Travel World guide

A leading authority on spey casting, Simon Gawesworth began teaching the casts on the river Torridge in Devon, England, and now resides in Idaho. His spey casting video, International Spey Casting, is recognized as one of the finest instructional videos on casting. He has collected the top casts into the Speycaster s Streamside Reference (9780811732413).

No other cast is more graceful, or more fun to learn, than the spey cast. Champion spey caster Simon Gawesworth teaches the casts, some of which he developed himself, all of which he has mastered as an angler and instructor. Revised and updated to include the latest trends, this new edition has a completely new chapter on skagit casting, a remarkably easy way to lift the largest flies and lines with the fastest sinking tips from the water–this cast is ideal for tight backcasting situations.

Spey Casting, 2nd Edition

Two-Handed Fly Casting: Spey Casting Techniques

Al Buhr has been an avid steelhead fisherman since his youth and was introduced to Spey casting by the late Jim Green in 1982. Al has since been on the leading edge of rod and line development for many years with Sage in developing two-handed rods and with Scientific Angler in designing several Spey fly lines. In 2004, Al chaired

a committee of line and rod manufacturers that established a manufacturing line-weight designation standard ratified by the Association of Fishing Tackle Manufacturers of America.

Al is also a member of the Federation of Fly Fishers’ Casting Board of Governors’ and is chairman of the Two-Handed Casting Instructor program. He is a FFF-certified Master Casting Instructor and Two-Handed Casting Instructor. Al has given workshops on fly casting and steelhead fly fishing throughout the United States and at many Federation of Fly Fishers’ Conclaves.

Two-handed rods have moved from relative obscurity to the forefront of modern fly-fishing. In this practical, straight-forward manual, Al Buhr, America’s leading instructor reveals the secrets of 16 Spey Casts, complete with superb step-by-step text and photos.

This book unlocks the secrets of 16 different casts that solve many fishing situations. This is a practical, experience based guide that is ideal for casters of all skill levels. This book has casts and helpful hints for the beginning caster, the essential Spey casts and situation Spey casts that will solve many fishing circumstances. Each cast is laid out in a clear sep-by-step progression, as well as, when and where to use them. The fault analyst section lays out how to find faults and cure them, list many of the common faults, causes and cures.

Spey casting is a great way to improve your success in flyfishing. It is an ideal method to present a fly with ease with no back cast. the rods long length improves line control for better presentations. In windy conditions, Spey casting provides a level of safety. Using leverage of the two hands to form the cast is less stressful on the arms and shoulders making it ideal for those who have experienced a loss of strength. Brute strength is never required. This is ideal for anyone who may have experienced fatigue casting a large single-handed rod.

Two-Handed Fly Casting: Spey Casting Techniques

Groundfighting and submission techniques are considered by many to be the backbone of mixed martial arts. Being skillful as a groundfighter is vital to winning in this sport. I have yet to meet anyone in my work as an MMA television commentator who understands how to teach groundfighting better than Steve Scott. –Sean Wheelock, M-1 Commentator and Analyst

Steve Scott, has developed champion grapplers and fighters for over 40 years. Among the thousands of athletes who have trained with him, he has personally coached 3 World Sambo Champions and over 200 national and international champions in judo, sambo, sport jujitsu and submission grappling at his Welcome Mat training center in Kansas City. A high-ranking black belt in both judo and Shingitai jujitsu, Steve s also a member of the U.S. Sombo Association s Hall of Fame. As a member of the U.S. national coaching staff for both judo and sambo, he was the official U.S. team coachat the World Sambo Championships, Pan American Games and World (Under 21) Judo Championships, among many other international judo and sambo events. Athletes Steve developed at Welcome Mat have represented the United States in the Olympic Games, World Judo Championships, World Sambo Championships, Pan American Games, Pacific Rim Championships, World University Games, International High School Championships, and many other international judo and sambo events. Steve has conducted over 300 seminars, training camps and clinics and has authored numerous other books on the subject of submission grappling, jujitsu, judo and sambo.

If you make your opponent tap out, he ll never forgive you and never forget you! Tap Out Textbook: The Ultimate Guide to Submissions for Grappling is packed with hundreds of armlocks, chokes and leglocks that you can use to make any opponent tap out. This book offers hardcore, serious and practical instruction on submitting your opponent in a wide variety of grappling and fi ghting situations. Whether you re a submission grappler, judo or jujitsu athlete or MMA fighter, this book will improve your armlocks, chokes and leglocks. Learn each submission technique from start to finish in both no gi and gi situations. Plus you’ll get variations, alternate finishes and escapes so no matter what your opponent throws at you, you ll be ready. Author Steve Scott has over 40 years experience as a coach and athlete in judo, sambo, sport jujitsu and submission grappling. In this comprehensive training guide, he shares the same training tips, technical expertise and tactical advice that he has used to train 3 World Sambo Champions and over 200 national and international champions in grappling sports. Written in clear, concise language with over a thousand photographs, Tap Out Textbook: The Ultimate Guide to Submissions for Grappling is like having your own world-class coach with you every time you step on the mat.

