5 comments about The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever.

1. Though I am wary of contributing to the incessant, effusive praise for just about everything in contemporary life, I must admit that The Match is the finest sports book I have read in many years. Mark Frost's prose is enjoyable and balanced - not too simple; not overreaching. The structure of the book leaves the reader in a state of wonderful anticipation throughout. Finally, the true sports fan gains newfound appreciation and respect for the evolution of the game of golf and the men who contributed so greatly to bringing it into the mainstream. These were not great golfers; they were great Americans. Frost has written a masterpiece. Do not hesitate to pick it up.



2. Frost is an incredibly gifted writer ... perhaps the most gifted of any sports book author. This comes from an obvious formal and dedicated writing background, and an exceptional understanding of the game of golf. Add to that social awareness and historical depth, and you easily have the best author of golf books.
   
   In this instant classic, Frost details how an impromptu match between legendary pros Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, versus top amateurs (at the time) Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward, would present a fork in the road for the future of golf: would it remain the gentlemanly game of well heeled men playing only for honor, or would the best players come from the pro ranks where commercialism and money were also part of the incentive? Eras and egos collide, but in the end the participants celebrate the match with laughs over drinks in the Cypress clubhouse.
   
   Frost captures all the important shots with expert delivery of the risk/reward calculations involved, to the delight of readers that are also better players. All 4 played inspired golf shooting in "the 60's." Magical golf like this from everyone in the group is almost always the product of intense match play and, fittingly, the difference in the match was a truly perfect shot.
   
   The lives of the 4 participants plus the 2 men that sponsored the match are seamlessly weaved into the golfing tale, to the point where it's impossible to determine where the golf story ends and personal stories begin. You'll be on the proverbial "edge of your seat" wanting to know how both the golf and personal histories conclude.
   
   When Arnold Palmer burst onto the professional scene thereafer, it was clear where the future of golf was headed. And he's rightly credited with bringing golf to the masses. But importantly the stage had been set for the arrival of an Arnie-like character as a result of "The Match" played several years earlier.
   
   * Beyond "The Match" the history of the making of Cypress Golf at the book's end is worthy of special note. The visionary behind Cypress was an accomplished woman golfer from Long Island striking out on her own, and the original architect was Seth Raynor, associated with legendary Long Island courses The National and Shinnecock. When he died prior to laying out a plan, he was replaced by Alistair MacKenzie. The Englishman MacKenzie had been a battlefield surgeon in WWI, and he drew upon the "camoflouge" aspect of that battlegound experience and others in his golf course design philosophy. Although this resulted in highly difficult courses, his artistry meant players were too caught up in the visuals to even notice. Through Cypress, Bobby Jones met MacKenzie and subsequently commissioned him to design Augusta National. And the rest, as they, "is history."



3. Mark Frost leaves you breathless as he paints an unmatched literary canvas with words--you can hear it, see it, smell it, feel the tension. Throughout he intersperses snippets and bios of the players so you can't wait to get back to the action. Each time I put it down I looked forward to picking it up and reading it again. I have read also The Greatest Game Ever Played and The Grand Slam. Both excellent, but "The Match" to me was one of the richest literary creations on golf I have ever read.



4. 
   In The Greatest Game Ever Played, Mark Frost provides a brilliant account of 20-year-old Francis Ouimet's 18-hole playoff victory over Britons Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in the 1913 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, where Ouimet once caddied. That said, I think his account of an 18-hole match at Cypress Point Golf Club on the Monterey Peninsula (just before the annual "Crosby Clambake" in 1956) between professionals Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson against amateurs Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi describes a match at least as significant. His is certainly the best book on golf competition that I have ever read.
   
   With the curiosity of a cultural anthropologist and the skills of a master storyteller, Frost establishes and then explores a context within which four of the greatest golfers in the 1950s agreed to a "friendly match." They knew each other, respected each other, and enjoyed each other's company. However, in his own unique way, each was a ferocious competitor, especially when engaged in match play competition. Frost provides a hole-by-hole account (the primary story line) but he also brings to life each of the four competitors, explaining their respective backgrounds, personalities, and motivations while stressing their passion for the game of golf. The supporting cast includes Eddie Lowery who, when years old, caddied for Ouimet during his Open victory and is now a wealthy car dealer and among the leaders of the USGA. Also George Coleman, also a multi-millionaire as well as a member of Cypress Point who accepts Lowery's challenge to select any two professionals to compete against Ward and Venturi.
   
   Credit Frost with accomplishing two separate but related objectives: to provide a riveting account of the match itself over an especially challenging as well as beautiful course designed by Alister MacKenzie, and, to place the match within a much larger frame-of-reference that includes the emergence of professional golf following the retirement of Bob Jones, real estate development of the Monterey Peninsula area, and the evolving controversy about the meaning of the term "amateur," given the fact that both Venturi and Ward were two of Lowery's salaried employees who devoted almost all of their time and energy to competitive golf.
   
