Sports Books

As a degreed aerospace engineer, I've used the formula's in this book to easily calculate the scantlings for aluminum hulls from 14' to 30' in length, without exhaustive structural calculations or the need for finite element analysis software. Properly applied, you can build your boat with confidence that it will perform safely in the operating limits described. Are there other ways to calculate scantlings? Absolutely! But if you want "rule of thumb" formulas that are reliable when confined within the operating envelope, this is the way to go. I've plugged the equations and operating parameters into an excel spreadsheet that gives me all the scantling dimensions needed when entering the length, width and depth of the hull. Previous reviewers who stated the subject matter is "wide but shallow" didn't understand what they were reading. If you want to design a boat from scratch and will read and digest the material, this book is a bargain.

Great book! This book was just what I needed, while making boat repairs and contemplating my next purchase (or perhaps build).

With an undergraduate degree in Ocean Engineering with a couple of naval architecture courses under my belt, I really needed a professional's common sense, savvy discussion of boat design. With each page read I visualized the different construction details seen at boat shows and on friend's boats, I can trace failures observed back to the discussions.

The author's writing style really livens up the reading! I have read many books on the subject, this and "The Nature of Boats" are my favorites to date.

My only criticism is that the scantlings were noted to be appropriate for speeds up to 45 knots, I would have liked to book to include higher speed designs as that is my current interest, still looking.... Otherwise, five stars!

As an amateur boat builder, it helped me a lot to understand the subject. After finishing this book, now it is much easier for me to understand the class rules. It already paid back, since it made me realize a mistake on the number and thickness of the scantlings on my friend's boat.

My Englisjh is terrible, so if I can read this book (and I do), this is a good and simple book.
Thank you

Gerr starts this book with the calculation of a "scantling number." This number is essentially based off the length, width and height of the vessel. He then applies this number to several charts thoughout the book to give "rule of thumb" values on the proper dimensions of the scantlings (hull plating, stiffeners, beams, etc.) for the vessel in question. Overall this book should be useful to the home boat builder. The math in the book is simple and the values obtained from the book seem reasonable for most boats. The books main weakness is that it glosses over the engineering aspects (calculating stresses, etc.).

Other than Andrew Beyer's handicapping books and Joe Takach's videos on appearance, there are almost no works on the subject of winning at the races that really made an impression on me - until I read Exotic Betting. Author Crist makes a cogent and powerful argument on the long-ignored art of correctly ranking and betting your contenders. Crist simply is better than anyone else at turning his opinions into profits - and after reading this book, I improved dramatically in my rating and betting skills. Just the section on his A,B,C ranking of contenders was a revelation for me. If you ever want to seriously play multihorse and multirace wagers, read this book or just stick to the lottery.

Steve explains the math behind exotic betting and perfect rationale for using multi-race bets. A must read for the fan who wants to get more from the track.

I found this book to be highly informative, but not because I agree with all of the author's conclusions. The main conclusion I disagree with is the author's repeated assertions throughout that exotics are not about trying to figure out who the two, three or four most likely finishers are and betting them in the order of most likely finish. Christ somehow thinks that there is more to it than that. But there isn't.

If you find the winning horses in the order of finish, you will cash. Because that's precisely what the Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Daily Double, Superfecta, Pick 6, etc are all about: finding the requisite number of top finishes and the order of finish. He might have meant to say that figuring out the order of finish is a complex process which it indeed is, but the way he choose to express this in the text was really mind boggling. To argue that there is something else to it is - well - nutty.

Despite this one flaw, Christ does get you thinking the right way in alot of areas. He does cover takeout and how that effects your betting decisions, the Win-Place-Show (WPS) pools vs. exotics pools and how they work, why box bets are losing bets, when not to bet and other information that is vital info for the newbie pony player. If you are a newbie to the game of playing the ponies, then this is a must-read. Veterans should also take a look so they have the benefit of a perspective possibly different than their own.

I thought this was a pretty solid book on the proper ways to construct exotic betting tickets. I found Crist's discussions of exacta and trifecta plays to be particularly interesting. Specifically, Crist tells the player to get away from the boxes (and other "chance plays") and go for big payouts by trusting your handicapping skills. Anyone can throw five longshots into a $1 exacta box and get lucky once and a while. Crist's philososphy, and that of many professional players, is to play less combinations at a greater price. Key your top horse over your second choice for $10. Then the top horse over a longshot play for $5. Crist encourages the player to structure bets in a manner that will reward them the most when their handicapping is spot on.....not just when they get lucky by throwing every longshot on the borad underneath and exoctic play. Why play four horses equally in a leg of the Pick 4 when you like two of them much more than the other two?

