Sports Books

"Curveball" is the first Kate Angell book I've read and ever since then I'm a big fan of her. Right no she is actually one of my favourite authors.
The book is about the "Bat Pack" the three bad boys of the Richmond Rogues, a baseball team. And let me tell you, all of them are so hot and sexy that you become a baseball groupie immediately. It's the second books of the Rogues - series and I can recommend the other books as well.
Psycho, Romeo and Chaser are three friends who like to play as hard as they like to party.
After being benched for a fight they use their time to get to know three very special ladies.
Psycho, a nudist, is the badest of the three but when he meets Keely Douglas, he is shocked to realize that this small, slender woman makes him crave what he never had - the love of a good woman and a family. Now he just has to convince her that he is so much more than a "Psycho".
Chaser, the catcher of the team, realizes that Jen Reid, the girl next door and one of his best friends forever is the one woman who tops all the others. No he just has to manage to catch her before someone else does.
Last but not least we have Romeo, the number one womanizer of the team, who meets his perfect match in reporter Emerson Kent. But she is not too sure if Romeo is ready to settle down with one woman. So Romeo has his work cut out because he realizes that with Emerson he can be Jesse (his real name) and doesn't have to be the superficial Romeo.
As you can tell I just love this book, the guys are so sexy, the ladies are great too and the chemistry between the three pairs is awsome. The three guys are very different from each other so that the book never gets boring.
Kate Angell has a way to write that makes me crave for more. I just wish that her books would be longer (maybe 300 pages more, hey, I can dream) because she is so good.
So if you are in the mood for a great book with three sweet and sexy love stories grab yourself a copy of "Curveball" and be happy that it's part of a series so there are more great stories to discover.
Read on and enjoy.
S.M.

Ultimately, this should have been split into three separate novels because as it stands there is little to no plot or character development past the surface level.

Light and easy to read, but I found myself annoyed often because things were so basic and it never seemed to go any deeper.

Dissapointing follow up to Squeeze Play. I normally enjoy Kate Angell's stories, but not this one. Having said that, I will read her next book in the hopes it will be better.

After reading the reviews here, I almost bought this book but took it out from the library instead. I was glad that I'd done so once I began reading since the writing is very clunky, the editing is poor and the one-dimensional characters are not believable for a moment. The book is really three short stories woven together to form a longer story, although it is certainly not very complex nor do the characters have more than a cursory impact on each other.

For those readers who like sports stories, I'd recommend Rachel Gibson's SEE JANE SCORE or Deirdre Martin's BODY CHECK. Those books have interesting and complex plots, believable characters and excellent writing.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I read it in a half day because I couldn't put it down. It was Funny, Cute, & Sexy. LOVED ALL THE CHARACHERS. I wish she would have written a individual book on each couple. I ran out and bought her first book and I ordered the third one by Kate Angell.

GREAT JOB Ms. ANGELL

This is the second in a three volume collection of short stories written by Gordon Macquarrie about duck hunting and fly fishing in northern Wisconsin during the 30s and 40s. Gordon Macquarrie was a journalist and author for various Wisconsin newspapers who also wrote short stories for magazines such as Field and Stream. He uses an organization called the Old Duck Hunters Association, Inc (the Inc stands for Incorrigible) as his primary literary device. The ODHA, Inc consists of the author and a much older man (the President, often referred to and deferred to as Hizzoner), originally modeled after his father in law, later a local post man. In both cases, the President is much older (and nominally wiser - but more often not). Through these short stories, Macquarrie recounts the adventures and misadventures as the ODHA, Inc travels around Wisconsin in search of trout, ducks, and the occasional muskie and white tail. These stories are outstanding, Willow Creek Press has done a great service reprinting this collection of stories. GM has captured the anticipation and cold of sitting in the duck blind, the camaraderie and competition amongst friends of the trout stream, and some of the unexpected surprises of each outdoor adventure that makes every one unique and exciting. If you've read the first volume in this collection, I'd say that this book is pretty much more of the same. If not, the stories aren't in any particular order, you can just as easily start with this one (a few of the early stories in the first volume give some background on the ODHA, but it isn't really necessary to enjoy this volume). All but one of the stories centers on the ODHA. Each story is only ten pages or so, so several (or even the whole book) can be digested in one sit down, but I'd recommend a more leisurely reading pace though as each story is to be savored. One place that GM returns to again and again is the Brule River in northern Wisconsin. I've never been there, but if it is half as beautiful as GM describes it, I'm sure it is quite a place. You'll be counting the days till opening day of trout season or duck season after reading a few of these stories. Highly recommended.

