Racing Reviews

I ordered this book and the High Performance Honda Builders Handbook Volume 1 and I highly recommend that book rather than this. Poorly written book but it does have the basics in it. And yes I returned this book back for a refund.

Being a ameteur tuner, I bought this book and learned so much. Every question I had was answered regarding B series and even more! It doesnt go insanely into depth about some things mentioned in the book, but it goes into depth where its needed. It even gives you suggestions for OEM part swaps to gain hp for less money. excellent buy... a must have for any honda enthusiast!

Mike writes a great book about performance and every step of engine modification. He goes in great detail, though somethings need to be read twice to understand, and goes from basics on how a engine works to customizing your own tubro system. This book is great for beginners of pros to the art of imports. A great read and a lot of fun. :D

Theres no doubt that the late Ayrton Senna was the greatest F1 racer of all time, to be matched only by Jim Clark, Fangio, Stewart, and to a lesser extent Schumacher. Mr Hilton, does an excellent job in covering one of the worlds greatest athletes from his early childhood days, karting to his final race and tragic end at Imola 1 May 1994. The book has many nice photos of Senna in action. This is a must have for any racing fan. This is a tribute to Brazils national hero and king of modern era of Formula One. Long live Ayrton Senna..Sempre Senna!

I have studied at the Colegio Rio Branco, during the same time as Ayrton's, and all of us who met him at that time remember him as being a very quiet and nice guy, already a big name in kart racing in Brazil. He indeed was an introspective young man, but was not a bad student at all. The initial chapters of this very good book made me remember our old times at high school, and the author did a very good job in describing the psychological profile of the young genious Senna. This book also recounts nice anecdotes about his life after he'd moved to England, all the way up to becoming the greatest grand prix driver ever. From this book we all can see that the man was not only a great F1 driver, but also an exceptional human being, who left us all too early. A very enjoyable reading.

Great book with lots of information that every Senna fan will like. Many good quality photos and interesting well developed story. It covers all personal performance of the driver including comments from people that he knew, he raced agains ant ppl he worked with. A must have for every single Ayrton Senna fan. I'm really happy that I bought it.

The two seasons I used this book (starting the training program on Dec. 1st), were my most rewarding years as a cyclist. Use "Bicycle Road Racing" with caution, yes, but this can be said for all training programs. The best thing about this book, I think, is not the tactics section (although his ideas are technically superb, with strong teammates), but Borysewicz's insistence on RECOVERY. I have learned the hard way that this word is the most important in any cyclists vocabulary, whether you are a beginning racer, Cat. 1, or recreational cyclist. I hope we get an updated version soon!

This book IS a classic, and should be required reading for any aspiring road racer, but it is NOT a substitute for a good coach. This point needs to be stressed: Eddy B's training program is geared toward PROFESSIONAL racers. Beginners who follow his program will find themselves overtrained and demoralized. God knows how many beginning racers quit the sport after reading this book and mistakenly believing that a Cat 5 needs to ride 400 miles a week to be competitive. The chapters on tactics are good, as are his gripping anecdotes, but do yourself a favor and GET A COACH!

The best part of this book are racing tactics. It's the best I've seem so far.

This is a great book. Sure it's out-dated, but, why mind? This book has a LOT of good advices for any racing cyclist. It covers a lot of aspects in cycling, although none of them in great depth. It has gave me at least a dozen of very valuable tips that really helped me in real life, including tips for sprinting, climbing, playing with the others mind, how to manage a cross-wind, a breakway.

The only part that I found not good was the training season. That was the old way of training, with a fixed season and fixed number of hours for all types of riders. Everyone is different and therefore need a different training method. I do not advice to follow 100% his training plan, specially if you're a begginer. Hire a coach to help you or do it at your own risk. Eddie has a "iron hand" on his way of coaching and says: my way or no way. I don't believe this, but hey!, he was grown in the eastern-old-world. This may stop you, take care.

