Racing Reviews

This book is, plain and simple, the best book on what drag racing is all about. The history and facts are first rate. I learned more about the sport from this one book than all others I have read combined. This would be a fantastic documentary for TV.

as a lover of drag racing and a drag racer myself,i have to say this is THE MOST COMPLETE BOOK on the subject of drag racing i have ever read.it covers all aspects of the sport from the beginning to 1990 and in every detail.if you are a lover of the sport,a drag racer or even if you know nothing about the sport this book will give you new insight,new feelings and you WILL learn a new appreciation of the sport..

This is by far the best book on drag racing I have ever come across. My first season was 1961 at the track of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and to varying degrees I have followed the sport ever since.

This book has an incredible amount of detail on who did what, and includes many important historical events, and other oddities that have happened in the forty years covered. He even includes one of the weirdest accidents I ever saw, which was the time Paula Murphy's rocket car had a stuck throttle, and sent her off the end of the track at Sears Point Raceway, and literally over the rolling hills of Sonoma County at well over 200 mph, like a real-life Whiley Cayote.

But even more to his credit the author attempts to get at the heart of drag racing, what drives the participants. And he writes with a fine balance of scholarly objectivity and insider's appreciation. A very nice piece of work and a "must-read" for anyone seriously interested in how drag racing got to be what it is today.

Richard Fay

I have received Professional Grooming And Care Of The Racehorse, and it was much much more than I expected it to be. The best literature on this topic that has ever been published. Hands down. Never have I seen an author put so much meticulous time, effort, and knowledge into creating an informative book. Everything you could possibly want to know about racehorses is just a few pages away.

For years there was a void in the horse book market about Racehorse Care. With Landers book the void is now filled. This book is unbelievable in its content. I've never read a better Ho -To book in my life on any subject as that of PROFESSIONAL GROOMING & CARE OF THE RACEHORSE. The reader will become a better all around horseperson after completion. I reccommend without a doubt

This book is an excellent sorce of information concerning both Thoroughbreds & Standardbreds,As an owner I now have a good insight as to the level of care my horses should get while on the racetrack , Thanks to Landers. I truly reccommend this book to anyone remotely connected with horseracing.

This book was exactly what I needed to round out my education on Greyhound racing. The first few chapters cover the basics -- how racing works, what to expect, and how the percentages pay. It is fairly elementary for someone who has been at the track a few times but there were a few lingering questions I had that this book answered.

The crux of the book is McBride's system for long-term profit making at the track. From his numbers, one would guess it would work. In short, his strategy is to take a months' races and categorize them. By doing an analysis on the post position, early leader, class changes, late speed and maneuvering ability, one can see which patterns becoming more distinct. Knowing that early speed racers, for instance, do well at a particular track would be a definite advantage. Each track has its own advantages and disadvantages.

I noted some of the mistakes that I was making and some of the knowledge I had picked up the hard way (by losing). However, McBride's system doesn't really appear to be for the casual gamer. It appears it would take at least an hour before a race to score a guide and just generating the 30 races worth of data could be time consuming (at least an hour or two an evening). The math behind the grading process is very simple and could easily be done by a computer program. Also, McBride's system is not for the "cheap" gambler. He advocates betting a 4 or 5 (around $12 - $24 a race) box trifecta for maximum winnings. His experience and samples indicate this is the highest pay off percentage.

evrey thing was right it got me $999,999,999,.99!

This book is crafty and must be read with a clear head. I recommend it to anyone; gambler or not . I contains a slice of something about living in America. Rarely will we find these types of books in the future. I suggest sportsmen and sports-ladies take a copy and preserve it.

I've just read this book. It's very nice to see what Greg thinks about cycling, his philosophy, and the racing tatics is very good. What kept me from giving it a five-star rating was that equipment choice and other chapters are totally out-dated. Other than that a very nice book. I advise you to get it, especially if you like Lemond.

Some of the information in this book may be a little out-dated, but I think it is still worth it for the beginning cyclist. The chapter on sizing a bike is a must-read for all people who are beginners and may be seriously considering cycling. I would buy the book again just for this chapter. I think there are other books out there with more up to date information, but this one should be on every cyclists' bookshelf.

Great insights on climbing, racing and training tactics. In depth fitting chapter is worth the price of the book alone. Equipment write-ups are dated, but that's not what you're buying this book for.