This book, along with Steve Davidowitz's classic, is an excellent read for the intermediate player who wants to learn to take his bet structuring to the next level. My only complaint is that the book wasn't longer....I would love to be able to sit down with Steve Crist and talk betting strategies all day. The only caution that I would give is that this book is not at all about how to pick winners. In fact, this book is not going to be valuable at all to a player who does not possess solid handicapping skills. If you have trouble picking winners to begin with then its probably not a good idea to try and get creative with exotic betting.

Steven Crist has been a horse-racing columnist, CEO of the Daily Racing Form and is the author of three other books on horse racing. His latest book, EXOTIC BETTING, attempts to fulfill a need, he explains, to glean more profits from racing through "exotic betting" at a time when shorter horse fields and more information available to savier handicappers has made it harder to make money with "straight bets": win, place and show. In EXOTIC BETTING, Mr. Crist patiently and lucidly lays out the mathematics behind daily doubles, exactas, trifectas, pick threes, etc., the so-called exotic plays. At one time, these bets were exotic when win, place and show predominated. But now, exotic betting is a feature at every racetrack. EXOTIC BETTING focuses on intrarace exotic bets like the exacta and trifecta and interrace exotic bets like the daily double and the pick three. Mr. Christ offers betting strategies for each of the exotic bet types. While I have seen most of these ideas in different places elsewhere, Mr. Christ brings them all together in one reference and explains them in very readable prose. Using the principals presented in the first part of EXOTIC BETTING, he finishes by taking the reader through his actual betting at the 2005 Breeder's Cup. A few more examples of the strategies discussed could have been interesting if not necessary but, all-in-all, this is an excellent book and I highly recommended EXOTIC BETTING for the casual or more serious horse player who wants to be a better exotics player.

I found this an interesting book overall by former Commissioner Vincent but it is a mile wide and an inch deep. There are no revelations here that have not all ready been told. Also missing are any stories that deal with all of the changes that went through the game. The impacts of relocation of franchises is missing and so is any real examination of how black and Latino players became a force in baseball. There are no real colorful personalities to tell their stories, nor are there any stories from marginal players, about 80 percent of these players are Hall of Famers and those that aren't are near or maybe one day.

All in all it's a rather dull read but if you grew up with these players, you may find it interesting.

What a fantastic trip down memory lane! I could
almost see my old baseball card collection in
front of my eyes. If you are 50 - 65 years old,
and love baseball the way it used to be, get this
book now!! It was great to read about Robin Roberts,
Richie Ashburn (the "Best" centerfielder in baseball
in the '50s!) Can you tell I was raised in Philly?

"Life doesn't get better than this. Grown men getting to play a game and getting paid for it - getting paid lots! The story of Mantle, Berra, Campanella, Mays, and DiMaggio is vivid and powerful in their love for a game that the nation loves. The perfect book for the baseball fan."

I bought this book for my father's 80th birthday and he loved it. He said it brought back so many great baseball memories. He's a die hard baseball fan. I would highly recommend it. It brought a smile to his face and great enjoyment.

If you are a fan of baseball in the 1950s and 1960s, it's doubtful you'll learn much new from Fay Vincent's "We Would Have Played the Game for Nothing." Vincent rounds up many of the usual suspects from this era to interview for his oral history series.

The players include three Brooklyn Dodgers--Carl Erskine, Ralph Branca and Duke Snider--plus Robin Roberts, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Billy Williams, Whitey Ford, Lew Burdette and Bill Rigney. The presence of three Dodgers is two too many since they tend to recount the same events. Most of the players interviewed by Vincent, with the exception of Rigney, have received plenty of previous exposure.

Vincent doesn't seem to have done much homework for the interviews. It seems as if he asked very general questions like "What were your most memorable moments?" "Who were the toughest players you played against?" Many of the anecdotes have appeared before. Vincent doesn't dig beyond the surface.

Interestingly, Jackie Robinson has a strong presence in the book. Just about every player mentioned him in one context or another. It's clear he commanded respect and admiration from who played with him, against him, or those influenced by him.

The title for Vincent's book is somewhat overstated. Sure, the players loved the game, but they wouldn't have played for nothing. They knew they were underpaid and the owners were taking advantage of them.

This book is presented very well and easy to understand. Whether the drawings are hand drawn or not they are easy to read and illustrate the idea of the topic very well. Every firearm enthusiast should have this book in their collection.

I recently bought this book. It is a very interesting work, because it gives explanations that are easy to understand.

The only limitations are that the book uses the Imperial system with pounds and feet rather than grams and meters, so people like me, who use the Metric System, may find it hard to understand some parts of the book.

There are also many calibers like 9mm and 7.62 x 39 that are not given in the charts.

However, the book is interesting. I think it is a good choice of reading for a beginner in Firearm Ballistics.

