Book Description
When Legendary Negro League player Buck O'Neil asked sports columnist Joe Posnanski how he fell in love with baseball, Posnanski had to think about it. From that question was born the idea behind BASEBALL AND JAZZ. Posnanski and the 94 year old O'Neil decided to spend the 2005 baseball season touring the country in hopes of stirring up the love that first drew them to the game. This book is just as much the story of Buck O'Neil as it is the story of baseball. In a time when disillusioned, steroid–shooting, money hungry athletes define the sport, Buck O'Neil stands out as a man that truly played for the love of the game. Posnanski writes about that love and the one thing that O'Neil loved almost as much as baseball: jazz. BASEBALL AND JAZZ is an endearing step back in time to the days when the crack of a bat and the smoky notes of a midnight jam session were the sounds that brought the most joy to a man's heart.
Customer Reviews:
Buck: Almost too good to be true.......2007-09-23
Like many baseball followers, my admiration for Buck O'Neil can be traced to Ken Burns' documentary on baseball. How a black man could live through the era in which Buck lived with the attitudes he has is beyond me. (I am white, not American but lived in the US in the 60s and 70s.) Mr Posnanski's book is is a little too sugary, uncritical and unprobing for my liking. I cannot but help to think that with a little probing there is probably bit more to Buck's attitudes than is presented. However, if you want a feel-good book about this topic, this is the dream book.
On the road with Buck.......2007-09-10
A splendid collection of stories, told by one of our most valuable citizens, and conveyed by a very talented listener and writer.
I Knew Buck O'Neil.......2007-08-24
A great read of a great human being, and baseball man. I would see Buck several times a year in the '80s at the Detroit Tigers, Joker Marchant Stadium, when he was a scout with the Kansas City Royals. He was a pleasant a man you could ever meet. I am pleased to have known the man, even if only those brief moments I was able see and to talk to him.
Buy this book, and read a great tribute of this man and to the Negro Leagues of the past.
A year in the life of Buck O'Neil.......2007-08-23
I found the book very readable and never really got bored with it. I would have liked more in depth stories from when Buck played and managed. Most of the reminisces were short and sweet versions. All and all, I did enjoy the book and consider it a good book, not a great book.
Hmmm..........2007-08-08
I can't help but wonder if the 22 reviews -- all giving this book 5 stars -- are some of the author's closest friends. I am not saying I didn't like the book, but the writing was drab. Through the first few chapters, I got it, Buck O'neal was a good man. So, I'm just saying that the stories were not told in a way that made me connect with Mr. O'Neal --he was just a nice guy and then he died. There are a few editing errors as well, which made it confusing. I am by no means a critic of writing, but I just don't see the amazing book everyone else here did -- anyone agree with me?
Amazon.com
Whether we're beret-bearing beatniks or Lexus-driving cosmopolitans, road trips still beckon. Gas up the tank, load up the trunk--it's hard to resist. But who has time to waste on wrong turns, getting lost, and bad choices? When it comes to finding fun, time is of the essence, so Jamie Jensen's guide takes the pain out of the road trip, be it across the continent or a Sunday jaunt. With directions to pit stops, scenic routes, bizarre museums, and the best apple pie stands, all you have to do is drive.
Book Description
Now in its 10th anniversary edition, the best-selling Road Trip USA is better than ever. Inside you’ll find cross-country routes and road-tested advice for adventurers who want to see part of America that the interstates have left behind. Mile-by-mile highlights celebrate major cities, obscure towns, popular attractions, roadside curiosities (if you’re looking for the world’s largest jackalope, you’re in luck), local lore, and oddball trivia. Exit the interstates and create your own driving adventures on America's two-land scenic highways. Features include: a flexible network of route combinations, extensively cross-referenced to allow for hundreds of possible itineraries; essential tips for the road: call letters of lively radio stations, Survival Guides for two dozen cities, and details on where to eat and sleep; and more than 125 detailed maps.
