Book Description
In this eagerly awaited new novel, Lionel Shriver, the Orange Prize-winning author of the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin, delivers an imaginative and entertaining look at the implications, large and small, of whom we choose to love. Using a playful parallel-universe structure, The Post-Birthday World follows one woman's future as it unfolds under the influence of two drastically different men.
Children's book illustrator Irina McGovern enjoys a quiet and settled life in London with her partner, fellow American expatriate Lawrence Trainer, a smart, loyal, disciplined intellectual at a prestigious think tank. To their small circle of friends, their relationship is rock solid. Until the night Irina unaccountably finds herself dying to kiss another man: their old friend from South London, the stylish, extravagant, passionate top-ranking snooker player Ramsey Acton. The decision to give in to temptation will have consequences for her career, her relationships with family and friends, and perhaps most importantly the texture of her daily life.
Hinging on a single kiss, this enchanting work of fiction depicts Irina's alternating futures with two men temperamentally worlds apart yet equally honorable. With which true love Irina is better off is neither obvious nor easy to determine, but Shriver's exploration of the two destinies is memorable and gripping. Poignant and deeply honest, written with the subtlety and wit that are the hallmarks of Shriver's work, The Post-Birthday World appeals to the what-if in us all.
Customer Reviews:
"Cool factor" only goes so far.......2007-09-07
I had hoped this would be one of the high concept "What if" books that I love.... After all - we get to see what would happen when/if the main character made one of two choices at a crux in her life. (Kind of like the movie "Sliding Doors".) BUT - the cool factor of the idea only went so far - and after a while - I simply didn't care which choice she made. I just wanted the book to end. It was OK - the things that stay the same regardless of the path she (Irinia) is on and the aspects of other peoples lives that change are interesting to think about. BUT - it went on too long... And the way she (the author) was DETERMINED to keep going back to terrorist attacks was weird.
Book of Dense Richness Leaves An Empty Aftertaste.......2007-09-07
In the interests of not creating a review that is nearly as long as this book, I will try to keep my comments brief. This book has brilliance in many ways, ways that have undoubtedly been pointed out by others who reviewed it. Lionel Shriver is a sharp, funny and very articulate writer and deconstructor of emotional complexity. My favorite part? The scene with Irina, Ramsy and Irina's mother at Christmas. Ramsy, himself, is a wonderful, very alive character. The premise of this book is an intriguing one (a parallel of lives, colliding, at times) and Shriver explores it which much deft adroitness. Still, I was rather dismayed by some of the cheap, fat-targeted humor, as well as the digs at Princess Di, Monica Lewinsky and a character who gains weight. Then, too, the author shows how extremely hard she has striven, at the book's end, to most decidedly Not present the typical, happy ending of chick lit. This is admirable, but the ending Shriver *does* present is a rather weak one, in my opinion, compared to the vigor of the rest of the book. After going through so Very Much with all the characters, one is left with an empty feeling of: oh well. That was....nice.
Not my favorite..........2007-08-29
This was book we read for book club. I found it to bounce around a bit too much and I was not even clear of what was going on till a 3rd the way through the book. She is a lovely writer and very descriptive. Just a bit jumbled.
I really wanted to like this book........2007-08-29
I read so many glowing reviews and the premise is such an intriguing one. Who hasn't pondered where different choices might have taken them? And some parts of it are astonishingly good. My favorite line and I think it's where the character goes home for the holidays: "God, cheerfulness can be a form of assault." That's just one of many bull's eye moments. The author has very sharp insight into the intricacies of human emotion, maybe too much at times. A top editor could have really worked this one out. I'm really losing faith in editors and book reviewers these days. She stretches the conceit as far as it can go, breaking a lot of "writer" rules as she goes along - feels more rebellious than sloppy - and it works often enough to prove those rules to be needlessly limiting. There are spots of pure writer's gold every few pages. So much of Irina's inner dialogue is dark and witty, laugh out loud stuff that rings true.
