Customer Reviews:
Good, but not all the moves are so outrageous.......2007-03-24
I like this little book. It's a good one in that you don't even need a chess set handy to work through all the possibilities in your head, as there are very few 10-move or so combinations and variations to try to keep track of like in many combination books, so this ends up being a good a "mobile" chess book in that it can be read and enjoyed anywhere, like Reinfeld's 1001 combinations/1001 checkmates books can. I'm no great chess player, so it's hard for me to just go through so much in my mind without setting a position up on a board and playing through it.
Some of the things Fischer did were of such sublime tactical genius that they show a level of creativity in planning that approaches aesthetic art, rather than being reduced to pure technique or sterile computer reasoning. The move in game 65 is one such example, even if a computer would indeed see it.
That said, some of the combinations in this book are less than thrilling and certainly not "outrageous," but examples of good play - some of which are so obvious that beginning players with knowledge of simple tactics (forks, pins, discoveries, etcetera) will spot them instantly and probably not be too bowled over by them. I've seen 2-move chess problems that have had me much more perplexed, many from real games.
To be fair, as other reviewers have pointed out, these easy ones rate a "1" on Pandolfini's difficulty scale, but as an example, what's so outrageous about Fischer's capitalizing on Taimanov's blunder in game 21 with Qd4, setting up a rook and king fork? Answer: Nothing outrageous. Any run-of-the mill pub player with enough talent to think for a moment before making the next move would spot this one almost reflexively, despite Taimanov missing it - that's why they call it a blunder - and everyone makes them from time to time, including grandmasters. It's still not genius to see it, and this problem is filler to make the 101 number, as far as I'm concerned. There are a few other examples.
Again, it's not my place to nitpick this book apart or to be some arbiter of genius versus not genius or outrageous versus pedestrian. The book does show a wealth of things that are truly surprising and inspiring to those who wish to improve their tactical play, and it reinforces the axiom time and again that we should "see the whole board."
Great 'game' in itself!.......2006-11-15
I found this a refreshing change from the usual chess problem or instructional book. Here you can play through the book and score yourself to see how well you do. Then you go back through them again to see how you can improve with better understanding. It's also good for returning to after a good time has passed, and see if you do better or worse.
The difficulty levels are randomized so you will find problems of varying difficulties throughout the book. I think this is good as you don't know what will be coming on the next move until you get there. If someone wants to do them in order of difficulty, it could be done simply by going through and doing all the ones first, then the twos, etc. Also while it might not be most helpful to one's own game to experience only what occurs at those critical moments, one can practice through how Fischer actually developed the opportunities for these outrageous moves by checking the entire games out in the back of the book.
While the other more standard problem and instructional books remain important, I wish more like this one were published.
Such a Jaw-dropping Mind! And he helps get you to be the same way!.......2005-12-10
This is an excellent book! It really exceeded my expectations tremendously! Keep in mind what is meant by "Outrageous Moves"... many of the indicated moves in this book (though not all of them) are FORCING MOVES, which you have to learn to discern when to make such a move. Studying Fischer sets you on that path and Pandolfini guides the reader, assisting in gleaning Fischer's didactic ways. I think it can strike some people with less of an effect, though, if you just go through the book the way it's presented. The diagrams, clues and solutions are actually presented as best as they can be (except for the diagram to game 25, the White Queen should be on h3 instead of h4), it's just that you, the reader, would do well to take a folded rectangular slice of paper with tape at the top of it and cover the bottom part of each page as you go so you won't see the answers. That way you can set up the diagrammed position on your own chessboard, read Pandolfini's clue, and take a certain amount of time to try to figure out what Fischer figured out. To take it a step further, I suggest you don't even read Pandolfini's clue until you find that you can't figure out the solution in 10 minutes (then go back to trying to figure out the position for another 10 to 25 minutes. [Keep score as you go through the whole book])... I suggest that last part because I found that some of Pandolfini's clues were too revealing, but such clues