Sports Books

I bought this book for my boyfriend who wants to tour all the baseball stadiums. This book is a must for anyone traveling to an away game!!

I wanted to find a book that would help me plan a vacation to ball parks up east this summer. This book will do the job nicely. I have my trip planned out now, but find myself scanning through the parks I have already attended wanting to know more about what I missed. I even find myself reading up on the history of each team. The only thing I found missing this year (2008) was that the Nationals Ball Park is not included. Well, I hope they update this soon.

I got this book for Christmas and it helped me through the long cold offseason! Josh and Kevin painstakingly researched all the stadiums including great seating suggestions, history of team and stadium, trivia and just great in-depth information.

The book is as much about the area around the park in the city and a great love of baseball and humorous anecdotes.

Very enjoyable for those that love baseball and ballparks. I am excited to get to some new parks and compare my opinions this season!

After skimming through this book and finding out a lot of interested information, the most suprising was the trashing of the famous Dodger Dog hot dog these guys made.

Folks, if you're heading to Dodger stadium (and I am by no means a Dodger fan), I reccommend 3 dodger dogs, or 2 foot longs if you're feeling sassy.

The Fenway Frank and the DD are probably the two most talked about dogs in the MLB, and I've had both - the Dodger Dog blows the Fenway Frank right out of the water.

I love how they put comedy in with the facts of the stadiums. They do a good job of reviewing area restaraunts and stadium foods. How much could you guys watch the game when you were testing out all the foods in the stadium! The MLB should have given them the rights to put the Seating Charts in the book. You Need to buy This Book!

I bought this for my granddaughter and she enjoyed it so much that I bought two more for her to give to friends. It's a very special idea and kids have such fun with it.

Leave this one for the kids. It's a good value, but I think this book is for kids. The first clue is the girl on the cover.

Tired of spending large sums of money on my daughter's friend's b'day presents and knowing how much my daughter enjoyed art, I picked up this book and told my 14 year old that if she would use it to make gifts, I would pay for it. I figured it would be a win/win situation. She went to town making earrings and bracelets, wearing a new one each day to school. Her 18 year old sister came home from college and wanted everything she made but instead sat down and made her own. They shrinky dinked so much that I am ordering a refill pack and another book for my daughter to take back to college. Moral: kids of ALL ages will love this (including me). One of the most fun Klutz books we've gotten (and we've gotten a lot). And with a friend's b'day party coming up next week....

The author does an excellent job laying out the tactics used for Close Quarters Battles. I bought this book to learn the basics of CQB and the tactics used by tactical operators and I was very satisfied!

This is an excellent book to learn clearing and tactical gun handling. There is a lot of pics and diagrams to show you the most tactical and the proper way of dealing with clearing. You will be happy if you buy this book.

This book is a great overview of individual tactical movement in a hostile environment. The only thing that surprised me was the lack of mention about a lot of ricochets travelling down walls about 6-8 inches off their surface and how that applies to your location relative to walls while moving and standing in that hostile environment. Regardless, it's still a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Most practical shooting instructors will refer to the "combat triad" of 1) mindset 2) skills and 3) tactics. Mindset is your frame of mind when faced with a threat, skills are the handling of your weapon and tactics are what you do with yourself and weapon. Suarez touches on all of these things in this book. His discussion of mindset shows a massive ego and he gives very little info on weapons skills. The reader should ignore these parts. If you can't hit with your weapon under ideal range circumstances you should concentrate on that before getting a book on tactics. And you need to set your mind at ease with the idea of using a gun to take a life in self defense probably before you even get a defensive gun. Once you've got the right frame of mind and the skills, it is time to begin realistically thinking about what you would do when faced with a potential bad-guy. As stated this is mostly a book on tactics in urban environments, and it excels at this. There are chapters on each of the many obstacles faced in house clearing. There are very good illustrations to help you understand what the text says. Let's face it. The majority of home owners aren't going to get to go to Gunsite or other high end training schools so this book may be all they have. This is a book that will help you face the unknown bump in the night. But you have to get it, study it, and most importantly PRACTICE it. In your underwear at 2AM is not the time to be trying to remember exactly what target indicators you are supposed to be looking for...or how to pie a corner.

Although probably new material for most readers, this should only be a refresher for those who have taken a few tactical shooting courses and served in law enforcement or the military.

Chapters cover different obstacles such as; corners, doorways, stairs, T-intersections, 4-way intersections, etc... The ample supply of clear images and useful diagrams help explain the concepts. Suarez includes a chapter on mindset and another on nonshooting confrontations. Although many similar books cover mindset, it is rare to see a discussion of a nonshooting event.

