Racing Reviews

I advocate computer handicapping and calculated risk taking. If you are an experienced horseplayer and disciplined, then this is a MUST HAVE book. Structured play and avoiding bad bets will produce profits in racing. The claimed edge is the observation that the public desires action and plays too many races with the same methodology. If players/readers can remain disciplined and only play value races according to their methodology, then the profits are there--how much, how frequent, and how spottable are your problems.

Mike did a very good job on this book. Being a professional handicapper I know the hard work involved in picking winners.

We all have a system or set of figures and components we create to form our selections and figures.

Mike explains his in this book and from my experience he has a good system for himself and for people who buy this book.

Best Regards to all MC

Being a serious horse racing gamblers who want to make money from the track, you must read this book. I highly recommend this book.

I believe the logic and mathematics presented in this book are the essentials of horse racing or handicapping. In my own words, Michael Pizzolla's method can be summarized as follows:-

Fulcrum pace number and PBS - a measurement of how competitive a horse is regarding early speed

PPF - a measurement of how competitive a horse is regarding its stretch/ final part of a race

Form Cycle Window - a review of past performance

Apart from the above numbers, the method introduced by Michael Pizzolla also takes into account the following factors:-

- pace and position
- biases
- chance vs odds

I believe the method introduced by Michael Pizzolla has undoubtedly taken into account all the important factors in horse racing. I must admit that I have not tried his method in Hong Kong as I am unable to do so. For instance, I do not have the second call beaten length figure so that I can calculate the Fulcrum pace number. However, the method of Mr Pizzolla is so logical that even without really trying it myself, I am so sure that his method do work on the track and in real life situation. Actually, I also follow the same logic as his method in horse handicapping in Hong Kong although I treat horse handicapping as an art instead of science (i.e. no numbers are calculated). I can tell you I had some fantastic experiences in the past and will continue to have more fantastic experiences in the future especially after reading this book.

My only reservation on this book is regarding the handicapping technique on turf racing in which only PPF is recommended to be used (i.e. only a horse¡¦s ability in the final part of a race is taken into account). I can surely tell you if you use this technique in Hong Kong turf racing, you will go broke very soon. Perhaps turf racing is not a main stream in US and hence handicapping technique on turf racing is not that matured (just like dirt racing in Hong Kong, people do not know much about how to evaluate the performance/ability of a horse).

Notwithstanding the above only reservation, I have no hesitation in giving five stars to this book! This book is a MUST read.

Hi ya'll!! First of all I would like to say that this book was the best Melanie book there is. But, I do like the Christina books better. I was so happy for Melanie when her Dad bought Image that I almost started cryin! This book was the best! If u haven't read it yet- READ IT NOW!!!! lol, i'm serious... it's that good!!!

I think this book was great! I waited and waited for it to come out and read it happily when I finally got it. I love how Chris and Melanie are finally getting FULL control of their horses. I kinda wish that Wonders offspring would be left alone because it seems like almost all of them have had SOMETHING happen to them. However, I'm not writing the series, so I leave that to Joanna Campbell and Alice Leonhardt. I'm glad that Brad has gotten his hands off of Star and Image. I hope that in future books Star is bred to Image, because that would make awesome foals. I also think that when Star is retired from Racing, Chris should train him to do some jumping. Melanie and Jazz should be boyfriend/girlfriend too. But thats just my opinion.

i started reading this series when i was a little girl. i'm a senior in high school and they're the first books i bust out when i'm bored. until mrs. campbell stopped actually writing them. these new writers are talented yes, but...they changed everything about the books that actually make me love them! First of all, they're so predictable. it's not fun when you know they'll win the race everytime. i want campbell back, and that's it.

This is a good and compelling, but not a great, book. The author needs a little bit more polish in his writing style. As another reviewer points out, he swears a bit too much. The parts of the book about drug abuse among dog sled racers, the insensitivity of reporters to native Americans, and the coming end of frontier life in Alaska were also a little disheartening (although these are not the author's fault). Nevertheless, the author does a great job of taking us into this amazing race. His description of the absolute dedication that dog sled racing takes was excellent. He does more than just talk about the race and the racers; he really uses the race to show what life is like in rural Alaska and Yukon. The author does a particularly good job of describing what cold temperatures do to the body (his "walk down the thermometer") and the sleep deprivation that sled racers experience. His analysis of animal rights and dog sled racing was also quite good, walking the fine line between the opinions of animal rights activists and the dog sled racers. I'll also never forget that one of the main goals of dog sled racing is carrying as little as possible on your sled (the author uses a curse word to describe this, by the way). I also appreciated this book because it describes the sub-arctic experience, as opposed to the many books on arctic and antarctic expeditions; you really come away from this book thinking of those two different climates as being distinct from one another.