are kept to a minimum. The level-of-difficulty indicators (1 through 5) were a big help too... but when you're looking at a position in a real-life, over-the-board game, you don't get to see a 1 or a 5 in the corner of the table. As if all of that weren't enough, when you finally do finish studying a position after you've read the answer, STUDY THE ENTIRE GAME SCRUPULOUSLY via the full notation in the back of the book (which has no commentary, but through filling in your own notes (get a 3-ring notebook)!, you'll force yourself to see even more than you thought you could)!! I think it was a sad oversight for Pandolfini to neglect to mention that the full notations for all the games are given in the back of the book; just imagine someone getting through a major portion of the book and then they discover that they could have been studying the entire games via the notation in the back of the book...! (by the way, Game 76 has another Outrageous Move [19....Bg4!] found only in the full notation). All of the aforementioned is a major shortcoming of the way this book is presented... Pandolfini doesn't instruct you TO MAKE A STUDY COURSE out of this book; maybe, he just expected every reader to have been familiar already with his "Solitaire Chess" section of "Chess Life" Magazine and to take it upon themselves to do the aforementioned anyway. I got SO MUCH out of doing it that way (on Fritz 8 Deluxe, by the way. I saved the games with my own notes [on my external hard drive] and now I have 101, little "CHESS MOVIES")! By the way, many of these games are on the Fritz 8 Deluxe (and the new Fritz 9, too, I'm sure) Compact Disc (in the "Database" folder). As for those people who lambasted this book as a cheap attempt to get paid off of Bobby Fischer's name, just realize that there will always be critics of you when you try to do something to help people tremendously. When you study Bobby Fischer's "out-of-the-box" way of thinking over a period of at least 90 days (about what it took me) you, yourself improve to an immense degree! You just have to make up your mind to do what you're going to do and address the criticism when it comes your way (the same way you do your opponent's attack in chess). You don't have to take that crap from people!
Nice Bobby Fischer Combinations. .......2005-09-12
Any chess player can read this book; it briefly describes Algebraic Notation in case you're a beginner. The book gives 101 diagrams from Fischers games -all are dated and the specific place or Tournament is listed. The list of his opponents is remarkable e.g., Byrne,Tal,Geller,Petrosian,Larsen,Spassky,etc starting about 1956 to 1978. Mr. Pandolfini gives the level of difficulty from 1 to 5 for each diagram-one large diagram on each page. You cover the answer under the diagram and try to figure out Bobby's moves, there is a hint also. The answers are briefly explained, some more detailed than others. Also nice is he gives the complete game moves in the back of the book.
let's make money from Fischer's name and games..........2005-02-28
Three stars are for this book:
1) Good selection of games and clear diagrams.
2) Better analysis than those Schiller's books, (even the book is 15 years olds, I got '85 edition.)
3) Provide the complete games at the end of the book so we can see the turning points of the games. (Even so, if we want a complete collection of Fischer's games, Lou Hays' book is better, and then we would miss out the "expert" analysis, right? So this book is a good bridging stone.)
Most of Fischer's games in particular, and current and ex-champions and GMs in general, have some defining turn-points; especially when the players steer the games to the tactical aspects. Often than not, they prefer to keep the game in positional struggles, so the more patient and skillful players usually come out victorious after many long deep-thought moves. We don't see much "outrageous" moves in their (GM) games. However, when the combinations present, surely they grasp them and start the fireworks. That is what Pandolfini again wrote the book "One-Move Chess by the Champions". Fischer is a fearless attacker; therefore most of his games contain those "Outrageous" moves. Any 40-50 of Fischer's winning games from Hays' book can make some "Awesome Games of the Ultimate Chess Champion", or the like. With that abundance of impressive games, Fischer chose to write "My 60 Memorable Games", and he included some of his "memorable" losses too!!!
As we see, most books written about Fischer's games will have at least 1/3 of his games in "60 Memorable Games" (other 2/3 is to try avoid 'copycats'), and as we all know Fischer's analysis is always more superior.
Now, let's make some money, by buying Hays' book and using Fritz 8 (another small investment) to analyze Fischer's games. After that, with some good story-telling co-writers, we can produce "60 Winter Days in '64 U.S. Championship the Ultimate Chess Champion Created the Most Classical Game Record in the Most Prestigious Event of All Times", or something similar.