P.A. Beaulieu
Québec, Canada


*************************************

Pour les lecteurs francophones,

Ce livre est très intéressant et donne beaucoup d'informations sur les armes, mais le fait que le système impérial est utilisé au lieu du système métrique peut vous causer des problèmes pour les mesures et les formules.

Aussi, certains calibres comme le 9mm et le 7,62 x 39 ne sont pas présents dans les explications.

Toutefois, ce livre me semble être un excellent choix pour les débutants dans l'étude de la ballistique des armes à feu.

P.A. Beaulieu
Québec, Canada

It's not a page-turner. If you don't have serious interest in ballistics, read something else. It's not a how-to manual on marksmanship and it doesn't tell you interesting CSI stuff.

If you've read this far, this book is highly informative. It goes through a lot of detail on exactly what happens when you pull the trigger of a loaded firearm. It covers history, dispels urban legends and explains things in normal language.

Explanations aren't math laden. On the contrary, the author seems to be extremely afraid of math and attempts to project that upon the reader. The explanations are highly qualitative and almost not at all quantitative. The humor is corny, but it's not meant to be fun and games.

I found this book very informative and readable. Has the maths formulae in simplified forms; leaves out the insignificant factors. Debunks many of the popular myths about projectile behaviour. A great reference to be returned to again and again.

I am an engineer and found this book to be a fundamental but comprehensive treatment of interior, exterior, and terminal ballistics. There is much detailed information within the book and technical principles are explained in the text along with some basic algebra. The book could use a comprehensive edit from a scientist, especially a physicist, to clean up some of the technical explanations offered by the author; because I suspect he doesn't always have a deep understanding of the processes he is explaining. While not inaccurate, some of his discourse is difficult to follow and sometimes left unclear with numerous incomplete sentences which are sometimes annoying. Still this is a decent treatment of ballistics and I have learned from reading it. I would recommend it to others.

I teach Deuker's "Night Hoops" in my eighth grade English classes and it's consistently popular with even the reluctant readers. But now, I've found a novel I like even more. I like it because it wrestles with issues deeper than sports. I like it because it doesn't take the easy way out in the end. And I like it because it's just a damn good story, timely and entertaining.
Despite my high endorsement, I do have one quibble. I'm very familiar with weights and lifting, and one sentence reveals a lack of care to details: "Now he was standing in front of the mirror, bench-pressing two hundred pounds . . ." Every bench press I know involves lying on the bench, not standing.
That one quibble aside, this book is bound to be popular with boys facing the same issues Mick Johnson is facing.

This book is amazing, it is realistic and a true portrayal of the temptation to use performance enhancing drugs in high school athletics.It has you praying Mick makes the right choice and kept my interest to the last page. Not a challenging read but has a great message a must read for the athlete or someone interested in the game or subject. Brings the truth to light and exploits the fact that something like over 40% of steroid use in the US is done by teens. LOVED IT!!!!

Carl Deuker, a name of note in YA sports writing, has scored again with this realistic look at how a high school football player who knows better can rationalize his way into steroids merely by being ambitious, competitive, curious, and in the wrong place at the wrong time. The scary thing is, that's not too unusual a combination. Take this plus the fact that protagonist Mick Johnson already knows about steroids' side effects and health risks -- but takes the plunge anyway -- and you see the stuff of Deuker's engaging plot.

The stage is set with exposition about Mick's family -- chiefly the story of his dad, Mike, an ex-college football stand-out who fumbled his career away with a combination of bad behavior and worse attitude. Now Mike's redemption can only come vicariously by encouraging his son to succeed where he failed. Next we get a series of game scenes, a Deuker specialty, showing Mick's strengths -- speed and quick moves -- as well as his weakness -- strength. The pieces are in place, and when Mick's dad's company buys a health club, Mick gets an "in" that begins a dark journey into a tangled forest, the world of weight lifters on juice.

Books like this are a boon for boys who are reluctant readers but enthusiastic sports participants, and Deuker doesn't pretend to be writing anything deep and literary -- he's just writing great plot that makes kids read. Make no mistake, however: this book has a message worthy of discussion. Better yet, it avoids the mistake of coming across as any finger-wagging lecture.

In fact, I tip my hat to Deuker for juking the obvious ending (which was about to tackle him shy of a successful conclusion) and writing a more realistic one that scored big with me (extra point is good, too). You see, sometimes stories don't tie together so sweetly. Sometimes, in fact, the truth is more bittersweet than not. GYM CANDY is such a story with such an ending. A thoughtful, sobering sports book, I recommend it highly.

