Sports Books

Recruiting is where a team is made. You can only take a team so far if you don't have top flight athletes, especially in the SEC. Meat Market is a great look into the recruiting process, and how far teams have to go in order to get the top tier players. Coach O is an amazing character, and fits perfectly into this story.

Also, this books works because it shows a team that is trying to get back to the top. If it would have been about USC or Florida, it wouldn't have gotten the point across, as they get some recruits on name alone. This book does a great job of show the ins and outs of recruiting, and how much work actually goes into it, even during the season.

A great ready for anyone who is a college football fan, fan of the SEC, or wants to know more about the game.

The read is quite interesting and there are gathered a lot of terms and aspects which are find out along a program's (in this case, Ole Miss) recruiting year... Bruce Feldman find himself within the rebels war room and describes how Ole Miss staff faces recruiting, summer camps, workouts, on the road recruiting, etc... giving a lot of histories and curiosities which they find out in the process... Ed Orgeron is a recruiter guru and you'll understand some behaviors that you maybe didn't ever noticed about the recruiting market. It's well-written and will grip you.

I heard about this book during the 2008 Rose Bowl. I highly recommend this book to any college football fan. It gives a glimpse into the bizarre world of college football recruiting. The book deals mostly with the the class of 2007. Any sports fan will enjoy this book.

This book seemed as if it would never end. Never.

Over and over again, then over and over again. Yes, kind of like the recruiting process but this book needed a good editor, someone who could scale it down, make it more concise and directed. More focused.

Has some good insight into recruiting, especially as it relates campus and interdepartmental stresses and strains. But it never succeeded in making the coaches real flesh and blood people. They came across as cartoon like characters while Coach O, the ultimate cartoon character, ranted and raved. The book needed more character development of the coaches. It had facts, facts galore, but it never really made the coaches real live human beings. How, for example, did the recruiting demands affect their marriages and their family relationships.

A good idea, at the wrong time with the wrong staff and badly in need of an editor. Someone to corral the information in the book and give it focus.

When Ole Miss fired Coach O, this book was most likely rendered to the bargain table. If you are a college football junkie, buy it there, don't pay full price.

The events in the book chronicle the 2007 University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) recruiting season and focus on head coach Ed Orgeron. It sounds great in theory - to be a fly on the wall at a college football program. And after reading Michael Lewis's fascinating The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game about Ole Miss recruit Michael Oher, "Meat Market" sounded like a perfect behind-the-scenes companion guide. But unfortunately, there's not much variation or substance to this book.

There's certainly no shortage of unrecognizable recruit names and their esoteric statistics. And this feels more like padding than real content.

Further, nearly every single recruit in the book is portrayed the exact same way - their behavior is erratic and immature. The most highly touted recruit in the 2007 class - Joe McKnight - seems on the verge of signing with Ole Miss. But, he disappears the night before signing day... and commits to USC. And another running back, after initially committing to Ole Miss, turns around and signs with rival Mississippi, saying it was because they gave him the number 2 for his jersey. What's also redundant is the sheer number of players that have academic and behavior problems.

If there's a positive to "Meat Market," it's how the football coaching profession is totally un-glamorized. I now appreciate just how hard these guys work - how much research goes into recruiting and how hard you have to pursue a recruit. Ole Miss never does anything shady, but you get the feeling that lots of underhanded tactics come into play when you're in this profession. And you know it's a thankless job, because Orgeron was actually fired in the season that takes place after the events of this book.

Overall, "Meat Market" is decent, but I preferred "The Blind Side."

I'm usually concerned about purchasing items on line, especially books. I can honestly say that this experience was worth it. I would recommend this seller to anyone interested in purchasing good quality books at extremely reasonable prices.

Buy with confidence, I did!

I can't recall the number of non-fiction books that I've read. Little matter, this is the most incredible true story that I've read!!
Laura Hillenbrand has captured a time in American History. She is a true storyteller who has done impeccable research. It must have been the time she spent in Gambier, Ohio at Kenyon College that inspired her to such great in depth writing.
For those of you who have not read this book or have not seen the excellent movie, you're in for an incredible treat. Trust Me!!
If I were writing fiction, this true story would not have been told. Charles Howard, Red Pollard and Tom Smith are indeed the Holy Trinity. Remember these names, after reading this book, you will never forget them.
One little horse, so much history!!! Incredible!!!!