Groundfighting and submission techniques are considered by many to be the backbone of mixed martial arts. Being skillful as a groundfighter is vital to winning in this sport. I have yet to meet anyone in my work as an MMA television commentator who understands how to teach groundfighting better than Steve Scott. –Sean Wheelock, M-1 Commentator and Analyst

Tap Out Textbook: The Ultimate Guide to Sumissions for Grappling

Throws and Takedowns for sambo, judo, jujitsu and submission grappling

Steve Scott started training in the sport of judo in 1965 and was introduced to sambo in 1976. He holds high rank in Kodokan Judo and Shingitai Jujitsu and is a member of the United States Sombo Association s Hall of Fame. Steve has personally coached 3 World Champions, 2 Pan American Games Champions and 58 National AAU Champions in the sport of sambo. He has also developed numerous judo champions at his Welcome Mat training center, including a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Judo Team. He has conducted training camps at the U.S. Olympic Training Centers as well as over 250 seminars in judo, sambo, jujitsu and submission grappling throughout the United States.

Learn to dominate opponents with the explosive throws, sweeps and takedowns of Sambo. Coach Steve Scott teaches 75 of the most effective ways to put your opponent on the mat and keep him there. Whether you compete in sambo, judo, jujitsu, submission grappling or MMA, the techniques Takedowns and Throws for Sambo, Judo, Jujitsu and Submission Grappling will arm you with an arsenal of explosive, functional throws and takedowns. Coach Scott starts you off with a thorough overview of the concepts and principles of throws and takedowns including technical execution, grip fighting, stance, posture, balance, defense, fitness and drill training. Building on these fundamentals, he teaches 75 takedowns, throws and sweeps including lifting throws, pick-ups, leg grabs, knee drop throws, body drop throws, over body throws, leg hooks and sweeps. Each technique is extensively illustrated with photos from key angles and Coach Scott’s straightforward explanations make it easy for you to put these techniques to work on the mat in your next training session. THROWS and TAKEDOWNS INCLUDED: The Buck ~ Inside Thigh Lift ~ Outer Thigh Sweep ~ Cuban Leg Grab ~ The Metz ~ Ankle Pick ~ Hand Wheel ~ 1-Arm Knee Drop ~ Cross Arm Knee Drop ~ Tight Waist Knee Drop ~ Fireman’s Carry ~ Cross Body Outer Hook ~ Sweeping Hip Throw ~ Inner Thigh Throw ~ Cross Grip Major Outer Hook ~ Front Kick Throw ~ Minor Inner Hook ~ Open Chest Body Drop ~ Side Body Drop ~ Knee Body Drop ~ Back Grip Hip Throw ~ Belly-to-Belly Throw

Throws and Takedowns for sambo, judo, jujitsu and submission grappling

When the author was nine years old, his father, an experienced climber, tackled one of the world’s most treacherous mountains, the Eiger, in the Swiss Alps. It was the first attempt to reach the summit via the “direct” route (Harlin senior had already climbed the North Face), and it ended in tragedy, with a 4,000-foot fall. Forty years after his father’s death, at the age of 49, the author succeeded where his father failed: beating the mountain. Published to coincide with the release of the Imax film chronicling the climb, the book combines biography (memories of Harlin’s father) with a you-are-there account of the climb (“The cold Eiger rock feels good against my bare hands”). Thankfully, Harlin avoids most of the climbing-as-life-metaphor cliches that mar so many mountaineering books. At once a tribute to a legendary climber and a celebration of a very personal triumph, this book will captivate the imagination of anyone who reads it. David Pitt
Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Praise for a Previous Edition
In his gripping, graceful account . . . Harlin elegantly combines a frank biography of his frequently absent parent . . . with a vivid memoir of his own childhood. . . . His agility as a writer makes his final ascent of the mountain as compelling as his account of living in his fathers shadow.
Sunday Times (United Kingdom)
As close to being a page turner as any climbing-related book Ive read since Touching the Void.
Stephen Goodwin, Alpine Journal
Its the differences between the father and the son, not the similarities, that infuse this book with such poignant force.
Mens Journal

