5 comments about Raise Your Hand if You Love Horses: Pat Parelli's Journey from Zero to Hero (Western Horseman Books).

1. I have followed the Parelli training methods for a couple years, so this book was interesting.



2. Very interesting reading, especially if you've ever attended a Pat Parelli
   savvy clinic, or are familiar with his work. He basically trains people in
   horsemanship as opposed to training horses. The book describes in interesting fashion how he got to where he is today. More informative
   than educational. Would recommend if you're already a Parelli fan.



3. I'm a Parelli student, and have been for many years now. I really enjoyed reading this book and learning the in-depth story behind Pat and his journey to *now*. You get a sense of his life when he chats during his demos and seminars, but this book, with pictures, really helped me understand the chronology of his life and experiences. It's a quick read, and for anyone involved in natural horsemanship, and Parelli specifically, I think this is an interesting and fun book.



4. i am a big fan of pat parelli.i enjoy most everything i've read from him and his wife linda.



5. This book is full of fascinating information, for those willing to go digging for it. Motivated readers will learn:
   * Parelli's unique use of the word savvy came from a mildly violent lesson taught by his father.
   * The Parelli study kits were inspired by first wife Karen's home-schooling their kids during endless travelling.
   * The levels in the Parelli system occurred to Pat while he was studying martial arts with Tony Ernst (alias Kung Fu Tony).
   * Tack sales took off after a student showed up at a May 1986 Yucca Valley clinic with a unique lead rope. Parelli researched the rope manufacturer and started making his halters and lead ropes out of the high quality yachting braid.
   * Liberty training, Parelli's unique emphasis on ground work without physical restraint, originated from a chance meeting with Swiss circus trainer Fredy Knie
   
   I found the book fun and interesting, but also frustrating. The chapters are laid out like magazine articles. Although the book begins with Parelli as a child and ends at the time writing was completed, the chapters are organized more by theme than chronology. Readers trying to construct a mental timeline will spend a lot of time skipping back and forth. The number of names and lack of an index exacerbates the problem.
   
   Zero to Hero is written as a first person autobiography, but it seems more like an authorized biography, written by an admiring Kathy Swan with the cooperation of Pat and Linda Parelli. A writer for Western Horseman, Swan co-wrote Natural Horsemanship, Parelli's first book, 15 years earlier. She makes no secret that she is a fan. The book also includes more than a dozen first person inserts of Parelli admirers, from legendary trainer Ray Hunt to champions of rodeo and the Olympics.
   
   Reading Parelli's story, it's easy to see why he is respected. Parelli's life represents the intersection of enormous talent and ambition with enormous opportunity. Parelli was a horse-crazy kid growing up in the midst of a thriving horse industry. By the time he was in junior high he was already getting paid to exercise horses, start colts, and help at shows. His rodeo career started when friends at his agricultural high school introduced him to the challenge of riding a "bucking barrel." He wouldn't rest until he had bested all his friends. He went on to acquire a mentor, train diligently, and enter as many rodeos as he could. In 1972 was named West Coast bareback rookie of the year.
   
   For the next eight years Parelli pursued horse training and bareback riding at the same time. He did a seven year stretch of rodeos without a single fall, rode 98% of his horses to the buzzer, and rode horses that had never been ridden. At the same time he worked long hours as a trainer, first for a high-volume horse dealer who demanded rapid results, then for Troy Henry, who mentored him in more advanced training for competitive cutting and reigning. Henry pushed Parelli to grow from a mechanic to a horseman.
   
   In 1979 Parelli won fame doing a bridleless reigning demonstration at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity. A year later he was dragged and trampled in a Las Vegas rodeo when his bareback rigging slipped. He had an epiphany and decided to concentrate on horse training.
   
   By that time Parelli had already trained more horses than most horse folk would touch in a lifetime. In spite of that he struggled to find a way to make a living on his own. He found some success by arranging to start colts for 30 local trainers. By that time he had impressed Dr. Robert Miller enough to get his techniques featured in Western Horseman magazine. His association with Miller opened more doors, and Miller helped him organize and promote his first successful clinics. In 1985 he recorded his first video.
   