Book Description
A walk through history's most mind-boggling puzzles
Ever since the Sphinx asked his legendary riddle of Oedipus, riddles, conundrums, and puzzles of all sizes have kept humankind perplexed and amused. The Liar Paradox and the Towers of Hanoi takes die-hard puzzle mavens on a tour of the world's most enduringly intriguing braintwisters, from Königsberg's Bridges and the Hanoi Towers to Fibonacci's Rabbits, the Four Color Problem, and the Magic Square. Each chapter introduces the basic puzzle, discusses the mathematics behind it, and includes exercises and answers plus additional puzzles similar to the one under discussion. Here is a veritable kaleidoscope of puzzling labyrinths, maps, bridges, and optical illusions that will keep aficionados entertained for hours.
Marcel Danesi (Etobicoke, ON, Canada) is the author of Increase Your Puzzle IQ
Download Description
A walk through history's most mind-boggling puzzles
Ever since the Sphinx asked his legendary riddle of Oedipus, riddles, conundrums, and puzzles of all sizes have kept humankind perplexed and amused. The Liar Paradox and the Towers of Hanoi takes die-hard puzzle mavens on a tour of the world's most enduringly intriguing braintwisters, from Königsberg's Bridges and the Hanoi Towers to Fibonacci's Rabbits, the Four Color Problem, and the Magic Square. Each chapter introduces the basic puzzle, discusses the mathematics behind it, and includes exercises and answers plus additional puzzles similar to the one under discussion. Here is a veritable kaleidoscope of puzzling labyrinths, maps, bridges, and optical illusions that will keep aficionados entertained for hours.
Marcel Danesi (Etobicoke, ON, Canada) is the author of Increase Your Puzzle IQ
Customer Reviews:
For a mixed audience.......2007-02-21
I think this book aims at a mixed audience with mixed success. For the puzzle solver, there is interesting background on some popular forms, but probably not enough puzzles. For someone with a background in math the exploration is too simple, (e.g. one paragraph of Godel) and for the computer scientist not enough exploration of algorithms. For the historian of science there are some new perspectives, but the history is not carried through. On the discussion of Labyrinths, I wish Danesi would have mentioned the book Labyrinths by Borge, and also alluded to the form in some churches.
Although the book may not be for the "specialist", there is quite a bit of fun for anyone here. For example I had been familiar with the Fibonacci series, but hadn't seen the Rabbit Puzzle before. Everyone has heard of the Mobius strip, but the Klein bottle was new to me (and I'd love to buy one). I had done mazes before, but the one by Lewis Carroll us fun.
Good start, but never becomes really challenging.......2006-01-08
Liar's Paradox has ten chapters covering 10 puzzles that mankind has created over its history. Each chapter covers a main puzzle, the historical and philosophical background behind it, and describes how each affected mathematics/science as people thought their way through the puzzles. Each chapter includes a set of follow up questions/puzzles, with a good answer section at the back.
One should note that while most of the chapters focus on math, others seem only indirectly related--for instance, one chapter is almost solely devoted to problems related to perception and psychology (such as two-tone pictures in which you can see both a vase and two people's faces), and other chapters are related to math only in extremely advanced ways--for instance, the Liar's Paradox may be a math problem for some, but at the level this book is written it doesn't really get past a discussion of logical paradoxes.
On that note, this book is written at the level of someone who vaguely remembers high school algebra (for instance, there is a fairly in depth discussion of what "exponents" are). For someone at that level, I think the book is excellent. The puzzles Mr. Danesi chooses are interesting and all described well. The puzzles at the end of each chapter are entertaining.
I think readers should recognize before they buy this book that it is probably not meant to be a brain-wracking, headache-inducing puzzle book, but rather a leasurely review of some of mankind's more interesting puzzles. Mr. Danesi has done a good job of accomplishing that.
Book Description
This new and expanded edition of The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games contains the 112 greatest chess games of all time—selected, analyzed, re-evaluated and explained by a team of experts and illustrated with more than 900 diagrams. Among the highlights are Kasparov vs. Topalov; Kasparov vs. Wijk aan Zee; the super-computer Deep Blue’s historic first win over Kasparov; Boris Spassky’s “James Bond” Mating Combination; and Bobby Fischer’s “Game of the Century.” Study these games and learn about defense and counterattack, logical opening play, endgame strategy, psychological warfare, and how great players think.