Customer Reviews:
Sometimes it is best just to take it slow.......2007-07-11
Turnpikes and superhighways have improved much about our lives, making commutes to work and other vital travel easier and faster. Sometimes, though, it's great to just slow down and enjoy the scenery - and that's just what Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways helps all of us to do.
In this book, you'll discover plenty about out-of-the-way places that can be reached by traveling on two-lane roads in the United States. Discover lesser known monuments, museums, restaurants and roads, and enjoy the offbeat sites that you'll see. It's likely that you'll even learn something new about your own state or hometown.
Road Trip USA recommends places to eat and stay and it provides survival guides to some of America's most intriguing cities. If you've fallen into a vacation rut, this book will break you of it, as at least one quirky destination - and probably many more - will grab your attention and cause you to go on your own road trip rendezvous.
Interesting but not a great reference.......2007-03-09
This book details five north-south and five east-west journeys across the US. The book is arranged into 10 sections, one for each path, each of which lists, in order, all the sites worth seeing on the particular route in that section.
While it is a good collection of sites, the book is laid out in a way that makes it useful only if you read the entire thing. There is no easy way to look up the attractions by state or as dots on a map or by type or anything like that. There isn't even a table of contents at the beginning of the book or of each section. The only reference you have to a particular site is the blurb itself.
So while some may find this to be a useful guide, I'd say it needs a bit more work before it's a good reference.
Fun for the Road.......2007-03-05
When you think of summer, and of freedom and adventure, you automatically think "road trip." Sometimes, you just want to jump into your car for a day trip and, other times, you'd love to trek around America for an entire summer. Some trips you know exactly where you're going and what you plan to see and, other times, you go where the spirit of travel leads you.
In Jamie Jensen's book, Road Trip USA: Cross Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways, we're given quality information on fun places to visit, including places where celebrities stayed, restaurants with apple pie tasty enough for a visit (or two!) and scenic locations worth seeing just for their sheer beauty.
Trivia, myths and legends provided in the book makes trips even more entertaining. The tips of where to take photographs are terrific and provide a road trip traveler the chance to easily capture the most interesting sights for friends and family back home.
I like how Jensen covers 35,000 miles of road tripping in just one book and we appreciate his color-coded routes. Nobody likes getting lost and he pays attention to the smallest details that provide travelers comfort, including the call numbers of local radio stations.
Get off the major highways and use Jensen's book for eleven road trips that you'll never forget!
road trip usa cross country adventures on americas two lane highways.......2007-01-09
great book, I like that you can start at any part of each trip. After reading some sections that I have already traveled, I'm going to retrace some of them because I found that I missed alot of interesting places that were listed in the book. Great reading, can't wait till this summer to let the adventures begin.
Informative.......2006-11-10
This seems to be a very interesting and informative book that will be enjoyed a lot.
Amazon.com
Taking a drive in the country has been popular since horse-and-buggy days. But while the road trip itch is as strong as ever, scenic drives get scarcer year by year. The answer is a collection of the 120 loveliest drives in the U.S., providing maps and tours (with sites along the way itemized and lovingly described), trip length, when to go, nearby attractions, and local information sources. Free time is at a premium these days; rather than waste your leisure time in highway gluts, it's worth taking directions to some of the most beautiful drives the country still has to offer.
Book Description
A one-of-a-kind trip planner, a superb on-the-road reference, and an album of 400 photographs. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, here are 120 outstanding drives that show the magnificence of America-each with detailed, easy-to-follow maps.
Customer Reviews:
great book.......2007-09-26
This is a great book if you travel or planning to travel in the US. We used it all through our 6 week vacation to the South West US WOnderful routes and accurate information.
Great Coffee Table Book.......2007-09-17
This is a beautiful book with gorgeous pictures. Makes you want to hop in the car and go. I don't fly and I'm glad. You see so much more riding in the car. This is a beautiful country. I'm so thankful my husband likes to drive.