"Cheating is not a new problem in the United States or anywhere else. It has existed in nearly every human society.
"In Ancient Greece, the Olympic games were rife with cheating. Athletes lied about their amateur status, competitions were rigged, judges were bribed. Those caught were forced to pay fines to a special fund used to set up statues of Zeus. Greece ended up with a lot of statues of Zeus."
-- David Callahan, THE CHEATING CULTURE

"First, since I played the game myself, I know that you can't put something in your body to make you hit a fastball, changeup or curveball.
"The only person who can do that is the good Lord. But, at that age, you have to ask: Did he accomplish all of this by rejuvenating his strength from day to day with those substances? I know that when you reach a certain age, you just don't bounce back as quickly as you think you can when you're playing all of those games.
"Drugs won't help you hit the ball. But can they make you recuperate consistently enough to hit the kind of home runs that these guys are hitting?
"Let me say this. Any way you look at it, it's wrong."
-- Hank Aaron, 2004

"When he came back, he sat down next to me, opened a plastic vial, and shook out four white tablets that were about three times as thick as aspirin. 'Guys just call it D-bol.'
"I looked at them, but I didn't pick them up. 'So I take these and I get bigger?'
"He shook his head. 'Not that easy. You have to work out even more than before. But it's better, because the results are bang, right there.' "
-- GYM CANDY

Even if you were to torture me by...hmmm...say, forcing me sit in the kitchen of an overheated Macdonald's and watch looping videos of MC Rove rapping and dancing for days on end, I'd still never be able to tell you what bright idea persuaded me to actually join the Commack North freshman wrestling team back in 1969.

It's true that in my preadolescent days, I always had a swell time playing kickball and handball, and you couldn't pry me with a crowbar out of any body of water in the summertime. But I cannot begin to explain by what route I got from those enjoyable and healthy pursuits to the sweat and pain of the wrestling mats.

It had actually been my little brother who always participated in Little League baseball, Pop Warner football, and ice hockey. As he'd be happy to tell you, my competitive juices more typically began flowing in those instances when a teacher directed the class to keep logs of every book read over the coming 4 months.

It seemed that for years afterward, Mom was always telling people how my unhealthy behavior over that winter of freshman wrestling was the cause for my forever ceasing to grow any taller. (Of course, it couldn't have been related to the fact that Mom was just under 5' herself.) But Mom was absolutely right about one thing: I seriously abused my health by dieting over the course of that winter. From what I recall, it was a diet big on celery, lettuce, water, and vitamin pills, and I adhered to it religiously for the days leading up to each wrestling meet, and then binged for a day or two afterward before beginning the cycle again. It was a regimen designed to give me a competitive edge. It resulted in my being able to "wrestle down" to the 112 lb. range instead of the "flabby" 122 lbs. at which I initially weighed in at that fall. (Great Zeus! Was I really that weight once? Even if I were bouncing around on the moon, I'd never be that light again.)

By the end of that freshman wrestling season, I had won half of my matches, lost half of my matches, and went on in the post-season to contract a championship case of walking pneumonia just in time for the vacation week in February. (In case you're wondering: My only other participation in organized sports after that winter was -- think Holden -- serving a year as the high school fencing manager, for which I received -- think Cutter Swim Team -- an actual varsity letter jacket.)

And so I have a bit of long-ago experience with being willing to do something risky to be more competitive, to be the best player, the baddest hombre in headgear. And I've also experienced the consequences: Descending into walking pneumonia while on a family vacation that entailed my father driving us over a thousand miles to Florida and then back again with me coughing and hacking and gagging the entire way -- that really, really sucked.

But those ten days of hocking loogies and running high fevers in my parents' '68 Wildcat was an absolute cakewalk when stacked up against the horror of high school running back Mick Johnson's falling victim to performance-enhancing substances in Carl Deuker's GYM CANDY.

" 'Here's how it works, Mick. You try to run there,' he said, pointing behind the line,' and I try to stop you.' He shoved the mini football into the crook of my arm, led me to the far end of the yard, went back to the middle, got down on his knees, and yelled: 'Go!' "

Mick has played football -- always at running back -- his whole life. His father, a former high school star, held Mick back a year before kindergarten so that Mick would always have that extra year and the additional physically maturity over the other kids in his grade. His dad's got two blank walls in the house that he expects Mick to fill with awards and newspaper write-ups.

Mick is dead-set against using performance-enhancing substances, but his need to be stronger in order to surpass an older teammate, and the fear of having to fend off a younger teammate, result in his being more and more desperate and willing to compromise his values. And then there is, hanging over him, the awful memory of how his first high school season had ended:

"With my teammates watching, with my dad watching, with every eye in the stadium on me, I'd failed. Completely and utterly failed. I'd been so sure of myself, so certain that if I got my chance, I'd make the most of it. How stupid! How like a third-grader! As if I were the only guy on the field with dreams. That linebacker who stopped me -- number 50. Before the game he had probably dreamed of making the big hit to save the game for his team. So why did his dream come true and mine go up in flames? What had he done that I hadn't? Why had I failed? Why had I come up a foot short?
"There was an answer. I tried to keep it from coming, but there was no holding it back. You don't have the talent, a voice whispered -- my voice."