When the author was nine years old, his father, an experienced climber, tackled one of the world’s most treacherous mountains, the Eiger, in the Swiss Alps. It was the first attempt to reach the summit via the “direct” route (Harlin senior had already climbed the North Face), and it ended in tragedy, with a 4,000-foot fall. Forty years after his father’s death, at the age of 49, the author succeeded where his father failed: beating the mountain. Published to coincide with the release of the Imax film chronicling the climb, the book combines biography (memories of Harlin’s father) with a you-are-there account of the climb (“The cold Eiger rock feels good against my bare hands”). Thankfully, Harlin avoids most of the climbing-as-life-metaphor cliches that mar so many mountaineering books. At once a tribute to a legendary climber and a celebration of a very personal triumph, this book will captivate the imagination of anyone who reads it. – from Booklist

Praise for a Previous Edition
In his gripping, graceful account . . . Harlin elegantly combines a frank biography of his frequently absent parent . . . with a vivid memoir of his own childhood. . . . His agility as a writer makes his final ascent of the mountain as compelling as his account of living in his fathers shadow.
Sunday Times
As close to being a page turner as any climbing-related book Ive read since Touching the Void.
Stephen Goodwin, Alpine Journal
Its the differences between the father and the son, not the similarities, that infuse this book with such poignant force.
Mens Journal

The Eiger Obsession: Facing the Mountain That Killed My Father

Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains

No matter what the actual temperature may be, several pages into Eiger Dreams you will begin to shiver. Halfway through you will acquire a new appreciation for your fingers, toes, and the fact that you still have a nose. And by the end of this collection, you’ll define some commonly used phrases in an entirely different way. The understated “catch some air” and the whimsical “log some flight time” are climbers’ euphemisms for falling, while “crater” refers to what happens when you log some flight time all the way to the ground. “Summiting,” the term for reaching the top of a mountain, seems almost colorless in comparison. The various heroes, risk-takers, incompetents, and individualists Krakauer captures are more than colorful, whether they summit or not. The author is more interested in exploring the addiction of risk–the intensity of effort–than mere triumph. There’s the mythical minimalist climber, John Gill, whose fame “rests entirely on assents less than thirty feet high,” and the Burgess brothers–freewheeling, free-floating English twins who seem to make all the right decisions when it counts, and hence most often fail to reach the top. Of course, they are alive. Over these and other talented climbers hangs a malignant, endlessly creative nature–its foehn winds can make people crazy and its avalanches do far worse. Eiger Dreams is an adrenaline fest for the weary, an overdue examination of a stylish, brave subculture. As one of the heroes Krakauer outlines says of his occupation, “It’s sort of like having fun, only different.” –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

In this collection, Krakauer writes of mountains from the memorable perspective of one who has himself struggled with solo madness to scale Alaska’s notorious Devil’s Thumb.

Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains

Rachel Dresbeck, a writer and editor, has observed and written about Portland for a variety of publications. She was educated at Whitman College and the University of Oregon, has taught writing and literature at Portland Community College, University of Oregon, and Oregon Health and Science University.

Insiders’ Guide toPortland, Oregonis the essential source for in-depth travel and relocation information forthis truly diverse city.Written by a local (and true insider), Insiders’ Guide toPortland, Oregon offers a personal and practical perspective of Portland and its surrounding environs. In addition to the text being fully revised and updated, the 6th edition features a new cover treatment.Insiders’ Guide to Portland, Oregon, 7th (Insiders’ Guide Series)

Streetwise Portland Map – Laminated City Center Street Map of Portland, Oregon – Folding pocket size travel map with Max Light Rail map

“Dont leave home without STREETWISE” — New York Times

“STREETWISE is an absolute travel essential” — Travel & Leisure

“In a strange city, your sense of direction is only as good as the map in your hands. The best maps to carry are published by STREETWISE.” –Chicago Daily Herald

Streetwise Portland Map – Laminated City Center Street Map of Portland, Oregon – Folding pocket size travel map with integrated Max Light Rail map featuring lines & stations

This map covers the following areas:
Main Portland Map 1:22,000
Downtown Portland Map 1:15,000
Portland Area Map 1:181,000
Mt Hood Area Map 1:460,000
Portland Max Light Rail Map

Portland, Design City USA, is what it could be called due to the energy, vitality, and overall positive state of mind found in this Northwest City. The city sits at the junction of two great rivers, the Columbia and the Willamette, and is surrounded by forests and vast stretches of greenery. That may not last as Portland is one of the fastest growing cities in the US. Go now and enjoy the greenery!

The STREETWISE map of Portland Oregon is the tool youll need to navigate in and around Portland. Looking at the main map youll see the Willamette River divides the city into two major districts known as East side and West side. The West side is where the central business district is located as well as Old Town, and the Pearl District, which is trs hip and chic. The East side is mainly residential with a dash of trendy commercial retail mixed in. The inset map of Downtown Portland shows an orderly grid system on which we provide hotels, points of interest, museums and educational sites.