Just the road trip book I was looking for.......2007-08-07
I am a road trip ethusist. And therefore, when I came across this book, I knew I had to buy it. What I like the most about this book is the careful selected trips the author put together. I have been to about 10% of the trips outlined in this book and when I read through those sections, this book is right. Not only does it tell you where the "must see stops" are, it also tells you approximate mileage, time needed, as well as other useful information for your trip. And flipping through those spectacular trips in the rest of the book made me want to explore U.S. that much more. I highly recommend this book as a starting point, or the main source, for your road trip planning.
Travel Guide Review.......2007-08-06
Good Book. Maps & Travel Destination info is well done & helpful in selecting destinations & selecting colorful & interesting routes to get there
When you are looking for a road trip..........2007-07-11
If you're looking for a great way to spend your vacation time this summer, I'd highly recommend taking a trip listed in The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips.
Rather than leading you to a specific place in America, this book focuses on the beauty of the journey as you drive your car along lakes and beaches, hills and mountains, flowers and trees, and a variety of historic sites in the United States.
This book provides maps that assist readers with planning a road trip and the gorgeous photographs definitely will entice you to visit these glorious areas of our country. Expect to return from these trips feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
What's especially helpful about this book is that you can plan a cross country adventure or, if you're limited in time, you can enjoy a shorter trip that still lifts your spirits and recharges your batteries. Go by yourself, go with a friend or take the entire family. Just get out and enjoy the summer!
Book Description
Where would your dream take you if you had a whole year to just travel? But perhaps you're thinking, "if I only knew how to start planning my adventure!" This detailed "how-to" guide will get you moving from the dreaming to the doing in no time at all.
Included is step-by-step, real-life information on planning the trip you've always wanted to take -- along with generous doses of humor and advice on topics such as:
* How to pay for a year away from home * How to unravel all your current commitments - to family, work, and organizations * How to plan on the fly and enjoy every day * How to pack in 3 small drawers and 24" of closet space - for two! * How to handle the emergencies that crop up along the way * And the most asked question: How to enjoy your traveling companion on a 24/7 basis!
Once you've decided to "leave it all behind", Live Your Road Trip Dream takes you along on an action-packed, whirlwind tour of the authors' trip - just to help you visualize what months on the road might really be like, and to offer a glimpse into how decisions and discoveries are made along the way.
This is the ultimate road trip planning guide.
Customer Reviews:
For me, more of a 3 1/2 star book but since halves are not an option, 4 stars........2007-10-03
The first chapters of this book provide excellent guidance for planning a one-year trip away from home. The authors guide you through the entire process of planning and preparation. Definitely four star information. The authors purchased a small RV, set up their budget, rented out their house and got ready to go. This book shares what worked for them and walks you through all the necessary steps that need to be accomplished prior to your departure including a planned/actual budget and a more frugal version. Both budgets seemed high to me, but if the trip were made today, both might be a real bargin.
The second portion of the book, a journal of their year on the road, seemed sketchy and a bit disjointed. There isn't a lot of information on any of the areas visited, so not as useful as it might of been for some actual travel planning. They spent so many nights at hotels that I'm not sure the motor home was a good investment, but the authors thought it was.
If you are considering traveling away from home for an extended period of time, you will find this book a helpful addition to your library along with one or two good travel guides. If, however, you are more interested in reading about traveling the USA in a small RV, Barbara Thacker's books, while older, are fun armchair travel reading along with Ron and Barb Hofmeister's books on full timing in a much larger RV.
Entertaining and loaded with great info.......2007-08-26
This is a very entertaining book loaded with great information about extended traveling. Be it just a few weeks or a year or more, the authors have dispensed great ideas on how to handle the everyday life you leave behind (for whatever period of time).
I finished the book in about a week, reading it for it's entertainment value. I will be retiring soon and my wife and I plan on taking extended "vacations" in our RV. I will read the book again (and again) so I can garner as much information as I can.
listen to the voices of first-hand experience.......2007-07-19
Phil and Carol White amply demonstrate that anyone can live "a road trip dream" as they thoughtfully share their proven insider tips for enjoyable RV travels. Interesting to discover, according to the authors, that a big mistake first-timers make is overplanning. Read this book and "just do it!"
