Product Description
The mountains, rivers, and lakes of Southwest Virginia have invited explorers since the mid-1700s. Now this land beckons the modern traveler with its siren song of beauty, wonder, and history. Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names and Places to See extols the virtues of this national treasure and serves as a guide for those who want to find the best of America. As you journey with author Joe Tennis through Southwest Virginia Crossroads, he relates the history of the land and its people, chronicling the fascinating stories birthed in this fabled region, as well as age-old place-names and their origins. County maps and detailed directions lead you to all the little- and best-known attractions housed in cities and towns like Bristol and Abingdon or sheltered within the rolling farmland and weathered mountains. Even those familiar with the area will want to visit waterfalls, lakes, towns, cities, restaurants, and historical sites discovered in the! pages of this comprehensive work. Whether on the car dashboard or at home on the coffee table, Southwest Virginia Crossroads is a wealth of knowledge and a delight to read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best book on Virginia's wild backyard
A newspaper journalist friend of mine wrote this book over ten years of trapsing the hills and mountains of his ancestral home of Southwest Virginia, chasing stories for the paper, and meeting everyone and uncovering nearly every story and beautiful place of Virginia's wilds along the way.

If you want to hike with the wild but friendly ponies of the Southwest Virginia Blue Ridge mountain ranges, climb Virginia's highest peak, or just find out the history of old Virginia places, like the stunning Burke's Garden, this is the book for you.These are just some of the experiences I have had using this book as a guide through Virginia's backyard.The good directions and maps will get you there to trail heads and take out points along the way.

I don't live in South West Virginia, and before I read this book (now in its second printing), I thought of Virginia in very local terms.Since then, I've realized that the history that starts here in my area, continues there in SW Va., the historic frontier.I've also been venturing out to "undiscovered" streams and waterfalls, getting away from the grind.The book makes for good weekend getaways, and you can afford to make these frequent, as SW Virginia tends to be less expensive than the rest of the state.

For everyone, and especially if you are from Southwest Virginia, I think you'll find the book indispensible for its history of your area, neglected too long.You'll not only know where to take out of town guests, but how to answer their questions about the things you've probably always wondered too -- just how did Hungry Mother State Park get its name?And what sight raised the hair on arms and necks leading to the name Goose Pimple Junction anyway?And what about Daniel Boone, Revolutionary and Civil War sites, ancient churches & communities, missing settlers, Virginia Indian Tribes still here, Blackbeard, railroads, oil and gold strikes, salmon and the best view east of Colorado?Southwest Virginians have a place and history they can be proud of, but I wonder how much of it is being passed on to the kids.This book will give you the stories to tell as you drive down the road.It will serve as a jump point for further investigation.And it will introduce you to places you will love, even if you've lived in Virginia all your life.

Interested in the project, I have been looking for a while at what else is out there.I know you'll find that this is the most thorough book of its kind for Virginia's beautiful but wild back yard; it's worth taking some weekends away to trace through the South West Virginia Crossroads. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Shallow book
I was very interested in this book since it is brand new while most books out there are "ancient", back from an era when I first learned tennis.It bills itself with words like "essential strokes" and "the modern game".I checked it out at a local bookstore, and it is terrible.It is surprisingly shallow, and 1/3 of the book is full-page, black-and-white glamor shots and montages of various tennis stars.These pictures are seemingly irrelevant and just fill pages.

After checking out 1/2 a shelf of tennis books, I settled on The Tennis Handbook by Sue Rich. which is about the same number of pages.In contrast, it has an order of magnitude more useful information in addition to being full color.It also has some decent technical explanations.For example, I was looking for some good info on the various "modern" grips and stances and how they affect play, swing, contact, etc., from the mechanics to the play advantages/disadvantages.The Tennis Made Easy book was a joke on this very basic subject.In contrast, The Tennis Handbook has 16 pages with many figures and pictures.Sure, some were full-page color photos of Federer, etc., but still a decent amount of usable information.

None of the books I skimmed at the bookstore had near the coverage or detail of what's available online, but I wanted something I could keep all the info organized together and use as a reference to review/highlight some key points.There are other books on strategy and the mental game, but Tennis Made Easy doesn't really do anything well.I would recommend avoiding it or at least checking it out at a local bookstore before buying.I'm sure glad I did.