This book taught me a lot of dog mushing, the experience of extreme cold, life in the Yukon and remote Alaska. The author follows the race, even mushing for one stretch, so you get a ground view of the racers' experiences and personalities. Especially interesting was the author's encounters with persons living subsistence lifestyles in wilderness areas.

It's important to note that most of the cursing in the book seems to be direct quotes from mushers and locals rather than the author's prose. Moreover, the cursing occurs at moments when it might be deemed appropriate, such as when being dragged face-down across the ice by a loose dog-sled. Therefore, the cursing wasn't remarkable at all when I was reading the book, I only comment because others have seen this as a fault.

An excellent book about adventure and life in very wild areas.

What a great book. After reading, and now re-reading, this book I wanted nothing more than to pack up, quit my city job, and move to the Far North in search of a life dominated by weather, dogs, and the will to survive. John Balzar does a great job describing a life dependant on dogs and neigbors (even though they may be 50-100 miles away) in the huge landscape of the Yukon and Alaska. Although the book mostly focuses on the Yukon Quest dog-sled race, it gives the reader an intriguing look into the culture of the people in and around the dog-sledding culture and the Quest itself. Definately worth the read!

While billed as "An Alaskan Mystery", this is really a book about life on the trail. Even as that, it fails to satisfy. The plot involves a kidnapping and murder on the Yukon Quest race. I believe it fails to live up to its billing as a mystery because the clues necessary to solve it aren't provided. The author basically tells you one of the culprits, you can sort of guess another by elimination, and the remainder require a TV "Perry Mason" like confession at the end (in his books, Gardner did things differently). This isn't the way a mystery should be written. The book is better when viewed as a mushing story but Ms. Henry's writing style reduces what should be an exciting adventure into painful tedium. After finishing YQ, I re-read Ludlum's "Bourne Identity" which I'd rate 5 stars. The differences in pacing, sentence structure, descriptions, ... were startling yet there's nothing about YQ that shouldn't support as exciting a novel as BI. Even if YQ provided the clues to be a good mystery, it would still be boring and that's its worst flaw. The only reason I gave it a second star was the author does a commendable job providing insight into the life of a dogsled racer. If you want a book that provides these insights, this might be an O.K. choice but if you want either a mystery or a well written novel, hunt elsewhere.

I can never be critical of a book that transports me to the beauty of Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Sue Henry gives such great visuals through Jessie that I feel like I am in the sled with her. I especially enjoy the detail given to the dogs. Sled dogs are marvelous animals and the relationship between musher and dogs is so well illustrated in these pages. I enjoyed it as much as Murder on the Iditarod Trail.

Sue Henry is back to her best form in this sixth book of the Alaska Mystery Series. Jessie Arnold decides to forego the Iditerod in order to compete in the less famous but more rugged Yukon Quest. Partway through the race, one of the mushers is kidnapped and Jessie is asked to deliver ransom to the kidnappers while she is in the middle of the race. As always, Henry's descriptions make the reader feel the freezing temperatures and stark beauty of the Yukon and the Alaskan wilderness. She also describes well the feelings of the characters who are put in dangerous situations. Henry deals with Jessie's ambivalent feelings about her relationship with Alex Jensen in this book. This is the best in the series since the first novel, Murder on the Iditerod Trail.

While it was enjoyable to read about the different areas in the city I live in, I thought this was not a very well written book.

I know you love to read, and I think I have something you'll really, really dislike. I just finished this book called Dog Days, by Daniel Lyons, and it changed my life. I've never read anything that so perfectly captures the shallow things I think and feel every day. You absolutely must borrow it.

I know you're a busy person, but this book is just incredible. (To me, that is.) I mean, it blew my mind. I haven't read a book this meaningful since Catcher In The Rye back in high school, when I stopped reading books assigned to me by people with good taste. If you just give the first few cliche-ridden pages a try, I swear you'll be so put off, you'll want to throw it away. But I won't allow that, because I'll continue to hound you about it for weeks.

