I first learned about Alex Deford in the ABC made-for-tv movie, and was immediately touched. Having always been a fan of Frank Deford's sports writing, I knew this book could be nothing less than sensational. And I was correct.

Alex Deford was a strong little girl that was stricken with a terrible disease, and eventually taken from this earth way too early. In this book, Deford recalls her inspiring story, as well as giving us a look into his own life. He is straightforward and ultimately candid about the trials and pains that young Alex had to endure. Through her remarkable story, we learn a great deal about her, and it forces us to look upon each of our own inner strengths.

The book flows really well, and Deford does an incredible job of mingling his own story into Alex's. I really enjoyed the way he included other children's letters and personal thoughts, and not correcting their spelling was a great touch.

This book was a joy to read. I thank Mr. Deford for opening my eyes to this horrible disease, and just allowing me to get to know Alex Deford and what she was all about. It was a true pleasure, and I urge all of you to please read this wonderful book.

I was 12 or 13 when I first saw the movie "Alex: the life of a child" on T.V., but to this day... I remember her as if she were a part of the family. I remember her father laying her on his lap, tilted towards the floor, tapping her chest and singing "The wheels on the bus go round and round...". Recently, Alex has popped into my head for more than a few reasons. My 4 year old daughter has had chronic bronchial infections since birth. Every doctor that she's seen has diagnosed something different. Today, we were told that she has all of the symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis. In an effort to research data on Cystic Fibrosis, the first title that popped up on my screen read "Alex: The Life of a Child". Tears flooded my eyes as I, again, recalled what that little girl went through. I can only pray that my own daughter's results come back negative. Frank, thank you for sharing your emotional story with the world. Of the few movies that have ever remained a visual memory, yours is on the top of my list.

Alex the Life of a Child is a haeartwarming story of a little girl's battle against cystic fibrosis. Alex was loved and loved more than someone who lived to be a hundred. Her entire being was love. She never worried about herself, but for the people she loved. She was a treasure to her friends and family and to anyone who read her courageous story. Alex lived a life of inspiration and she was a gift from God who died to young, but she is with God and is watching over her parents and her "Chrish," her little brother whom she always called by this name. She is their guardian angel. The most touching passage to me is that when she was ready for an opperation to help clear her lungs, her father layed her down on the operating table, a tear fell down his cheeks and she told them to wait and she wiped that tear off his cheek. She said, "I am so sorry my little daddy." That was the little angel she was, one who could not stand to see her family suffer from her disease and for some time before she knew she was going to die, but she did not want to upset them. She tried with all her might to try to never uspet them, they meant everything to her and she was so terrified for them. She always tried to help them with their grief and at times give them the room when they needed to cry alone. Her father Frank tried to cry alone because he did not want to upset his little baby girl. If Alex saw him cry, he would always whisper something to make her feel better. Then, he would just hold her and cry, his heart was breaking, he had to watch his little daughter slowly die and suffer unthinkable pain. Sometimes she would cry too and she would just hold on to him and she would cry with him. She knew that she would die and it broke her heart and not for herself, but for them, always them. Frank Deford writes a heartwarming story about the love he felt for his daughter and the courage she had facing death. This book will make you smile, make you laugh, and make you cry, but it is more than worth reading it, it touches you unspeakably and gives you courage and faith. Alex was a heroic girl whose story you will never forget and woll touch you forever.

It doesn't get much better than this. And I've read most of the top books in this field. If you have an interest in Baseball -- and want to read about the sport when it was really a "game" try this book. The book is truly told by the men who played the game in the early 1900's -- as transcribed in oral history fashion -- one chapter devoted to each player. Ritter brings to life players that most of us have always read about (Ruth, Cobb and Walter Johnson) and many more greats from that era -- Harry Hooper, Paul Waner, Rube Marquard, and Goose Goslin. (And yes, the author is my Uncle, but the book is STILL a great one!)