Maquarrie is one of the greatest writers hunting and fishing has ever seen. He brings to life every story, and you can feel yourself in the blind or on the stream with the ODHA. His stories can be read over and over again, without loss of excitement.

I have read everything he has written that I am aware of. These are not how to books. If you are a hunter and love all the little things that suround the hunter and the sport of duck hunting you will love his books. When I hear his name "Gordon Macquqrrie" I smile. In my mind I have been to his cabin, set infront of his fireplace full of pine knots. I have shot Bluebills in the snow and smiled thinking of his hunts for Bills.
Like Mr. Macquarrie I am a Bluebill man. I started reading his books 30+ years ago before many knew of him. It's a good thing
to see today how so many hunters have come to know him. Many say that Nash Buckingham is the best of the duck hunting story tellers. I have read most of Nash's books and for me he doesn't hold a candle to Gordon. Gordon Macquarri is the best of the best. If you are a meat hunter and care little for the romance of duck hunting maybe you should just read the how to books.

I am partial to this style of the martial art. I have met Master Oshima and practiced with him. This is a traditional style of karate and an excellent illustration.

This was my first time using Amazon to bought a book that I am looking for. So far, I am satisfy with this service instead of I buy in book store. Price is my concern and Amazon give this.

If you do Shotokan or any karate for that matter you should have this book, If you do Shotokan you HAVE to have this book and you are very luck to have so much of the founders works published in english and still in print, i train in Kyokushin and most or Mas Oyama's work is in Japanese only and long out of print

This book is a fantastic must-have for any Karate enthusiast. It really is The Master Text (it says so right on the cover). The early chapters provide an insightful background and history of Karate and Shotokan, and are a great read. The later chapters serve as wonderful reference material for the practicing Karate-ka.
Highly recommended.

I am a 2nd-dan practitioner under Tsutomu Ohshima, the translator, and I want to point out a few things, regarding the comments. Mr. Ohshima read the original Japanese text of his teacher(Funakoshi), at least 50 times (before translating), and was authorized by his family to translate it into English. With those considerations (and the fact that it took 10 years), it was a monumental undertaking--personally, professionally, and historically. I can appreciate that he used his own photos, because, as someone else pointed out, the stances got lower and longer, and some things were in transition at the time the book was written--think of it as a "2nd, updated edition." For more information on the changes going on at the time, investigate Shigeru Egami's excellent Karate-do Nyumon, also available here. Egami was Mr. Ohshima's senior and very close friend, considered by many to be the top karateka during his life.

Master Funakoshi mastered 2 styles--shorei-ryu and shorin ryu-during his lifetime, instructed by Masters Itosu and Azato. The former has powerful, hard directed movements, rooted in deep stances, while the latter has swift, sweeping, bird-like movements, and we have kata from each style (Ie. the Heian/Pinan forms are Shorin, while Tekki/Neihanchu kata are shorei). Traditional "karate" come from Okinawa, and the different regional styles, named for the towns, drew some influence from Chinese sailors trained in kung-fu, who washed ashore and trained the villagers, further influencing their styles, and differentiating them. "Shotokan" means "House of Shoto." "Shoto" was Master Funakoshi's nickname. When a karateka was asked where he was going, he'd say "Shotokan," or Shoto's house. "Shoto" also means the sound the wind makes when blowing through pine needles, which Master Funakoshi loved.

Numerous styles claim heritage through Funakoshi, and widespread, unauthorized use of the Shotokan "circled tiger" has ensued. This symbol was created by one of Funakoshi's students, and is trademarked. You can see it in the opening of one of Jet Li's movies, and probably many others.