The UberTactical uniforms and Front Sight logos were a distraction for me. The wide range to topics covered did not allow for a complete discussion on any of them and leads to confusion on who the target audience is supposed to be; homeowner, SWAT team member or Infantry soldier.

A good book that is worth your time to read so long as you are not expecting "A definitive study..."

This book is a great in-depth manual for the art of UL hiking. They are a little sold-out to promoting their own products, but still highly recommended.

This is a great book that will give most anyone all the background needed to understand the concepts behind not only backpacking but also camping. The book is divided into sections: The art and science of Walking, Protection from the elements, Eating Drinking and Hygiene, First Aid, Proven Lightweight Solutions. The waking section includes a great deal of information regarding the forces placed on the feet and joints during walking/hiking whether it is uphill, downhill, across a hill, and also the effects of back packs and pack weight on these forces. I have been hiking a long time and there is a lot of interesting information here. The other sections of the book have similar in-depth background to help you understand better how things work. That is good to help you make better decisions on selecting gear and clothing. There is a lot of mention of the backpackinglight web site that I am now subscribed to. This book is a must-have if you are serious about not lugging around a lot of weight (that is really un-needed) out on the trail.

Other than my Royal Rangers Handbook as a kid in the 80's this was my first book into the world of backpacking. I have to say that the whole lightweight backpacking idea really appeals to me for many reasons. I remember lugging around all that unnecessary gear. The over weight packing made for some long and tortuous trips. Me and my wife are soon to move from South Florida to Denver CO. and are getting ourselves together for some good ol out dooring (hiking/backpacking /camping). I went to the public library to get some books to read on the subjects of camping /hiking and backpacking before I buy to see if there any good.
Ryan Jordan's LIGHTWEIGHT is to me a good book. It opened the door of the whole light and ultralight packing up to me and my wife.After Reading it along with all the other books I checked out from the public library Id have to say it was one of my favs. there were times that I wished MR Jordan would of went into a little more detail on certain subjects , but I guess he couldn't cover every subject in complete detail. I would have to say that this book to me is not the definitive backpackers guide. There was no survival section. There was a section specifically for women that my wife found both educational and entertaining. I will go and buy this book though and recommend it to anyone that is interested in backpacking , whether ultralight or not.

This the best book on the subject. I think the detail is a bit too much for the novice. "Lighten Up" is a better introductory work, but the depth offered here is without comparison. I loved it all except for the detail on walking. Either I don't have the patience/intellect, or it's just a bit too much. All that said, it truly is the best book on the subject, and I learned an incredible amount from it.

For those who are skeptical that backpacking relatively comfortably while carrying less weight is possible, this book does a pretty good job of making the case for dropping the extra pounds. However, if you're already convinced that lightweight or ultra lightweight backpacking is the way to go, this book feels a lot like preaching to choir.

I've been a lightweight convert for two years, and I bought this book hoping to learn some advice and techniques to shave my pack weight down even further. While the book has some useful specifics on some topics (I now swear by the bear bagging technique I learned from it, and the first aid section is very good), I found that it mostly lacked the level of detail I was looking for.

The essays all talk about how great going lightweight is and drool over expensive boutique gear. Indeed, there is a distinctly worshipful tone when discussing the latest carbon fiber and silnylon technologies. The book promotes a lot of very high end equipment while remaining seemingly oblivious to far less expensive alternatives that offer minimal performance compromises. But nothing really goes into specifics beyond what you could find on the internet for free. For example, the book extols the virtues of using a tarp tent, and has pictures of several brands, but provides only vague information on how to actually pitch one correctly, or how to pitch one when there aren't any trees while keeping it stable.

It seems obvious to me that carrying 20lbs would be better than carrying 50, I no longer need to be convinced. I was looking for more technical information and this book just didn't have it.

Also, the book is really just a collection of essays, many of which were written for Ryan Jordan's magazine/web site Backpacking Light, and as a result the book lacks a consistent voice and tone. The essays are also not really organized in an intuitive way.

Ryan Jordan also seems obsessed with light weight for light weight's sake, rather than as a means to add enjoyment to your backpacking experience. Sure it possible to get your pack weight down to 5lbs, if you're willing to shell out lots of money for lightweight fabrics and gear that's often not versatile and that you will probably have to replace every season because of its lack of durability. This might give you bragging rights at the trailhead, but I question if its really worth the added expense and inconvenience over say, a 15 pound pack, which is less weight than the average middle schooler carries every day, and can be acquired much less expensively.

This book has some useful ideas and recommendations on gear, so I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about lightweight backpacking for the first time, which is why I'm giving it three stars. If you've already shed some pounds from your pack, or are trying to enjoy the outdoors on a fixed budget, there are better and more detailed books out there, like The Complete Walker IV or Ray Jardine's Beyond Backpacking.