   One of the biggest criticisms I hear about Parelli is about money -- the training tools, the tack, the DVDs, the seminar prices, etc. It gave me a new perspective to realize that he pushed himself to the limit (and perhaps past it, in the case of his first marriage) for 20 years before his efforts began to pay off in more than subsistence income.
   
   In 1987 Parelli made his first trip to Australia with Miller and Bob Berg and netted $100 for the entire group. He went back anyway, drawing audiences with the challenge that he would pay $500 to anyone who could bring him a horse he couldn't ride. During his 1989 visit he met Linda, who promoted his Australian visits for the next three years. Somewhere between that 1989 meeting and their 1998 wedding, Parelli ended his first marriage to Karen Rivers. Zero to Hero provides no details. I suspect some future biographer will overcompensate for that shortcoming.
   
   For his part, Parelli has nothing negative to say about Karen, and insists that she has now found happiness as he has. Karen is to be admired for keeping such a low profile - she endured the rodeo and clinic travel years, living out of a gooseneck trailer or staying home with the kids, never knowing if there would be money to pay the bills. Then just as the kids were grown she stepped aside to watch the new trophy wife enjoy the fame and fortune she suffered so much to make possible.
   
   Parelli has somehow developed a rabid camp of detractors, particularly among the British dressage community. Do a web search on Parelli and dressage and you'll find forum threads that go on page after page, lavishly vilifying Pat and Linda for everything from the tack they sell to the way they talk. It's a curious phenomenon that isn't mentioned in the book. Neither is there any hint of the current emphasis on "horsenality," bits, and patterns - developments all too recent for the date of publication.
   
   Raise Your Hand if You Love Horses is a factual, if uncritical, account of how Pat Parelli rose to international fame. Parelli followers and anyone interested in the modern horse clinician trend will find it a very interesting read.

5 comments about King of the Cowboys.

1. If you are a fan of Rodeo or of Ty Murray or just want to read a great book this is a must have. I highly recommend this book for yourself or what a great gift for the rodeo fan! Plus I must admit I am a huge Ty Murray fan!! :)



2. This book was absolutely amazing. Held my attention throughout the entire book. I couldn't put it down



3. THIS IS MY ALL TIME FAVIORATE BOOK!! usually i hate books but omg this is the best book ever, well it has a lot to do with the fact that Ty Murray is my hero so i knew it was gunna be good from the start. if you like ty murray rodeos and many other famous rodeo cowboys this is the book for you. And this is coming from a person who absolutly hates books. Never has. but i would re read this book a million times over and over. Well just to sum it up I LOVED LOVED LOVED THE BOOK. it is a must read for all rodeo fans. great tribute to lane frost and ty murray (obvisously). well that sums it up. MUST READ.



4. This book is so much fun to read, I just kept reading until I finished it. This is the story of one of the world's greatest athletes, told with a sense of humor and humility. Ty just tells it like it is all the way through. I first saw Ty on Dancing with the Stars and thought his comments were so funny on that show I wanted to read more. His stories had me laughing out loud in places. This book would make a GREAT movie. I hope someone writes the script soon!



5. This was deff. worth the money. I knew alot about Ty, but after reading this book I know exactly why he is called the King of Cowboys.

5 comments about Rodeo: Behind The Scenes at America's Most Exciting Sport.

1. Lynn Campion has done the unthinkable: she's written a readable coffee table book. Each rich photograph is worthy of the 1,000 words that follow, providing the reader with a behind-the-scenes look at the art and sport of rodeo.



2. This book unfolds the legend of Rodeo. Between the entrancing photographs and the insider's view into this unique world, Campion beautifully captures a tradition that is the last vestige of the American West. The perfect gift for the rodeo enthusiast or anyone new to the sport.



3. This great book re-defines rodeo as a serious sport informed by the rich ranching tradion of the West. It is the only sport that has grown out of a way of life. Campion's love of the events and animals shows through again and again. Her understanding of the process and attention to detail informs all who read the book. This is a great addition to the genre, the best.



4. I've read almost all the non-fiction rodeo books currently in print--from Chris LeDoux's Gold Buckle Dreams to the other coffee table books, and this is by far the most comprehensive, accurate "Rodeo 101"-type book.

