Yao Ming (Awesome Athletes Set III)

Book Description

He lived by his own rules, and more often than not he broke them. Bobby Riggs was the original bad boy of tennis. Forever remembered as the motormouthed antagonist of Billie Jean King in the famous "Battle of the Sexes," he had a nose for action and an insatiable appetite for competition.

The Last Sure Thing is the story of a hardscrabble kid in a highbrow, "sissy" game; the son of a fundamentalist minister who was a compulsive gambler; a self-proclaimed male chauvinist whose only mentors in the game were women; a short, wispy-haired fellow with a squeaky voice, a bad haircut, and horned-rimmed glasses who became, somehow, a sex symbol. Riggs' life reads like a history of the modern game. He played and beat legends such as Bill Tilden and Don Budge; rose up the amateur ranks to Wimbledon and world champion; barnstormed on the early pro tours; and then, by sheer force of his personality, became the center of the biggest spectacle in tennis history, a match that transcended sports to become one of the iconic events of its generation.

Customer Reviews:

Superbly written and enthusiastically recommended biography .......2004-09-07

There were few professional tennis players as flamboyant and colorful as Bobby Riggs who will probably be forever remembered in the now legendary "battle of the sexes" match against Billie Jean King. What is not so widely known is that Bobby's life off court was as outrageous and theatrical as his on-court behavior. Freelance journalist Tom LeCompte has written a biographical masterpiece with The Last Sure Thing: The Life & Times Of Bobby Riggs which is a "must read" for the legions of this memorable figure of the tennis world, a man who carries a large slice of the credit for popularizing the sport through all levels of American society. This superbly written and enthusiastically recommended biography reads with all the smoothness and drama of a finely crafted novel, and will hook the reader's complete and total attention from first page to last.

Great Book!.......2003-11-03

Thorougly enjoyed The Last Sure Thing. Easy to read and full of great details as well as humor. Lots of research went in to the book! I would highly recommend this read for anyone.

Real Life Character Fights His Way to the Top of Tennis.......2003-10-02

Tom LeCompte has writtten a thoroughly entertaining account of a tennis great who defies categorization. The Last Sure Thing is the story of a world champion who never quite acted like one; a man who was intent on winning in any arena, as long as there were clearly defined stakes involved. Not so good when the returns were unclear or long range, Bobby's family life was filled with gaping holes and serious blunders. LeCompte paints a fascinating portrait of a man who appears to have been sailing above concern for intimacy, loyalty, maturity and fidelity in his relentless and quite possibly compulsive search for the endless game, the bet around the next corner.
Is this type of blind drive necessary to the making of a champion competitor or was Bobby Riggs simply a talented but hapless loser who missed his chance for lasting glory and respect due to immaturity and shortsightedness? LeCompte covers all bases and leaves the reader to wonder - what if... A thoroughly engaging account of a man, a game, and an era - highly recommended.

Dave's thoughts.......2003-09-30

I couldn't put it down. Loved the character analysis of Bobby and his associates. Great tennis detail, and insight.

I loved this book!.......2003-09-09

I play alot of tennis and I read alot of biographies, and this book is one of the best I've read in either genre. Bobby Riggs--what a character! Can you believe that this man, betting and hustling constantly--his tennis partners, his wife, the largest television audience for a tennis match in history--was actually such a great tennis player? The book somehow conveys easily the story of Bobby's hustling, the history of amateur tennis, the disfunctionality of his marriages, the chaos of his match against Billie Jean King, even the agony of his dying--I mean, WOW!!--what a book! No sooner had I started reading it than friends told me they had heard about it on the radio and asked me for my copy. I have books on RFK, Winston Churchill, and other well-known men lying unfinished on my nightstand. This book I read cover-to-cover in a few nights. Sorry but my friends have taken my copy, or I'd let you read it. But I had to tell someone that this is a great book.

Book Description

"When future cinema archaeologists dig deep into the history of the art form that was animation, and its artists, during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, this excellent collection of insightful biographical essays by Chris Robinson, a modern Vasari, will provide invaluable illumination. . . . Robinson is the perfect guide, viewing as he does over 1,000 animated films a year. His book focuses on a world of little-known, fiercely independent contemporary animators. Robinson writes with keen perception and a critical eye; he is sincere, compassionate, and always passionate about his subjects, many of whom push the borders of film content and technique wide open. His infailingly evocative descriptions of the works make one hungry to see them." —John Canemaker

Average customer rating:

Read this before you buy

High Quality RPG Book--and Great Background Material

Now you too can be part of the BPRD! *thumbs up*

Mike Mignola's Hellboy: Sourcebook and Roleplaying Game
Mike Mignola
Manufacturer: Steve Jackson Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Role Playing & Fantasy | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