The down side is that the really good parts cast the rest of it in shadow. I'm not one who has to fall in love and totally relate to the main character, but I found Irina to be stupid and unlikable. The men are bland stock characters. Ramsey's dialogue makes it sound like she's romancing Hagrid. He is an unsophisticated emotional imbecile, who YES we get it, is good in the sack. The characterization of Lawrence is no better. He is either dull but trustworthy and true or he is dull and hiding something. I'm curious why anyone would fashion such a trio of losers. But the main character is so awful as to be puzzling. Was it the author's intention to write about a stupid and shallow woman who will invariably shoot herself in the foot no matter what she does? Would she like to know the character she created? I wouldn't. It's odd to think of a woman in her early 40s behaving this way. Did she spend her 20s in a nunnery? I haven't quite finished, so maybe she did.
The dialogue can be cringeworthy and indulgent. For one, everyone speaks in long emotion-heavy paragraphs that serve to move the plot along. The real and imagined scenarios are grossly daydreamy and maudlin. In fact at times, it reads like a bad daydream by a romance reader who finds Lifetyme TV absorbing. The author also wants to weigh in on the 90s and those parts are clunky and intrusive. She also suffers from the laughable (usually) male writer affliction of the perfect woman - beautiful without any makeup, thin without any effort. She even loses weight when she does nothing but eat out and booze it up with Ramsey! Wow, what an accomplishment. She should be so proud. Yet her only insight into her sister's marriage is to wonder whether her husband loves her because she went (this is so misogynistic) from "bird to cow."
I also never want to read another word about snooker ever again. I'm going to try one more of this author's books and/or maybe her next one. But if there is even a hint of snooker in either of them, it's going back.
Absolutely Loved This Book.......2007-08-13
A friend recommended this book to me. Not knowing anything about it, I began to read it, and soon found that I could not put it down. What I found most compelling is that the storyline can be related to most anyone's life. We all make choices as we go, regarding relationships, and have you ever wondered "what if" you chose another other path with someone else? That's what this book addresses. It really drew me in and made me think. Thank you Lionel Shriver for the best read I've had in a long time.
Book Description
Bestselling author, Hall-of-Famer, and master-teacher Robert Byrne is back with his most impressive effort yet: an exhaustive compendium of more than 350 pool shots that will take its place among the game's classic instructional books. Ranging from tickys to double-kisses and from jump shots to diamond systems, Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots takes players on an accelerated trip from pool kindergarten to graduate school. Most of Byrne's expertly diagrammed shots are not widely known and many are described here for the first time-in many cases, these are the secrets of a lifetime. Players of every skill level, including the most advanced, will find their game greatly strengthened by the clever moves Byrne has assembled.
For twenty-five years, Byrne's New Standard Book has been
"the definitive work on pool and billiards" (National Billiard Review). This new shot-by-shot reference will enable players to reach an even higher level. They'll have to read it before their opponents do.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic book.......2007-05-18
I have read through my copy of this book 3 times so far and I'm sure I'll read through it many more times in the years to come. Something in this book is bound to improve your game or at least your knowledge of what is possible. He exposes a good number of shots and concepts that are really not very difficult to grasp and execute *if* you know about them. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to move beyond the intermediate skill level of playing pool.
My second copy.......2007-01-28
This is my second copy of this book. I gave it as a birthday present. It was well received.
Unlike "Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards," which is 50% devoted to 3-cushion billiards, this book is devoted entirely to pool. It's about how to put the ball in the pocket, which ball to shoot, and don't forget not to leave your opponent a shot.
Byrne is good at this and explains the difference between what it appears is happening and what the balls are really doing. It is an enjoyable read and a book anyone who enjoys shooting pool should have.
350 moves Every Player Should Know.......2007-01-19
This book is great. My boyfriend loves it and is trying to learn all the shots.
The title speaks for itself.......2007-01-11
This is something not only to read again and again, but also to take to the tables and practice some to the set-ups with which you may have previously had trouble. The answers are there.
Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots.......2007-01-09
Fun to try the stuff in this book. It really helped my game to make some of the shots by practicing them out of the book and then seeing them in a regular game.