   It's not full of road stories or psychology or Hollywood flash, but if you want to get screwed down tight on the basics of rodeo, this is The One. Great photos, too...




5. Lynn Campion grew up in Colorado where sports and horses were her major interests, moving to Idaho and Montana to run a ranch and raise a family. Her national recognition as a cutting horse non-pro champion and her rodeo insights from the inside contribute to Rodeo: Behind The Scenes At America's Most Exciting Sport. Most rodeo coverages either provide a single biographical focus on a rodeo star, or a review of rodeo in general: Campion's is one of the few to focus almost exclusively behind the scenes, covering everything from saddle terminology and preparation of equipment to how to buffer a fall. Simply outstanding.

2 comments about Ranch Roping: The Complete Guide to a Classic Cowboy Skill.

1. An excellent book everyone interested in any kind of western horsemanship or roping. I love "how to" books like this, especially with such quality writing and pictures. There are many "tidbits" of information throughout. I definitely recommend this book!



2. nice over view of the history of roping/cow hand work. though I only bought it because my western addled brain couldn't remember how to properly build and swing the rope. nice pictures, nice heavy book. Any one with a interest in the history of the west, this book would be good, because its a basic cowboy foundation and well, cowboys are part of the history of the west.

5 comments about Fried Twinkies, Buckle Bunnies, & Bull Riders: A Year Inside the Professional Bull Riders Tour.

1. Good reading about the PBR if your a bull rideing fan you'll love this book. Good behind the seen coverage. This book one that is hard to put down.



2. As an avid PBR fan, I greedily tore through the pages of Fried Twinkies. This book answered all of my questions about bull riding and provided information that I didn't know to ask about. Anyone who enjoys the marvelous sport of bull riding must purchase and read this book.



3. OK, I must admit right off that I am a friend of the author's. He's a nice guy. More importantly, he's a good writer. I was deeply moved by some parts of this book, and that was before I met Josh.
   
   I suspect the high ratings for this book might be because PBR fans tend to be awfully enthusiastic about the sport. If you are not a PBR fan but are curious, check it out.



4. Gave this book to my dad who is a rodeo fan. He enjoyed it. Said it was a good read and he finished it in about 2 days.



5. The one thing wrong with this book is the title. It's strictly about pro bull riders and the multimillion-dollar business that has raised bullriding from a feature rodeo event to a cross between NASCAR and the WWF. You'll learn little about fried Twinkies, buckle bunnies, and whatever they're supposed to represent.
   
   Sports writer Josh Peter follows the 2004 PBR tour that crisscrosses the U.S. and ends with the finals in Las Vegas, drumming up excitement and suspense as he goes. He brings to life the widely divergent personalities of the riders, ranging from seasoned champion and family-man Adriano Moraes and the stereotypical drinking, cussing Justin McBride, to the withdrawn, almost spookily religious Mike Lee. Among them are a diversity of others, including rookies, old-timers hoping for a comeback, and competitors from countries as far away as Australia and Brazil. We learn that one out of 15 rides results in injuries requiring treatment, and much time is spent in the sports medicine room.
   
   Meanwhile, we follow the drama of big business as differences between the men who run this show create a number of conflicts that lead to firings and the threat of a boycott by riders who feel they are being under-appreciated by their employers. Peter's revelation of these behind-the-scenes maneuvers will enlighten fans familiar only with the glitz and glamour of the sport and the men who are its stars. We learn about the stock growers and investors who raise, train, buy, and sell bulls. There's even a side trip to Brazil, where we visit the ranch Moraes has bought with his winnings. Readers will also enjoy the DVD "Rank," which is a compelling record of the 2004 season finals, focusing on Moraes, McBride, and Lee.

4 comments about Buffalo Bill's Wild West: Celebrity, Memory, and Popular History.

