoping for. The book also wasn't as *steamy* as I had anticipated after reading reviews for the first two books. That didn't take away from the story, just would have added to it. ;]
   
   No real action until nearing the end of the book, but this was still a sexy, sassy story. Rating this only a 3.5 though I have heard from others that the first two books are even better and I will be adding those to my TBR pile. I absolutely adored the author's writing style, it was easy to glide through. Quick, refreshing read- and isn't the cover absolutely adorable? I love her covers for this series. Not to mention the title is fun too!



4. In the last installment of Heidi Betts, Chicks with Sticks series, Grace Fisher and hockey player Zack Hoolihan were engaged to be married. While Zack was out of town with the team, Grace decided to go to where he was and surprise him. Well, the surprise was on Grace because when Zack opens the hotel room door Grace sees that he isn't alone and the person in his room is definitely not a hockey player. Now months later, Grace has still not forgiven Zack even though Zack has adamantly stated his innocence. Grace knows what she saw and she saw a half naked woman in his hotel room. That equals cheating in her book and there is nothing anyone can say to make her change her mind. And then something happens to Zack during a game.
   
   I have laughed out loud more than once while reading Heidi Betts' Chicks with Sticks series. Until Knock Me for a Loop. The reason? I simply could not stand Grace Fisher. I found her to be spoiled, hateful, unreasonable, and arrogant. Those attributes didn't sit well with me and while I adore most everything Ms. Betts releases, Knock Me for a Loop isn't one of them. I couldn't understand Zack's wanting to be with Grace even though she treated him like he had a deadly disease and smelled bad. Grace never let him talk, she never listened to him, and she simply decided that he was lying. I personally wish Zack had found someone else - Grace Fisher definitely didn't deserve him, that's for sure.
   
   Knock Me for a Loop did just that. I just wish I had liked the heroine. If non-listening and stubborn heroines attract you, then Knock Me for a Loop is the book for you. I won't be reading it again.
   
   
   Talia
   Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed



5. i so loved this series omg what am i to do if there is not any more,

5 comments about The Hockey Stick Illusion: Climategate and the Corruption of Science (Independent Minds).

1. This is a superb review of the story of the hockeystick, the temperature reconstruction which was supposed to show that late 20th century temperatures were unprecedented for at least 1,000 years and which was highlighted in the third IPCC report in 2001. What Montford does in this book is take us through Steven McIntyre's attempt to reproduce the original result of Michael Mann and the controversy that followed. His account is very well written and it reads like a detective story. The technical details of the debate are clearly explained even though there is no heavy mathematics or statistics. He tells the story chronologically and gives a good feel of what people on both sides of the debate actually said at the time (and there are plenty of references as well as judicious quotes from all sides). I have been following this debate for the past five years or so. To my mind this gives as clear an account of the debate as we are likely to see. What is now clear is that the Mann conclusions, far from being based on coherent evidence across a geographical widespread range of proxies all showing similar patterns across the Northern hemisphere, were based on a tiny subset of proxies, bristlecone and foxtail pines, from California whose anomalous 20th century growth was almost certainly not caused by high temperature. The apparently broad evidence was an illusion created by an eccentric implementation of a standard statistical technique called principal components analysis. Mann's version of this (which appears to be his own creation) effectively mined his hundred plus proxies for any which had hockeystick shapes and then gave them huge weight in the analysis. What is worrying about all this is not so much the fact that a paper is wrong. It is the failure to admit this when it is perfectly clear that it is wrong. Montford documents the evasions of debate and the consistent misrepresentation of what McIntyre and McKitrick actually said, as well as multiple refusals of access to data and clear descriptions of what had actually been done. By the time of the 2006 Wegman report it was clear that the hockeystick was broken, but it seems too much had been invested in it for people in paleoclimate to admit outright that it was just wrong. Montford tells this story too and documents the shenanigans surrounding the fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. But rather than me attempting to condense the book into a paragraph I urge people to buy and read this excellent account. Note that it was largely written before the emails from CRU became public, though there is a final chapter dealing quickly with them. What is remarkable is how much of the story was already known to people who had been following the debate, but also the lengths people were prepared to go to try and stifle proper debate. For me the cover-up of the story has been a bigger influence in turning me sceptical than the mere fact of the hockey stick being wrong.