I'd like to start with $80,000 a year too! .......2007-03-09
My family and I are preparing to spend a year full-timing in our 5th wheel camper and thought this book would be helpful in some regards to that. Unfortunately, there were no real bits of information for us to use in planning for our trip. Actually, there was not much at all that was helpful for our purposes.
Great Book - Makes me want to do it!.......2007-02-04
My husband and I have been planning a similar trip for when we retire (in 4 years) but this book actually gives a step-by-step guide to preparing and planning your trip (even a master budget). Carol talks about things that I hadn't thought about (mail, voting, income tax filing, etc.). I couldn't put the book down once I started. It made me wish we could leave sooner. I love the idea of a theme - National Parks. Can't wait to "Live My Road Trip Dream."
Product Description
USA Interstate Highway exit directory lists services(gas, food, lodging, medical, other) found at exits on the USA Interstate highway system.
Customer Reviews:
Don't Leave Home without It.......2007-06-27
My husband and I travel. We pull a trailer sometimes and sometimes we're just two middle aged folks looking for the next rest area on the interstate. It never matters because either way this useful, easy to understand, and accurage book makes our travels easier, more pleasant and FUN!
Never stop at the little backwater quick mart and fill up on chips and sodas again, when there's a selection of good local restaurants just 2 exits up the road.
Wish It Had More Roads.......2007-06-27
This book is great for travelling on Interstates only. The problem is there are many highways that are not listed in this book. So many roads, so little time.
Dawn Meier
Very Informative.......2007-05-12
Very informative book when you are driving along and suddenly realize that you are hungry, the gas gauge is sitting on empty or need a hospital for whatever emergency that can pop up
Don't Leave Home Without It.......2007-03-10
I make sure we have this along whenever we crank up our Airstream. I use it constantly during the trip to check mileage, as well as to look for places to eat and sometimes places to stay. This is the 2nd one we have used. We are "real map people" instead of "GPS people" and using this along with an up-to-date state map has never failed us. The only drawback is that it covers only interstates, of course, so you are on your own if you venture onto the smaller side roads.
Next Exit 2006.......2007-02-09
My mode of tranportation for vacations is auto. Great book to keep in the car at all times and traveling by other means of transportation,especially for rental car usage.
Book Description
You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go—they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!
This invaluable guide contains all the information you need to get to and around some of the most popular destinations in England. Using London as a base, you can explore the college towns of Oxford and Cambridge; go on rambling walks or bike rides through the English countryside; or experience the mystery of Stonehenge, each in only a day!
We give you all the information you need to plan your day trip, from train schedules to parking information and the best places to pick up picnic supplies or enjoy a more leisurely meal. Detailed maps and suggested itineraries for each destination guarantee that you'll see as much as possible without feeling rushed. And if there's so much to do that we think you might want to extend your trip, we give you the scoop on the best places to stay, from budget B&Bs to luxury hotels. Also included are savvy insider tips, historical information, and special "finds" that most tourists and tour groups miss.
Download Description
You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go—they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!
This invaluable guide contains all the information you need to get to and around some of the most popular destinations in England. Using London as a base, you can explore the college towns of Oxford and Cambridge; go on rambling walks or bike rides through the English countryside; or experience the mystery of Stonehenge, each in only a day!
We give you all the information you need to plan your day trip, from train schedules to parking information and the best places to pick up picnic supplies or enjoy a more leisurely meal. Detailed maps and suggested itineraries for each destination guarantee that you'll see as much as possible without feeling rushed. And if there's so much to do that we think you might want to extend your trip, we give you the scoop on the best places to stay, from budget B&Bs to luxury hotels. Also included are savvy insider tips, historical information, and special "finds" that most tourists and tour groups miss.