Amazon.com
In the world of cue sticks and side pockets, this is the gospel, the 1998 revised, standard version of the 1978 bible. A champion player, indefatigable writer, and inexhaustible promoter of his sport, Byrne racks his book into two halves, the first a primer on pool, the second on three-cushion billiards. Beginning with the fundamentals, he goes on to run the table with lots of readable advice and detailed diagrams for how to play individual shots, including trick shots, strategies for eight- and nine-ball, and rules for the major pool games. Then it's on to billiards, where he banks from the fundamentals to the art of shot making and tactics for play at every level, touching on every conceivable cushion along the way. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
Now updated throughout and expanded with new material on strategy in eight- and nine-ball, trick shots, and billiard memorabilia, this comprehensive guide to cue games remains “the definitive work on pool and billiards” (National Billiard News). Index; diagrams and photographs.
Customer Reviews:
look at the cover.......2007-02-23
Hey, it may be a good book, I don't own it. But looking at the cover page, should not the 8 ball be in place of the 10?
Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards.......2006-11-03
The Chilton Book of pool, Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards is a must have for anyone who plays pool.
Instant Improvement.......2006-03-14
I read the book page by page and practiced with it. My game is 300% better. This book is for every tipe of player.
new standard.......2006-03-06
This book taught me to play pool and now I'm using it to learn to play 3-cushion byrne is the best author on cuesports ever
All I Needed.......2004-12-29
I have only been playing for about six months, so I am not too good. If you are like me, and you want to improve your game, buy this book. It is fun to read and extremely helpful. I probably won't be able to master every technique in the book in ten years, but the two or three things I have learned have taken my game to a whole new level. I love it. It is all I need.
Book Description
The complement to Byrne’s Standard Book of Pool and Billiards, this volume contains clear explanations and helpful diagrams for experienced players who wish to perfect their game. Illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
from a real player .......2006-03-06
If you wanna be a real player read byrne's books and gamble that's it
Should be Advanced 3-Cushion Billiards.......2002-08-12
This book contains very little information that will be of use to an 8 or 9-ball player and close to half of the book is spent discussing specific 3-Cushion shots. I bought this book for the defense section hoping to learn some more about that but again it related to 3-Cushion rather than anything for 8 or 9-ball. Since I don't know the first thing about 3-Cushion billiards, I can't say whether or not the information about that is good or not.
Good companion to his Standard.......2002-04-26
...I don't claim any good talent in pool, but i do enjoy reading up on all the strategies and thought processes, and attempting to apply them when I play. Byrne's Advanced Technique isn't so much for advanced players only, but covers some specific topics that aer very interesting as well, such as the half-ball hit, the masse shot, the physics of the heavy tavern cueball, and so on. The section on Three-Cushion billiards is somewhat redundant, though, if you have his Standard. but it has some other topics, including more shots from master play, to keep one engrossed. He also writes some stories on several of the games greats, including three-cushion legends like Ceulemans and Blohmdal. Overall, a very good buy if you want to know as much about the game as you can.
advanced techniques?.......2001-02-25
If you've already read Byrne's standard book, don't waste your money on this book, unless you're really in to 3cushion billiards. There is very little new info in this book. Borrow it from a friend, or check it out in the library if you can. Some stuff is useful, but you'll be disappointed if you've already read Byrne's.
A must read for all cuesports enthusiasts........1999-10-17
This book by Robert Byrne is an unusual compilation of player profiles, peculiar shots and various other interesting articles covering the gamut of cuesports.
It's greatest feature is the discusion of various aspects of physics like collisions, transfer of side, the masse', diamond systems and much more.
It succesfully debunks many myths found in pool halls and in the myriad of physics illiterate instructional books written by(or ghost written for) star players.
The author is an experienced writer and nationally competitive 3 cusion billiards player.
Book Description
Thirtieth anniversary edition out in 2007!