Some other chapters are outdated, like bike positioning, equipment choices and the now almost defuncted team-time-trial, but his TTT techinics are great if you are in a breakway.

He has a very sensate way of writing and thinking. This book is MUCH better than those of Greg Lemond, Bernard Hinault and alikes. You'll learn many good techincs for droping your companions. He tells a lot of how a team should work to get their job done. A great book for a racing cyclist.

I've read 2 by Francis; Flying Finish was fun but Bolt quite disappointing. This is NOT a mystery--we know throughout who the (one-dimensional) villain is, and the plot is merely waiting for the inevitable to occur. Even the 'surprise ending' does not really add much to any drama.

Try another Francis novel.

With its companion volume, Break In, Bolt is one of Dick Francis' best! Kit Fielding, a hero with depth, who has recently become engaged to Danielle, is struggling to understand why her feelings for him seem to have cooled. At the same time, the Princess' horses are being killed, apparently by a bombastic and violent Frenchman who wants to take control of a business still half-owned by the Princess' husband. How Kit thwarts the evidoer, as well as the apricot-haired and very funny Beatrice, while re-winning his love and riding his races, is an involving and well-plotted story. I love Dick Francis' work anyway, but this book starts with a bang and doesn't slow down, unlike some others which are a bit slow to get going. Definitely read Bolt, but read Break In first. Wonderful!

I really did enjoy it - and I own all of Francis's books. They're like old friends to me - I visit all of them about every 5th year. The only disappointment I've ever had with Dick Francis is Shattered - his last novel. It seemed hurried and the characters not as well developed in comparison to his others.

Cycling fanatics will find great pleasure in this literary cult classic. The author clearly knows what it's like to be a competitive cyclist, and he does an exceptional job of revealing what goes on inside the head of such a person. This book is as much about the athletic psyche as it is about a race. And that's what makes it so interesting. Anyone who has competed in any kind of race, especially a distance race, will be able to relate to the often bizarre, irrational thoughts that one's mind produces. Krabbe's anecdotes about inventing words in his head to keep himself amused during training rides, or telling himself repeatedly that his lowest climbing gear is clean as a whistle, are just two examples of the intimate psychological glimpses that readers will surely enjoy. I think the point of the story is that you have to be just a little bit crazy to be a professional cyclist, but at the same time, the cyclist's neuroses are completely human and natural.

I think the appeal of this book is primarily the way the author has captured the thoughts and strategies that are zooming through the mind of the racing cyclist like a sprint for the finish line, as well as how his body is serving notice of the physical tortures due to the race. I've never participated in bicycle racing myself, but as an avid rider and fan of the races, I found this little book fascinating. One other thing that I loved about this book: being written in the '70s, before the age of wireless communications, "The Rider" shows how the professional cyclists were much more involved with the strategy of the race than they are today. With no little voice in his ear to tell him that the chase group is 2'00" behind and gaining quickly, it was a completely different game. I disagree with the reviewer that recommended "It's Not About the Bike" over this one. They are two completely different books and while I'm a huge LA fan, I preferred the drama of "The Rider" to the inspirational, but sometimes plodding LA bio.

This is easily the best novel I've read about bicycle racing--
it's relatively short, no murders, no love interest, just
bicycle racing pure and simple. It centers on a single minor
1-day race in southern France, 150 kilometers in the mountains,
and a racer (Krabbe) who is decent but not professional caliber.
The novel is part stream-of-thought, part flashbacks to Krabbe's
other 300+ races, part anecdotes about the great cyclists from
the Tour de France and elsewhere. If you want a baseball
analogy, Krabbe would be playing in the low minor leagues, and
describing the life there, and relating some tales about well-
known major-leaguers--kind of a Ron Shelton [Bull Durham] of
bicycle racing. In the Tour de France, the police keep the roads
clear for the racers: in the Tour de Mont Aigoual, police are
at intersections directing the racers, but you share the road
with ordinary drivers. Krabbe describes speeding down steep
mountain roads and having to plan in his mind what to do if a car
comes around the corner towards him while he's doing 60kph.
A very involving, finely-written book!