Our Portland Area map will navigate you in and around the region to such places as Portland International Airport, and the Mount Hood inset map. Youll be able to take a day trip from the center of Portland to the Mt. Hood recreation area. Add in our Max Light Rail map and you are now empowered to master all the delights Portland has to offer.

A complete index of streets, hotels, points of interest, shopping, education, culture, transportation and parks is clearly listed on the STREETWISE Portland Oregon Map.

Our pocket size map of Portland is laminated for durability and accordion folding for effortless use. The STREETWISE Portland map is one of many detailed and easy-to-read city street maps designed and published by STREETWISE. Buy your STREETWISE Portland map today and you too can navigate Portland, Oregon like a native. For a larger selection of our detailed travel maps simply type STREETWISE MAPS into the Amazon search bar.

Streetwise Portland Map – Laminated City Center Street Map of Portland, Oregon – Folding pocket size travel map with Max Light Rail map

“This guidebook is so encyclopedic in scope that I give it as a gift to newcomers to the area. Even though I am a native of the area, I learned nearly everything I know about western North Carolina from this book alone, and it remains my primary reference.” –Reader review –This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Carolyn Sakowski is a native of Morganton, North Carolina. She holds a B.A. in history from Queens University of Charlotte and a M.A. in history from Appalachian State University. She lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she is the president of John F. Blair, Publisher. Her previous books include Touring the East Tennessee Backroads and Travel North Carolina. –This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Have you ever been to the mountains of western North Carolina and wanted to see the scenery but escape the crowds? Maybe you were tempted to take off down a side road but hesitated, fearful of getting lost. Now, Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads can help you make that escape.

The book’s 21 tours cover the entire mountain region of western North Carolina and provide numerous opportunities for seeing unspoiled landscapes and pastoral scenes. But scenery is not the only focus. Once you’re on the backroads, you might speculate about the history behind the old white clapboard farmhouse that dominates the valley ahead, or you might wonder about the rest of the story behind the two sentences on the historical marker at the side of the road. Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads fills in those details. Drawing from local histories and early travel writings, each tour is designed to be a journey through the history of the ages, and stories about early settlers combine to present a perspective that makes the scenery come alive.

This third edition features updated directions, additional sites, new photographs, suggested spur trips, and nearby recreational opportunities. Use this guidebook to plan your next day trip, weekend getaway, or cycling adventure!

John F. Blair’s Touring the Backroads series includes travel books that literally take readers off the beaten path to historic sites and landmarks. Each book departs the highways and thoroughfares in favor of the backroads, giving directions, suggested routes, and historical details along the way. These books can be read at home, or they make excellent travel companions for those looking for something beyond the norm.

“This guidebook is so encyclopedic in scope that I give it as a gift to newcomers to the area. Even though I am a native of the area, I learned nearly everything I know about western North Carolina from this book alone, and it remains my primary reference.” –Reader review –This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads (Touring the Backroads)

North Carolina Waterfalls: A Hiking and Photography Guide

Kevin Adams started teaching photography seminars and leading photo tours to photograph waterfalls in the North Carolina mountains in the early 1990s. He now has several books to his credit, including North Carolina’s Best Wildflower Hikes: The Mountains; Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park; and Waterfalls of Virginia and West Virginia. He lives in High Point, North Carolina.

Since its original publication in 1994, North Carolina Waterfalls has been the most comprehensive guide available to one of the prime natural features of the Tar Heel State. This new edition includes over 600 waterfalls, with detailed directions and trail and beauty ratings for the major waterfalls on public land. For the first time, waterfalls located on private land will be listed, although directions won’t be provided.

Visitors to western North Carolina are often surprised at the spectacular variety of waterfalls tucked among the Appalachians all the way from Murphy in the southwest to Stone Mountain in the northeast, and surprisingly, even in eastern locations such as Fayetteville and Rocky Mount. This guide features over 100 color and black-and-white photographs showing those waterfalls at their absolute best. Its special section about photographing waterfalls in general, as well as specific hints for photographing each individual waterfall, will help readers create memorable images of their own.

North Carolina Waterfalls: A Hiking and Photography Guide

“Eric Harr has an astounding ability to motivate practically anyone and crafts a compelling case for the fact that fitness challenges are not just feasible but fun. Eric makes the daunting feat of training for a physically demanding event completely doable because he is there every step of the way–cheering you on, spurring you to greater heights, making you want to do this. His book is a brilliant tool that should truly inspire members of our sedentary society to put themselves, and their health, first.”–Alexa Joy Sherman, senior editor for Shape magazine

“Eric Harr’s book will be of great value to the newbie triathlete. He will help you from your first step to when you cross the finish line.”–Jim Taylor, Ph.D., sports psychologist and ironman triathlete