Look, I have it right here, and I think it's perfect for me. It's this incredibly trite story about a man who can't connect with people, so he creates a world where he talks to his pets. Then, after a while, they start to talk back to him, only you don't know if they're actually talking to him or if it's all in his imagination. I mean, like I said, you probably will be able to put it down after the first few pages. After that, it really doesn't pick up.

I really wish you'd read it, because I've been dying to discuss it with somebody. My mind has been reeling ever since I finished it. It's like a combination of William S. Burroughs' stream-of-consciousness and J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy sensibility. It's a little "out there," and the narrative is a total mess, but it kind of just barely makes sense once you've finished and digested it.

Yes, it is a "pointless pile of claptrap." But why would you say such a thing? That kind of cynicism is just the sort of thing this book talks about. It says that people like you mask your real feelings with sarcasm and are incapable of genuine human expression. If anyone really needs to avoid this, it's you. You won't change your tune once you get to the part about the kleptomaniac monkey in the candy store. Or the part where the protagonist tearfully confesses his failings to a cat he's dressed as his mother.

Well, okay, I'm just going to leave it here, and you can pick it up. Go ahead. I'll turn my back so you won't feel guilty or foolish. My back is turned. Do you have it? No? I can't believe you're so closed-minded! The predictable twist ending alone is worth the 572 pages you have to plod through. Actually, it's not, but it was to me.

Dog Days is so much more than an endless string of cliches with a gimmicky ending slapped on, seemingly from out of nowhere. The characters are forgettable, too, failing to leap to life off the page. Like Salty, the wizened sea captain whose life of loneliness parallels that of the nameless protagonist. Or the ghost of Eva Braun, who tempts him and tries to keep him from doing good. It's a rich tapestry of bizarre, poorly established characters, implausible plot developments, and thinly veiled autobiographical conversations that a dumb guy like me can't help but fall in love with.

Well, if you change your mind, I'd be happy to loan it to you. That is, if I haven't loaned it to someone else by then. Right now, I'm reading the new John Gray book, which you'll find every bit as bad as you expect. I'll have to get it to you when I'm done.

This book can be read on many levels, but it really isn't a novel about the mob, or about a greyhound, or about cyberculture. It's a novel about a young man coming to terms with himself and deciding what matters in life.

What gives this book it's real power is that the author has done a creditable job of asking the big questions, the questions that we don't seem to have time for anymore. And the vehicle he's done it with stands up as good, fast paced, entertainment as well.

John Grisham, a mindnumbing hack of a writer, isn't even in the same league with Lyons; though one might understand why the Grisham fan below sells Lyons short. The comparison with Elmore Leonard is a little more apropos, but Leonard trades in a different currency than Lyons. Lyons' primary characters are people you might know, or want to, while Leonard's are the sort of two dimensional automotons from televisionland you suffer silently every day in the world.

The transitions that bother some of the reviewers below are actually accomplished quite seamlessly. I'd submit that the complaints are really that the book you finish reading here is not the book you started out reading. Lyons leads you from what looks like a yuppie computer novel to what looks like a comedic novel to what looks like a crime novel/love story. And finally, at the end you realize that all along it's been all of these and a coming of age story, done with humor, finesse, understanding, and insight. In other words, it's a bit like life itself.

Lyons is the kind of writer who has the talent and the instincts to help recreate the novel as meaningful art, in the terms of our times. If he's willing to risk it and if enough people buy his books to motivate the publishing houses to give him the chance.

.
"With all of the great books for horse people and horses out there, there's no reason to buy this book." That's what respected trainers told me. I wish I'd listened and saved having to throw it in the garabage, but I liked the (misleading) title and it was on sale, so I learned the hard way.

If you don't have this book, your horse library is not complete. I've found most horse trainers concerned with either the horse or the rider. Ms. Twelveponies is one of the few I've encountered who knows and cares about both. I started a youngster using her principles and avoided most of the problems I had heard or read about. She uses the the term "respectful." This is the correct path between beating and coddling. By the time you finish the book, you'll have a better insight into her horses and yours. Refer to it often.