This is one of the greatest books I've ever read and may well be the best non-fiction book I ever read. The book is actually a collection of reminiscences of old-time baseball players compiled by their interviewer, Lawrence Ritter. The original book was written in 1966 with additional chapters added for the revised 1984 version that I read. What comes across first and foremost in all the recollections is the joy and dedication of the long-retired players. At a time when labor strikes, hold-outs and escalating salaries are standard sports stories, this book takes Baseball nostalgia to a new level. It isn't just about the joy of the game, however. This book brings to light a lot of forgotten Baseball history. I fancied myself a bit of a Baseball historian but there were a number of major events in Baseball's early history that I had never heard of before. I think the most memorable was Fred Merkle's "bonehead" play that cost the Giants the pennant in 1907. That was a situation where he forgot to touch second base and thereby cost the Giants the winning run. It is told (and referred to often) with better embelishment than I just gave it but, then, that's the point of my praise; the whole book is a poetic look backwards at the game we sometimes take for granted these days. It's no accident that the best parts of the book are the earliest recollections. You can almost see the corrupting effects of popularity creep up on the game in the 1920's. The stories that these veterans tell and the details that they give make you feel like you've been there yourself. If you're a Baseball fan, you'll love this book. If you're not a Baseball fan, reading this book might just make you one.

I have heard so many stories about Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, I can't tell fact from fiction. Lawrence Ritter and undertaken an extremely long journey to bring you a true record of the early days of baseball.

Packed with stories from legends Goose Goslin, Harry Hooper, Joe Wood, Hank Greenberg, Sam Crawford and others the spirit of baseball past comes to life. Ritter's ability to bring baseball alive is nothing short of spectacular.

Probably the best baseball book I have ever read, The Glory of Their Times, is more than a amazing collection of stories. You'll read about how baseball has transformed from a love of the game to love of money.

Each story has so much packed into it that I found myself re-reading each chapter just to make sure I got everything. I am so very proud that I have had the opportunity to read and review this extraordinary work on baseball. Thank you so very much Lawrence Ritter!

The book "I AM REGINA", is based on a true story about a girl named Regina that had a sister Barbara, that were held captive by Indians and it changes everything forever. Regina also had a mother, father, two brothers, and her sister Barbara. One day her mother and her brother went out to get water from a mill, and that's when the Indians came. her father and brother were killed by the Indians, but they let Regina and Barbara live and the Indians held them captive. They walked about 3 months and then Regina and her sister were separated. Soon they came to the Indian village. Regina became a daughter to an Indian woman named Wolfin. Her new Indian name is now Tskinnak. she gets to like the Indians that she lives with, and ones she doesn't. She becomes happy there but she wonders if her mother or brother are still alive and if she will ever see them again. To find out, read the book!

Title:I Am Regina Book's Author:Sally M. Keehn Reviewed by: Samantha O. & Anthony P. Book Rating :10 Category:Historical Fiction We read this book and we want to review it. A girl named Regina and her sister Barbara were captured by three Allegheny Indians. After about one month of traveling Regina and Barbara were separated. Regina had to go with the Indian, Tiger Claw. They finally came to his village where she stayed for 10 years. The woman who took her in was, Woelfin, Tiger Claw's mother. At first Woelfin was mean and beat her up whenever she spoke the white man's tongue. Regina became friends with an Indian woman called Nonchetto. They spent a lot of time together. Regina's new Indian name was Tskinnak. There was a small white child that was kidnapped, too. Regina became like a mother to her. Read this book if you want to know what happens to Regina and Sarah!!!!!!!!!

This book, I am Regina by Sally M. Keehn, was excellent. I recommended it to anyone who loves the most appealing books. This book draws you in seconds because it is so appealing. This book is about a girl who is captured by Indians. I loved this book because it caught my eye right away and the author explained it really well. It kept me at the edge of my seat. The book catches any reader by surprise because you don't know what is going to happen until it is happening, this makes it stimulating. I also really enjoyed this book because the author had a way of explaining every single detail without making it boring just more appealing. It also made the book so that you couldn't put I down. In conclusion this book is exciting and if you like historical fiction it is a must read book. Although I thought this book was wonderful some people may not. Some parts of this book got confusing but I continued to read it because it is still amazing and it explained the confusing parts later on in the book. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction. I am Regina is the most stimulating book I have read I a while.