Traditional Tae-Kwon-Do was created by practitioners who got their karate black belts in Japan in the 20th century (according to my research) although there's a raging debate about the "ancient" origins of those arts. Some claim Tae-Kwon-Do descended from a children's game in which practitioners tried to knock down their opponents with a kick, which was banned by elders long ago--a view that is often ridiculed by martial art historians. This is buttressed by the fact that many Tae-Kwon-Do schools use this Kyohan as their text, and either the exact same kata (particularly the Heian), or lightly modified (usually with modified or added kicks).

Not all "karate" styles are directly descended from Shotokan. Goju-ryu and others at least partially developed in parallel, but they definitely influenced each other, and had common roots. To be called "karate," however, implied, originally, Chinese roots. This changed, later, to mean "open-hand" styles, so karate, today, is more generally loosely defined. This website has a clear "family tree," of karate heritage, as well as incredibly useful information and links-- [...]. Ohshima Shihan's website is [...]. Also see [...] (in English or Spanish).

One reviewer criticized the Shotokan punch, and it seemed that he was responding not to the book, but to Shotokan generally. Our stances have gotten longer and narrower. When Funakoshi brought karate to mainland Japan, many practitioners were already experts in judo and kendo. One effect was the lengthening of the distance between fighters--often a judo expert would immediately slam a karateka to the ground, or a kendoka would quickly "spear" the uninitiated with a punch. These 2 aspects, as you might imagine, caused a relatively immediate change, not unlike (although it's a long-shot) the effect Gracie Jujitsu had on early mixed martial arts events. These three disciplines (and others) combined to develop the efficacy of Japanese karate, as practiced by Funakoshi's students.

Another reviewer sharply pointed out that the book was written for beginners, as well as advanced practitioners. One isn't meant to punch (and fight) with the hand opposite the punching hand pulled back to the hip (ie. "pulling hand), so there is no "arm ending up behind one's body" as the other reviewer had mentioned. This is taught to beginners to show them the proper movement, and is often reverted to by the advanced, to refine the development of power through the thrusting of the hips. In a real engagement (and sparring), fighters hold their hands up naturally, like boxers or MMA fighters.

This review is supplemented by my material here--[...]

The highly-rated Karate Jutsu: The Original Teachings of Gichin Funakoshi, by Ohshima godan John Teramoto (and also available here on Amazon) is the first official English translation of an earlier Funakoshi book. Also do not miss Funakoshi's Karate-do: My Way of Life.

I bought this item for my two grandsons. They really liked it. I had two little superheros running around my house shrieking with glee.

My two sons live in their superhero capes and masks. This is a pretty all-encompassing gift b/c it includes not only the cape, but a selection of very cool colorful masks (you have to supply your own string) and wristbands. My 2- and 6-year olds wear them daily and the masks are still holding up weeks later. Makes a great gift for friends, too.

I have a boy who is on the autistic spectrum. He absolutely loves this book. He wakes up each morning and put on the cape, mask,, and wristbands. It has been great for his pretend play skills!

my son just loves this. loves it! the wristbands fall apart some after too much use, but a little strip of duct tape here and there does the trick. and i jimmied some rubber bands thru the mask holes so a rubber band would loop around each ear. that seemed to work pretty well. (didn't try the yarn. am i the only mom that doesn't own yarn?)

anyway, great price, great product and the book is a fun (and short) read.

My 3 1/2 year old son received this as a Christmas present. He wore the cape non-stop for about 2 weeks. We read the book at least once a week even now and he's got the cape on today (Feb 20). Most Christmas presents come and go, but this one has ignited my child's imagination like no other.

Easy to follow. Starts off easy and adjusts with a learning curve for all interesting in different aspects of Biomechanics.

Book is very in depth. Pictures in the book are pretty lame. Although, everything is explained well in the book. Not worth 65 dollars, buy the product used if you can.

This book is very accessable, which was obviously one of the goals of the author.

Read it slowly and carefully and you will undoubtedly aquire some of the understanding necessary to consider human movement in terms of natural mechanics.

This book can be a good start for improving your surfing level.