Excellent teaching tool for various types of camping experiences including historical, environmental, social and multicultural areas.

Well, as we all know, it's a real good book. lots of useful information with a wealth of experience behind it.

Wow that is really a great book, pretty much everything is in there, from individual skills (throws, cuts, etc), team skills (defense and offense tactics), etc. Probably the best book about Ultimate Frisbee to date.

This book is great for learning (and relearning) the fundamentals as well as quality techniques of upper level play. I would especially recommend it for any high school or college level player or coach.

It took almost 2 weeks for the books to get here. The next time I will proably use Barnes and Noble where the free shipping takes about 5 days. I needed these books for my grandsons' birthdays, and they were very slow in arriving. Even if your shipping is free, it needs to be faster. I hope to hear from you. Clairelis Baxter

Found the book to be very helpful in teaching new skill development and game strategies.

This book isn't particularly good for anything. It covers many aspects of the sport, but doesn't do any one aspect justice. I was especially unhappy with the the rules section. And who could forget Brandi Chastain ripping off her jersey after the penalty kick . . . .

Carries on the excellent tradition of the "for dummies" books: offers solid content and information for veteran soccer afficionados while organized as a well-written, well rounded introduction for the novice. Gives comprehensive overviews about all aspects of the game -- rules, strategies, the world of professional soccer (the leagues, tournaments, events), as well as an excellent history of the game and its development. It's refreshing to see a book for newcomers that doesn't strip things down - there is a wealth of well-researched information here that is useful for the experienced fan or participant.

This is the first time I have reviewed a book for Amazon. I am doing this because I consider this book to be 100% garbage.

If you are looking for a book full of annoying cross references (i.e. see page 118; see page 73) and for a book which repeats the same quotes or phrases in different chapters (was there really no editor?) BUY THIS BOOK.

Also, if you are looking for cheap tid-bits and trivia about the US women's soccer team (was it really necessary to write three times about one female ripping her shirt off after a goal?) BUT THIS BOOK.

If you want to have a general overview about the rules of Soccer but want nothing of strategy, technique, training, then BUY THIS BOOK. (or why not just go to the FIFA website and download the same rules which make up 50% of this book)

But if you want to learn how to play or coach soccer, forget it. This book is a COMPLETE waste of time.

This is a book, especially for parents who are trying to figure out the game and people who'd like to learn more about it.

An excellent refresher for those out-of-touch with soccer as well as for those just learning the game. As the parent of a former high school and college soccer player, but that was a few years back, I thought I knew the game. Now with 4 grandchildren playing, I wanted a easy-to-read refresher. This is it. I applaud the writer and encourage all who are players, or spectators, to spend a few evenings with this easy, and fun to read, book. It is very well done.

Phil

Bill Jame's 100 greatest players the NEW list starts around page 358 and reaches peak idiocy on page 360 where he explains that Lou Gehrig wasn't in the top ten because if he and Ruth were so good why did they only win 4 pennants in the 10 years they were teammates. What a NIMROD.

Then HE DOESN'T PICK ONE CATCHER IN THE TOP 40.

Even worse and probably the most heinous change was the move of Warren Spahn from TENTH, now get this, to 36th. Spahn won his first game at the age of 25. He won 363 games. He won 20 games 13 times.
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Bill James is famous for his ability to collect, publish and analyze statistics about baseball. This is the second edition of his history book covering through the entire 20th century. But as James says in his preface this is more than just an update. In reviewing the first book he found that he didn't like a number of things that he did and so he has changed. Some may think for the better others for the worse but in my case I never read his 1980s edition so I have no basis for comparisons.
James is not a professional statistician but has good statistical intuition and is respected by professional statistician who specialize in sports statistics.

James covers the rules of the game and is very detialed about the players and the rule changes and strategy changes. What I enjoyed most about the book was his lists of the all time top 100 players at each position. This is something sports statisticians think about often and using statistical adjustment techniques and Bayesian methods professional statistician like Schell and Berry have written articles and in Schell's case a book on how to do this. Schell's book includes a list of the all time greatest hitters with Tony Gwynn at the top. The book tells you how the list is constructed and teaches statistical methods along the way.

James has no formal statistical method for constructing his lists. At each position he ranks the top 100 players and does a good job of mixing the old timers with the present day players. Though subjective, this is a difficult task for anyone and James is one of the few who knows enough detail of the history and players in baseball to be up to the task. I may not agree with all of his rankings but that is part of what makes talking about baseball fun. James provides descriptions of the players on his list that may be thought of as justification for their inclusion or rank.