I have recently read Seabiscuit and watched the film and found both to be very compelling. We dont think much anymore about the dark days of the Depression but Laura Hillenbrand puts us right back in the middle of it. The important lesson was to look to the future as Charles Howard implored, the sun will come up tomorrow.

Three incredible characters intersect with this horse of unknown promise. Howard is the wealthy owner, despondent over the death of his son and unsure how to live the life of leisure; Red Pollard is a jockey not able to break into the big-time, due to his attitude, blindness, and injuries; Tom Smith is a taciturn man who belongs in the 19th century of his youth, not the modern world. Together they develop and promote Seabiscuit, a horse of incredible bloodlines, yet given up on by better trainers due to his work habits, attitude, injuries, and size.

Eventually the Biscuit wins all the stakes in the state of California and gets a shot at a match race with the great Eastern horse and Triple Crown winner, War Admiral. Both horses are descendants of the great Man'o'war, but the eastern elites dont want to give the western upstart his chance. After a few cancellations due to injuries and prickly owners, the match race goes off in Baltimore and the smaller horse brings it home.

The book is more enlighting with respect to the fuller stories of the characters, especially the relationship between the jockeys and Pollard's romance and marriage to a Boston nurse. The movie brings the times to life. Howard and Pollard were the raconteurs who made Seabiscuit the hero of the little guys during those lean years. Dont forget, tough times dont last but tough guys do.

Ms. Hillenbrand is an equally interesting story. She suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and is only able to work at a fraction of the typical writer. Here she focused her energy on this story and these times. Seabiscuit has been the story many times in film and books but Ms. Hillenbrand brings it to life for us.

This book is a true American legend at its best. "Seabiscuit" was written by Laura Hillenbrand based on a true story of one horse and jockey's incredible life. This biography is set in the 1930's and 1940's and takes you on a journey with someone and something that no one believed in until they were given a chance to prove themselves. The perseverance of these two characters is admirable; they never give up, no matter what. The jockey, John Pollard, was struggling in life until given the shot to show he was more than just an average jockey. Seabiscuit, on the other hand, is my favorite character; he never accepts the possibility of losing. Pollard and Seabiscuit's relationship started when trainer Tom Smith paired them together out on the racetrack. I love that they were given a chance to prove everyone wrong by winning race after race with odds stacked against them; both had been injured numerous times. Read about how they smashed people's disbelief and made history, performing one of the greatest comebacks in all of sports. The theme of "never giving up no matter what" would most likely interest people who enjoy sports novels. "Seabiscuit" is truly the greatest sports story of all time.

Seabiscuit is a great story, book, and movie. If you have not read it, buy it today and start reading. You will not be disappointed.

This is a very solid collection, and a reminder of what a talented writer Mr. Halberstam was. The themes he would turn into books can be found throughout the essays. He was, it seems, most interested in the combination of race, the media, fame, and friendship. There is a certain weight toward his more recent writings (much of it available online through espn.com and other sites). Certainly worth reading, and for those of us who found Halberstam to be the most gifted writer who happened to write about sports, it is a must have book.

Sally does a great job at teaching this critical aspect of riding. My child has leaped ahead and understands the dynamics of horse and rider together.

This is really the only decent book on how to ride centered. The only problem is that the imagery is more confusing than it is helpful at least for me. But I am the kind of person that needs to be told how to do something(tilt your pelvis, relax your ankles) rather than be told to think like a tree(whatever that means!!!)

I still recommend this book because it does contain excellent detail on the proper way to ride. The anatomy lessons are excellent and explain WHY(based on physics) you have to sit a certain way. I just find myself rereading this book over and over to get a full appreciation of the information.

I love this book. I ordered these books for my riding students for Christmas. They were shipped just in time for Christmas.