1. Joy Kasson uses the story of Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West show to tell us about the beginnings of celebrity in America. Tracing Buffalo Bill's life from Army scout through Wild West show impresario she reveals how Cody "created an American memory through entertainment" by bringing together Northerners and former Confederates in the final decade of the nineteenth century for a shared and comforting interpretation of American identity. The imperialist story the Wild West Show told was legitimizing to American's who wanted to view their destruction of native American life in their westward advancement as the justifiable acts by victims of murderous natives, now happily tamed as actors, rather than the other way around. She demonstrates how Buffalo Bill's thesis about western conquest by white Americans influenced the twentieth century interpretation of American history in many ways, not the least of which was the Boy Scouts, and particulary through the powerful genre of the motion picture, in which Cody's influence was seminal.

   Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show promoters were among the first to manipulate the public through advertising and image building. Kasson has given new insight into a late twentieth century culture that produced such phenomena as an actor as president, spin doctors and focus groups, and in countless other ways blurred the line between performance and reality.

   A book both scholarly and readable, Buffalo Bill's Wild West has broken new ground in our understanding of the beginnings of our celebrity culture.




2. After checking this book out of the library and reading some of it, we knew we had to own it. Kasson writes well for the serious amateur of the Wild West, and the scholarship appears solid. It's clearly a work of contemporary history-writing, in that Kasson is very attentive to how we re-tell our past to ourselves, how myths and celebrity develop. In this respect it resembles Paul Reddin's "Wild West Shows" (University of Illinois Press, 1999), which we also recommend. Readers who want to know what it was REALLY like on the plains will want to consult other books.



3. This is an outstanding scholarly study of Buffalo Bill and his Wild West show. Kasson deals with her subject sympathetically and never leaps to politically correct judgments. Kasson not only offers a biography of Buffalo Bill and a study of the cultural meaning of his Wild West, but also a study of how Indians and other marginalized groups figured in the Wild West show. Excellent book. Buy it.



4. I was stunned by how a subject such as the Wild West shows could be presented in such a tiresome manner. The author makes the same two or three points over and over again (the meat of her book) and spends the rest of the book detailing lithographs and program covers -- copies of which appear in the book. I stuck with it to the end, but was frustrated by it being a bad read and a waste of time.

5 comments about The Helldivers' Rodeo: A Deadly, X-Treme, Scuba-Diving, Spearfishing, Adventure Amid the Off Shore Oil Platforms in the Murky Waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

1. This is probably one of the most enjoyable books I have read in the last five years. The author and his cohorts are definitely brave, almost certainly missing a few screws and possibly suicidal, but they enjoy what they are doing so much that after a while the insanity of it all doesn't seem to matter. Stories about divers diving with football helmets so they don't get knocked out on the steel beams of the oil rig and the stalking of sharks (!!) in the opaque murk at the bottom of the sea floor would seem farcical or just stupid coming from almost anyone else, but when Fontova writes it is riveting, believable and also hilarious.
   
   Fontova is often brutally honest about the risks that the rig-divers take. While his writing clearly expresses the enjoyment and thrill of this type of spear fishing, he does not try to glorify it or to imply that it is safe or easy or simple, because it is none of those things.
   
   One of the best things about this book is also one of the most unexpected: it's not just about hunting, it's about everything else too. In between the stories about the dives, Fontova talks about south Louisiana culture, the workings and modification of spear guns, the theory of operation behind scuba gear, the rules for how deep and how long it is considered safe to dive (after which he talks about how the rig divers exceed all limits of safety or even common sense on their dives), the dynamics of the mixing of the Mississippi River water with the Gulf of Mexico water, a brief history of oil rigs, basic fish anatomy and the types and temperament of fish seen around the rigs, why Jacques Cousteau once gave a talk at a local dive shop, a first-person perspective on Che Guevera, and dozens of other things besides.
   
   This is really an excellent book that I have recommended and will continue to recommend to family and friends. The only people who probably won't like it are anti-hunting activists and those that feel Prohibition should never have been repealed. Aside from them, it has something for everyone.



2. Mix one part Rodney the Shark Guy, one part Ted Nugent, and two parts your uncle who always seems to have those tall tales, and you wind up with this wild ride through the spear-fishing haunts of Humberto Fontova.
   
   On the surface, it's about about a bunch of guys who just won't grow up and go deep see fishin' (the hard way) off the oil rigs. And it doesn't really get any deeper than that, but does it need to? (And who knew oil platforms had the ecological side benefit of turning into reefs?)
   