Getting to follow him from when he's that four year-old in the backyard, Mick remains an exceptionally sympathetic character. This page-turner of a sports story is so vivid and well told that I literally experienced physical tension as I watched this teenager becoming more and more trapped in his cycle of lies and the side effects of his substance abuse.

With every page we keep rooting for Mick, hoping that he can see clear to accepting what the good Lord has given him and to stop cheating himself.

Mick Johnson has big football shoes to fill. His dad was a high school star who went on to be a college standout and then a third round draft pick in the NFL. There are two empty walls in the family den just waiting for all the honors and awards Mick is expected to earn.

Things seem to be headed in the right direction. Mick is an accomplished eighth-grade running back. He and his friend are stoked to learn they have been invited to join the high school team for their spring workouts. By the end of the summer, they both actually make it onto the varsity team as mere freshmen. But just making the team is not enough for competitive Mick. He doesn't just want to be there; he wants to play there, too.

Personal goals as well as parental pressure drive Mick to seek ways to speed things up. He knows he needs to be bigger and stronger, but natural growth is way too slow. Pills and protein powder from the health supplement store seem like a possible answer. He even gets his dad to agree and pay for the expense. Maybe he's on his way to playing bigger, faster, and stronger.

When Mick starts increasing his weight training time, his dad has another answer. The radio station where he works is the new owner of the local fitness center -- and free memberships for employees come with the deal. Mick starts working out with his own personal trainer. Peter, the trainer, has other ideas of how to help develop power. Mick's competitive drive pushes him toward steroid use, with all its positive results and negative side effects. His game and his body do get stronger, but at what cost? Friends, health, and personal pride suffer as Mick becomes more and more involved with the performance-enhancing drugs.

Carl Deuker, author of Runner and Night Hoops, focuses on football in this new book. His use of non-stop, play-by-play action, realistic teen frustrations, and personal demons make this a book even reluctant readers will be reluctant to put down.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

The book arrived in a timely manner and was in pristeen condition. It is also a good read.

A few cavets first. YMAA Publications has asked me to review this book and so I did receive a copy of the book and DVD's at no cost to myself; that's the sole extent of my "compensation" but I like to be honest. I've studied aikido, juijitsu for over 25 years (a friend corrected a previous review) and chi gung for about half that time. Mind/body practice is at the heart of my business and day to day practice. If you look at my other reviews you'll find that if you have a lame product the worst thing you can do is ask me "what I think" because I'm going to tell you. I looked at the material from the perspective of a teacher and practitioner of martial skills.
First the inconveniences....
1.When I first opened the book I turned to "How To Use This Book". That's almost as far as I got. This section appears to be a compendium of babble to a new user. If the author is speaking English I couldn't understand it. I was expecting instruction not a lecture written in "navelgazese." I've seen far too many books written like this and was afraid the rest of the book would follow....fortunately it didn't. The rest of the book was jargon free except where tai chi or chi gung terms were appropriate. Rip this page out and you'll be none the worse for it.
2.The book has a good series of pictures of good size so you don't have to get out a hand lens to see them, but having their sequences numbered is a small thing that would help the flow and understanding.
3.The DVD's are high quality learning tools. The Sunrise Tai Chi DVD I especially appreciated as a professional teacher at large. The instruction section done by Mr. Rones is worth the price of the rest of the DVD and book put together. Having taught martial skills I appreciate instructions like "put your hand here like you are petting a big dog"...that's hard to screw up. The only draw back is that when the forms are performed you only get one view on screen. This is especially true with the Sunset DVD (which by the way is a different set of exercises). Trying to determine what you need to do looking only straight on is difficult and another screen should be added to show the motion from the side and behind.
4.More of the DVD's should be of Mr. Rone doing the instruction rather than a flat voiced reader trying to sound calm (he sounds bored). I imagine that this was done to speed up the tape process but I'd gladly pay for a longer DVD with more explanation from the author than a voice over from the guy who does The Weather Channel.