   Even those who have little (if any) interest in golf will thoroughly enjoy reading this book. It has everything: a full cast of colorful characters, several compelling story lines, multi-dimensional social commentary, and following the conclusion of the match, an "Afterward" that provides what Paul Harvey calls "the rest of the story" concerning the four competitors and their two supporters. Then in an Appendix, Frost provides historical information about the Peninsula before focusing his attention on Marion Hollins and her involvement in both competitive golf and efforts to realize her "oversized dreams" for the area.
   
   This is one of very few works of non-fiction that I have read in recent years that created in me a growing sense of sadness as I approached the last few pages. I really enjoyed it that much? Yes. In fact, I began to re-read it the next day and although I knew the outcome of the match, enjoyed the second reading at least as much as the first. Thank you, Mark Frost.



5. I found this incredible interview regarding how the game of Golf has changed over the years. You wouldn't believe the evolution! If you have any interest in the history of Golf, this is a must read. If you want to become even more knowledgeable on the subject, scroll to the bottom of the interview and get in touch with the author. After reading, I guarantee you will be able to lead the most interesting discussions and impress your friends!

5 comments about Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster.

1. I saw the Frontline documentary "Storm over Everest" by David Brashears which features interviews with several of the individuals mentioned in the book. You definitely get two different perspectives when watching the documentary and reading this book, but both accounts are riveting. I found myself pulling for the characters throughout the book, and I was exhausted when I finished.



2. In May 1996, a rogue storm killed nine climbers on Mount Everest, several of them from an expedition led by Rob Hall of New Zealand, the others from an expedition led by American Scott Fischer. Hall and Fischer were themselves counted among the victims. One of the survivors from Hall's expedition was John Krakauer, a writer from Outside Magazine, who had volunteered to go on the expedition to research and write a story on the commercialization of Everest.
   
   Krakauer was no inexperienced novice, having been a climber for over 30 years at the time of the expedition, and that is part of what makes his telling of the story particularly compelling. He had the background and personal experience necessary to write the story in a way that someone who had never climbed a mountain could not. And he was there when the disaster happened, observing with a writer's eye for details.
   
   I have never had any desire to climb a mountain, nor any real knowledge of mountain climbing, despite living near some of the most-climbed peaks in the Pacific Northwest - Mount Rainier and Mount Hood. I didn't pay much attention to the Everest disaster at the time, and all I remembered hearing before reading Krakauer's book was that some guy was able to call his wife on the phone from the top of Everest right before he died. Perhaps it was my recent unexplained interest in disaster stories that led me to Into Thin Air a few weeks ago, twelve years after the Everest disaster.
   
   In the author's note at the end of the book, Krakauer writes, "My intent ... was to tell what happened on the mountain as accurately and honestly as possible, and to do it in a sensitive and respectful manner." Krakauer succeeds in this admirably. There are no "bad guys" in this book, just real human beings who did the best they could in unexpected and calamitous circumstances. The book is not about blame, but about understanding what happened.
   
   Albeit through Krakauer's eyes, we get to know many of the climbers from Hall's and Fischer's expeditions as they prepare to ascend the mountain: a postal worker making his second attempt at Everest, an attorney who had climbed six of the Seven Summits, a pathologist, a publisher who had attempted Everest three times, an anesthesiologist, a cardiologist, a 47-year old Japanese woman, a female "millionaire socialite-cum-climber," among others. Most of the climbers had had at least some high-altitude climbing experience. We also get to know the leaders and guides for both expeditions, most of whom were very experienced climbers. These were expeditions that should have succeeded.
   
   The immediacy of Krakauer's writing, as he relives every day, every hour, and sometimes every minute of the experience, conveys the hard work involved in climbing to the peak of Everest and the desire that drove the climbers on, until a sudden turn in the weather left them struggling to stay alive in a hostile environment where they only had themselves to depend upon.
   
   No one seemed aware of the approaching storm. Some bad decisions were made. Mistakes and more bad decisions were made by men and women weakened both physically and mentally by the elements. In the end, some of the most experienced people failed to survive, while other less experienced people miraculously did.
   
   This is a true and tragic story that's not easily forgotten, especially by Krakauer, who ends his introduction to the book by confessing, "I was a party to the death of good people, which is something that is apt to remain on my conscience for a very long time." This is a story Krakauer had to tell in the way that only he could, and I for one am glad he shared it with us.