Customer Reviews:
Helps you figure out where you'd like to go.......2007-09-24
If you're wanting to plan a trip outside the city, this guide helps orient you to all the options. While I didn't use the suggestions on Hotels (too short a list)...it did help me decide where I wanted to go. If you've already decided on a destination, this book won't be that helpful.
Disappointing.......2007-01-18
I visit England frequently. I have an earlier edition of this book which I find to be very useful, even now. The new version leaves out a lot of the good places that were in the old book and it lacks credibility. I have a hard time taking any of it seriously when it tells me that an English pint is 16 ounces. Anyone who is serious about English beer knows that an English pint is 20 ounces.
Wonderful Day Trips !!!!.......2007-01-06
If you are looking for day trips outside of London, this book is great!!! Gives you everything you need to know.I would highly recommend it!
great resource.......2006-11-07
I studied this book trying to decide which day trips we should do. I loved the handy chart comparing the sites. It is very specific and helpful.
very good.......2006-08-12
Only 25 out trips; however there is a lot of information about them including when they are open and how to get there even by public transportation. It also notes how long it takes to get there and how long you have to walk from a train station. Maps of the 25 places are included, which look quite thorough. I plan to use it the next time I am in London early next year.
Average customer rating:
- Am I missing something?
- Review by Shanice P.S. 39
- My daughter loves these stories
- i like it
- by jacey aged 12
|
Junie B. Jones Has a Peep In Her Pocket (Junie B. Jones 15, paper)
Barbara Park
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
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Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day (Junie B. Jones #16)
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Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine (Junie B. Jones, Book 14)
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Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy (Junie B. Jones 12, paper)
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Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl
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Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl
ASIN: 0375800409
Release Date: 2000-05-23 |
Amazon.com
Kindergarten is just about to let out for the summer, and room 9 is going on a field trip to a farm. All the children squeal with joy--all but Junie B. Jones.
'Cause guess what? Farms are not my favorites.
Junie B. Jones, hilarious heroine of more than a dozen well-loved books, is mortally afraid of ponies. An imprudent babysitter once allowed her to watch a cable TV show called When Ponies Attack, so a trip to a farm seems like the ultimate in reckless endangerment. Never mind the roosters, which, according to her classmate, Meanie Jim, can peck your head to a nub. It takes some pretty fast talking by Junie's parents, teacher, and the farmer himself to get Junie to participate in the field trip, where she has a surprisingly good time. Until she bonds with Peep, a fluffy little chick, only to discover, to her horror, that Peep's destiny is to become a rooster.
Award-winning author Barbara Park has joined with illustrator Denise Brunkus to create a charmingly outrageous character with a precocious yet childish voice that readers will never forget: "After that my heart got very poundy inside. 'Cause I heard the sound of footprints, that's why." Brunkus's comical drawings of Junie and her friends are the "bestest" ever. Don't miss any of the laugh-out-loud titles in the Junie B. Jones series. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
The world's funniest kindergartner is back, in her 15th book!
It's almost the end of the school year, and Room Nine is taking a field trip to a farm! There's lots of fun farm stuff there. Like a real actual barn. And a real actual farmer. There's even real alive animals you can pet! Only, where's the gift shop? That's what Junie B. Jones would like to know. Surely no one would want Junie B. to go home empty-handed. . . .
Customer Reviews:
Am I missing something?.......2007-07-27
I have read nearly every Junie B. Jones book, and I am at loss as to what the big deal is. She is just an average 5 year old, who is unable to decipher right from wrong. She always learns why what she did wrong is wrong, and how to do right in the future. Her grammar is just what she thinks it should be. Are you going to sit a 5 year old down to teach them 7th grade grammar? Also, I think it's, to be blunt, idiotic to make such a fuss. If you dislike Junie B.'s behavior, don't buy the books. I see no need to complain to the publishers. Let 5 year olds be 5 year olds, and little girls be little girls. Thanks.
Review by Shanice P.S. 39.......2006-05-07
School is ending! They're going on a trip to a farm and Junie thinks a rooster will peck her on the head. So Junie B. makes something up so she won't have to go, but she ends up going anyway. Will Junie ever stop being silly and learn rosters and ponies are harmless?