I have to say it's really "basic". I didn't mean that it's worthless.But it's not worth the price. It suits the one who is interested in horsemanship but doesn't have any experience in riding . The major drawback is the pictures or graph are not enough for the reader to make a precise and vivid image of what the author trys to present. And this is quiet helpful for novice riders.isn't it?

this book is great! it has a little bit of everything in it from riding to common horse problems.

I'm a twelve year old rider. I just started to learn to ride. I wanted to learn to ride better and faster since my riding lessons are only once a week. I think that the book helped me a great deal. I got to learn at the pace I felt comfortable with.

This was a great book that I could read over and over. The Black is pulled out of retirement to race again so that there will be enough money to rebuild the barn. The Black must race against Eclipse, the winner of The Preakness and the Belmont and definetly the horse to beat and a chesnut horse who's name I forget. I read this book again last summer and I can still replay the race vividly in my mind. This book might notc be my favorite in the series but it is truly riding high!

This book was one of my favoites in the Black Stallion series. Alec believes in the Black and the Black never lets him down though his pure determination, courage, and heart. Absolutely a must to read.

I am a huge fan of all the books about the Black, Mr. Farley is the king of horse writing. This book, out of all the others, has been my favorite, however...and why? I'm still not sure.

The Black's neverending fire and devotion and heart is shown so vividly in that final race that it left me with a lump in my throat. And I normally do NOT cry or get emotionally jolted at ALL in books OR movies. A 1 star, Ms. Rebecca? Dig a little deeper, my friend. You obviously don't have a taste for writing. Enjoy the book, isn't that what reading is about? And this book is one of the best of all the Black Stallion series. The most memorable showing of the Black's speed, endurance, and heart and love and desire against all odds is in here. If you are a Black Stallion fan, all the reasons you are are in this book. It will touch your heart.

I'm certainly going against the grain with this review, but I felt the need to speak out. I very much looked forward to this book because Mr. Matchett does such an excellent job commentating on Formula One races for Speed Channel. His technical knowledge and articulate manner add a great deal to the broadcasts.

Perhaps I should be fair, in that I was expecting something more along the lines of what other reviewers have said about the book. Yes, there are some fascinating bits about the drivers he's worked with, and there are some humorous pieces as well (especially the part about Piquet's antics when Matchett had to stick his head down in the foot box with Piquet still buckled in). My complaint about the book is that it tends to go into great detail regarding the periphery of Matchett's journey into Formula One, and not enough into the technical acrobatics the mechanics have to perform, both in the garage and on the track. If you want to hear about the quaint little towns, the drives up the country on vacation, and the pub down the corner from Steve Matchett's point of view, then get this book. I feel it concentrates too heavily in these areas, and I was frustrated for it. Why, I recall perhaps the most compelling chapter wherein Matchett and crew are furiously chasing a hydraulics gremlin that is wreaking havoc with the car's variable suspension. He describes in excellent detail the agonizing frustration of checking each component, over and again with no success. Because of the enormous pressure the mechanics are under, this section starts to read like a suspense novel. In the end, though, after building us up to share the unbearable frustration he feels at the time, he doesn't let us know how the problem is fixed, or how the situation turns out. He just ends with saying something along the lines of "see how frustrating it gets?"

Frustrating, indeed.

As another reviewer has noted, this book is more about the peripherary of F1 than what really goes on in the pits. I was looking for a bit more technical insight into what goes into a winning F1 effort -- how, really, does a team go from also-ran, to winner, and back to also-ran in a few years -- but instead there was much more about the travel schedule, working conditions, and atmospherics. Matchett is a good commentator, seems like a likeable fellow and has written a plesant enough book, but the insight into F1 technology and team dynamics is only so-so.