Great Book!
Tennis Made Easy has done wonders to my tennis game. The book, in conjunction with actual court time, has given me the skills to improve my rating a couple of levels. Tennis Made Easy is well-written, has excellent photographs and diagrams, and dissects the skills needed to play tennis well and effectively.I recommend Tennis Made Easy for anybody who wants to begin playing tennis or expand their tennis game. It's a perfect addition to the tennis library!

Its an easy game
Tennis is suppose to be an easy game but so often people will over analyze what is happening on the court.Kelly Gunterman wrote this incredible book and it breaks down every aspect of the game so weather your a beginner or an advanced player you are able to improve your game."Tennis Made Easy" has helped me improve my game tremendously and not only have I seen a difference but others around me have as well.If you are looking to jump start your game to the next level "Tennis Made Easy" is a must read book for you.

wonderful book!
This book was so helpful! Mr Gunterman really knows what he is talking about when it comes to tennis. I was able to make some easy changes in my technique and my game improved greatly. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in tennis.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Better to Look Elsewhere
I must say that I can follow any given technical manual but this book just does not motivate me to do so. The book is rather dull and requires work to follow, and I din not feel that it would be worthwhile to find out what was awaiting at the end of each chapter. It is rather thin, and tries to cover the topic of tennis mechanics, but in my opinion does a poor job.

I am a solid 4.5 player and this book did not help me to fill in any missing holes required to move on to the next level. This book might be helpful to a 3.0 to 3.5 player who still need to see another perspective on understanding the mechanics of a tennis swing. There are much easier ways to achieve this, however. Lastly, the illustrations seemed distorted and this was really annoying to me. I would have rather seen a live model demonstrating these points.

A little something of nothing
Should have been called, "Some biomechanical considerations in tennis technique". Even this suggests a bit more than this book actually has. No models, no physics (all existent models are incomplete and they are not worth mentioning, according to the author). One looking for forces, moments, conservation of energy, etc. would be totally disappointed. But then, so would be a six grader's tennis coach who skipped physics in high school, because there is nothing in this book he wouldn't know already.
I regard it as pretty much useless, I don't even get what type of reader is the author targeting with it.

A good general overview
I never write reviews but thought I'd add one since the only other one was negative and I quite liked this book. I haven't read any other biomechanics books and can't do a comparative review, but this book is definitely "Biomechanical Principles of Tennis," so I can see how this would be old hat if you've already read someone else's version.

This book is a mix of "general introduction to biomechanics applied to tennis" and "practical tennis stoke technique". It begins by describing some common mechanical principles that apply to all strokes, such as balance and inertia, and explains how these forces work and how they're produced. Then there's a chapter on injury prevention -- how various injuries are caused and how to avoid them. Finally, there are chapters breaking down in detail the biomechanics of the serve, forehand, backhand and volley. Throughout, the author summarizes existing academic research and cites the relevant studies, with charts and photos.

Now, these sections aren't detailed prescriptions for how you "should" hit these strokes, but that's what I liked. This dude isn't a tennis coach, he's an academic kinesiologist. A lot of coaches advocate techniques, but this guy is more agnostic and doesn't advocate so much as describe. In explaining principles like how the legs, trunk, shoulders, arm and wrist coil and then uncoil into a shot, the author separates the fundamentals of technique that are important from motions that aren't, while debunking some of the standard tennis pro wisdom as either wrong or not supported by research (i.e., details of the follow-through motion -- if you're trying to copy Rafa's or perfecting your window-washer, you're probably wasting time).

For instance, the author does a good job of explaining the tradeoffs between hitting the forehand from a square vs. open stance or serving from a feet-together vs. feet-apart -- how they affect preparation, static and active balance, stroke power, accuracy/time racket's in the hitting zone and recovery. In these explanations, he differentiates between players at the pro and rec levels (in terms of power, prep time etc., since academic motion studies are done with at different force levels and speeds), and there are some important distinctions there.

Personally, I gained several insights that I think will help my game and in other ways the book underlined things I've heard from coaches or read in tennis instruction books, which is useful in itself -- underscoring what's important and exposing what you can happily ignore. When you read about what individual muscles are doing, realizations like "Oh, that's why I'm not supposed to squeeze my racket and all that stiff wrist stuff is bollocks" pop to mind. Techniques go in and out of style, but the fundamentals of the human body's mechanics do not.