Kids who love funny stuff will love Junie B. Read the next book like Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus.
My daughter loves these stories.......2006-03-18
I have purchased nearly all the books from the Junie B. Jones collection. My daughter enjoys listening to me read them to her. We originally got one book through scholastic book club through the school and I literally read that book to her over and over again. Having a good amount of the collection just makes it more diversified for me ~ and keeps me interested too.
The books are well written. A girl can identify with the subjects of the book and even though the books are long, they are not so long that 2 or 3 chapters a night doesn't complete the story in 3 nights.
I highly recommend the collection to anyone with a girl in the lower grades at school.
i like it.......2005-12-28
THIS IS A FUNNY BOOK. I LIKED IT WHEN SHE SAID "PEEP TICKELED MY TUMMY AFTER I HIDED HIM IN MY POCKET." I ALSO LIKED IT WHEN SHE PRETENDED TO BE A BULL AND BUCK JIM!
by jacey aged 12.......2004-08-03
I would like to express that Junie B. Jones's poor grammar sets a bad example to children. Inaccurate grammar is no substitute for a good, funny piece of literature. I cannot believe that a publisher would accept such books. Junie b jones also gets away with bad behavior too often. And she says balderdash like, "I runned all around" and "my bestest friend". I don't like the idea of children being exposed to improper English.
Average customer rating:
- Read it over (and over and over)
- Ride the Wave
- A profound journey
- A great author
- This is a journey worth taking
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In Search of Captain Zero: A Surfer's Road Trip Beyond the End of the Road
Allan Weisbecker
Manufacturer: Tarcher
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Cosmic Banditos
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ASIN: 1585421774
Release Date: 2002-09-12 |
Amazon.com
In 1966, Allan Weisbecker "made a Manhattan run from the landlocked suburbs" to take in a siren-song movie called The Endless Summer, a documentary that depicted the carefree life of two beach bums who roamed the world in quest of the perfect wave. Weisbecker was hooked, and he became a hardcore wave rider, a fixture on the Long Island surf scene. With a friend, Christopher, he also undertook illegal ways to finance his passion, transporting drugs from exotic countries, a business only briefly interrupted when Christopher went off to Vietnam. There he took fire and came home scarred; something in him changed, and one day he simply vanished.
Weisbecker's book, a sort of gonzo detective story blended with travelogue and peppered with hang-10 jargon, does many things, all of them very well indeed. It offers up a vision of innocent times brought to ruin by war and drugs; it recounts his search for his lost friend, whose life had gone from bad to worse far away from home; and it affords a look inside the strange culture of surfing, whose masters "understood, in a visceral and soulful and inexpressible way, the machinations of the sea, and, by subtle inference, the universe at large."
Full of regret and exhilaration, Weisbecker's memoir is a fine chronicle of a dream gone sour and a friendship redeemed. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
In 1996, Allan Weisbecker sold his home and his possessions, loaded his dog and surfboards into his truck, and set off in search of his long-time surfing companion, Patrick, who had vanished into the depths of Central America. In this rollicking memoir of his quest from Mexico to Costa Rica to unravel the circumstances of Patrick's disappearance, Weisbecker intimately describes the people he befriended, the bandits he evaded, the waves he caught and lost en route to finding his friend.
In Search of Captain Zero is, according to Outside magazine, "A subtly affecting tale of friendship and duty. [It] deserves a spot on the microbus dashboard as a hell of a cautionary tale about finding paradise and smoking it away."
Customer Reviews:
Read it over (and over and over).......2007-09-14
A wonderful book, evocative of end of the road towns and other equally compelling ideas. This could be a guidebook for various Central American hideaways, with perhaps some advice of a different nature thrown in. At one point or another, I've made nearly everyone I know read this book. And...it should be followed by "Can't You Get Along With Anyone." If at any time someone decides to put together a cannon of literature that addresses Central American surf spots, publishing, and the tricky nature of friendship, Weisbecker's "In Search of Captain Zero," and "Can't You Get Along With Anyone," must be included.