At last, a book on handicapping horses which doesn't sound like it was written by Ma and Pa Kettle. Mr Jones has tertiary qualifications in Statistics (as I recall) yet manages to not bore. The only problem with the book, as a reader in Australia where all racing is on turf and where sprints require more than just speed, is trying to filter out how much of the speed factor in it is applicable to conditions way down under here. (If other readers want to email me to discuss the ideas/problems with the book, please do so.)

No doubt this is a very good book on horse racing. I have read this book twice and everytime I read it, I got something out of it. It tells you various ways to find the best horse in a race. Notwithstanding finding the best horse in a race, this books also tells you how to find the best bet in a race (the best horse does not necessarily be the best bet in a race because of the factor of odds) and how to manage your money and your inner struggle.

This book is also systematic and very easy to read. It is especially good for serious horse racing starters. For experienced players, this book is also worth reading.

I am full of confidence on horse racing again after I read this book. I believe I will read this book the third time after the end of the Hong Kong racing season in next summer.

I highly recommend you to read this book.

This is probably one of the most under-rated books on handicapping. I have many books on horse racing and have yet read any reference to this book. In fact, the first time I read it, I wasn't at all impressed. However, as I become a better and better player, I begin to appreciate how deep the book is. I have read the book many many times. Every time I read it, I get something out of it. The first chapter on the racing public and the fourth chapter on form factor overbets/underbets are particularly important. If you don't have a thorough understanding of the ideas presented, you'll likely find that even you are good at picking winners, you still lose money. If you are willing to spend the time to read the book at least 10 times to make sure you have internalise the ideas (I have read it more times than that), I can guarantee you that your skills will be elevated to a different level.

I had to buy this book used as it's out of print now and that's a shame. This book covers Michael's racing careers from karting around his dads track, through the lower Formula series and finally into Formula 1. I learned alot about the controversy of his leaving Jordan to move to Benneton. All in all, an excellent book that gives the reader about as much information on the greatest driver of his generation as possible.

TELLS THE STORY OF A TRULY GREAT CHAMPION WHO LOVES HIS SPORT, AND REMAINS MODEST EVEN HAVING REACHED THE PINNACLE OF MOTOR RACING. THIS BOOK BRINGS YOU THE EMOTION AND DRAMA FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS RIGHT UP TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP YEARS AND BEYOND. A MUST FOR SCHUMACHER FANS, WHO IS WITHOUT DOUBT NOT JUST ONE OF THE GREATEST F1 CHAMPIONS THIS DECADE, BUT ALONGSIDE SENNA THIS CENTURY.

THIS BOOK IS AWESOME! everything you need to know about , and don't need to know about the greatest driver in all times , MICHAEL SCHUMACHER. the book tells about everything!

The author continues to build upon the skills outlined and described in the first Proficient Motorcycling book.
Though this book is not organized the same.
The first book was a nice balance of "MSF" type theory, real life riding experience, drawings, pictures, and diagrams.
This book is more of a story telling best practice manual. The author tells a story of an event either he experienced or a friend experienced and then breaks down what was done and could have been improved on. Chapters range from Long Distance Riding Tactics, Mental Prepardness, and Route Selection, to Bike Maintenance scenerios, Curve Scenarios, and International Road Rules.
There is some overlap between books, as some theory needs to be explained again to be able to correllate the story to the instructions.
If your a beginner biker then you will appreciate reading this book after the first proficient book, just for the real life experiences you might expect to encounter.
If your a seasoned rider then some of the stories will seem familiar, and you may find yourself re-evaluating what happened during your ride.
I recommend reading the first book, Proficient Motorcycling Ultimate Guide, then getting some of your own experience under your belt before diving into this book. You will find the stories easier to visualize in your mind and much more memorable.

David L. Hough's book "Proficient Motorcycling" showed me how little I really knew about the mechanical dynamics of a motorcycle. While I have been riding for a while, and am a safe rider, with Hough's book it has become a lot clearer about what a motorcycle is realing doing as I ride. Hough covers, in detail, many topics of safe riding, but he also helps you understand the mechanical dynamics of the motorcycle, in depth. By knowing what the machine wants to do under normal conditions, and under what conditions the machine fails us, we can better ride within the the margins of the bike's design and conditions. No matter how proficient you think you are already, Hough's book will help you understand what the machine is designed to do, and not do, and how important the rider is to it's safe operation. With the book in hand, plan on reading a chapter and wanting to go for a ride just to relate Hough's points to real riding.