Since seeing Adam Rich sporting Ocean Pacific shirts on "Eight is Enough" as an impressionable 7 year old, I knew I was growing up on the wrong coast. I had such a fierce attraction to California and the way life was lived over there, and that interest has followed me for most of my life - the films of Paul Thomas Anderson, the proliferation of late-70s & early 80s era E! True Hollywood Stories, and now the autobiography of my lifelong idol & hero Tony Hawk.

For 15 years I have admired Hawk, both as an amazing individual and as a link to my past. "Hawk - Occupation: Skateboarder" is a well written memoir that illustrates both the man and the when/where/how of his growth as both a person and a legend of his sport.

Hawk's involvement in the Big 80s boom of skateboarding cannot be understated - and the fact that he weathered the subsequent Great Depression of the sport and emerged a better skater *and* a better person for it illustrates his great character.

The book is lots of fun too, because it serves as an inadvertent time capsule of what life was like in the 80s for Tony and dozens of other skaters: bleached bangs hanging over their eyes while crashing into the popular conscience, riding the back bumper of the Hollywood-mobile and onto movie screens across America, and jet-setting across Europe & Japan - all the while sporting 2 Swatches on one arm and decked out in hot pink Jams shorts. Awesome!

But just as important as the movie sets, the demos in Tokyo and the goofing off in Switzerland is *the* picture of 80s California skate culture: the backyard ramp jams. Half a dozen friends hanging out in the hot sun, cooling off with cold Cokes and chowing on some good BBQ. At the age of 25, I will still admit to being very very jealous.

And hell, when those friends happen to all have their names on T-Shirts, their own signature skate decks and are mobbed at shopping malls . . well that makes for an interesting life and times. "Hawk - Occupation: Skateboarder" does a wonderful job of showing this life, as well as the bottoming out of that mentality and lifestyle in the early 90s - skating's Dark Ages.

Tony's - and skateboarding's - slow and wildly successful recovery from that period is every bit as interesting and meaningful as the Big Years (albeit with more lessons learned and hardships endured). All great heroes need to suffer a little to battle back, and Tony's reflections on his various personal and professional setbacks are honest and real.

Today, in the Here and Now, I have the great pleasure of watching my boyhood idol live a happy and successful life - at the top of his career and with the love of a beautiful family. Starting my own little family has given me the pleasure of sharing one more cool thing with my hero - marriage and fatherhood. "Hawk - Occupation: Skateboarder" is an intelligent, well done biography that will satisfy fans and enlighten those who may not realize that a Legend (aka: Cool, Normal Guy) walks among us - when he's not floating and spinning several feet above , that is.

I've spent 27 years riding a skateboard and have seen the "sport" come and go. One person who has remained solid through the ups and downs is Tony Hawk. Tony's book gives you an inside look at what skating and being a pro skater is all about. It's an easy read that explains skateboarding in terms that a non-skaters can relate to and understand, as does another favorite book of mine: "It's not about the Bike", by Lance Armstrong. As with Armstrong's book about cancer and the world of pro cycling, you don't have to be a cyclist to see where the man's coming from, and the same goes for Tony's book about skating.

You know, I hear way too much about kids not having role models, I just mentioned two REAL role models. Read Hawks book! Read Armstrong's book!
Skate tough or go home!

I loved this book because skateboarding is a huge part of my life. I always skateboard with my cousin everyday. This book is really great for skaters if your one of Tony Hawks fans. Also I wish I could meet Tony Hawk so I can learn his neat trick called the 900. So I could be a proskater like him.
The part I liked about the book is when he was little. Just about the same age as me and he nailed a bunch of tricks like 540 ollie, 540 kickflip, 50 50 front grind, airwalk a bunch of them. Those are just some of the cool tricks he nails. I can nail the 540 ollie but I can't do the kickflip and im not 2 good at grinding. He is the only one with the 900 no body else has that as a number 1 move, and I think it's the best trick I have ever seen in my life.
The 2 types of story elements that Tony used the best were settings and character. The reason I like those 2 elements is because for one this is Tony's book, that he wrote and he is the only main character he wrote about. Because he wrote about his self and the settings were always at half pipes nothing else all he wrote about was his contests and somethings about his family.