3. If you are interested in mountain climbing, and have not read this book, run right out and purchase it. The same is true, if you are a fan of non-fiction adventure stories where man is struggling for survival. This story tells of the disastrous events on Mount Everest in May of 1996, when eight people died in one storm while trying to summit. If you are thinking of reading only one book on this subject, then this is the book for you. The telling of the events that spelled out death for some, and life for others, is a first hand narration by Jon Krakauer, who was on the mountain to write a magazine article when the tragic events took place. You will not only learn about the events of 1996, but you will also learn how mountain climbing has become a profitable business, where clients pay large sums of money to have a chance to get to the top. In some case this guided climbing can help someone's dream that may have otherwise been impossible, come true. Still, in some cases there are clients who just shouldn't be attempting such a climb. I was surprised to come to an understanding that the mountain may actually become crowded, with lines of climbers waiting to traverse some tricky areas of the climb. Krakauer's analysis of the events, and his telling of the story reads like a novel. Although I knew basically how the story would end, even before beginning the book, I still found it to be a page-turner.



4. Krakauer said entirely untrue things about Anatoli Boukreev, one of the greatest mountaineers who ever lived, and the hero of the expedition. Boukreev wrote a book, THE CLIMB, about the same trek, explaining why he did what he did, but it wasn't as popular because his writing wasn't as polished as Krakauer's. There is no doubt that Boukreev single handedly rescued three of the climbers during a raging blizzard, climbers who would have died otherwise. I was reading THE CLIMB while on the Annapurna trek in 1999. I reached Annapurna base camp, and there was a memorial to Anatoli Boukreev, who had been killed in an avalanche while climbing Annapurna only 1 year 9 months before. I had no idea this memorial was there, and was awed and humbled by the combination of reading Boukreev's book, seeing his memorial and being in the same area where he had recently been killed. Boukreev should never have been ridiculed by Krakaur. Boukreev was one of the greatest climbers who ever lived, and he knew what he was doing.
   
   I believe Boukreev's words should be taken into account. They are quoted below:
   
   "I am writing because I think Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," which appeared in [the September, 1996 issue of Outside Magazine], was unjustly critical of my decisions and actions on Mount Everest on May 10, 1996. While I have respect for Mr. Krakauer, share some of his opinions about high altitude guiding and believe he did everything within his power to assist fellow climbers on that tragic day on Everest, I believe his lack of proximity to certain events and his limited experience at high altitude may have gotten in the way of his ability to objectively evaluate the events of summit day.
   
   My decisions and actions were based upon more than twenty years of high altitude climbing experience. In my career I have summitted Everest three times. I have twelve times summitted mountains over 8,000 meters. I have summitted seven of the world's fourteen mountains over 8,000 meters in elevation, all of those without the use of supplementary oxygen. This experience, I can appreciate, is not response enough to the questions raised by Mr. Krakauer, so I offer the following details.
   
   After fixing the ropes and breaking the trail to the summit, I stayed at the top of Everest from 1:07 PM. until approximately 2:30 PM., waiting for other climbers to summit. During that time only two client climbers made the top. They were Klev Schoening, seen in the summit photograph (pages 46-47) taken by me, and Martin Adams, both of them from Scott Fischer's expedition. Concerned that others were not coming onto the summit and because I had no radio link to those below me, I began to wonder if there were difficulties down the mountain. I made the decision to descend.
   
   Just below the summit I encountered Rob Hall, the expedition leader from New Zealand, who appeared to be in good shape. Then I passed four of Scott Fischer's client climbers and four of his expedition's Sherpas, all of whom were ascending. They all appeared to be alright. Above the Hillary Step I saw and talked with Scott Fischer, who was tired and laboring, but he said he was just a little sick. There was no apparent sign of difficulty, although I had begun to suspect that his oxygen supply was, then, already depleted. I said to Scott that the ascent seemed to be going slowly and that I was concerned descending climbers could possibly run out of oxygen before their return to camp IV. I explained I wanted to descend as quickly as possible to camp IV in order to warm myself and gather a supply of hot drink and oxygen in the event I might need to go back up the mountain to assist descending climbers. Scott, as had Rob Hall immediately before him, said "OK" to this plan.
   
   I felt comfortable with the decision, knowing that four Sherpas, Neal Beidleman (like me, a guide), Rob Hall and Scott Fischer would be bringing up the rear to sweep the clients to camp IV. Understand, at this time there were no clear indications that the weather was going to change and deteriorate as rapidly as it did.
   
   Given my decision: (1) I was able to return to camp IV by shortly after 5:00 PM. (Slowed by the advancing storm), gather supplies and oxygen and, by 6:00 PM., begin my solo effort in the onset of a blizzard to locate straggling climbers; and (2) I was able, Finally, to locate lost and huddled climbers, re-supply them with oxygen, offer them warming tea and provide them the physical support and strength necessary to get them to the safety of camp IV.
   