This is a must read for any motorcycle rider, novice or experienced. The layout of the book is good and information easy to find. There is some overlap between the first book and this one (delayed apexing for example), though both are invaluable guides.

The basic physics of bike handling are covered nicely and has a no BS approach.
The book gives very good insight into safe cycling and has some practical exercises to try out as well.

Problems: Topics like counter steering are split across multiple chapters. Though this is the only one I found, it would have been nice to have all in once nice block or chapter.

Conclusions: For the street rider, both books by DLH are a must read. These books changed the way I look at street riding.

This is probably one of the most complete books on the history of the Legendary marque of the Porsche. It has great information, however if you are the owner of a later model or are interested in the later years you will be disappointed.

If you need technical information about a pre-80's Porsche, this is the book for you.

Nothing else out there compares to its depth and range. There are pages and pages of line drawings, blueprints, technical specifications, and lots of photos that I've never seen anywhere else. Digest this, and you'll be an expert on the marque.

There are a couple of shallow spots. Professor Porsche's sometimes cozy relationship with the Nazis and his engineering work for them during World War Two is neatly sidestepped. Also, the coverage of the cars stops in the late '70's. If you have a newer Porsche, you'll be disappointed on what you can find out about your car.

Still, though, nobody's touched this book before or since on research and content.

Although this book is over 20 years old, no one has come close to matching the depth and accuracy of Ludvigsen's work. Sure, there are some factual errors in this 900+ page book, but that doesn't detract from its value or from the fun you will have reading it. The author has structured the chapters like they were stand-alone magazine articles - you can jump into any one and start reliving the excitement. Porsche fans - especially those new the marque - should go get a copy, find a nice chair in good light and begin to learn all about this great car company. If you love German cars, Ludvigsen has also written some great books on Mercedes.

This book combines Perfect Storm with Into Thin air. The story of how to beat the bureaucracy of the old Soviet system to get the project started; then handle the biggest challenge of raisng the capital to feed the machine,without knowing the capitalists system; to finally test Poseidon in the toughest sailing challenge on the planet!

A good sailing story needs to be about more than simply sailing, and Vlad Murnikov's book "Race to Freedom" is just that kind of book. True, it's about sailing, in fact it's about one of the last great sailing adventures, the Whitbread Round the World Race, but it is much more than that. It's a personal story about Vlad's transition from life in communist Russia, to a life on the free streets of America. It's a story of hope and struggle and inspiration, perspiration and desperation, and through it all Vlad weaves the story of the first ever, and by happenstance, the last ever Soviet Whitbread entry. And who better to tell this wonderful story than the man who started it all. As Vlad tells it; "I was traveling through the night on a train from Moscow to ........... reading an outdated copy of Sail Magazine. I had found the magazine at a book store in Moscow. It was a rare find in those days, but lucky for me it was a bonus issue about the 1995/96 Whitbread race." As his train swayed across the dark landscape, a germ of an idea firmly planted itself in his resolve. Vlad vowed to field a Soviet entry in the next Whitbread race. It took a man a rare courage and blind optimism to think that he could pull it off, but once you have read "Race to Freedom," you will come to realize that Vlad is indeed a man of rare courage and unwavering optimism. How else could he have designed, built, found sponsorship and raced his yacht around the world at a time when the Soviet Union was barely learning to crawl into democracy and capitalism?

I have a personal affection for this book. Indeed I was lucky enough to be invited by Murnikov to race the first leg of the Whitbread on board the boat. I must admit to being surprised when Vlad leapt into the rubber dinghy moments before the start of the race, and waved us goodbye as we sailed over the horizon. I only discovered later that he was returning to shore to continue the never ending search for money, that ingredient key to any successful sailing campaign. It was this type of selfless determination (he would rather have been sailing than fund raising) that saw the Fazisi project through to the end and placed it squarely in the history books.

While the book takes the reader through the struggles of organizing a project of this scale, it also delights the reader with vivid descriptions of life on board and introduces them to the cast of colorful characters that made the trip happen. Their personal narratives are woven into the story and add depth and perspective. One of the most important figures is Vlad's wife Tatiana, without whose support the project would have faltered on the drawing board. She adds a chapter of her own to the book, and it is a beautifully written insight into her own personal misgivings about the campaign, and her voyage to freedom in the west. Vlad and Tatiana now live in the US, forsaking their homeland for pull of America and a life without limits. You will enjoy their story. It is told with candor and a hint of a Russian accent. Mostly you will be inspired to have adventures of your own, realizing that anything is possible if you just have the courage to dream.