Precious little useful information
I very rarely write reviews, but felt compelled to review this book. This book is basically useless. You will learn precious little to improve your tennis game. It is poorly written, and consists mostly of a lot of hemming and hawing about how few proper scientific studies have been conducted on this or that aspect of tennis. I got a lot more out of Cross & Lindsey's Tecnical Tennis, from the same publisher. ... Read more

Product Description
Coaching Tennis Technical and Tactical Skills is a practical resource that will help you become a better high school, club, or college tennis coach. With the expert guidance of Kirk Anderson, director of recreational coaches and programs for the United States Tennis Association (USTA), you'll learn coaching and evaluating skills and then focus on technical and tactical skills of tennis, including quick tips on detecting and correcting errors in your athletes, cues athletes need to be aware of in various tactical situations, and key information your athletes need to know in order to make the appropriate decisions on the court. Skills are cross-referenced so you can see how they relate to each other and quickly determine how to use them in practice situations. Whether you are a veteran coach or just a beginner, this book will help you take your coaching to the next level by providing you with the tools you need to teach athletes the game of tennis.

The American Sport Education Program (ASEP) is the leading provider of youth, high school, and elite-level sport education programs in the United States. Through its high-quality and easy-to-use programs, ASEP has educated more than 1.5 million coaches, officials, sport administrators, parents, and athletes. For more than 25 years, local, state, and national sport organizations have partnered with ASEP to lead the way in making sport a safe, successful, and enjoyable experience for all involved. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Just an Average Joe
Good material, not just for coaching, I've chosen this book for its informative guideline to correct and adjust my game on the court. I chose this book expected that it would be like most of the tennis titles, but it rendered more knowledge and improves my play than any other tennis book I have so far.I'm just a moderate tennis player. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Currently published as "Revenge:A Novel"
An excellent re-envisioning of The Count of Monte Cristo (including humorous insights into class, Irish Republicanism, and British politics), now published in the US as Revenge.

Revenge: A Novel

and updated Edmond Dantes
The Count of Monte Cristo in modern Europe.Our protagonist is now the son of an English aristocrat, the Chateau d'If has become an insane asylum in Scandinavia, but the basic premise is the same.It's the extra twists, though, which make this book worth buying.

a true wordsmith and storyteller
To be honest, I am anything but a fan of Steven Fry the comedian. I find his humour to be well, schoolboyishly undemanding. How is it that when sitting at his typewriter he is able to pen works of such quality and originality? This is an excellent read. The storytelling is gripping, the wordplay and constructions used conjur up images and provoke feelings on several levels. For those of us of a certain age, this book is at times gratifyingly embarrassing as it takes us back to those moments which, when recalled are ear-stingingly painful but at the time made so much sense.
Read this book. If you enjoyed "Perfume," you will probably enjoy this one too.

A fun read!
Stephen Fry in the past has written some brilliantly original books that are so overflowing with humor and wit that they are can seem almost too clever. This however, is not 100% original, in that it updates the classic The Count Of Monte Cristo to the modern day. (I should point out that TCOMC is my favorite book of all time, and one that I have read many times in many versions).

The way Fry has transplanted the characters and applied the dot com touch to it, must have been like untangling a huge stubborn knot of string--but he succeeds.

The story touches most of the main points of the classic, each central character from Dumas' book has a Fry counterpart, and while there are changes, they are changes that are in keeping with a contemporise adaptation of the story.

Even though this is a very clever re-telling of such a classic story, and while I enjoyed it, I must say that this lacks the original's grace.

Perhaps the era in which the original story was set had in fact more grace to it, but the conclusion to this version seemed very abrupt and stark.

Dumas brilliantly showed us some of the inner torment that the Dante's character was suffering, while Fry showed nothing like that from Ned Maddstone, leaving a rather one-dimensional feeling in relation to the character. In fact, it was in some of Maddstone's "victims" that you were given greater insights to, especially leading up to their final scenes.

All in all, a fun read very cleverly composed, but nothing more...but I'm sure Fry being the frighteningly clever man he is, realized that his version would suffer in comparison.

Armchair Interviews says: Well worth the read.

Twists and Tricks
One of my favorite authors, Fry is wonderful! This book definitely lingered with me- made me rethink those thoughts on revenge and trust... ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Review of "Taking Your Tennis ON TOUR"
If you've had thoughts about becoming a professional tennis player and are actually serious about it, or you're a parent who wants to know what your child is going to be experiencing if he/she has dreams of that nature, then this book is a "must." The competition is absolutely fierce, so therefore, you need all the information and help you can get. After you've read this, you will have a far greater appreciation of what it's like to leave home and try to make it in the pro's.