Steve Matchett's "The Mechanic's Tale" is a great read. It cover's everything from his apprenticeship to his winning the WCC with Benneton. Matchett tells his story with an insider's view and with a lot of humour (I still smile thinking of his first experience using titanium). He also gives the right amount of technical information, so any average F1 fan should learn a thing or two about the cars, but it shouldn't bewilder any new F1 fans. This is a must-read for all F1 and motorsport fans.

I will say this is the bible for racers. The chapter on choosing the best racing line is very nice. And that is the most universal part for any kind of racers besides F1. However, some parts like gear selection and car setup was not what I expected. I expected to see something mroe technical like calculation of definite gear ratios you need with formulas... Anyway, it's a good book with nice photos. You won't regret for buying it. But if you are looking for a Senna biography, you are at the wrong place.

Yes, it is an invaluable book on the "Principles of Race Driving." It will help all drivers (not just racing drivers) become better drivers. It does this using a clear and fascinating text with copious diagrams. It is, however, also a look at the mind of one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, witnessed through his thoughts as he writes.

Not just for drivers, but for racing fans everywhere and not just Formula 1 but all types of fans.

A classic book that does not come along every day from a classic driver that also does not come along every day.

I've read mine many times and would recommend it to all race fans.

"I want to drive faster, but I don't know how!"
It's the eternal question. If you think this book is a manual to do this: you're wright. If you think it will sum up wich button in your car to push, or wich lever to pull to become a world champion, it won't. Dissapointed? Don't be. What this book will teach you is much more valuable. It deals with everything you need to know to be faster than anyone, and gives you the rules of the game. Throughout the book Ayrton Senna states his view on all subjects wich is valuable. It covers what the title claims: "The principles of race driving",steering, braking, corners, overtaking, the lot. All this makes this book a must for everyone serious about motorracing. And something to read, read again, and again, and again.

People who think that Del Castillo doesn't know what she's talking about should compare her book to Burch's "Training Thoroughbred Horses," a training manual written in the 1950s by a successful horseman. Del Castillo's methods are not ambiguous, and this book should be taken more as a documentation of what worked for her rather than a cookie-cutter formula that can be applied anywhere. Her ideas about letting the horses live outdoors, shipping in to the track for races, and natural, largely drug-free recovery for injuries are stellar. American racehorses are going downhill fast these days--most can barely race beyond eight furlongs, and many suffer stress fractures, bone chips, and joint problems before they are three years old. Del Castillo suggests picking your racehorse for soundness and good mind, rather than just early speed, an excellent idea.

This is easily one of the greatest training books ever published. It teaches how to train your racehorses with both the horses and your best interest in mind at the same time. It argues clearly and teaches why the method of not overpushing horses and making them run by masking pain with medicine is stupid and offers viable options for trainers who still want to make money. It teaches that the greatest way to make money is to take care of the horse and let it rest when it needs to be cured for injuries instead of pushing it beyond its limits to eventual permanent lameness. One of my favorite portions was about 'carrotology', which illustrated that even racehorses deserve to be loved like a pleasure horse. This book also gives helpful advise to those not only in Thoroughbred racing, but barrel racing and QH racing. One of the greatest things about this book, though, is the fact that the methods described actually worked for the author. Kudos to Janet.

It takes an unbelieveable amount of time, effort, and money toget your racehorse across the finish line. Most racehorse owners turntheir animals and their money and unconditional control over to the racetrack trainer, usually to have the animal return to them injured, most permanently, within a 6 month period. Ms. Castillo, via this excellent book, provides an alternative in her own experience of training horses on her farm. The book is both a how to manual for the beginner and a comparative analysis for the experienced. Ms. Castillo takes you through her training, a to z in great detail. You may argue with her technique or you may question her methods, but I found the information provided invaluable and for myself inspirational to my own training efforts. Ms. Castillo relates how to overcome every obstacle an owner may face in training their own animals, and she is a welcome pioneer promoting her unique idea--instead of pouring money down the toilet with the local track trainer, a practice which ejects owners from the business usually within a couple of years, instead for those thousands and thousands of horse owners, train your own! It could hardly get any better than that.