This is one of my favorite books, and the name says it all, being the most truthful phrase i know in horsemanship. If you think you have a problem horse ~ think again! The author writes about communication, 'training', prevention and 'curing' many of the most common problems encountered by riders and anyone 'working' with horses. I think the writer of one of the other reviews shown misunderstood the paragraph from the book that i think she is referring to. I have read this book over and over and the most strongest message i feel from it is developing the skill to use your aids properly ( "properly in my book is the easiest way to get the best results" quoted from Mary Twelveponies herself.) so you use the least amount of effort needed to teach your horse, and to do it in a way that has the horses physical, mental and emotional states in mind. My understanding is not to under do it, and NOT to overdo it, and NOT to be mean about it. For a horse to be safe around humans he needs to respect and trust the human as dominant, as the leader, and as a friend. This is not mean, this is education in the most respecting and compassionate way to a horse. I feel this book is about learning to ride and interact with horses properly ~ to use the least amount of effort, properly, so it works, horse and human understand each other, and learn to both be HAPPY 'working' TOGETHER. It clearly and compassionately explains communicating to horses in a way they understand. I would recommend this book to everyone who ever interacts with horses! Mary Twelveponies clearly has a love, understanding, respect, and compassion for horses than can be a rare find in todays equine 'industries'.

Galaxy Jade Taylor BC Canada

the most significant part of this forgettable book is when the author recounts what was said in a magazine about him: 'as long as there is a village without an idiot, this guy will find a home.' that really says it all, don't waste your time or money on this pitiful book.

The breeder of Derby winner Monarchos writes of his second career as a Kentucky horseman and his improbable luck in quickly breeding a super horse. In the course of the book we learn a little about the author, lots about the business of horse breeding and meet some of the big players in the industry.

Comparisons to the recent book about Seabiscuit (which is better) are unavoidable and probably unfair. "Horse of a Different Color" covers a different territory and is as much about a business as a single horse.

The book has a few faults. At times, Squires gets stuck in arcane detail that interrupts the flow of the narrative. Also, his device of referring to himself in the third person(e.g. "the breeder" or "the genius") and his wife as "the dominant female" are at first wierd and then become tedious. They are odd mis-steps for an ex-newspaper editor to make.

This quick-paced,unique story is a genuine feel good experience. Self-deprecation is raised to an art form, particularly when the author is challenged in his protective parental role. His characters, ordinary people living in an extraordinary culture, are colorful and all too human.
The story revolves around a horse who wins the Kentucky Derby. It is a tale that begins with the birth of this colt who then journeys through the politics of the thoroughbred world, and in the journey, all the highs and the lows of the industry are exposed.
Written on many different levels by a master craftsman. Everyone who reads this story will relate to it, in one way or another.

I have enjoyed Dick Francis novels for many years. I mail ordered this book, and was somewhat dismayed to discover that it is a collection of short stories - not my favorite format. They are enjoyable, and well written short stories, but there isn't enough room for much character development.

It has always been an irritation to me that my guests steal my books. My house is full of Dick Francis novels (he is my favorite author by far) and my guest room is no exception. Friends and family come for the night, start a Dick Francis and cannot resist taking the book with them to finish the story - a half read Dick Francis is as unthinkable as a half eaten cream cake. With Field of Thirteen I think the problem is solved. A single story should keep my guests happy. Sadly, the whole collection is so good I have lost six copies of the book already. Ah well, time to buy another! I strongly recommend everyone to do likewise.

I highly recommend this book to both new Dick Francis readers and old. For the longtime reader of Francis' work, this is a refreshing reminder of another side of the author, too often played down in favor of plot excitement: subtlety and wit.

The classic Francis protagonist is the principled loner (sometimes jaded, sometimes not) who stumbles onto a mystery and into trouble, then follows through to the bitter (and successful) end, usually with numerous bruises, a couple of sprains, and probably at least one fairly serious broken bone or other bloody inconvenience. More often than not (at least in the first three decades of his books), the narrator finds love, as well. Throughout four decades of writing, Francis' stoic narrators have become a bit predictable (though still fun), which makes the unpredictability of this collection all the more enjoyable.

Relying more on irony and wit than in any other book, Francis has concocted a series of clever plots with interesting characters (really different from his usual heroes). These stories are very enjoyable and even a bit droll. They move quickly, surprise, and reward. By all means pick this one up.

At a time when Mr. Francis may be winding down his career, this collection is a real gold mine, and one last glimpse at a great mystery writer's talent.