Until reading this book, I was convinced that all graduate school guides were written for second graders. The advice contained in most guidebooks is tragically simplistic and usually amounts to plain common sense. And any detailed information (on financial aid, etc.) contained within can be easily found using a good search engine on the internet.

Peters' book is the only guidebook I have ever read that is worth buying. It is geered towards educated, resourceful people contemplating graduate school and actually "tells you something you didn't already know."

I absolutely, positively recommend this book to anyone pursuing, applying for, or even entertaining the possibility of graduate studies. It differs from others I've read in that it is thorough, thoughtful and genuinely useful, whether you think you've got it all figured out or haven't got a clue. The chapter on choosing an advisor (versus a school) is indispensable. Testimonials from admissions committees, advisors and students cover all the bases. A HUGE bonus is the author's firsthand knowledge of grad school in the sciences- and how it differs from the humanities. Advisors, please let your students know this book exists. Students, buy one immediately.

Rob Peters has written a book which is more helpful to college students deciding whether or not to pursue graduate studies than any other resource I've seen. Much of the book focuses on developing organizational strategies and building relationships with professors and other contacts in your field. These tactics are just as helpful at the undergrad level as they will be later, so "Getting What You Came For" is helping me already! The book avoids the vague or trite advice one finds in other sources, and an enjoyable sense of humor (complemented by Peters' cartoons) pervades the book. The chapter on choosing between Ph.D. and Master's programs is quite helpful. Peters emphasizes that grad school is as political as any other working environment - his concrete tips for developing successful networks and interpersonal rapport with your adviser and thesis committee are invaluable. If you are a college student thinking about postgrad work, reading this book is a sine qua non.

I have read many books on the training of Navy SEAL's, and this is by far THE best that I have seen. The level of detail that Dick Couch goes to in describing the process of becoming a SEAL is incredible. Written from both the student's perspective, and the instructor's perspective, it gives you an amazing look at why the training is conducted the way it is. Most books leave you with the impression that surviving Hell Week is the end game. This book takes you through diving phase, as well as land warfare phase . It was amazing to me to learn that even some tough SOB's who made it through Hell Week, and even diving phase, get washed out in third phase as the standards go up. If you are thinking about becoming a SEAL, or just a SEAL enthusiast like me, this book is a must read!

I've read several great books about SEALs and their training, and, as a middle-aged guy in pretty good shape who never served in the military, I wondered, like so many men, if I could have survived BUD/S. No, I couldn't have. I know that now, after reading The Warrior Elite. This book, written from a privileged and intimate viewpoint by a Vietnam-era SEAL, reveals in literally excruciating detail how demanding and relentless the training is. I was not surprised that the flamboyantly macho and musclebound contenders are the first to drop out, or that the quietly determined, average-build guys are the ones who make it.
However, I was surprised at how unforgiving the process is as far as dealing with physical injury. I was stunned that the one guy, who was just a machine, a leader, never tiring, never complaining, always performing as a leader, was let go because of a sinus infection. It seemed an egregious waste of an outstanding soldier due to something completely beyond his control. No one in the Mekong Delta ever got sick? No one in Desert Storm was ever injured or ill? I'm all for rigorous standards but jettisoning this particular guy because of a sinus infection seemed bone-headed and counterproductive.
Anyhow, now I know I wouldn't have made it. The first time I was made to take a dip in the ice slush with my pants full of sand after no sleep at three in the morning I believe I could have easily rung the bell and run for the showers.
An enjoyable book.