This is a nice guide for a newbie, for the wanna be pro, and for the top pro. I recommend it, but it lacks some more fine explanation and guidance, in terms of what we eat, how much we sleep, etc... basic performance stuff. Also, it gives us a lot of workouts, witch is very good, but it's more fitted to a person who has 4 hours to work out everyday, not 1.

From new surfers all the way through professional, this surfing guide will help you improve your skill. Great workouts for the surfer are included.

Since I don't get to surf everyday, this book is exactly what I needed to stay in surfing shape. I have a number of other fitness related books, but none address surfing fitness. This book gave me exactly what I've been looking for. I've since given it to a number of friends and they have all told me how helpful they have found it as well.

if your learning how to surf and want to progress in this sport then you should chech this book out. full of many different kinds of workouts and it evens plans out workouts that fit your life style....a must have to your surf collection....

This is a good book to obtain if you are buying a handgun for the first time. It gives you an overview of all of the options and rational for choosing a handgun to fit your needs and goals. It helps you buy the right gun the first time, and you can,t take the gun back once you have purchased it.

I have met Bruce Eimer and thanked him for his book. His work is the standard, period. Start with this book then read David Kenik's book Armed Response and finish with On Combat by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman.
No book can replace training...... Find great training (reality based) from people like Clint Smith and Gabe Suarez and keep training from there.

I suppose it lives up to its title but, even for a novice like me, I found better information by just searching the internet.

Like most books on the firearms, this one spends a lot of time on self-defense issues. I wasn't particularly interested in that topic but the book does offer a lot on safety, how to clean and maintain your firearms, and many of the issues relating to owning a firearm. The book touches on legal issues, scenerios to be aware of, and of course self-defense and practical concerns. A good basic book for beginner to intermediate skill levels, experts should probably look elsewhere.

Very Comprehensive book.
It covers many aspects of owning a handgun, from actually using & maintaining one to some important aspects of what is allowed under the law.
I only wish the author included a few more diagrams to explain some basic concepts such as the difference in shape & sizes of various bullets and also when he described certain parts of a handgun.
All in all a 5 star book.

This is a great intstructional manual from the novice to the more experienced. Much better than Freedom of the Hills, which I also own. I also recommend Extreme Alpinism and The Mountaineering Handbook (these are arguably the 3 best books out for the alpinist).

I bought this book because I had been out of alpine climbing for 10 years and I wanted to get back into it. The authors are professional mountain guides but more than that, alpine climbing seems to be an integral part of who they are. I picked up a lot of very helpful information that covers everything from training, to equipment and boot selection, to alpine travel and avalanche knowledge. It is very suited to the Sierra Nevada range, where I do most of my climbing. This is the best book I have found on the subject.

Well, I am completely biased having climbed several times with Kathy. In practice, all her mountain judgment seems so seamless! One minute we're just chatting away and the next we're on an exposed ridgeline for five miles, still calm and collected. It's amazing how much judgment is about the conditions (the mountains and ours), and knowing how to read them correctly. One memorable experience was just killing some time during a complete whiteout, and seeing what was possible with a new GPS gizmo. Anyway, what I've learned from Kathy and this book? How to judge my limits far better than before. It's easy to get overconfident and stop thinking. When I'm alone in the mountains now, I actually pay attention and learn to retreat better. Those mountains will wait for another day -- although the glaciers may not!

The section on Common Problems with Decision Making was alone worthy the purchase!I could identify many issues and suggestions with my own experiences. Very well laid out book and a must read for anyone venturing into the sport of climbing, or those of us who wish to brush up on skills and ponder ways of continuous learning no matter the level of prior experience. One of definite climbing "bibles" written by people who do it for a living and are prepared to share their experiences and knowledge. Five stars IMHO!!! Happy climbing!

I agree with the reviewers above (below) that this book complements "Freedom of the Hills". In particular it focuses more on the decision making process than most books of these types. Although I've never traveled with either of the authors, they seem like lovely people and the stories they tell flesh them out for the reader. They also answered a question I had when I wrote them via email. In all, a solid book that it would do to put on your bookshelf.