Being a novice rider who has been interested in zen methods and meditations for years, I would have bought this book even if it contained only this one piece of advice that I've seen in no other publication. The advice: Ask someone to check your posture while you're sitting on the horse, looking at you from behind because one side is usually stronger than the other and the stronger side tends to be shorter. This unevenness can be observed from the back because the line of the spine and the pant's seam do not come over the horse's backbone. The author then explains how to correct this problem, even though it feels wrong at first and it takes time to become comfortable with balanced riding.

Sally Swift's use of visualization to practice correct breathing, maintain soft eyes, etc. is also quite useful to me, because it gives me a way to direct my attention to the discipline at hand and less to trying so hard to do it right.

"Centered Riding" is a book that I was thrilled to find and it will be a valuable reference to me as I begin to learn to ride correctly on the sweet and gentle Standardbred gelding that I recently adopted from the Second Wind Adoption Program in West Union, West Virginia.

excellent book for any rider.great book to keep for future reference. excellent drawings that help you visualize what the author is referring to for certain lessons.

"When I stood up and took my warm-up jacket off, everybody from our neighborhood stood up with me. There was a roar that made even the players on the floor look over to see what was going on..." Do you want to find out what happens next? Well then read this novel to see for your self.

This book is about a young basketball player, Lonnie, that has the potential to become a superstar in the NBA. The team he plays on is from Harlem, New York and with some help from his coach, Cal, he leads his team to the championship.

The book Hoops by Walter Dean Myers is a great novel for 7th to 9th grade readers. I couldn't believe the ending and I thought it would go a totally different way. I was asking myself when this & that were going to happen; and so many other questions. I thought it was even more exciting at the end because there is basketball envolved so its like watching the last seconds of a game tick away. I thought the theme of this book is a great life leason and it can be found on page 183. "I know I can't win all the time, but I got to keep myself in the game, got to keep my game together, so at least I have a chance. I think the theme is you can't always win but you still have to try and give it your best shot. I think this because Lonnie is use to winning all the time and then he loses something at the end.(Can't say what so read and find out)

Lonnie is a seventeen-year-old basketball player from Harlem. He wants to do something with his life but he hasn't really thought much beyond high school and basketball. This summer there is a huge tournament for teams throughout the city. Lonnie and his friends form a team, and are assigned a coach, a man named Cal whom Lonnie thinks is a worthless drunk. At first Lonnie even refuses to play, but then changes his mind and joins the team.

As the team starts practicing for the tournament, Lonnie ends up spending a lot more time with Cal, who is harder on him than on anyone else on the team. Lonnie comes to realize that Cal, a former NBA player who ruined his career by gambling, really thinks his basketball game has promise. Maybe it even has enough promise to get him noticed by college scouts.

I liked that the characters in this story all had faults; it made them much more engaging. You usually expect the coach in a story like this to be wise or to have learned from his mistakes, but Cal was still fighting his demons, which made him much more real.

HOOPS

This story is about seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson who is a terrific basketball player who participated in a citywide basketball tournament of champions. Lonnie's coach Cal knows he can make it to the NBA if he doesn't pressure it. Cal knows because he once? Had A chance. Could Lonnie and his teammates blow a chance of a lifetime.
Hoop's is one of the best basketball books I've read yet. It will thrill you as you read through this book's pages at a time. This book will leave your moth wide open and surprised by the end of the book. Since this book was so good I would rate this book at the top.

The book i read is called HOOPS by Walter Dean Myers. HOOPS is a good book about a boy named Lonnie trying to get to the NBA. It shows how difficult it is to get to the NBA. I think you should read HOOPS because it will give you knowledge of what you have to go thruogh to get to the NBA. Hoops is for all basketball lovers. If you want to learn more about HOOPS then read the book.

This was on the board approved list for my school and I read it in hopes of teaching it to my class. Sex, drugs, cheating, stealing and alcohol...there is a good message, but it is hidden pretty deeply. I would let students read this if they are advanced in maturity and had a good set of values, otherwise I would not want my teens to read this.