Customer Reviews:
The copy I saw was a mis-printing.......2007-06-08
I looked at this book (2nd edition) specifically for a game where Nigel Short marches his king across the board to defeat Jan Timman. I got interested in this because chess teacher Fred Wilson mentioned it in his "Four Fighting Kings" tape (available from fredwilsonchess.com).
It was a real disappointment to see that the book I examined was apparently the result of a printing that went from pp. 481 to 486, then went back to 482 and was missing the first 8 moves of the game!
So I ordered a copy of the first edition.
Games Chosen By Committee.......2007-03-12
"I have played against you both...in my opinion Morphy was the King of all chess players who ever lived and Anderssen, in his prime, was next to him. As for you and the rest of us - oh, we play chess."
--Paulsen to Steinitz, Vienna, 1873
**********
Anderssen has two games in this book. Morphy has none. Morphy beat Anderssen twelve times, lost to him three times, and drew against him twice.
In addition to a faulty selection of games, this book has poor quality binding and paper.
I blame a strange committee process rather than national bias for the authors' omission. The book even acknowledges that Anderssen was bested by "the brilliant young American, Paul Morphy." The trouble is, Morphy's greatest achievements have become less famous than his spectacular quick wins against lesser opponents. A book like this, where the authors chose games for their renown as well as for their quality, has no way of dealing with a player whose great games are not famous and whose famous games are not great. The result is a one-hundred-twelve-game collection that leaves out one of the greatest chess players who ever lived. To set the record straight, I recommend PAUL MORPHY: A MODERN PERSPECTIVE by Valeri Beim.
The Mammoth book has some good commentary on a lot of fantastic games, but the claim made in its title is unfounded and the binding and pages fall apart quickly. Aside from the absence of Morphy, there are too many contemporary games for a book purporting to be a historical overview.
I deduct one star for poor material quality and one for a game selection that overemphasizes the last twenty years while ignoring the player who stood out above his contemporaries more than any other player in the history of chess.
I have noticed reviews by a couple of Morphy bashers. They will probably never change their tune, but anyone who wants to have an informed opinion really ought to read Beim's book on Morphy or at least see the section on Morphy in Kasparov's MY GREAT PREDECESSORS. Why people still judge Morphy based on his wins against weak players is beyond me. Nobody judges Kasparov by his exhibition game against Sting.
Fantastic game collection.......2007-02-28
The authors have put together an excellent collection of great games from the last 175 years of chess history. The book is aimed at the intermediate and advanced player. It starts with a brief introduction to the players and the game for each game and then proceeds to explain and analyze what is happening in the game. It contains the right amount of explanation and analysis to appeal to a wide variety of players and has plenty of diagrams so that the stronger player will not need to have a board and set to follow the action. For the less experienced player, the authors place a aynopsis of the lessons to be learned at the end of the game.
Although the description of the book say 512 pages, it is actually 624 pages. The amount of material, quality of annotation and reasonable price make this a very worthwhile book to own.
Analyzed Games Old and New "want to improve your chess will be good for you!".......2006-11-20
This book contains selected games. Both of the masters of new, old all great which will help your ability to checkmate! One Hundred and Twelve games analyzed games study, alone or with your best buddy. The analysis though not real deep makes is light enough for your mind to keep. Want deeper analysis using games get books by Nunn (Understanding Chess) or by Snyder ("Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors"). They are move by move both fun and the the analysis more tighter. These days when it comes to books with games and good analysis you have many to choose so start reading them all it's no time to snooze.
Now down to real business! "The Mammoth Book" contains a wide variety of games over a long time span by many strong players. The analysis ranging from light to moderate in depth is for an intermediate level to stronger player level. This is not a down to basics level book. I was disapointed only in that the book was made out of really cheap paper and is hard to keep open when using (why four instead of five stars). True, I prefer the "every move commented on approach" used by Chernev, Nunn and Snyder, but "the Mammoth book" is still excellent.