Ride the Wave.......2007-04-12
If you are at all interested in surfing, this journey of self discovery will grip you deep within its pages. You'll also gain insight on life as seen through surfing.
A profound journey.......2007-02-13
Whether or not you have ever attempted to surf, dreamt about it, or have made it a practice, I think that this book will speak to you. Should you know nothing about the culture at all, this book will make you feel as if you had been there all along. Weisbecker's style of writing draws you into the story in a very personal way, providing easy to understand epiphanes and philosophies, that seem entirely unique to Weisbecker. Yes, he has his flaws and stereotypes, but this only furthers to strengthen his character. After all how many people can claim not to have either of those things. Weisbecker presents profound views on life through surfing, and different experiences in his travel, that seem far more sophosticated than the stereotypical surfing mind, which would consist of pot, "bro", and of course, surfing.
Besides the development of Weisbecker himself during the story, and the more mental, and spiritual aspect of the book, the story is also a gripping tale, which leaves you wanting to turn the page. Each experience draws you in as you join Weisbecker in the search for his friend. I often found myself eagerly wondering what would happen next, from run-ins with bandidos, to finding a way to work a monster of a wave. What made each experience truely different however, was the reflection of each one afterwards, being able to see how Weisbecker was affected and/or changed.
So, if you are willing to look past the many drug related stories, and whatever flaws you may find, underneath is a compelling story and many valuable insights to life, which may make you want to take off on your own adventure.
A great author.......2007-01-10
The best surf book i have ever read! He also has two other books out there that i would recommend to anyone who buys this one.
This is a journey worth taking.......2006-11-10
I stumbled onto this book and author by chance and months now after reading this book I feel like I am still on a journey that started the day I flipped opened the cover and started reading. This past spring I gave my second shot at surfing and this time it really stuck! That passion and stoke led me to find surf related books and I quickly found In Search of Captain Zero, Allan Weisbecker's website and other books. "Zero" is a surfer's journey and if you are looking for that kind of narrative-its certainly there amidst these pages. If you surf or even just love the ocean, his descriptions of surf sessions are amazing. However, much more is weaved into this journey as Weisbecker opens himself for all to see- the good, the bad and the ugly. Imagine Steinbeck's - Travels with Charley taking place in central america with a surfer's bent, substitute in some tequilla, and give it a whole lot more edge to the story. I found myself haunted by some of what this book said about myself, about friendships, and my ever present feelings of wanderlust. This is much different from Cosmic Banditos, but if you want something that sort of blends that pace with In Search of Captain Zero you really need to find his latest book "Can't You Get Along With Anyone?" published by Humdrumming in the UK. I give this 5 stars. It will always be one of my favorites.....
Book Description
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Customer Reviews:
Around the World in an Afternoon.......2007-07-17
A quilt pattern that has been an enigma to some and a complicated mess of little squares to others is now as simple as cutting and sewing strips together! Thanks to Eleanor Burns' methods, the quilts actually can come together in one day. Her "system" is also adaptable to bargello quilts, and any number of other designs. Ms. Burns also provides her simple and fast method for applique using fusible interfacing. The Waterlily Quilt design has been one of my favorites since I first saw it, but I knew I'd never have the talent for the piecework or the applique. Eleanor has again placed a complex design within my reach. This book is great for beginning and experienced quilters of all ages and tastes. Definitely worth adding to your bookshelf.
book-Quick Trip Quilt.......2007-06-07
The book came in a reasonable amount of time. It looks like new.I am very happy with this product as well as the vendor.
Books.......2007-05-14
Exactly what I was looking for. Really enjoyed full color pictures and and instructions.
Another great quick trip from Eleanor Burns........2007-04-11
Again the directions are clear, the pictures are most helpful. I have not made anthing yet. I would like to get making something any time soon. If you like Quilt In A Day, fabric, threads and more quilt books you will love this book.
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