B.P.R.D. Volume 5: The Black Flame

The God Machine (Hellboy)

Hellboy Volume 5 : Conqueror Worm (Hellboy (Graphic Novels))

B.P.R.D. Volume 1: Hollow Earth & Other Stories

Hellboy Animated Volume 1: The Black Wedding (Hellboy Animated (Graphic Novels))

ASIN: 1556346549

Customer Reviews:

Read this before you buy.......2007-03-11

When purchasing the "Hellboy" roleplaying game core book, I did not know what system it was based from. I was hoping d20, but it turns out that this book is based off of gurps. I'm not a fan of this overly complex system, but it was still a well made book that any hellboy fan should consider since the material out there is so few are far between for this character. A collectable if nothing else,or another dollar in Mr. magnolia's pocket, which ever you are most comfortable with.

High Quality RPG Book--and Great Background Material.......2005-05-30

Man, you sure get a lot of bang for your buck with this product! By current RPG standards, this book is extremely affordable (the original hardcover version was over $50), and it is extremely well designed in terms of its layout and graphics contents.

Also, it comes with a short prose story as an introduction and a short illustrated tale as well.

Yes, it does present a lot of mandatory game mechanics materials (using the GURPS system) and the usual sections about generating characters and how to use magic, plus a pretty detailed sample adventure. But even a non-gamer might want to pick this up. It has a timeline of Hellboy/BPRD events, great background information on the lead characters (Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, Kate Corrigan, Roger the Golem, Johann the psychic, plus a lot of supporting folks), and plenty of stuff on the villains.

One of the distinctive features of Hellboy's world is that the BPRD isn't just hunting monsters and demons from folklore and fairy tales. They're also regularly tussling with Nazis. Yeah, those crazy Nazis--a lot of your more eviller ones survived WWII by going into suspended animation, and now they've returned as crazed sado-surgeons creating robot zombies, she-wolves of the SS in search of their vampire lovers, and worse. Probably the most memorable of them is Professor Doctor Herman von Klempt, of whom this book succinctly says "He always had a plan for world conquest, usually involving cybernetically enhanced apes and robot tanks. He ws everything an insane Nazi mad scientist reduced to a head in a tank should be."

You really just can't improve on that prose.

There's also a pretty nifty bibliography that covered the Hellboy material through 2002. A nice added bonus if you're trying to get an idea of what other Hellboy books you'd like to explore.

Now you too can be part of the BPRD! *thumbs up*.......2002-11-27

The important thing to note about this sourcebook/rpg is that while it perfectly maintains the feel of the Hellboy comic, it is still a Steve Jackson game. So what's wrong with that? Nothing really, it's just that the game is a version of GURPSlite slightly modified to better represent characters present in Mignola's world. This isn't necessarilly a problem, but it makes the game feel a lot less original and more like a reframing of prior works. The book also frequently references other GURPS books--not as a corequisite just for suppliment, but none the less it makes the book feel somewhat incomplete as a 'stand-alone' game.
As earlier mentioned the feel of the book is PERFECT--the whole sourcebook feels like a BPRD report, and the Hellboy story and comic included in the 200 page sourcebook help give those unfamiliar with Mignola's work an idea of what Hellboy is like. Bios on almost every important character/villian/supernatural and a great timeline help to familiarize players with the Hellboy world. Also included is a section on how to run the game in the Hellboy fashion to help adventures more closely resemble those found in the comics. This book is really for hardcore fans of the series and not someone looking for a new innovative RPS, because as a system it is just a retelling of the GURPSLite rules. The book has a great dark sense of humor and feels as though it were a Hellboy comic, because of this it is a very enjoyable read and the loads of Hellboy information make it a great sourcebook for the Hellboy world.

Average customer rating:

The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit

An essential publication

Excellent resource

The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit

Great book, Very helpful tool

The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit, Second Edition
Anne-Marie Grey , and Kim Skildum-Reid
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Book Company Australia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Nonprofit Organizations & Charities | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Advertising | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Marketing | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Made Possible By: Succeeding with Sponsorship

The Sponsor's Toolkit

Event Sponsorship (The Wiley Event Management Series)

Developing Successful Sport Sponsorship Plans, Second Edition (Sport Management Library)

The Athlete's Guide to Sponsorship: How to Find an Individual, Team or Event Sponsor

ASIN: 0074712217

Book Description

The Health and Performing Artsbooks are the most recent additions to the exciting ten-volume Aboriginal Issues Blackline Master Series. This resource has been designed in consultation with the Aboriginal community, to provide teachers with information and teaching material on various Aboriginal issues applicable to Human Society and Its Environment programs. Performing Arts looks at Aboriginal performing arts in the context of pre-contact Aboriginal performing arts, the impact of invasion on Aboriginal cultural expression and the revitalisation and popularity of Aboriginal performing arts today. It covers information on Aboriginal music, dance and theatre and identifies exciting websites for students to explore these areas further.