Those few inconveniences considered lets look at the positives...
1. Mr. Rones does an excellent job of doing what I've learned in other martial applications. He teaches you some solid basic principles! Which you practice and practice and practice. This may sound boring but practicing the various stances as he teaches them I believe you'll find fun and invigorating. The way the stances are taught make the lessons "bite size"--you don't feel that you're never be able to "learn it all". Each section feels like a stand alone learning.
2. I especially liked the fact that he teaches the skills, segregating upper from lower body. This allows you more flexibility in practice. Many of the basic exercises make a great break in the work day as they can be performed from a seated postiion. This also means that older or injured people with limited mobility can benefit. If you are really interested in tai chi, chi gung, or any martial skill....you'll benefit from learning to perform these apparently simple basics...correctly.
3. Mr. Rones puts a lot of emphasis on the internal foundation, a part of instruction that people want to skip over to do "the real thing." In fact the first 40+ pages are devoted to correct breathing...BRAVO!I know when I teach that's the first thing I do. If you can't breath well, you won't be able to perform well no matter what you do. Breathing is one of the important intersections of the mind/body so special study here will pay off down the road.
4. Abbreviated connected forms of the separate forms you learn can be found in the book and the DVDs but they really are a whole. If you buy the book you could fumble through the forms and stances but the DVD reinforces what you've read and you can see how its done.
5. Mr. Rones has great psychosomatic awareness and this comes through not only in his demonstrations but also in his instruction. I'm very glad to see someone take great care in describing how the body should be working as you move, not only in Tai Chi, but also in day to day life. The only way that you'll get clearer instruction is if you are there in person. He is especially careful about knee health and takes the time to explain correct body position...so pay attention!
6. This is not another tai chi forms book and tape. If you are expecting to learn the full Yang form or short form, you won't find it here...but having said that let me tell you that what you do learn is far more valuable to your over all health and long term development.

All in all the positives of this material and the superior teaching by Mr.Rones so far outway the few inconveniences that you would be ignoring an important and hard to find resource if you are interested in martial skills in general and tai chi and chi gung in particular. Few sources I've come across over my years of study and practice have the quality and simplicity of instruction that this book/DVD combination possess.

I have perused over a dozen "Tai Chi" books and found them all to be mostly useless. The average Tai Chi book either presents page after page of postures and katas without any meaningful explanation, or provides some quasi-mystical New-Agey commentary that makes little sense -- and then there are Erle's bizarre "combat tajiquan" books. It had gotten to the point that I had given up on ever finding a book that could help me to understand the basic principals of Tai Chi . . . and then a friend gave me the gift of "Sunrise Tai Chi" by Ramel Rones.

This book is amazing. Unlike other authors, Ramel does not start out with a dry commentary on the history of the art, followed by a few pages of speculation regarding the concept of qi, then filling the bulk with page after page of complex and difficult to follow katas. No -- he goes right into the deep esoteric secrets of qi -- explaining in easy to understand language exactly why people derive benefits from Tai Chi practice. I've studied similar topics for years, and have friends who have mastered various Eastern modalities, so I can attest that Ramel is highly qualified to expound on these difficult subjects -- and he does so in depth.

The middle portion of the book covers preliminary stretches and postures. Ramel goes into great detail here as well, and points out many common errors that require correction. Proper body mechanics, breathing, relaxation, and meditation are also covered.

The forms are simple and easy to learn. Anyone can do them. And, although this is an "introductory" text, there is a GREAT DEAL of information that will be of use to current Tai Chi students, as many concepts addressed here are NOT fully understood and appreciated by the average instructor. This book serves to fill in the gaps in one's knowledge and correct any possible misconceptions.

This is an outstanding book, and the techniques work exactly as Ramel says they do. I am recovering from PTSD and have been under an enormous amount of environmental stress as of late -- which has resulted in an inordinate amount of tension that has been manifesting as an annoying facial tic. A week after practicing just the relaxation techniques (haven't yet started doing the forms), I'm feeling a lot better and tic is pretty much gone. Thanks Ramel!

This is the ONLY Tai Chi book I've ever seen which I can recommend -- and I do so emphatically. "Sunrise Tai Chi" will help you to relax, become more flexible, have more energy, and improve your overall health. Many, many bogus systems promise all that and more, but Ramel actually delivers -- and the price is cheap too. YOU NEED TO ACQUIRE THIS BOOK AND PRACTICE THE TECHNIQUES. Highly recommended.

The author, who is obviously very skilled in martial arts, has written a supportive text that is supplemented with an excellent DVD that gives the "hands-on" approach today's visually oriented audience prefers. In his book, the author emphasizes having patience with one's efforts but makes it clear that no techniques can be accomplished without "practice, practice, practice!" The diagrams and photos in the book are extremely helpful, especially for the beginner who is trying to learn the theory and basics of martial arts. But the DVD is definitely the author's niche and provides the real "how to."

Sunrise Tai Chi is an excellent introduction to the topic, and a useful companion to the DVD of the same name. Like the DVD, the book shows Rones' down to earth yet respectful view of Tai Chi and related disciplines. The illustrations are clear and the discussions concise and useful. As both a cancer patient and academic neurologist, I have benefited greatly from the material that is so expertly taught in this volume.