   Also, Mr. Krakauer raised a question about my climbing without oxygen and suggested that perhaps my effectiveness was compromised by that decision. In the history of my career, as I have detailed it above, it has been my practice to climb without supplementary oxygen. In my experience it is safer for me, once acclimatized, to climb without oxygen in order to avoid the sudden loss of acclimatization that occurs when supplementary oxygen supplies are depleted.
   
   My particular physiology, my years of high altitude climbing, my discipline, the commitment I make to proper acclimatization and the knowledge I have of my own capacities have always made me comfortable with this choice. And, Scott Fischer was comfortable with this choice as well. He authorized me to climb without supplementary oxygen.
   
   To this I would add: As a precautionary measure, in the event that some extraordinary demand was placed upon me on summit day, I was carrying one (1) bottle of supplementary oxygen, a mask and a reductor. As I was ascending, I was for a while climbing with Neal Beidleman. At 8,500 meters, after monitoring my condition and feeling that it was good, I elected to give my bottle of oxygen to Neal, about whose personal supply I was concerned. Given the power that Neal was able to sustain in his later efforts to bring clients down the mountain, I feel it was the right decision to have made.
   
   Lastly, Mr. Krakauer raised a question about how I was dressed on summit day, suggesting I was not adequately protected from the elements. A review of summit day photographs will show that I was clothed in the latest, highest quality, high altitude gear, comparable, if not better, than that worn by the other members of our expedition.
   
   In closing, I would like to say that since May 10, 1996, Mr. Krakauer and I have had many opportunities to reflect upon our respective experiences and memories. I have considered what might have happened had I not made a rapid descent. My opinion: Given the weather conditions and the lack of visibility that developed, I think it likely I would have died with the client climbers that in the early hours of May 11, I was able to find and bring to camp IV, or I would have had to have left them on the mountain to go for help in camp IV where, as was in the reality of events that unfolded, there was nobody able or willing to conduct rescue efforts.
   
   I know Mr. Krakauer, like me, grieves and feels profoundly the loss of our fellow climbers. We both wish that events would have unfolded in a very different way. What we can do now is contribute to a clearer understanding of what happened that day on Everest in the hope that the lessons to be learned will reduce the risk for others who, like us, take on the challenge of the mountains. I extend my hand to him and encourage that effort."
   
   My personal regards,
   Anatoli Boukreev
   Almaty, Kazakhstan
   
   Anatoli Boukreev was killed in an avalanche December of 1997 on a winter ascent of Annapurna.



5. I remember the spring of 1996 and the Everest disasters very well. I was stuck in traffic when a writer named Jon Krakauer was briefly interviewed on NPR when he first returned as one of the survivors of a deadly climb. I had never given mountaineering or Everest much thought but the drama, and especially Krakauer's traumatized voice, inspired a curiosity I've only now actually pursued by reading this book.
   
   If you have ever been at a popular tourist spot when several buses pulled up and disgorged different tours, you have the picture of what mountaineering on Everest had become by 1996. The golden era of exploration and mountaineering on Everest was over. Commercial expeditions charging $65,000 a head would take up clients who could pay, not necessarily those who were vetted mountaineers. Base Camp was a cross between a vanity fair and a scout jubilee. Krakauer, a practiced climber who was commissioned by Outside Magazine to write about the experience, had signed on with an ethical and highly skilled outfit. There was, to the climbers, little warning that anything could go wrong. Across the next several weeks, the climbers moved slowly up the mountain, becoming acclimated. Perhaps the first clue of the reality of Everest was encountering dead bodies from previous years that had simply been left behind. The 1996 groups kept going. The ravages of altitude sickness, the increasing consumption of oxygen canisters, and the physical punishment should have been more flags. The day scheduled for achieving the summit became a train wreck of bad choices, rejection of basic guidelines such as turn around times, altitude sickness, and the surprise of a subzero storm that suddenly grabbed the top of the world with hurricane force. The scramble for survival meant, in some cases, abandoning people for dead on the mountain, people who had become comrades on the ropes. Krakauer documents incredible stories of heroism and survival, as well as the death toll and permanent physical injuries incurred by some.
   
   Krakauer is an astonishing writer who does a good job of sorting out a confusing series of events. Realizing the limitations of one person's memory in the midst of a traumatic experience that has bequeathed a sense of guilt, he went back and interviewed other survivors to get at the truth. Although he never imposes overarching themes on the narrative, his story illustrates classic conflicts as humans are seen tempting mortality on the grandest scale on earth. The more they push their human capacities, the more the mountain seems determined to push the climbers down into their very flawed human place. In the end, this is not so much a tour of a mountain as it is an exploration of humanity. There are a lot of Monday morning quarterbacks pointing fingers at those who survived, and some are pointed weakly at Krakauer, but I found this to be very evenly handled.

5 comments about Strength Training Anatomy.

1. If your new to working out then this book is for you. If you know the basics already then you don't really need this book.