Customer Reviews:

The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit.......2007-07-11

This is the definitive guide for anyone looking for a corporate sponsor. It was enjoyable to read and I find myself reaching for it time and again. The concepts were easy to grasp and the tools were especially useful. It is a great source of information for beginners as well as seasoned sponsorship seekers. It's a great read and well worth purchasing.

An essential publication.......2007-05-31

Content was relevant and definitive. Great examples and templates and every aspect clearly explained and expounded where necessary. An essential piece of reading.

Excellent resource.......2005-09-21

This book is an excellent resource for anyone attempting to obtain sponsorships. It is well written and easy to follow with many useful tools.

The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit.......2005-07-21

This book is very useful and practical thanks to its suggestions in a matter which is at the same time delicate and fundamental. Besides it is well-organized and clear in its contents

Great book, Very helpful tool.......2004-01-16

If you are seeking a sponsor, this is the book for you. In a step by step format, in great DETAIL, the authors take you through all aspects of sponsorship: how to prepare if you are seeking a sponsor, what you have to offer, how sponsors see the world and what they look for, creating a marketing plan and how to write a proposal.

This was the dream book I was looking for. It is an invaluable guide and, I think, the gold standard for those seeking sponsorship.

Book Description

The Presidents Fact Book is the definitive guide to the political and personal lives of every U. S. President through George W. Bush. It is a complete chronological review of the chief executives: their major accomplishments and gaffes, their cabinets and legislation, their personalities and families, and much more. And it includes enlightening biographies of each of the first ladies, providing an intimate look at the presidents' personal lives. It is illustrated with 1,000 helpful photographs and illustrations throughout, and it features selections of the most significant primary documents of each administration, as well as thousands of little-known presidential facts. Whether you're interested in the uncanny similarities between Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, the shortest president (James Madison), or the members of FDR's first cabinet, The Presidents Fact Book is the ideal resource--for comprehensive research or compulsive browsing.

Customer Reviews:

"We are just walking through history-this, this is history.".......2007-01-17

Quotes from Raiders of the Lost Ark aside, I recently became alot more interested in American history. I guess after years of complaining about politicians and where I stood on issues, I kind of wanted to know at least a little of what I was talking about. So I stumbled upon this book,and at a great price no less(cue audience going OOOOOHHHH with fake surprise)! Anyway, I eagerly awaited it and when I recieved it, couldn't believe how extensive it is. It covers every president up to Dubyah and basically reads like a school textbook-which I think it was. It is a very large book and not only focuses on the Presidents and their administrations, but important people behind the scenes and even family members. I learned alot that I didn't know(or couldn't retain from school) and it allowed me to view alot of these men in a different light. It is truly a fascinating read. The one drawback is the fact that it is basically a textbook makes the writing very dry and sort of fact by fact history. This really isn't too much of a problem though because i really wanted something unbiased and informative. This is by no means a way to become an expert on any on of these people, but a great way to get started by learning a little about all of them.

Great Resource book!.......2006-11-10

I am teaching a high school extra-curricular class this semester on the history of U.S. presidents and wives. This book has proven wonderful! Loads of information and each formatted the same for easy referencing. Great buy!

A bargain for a weighty, sweeping survey.......2005-01-04

The price tag for The Presidents Fact Book: A Comprehensive Handbook To The Achievements, Events, People, Triumphs, And Tragedies Of Every President From George Washington To George W. Bush is a bargain for a weighty, sweeping survey of American presidential biographies as presented by Roger Matuz in over 700 pages of detail: any high school, college or general public library collection with an interest in Presidential history and biographies will appreciate this review of the lives and times of all the nation's presidents. Included are not only biographical sketches, but boxed details on key historical figures of their times, first ladies, and lesser-known presidential facts.

Book Description

Samuel Walters, Lieutenant R.N. offers a personal perspective on the British navy at the height of its power, chronicling the remarkable tale of a young naval officer who fought around the world in the service of Admiral Lord Nelson. Edited by acclaimed maritime writer C. Northcote Parkinson, the book offers a brutal and complex portrait of life at sea during one of the pivotal periods in British naval history. Walters vividly recounts the battles with Napoleon's navy, providing detailed accounts of the tactics used in combat and the horrific casualties suffered on both sides. The letters, sketches, and watercolors collected here provide an intimate glimpse into the personal trials and challenges that confronted many British officers at sea.