The list of number 1 players by position is as follows:
1. catcher - Yogi Berra
2. pitcher - Walter Johnson
3. 1st base - Lou Gehrig
4. 2nd base - Joe Morgan
5. shortstop - Honus Wagner
6. 3rd base - Mike Schmidt
7. left field - Ted Williams
8. center field - Willie Mays
9. right field - Babe Ruth

The American Statistical Association formed a section SIS (Statistics in Sports). I am a member and so are many other statisticians including Carl Morris, Hal Stern, Mike Schell, Jim Albert, Jay Bennett and Scott Berry. We all have the common ground of interest in sports (particularly baseball). The introduction of true statistical methods in sports has turned sports partly intp a science. Mike Schell wrote a statistics book about statistical adjustment of individual player statistics based on the effect of the home ball park. Albert and Bennett have also contributed books. Efron and Morris long before this movement was in full force wrote a major statistical paper for the Journal of the American Statistical Association that used predicting baseball player averages using Stein shrinking estimator (an Empirical Bayes estimator).

It is books like this that amass large amounts of baseball data and use baseball knowledge and common sense ot look at the game in a differnt way.

Baseball history, player rankings,etc. A great book for the baseball enthusiast. Bill James is the go to guy for this kind of info and this book is a great way to start. Enjoy!

Take a tour through baseball history with this decade-by-decade guide. Also included are all kinds of baseball statistics and an in-depth analysis of them.

Brings the stars of the past to life to an extent I'd have never thought possible. Interesting and informative, not to mention fascinating and thought-provoking. Another classic keeper from Mr. James.

This is an excellent book. It is an easy read, and covers the important spiritual, social, physical and practical parts of Karate. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what Karate or martial arts in general is really about.

Again, every Shotokan Karate-ka (in fact any martial artist) ought to have one of these and read it often to learn the proper meaning of what karate is all about.

It's [karate] not just all kicking, punching, grunting and stuff. Some of the 20 "guiding principles" or "precepts" in the book have actually been acquired from earlier great martial art [Budo] masters (Matsumura e.g.)

That's not to say that Master Funakoshi copied them, and even if he did, it was a very wise decision to have them listed all in one place.

A short book that can easily be devoured in a day, it's full of "worldly" wisdom, no matter what martial art you study. It's best read a few times to digest the intention behind each precept.

Even if you're not martial artist, there are many great principles here that when applied to everyday living will enhance your life and help you to be more successful, kinder and a happier person, regardless of your religion. Each short one sentence precept is then interpreted over the next page or two in simple but meaningful way.

I incorpoarte all of these principles in my lessons (one at a time of course!) and try to have my students learn them & understand their true meaning. I'm certain it goes a long way to improving my students character, especially with junior students.

Again, this is another one of those books, that, if I were able to afford it, I would give my students for FREE when they joined my club.

Although the book is announced to be written by master G.Funakoshi, only a 10% of it was actually written by him, the other 90% are commentaries by G. Nakasone. Despite this the book is quite inspiring in the advanced study of karate.

Very insightful and well written. This book provides the novice martial artist, as well as the more experienced practitioner, a basic, fundamental approach to learning, recognizing, and appreciating the essence and spirituality of karate. It helps the reader understand that practicing martial arts extends beyond the technical aspects of learning the art and focuses on one's development of character, proper attitude, and respect for self, others, and life itself. The book is very enlightening and should be read and practiced by all who study the martial arts.

Master Funakoshi provides an even greater legacy to our troubled world than that of modern karate. His book, "The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate," is a rich guide to living one's life day-to-day. The applicability is not just to the dojo; but our homes, the corporate world, and every other environment.

Although the serious karateka will treasure this volume; anyone who understands the benefits of mind-body-spirit integration can gain from the lessons. Some may say the book is too short; it is deceptively short and deceivingly simple. It is easy for a reader to "intellectually" connect with a long tome where everything is spelled out. They close the volume and that's that. The challenge is every morning and evening to look oneself directly in the eye and do an honest inventory of how we are living the principles.

As Rule #4 clearly states (echoing one of the most insightful strategies of Sun Tsu); First Know Yourself Then Know Others. In the same way that one can never "master" karate, the wisdom that can be gained from the insights Master Funakoshi offers is directly proportional to the honest introspection of the reader. When many people are so quick to judge and blame others for the quality of their lives, rather than assume responsibility, this book offers simple guidance.

Each time I read it, there is some new insight gleaned; another layer peeled. At times, there is a brief moment of chagrin accompanying the realization of a behavior not in keeping with the principles; but quickly followed by appreciation for the opportunity to change. As with Principle #1; a little more REI (respect) could go a long way in all venues.