   No grand moralizing, just a couple fun guys and their fish tales. You'll be surprised at how hard it is to put down.



3. Thank you Doug Terry for telling me that triggerfish won't chew my earlobes off! I actually had a nightmare over that one!
   
   As a recreational scuba diver and spearfisherman on Florida's east coast, I found the book a little shy of technical details. For example, what gas mixes did they use, how many of 'em spent time in a decompression chamber, etc. As a quarter-cuban waterman who grew up in Miami and the Florida Keyes, I could relate to many of the scenes in the story.
   
   I was impressed by the writing of Humberto Fontova. It took me back to my youth, and really makes you appreciate the bonds between your buddies. Guys need to get together for some brutal backbreaking, boat pounding, bloody carnage, and beverage-consuming adventure action, every now and then, it's what we do!
   
   The timing of my read, after Hurricane Katrina's devastation, makes you feel for these folks, who truly enjoy life at its best. I wish them all speedy recovery, and hope that all his buddies can find their old sandbar to relax on.....



4. Sad example of how some men are brainwashed into thinking that destroying life somehow proves their manhood. And the larger the physical body they kill, the more admiration/love they feel for themselves. (Fontana actually believes this is how most other people think, and at one point says a big kill is how to get "the best poon-tang". He says the only thing that is changed is how money replaced the animal body. I'm here to say the reality of what is the "best" sex or the "best" man is vastly different for many of us...including those who farm, hunt, and fish.)
   
   I have nothing against hunting and killing when it is done with skill and respect for animals, and done with the intent of providing food--which is the within the natural order of life. Unfortunately, the following typifies Fontova's attitude. "You see a huge cobia or amberjack lumbering by--schlink--Ba-LOOOM!! and the big sucker stops in his tracks. Must be the same rush as shooting an elephant between the eyes from close range--POW!--and watching him collapse like a dynamited building." Seeing the demise of an intelligent, magnificent creature does not give me a rush. Neither does pretending to be in a death battle with fish who do not have our brains or tools, and as a group (marine species particularly), are being depleted much faster than they can restock and survive. The hunters and fishermen/women I admire are heavily into conservation, killing with as little pain as possible, and don't think seeing somebody about get himself killed is something to brag about. This guy couldn't hold a candle to them.
   
   Fontana talks about using various weapons and giving the fish a chance, fighting "mano a mano". Give me a break. They're stupid fish. There is no real contest here, just a brainless desire to find excitement in the chosen possibility of death, dismemberment, and pain. And when not feeling the desire for that kind of excitement, the "rush of strutting around with serious firepower" will do (i.e. just reminding himself who has the greater killing ability can make him happy). Of course, risking the "icy clutch of danger" is further improved by "serious buzzing" and routine drugging of one form or another. I can't imagine who taught this man these are the ways prove himself worthy among "men". If I didn't know better, I'd think he was a teenager--which is how I came across the book--a seventeen year old kid gave it to me to read. I am so glad most "action" writers I've come across have more spiritual, emotional, and global awareness than Fontova and are better role models for youth.
   
   If glorifying death isn't reason enough to skip this book, try Fontova's attitude on what makes a life worth living. He thinks people come down to Louisiana and get mysteriously transformed for the better by having the desire to do nothing but eat, drink, and get laid. Here's his amusing anecdote to sum up that philosphy. "An old Cajun put it a little more bluntly. 'If you can't eat 'em or F--- 'em, they're worthless." I wonder if he ever considers God's opinion or interpretation of creation. There are certainly no signs of that in this book.
   
   I think I'll go back and reread "Wildlife Wars". Funnier, with more variety, and written by an honorable man who chose to do battle and test himself over things that really matter. Check out Terry Grosz and you'll see what I mean.



5. This book changed my life! I grew up in SE LA fishing my whole life, always wondering what was underneath the water, after reading Humberto's book, I decided to try it out. Granted Humberto exagerates some, but that's what makes it such an entertaining read.
   
   I now spearfish the rigs on a regular basis, and it's the most fun I've had since i was a kid. All of the local spearfishing clubs are full of a great bunch of guys as well, including the ones mentioned in the book.
   