A unique and compelling portrait of one man's experience in the heart of the Napoleonic Wars, Samuel Walters, Lieutenant R.N. is an essential volume for scholars and enthusiasts of maritime history.

Book Description

Environmental degradation in Latin America has become one of the most pressing issues on the international agenda. The volume began to crescendo when space shuttle astronauts photographed five thousand fires on a single night in the Brazilian Amazon state of Rondonia in 1985, and grew shrill when rubbertapper Chico Mendes was shot in 1988 trying to stop ranchers from clearing rainforests near his home in Acre.
Since the early 80s, we've heard pleas from rock star, environmental groups, and scientists, asking us to focus our attention on environmental destruction in Latin America-oil spills, lax NAFTA driven ecological standards, endangered indigenous cultures, and the destruction of the rainforests. This volume presents an overview of the pressing nature of these issues and the scope of the problems and seeks to focus our attention on environmental destruction in Latin America by examining several types of environmental crises in Latin American countries. With discussions of the World Bank, urban pollution, NAFTA, toxic pollution in maquiladoras, headline grabbing environmental disasters, drug trafficking, and the 1992 Rio Earth Conference, this book will be a must read for anyone interested in the future of Latin America or world ecology.

Customer Reviews:

Definitive, enlightening and beautifully written.......2004-09-20

I've been in business, been involved with ecology and cultural survival and I've traveled in and among the countries and cultures of Latin America for over 25 years. I read this book on a recent trip to Costa Rica and I am so impressed with it that I am purchasing 25 copies and sending them to all of the managers of my mutual funds. How this action fits in with a review on a book concerning the plant's ecology may not be clear to you, but if you read some of the other descriptions of "Trouble in Paradise", then you may understand. For people concerned with the future and with the environment this book provides tremendous relief.

Highly recommended!.......2004-04-10

(From Planeta Journal) -- A must read for anyone interested in environmental issues and must read for anyone interested in Latin America, Trouble in Paradise: Globalization and Environmental Crises in Latin America (Routledge, 2003) combines academic research with a regional travelogue.

Written by J. Timmons Roberts and Nikki Demetria Thanos, this book reviews the critical issues run the gamut from green to gray.

Chapters review pollution havens on the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, the hazards of an urban sprawl and the rise of protests particularly via the Internet. This is no surprise as co-author J. Timmons Roberts is a co-founder of the Environment and Latin America Network (ELAN).

Excerpts from Trouble in Paradise

To become sustainable, Latin America needs real democracy to create the leverage for its citizens to demand a cleaner environment and the services they need to survive. (p. 4)

Contact informs strategic advocacy work on one or both sides of the North-South divide. Lives can be changed. The same can be said of academic programs in the region and of linkages between universities and other schools ... Rather than merely observing these issues from afar and wringing our hands, we need to be engaged. Institutions can be changed. (pp. 205-206)

Study and travel in Latin America and connections between communities and universities across the North-South divide can create lasting bonds and new directions of change. And we need to call for a drastic rethinking of priorities in international aid and finance. Aid needs to support solutions which address social and environmental problems at the same time. (pp. 210-211)

Readable, comprehensive, and thought-provoking analysis.......2003-09-16

This is the book we have all been waiting for: a definitive analysis on the state of the environment in Latin America, how it got that way, and --- best of all-- what is and can be done to remedy the crises. Trouble in Paradise offers the coherence, comprehensiveness,and depth sorely lacking in environmental studies about Latin America. Informed by long-term academic as well as political engagement with these issues, Roberts and Thanos make a varied set of long-term environmetal crises and struggles surrounding them come to life for both students and specialists. They trace how common political, economic and social features structure these case studies and thus bring Latin America's environment to the forefront of discussions about globalization.

Its readability, price, length (200 pages of reading) and content make this volume excellent for both undergraduate and graduate classrooms. It will get students excited about both Latin America as well as environmental struggles and the inequalities that surround them. The case studies they cover are great jumping off points for imporant related issues such as free trade, inequality, ethnicity, social movements, urbanization and local politics. I will be using it at my desk and in the classroom for years to come!

Average customer rating:
Trouble in paradise: globalization and environmental crises in latin America [A book review from: Ecological Economics]
D. Barkin
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR34WC

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Ecological Economics, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:

Trouble in Paradise; Globalization and Environmental Crises in Latin America

Average customer rating:

Trouble in Paradise; Globalization and Environmental Crises in Latin America
J. ROBERTS
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MU7FO2

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books