I first read this book early in my private pilot training, many years ago. Needless to say, I did not really understand what I was reading. Coming back to it now, with a number of additional ratings and many more hours of flight time to my name, was a revelation. Almost on every page, I found myself saying, "Yes, that's how it is." Buck really knows what he is talking about, whether it be ice, thunderstorms, turbulence, or transitioning from instruments to visual on the approach. Taking to heart what Buck has to say will first and foremost help you to survive as a pilot by making good weather decisions. Just as importantly, he imparts a great deal of wisdom on how to get maximum utility from the airplane while keeping risk to a low level. However, as indicated earlier, the book is definitely not for beginners. A solid understanding of basic meteorology and a considerable amount of piloting experience are needed to interpret it correctly--and safely.

As a CFI I have numerous books in my aviation library. This book details flying in weather and the mindset required to be a safe and competent instrument pilot.

Recommeded to me by my instructor after I received my instrument rating I now recommend it to students and associates whenever the subject of flying in weather (or not flying in weather) comes up.

I read Northstar Over My Shoulder prior to buying this book so I had an understanding of Captain Buck's history and experience which added weight to the wisdom obvious in Weather Flying (buy that book too!)

Not a lesson on meteorology; more of a lesson on judgment and decision-making. In other words, how does one deal with the weather? What does one do with the information one has?
Bob Buck is a man of authority, vast knowledge and experience when it comes to weather flying. His advice is, therefore, not to be taken lightly.
The book is readable, Buck writes "as he talks and flies, with an easy touch...he makes it simple and plain". The only thing that frustrated me at times was the fact that due to the sheer amount of information and knowledge he wants to impart, he occasionally jumps from one issue to the other, picking up new subjects while seemingly leaving others unfinished.

It is hard to imagine a pilot with more weather flying experience than Captain Robert Buck. And much of this flying was in the old days: in the early years of the Army Air Corp and a young company called TWA. Much of this flying was accomplished without the assistance of modern instrumentation. Captain Buck travelled the world seeking the most ornery weather he could find, and then flew into it time and time again, compiling the experience and collecting the data that no one else had at the time. Captain Buck shares that experience here. This book is interesting and engaging to the flying enthusiast, essential to the VFR pilot, and absolutely priceless to the aspiring instrument pilot. Every discipline and every pastime has its classics, and WEATHER FLYING is, without a doubt, one of the classics of aviation.

The language of WEATHER FLYING is simple and straightforward. The lessons are practical more than theoretical, though Captain Buck keeps his readers briefed on essential weather theory as well. Virtually every weather situation that a pilot can encounter is covered in this book, from the ordinary to the exotic. Then Captain Buck instructs you how to fly it. The concept is simple and direct; the lessons are comprehensive and pragmatic.

In short, this is not a book to read once and then shelve. The lessons are too important to be forgotten. This is a manual to be taken down and read over and over again by any sort of pilot who flies any sort of aircraft.

Jeremy W. Forstadt

... and will remain so after you read this book. Everything in Buck's book is useful but it is tough to remember all of his rules without a solid grounding in meteorology. The cover's subtitle "a practical book on flying in all kinds of weather" is accurate. This book is about practice, not theory. However, after finishing the book, I was disappointed to find myself as ignorant as ever about weather and completely at the mercy of the FAA briefers.

This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a well-told story and enjoys baseball. It is a heart-warming and well paced story and the characters are very well developed and extremely likable. It was written with humor as well as warmth and I felt like I was getting to know each player on the team. It was very hard to put down once I got started. The follow up is also nice where each of the surviving members of the original team give some retrospective on their experiences 50 years ago. I read the book while attending the 2008 Little League World Series and found myself rooting for the Mexican team this year. But as we all know they lost to Hawaii.
I also had the opportunity to meet the author who was doing a book signing in Williamsport. He is a very kind and personable gentleman and I had the opportunity to speak with him for a few moments. We are all eagerly awaiting the release of the film which was originally scheduled for release in August.
Great book and a wonderfully told story!

In 1957 a tiny inexperienced Little League team from Monterrey, Mexico... a team that had never been a team before... because there had never been a Little League in Monterrey before... became the first team from outside of America to win the coveted Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. This is a story for anyone who has ever been such a big underdog, that no one would even take you seriously... this story is for anyone who not only lived on the wrong side of the tracks... but it's also for anyone who lived so far on the other side of the tracks... that it never even entered their wildest imagination... that there was even such a thing as tracks.

This team of undersized future hero's lived in abject poverty. Most of the boys had no shoes... let alone any baseball cleats. Their homes had no electricity or running water. Most of the boys either slept on hay or the floor. Their Mother's hand sewed their baseball gloves. The first baseball they used was made out of cloth and straw. What these boys lacked in possessions, they made up for with faith. Their life was built around the church, and the church was run by Padre Esteban.