World Champion Pool Player Ray "Cool Cat" Martin shares his secrets for playing winner's pool in this classic book, now with a new introduction by the author. Written with co-author Rosser Reeves three decades ago, The 99 Critical Shots in Pool remains one of the most authoritative guides to the game ever written. Over 200 illustrations show the proper form, technique, and approach to shots such as:
• The Center Ball Cheat-the-Pocket
• The Hook Shot
• The Seven Ball Stop Shot
• The Jump Shot
• The Frozen Kiss Shot
• The Nudge Shot
• The Side Pocket By-Pass Shot
Ray Martin, a Billiards Congress of America Hall of Fame inductee, is one of only seven players in the twentieth century to win three or more world 14.1 titles. He co-wrote this book with
Rosser Reeves in 1976.
Customer Reviews:
author knowledgeable.......2007-09-09
has every critical shot in pool. i started at shot number 1 and practiced each shot then started over. i ran the table twice the first week..
CANNOT BEAT THIS BOOK.......2007-05-11
Years ago when my kids were young, I got them a low priced pool table. We wore it out. Now that they are gone from the nest we decided to buy a good table and start playing again. The first book I bought was 99 critical shots in pool. It is one of the best books I have ever bought. To me it is like having an instructer right by your side. So to learn again or for the first time beginner, Get This Book and practice, practice, practice. Then later you will ask your-self, How in the world did I ever get along with-out it.
Some good stuff in here.......2007-02-02
I have read a few books on billiards and "The 99 Critical Shots in Pool" has added to some of the knowledge I have accumulated from other readings. I personally liked Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards & The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards by David G. Alciatore, PhD ("Dr. Dave") better. I think these other two books are better written and more informative. I certainly wouldn't say this is a bad book, but not as interesting and informative as some others out there.
One of the must useful books of its kind.......2006-06-12
There are several pool books out there. Some attempt to explain pool deductively: they explain general rules about how balls go and expect you to be able to apply them in any given situation. Other books approach the problem inductively: they show you the most important/useful shots and tell you how to approach them.
Both types of books are useful. 99 Critical Shots in Pool is an inductive type book. [I recommend "Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards for those looking for a deductive book.]
The thing that I find most useful about this book is what it does NOT include. There are books out there showing the "250 most important shots," without making it clear which are more important than others. The shots picked for this book are selected because they represent the most important pool knowledge.
I also like the illustration and diagram methodology chosen. Some book publishers save money by using less quality diagrams. "99 Critical Shots" does not do this.
One note: the bridge the author suggests in this book is a good one, but it is not the type of bridge that is most often suggested. If it works for you, great; if the bridge you use is one you are comfortable with, I wouldn't make the switch over.
To give an idea of how much I liked this book -- One time when I moved I sent this book back home [figuring I wasn't going to be playing pool for a while], and now I am strongly considering simply buying another copy for reference.
I still remember those shots after all these years................2006-04-01
It was the year 1997 that I bought this book in Manila. Since then I'm constantly reading this book while I was playing back home in the Philippines. This book helps me a lot on improving my shot making techniques. I still remember how I made those shots on every game I played with my friends and with other money players I ecountered on every busy billiards halls.
I'm now in Sydney Australia and it's been more than 3 years that I don't actively play my favorite sport of all. Occasionally, I played light games on Sydney pubs and I can still see those shots that I learned from this book.
I miss those pool halls in Manila and also this one together with other books which I left on my parents' place and I hope my Dad is not reading "my precious" book... ;)
Book Description
Master one of the world’s most popular games with the help of a mechanical engineering professor who has a passion for pool. More than 80 principles of the game, presented with 250-plus precisely scaled illustrations and photographs, offer players of all levels a thorough overview of the fundamentals of 8-ball and 9-ball, including grip and stance, basic shots, position play and strategy, bank and kick shots, and advanced techniques such as carom and jump shots. Organized for quick study, this must-have guide features extensive cross-references and is supplemented with video clips, interesting mathematical formulas, and other resources also available at www.engr.colostate.edu/pool.
Customer Reviews:
A Little Misleading!.......2007-06-27
I was surprised at the rather low price being asked for this book, but after receiving it, it became perfectly clear that I had been mislead into believing that all instruction was included with the book, including a CD.