I was so excited when I came across these 'research guides' in a used book store, they are a wonderful addition! My kids have enjoyed the series so much, but the books are a little young for some fans, but they love getting the research guide to deepen their understanding of the settings and get good background information. With the summer Olympics upcoming, I made sure to have this research guide available before school ended.

In a recent survey of my school students, grades K through 4, Magic Tree House books won hands down as the favorite, with a strong showing in all five grade levels. The Research Guides are an excellent addition to a library collection. The connection with Jack and Annie is enough to hook any and all readers of the fiction series. But the research guides stand on their own as informative and fascinating reading. Fact-filled and thoroughly readable, these are excellent references for any reports as well as suppement to the fiction book for which it is companion.
The table of contents and index are useful, as is a list of suggested web sites and CD-ROM's, videos, books, and even museums. Best of all are the tips for making the most of each reference, for example, take your notebook to the museum, and it isn't necessary to read the entire non-fiction book. Photographs and drawings are plentiful and right on the mark.

(......) My Summary on Ancient Greece and the Olympics 4/13/05
Book by Mary pope osborne




This book is about two kids Jake and Annie are kids who like to find thing out about the Titanic, twisters, and the Olympics.

In this book they want to find out about ancient Greece and the Olympics. So in this book going back in the past and try and figure out how the Olympics worked in the past.


I like the book because it gives you the idea of what the people in Greece lived. The book over all the book is great.

I recommend this book so that boys and girls age 10-14 can read this book. It is so great that I want to read it again.

I strongly recommend this book. I've been using it for just one month and I see the improvement in my swimming workouts!!

I found that this book increased my speed, strength, and endurance. Often times, by increasing strenght, swimmers lose efficiency in their strokes. I found that this book did a great job increasing stroke power, while reiterating the need to maintain stroke efficiency. A GREAT BUY!

Every swimmer knows that strength and conditioning is everything. The stronger and better conditioned you are, the better swimmer you will be. That's why i bought this book, and it did exactly that. It improves your strength, conditioning, stamina, and endurance, and reduces injuries too. The weight training programs in this book hit the nail right on the head for what I was looking for - a swimming specific workout.

This book is an excellent training guide for the swimmer at any level. I have been swimming for many years and after reading this book I have taken my skills to a higher level. I feel much stronger in the pool and my endurance has really increased. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to anyone who loves to swim.

Of all the training books out there today, this is the only one i have seen that really speaks to the swimmer specifically! This is an invaluable resource for any swimmer or coach. I would recommend this to the novice swimmer or a pro. Two thumbs up!

I loved this book. It both entertaining and informative. I would buy more books authored by Hal.

Sailors of all experience levels will learn from one man's experience cruising around the world. You'll also learn why some things work, and others don't.

Well writen. Clear and practical. Author share his great experience sailing around the world in a small sailboat and little money. Very good ideas and advises...as a bluewater sailor (30'sailboat) I found myself making changes in my boat that make my life easier out there.

Recently I've bought a book from Amazon com. "How To Sail Around The World" by Hal Ruth its an excellent book every thing you need to know about this topic is mentioned in details a lot of photos and sketches.
The book got 29 chapters each chapter have a heading such as:- To find a yacht suitable for the voyage in full details- The best self-steering to choose with digrams explains its operation and you could build one from the diagrams if you wish- Storm management- Navigation and pilot charts as well the place where to buy these charts and their referance numbers and many many more topics covered in the 29 chapters of this book.
The style and the way this book is written is marvellous once you start reading it you don't feel like to stop. In my view Its an excellent book highly recommended to buy.
David Dawud

I've read a number of Mr. Roth's books.His writing skill is excellent.His photography is superb.His knowledge of sailing is that of a true grandmaster.This book has tips for cruising sailers on any level of experience:what works and why; what didn't work for Him and His incredible partner & wife and why.No plans for an around the world cruise is needed to get this book and pick it up often. Much of the great info is valid for most any overlight sail, or any daysail on our great magestic oceans ,lakes or rivers.His humility is gratifying. He's been out there and done that (a thousand times),but He doesn't have to keep showing us His "medals"in every paragraph. His Bibliography and references at the end are a great source to what else is worth exploring in the world of print.If you sail- get this book!