Padre Esteban had an old radio, that when he twisted the dial just right could get of all things... Brooklyn Dodger radio broadcasts. All the kids would huddle around the radio whenever the Padre would tell them the Brooklyn Dodgers were playing. So despite the fact that none of the kids had ever been to a game... or seen a game... which would be pretty hard to do... since none of them had ever seen a TV... the Brooklyn Dodgers became their favorite team. The kids would fight over who would be Duke Snider... who would be "Geel" Hodges... who would be Carl Furillo. And one baseball loving, poverty stricken, dreamer... Angel Macias... only wanted to be SANDY KOUFAX. Angel was the instigator of the "impossible dream"... he wanted to have a baseball team. One day Angel finds an old baseball in a deserted lot, and since he has no one to play catch with in the middle of the day, he starts pitching by himself, by throwing the ball against the wall of a deserted dilapidated shack... THUMP!... THUMP!.... THUMP!... The thumping and smacking of the ball against the wall wakes up a grumpy factory worker named Cesar Faz who was sleeping inside. Angel asks him to play catch... Cesar says no... Angel keeps THUMPING the ball against the wall... Cesar takes the ball, tells him to get lost and goes back to sleep. Angel keeps coming back day after day... and slowly coerces Cesar to play catch... and then shares his dream of a team... and that leads to what can only be described as... no less than a true-real-life-fantasy-come true!

With Cesar as the coach they recruit other poor kids and one snobby well-off kid, who winds up having his life and personality changed by the poor kids, who are richer in "FAITH". They raise the small amount of money necessary (but extremely large to them) to enter the Little League tournament, where ONE-LOSS AND YOU'RE OUT. They have enough money to get a bus ride, (with their clothes in grocery bags) to the American border on the day of the game... but that's all. The entire team, and the coach, who has to carry all the equipment, then has to walk TWELVE MILES in the 90-100 DEGREE Texas desert heat, to where the game is... and... when they get there... they have to play the game. Nobody gives them a chance, and there are some derogatory comments from some Texan's in the stands denigrating Mexican's. It should be noted that the Monterrey Industrial Little League players not only look malnourished... but later a Little League doctor stated after giving them all a physical... that "they're about thirty-five pounds lighter and six inches shorter than average." The "LITTLE-GIANTS" as the press started calling them after their first win in Texas, then won five straight games in McAllen, Texas... and at the same time... won over the hearts of the town. Unfortunately the "LITTLE-GIANTS" only had money and clothes for one game. Playing one game alone, had already fulfilled their wildest impoverished dream. If the reader hasn't got goose bumps by this point... you surely will, when the local Texas town folk, start giving them food and money to continue their Don Quixote like dream. The Monterrey team continues winning games in Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, and Louisville Kentucky, on the way to the Little League World Series in Williamsport Pennsylvania. This "faithful" band of Little Leaguer's never go on the field for a game without a prayer by the clergy. Padre Esteban who accompanied the team on this "one game trip" performed these daily rituals, but when this day trip became 2-3 weeks, he had to leave to get back to his church. In the Southern Regional finals in Kentucky, the team refused to go on the field without a Priest leading them in a prayer. They were threatened with a forfeit, which would end this fantastic dream... and they still wouldn't leave the dugout... when an African American lady in the stands, said her neighbor was a Minister and she went and got him. The minister led them in prayer and the boys went out and won again. Now they had no money to get to the World Series. The Minister who said the prayer, asked for donations at his church, and also took the churches bus and drove the team to Pennsylvania. Mexico's team... had become America's dream. In the championship game they were matched against heavily favored La Mesa of California, who along with their experience... had a massive size advantage... one of the "LITTLE-GIANTS" was four feet seven inches and weighed sixty-five pounds... the La Mesa center fielder was fourteen inches taller, and one-hundred-pounds heavier.

Pitching the championship game for Monterrey was Angel "KOUFAX" Macias. Did I mention that Angel pitched with his LEFT AND HIS RIGHT HANDS? I'm not giving anything away, since there is so much... before... during... and after... the game... that will make you believe in magic... and believe in... the decency in human beings... throughout the world... when I tell you that Angel "Koufax" Macias pitched the first perfect game in the history of the Little League World Series, for Monterrey's THIRTEENTH CONSECUTIVE WIN. This heartwarming story that starts with boys that had never been in a car before... or seen a TV before... ends up with them meeting the President of the United States... being greeted by over FIVE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND-FANS when they returned to Monterrey... and even more important to the boys... they got to go to EBBETS FIELD AND MEET THEIR HEROES "THE BROOKLYN DODGERS"!