2. I had hit a plato in my strength training and the CTO of my company recommended this book because it shows different way to focus on the same muscle groups. This book is very helpful and the diagrams are so detailed, also points out incorrect ways of doing exercises which helps prevent injury. I got everything that I expected out of this book! Amazing book for the value.



3. This book is incredible in its details. You get a complete picture of how each muscle is used during a certain exercise. I've never seen a book with this level of detail. Great for both men and women who lift to get a better understanding of muscles used. Includes upper and lower body diagrams!



4. This is a great book for anyone who is looking for a better understanding of exercise physiology.



5. Excellent reference book for pro or layperson. For example, what muscles
   are you working when you do pull ups? Watch video below:
   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N0N--gkaSg
   
   The 16 Minute Body Sculpting Kit: Attain Your Dream Body in Just 16 Minutes a Day!

5 comments about Yankee for Life: My 40-Year Journey in Pinstripes.

1. Sorry this isn't a review of the book, but I wanted to correct a previous reviewer that said that the trade of Munson for Bobby Bonds "backfired" since Bonds was gone after one season. But look who they got for Bonds: a 20-game winning pitcher (Ed Figeuroa) and a sparkplug leadoff hitter (Mickey Rivers). I think that trade was one big reason why they won the WS in '77 and '78. So, in effect, they got those two key players for Mercer, so I wouldn't say the trade backfired.



2. Bobby Murcer begins the book with the shocking news he received on Christmas Eve 2006 that he had a brain tumor. He then tells his life story in an engaging "real-person" manner with just the right amount of detail.
   
   There are occasional remarks reserved for his wife Kay, which adds another interesting perspective to Murcer's interesting career with the Yankees, Giants, Cubs, then Yankees again.
   
   When Murcer goes into greater depth regarding the removal of his tumor and the extensive treatments for his brain cancer, it's as if the reader can hear him speaking. He never complains about the fatal hand he has been dealt, and closes the book on an upbeat note. A truly courageous man.



3. Having been a Bobby Murcer fan for my entire adult life, this book did nothing but reinforce that. While I was saddened to learn of his cancer and even more saddened by his recent death, this book provides insight into his fight, his attitude toward the disease, and the support he received from his family, his friends, and his faith. So, while it is not just a "sports" book, it does include numerous stories about his relationships with many greats of the game...both on the field and in the broadcast booth. It is in Bobby's down-home style..full of his sense of humor including asides to himself! On the baseball side, it is a memoir of his dedication to the team that originally signed him and the team he will be remembered most playing for...the Yankees.
   Bottom line? Loved it, quick read, and a must for any Bobby Murcer fan!



4. was a Chicago Cub for two seasons, during that part of his life he referred to as his "exile" from Yankee pinstripes. Near the end of his playing career, he was traded back to the Yankees for a short time before leaving the playing field for the broadcasting booth.
   
   I was brought up to be a Cubs fan, a National League fan at a time when there were few inter-league games other than the World Series. I didn't know much of what was going on "on the other side" and knew of Murcer only as a Cub.
   
   Reading his autobiography, shortly after hearing about his death from brain cancer, I was struck by what a complete life he lived in his 60 years. Not much was wasted, either in his professional or personal life.
   He seemed to regret little in his life, other than his shilling for Big Tobacco. If at the end of the day, that's all that's regretted, then it was a life well-lived.
   
   My condolences to his wife Kay and his family.



5. I read the book shortly before Bobby Murcer's death and was impressed by his good nature, dignity and what has come to be known as "class". His love of family, baseball and the Yankees shines through every page. Diagnosed with a brain tumor on Christmas Eve, he never wallowed in self pity or bitterness. He was positive throughtout and, while he knew his life would be shortened by the disease, he never gave up and was an inspiration to others who were suffering from the same illness. If you are a baseball fan, or just a fan of nice people, you'll enjoy this book.

5 comments about The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport.

1. Background: I'm a big time golfer, but have had insane difficulty in learning the sport and playing well. Despite having a wife that's a Librarian, I don't read much. When this book came across the shelf, she picked it up for me and said it was a must read.
   
   I don't know anything about Carl Hiaasen and his previous books. What I do know is this book speaks to anyone who's had a remote difficulty with the game. So many of his stories were practically my autobiography with the sport of golf, despite my 30 years of age difference between myself and the author. I laughed out loud more times than I can remember during this book.
   
   This book is the real Chicken Soup for the Golfer's Soul. I'm sure most golfers can relate with Carl's experiments, including buying new clubs, the latest gimmics, reading Dr. Bob Rotella, taking many lessons... anything to find that Holy Grail of playing great golf.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone who has become frustrated with golf at ANY point in time.