“Everyone dreams of being an athlete, but most of us don’t think that we have either the time or the ability to do it. In Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week, Eric Harr will give you the inspiration and the right information to accomplish that dream. It will fit into your life, you’ll never feel better, and you’ll never look back.”–Susan M. Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D., author of Power Eating

“Eric Harr has an astounding ability to motivate practically anyone and crafts a compelling case for the fact that fitness challenges are not just feasible but fun. Eric makes the daunting feat of training for a physically demanding event completely doable because he is there every step of the way–cheering you on, spurring you to greater heights, making you want to do this. His book is a brilliant tool that should truly inspire members of our sedentary society to put themselves, and their health, first.”–Alexa Joy Sherman, senior editor for Shape magazine

“Eric Harr’s book will be of great value to the newbie triathlete. He will help you from your first step to when you cross the finish line.”–Jim Taylor, Ph.D., sports psychologist and ironman triathlete

The Transforming Power of Triathlon

Training for a triathlon will get you in the best shape of your life, not to mention give you a new and exciting fitness pursuit. More than that, it will change your life in ways you never imagined.

In 1994, when Eric Harr decided to train for his first triathlon in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the extent of his exercise was walking to the local mango stand for lunch. That one simple step set in motin dozens of other positive steps. Eric began eating better, had more energy, and grew more sensitized to the joys of everyday life.

You hold in your hands the key to unlocking a healthy, passion-filled life. All the motivation and practical advice you need to train for and finish a triathlon is within these pages.

Four separate training programs to accommodate every fitness level

A complete list of all the gear you need, with money-saving tips on how to get it for less

A 40-minute stretch-and-strenghten workout you can do at home–plus an abbreviated 10-minute workout for those days when you’re pressed for time

A complete menu plan with delicious, healthy meal choices to fuel your active body

Strategies to stay motivated and injury-proof your body

Discounts on triathlon gear, race entry fees, travel expenses and lodging

A minute-by-minute guide to your race day

Author and professional triathlete Eric Harr began his career as an out-of-shape legal clerk living in the U.S. Virgin Islands. After training by commuting on his mountain bike, he competed in his first athletic event, the St. Croix Triathlon. He waddled across the finish, ahead of a few noted professionals.
Almost one year after that event, Eric was ranked sixth in the world and was named Rookie of the Year. Since then, he has won 30 amateur and pro events in 23 countries and has represented the United States in two World Championship events. He is about to undertake the Hawaii Ironman as the culmination of The Ultimate Challenge, in which he’s competed in 10 of the world’s most strenuous and celebrated athletic events to raise money for international charities including Special Olympics.
Eric is also a TV and radio show host, a columnist for Shape magazine, a nationally syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times and the author of The Portable Personal Trainer. He lives in Marin County, California, with his wife, Alexandra Stretton, and their dog Owen.

“Everyone dreams of being an athlete, but most of us don’t think that we have either the time or the ability to do it. In Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week, Eric Harr will give you the inspiration and the right information to accomplish that dream. It will fit into your life, you’ll never feel better, and you’ll never look back.”–Susan M. Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D., author of Power Eating

The Transforming Power of Triathlon

Training for a triathlon will get you in the best shape of your life, not to mention give you a new and exciting fitness pursuit. More than that, it will change your life in ways you never imagined.

In 1994, when Eric Harr decided to train for his first triathlon in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the extent of his exercise was walking to the local mango stand for lunch. That one simple step set in motin dozens of other positive steps. Eric began eating better, had more energy, and grew more sensitized to the joys of everyday life.

You hold in your hands the key to unlocking a healthy, passion-filled life. All the motivation and practical advice you need to train for and finish a triathlon is within these pages.

Four separate training programs to accommodate every fitness level

A complete list of all the gear you need, with money-saving tips on how to get it for less

A 40-minute stretch-and-strenghten workout you can do at home–plus an abbreviated 10-minute workout for those days when you’re pressed for time

A complete menu plan with delicious, healthy meal choices to fuel your active body

Strategies to stay motivated and injury-proof your body

Discounts on triathlon gear, race entry fees, travel expenses and lodging

A minute-by-minute guide to your race day

“Eric Harr has an astounding ability to motivate practically anyone and crafts a compelling case for the fact that fitness challenges are not just feasible but fun. Eric makes the daunting feat of training for a physically demanding event completely doable because he is there every step of the way–cheering you on, spurring you to greater heights, making you want to do this. His book is a brilliant tool that should truly inspire members of our sedentary society to put themselves, and their health, first.”–Alexa Joy Sherman, senior editor for Shape magazine

“Eric Harr’s book will be of great value to the newbie triathlete. He will help you from your first step to when you cross the finish line.”–Jim Taylor, Ph.D., sports psychologist and ironman triathlete

“Everyone dreams of being an athlete, but most of us don’t think that we have either the time or the ability to do it. In Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week, Eric Harr will give you the inspiration and the right information to accomplish that dream. It will fit into your life, you’ll never feel better, and you’ll never look back.”–Susan M. Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D., author of Power Eating

Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week: From Beginner to Finish Line in Just Six Weeks

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Triathlon Training

Colin Barr and Steve Katai are certified personal trainers and have won the nationwide Degree Everyman Ironman contest; Katai in 2003 and Barr in 2004. Since their separate wins, they have become dedicated to the sport, competing around America and the world, and have been featured in Triathlete and Competitor magazines, local and national TV, local papers and online media.