I love the first edition.......2006-09-26
This review pertains specifically to the first edition. I do not have the second edition and probably will not buy it because I will probably never finish learning everything that I can from the first! I really like the book and have learned much so far. The selection of games is very good and that analysis is good. Based upon some of the other reviews here, it may not be perfect analysis, but it is very good. At first I thought that the biographies were unnecessary because anyone who could use this book would know about the players, but then I learned quite a bit there too. A very good book and at a very reasonable price.
Average customer rating:
|
The Greatest Games of All Time (Wiley Science Editions)
Matthew J. Costello
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Board Games
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Sports Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0471529753 |
Book Description
Written by an experienced gamesman, who is a frequent contributor to Games Magazine, it features dozens of games that can be played on simple boards or on sheets photocopied from the book. A must-have for all game enthusiasts and history buffs, it includes trivia about the unusual and often eccentric people behind history's most popular games--from the legendary board games of the pharoahs and ancient Egypt, to the social parlor games of the Victorians, to more contemporary perennials such as Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. Also discusses the phenomenon of war and survival games as well as video games and the high-tech future of games, including CD-I--a compact-disc interactive system that will offer films with which players can interact. Features a Buyer's Guide to the best games.
Average customer rating:
|
Greatest Football Games of All Time
Hank Hersch
Manufacturer: Time-Life Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
History of Sports
| Miscellaneous
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Football (American)
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1883013267 |
Customer Reviews:
Nostalgic.......1998-09-08
I laughed, I cried (well, almost). This book brought back memories of some of the greatest football games with fantastic photos and crisp text. Great holiday gift for a favorite fanatic.
Average customer rating:
|
The Greatest Puzzles of All Time
Matthew J. Costello
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Puzzles
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mathematics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Puzzles
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Mathematics
| Science
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Sports
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0486292258 |
Book Description
Challenging collection includes some of the world’s most perplexing brain-teasers by such masters as Sam Loyd, Johnny Eck and Henry Dudeney. Also, the stories behind the creation of the puzzles, the world’s earliest riddles, the birth of the crossword puzzle, much more. Introduction. 146 illus.
Book Description
THE ESSENTIAL BOOK FOR ANY SPORTS FAN, FROM ONE OF THE REIGNING KINGS OF SPORTS TALK RADIO, CHRISTOPHER “MAD DOG” RUSSO
Which was the greater achievement, Ted Williams’s .406 season or Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak?
Who’d be left standing in a battle between Joe Louis and Mohammed Ali?
Which NBA team was the greatest of all time—the ’66–’67 Celtics? The ’71–’72 Lakers? What about the ’95–’96 Bulls?
Who would dominate the ultimate Pebble Beach showdown—Ben Hogan or Tiger Woods?
Who was the most important athlete of the twentieth century?
You’re a sports fan. You love a good argument and you’ll defend your position as fervently as Michael Jordan at crunch time. You’ll analyze games and terrible calls, throw out stats to prove a point, and heatedly debate whether a player is an overachiever—or merely overpaid.
Now, in his long-awaited and completely original book, Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo sets up and breaks down the one hundred greatest sports arguments of all time. In classic Mad Dog style, each chapter tackles a classic sports debate and takes sides with the clear, step-by-step opinions that have made Russo one of the top radio personalities in the country. The Mad Dog 100 covers it all: from baseball (Who really should go to Cooperstown?), to basketball (Chamberlain, Russell, or Shaq: who’s the NBA’s most dominant center ever?), to football (Who is the greatest NFL quarterback ever?), to hockey (What are the greatest hockey dynasties of all time?)—and is a catch-all of other crucial modern-day sports questions like: Is instant replay really worth it? What’s the true role of performance-enhancing drugs? Are salary caps really necessary?
Whether you’re reading The Mad Dog 100 or debating these sports arguments with friends, this is the definitive companion for any self-respecting sports fan.
Customer Reviews:
A Dinner Table Conversation Starter.......2006-06-05
Needing something to scan while eating in a nice Italian restaurant, I picked up this book very cheaply at a Books-A-Million. It is definitely worth the read, and sports fans will sit around debating the questions Russo asks for hours on end. Most of the questions, in fact, are very good ones and worthy of debate. And I even found myself in agreement with Russo on the answers about 90% of the time. The biggest problem with the book is the unusually high number of FACTUAL errors in its pages, inexcusable given the fact the writer is a sports talk show host. Stat Boy (Tony Reali) would have a field day with some of the problems in this book.