   If you have an interest in Louisiana fishing / diving / or spearfishing, you need to read this book.

3 comments about Professional Bull Riders: The Official Guide to the Toughest Sport on Earth.

1. THIS IS A FOLLOW UP ON THE PREVIOUS PBR BOOK: RING OF FIRE, THE GUTS AND GLORY OF THE PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS TOUR. BY KENDRA SANTOS.
   THE TIME BETWEEN THE TWO HAS BEEN TOO LONG. THE AUTHORS HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF COLLECTING PHOTOS AND STORIES OF THE PBR. IT'S HISTORY AND STORIES ARE WHAT MAKE UP THE PBR. THERE ARE PHOTOS CAPTURING HEATBREAKING AND THRILLING MOMENTS.
   THE STORIES WILL EXCITE THE FANS AND LEAVING THEM TO WANT MORE.
   IT IS A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO THE PBR LIBRARY AND FOR THE TRUE FAN. DON'T MISS IT.



2. This book is fabulous. Not only will PBR fans enjoy it but anyone who likes exploring new sports and seeing awesome photographs will be delighted. And if you get to a PBR event, it can be a great autograph book for these courageous and very personable bull riders et al.



3. 
   
   I bought this book for my husband so I asked what he thought of it and he thinks it a GREAT book!
   The pictures are absolutely wonderful and the book is interesting and informative. He said that if he had only one
   nitpicky thing to say, it would be that he wished the pictures had more captions. He's very happy with it and
   highly recommends it to the bullriding lover in YOUR life.

1 comments about The Duke of the Chutes: Harry Vold's Sixty Years in Rodeo.

1. This is just a great book if you have ever followed rodeo, i am only half way through the book. Harry Vold has done so much for rodeo, both sides of the border. I first met him as a teenager at a horse sale in saskatchewan, at one of Tiny Towes horse sales. My Dad Bernard Bouchard bought some of Harry's horse,s. Bernard originally owned the great bucking mare Sage Hen, we called her Easy MONEY.Bernard was an amateur stock contractor in southern Sask. Harry was just a terrific auctioner. He was always so professional, as a stock producer, rodeo manager, chute boss etc. He truly is a legend. I wish him well, also his whole family. Have followed their rodeo life for years.
   June Ferguson( Bouchard)
   Enderby, B.C.

5 comments about Pendleton Round-Up at 100: Oregon's Legendary Rodeo.

1. I thought I would get a better deal on this book in Pendleton at the Roundup this year, the year before the 100th anniversary. Not so! The book was $65 at the Pendleton Chamber Office, $55 through the Eastern Oregonian site. I paid $37 on Amazon.com and got it within 7 days! If you are familiar with the history of the Pendleton Roundup, or if you want to be, this book has it all.



2. The authors have done themselves proud. A collector's book and beautifully designed, PENDLETON ROUND-UP AT 100 preserves a cultural icon of the American West.
   -William L. McGee, Author "The Divorce Seekers: A Photo Memoir of a Nevada Dude Wrangler"



3. My local bookstore said this book was out of print and couldn't get a copy for me. Many thanks to Amazon for having it and even sending it quicker than they said they would. It came in plenty of time for Christmas for my mother-in-law who lived in Pendleton and knows some people in the book!



4. Pendleton Round-Up at 100: Oregon's Legendary Rodeo moves beyond historical non-fiction and reads like a novel as it provides a history of a rodeo that began in 1910 and shaped a community. Lavish photos and history will attract any rodeo fan or rural library collection, and makes for an outstanding survey recommended not just for Oregon history collections but for any library interested in American West history and culture.



5. This is a gorgeous book full of Pendleton Round-Up history in pictures and words. Everything you could have ever wanted to know about rodeo and the people that have and do participate in them. A feast for the those that love the history of the American West. You will look at and read this book over and over!
   On another note . . . It took Amazon three shipments to get this book to me as the first two were damaged in shipping. Even the third book had some faint scrape marks on the cover due to the book sliding inside the box with no protection. Amazon is not packing and shipping this book properly, and it is too big and heavy to be unwrapped in a carboard box with some air bags sitting on top of it, not even wrapped around the book.