2. This excellent book operates on two levels. First, it details the tangled web of deception that made "the hockey stick illusion" the iconic image of the monstrous "Anthropogenic Global Warming" fraud.
   Montford makes generally understandable the arcane issues of statistical manipulation that lie at the heart of the false "science." He does so in a narrative that is clear, riveting and horrifying. As a result of the duplicity of the Hockey Team and the IPCC, billions have been spent and we have no idea whether or how human beings may affect climate change. We are at square one.
   Second, Montford uses this saga as a case study for the need to require transparency and access to all data and code that underpin scientific claims, especially the research that is used to support government policies.
   Clearly so many people were fooled for so long by this particular statistical legerdemain because, without access to the underlying data and code, the effort required to replicate and find the flaws in Mann's Hockey Stick was almost impossible.
   Thank Heaven for a retired mathematician - Steve McIntyre - who undertook the thousands of hours (and dollars) required to find and prove the flaws in this duplicitous artifact of NOT Science.
   What is needed is a very intense investigation of how the public interest can be protected from such frauds - whether in climate science, financial derivatives, medical policies, etc. To err is human - but to really mess up, it takes a computer! Bravo to A.W. Montford who made the whole story understandable to a mathematically impaired reader like me.



3. The "Bishop Hill" blog was well-respected, but not particularly remarkable until the posting of "Caspar and the Jesus paper" in August 2008. With this posting, we learned that the esteemed Bishop (now also revealed as Andrew Montford), the author of this new book, had a talent for putting scattered bits and pieces of information into a highly coherent presentation. It was remarkable enough that he was able to take myriad blog postings and figure out what they all added up to, and further remarkable that he was able to map this understanding into writing. Would it be possible to achieve this Casper-style in a more encompassing work? Too much to ask for? Well, HERE it is!
   
   The narrative is highly readable, not mathematical, except that Montford does specifically give the official names of things. Instead of saying something like "they blew the math" he tells you how data were improperly normalized, or the use of SVD, and the consequences. In addition to describing the ill-advised technical issues, he describes appearance of the poor science (seeing what you want to see), other more common human foibles such as possible (or likely) "cherry-picking", and the suppression of contradicting evidence, all of which are not supposed to be in science.
   
   While it would not be difficult, based on his blog perhaps, to discern the Bishop's views on AGW and its politics, the current book is basically impartial, except as it relates to the poor science and the overriding political motives of the AGW advocates. It deals rationally and fair-mindedly with the (illusion of the) Hockey stick graph. People commenting on the book are advised to direct criticisms, if any, on the basis of what he writes rather than what "camp" they perceive the author to belong to. This does involve actually reading the book however. Expect the usual reflex one star submissions from those who review just the title - and then go on to a few stock comment about the decline in the penguin population at the North Pole.
   
   So, by the way, how DO you get to read the book. As of this writing, it does not appear to be widely available on Amazon in the US, and let's hope that will be directly available soon. I got mine from Amazon.UK, which was surprisingly easy - pretty much like this Amazon site. Shipping was about as much as the book, but I think it was only $26 with the shipping, and it arrived in 8 days by "Royal Mail". And it's a beefy book of almost 500 page-turning pages.



4. Mr. Montford has written an extremely important and interesting book. The topic is scientific fraud, one of the biggest such frauds in the history of humanity. The fraud is the hockey stick assertion that the earth in the late twentieth century experienced unprecedented global warming and higher temperatures, at least for the past two thousand years. If this fraud had remained not refuted humanity would been subject to restrictions that would greatly reduce living standards and freedom. There is a lot a stake with the hockey stick hoax.
   