Dick Couch, a former SEAL, takes an in depth look at the BUD/S, the training school that future SEALs must go through. I am an avid Navy SEAL fan and have read as much as I can on the subject. This is THE book I would recomend if somebody asked me which ONE book they should read on SEALs. After having learned about what a SEAL must go through to earn his Trident Pin (the official point at which you are a SEAL) I only have more respect for those men.

As a former SEAL, Couch gets an unprecident look at this school. He is the only author I know of who has been allowed to truly document the training from Indoc (the first training session) all they way through their first deployment. You get a close look at the four phases of training and not only do you see WHAT they do, but Couch interviews many of the trainees and reveils what they are thinking and what keeps them going (or not as the case may be) despite being cold, wet, tired, hungry and in pain. What was especially interesting was the section on Hell Week. A period when the trainees must work for five straight days with only about four hours of sleep total. Of the 60 or so trainees who made it to the begining of Hell Week, only 15 or so made it out.

I consider this book a must have for anybody who is a SEAL buff. However, I also believe that it was a wider appeal as a look at the pysche of men who never, ever stop trying no matter how hard the situation.

Before I've read any of the Buffett's records, I was brainwashed by the B-school's currently dominating "efficient market" doctrine. Buffett's records really changed my reviews on finance and investment. This book clearly explains the way Mr. Buffett conducts business and how is it so different from the conventional wisdom, yet so sensible and logical that the investing records of Buffett have been exceptional. I totally recommend this book as the author did a really good job in describling Mr. Buffett's history in investing, as well as his private life. It seems to me the investment philosophy of Buffett is so simple that it looks "easy" to achieve. I hope the author could explain more on what it really takes to do something like that. It's anything but easy.

I just read the Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. This book is a great supplement to that decidedly more technical text, and offers excellent insights into what drives Warren Buffett. While the Intelligent Investor is somewhat dated, this book gives you a more updated version of Buffett's exploits and ideas, as well as a fresher look at Buffett's metamorphoses since his days at Columbia. I have read numerous books on Buffett, and I have to agree with Bill Gates' analysis of this book - this is the one to read. An indispensable biography of Buffett, and a must read for anyone keen on Buffett's investment philosophy.

This well written biography of Warren Buffett is just that, a biography. Those readers seeking Mr. Buffett's investment advice need to look elsewhere. "The Warren Buffett Way" written by Hagstrom or Mr. Buffett's shareholder letter in Berkshire Hathaway's annual reports would be an excellent place to start. In this book Lowenstein descriptively documents the events that shaped Buffett's life beginning with childhood. The reader gains an in depth understanding and appreciation of Mr. Buffett's business acumen. Any disappointment that the reader encounters is probably a result of the fact that Mr. Buffett leads an exceptionally mundane life. As a result, the reader at times will feel compelled to put the book down. If you are fascinated with Mr. Buffett's ability to consistently outperform the market or are a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder this is a must read.

Dreams in the Golden Country is written as a diary of a 12 year old Jewish immigrant girl, Zippy. Zippy, her mother, her sister Miriam, and her sister Tovah have just come to join her father in New York City, where they live in a tenement house.

Throughout the 18 months that this book covers, you see how Zippy's dreams change in this not always golden country. She wants to learn English so she can reach her grade in school, and she wants to be in the Yiddish theater. She also handles her feuding family. But when tragedy strikes, she must overcome her sadness and continue her dreams.

This was a great book, and I'd recommend it for ages 10 - 14. I'd also recommend So Far from Home, and A Coal Miner's Bride, 2 other Dear America books.

Dreams in the Golden Country was another great Dear America book. It is the diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish immigrant girl from Russia, in which she describes her family's first year and a half living on New York City's Lower East Side. Zipporah, or Zippy as she is called, dreams of being an actress in New York's Yiddish theater, and is overjoyed when she is given a job as a prop gir. But her newfound joy is overshadowed by the death of her baby brother when he is just a few days old. To make matters worse for her mother, Zippy's older sister, Miriam, recently ran off to marry a non-Jewish Irish boy, and her sister, Tovah, believes in women's rights and has organized a union, both of which Mrs. Feldman dissaproves of. Plus, one of Zippy's friends dies in a factory fire. Can Zippy really make a new life for herself in this so-called "golden country" that isn't so golden after all?