I first bought this paperback edition of "Power Golf" after I had read "Five Fundementals of Golf". Somewhere I read a review which said the hardcover version of "Power Golf" was much better. He (she) was right. The illustrations in the paperback version are very misleading and not very helpful as mentioned by other reviewers. The hardcover edition has black and white pictures of Ben Hogan actually swinging and are much more revealing about his swing and clearly illustrate what he did over what he said he did in the book. Unfortunately, the hardcover version has been long out of print. Power Golf Hardcover 4 stars; Paperback version 2 stars.

I grew up with a Dad who loved the sport. And he loved the game. This book has been a great look at the little things that can be worked on to make the game fun, and not just a long walk spoiled by a small white ball.

This was written in 1948 and is utterly useless as a "how to" guide for a beginning or intermediate golfer in 2001. I'm sure that even Hogan, if he were alive, would tell you not to buy it as an instructional guide. It is, however, FANTASTIC for the scores of photographs of Hogan at all stages of his swing. You'll clearly see why this man hit the ball in a way that we amateurs never will and 99% of professionals never will. As someone else pointed out, this is Hogan's swing before his near-fatal accident and before he developed a controlled fade. Some of the positions he achieves are mind-boggling and completely beyond anyone without his supreme talent. For the best quality in the photographs, I'd look for a used hard-cover copy (they are still plentiful). Buy this, but only as a piece of golf history. For instruction from Hogan, buy Five Fundamentals or one of the recent videos analyzing his swing.

This book is best geared to beginning golfers who want a broad view of what different clubs are for and to get a general idea of how the game is to be played. Illustraitons accompany everything described, and is a good match for Hogan's Five Lessons.

One thing that should be kept in mind, however, is that the info in the book is somewhat dated in regards to equipment and some parts of the swing. For example, Hogan calls the forward bend in the downswing for a driver a natural part of the swing, which for his day it was. Now, we look at it as the right time to use a stiffer shaft as the premature whipping of the shaft leads to inconsistant shots.

Putting is also another area the book is not great on explainations, but this has more to do with Hogan's own view of putting more than anything else.

If you don't want to pay more to get the PGA Manual or another, more complete and modern volume on golf, or simply want to see what has and has not changed in golf over the past 60+ years, this would be a good book to pick up. For the beginner as well this may help add some light to a few aspects of the game that are not clear from other, more extensive books.

Always interested in getting better in the field of my golf game, I read this book with the hopes of gleaning some useful information on the swing, and how to hit the ball farther. Hogan offers a breakdown of the swing, and it is easy to follow. Not only is the book illustrated, Hogan did a nice job articulating how to get better and hit it longer. One thing I found that was very helpful was in the last two pages, Hogan talks about course management, and tricks to saving shots when you are playing in all types of conditions. This was a very informative and useful section of the book.

There are many golf-instruction books out there, and this book stands the test of time, as did Hogan's golf game. I recommend it to any golfer.

Gerry Roach has written one of the best guide books I have ever had the pleasure of owning. If you have the basic experience needed for climbing 14'ers this book is extreemly usefull. Complete and well written from approaches to technicial route descriptions. $ 12 bucks. Huh ? Oh the one negitive is you would not want to through this book in your ruck sack it weighs about 5 lbs.

This is the definitive volume on all Colorado 14ers. It includes detailed information from locations of trailheads to routes and photos that will allow even a novice to safely climb in Colorado.

I bought this book for my husband and he loves it. He has been to Colorado 3 times and always reads it before he goes and takes it with him on the trip.

This should be the backbone of anyone's guidebooks for climbing 14ers. It is extremely well organized and has tons of useful data. You will not be dissapointed. Get the book and get out there!

I have climbed two of the Fourteeners listed in this book and I wish I had this book before doing so. The book is simply, in my opinion, the best, most complete guide to climbing these mountains that I could possibly imagine. I'm doing four more this month and I've used this book to do all the planning, including which TOPOs to buy and which trailheads to use and which routes up the mountains to take. He provides excellent maps in the book itself and great descriptions of each ascent. He also carefully describes the different levels of difficulty a climber/hiker will encounter and applies those definitions systematically throughout his book. It's a first rate guide and worth every penny paid.