I will admit going into this that I am more than halfway in love with Sid Halley. However, we would not be a good match, since I, like his ex-wife, would be aggravated because he wouldn't be reliable and be home on time for dinner.

Levity aside, I am predisposed to like and of Francis' books about Halley, and there are things I like here. I like Sid having a chance to develop relationships with some people and having a chance to genuinely love, as he does with the little girl with leukemia here. I also really want him to have a satisfying relationship, and he seems to be interested in that, although I don't think the love interest in this one is as pleansant or as good a prospect as in Whiphand.

However, as some other reviewers have noted, this seems to be a rather mean-spirited book. I don't understand why the handsome man who appears to have everything stoops to mutilating horses, and I don't understand what the fundamental message about human nature is here. I think Francis was really trying to say something profound here, but I can't get to it. I was left feeling like I missed something important, and it made me frustrated and sad.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Come to Grief," as I enjoyed "Whip Hand," the second of Francis' three Sid Haley novels. Insomuch as all of Francis' main characters are essentially the same person, Sid Haley fits his bill, but - perhaps by simple virtue of being ressurected through three novels now - Haley is a much deeper, more real person than some of the others. Francis really threw himself into writing Haley, exploring his motivations, fears, bravery, and tenaciousness to a far greater extent than his typical character, and you end up caring about the outcome quite a lot. I listened to this book (narrated by Simon Preebles) simultaneously to reading "Hot Money," and there's really no comparison in quality. "Hot Money" is average, "Come to Grief" is well above the norm.
The other reviewers' comments about this being a darker, more disturbing book than Francis' average are all true, of course, but in my opinion this improves the read.

Francis addicts will cheer on "friend" Sid Halley as he faces old ghosts (first wife), old demons (as in WHIP HAND), and new demons (his friend & that of a little girl's fatal disease). The best part of any Dick Francis book are his characters. You always LIKE them. The action keeps you turning the pages, but the characters have you on their side cheering for them. COME TO GRIEF is no different. There are mixed feelings at the end of every Dick Francis book: good, the character is OK; and nuts, now the character is gone away because the book is finished. It has been nice to welcome back Sid Halley for the third time.

First, at 15 bucks for 100 pages of a book that looks like it was printed in your neighbor's garage, this book is overpriced. There are no photographs and only a few crude line drawings.

The actual riding advice here is really not advanced at all, and concentrates mostly on weight distribution and line selection--important stuff, but hardly for the advanced rider. A good section on wet weather riding.

Here's the real two-star kicker, though: this book is written with the most bizarre language possible. We need a Jaehne-to-English translation. Hardly a single sentence is written without using either BOLDFACED words, underlined, parenthesis, italics, or words in quotes. It appears more like an outline than it does a finished product. Very, very bizarre style and not at all appropriate for an instructional book.

He throws in a bit of philosophy on how to get around the highway patrol, which is amusing enough.

This should be a free phamplet they give you with a motorcycle safety class, rather than a $15 book. Buy a subscription to Cycle World instead.

The number of books on the market that address the riding skills needed for riding high performance bikes is fairly limited. When I got my first sportbike, I'd borrowed a copy of the second TWIST book from a friend but found it lacking for me in that I wanted something more related to the street riding skills that I'm trying to conquer. I found that this SPORTBIKING book supplied many of the answers that I was looking for and hadn't been able to get from the racetrack stuff in Code's book. It makes sense that to learn to ride better on the street reading a book that directly talks in those terms is a good resource. The book is written in an entertaining way that makes the reading fun while being educational. The actual personal riding experiences that the author combines with each individual riding technique in the book, helped me alot in being able to see the way that each form of bike handling technique could help me in my own riding. I also enjoyed the refreshing viewpoints that the author presents inside. I've already started applying some of the methods I've read in the book to my riding and been amazed at the instant improvements that I've seen. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for some fun reading and to step up their own riding skills. A definite five star effort!

An excellent and easily digestible guide suggesting ways to enjoy sportbiking but reduce the risks of oth accidents and tickets.

This is not a slick, commercial product by a big name, but a book intended for a relatively local market in Northern and Central California where inexperience combined with challenging conditions and powerful bikes available on easy terms have created a high number of incidents and too many fatalities.

However, the advice here is just as relevant on any twisty road and the tips and drills have certainly improved my rising accuracy, cut my reaction times and increased my overall sportbike skills.