Every man an Iron Manand every woman, too!

No longer exclusive events reserved for only the most committed athletes, triathlons, duathlons , and aquathons now attract hundreds of thousands of Americans. Filled with the inside tips, practical advice, and photos, this is the book for any man or woman who wants to compete in multi-sport events, regardless of experience level.
–Authors are experienced triathlon competitors and personal trainers
–Tips on setting up, equipment, training, diet, and motivation
–Dozens of exciting instructional photos



The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Triathlon Training

A pictorial primer that thoroughly explains everything the fan needs to know about uniforms, equipment, the field, batting and pitching, plus histories of major, minor, women’s and Negro leagues. (Baseball Weekly) It is really fun, light reading that can keep a baseball fan captivated for hours (Nashville Tennessean) Included in a list of recent baseball books. (USA Today)

James Buckley, Jr. has written about sports for more than 15 years, including a stint as the directorial projects manager for Sports Illustrated. He is the author of over 20 books, including DK’s Eyewitness: Baseball and four baseball-themed DK Readers. He lives with his family in Santa Barbara, California.

Batter up to understand baseball as you never have before with The Visual Dictionary of Baseball. Here is an entirely new kind of dictionary — one that is packed with superb, full-color photographs, plus hundreds of terms and historical facts about the sport of baseball. The Visual Dictionary of Baseball gives you instant access to the vocabulary of baseball players, coaches, and fans in a way that is clear, informative, and easy to understand. If you know what a particular piece of baseball equipment or memorabilia looks like but don’t know its name, simply look at the labels around the illustrations and photographs. And if you know a term from the sport but don’t know exactly what it refers to, the comprehensive Index, Appendix, and Glossary direct you to the illustrations that show you just what you are looking for. Dorling Kindersley Visual Dictionaries are the ultimate finder’s guides to what things are called. See, learn, discover, and identify all the parts of all the things in the world around you. From the parts of the baseball diamond to the materials inside the baseball to creating a winning lineup, the intricate workings of baseball are revealed in full-color clarity.

A pictorial primer that thoroughly explains everything the fan needs to know about uniforms, equipment, the field, batting and pitching, plus histories of major, minor, women’s and Negro leagues. It is really fun, light reading that can keep a baseball fan captivated for hours Included in a list of recent baseball books.

The Visual Dictionary of Baseball (DK Visual Dictionaries)

The Hidden Language of Baseball

Dickson, whose more than 40 books include several baseball titles, returns to the national pastime with a thoroughly researched account of the game’s idiosyncratic forms of communication. As hard as it is to unearth fresh information about such a richly documented sport, Dickson has plenty of new stories and details. Who knew, for example, that the savvy Ty Cobb would often tip his hand, giving opponents an idea of when he planned to bunt or steal a base? And who had any idea that the Chicago White Sox 1959 pennant drive was aided by sign stealing from the center-field scoreboard? Anyone who has ever played or coached youth baseball or paid close attention to the third-base coach at a big-league game will appreciate the author’s guided tour through the history of diamond sign language. Dickson is a fine storyteller, and his latest book is a welcome addition to the rich canon of baseball literature. Kevin Canfield
Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Baseball is set apart from other sports by many things, but few are more distinctive than the intricate systems of coded language that govern action on the field and give baseball its unique appeal. During a nine-inning game, more than 1,000 silent instructions are given-from catcher to pitcher, coach to batter, fielder to fielder, umpire to umpire-and without this speechless communication the game would simply not be the same. Baseball historian Paul Dickson examines for the first time the rich legacy of baseball’s hidden language, offering fans everywhere a smorgasbord of history and anecdote.