If you don't have a High Band Width computer hook-up, your really going to be surprised that the only way to get what you thought you had paid for is to send an addition $18 to $24 to get the CD or DVD.
The book was fairly well written, but the CD/DVD business left a bad taste in my mouth.
THe best.......2007-03-03
THis is very good. Dr Dave complements the reading with videos posted in a web site, you can also write to him, and he will answer within hours. great book great help. Perhaps not the best for banking methods, but good.
Excellent Book On Playing Pool.......2006-08-27
This book is very detailed. If you want to study the game it is great. If you do not like reading text books, this is not for you. Dave gives a lot of details, some of which help you understand the game, but you do not need to play the game. If you really want to understand the game and want to seriously improve your game and become a high level player buy it, but study it. I am an engineer so I like the analytical approach to pool this book has. Many of the principles are at the web site mentioned in the book where you can watch the videos. There are also proofs if that is your cup of tea and like geometry. If you just want the basics, do not buy this book.
If you want to excel, buy it.
Best all-around pool book available !!!.......2006-08-15
If you plan to buy only one pool book, this is the one you should buy. It covers all of the important principles and has lots of great examples. And the online video demos are great. They help the book come to life. The book is also easy to read; although, it ain't a novel. The book is also a great reference. It's very easy find the info you need.
I highly recommend this book. I think it is the best available!
Great book, but you can get it for free.......2006-06-28
Many of the information found in this book you can find it in the author's website (enlarge the cover to see the address). For that matter I believe that there's no much reason to buy this book if you can get the info for free. I have to agree that the content is valuable and critical for a player who wants to improve his or her game, but I don't see much difference between the book and the website (probably when the book came out the info was not availabe online, but still for a person today is easier and cheaper to access the website instead). Like I said, the content is pretty good and it definitely has helped me to understand many things about pool. Great info, for sure, just take my advice about the website though. The book is good for quick reference anytime you want.
Book Description
When Heather Byer moved to New York from the Midwest in the early 1990s, she was like thousands of newcomers before her: wholesome, overeducated, ready to jump head-first into the ruthless, exciting world of literature or film. She eventually built a successful career as a movie executive, only to realize that something was missing from her life. She was stuck -- stuck in a lifestyle of fancy lunches and high-powered temper tantrums, of working too hard for too little personal fulfillment.
But instead of turning to therapy or yoga to relieve her angst, Heather found herself drawn to the dark and seductive world of pool.
In Sweet, Byer recounts her first fumbling attempts to learn a game that beckoned to her for years. She describes the hypnotic pull that surrounds the sport of pool: the netherworld of bars that serve as dens for substance abuse; the troubled players who lose themselves in the game; the constant quest for the win. As her game improves, she finds her persona changing, becoming less verbal and analytical and more intuitive and physical as she meets a series of people who leave lasting impressions -- a lanky, country-boy pool instructor; a good-hearted lawyer with a drinking problem; a strange South American bank-shot specialist; a hot-tempered woman with a nose-ring and an endless supply of sex appeal; mentors and hustlers; friends and lovers. As she moves through this beguiling, sometimes treacherous subculture, Byer vividly describes her progress and mishaps on the tables. Ultimately, the humiliating losses and exhilarating wins -- both in the pool bars and her personal life -- alter how she thinks of the game and herself.
Sweet is both an unexpected memoir and a fascinating glimpse into a world few people know and even fewer understand.
Customer Reviews:
required reading for pool players..........2007-08-01
...or for anyone looking for a story about transformation.
Anyone who plays pool, however casually, will appreciate Byer's descriptions of nail-biting games. And anyone who has tried to learn something new as an adult will appreciate her frustrations as her game alternately improves and falls into slumps. I'm not sure what felt most familiar to me--her descriptions of New York City, her passionate love for the game, or Byer herself, a smart strong woman who is used to being good at things and who finds herself struggling madly to grasp this complicated and under-appreciated game. Her depictions of the world of league pool are so vivid, those who play will nod with recognition, and those who don't will feel as if they do. Most important, we get to watch her grow and change both as a player and as a person. If pool is your game you must read this book. Even if it's not, this is a beautifully-told story of a woman learning to hold her own in a world largely dominated by men. I couldn't put it down.