On September 2, 1989, the sailing yacht "Fazisi" launched into the Whitbread Round the World Race and nautical history. She became the first every (and only) boat from the former Soviet Union to enter one of the most challenging and prestigious endurance races the world has to offer. Built in the Soviet Union, equipped with Western sails, rig and electronics, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola International, and co-captained by Skip Novak, the Fazisi bravely challenged the most treacherous waters on the planet. Author Vladislav Murnikov was the Fazisi's project manger and designer, and tells this remarkable and memorable story from a firsthand, eyewitness perspective. Race To Freedom is highly recommended for readers who appreciate true life adventure at its very best.

This book has left me wanting more. Not many books do this for me. I felt the relationshop between the sisters was very cleverly written. Who could fail to like Darcy? ? A very real person. Also Sophia - at the beginning I disliked her - then I continually liked and disliked her - I still can't make up my mind. I have given four stars because I was frustrated that we did not discover more about Alex and Darcy. I hope a second book with these characters is written.

Darcy and Sophia King are non-identical twins born in Dublin, in a very normal family. Their father Robert is a pathologist at a local medical centre, and their mother Colette lives through her love for her husband.

The novel focuses on the evolution of this family during one generation, seen through the eyes of Darcy, a young rebel who suffers from being the twin of a perfect girl loved by her parents, her teachers and her peers. Darcy feels so far from a perfection she tends to despise that her relationship to her sister develops in a mixture of sisterly love and sometimes heinous jealousy.

Their differences increase as the chapters go by.

Sophia (pretty, polite and discreet), reveals a vulnerable side that she hides under the appearance of a woman who perfectly controls her life. From unhappy experiences to success, she admits that she's rarely physically alone but that she lives in an emotional loneliness against which she can't struggle. Darcy invariably fights weight problems and suffers from only being "Sophia's sister". It is only through separation caused by Darcy's international carrier that the two sisters finally get closer.

Although one can't talk about an epistolary book, the story centres around the correspondence between Darcy and an American sociologist, Alexander Carbine Brookstone, who's thirteen years older than she is. Despite the age difference, their relationship evolves into genuine friendship, and Darcy takes refuge in the letters, faxes and, later on, emails that she exchanges with him. Her rebellion, her lack of confidence, her relationship to her sister, to her parents, to her boyfriend, and her frustration regarding her weight explode in this correspondence. Reassured by the idea that she will never meet Alex, she confides her most secret emotions and her thoughts about the world around her, in a way that is alternatively tender, defiant and hilarious.

The biggest quality of this enthralling novel is a confident writing style and a quick pace which doesn't leave room for boredom. It gives life to the characters in a completely exceptional way. The relationships between the protagonists are amazingly real, and page after page, their evolution manifests itself very naturally, whether it's through Darcy's letters to Alex or through Sophia's diary. Terry Prone has masterfully succeeded in making each sentence a fascinating discovery -- even the (side-splitting) description of Darcy's fridge contents is enchanting. This book depicts complex characters and carefully avoids stereotypes and shortcuts. Identifying with Darcy is extremely easy, not because she's an empty shell in which anyone could fit (Darcy is anything but an empty shell!), but because Racing the Moon pulls the reader into her life and -- a rare phenomenon in literature -- makes one forget that she's a fictional character. Darcy is the woman next door, she's someone you pass on the street every day, she's that girl sitting at the back of the room. To everyone, she's quite mundane. In truth, she's exceptional.

A must-read!

I read this book in one sitting on a train journey, and couldn't put it down. It was utterly captivating, and I love the characters of Alex and Darcy.

The way in which Alex and Darcy meet - the teenage Darcy has to correspond with an American academic because her school has asked her to take part in the US university's reseach project - is ingenious, and the letters between the dry and dusty researcher and the teenager are hilarious. Prone makes much fun out of Darcy piercing the pomposity of this guy she knows only by initials.

As Darcy grows up, she sees Alex much more as a friend, but because of the rules of the research they must never meet or exchange any identifying information. This is both fascinating and intriguing as an examination of what makes friendships, and whether it is possible to have as a close friend someone you have never met.

The other characters and events in Darcy's life are also very well portrayed, as a study in growing up; Prone makes excellent use of her knowledge both of the US and of Ireland.

The denouement is sheer brilliance. My only regret is that I felt the book finished too soon.