   Mr. Montford describes in great detail how two courageous, persistent, and heroic Canadian researchers managed to refute the hockey stick hoax. Mr. Montford writes about how these Canadians managed to obtain the data and publish their work. Mr. Montford also goes into great detail about the misuse of data and poor methodology that characterized the hockey stick assertion. He provides a lot of information about the statistical principle components method and how this method was misused to derive the hockey stick shape for the world temperatures over the last thousand years. He also discusses the tree ring data and how such data that was represented to be a proxy for world temperature often was not. The book is encyclopedic in its discussion of the hockey stick hoax. Yet the book is very well written and understandable.
   
   Mr. Montford also points out the hockey stick instigators and the climate journals they wrote for very often refused to provide independent researchers with the data and/or methodology for the articles in support of the hockey stick. Independent researchers had to put much time and effort into their efforts to replicate or at least partially replicate the statistical results of the hockey stick purveyors. Mr. Montford explains that this is not science. Real science demands that the data and other material pertaining to the experimental results be available for independent verification. This data and methodology was not easily or graciously provided by the hockey stick team, if the items were provided at all.
   
   The book also goes into some detail about Al Gore's use of the hockey stick. Despite some of Al Gore's claims he used in his works the hockey stick of pseudo scientist Michael Mann.
   
   The book demonstrates the scientific dogmatism and fraud is not just a past problem of Galileo's era. The potential for scientific fraud can exist any time establishment dogma and special interests exist. Only eternal vigilance can expose and halt this fraud.
   
   The book is incredibly important. The story of the hockey stick hoax must be well known for the welfare of humanity. And this book is the only book so far that is devoted to tell this story. The book is an absolute must for everyone. The book is absolutely vital.



5. Epitomizing the plot of the Hockey Stick Illusion and the special gratifications it affords the reader is virtually any of the Colombo shows on television. In each case, we see the humble investigator initially ignored, brushed aside, stonewalled, disdained, doubletalked, waffled, red herringed, and evaded by lofty and complacent Establishment figures, citing their own authority, crowded schedules, sophisticated reasoning, advanced degrees, abstruse mathematics, and exalted ideals.
   
   In this case, the Columbo figure is Steve McIntyre, a Canadian mining consultant, and A.W. Montford's book tells the gripping and suspenseful details of McIntyre's pursuit of the self-denominated "hockey team" led by Michael Mann, who wrote the key chapters on his own work for the IPCC, and Phil Jones, who maintains the temperature record used by the IPCC to document the "Hockey Stick": limning allegedly unprecedented and anomalous anthropogenic global warming in the Twentieth Century while denying that any comparable or greater warming occurred in the Medieval period.
   
   Parallel to McIntyre's relentless replication and decoding of the increasingly desperate devices used by the climatocrats to defend their findings is the amazing tale of the ascent of Mann from an obscure newly minted PhD in 1998 at the U Mass department of geosciences into the Lead Author of the crucial Observed Climate Variability chapter in the IPCC report, contributor to several other chapters, 'Scientific Advisor' to the White House on climate change, pundit on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, BBC, NPR, PBS, and scores of Establishment newspapers and magazines, all culminating in the Nobel Peace Prize for the team and a role as the very incarnation of a Consensus of science requiring the creation of a global apparatus to stigmatize as pollution, regulate and tax the very CO2 that sustains all of plant and animal life.
   
   Explaining the science in detail, Montford's narrative climaxes with the dissolution of the hockey stick, the discomfiture of the Hockey Team, the eruption of Climategate, and the quiet and total victory of the humble mining engineer. The reader should know that the supposed email "scandal" is in fact rather trivial and defensible. Few people are at their best in emails. But the hockey stick's science is shoddy beyond easy belief. The hockey stick chart mostly reflects a defective algorithm that extends and inflates a few deceptive signals from as few as 20 cherry-picked trees in Colorado and Russia into a hockey stick chart that is replicated repeatedly through reshuffles of the same or similar defective and factitious data. These people simply had no plausible case and were pressed by their political sponsors to contrive a series of Potemkin charts. Don't miss this definitive book.
   
   GG