Playing Pool in New York.......2007-04-12
An out-of-town girl learns to play pool in this fun memoir. New Yorkers will also love the flavor of their city throughout the book.
Sweet - A Pool Player.......2007-04-10
This book is informative, interesting and easy to read without becoming boring. I liked the way the author described her experiences and how she related those experiences to the theme of the book. I highly recommend this book to everybody.
Like Michael Lewis for pool!.......2007-04-06
Propulsive, addictive, such a deeply satisfying read. Makes low-stakes pool a metaphor for breaking through all kinds of barriers. One of the best memoirs.
Full pockets.......2007-03-19
This is a delightful book, one that took me by surprise as memoir qualifies as my least favorite genre. But I started reading it, largely because I am a New Yorker (by adoption if not birth) and I like pool - not enough to brave the New York chapter of the American Poolplayers Association, but enough for misty-eyed memories of summers at my grandfather's table in Austin, Texas. That the author, Heather Byer, is far more certain in her literary voice than she is in her 8-ball skills makes her a terrific companion on every page, especially in her deft portraits of the Manhattan pool-bar world.
Book Description
Phil Capelle's Play Your Best Pool is by far the most comprehensive book ever published on playing pool. The book's 442 pages reveal hundreds of secrets and strategies that can help improve your game regardless of whether you are new to the game or are on the verge of going pro.
A complete course on the fundamentals includes over 40 photos that demonstrate the correct stance, bridge, grip and stroke. A series of checklists shows you how to practice and evaluate your game. The next two chapters cover everything you need to know about aiming and shotmaking. Ninety diagrams demonstrate gamewinning shots including banks, cuts, combinations, billiards and caroms.
The pros make pool look so easy because they've mastered the art of position play. Play Your Best Pool shows you how to use english and then provides you with over 130 diagrams on all facets of position play so you can also learn expert cue ball control. Phil Capelle's 21 Principles of Position Play alone are worth far more than the price of the book. Speed control, natural position, how to plan for three balls at a time and down the line position are just a few of the principles covered in this section.
Your success at 8-ball and 9-ball, America's two most popular pool games, largely depends on how much you know about the strategy of each game. In two big chapters you'll learn all about offensive and defensive strategies that can help you gain control of the table and keep your opponent in his chair. You'll find solid advice on kick shots, safeties, pattern play, break shots and much more. These two chapters alone contain over 170 illustrations.
Developing a topflight pool game requires that you spend many hours at the practice table. Play Your Best Pool provides you with over 20 diagrams of practice drills and many other useful suggestions for making your practice sessions as fun and productive as possible.
To round out your complete course in pool you'll find chapters on the mental game, competition and how to improve that will tell you how to think like a winner and compete successfully in tournaments, leagues and money games.
Customer Reviews:
Very good!.......2007-05-16
I've read a number of books on the game of pool. I was very impressed with the authors grasp of the game as well as his very apparent love of the game. He has obviously studied the art form intensely for many years. I felt that his realistic, open minded approach and access to many of the current greats of the game make his advice quite invaluable to the commited student of the game. Buy this book if you're serious about improving.
wealth of resource.......2007-05-07
Phil Chapelle's book "Play Your Best Pool" is a wealth of resources. It is quite thorough and would be good for someone seriously interested in pool. It's got a 60+ page section on 8-ball, an equally thorough section on 9 ball, and more on the fundamentals, shotmaking, position play,how to improve, practice techniques, and equipment. My games have significantly improved by reading and using Chapelle's book. Highly recommended. So much information that a novice might be overwhelmed, and it might not be so useful if you don't have a home table to go through it all (I wish I did)...but still, an indispensable book.