A little too descriptive at times, but overall the story is interesting and thoughtful. I felt that on occasion the author wanted to put so much in that the real guts of the story would be put on hold for a chapter or two. It's my personal opinion that the ending twist was a tad predictable, but not annoying. If you are a runner, this is a great book with parts that will sound very familiar to some. If not, then you may be a little disappointed. I'm bias, but I really love the characters and was very happy with the end result. Do not read this book if you haven't already read Once A Runner...

Again to Carthage: The long anticipated sequel to "Once a Runner" delivers the fix many fans have clamored for over the years. A book less about the act of running itself and more about the spiritual side of running, "Carthage" goes where few books about running are able. Parker's prose makes running real without inflating or cheapening it. His ability to do this is a big reason why "Once a Runner" is required reading for anyone who slides on a pair of running shoes. Parker does it once more in "Carthage," a worthy companion to its cult classic brethren. Read "Again to Carthage" because you've always wondered what it is like to commit yourself to the Olympic dream.

In "Again to Carthage" Parker pens a fitting sequel to the classic "Once a Runner". The reader is able to see the running lifestyle through more mature eyes and at least partially understand what a seductive mistress running can be. John Parker has taken a long time to offer up another slice of Quenton Cassidy's life, but he's produced a work worthy of your time.
jim morton (also a longtime running addict)

I read about this sequel to the cult classic "Once a Runner" by John L. Parker Jr., in Runners World Magazine. It was an article about the author, his running career, and mostly about "Once a Runner". Being a Marathon Runner and never having read either book I immediately acquired "Once a Runner" on e-bay, for a huge amount of money - probably due to the article in Runners World. Anyway, I read it, I liked it, but didn't LOVE it. Then I read "Again to Carthage", the sequel, and that one I LOVED! Maybe because it was about the main character, Quentin Cassidy, becoming a distance runner and a Marathon Runner, as opposed to a Miler. I loved reading about his training, his determination and finally his race. It is a runner's dream book to read - Wonderful!!!

If you're looking for a story about running, like Once a Runner is, then you're going to have to wait until about 150 pages into the book. If you can get past the descriptive-heavy chapters about deep sea fishing and South Florida, you'll enjoy the book when the plot finally turns to running.

Entirely too many typos for me not to mention it. Doesn't look like the final draft was even proofread.

As for the quality of the story, Once a Runner fans will enjoy the familiar relationships and quirks of Quenton Cassidy. The second half of the book is running literature at its finest.

Maybe it's because I am from Fort Worth, and I consider myself to be an AMATEUR local historian; however, I just could not put this book down! I read the entire thing in one night, because I couldn't stop. The story is gripping...makes you laugh, makes you cry. This should definately be made into a movie, if it isn't being done already.

Occasionally I'll drive by the Masonic Home and imagine it in all its football glory.

Wonderful book, there were more than just twelve mighty orphans! The entire home was fullof mighty orphans, all overcoming the death of their parents in one way or another. I played football against the Masonic Home Mighty Mites in the 80's, they were still a tough bunch of kids when we played them. I remember my father telling me about the tough and mean team they were sporting in the fifties, so this kind of hit home for me. I personally could not put the book down once I started reading it. If you like high school football in Texas this is a must read!

My Father, Leon Pickett, was the oldest living member of he Mighty Mites until April 2, 2008. I cherish this book, I cherish the wonderful memories.
Sarah (Pickett) McGarrahan

Really good book even if you are not a football fan.

I was at Baylor when Doak Walker starred for SMU. I am glad to learn much from this book about the reasons for Doak's success.

The book shows what one man can do to change the lives of others by learning to use what he has to the best of his--and their--abilities.

The book was fantastic. I had no idea that the Masonic Home was so tough. Miller, Cecil and Dot were my grandmother's sisters children. I knew about their situation when I was growing up but I had never even thought that Miller and Cecil were on one of the best highschool football teams ever.
It was so interesting that I read the whole book in the space of 2 days.