2. I'm going to be polite and just say I did not care for this book. To say that this is the only book I have ever read that made me want to personally return it to the author with an official letter of complaint would be counterproductive and no mention of it will be made. Up to this point, I have been a huge fan. This autobiographical golf tale exposes Mr. Hiassen for the spoiled, name dropping, extrememly uninteresting, self absorbed and whining baby boomer that he apparently is. Get a fork, Carl and stick it in. You are done around my place. How dare you waste my time and money. The one star rating is a technicality. No stars wouldn't go through.



3. Having enjoyed several of Hiaasen's novels, "Skin Tight" being my personal favorite, I had high hopes for this book. Although there are several funny segments, the overall tone of whininess and self-flagellation got tiresome after a while. Golf is hard & frustrating, eh? Who knew?



4. Good idea of what it is like to try to get better at this game. Enjoyable read!



5. Excellent book! Love the author's sense of humor. My husband's a long-tme golfer but I have no interest. Actually, the subject of golf is extremely boring to me. However, I purchased this audio-book for a car trip and both of us REALLY enjoyed it.

5 comments about Peek-A Who?.

1. This is one of my daughter's favorite books! It's nice and short and easy for them to memorize. My daughter can anticipate what the next page has because of the 'windows' on the pages. This is a great book for toddlers!



2. My 13 month old loves this book. It actually inspired her fifth word! We were reading the book and as I was about to say "Peek-A... Moo", I heard this tiny "eek-a" from my daughter. I turned the page for Peek-a-Boo, and before I could say anything, she did it again - "eek-a". It's repetitious so I think it taught her to say the word. Now she loves to say "eek-a" before I turn the page. I don't know that you can find "eek-a" in a Webster's, but I'll take it!



3. I like this book because it's very different than other baby books. The illustrations are very cute. My 10 month old son likes it a lot, I just wish it had a few more pages!



4. Peek-A Who is a favorite of my three your old granddaughter (we made a Dutch translation). It is the joy of understanding what is on the next page. The owl and the mirror she likes best.



5. My grandfather bought this book for my 13 month old and my son absolutely loves it. I read it 5-10 times every chance he can get it on my lap. He gets really excited the closer I get to the back page. He loves seeing himself and then freaks out with joy! BUY THIS book... they love the holes in the pages, the colors and the repetition of the story.

5 comments about The Dangerous Book for Boys.

1. My twin 12 year old boys came out to stay with me this summer. I just read them the Battle of the Alamo last night. I see why schools think kids have adhd and no focus. The schools have no focus! Giving background to the story I talked about Davie Crockett and Daniel Boone. When I was a kid these guys were mythical heros. My boys had not been familiar with either of these two. Schools complain that kids aren't interested in learning. Perhaps they have to teach something interesting. Kudos for this book.



2. I bought this for my 9 year old grandson and he has really enjoyed it so far and will for years to come. I told him that since I hate to hear the words "I'm bored" he now has no excuse to say them around me again. He can pull out this book and find plenty of amusement!



3. I originally bought this book for my son, he's 11. He loves it. Unfortunately my husband and 6 brothers won't give it back to him, yet. They've enjoyed the 'projects' as much as my son has.



4. This is a great father/son book. There are things in there that I was never taught to do, so both my son and I are learning. Great stuff to do together!



5. My nine year old twin girls love the book. Sure, they have no interest in hunting rabbits (they're vegetarians) or famous battles in history (at least not yet), but there's a lot in here for any kid who is not on too tight of a parental leash. Get this and the girls' book too. A lot of worthwhile bits in each.

2 comments about Pro Football Prospectus 2008: The Essential Guide to the 2008 Pro Football Season (Pro Football Prospectus).

1. One Moment Changes Everything: The All-America Tragedy of Don Rogers
   Of all the books that rely on statistical information to be applied in a useful way (fantasy football), Pro Football Prospectus is, to me, the very best. It doesn't seem as easy to use as the baseball version, but at over 500 pages, it's incredibly heavy on the stats, which are listed in numerous ways, then compared and analyzed dispassionately (you won't believe the ways they use statistics to uncover who is undervalued, and who is overvalued). It covers every team, and every player. Strengths, weaknesses, injuries. It all helps make FF drafts easier than some of the similar books now available (though, admittedly, I haven't seen them all). The fact that PFP 08' is the first one available this summer doesn't hurt. Once you get used to it, it's easy to reference, meticulously organized and, of course, heavy on the nuts and bolts, (but paper-thin on the glitz). If you just want to win arguments, or want information about a particular player's personal life, it's too heavy for you. If you want information on just your favorite team, there are better places to get it (media guides, for one). It really is only for ultra-serious, intense fans of the game, and, of course, FF players. For roughly $15.00 online, how can you go wrong? I haven't seen anything else on the market that comes close.
   --Sean D. Harvey



2. Football Outsiders/Pro Football Prospectus is the best thing going as far as public football analysis.
   
   This edition needed a more thorough editing job. It abounds with typos, transposed numbers and missing negative signs.
   