The Hidden Language of Baseball

Lonely Planet guidebooks are, quite simply, like no others.’ –New York Times
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

- vast information on local airlines, air passes and island hopping by boat- over 160 maps containing dive sites, towns and cities- special sections explore the South Pacifie’s traditional arts and spiritual artifacts- includes Fiji, Cook Islands, Guam, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, French Polynesia. Easter Island and more

Lonely Planet guidebooks are, quite simply, like no others.’ –New York Times
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Lonely Planet South Pacific

Lonely Planet Tahiti & French Polynesia

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you’re going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling’s “been there” advice. The original backpacker’s bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

If the magical islands of French Polynesia are on your itinerary, here is the perfect traveling companion. Its 29 maps highlight 4WD vehicle tracks, walking routes, and dive sites. The guide features a thorough history section, food section, accommodations for any budget, and useful Tahitian and French language sections. This book also includes all the archipelagos: the Societies, Tuamotus, Marquesas, Australs, and Gambiers–with extensive information in inter-island travel. The authors have personally tested all of the dive sites. –Kathryn True –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Nobody knows Tahiti & French Polynesia like Lonely Planet, and our 8th edition offers the best of these island paradises. Whether that’s diving in the Tuamotus, floating away the day in Maupiti’s lagoon, exploring the market in Pape’ete or hiking in the Marquesas – you decide.

Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.

In This Guide:

No Hype luxury spas and resorts independently rated and reviewed
Dedicated diving chapter located the best sites in these pristine turquoise waters
Expanded coverage of the islands’ historic sites and ancient temples

Lonely Planet Tahiti & French Polynesia (Country Travel Guide)

…[A] fascinating run-down of the interplay between football, pop culture, and history…bringing an intellectual flavor to a game of brawn. (Bleacher Report )

Steven Travers is the author of One Night Two Teams: Alabama vs. USC and the Game That Changed a Nation and The USC Trojans: College Football’s All-Time Greatest Dynasty as well as several other books and screenplays. He lives in San Anselmo, California.

This is the story of a sport’s role in society, from the “leather helmet era,” through the dawn of television and its tremendous impact on the college game, and up to the present era of collegiate football as “big business”all outlined against a “blue, gray October sky” of American history. In this comprehensive history, Steven Travers breaks down the story of college football into two erasthe period prior to World War I, when the nascent sport was so dangerous that President Theodore Roosevelt proposed legislation to make the sport safer, and the “modern” era, when the popularity of football led to the development of professional leagues largely fed by college players.
He also explores our obsession with identifying winners, from controversies over poll rankings to tracking the performance of players on the short list for the Heisman or Outland Trophies. In addition to profiling the great players and their greatest games, Travers also considers how the sport has infiltrated the popular culture, listing, for example, the top eight college football movies of all time, and the origin of the term “Ivy League.” Travers also compiles an impressive list of All-Americans, bowl performances, all-time winning records, winning streaks, great runs, decades and dynasties, pro football representation, and a host of other detailed criteria. It’s all here: the statistics, the stories, and the lore of a game that has and will continue to dominate fall Saturdays for another hundred years to come.

…[A] fascinating run-down of the interplay between football, pop culture, and history…bringing an intellectual flavor to a game of brawn.

Pigskin Warriors: 140 Years of College Football’s Greatest Traditions, Games, and Stars

ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Game

Michael MacCambridge is the author of The Franchise: A History of Sports Illustrated and Americas Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation, and the editor of the bestselling ESPN SportsCentury. He lives with his wife and children in St. Louis, Missouri.

The most comprehensive reference book ever assembled on the history of college football

From South Bend, Indiana, to Lincoln, Nebraska, Palo Alto, California, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Tallahassee, Florida, college football attracts the most dedicated fans in all of sports. This book is their Bible — a rich and exhaustive reference guide to the games history, tradition, and lore. Based on three years of research by the nations foremost college football experts, the book features:

-Capsule histories for each of the Division 1-A programs, the Ivy League schools, and the historically black colleges -Year-by-year schedules and scores for each school -Statistical leaders from each school -Fight-song lyrics -Box scores for every bowl game ever played -Weekly AP and UPI polls dating back to 1936 -A four-color insert illustrating the evolution of each schools helmet design -Essays by the games top wordsmiths, including Dan Jenkins, Beano Cook, Chris Fowler, and more. -And a lively round-table discussion on the state of the game with ESPNs popular GameDay team .

Packed with tables and charts and designed in an easy-to-read style, the ESPN College Football Encyclopedia is sure to dazzle even the most knowledgeable fan.

ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Game

Equal parts travel story and adventure tale, this volume leads readers on a meandering journey through the farthest reaching corners of India. Hall, a Gen-X British journalist who published his first book, Mercenaries, Missionaries and Misfits, when he was 23, fills his book with wildlife preserves, rebel factions, farmers, indigent elephant caretakers (mahouts) and British holdovers from the days of the Raj. Working as an AP reporter, the author gets a lead for an article: an elephant is rampaging through Assam, India, inexplicably murdering the inhabitants of small villages. One mahout recounts how sick elephants are led into the forest where the elephants themselves pick herbs. The mahouts then prepare and apply the herbs, and in this way the elephants heal themselves. For Hall, this ritual raises many questions about the elephants: How intelligent are they? How compassionate? How murderous? Much of this book is filled with Hall’s mercurial attitudes toward the elephant (he flip-flops between wanting the killer elephant placed on a reserve safe from humans and wanting the beast dead) and the Indian people he meets. His story is a page-turning detective tale that recounts how the motley group of journalists, mahouts and government-employed hunters stalked the killer elephant through the wild territory of India. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Many elephants, wild and domesticated, are still found on the northeastern frontier of India known as Assam. Their numbers, however, are being significantly reduced by poachers and a shrinking natural environment. Official efforts are made to protect the elephant population, but at times it becomes necessary to kill rogue or rampaging elephants. Hall, a British journalist and the author of Mercenaries, Missionaries and Misfits: Adventures of an Under-Age Journalist, accompanied an authorized hunter to track down and kill one such elephant. Along the way he met a number of colorful characters whom he masterfully depicts in this engaging account. His fine storytelling and skill at handling dialog come through as he pieces together a lively portrait of contemporary Assam, including a considerable amount of elephant fact and lore. He also wrestles with the dilemmas of striking a balance with nature: When is it justified to kill a magnificent specimen of an endangered species? There is something for everyone in this most interesting account. Recommended for public libraries.DHarold M. Otness, formerly with Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., Ashland
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In To the Elephant Graveyard, journalist Tarquin Hall does more than chronicle the daring, adventure-filled search for a killer elephant — he creates a vivid account of the people in an isolated area of India whose culture is intimately connected to the region’s elephants and, like the elephants, is quickly dying out. In Assam it is not unusual to see signposts in villages saying where domesticated elephants should be hitched. The Khasi tribe, whom Hall joins in the elephant hunt, lives intimately with the elephants, riding on their bare backs, caring for them, talking to them, and praying to them. But amid the peaceful coexistence of man and beast, there is trouble: a killer elephant is on the rampage, stalking Assam’s paddy-fields, murdering dozens of farmers and leaving behind their mutilated and crushed bodies. When Hall travels to Assam to join in the hunt for the killer elephant, he meets a cast of colorful and surprising characters. Among them are Dinesh Choudhury, one of India’s last licensed elephant hunters, and Churchill, a member of the Khasi tribe who befriends Hall and teaches him to ride an elephant. Initially, Hall is convinced that no elephant could be guilty of the grisly crimes of which the rogue is accused. But his preconceived ideas soon begin to unravel. To the Elephant Graveyard is a compelling account of the search for a killer in a region of India rife with insurgency, rich in folklore and superstition, and whose ancient ways are fast disappearing along with the ever-shrinking forest. “Thoroughly enjoyable.” — Frederick Forsyth; “This highly entertaining book proves that a really determined young man . . . can still go out into the world in search of adventure, find it, and even make it his career.” — Peter Hopkirk.

To the Elephant Graveyard

The Case of the Missing Servant: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator

Vish Puri, the head of Delhi’s Most Private Investigators Ltd., tackles a rather prosaic domestic case in this first of a projected series, the fiction debut of British author Hall (Salaam Brick Lane). Ajay Kasliwal, a lawyer who has brought cases against corrupt government officials, retains Puri to find a maid, Mary, who has gone missing from his household. Rumor has it that Kasliwal killed Mary because he got her pregnant, and when Mary turns up dead, the authorities arrest Puri’s client. While the 51-year-old married detective, who could lose some weight and is affectionately called Chubby, has a certain quirky charm, the resolution of the mystery of Mary’s murder is less than satisfying. Hopefully, a future installment will go into what sounds like a more unusual matter, the Case of the Missing Polo Elephant, for which Puri won the fictional Super Sleuth award in 1999. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Watch out Alexander McCall Smith! Here comes the first novel by the highly acclaimed writer Tarquin Hall in an entrancing new mystery series set in India.

The portly Vish Puri is Indias most accomplished detective, at least in his own estimation, and is also the hero of an irresistible new mystery series set in hot, dusty Delhi. Puris detective skills are old-fashioned in a Sherlock Holmesian way and a little out of sync with the tempo of the modern city, but Puri is clever and his methods work.

The Case of the Missing Servant shows Puri and his wonderfully nicknamed employees hired for two investigations. The first is into the background of a man surprisingly willing to wed a woman her father considers unmarriageable, and the second is into the disappearance six months earlier of a servant to a prominent Punjabi lawyer, a young woman known only as Mary.

The Most Private Investigator novels offer a delicious combination of ingenious stories, brilliant writing, sharp wit, and a vivid, unsentimental picture of contemporary India. And from the first to the last page run an affectionate humour and intelligent insights into both the subtleties of Indian culture and the mysteries of human behaviour.

From the Hardcover edition.

The Case of the Missing Servant: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator (Vish Puri Mysteries)