Awesome indepth book.......2007-03-04
I got this book when i first became serious about playing pool, while reading it my game just kept going up and up and up, now i break and run several times a night. before it would be make a ball or 2 and that was it for my runs. it is a great book.
Play Your Best Pool.......2007-01-22
I have read eight books on pool. This is by far the best of the eight. The book is cramed with pool information. A no nonsense approach to playing the game. If you want to learn more about playing pool, this is the read.
Good fundimentals.......2007-01-13
I was pretty good at pool many years ago and finally have the ability to play again. I don't play at all well now. This book has helped me discover where my game is off. I needed to break down the basics and fix some problems areas. The info. in this book has helped me direct my children's pool game as well. It's easy reading and always there when I find the time to focus on the great game of pool.
Book Description
A psychotherapist and pool columnist breaks new ground by applying good science to the mental game of billiards and gives invaluable insight on competitive play.
Customer Reviews:
Brain Buster.......2007-04-10
For those who consider themselves to be analytical, this book will teach you why your pool shot missed. These tips can also be applied to other areas of life.
As reading Pleasures of Small Motions.......2007-01-12
I think of all the times why I missed, this book tells the tail.
For any of you whom thinks themselves as analytical, you must read -- there is so much other than aim and shoot, it's not even funny.
Fantastic.......2007-01-09
Not only is this book great for pool, but the knowledge you can aquire is easily applicable to other activities and aspects of life. It can take a while to read since it is pretty mind bending to absorb it all, but well worth it.
Great Book.......2006-07-10
Each chapter offered great advice on the mental game of pool. Immediately after reading the book, I could tell that my game had picked up a notch. (And exactly one month after reading the book, my 8-ball skill level in my pool league was also raised a notch.)
I learned to stop putting pressure on myself to play my "best game" in high-pressure situations (think about it: if your "best" game happened all the time, it would be your "normal" game) and instead concentrate on playing MY game, the one that I am accustomed to playing most of the time.
I also learned to stop concentrating on making the ball - something that I already know how to do - and to start concentrating on the mechanics of my stroke, something that frequently causes me to MISS the ball!
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve his or her game, regardless of skill level. This book will teach you to think realistically about your game and to put your existing talents to better use.
A Pool Players Pocket Guide..........2006-05-27
This small, but powerful book is essential for the player who wants to raise their game and move on to the next level. I try and play pool everyday. I can make shots, no problem. Once you conquer the fundamentals and basics it's time to move on and extend your skills: your mental skills.
Your mentality is the other essential half to playing pool. "Pleasures of Small Motions" completes this element. This book deconstructs the psychological components in different situations (fun vs competition play). Once I read this book I noticed a major difference in my game; I was more confident, and in effect, I made balls cleaner and `set up' was a breeze. "Pleasures of Small Motions" helps you harness your emotions, and if needed, teaches you to unleash them (physically or not).
All in all, this book is perfect for your collection, or perhaps the beginning of one.
Book Description
Mike Massey's World of Trick Shots will teach you how to execute the shots like the master. Included are Hustler's Specials, Crowd Pleasers, Jump Shots, Masses, Prop Shots, and much more. All shots are diagrammed perfectly to scale. On every shot you will be shown how to set up the balls, where to strike the cue ball, the correct speed and elevation, and how to correct for the most common errors. The shots are rated for difficulty of set up and execution. This allows you to pick those that are suited to your level of skill. There is a chapter on how to give your own show, which includes lines that will amuse and entertain your fans. A 30-page biography of Mike's world travels will take you on several globe trotting adventures with the master.
Customer Reviews:
Mike Massey's world of trick shots.......2007-01-19
I bought this book for my boyfriend for Christmas. He loves it and uses it everyday when he gets a chance to learn all the tricks. It was one of his greatest present. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn trick shots.
Very Cool!.......2007-01-11
Mike Massey is awsome. My boyfriend and I enjoy learning trick shots and who better to learn from than Mike Massey! Ladies...if you want to spend time with your guy and he likes pool...this is the book for you! Or if you want to show off at a pool hall or in front of your man this book will help!
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