For example, on page 11, Russo talks about the Gas House Gang Cardinals of 1934 including `great players like...Rogers Hornsby.' But this is factually incorrect since Hornsby, although he played for the Cardinals of the 1920s, actually played for the St. Louis Browns in 1934. On Page 15, he complains about Denny McLain throwing an easy pitch to Mickey Mantle that Mantle homered to pass Jimmie Foxx on the all-time list. Russo says that fortunately, Mickey hit a few more - actually, he hit only one more. In his argument - a legitimate one, mind you - about the BCS, he complains that in 2000, Miami beat Florida State and had the same record and therefore should have played Oklahoma for the national championship; he conveniently doesn't mention that Miami themselves lost to another one-loss team, the Washington Huskies, and it seems that if you're going to use that argument, you should at least be consistent.
On page 59, he talks about events that have happened in baseball's All-Star game the last thirty years - which would date to 1973 - yet he lists to events, the 1967 fifteen-inning game and Pete Rose bowling over Ray Fosse in 1970 - that exceed his set time span. Two pages later, he writes about many times the Super Bowl actually occurred in the conference championship game. He is correct in principle but among those he lists includes the 49ers-Packers. This is strange since only once have these two teams met in the conference championship (for the 1997 season), that particular game was not very exciting, and the following week's Super Bowl was perhaps the greatest of all-time (Denver-Green Bay).
But Russo outdoes himself later on the page when he points out - probably correctly - that if the 2001 Rams and Patriots played at the Rams' home turf, the Rams would beat them 98 times out of 100. Only he then tells us that the Rams play in the RCA Dome, home of the Indianapolis Colts. He no doubt is referring to the TWA (now Edward Jones) Dome. He makes another common error on page 73 by claiming the Red Sox lost the 1978 playoff to the Yankees on `Bucky Dent's homer.' But Dent's homer only made it 3-2. Although it did give them the lead, the Yankees actually won it on Reggie Jackson's homer that made the score 5-2 since the Sox scored two more runs. In the interest of accuracy, Dent was credited with the game-winning RBI, but it is factually incorrect.
Russo also doesn't seem to know much about the Red Sox - and no, I'm not a fan. But on page 95, he refers to Bernie Carbo's 1975 home run in game six with six outs remaining. But Carbo's homer came with two on and two out and thus was hit with only FOUR outs remaining. He inconsistently went after Terry Pendleton for his 1991 MVP based on Pendleton's 22 homers and 86 RBIs, but he failed to mention that just three years earlier, Kirk Gibson won it with 25 home runs and 76 RBIs. Pendleton, unlike Gibson was not a clean-up hitter - and he won the batting title to boot with a .319 average compared to Gibson's .274. (In my view, both deserved the MVP, btw).
On page 141, he argues that in Denver's first three Super Bowls, John Elway `was bad.' Yet it was only because of Elway that Denver led at halftime of Super Bowl XXI by a score of 10-9, and led the Redskins entering the second quarter, 10-0, the next year. Sure, he finished poorly and had a horrid Super Bowl XXIV. But in the context, Russo is arguing that Brett Favre was a better quarterback `more central to his team's success than Elway was.' But the final score is Elway two rings, Favre one - and Elway's team was only favored in his fifth Super Bowl. Head-to-head in the Super Bowl, Elway bested Favre, 1-0. Two pages later when Russo rightly puts Joe Montana at the top of his all-time quarterback list, he declares that Montana `was the MVP of every darn Super Bowl he was in.' Not exactly since Jerry Rice won the MVP in Super Bowl XXIII, but three MVPs is certainly nothing to sneeze at.