   Additionally, the authors make a fair ammount of errors. Correlation and causation are confused, conclusions are drawn from questionable sample sizes, context and interrelatedness of statistics aren't considered strongly enough. In the text-heavy portions, it seems that the FO team tries to "force" analysis and discussion instead of approaching their subject with the detachment of scientists.
   
   That said, at times the analysis is superlative and there is great data in here from the charting of NFL games from the last few seasons.

5 comments about Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World.

1. A grand comprehensive book accounting the epic 1960 olympics. From broad sweeping history changing events to anectotal details. This book presents humanity and sociology played out through the drama of olympic physical and psychologic competition...... Not a surprize from an author who has proven his worth through other wrings.. . . . He puts you into a juxtaposition of events. A time of change/intrigue/excitement at a pivotal juncture of sports/personalities/media. As the 1960 olympics progess the enigmatic relationships and quality of atmosphere are brilliantly presented by Maraniss.



2. I bought this book after hearing an interview with Maraniss on NPR. Normally, this isn't my kind of book. I'm not an athlete. I'm not a fanatic about the Olympics. I'd rather knit or read a cozy mystery that I can breeze through in a night. And yet, I love this book.
   
   Each chapter is like a short essay on some facet of the 1960 Olympics: the controverial decision in the men's swimming event, the Tigerbelles' encounters with racisim on their road the Olympics, the political controvery between China and Taiwan, and more. Maraniss paints a picture of the world's political and social climate to show how those factors affected the 1960 Olympics and how the 1960 Olympics affected the world.
   
   Each story is compelling--48 years later, I feel minor outrage that Lance Larson wasn't awarded the gold for men's swimming. I understand the terror Rafer Johnson must have felt outside of Lenin Stadium when the Russian crowd surged toward him after his defeat of Kuznetsov. Maraniss deftly captures the human stories and makes this reader care. I'm only 5 chapters into the book, but I wish I could skip work today to finish the rest of the book.
   
   Before reading this book, I hadn't watched the Olympics in over 20 years. Now, I'm psyched for 2008 Summer Olympics!



3. The world is changing so fast right now that most of us can barely keep up with the daily news that affects our lives, jobs and future. So, it's a rare and wonderful treat when a book comes along that carries us back to a time and place when the world changed more slowly - to show us one of those events that truly did change our global culture. When such books come along, they're usually about wars - but not this new gem by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Maraniss.
   
   Given my own background as a journalist, I'll confess that I was puzzled by Maraniss' decision in selecting "Rome 1960" for a thick new book of nearly 500 pages (that's counting all the extras at the end). As I picked up the book, I kept asking myself: Why did he call this particular meet -- "The Olympics that Changed the World"?
   
   As a specialist in religion and culture, I've immersed myself in histories of other Olympics: the 1924 "Chariots of Fire" Olympics, the 1936 Nazi-dominated Olympics, the 1972 Olympics when terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes - and even the 1964 Tokyo Olympics that were a milestone in global culture in part because of Kon Ichikawa's historic documentary film.
   
   But having read Maraniss' new book, I've got to agree - Rome in 1960 ranks right up there as a milestone in world culture.
   
   I had not considered the roles of the major players who all collided in Rome that year - including the now-infamous anti-Semite and pro-Nazi American czar of the Olympics movement: Avery Brundage. If you don't find yourself drawn to "Sports" - but you are fascinated by 20th-Century history, especially the 1930s, Fascism and the Holocaust - this is a "must read" book for you. Think of it as a "sequel" to books about the controversial Nazi Olympics in which Hitler, Goebbels and Riefenstahl essentially pulled a fast one on Brundage in convincing him to help them celebrate their glorious new Reich.
   
   As a journalist, I'm a longtime follower of new research into that earlier era - and Maraniss picks up the Brundage story in 1960 and pretty much nails the man and his many levels of hypocrisy - and lets us see how this antique figure collided with many of the realities of later-20th-Century culture. Among the key details Maraniss adds to our understanding of Brundage are personal jottings he made during the Rome Olympics that, among other things, complained of the emergence of "Jews ... demanding restitution for everything lost and lot more." (Of course, Brundage somehow managed to continue at the helm through 1972 in Munich, where controversy continued to surround his decisions.)
   
   What's great about this new book is that everything I've said about the Brundage sub-plot is just one of many compelling storylines that Maraniss explores in these 500 pages. Among other things: These were the Olympics in which Cassius Clay exploded onto the global stage, later to transform himself into Muhammad Ali. These were the games of Wilma Rudolph. These were the games in which commercial interests were knocking down old-school barriers that claimed to be preserving an "amateur" tradition. Doping became an issue at Rome. Two Chinas and two Germanys jostled at these games.
   