It's 1903, and Zipporah Feldman, her older sisters Miriam and Tovah, and their mother have come to join Papa in New York City, fleeing the persecution of Jews in their small Russian village. As she struggles to adjust to the American way of life, fit in at her new school, and learn English, Zippy, as she is calld, writes in her diary of how her father is becoming more American every day, Miriam is in love with a Catholic boy, Tovah is obsessed with fighting for better labor condition, and Mama attempts to keep traditional Jewish ways. Over one and a half years, we see how Zippy grows and matures. She experiances tragedies and losses, makes new friends, learns English, adapts many American ways, and persues her dreams of becoming an actress. I highly reccomend this wonderful book.

I give this book five stars because I think Riding Freedom is a good book. It was an encouraging book. It is about a girl named Charlotte Parkhurst who loves horses. This book is a historical fiction story; it is a wonderful book. My favorite part was when she saw a pitchfork aiming at her face. I recommend this book. I really enjoyed it. Pam Munoz Ryan and Brian Selslick did a great job.

This book is about an orphan named Charlotte who loves horses. One day, her favorite horse named Freedom died. She was very sad. Then, shortly after, her friend Hayward was adopted. She was banned from the stables too. So she ran away, pretending to be a boy. She worked for a man named Ebeneezer Belch and then left to Rhode Island to work there. Then she moved to California, bought a ranch, and was the first woman to vote for president. The people in California called her One-eyed Charley because she had lost the sight in one eye. She lost her sight when a horse kicked her in the eye.

I give this book 5 stars because the illustrations were very creative and Charlotte Parkhurst really looked like a boy when she cut her hair. It looked so real. I think Pam Munoz Ryan did a great job on this fantastic book! So did Brian Selznick! I think third, fourth and fifth graders should read this book. I learned that Charlotte had to change into a boy named Charlie and she lost an eye. I liked the parts when the man was aiming a pitchfork at her face and when one of the horses had a foal and named her Freedom, in remembrance of Riding Freedom! I love this book!

This is a beautifully formatted book on the tough subject of promotion and publicity for self-publishers. It covers all the bases with no real emphasis on any area because the area of eventual success for each self-publisher will probably vary. Marilyn and Tom Ross are the founders of the SPAN network and definitely know their subject. I would recommend this book to anyone who is or is considering the self-publishing road. Along with Dan Poynter's books, this is one to have in your publishing library. But my personal opinion here (and the Rosses wouldn't dare say it) is that in today's competitive environment, self-publishing is more likely to result in lost money rather than new fortunes. Thus, it is very important that the new self-publisher knows what's a potential waste of time and what has any financial payoff. And some of the areas covered in this book may very easily lead to nowhere. All self-publishers beware: it's really tough to make any money here. For most, it's, like it or not, a non-profit business.

Tom & Marilyn have done it again! They've written a book jam-packed with ideas, suggestions and marketing ideas for any author. I am currently in the process of marketing my first book and have dozens of pages ear-marked for quick & easy reference. Every time I open it, I stumble across more useful information. This is one reference guide that I'll be using for a long time.

Kelley Robertson Author of "Stop, Ask & Listen. How to get people to buy from you, today, at your price."

"When you need bankable ideas for marketing, promoting and selling ten's of thousands of books and ancillary informational products, you'll buy Jump Start Your Book Sales. You'll discover successful trade secrets and visionary strategies guaranteed to maximize your book sales. It's required reading for authors, self-publishers, independent presses, entrepreneurs, direct marketers-everyone who wants thousands of repeat customers. With the Rosses 25 years of book marketing expertise and wisdom to guide you, this classic bestseller is priceless!" -Andrew S. Linick, Ph.D.,The Copyologist® Visionary Direct Marketing/PR Strategist™ Founder/Copywriter's Council of America