On page 152, Russo rates the greatest baseball teams of all-time, putting the Big Red Machine of the 1970s in sixth. His reasoning is because the Reds were `lucky' to win a seven-game Series against a Red Sox team that had Fisk, Yaz, Tiant, Evans, Fred Lynn, and Jim Rice. Unfortunately, this is an error since Rice, though on the team, did not even get an at bat in the series because he broke his wrist in September 1975. On the next page, he defends not putting the Oakland A's of the early 1970s in his top six despite three world titles to the Reds' two and even beating the Reds head to head in 1972. His reason? The A's only `won 91 or 92 games' each year as opposed to some of those others who won 105 or 110. But this falls short in a number of particulars. For starters, the A's had a five-year dynasty from 1971 to 1975, going to the Series three times and winning all three, twice in a seventh game. In 1971, they won 101 games, tying the defending champion Orioles for most in the league before they lost the ALCS to the O's. In 1972, the A's won 93 games - most in the AL - and the Pirates won the most in baseball with 96, hardly a major difference. In 1973, they won 94 games but won the entire championship against the worst division winner of all-time, the one game above .500 New York Mets. In 1974, they won 90 games, third to the Dodgers and Reds. But those Dodgers won 102 games - yet isn't this offset by Oakland beating them four times in five games? Ironically, in 1975, the A's won 98 games but didn't even make it to the World Series. So Russo's argument here is inconsistent to say the least. Which is better? The 97 Braves who won 106 games or the Marlins winning the Series that year after beating the Braves in the LCS?
The book permeates with these errors. Again, they usually do not detract from his arguments, and most of the time I agree with him anyway. What makes this book fun, though, is the arguments you can have with your friends - and why.
It's Amazing What People Will Buy.......2006-03-13
Who wudda thunk it? Chris Russo can read and write?
INTERESTING .......2006-03-11
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT VARIOUS QUESTIONS AND OPINIONS CONCERNING THE WORLD OF SPORTS. ALOT OF SUBJECTS ARE COVERED, MANTLE VS MAYS, 56 GAME HITTING STREAK VS .406 BATTING AVERAGE AND BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER. I AGREE AND DISAGREE WITH THE DOG, WHICH MAKES FOR MORE FUN. HE HAS ALOT OF GOOD IDEAS AND INSIGHTS. I RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL SPORTS FANS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGES IN SPORTS AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO DECIDE WHO IS THE BEST.
no insight into sports whatsoever.......2006-01-17
There are few people I could think of to ever write a book than Chris Russo.
Some words of advice to Chris: to write a book you have to have once read a book
A bummer....I really thought it would be compelling........2004-09-01
As an avid listener of the mad dog's radio program, I really wanted to read his book. After all, he plugged it at every possible moment on air for three months. It must be good, right? Not really.
This book is not for the hard core sports fan. At the same time, I can't imagine a casual sports fan picking it up either. At every turn of the page there was one big problem - no depth. There was no subject that grabbed a hold of me and consequently, I found the book boring.
Too much SF Giants and NY Yankees. He had no thoughts that made me even remotely interested. How would mad dog change the NHL? Everyone knows the dog doesn't even watch the NHL! Not even in the playoffs. Get rid of the blue line! Why didn't I think of that? I was really looking for the fire that makes his radio show special. Maybe all of those years being bored having to listen to Mike have finally taken their toll. About the only chapter I found interesting was the one where he recommends his favorite sports books. I plan on reading the ones on his list that I missed. I doubt this book will make anyone's list.
Sorry Doggie.
Books:
- Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
- Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
- Bungalow Style: Creating Classic Interiors in Your Arts and Crafts Home
- Classic Battletech: Total Warfare (FPR35101) (Classic Battletech)
- Collected Works of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels (50 volume set)
- Companions of the Night
- Creative Whack Pack
- Cross Stitch Designs From India
- Double Cross: The Explosive, Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America
- Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Signet Classics)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present
- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: The Definitive Home Reference Guide to 550 Key Herbs with all their
- Angel Sanctuary, Vol. 2: The Crying Game
- Antietam : The Soldiers' Battle
- Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century
- Heartbreaker
- Diving Physiology in Plain English
- How to Prepare for the Certified Public Accountant Exam
- Chernobyl Record: The Definitive History of the Chernobyl Catastrophe
- Blu's Hanging
Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
More Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps 2 (Fireside Chess Library)
Pandolfini's Endgame Course: Basic Endgame Concepts Explained by America's Leading Chess Teacher (Fireside Chess Library)
Chess Openings: Traps And Zaps (Fireside Chess Library)
KASPROV'S WINNING CHESS TACTICS (Fireside Chess Library)