   This is summer reading at its best. The next Olympic games are looming. The world is no longer merely tilting on its axis. No, global culture now is spinning at a topsy-turvy rate, it seems.
   
   Pick up "Rome 1960." If you're like me, you won't stop until you've read the whole thing - and you'll come away understanding just a little more about how we all got to this place we're standing in this strange new century.



4. Mr. Maraniss is a former reporter of the Washington Post and author of acclaimed biographies of Bill Clinton and Vince Lombardi. He is a wonderful writer and storyteller. With the approach of the 2008 Summer Games, "Rome, 1960" takes us back to a simple era, without the terrorism threats, outrageous commerialism and non-stop TV coverage. The Cold War was the backdrop and the author weaves in the stories of the athletes, the familiar and the unfamiliar. I don't know that these Olympics changed the world as Mr. Maraniss argues (the 1968 Games in Mexico City or the Munich Games in 1972 have a better claim) but the world has changed since then.



5. "Olympics that Changed The World." Huh?
   
   Once again ... "Olympics That Changed The World." What the?
   
   Rome 1960? Really? Maraniss cannot be serious. What an absurd title!

2 comments about The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life.

1. This excellent game plan for the gridiron of life was 23 years in the making.
   
   Over that time period, coach Jim Tressel has utilized such a manual for his Youngstown State and Ohio State teams. And this book is the guide presented to players at the start of each season.
   
   The main source that inspired Tressel came from the home; his father, Lee, was a long-time head football coach and athletics director at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Lee was nationally-renowned in the coaching community for his work with young people. But Lee also had a "head coach" in reaching out to others.
   
   "She (Lee's wife, Eloise) typed the practice schedules for my dad's teams, because at a small school the athletic department didn't have money for a secretary. She sewed the players' names on the back of their jerseys at Baldwin-Wallace College for many years," writes Tressel, in a section on living with an attitude of gratitude.
   
   "And her service was always motivated by a perspective of gratitude," he continues. "She was grateful that her husband had a chance to coach and to have an impact on all those young men. Because of her service and her involvement in the community, she was selected as an outstanding citizen in the city of Berea long before my dad was."
   
   Each day will bring additional challenges, which may lead someone to tackle new avenues and goals. "(I)f a player says, 'I really want to excel at football, but I feel that medicine is my life's calling,' we help that player map out a plan to make it to medical school. It might be medical school, law school, or some other career path, but we want to help every player achieve his goals," writes Tressel.
   
   "Executing a plan to reach our full potential takes a lot of preparation. We must first uncover all the hidden things that can help or hinder our putting that plan into action. Excellent preparation takes tremendous commitment, focus, and discipline," he adds. "The willingness to do what it takes to execute that plan will yield excellence, but it doesn't just happen. Achieving excellence requires a great deal of hard work."
   
   With proceeds from the book to benefit the renovation of The Ohio State University main library, Tressel is making sure that a foundation in books will be available to every OSU student and researcher using the college's vast library system.
   
   Tressel is a successful coach who has led teams to five national titles. But the book is an inspirational guide to strive to be the best in any situation, on and off the field.



2. One Moment Changes Everything: The All-America Tragedy of Don Rogers
   I'm West Coast born and raised. Too often we fans, and sportswriters, get caught up in regionalism and bias. We may call it "loyalty", but that's a nice word for what often comes across as petty whining because our coach, team or region isn't constantly praised by the media. It's nothing terminal, that is, until we take those perceived slights personally. In the writing of my book about former Cleveland Browns' star safety, Don Rogers, I had the opportunity to gain an insight into what I will admit was a foreign people: football fans of Ohio. So it was with a slightly more enlightened perspective than, say, I would have had some years ago, that I read "The Winners Manual" by Ohio State head coach, Jim Tressel. Never mind that the proceeds from the book go to the school's already amazing library. That's just the icing on the cake. The book is a how-to manual for organization, and road map into the mind of Tressel, a man who excels in one of the toughest jobs--including being in the highest levels of politics--that a person could ever have.
   
   I believe we bend ourselves toward our goals, and it isn't any one thing that gets us there. If your looking for insight into the great Jim Tressel, this book will help. But if your looking for a guide in which to help you live a better, more organized life, The Winners Manual is a must-read, along the lines of some of John Wooden's best books, and books by the best and brightest CEOs this country has produced. Learn from, and surround yourself with winners, and success will follow.
   
   Ohio is the country's center in so many ways, but I've come to know it's football fan base as, by far, the most loyal and informed in the country. And in every sense, Tressel is the CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation that insists on excellence performed under a powerful and exacting microscope. I think he succeeds admirably. And this book can both help you understand how he does it, and how you too might get the most out of your life, as well.