The financial demands for getting into the professional game are enormous, particularly here in the USA. When you see someone who has been able to play "in the show," it wasn't an accident that he/she made it that far. You can't do it by yourself. The player must have other people helping out, otherwise, it's awfully tough.

Hard work, while required, is unfortunately, not enough to succeed. The ATP tour now has over 1900 players in the computer ranking list. Do you know how many are allowed to play in the qualifying tournaments for the grand slams?

Chapter titles are: (1) The College Route to the Pro's, (2) Physical Toughness, Nutritional Toughness, Mental Toughness, (3) Develop Your Business Sense, Financial Planning, Your Sponsorship Plan, Sponsorship Contracts, Do You Need a Sports Agent?, (4) Matchmaking, Travel Toughness, Knowing When to "Hang it Up," and Looks Like You Made It. The book also has an index and a reference section for further reading. ... Read more

Product Description
Everything tennis professionals, school coaches, physical educators, and parents need to give young athletes the best chance of early success.

Get a head start in developing young players with Coaching Your Tennis Champion. QuickStart Tennis, the play format now used by the United States Tennis Association for junior players, is explained with easy-to-follow instructions, court diagrams, and photos. Make the most of valuable court time with innovative lesson plans created by a respected instructor.

Product Description
In this outstanding collection of essays and interviews, Paul Fein takes the reader into the world of the pro tennis tour with inside scoops about the game’s greatest stars, past and present. Tennis Confidential includes interviews with such all-time greats as Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Arthur Ashe, and Jimmy Connors along with essays about the careers of other stars like Andre Agassi, the Williams sisters, Jennifer Capriati, and Anna Kournikova. Fein also reviews the careers of pioneering players like Martina Navratilova, Bjorn Borg, and Rod Laver.

Tennis Confidential tackles the issues that confront the sport today, from the media’s fascination with teenage players on the women’s tour to the changes in the game caused by new racket designs and tactical innovations. Fein also reviews the ten greatest matches in tennis history. He gives fans at every level a unique perspective on the game and its history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

Gotta Buy It
If you love the game of tennis, you'll love Paul Fein's insightful comments on the game that fill this book.From the "look behind the curtain" that Paul provides in his interviews with Pete, Mac, Jimbo, etc., to the well thought out logic he applies to many of the current controversies of the game, you will find much interesting, amusing, and thought-provoking material in Tennis Confidential.Buy it!

Paul Fein's Tennis Confidential Is A Winner

As Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (IMGCA), I am always searching for new material, stories and background on sports psychology that I can bring to our members via articles, training programs and our IMGCA Certification programs.

I have followed Paul Fein's writing for years and have always been greatly impressed by his tennis acumen, his intellectual depth, and his writing style. He is one of the very best tennis writers being published today, and this book, Tennis Confidential, is no exception.This is a superb addition to the tennis literature, and one you will want on your bookshelf.

Paul's in-depth analysis of the social context of tennis is remarkable, and I really appreciate his engaging interviews with tour players that reveal the hidden mental dimension.

This book has appeal to all tennis players. I highly recommend this book for players, coaches, teachers, parents and officials.

Tennis Confidential fascinates, informs, and entertains!
As a tennis fan, especially in a family with few tennis fans, I enjoy reading outside material about the game.Not tips on playing, but about the pros, especially stories, history, analysis, etc.So I figured this book would fit right in with my appetite, especially from the subtitle, 'players, matches, and controversies.'I was right!



Tennis Confidential contains all of this and more!I was excited to read about events that happened before I was around, and also enjoyed reading about events that happened while I was around, and Fein brought a fresh and inside perspective to dozens of topics.Chapters I particularly enjoyed include the Burning Issues section, in which Fein examines modern topics like power, blacks' domination, new stats, and more; Controversies, with topics such as equal prize money, women's tennis superiority, the let rule, and more; and all time top 10 matches, with many surprises, but deep analysis.



No wonder my 2nd favorite sport is baseball.Both it and tennis, my favorite, invite analysis, discussion, controversy, have rich histories, and no clock.Reading this book allows me to appreciate the game more, want to discuss it more, and proud to be a tennis fan.
Plus, the author is very friendly and happy to discuss his work.I met him at a tournament, and we took a picture together.

An eye opener
As a former coach of several world-class players and also former National coach for the French, Swiss and Hellenic tennis Associations, I most appreciated the originality and expertise in Tennis Confidential. Pro tennis has plenty of controversies about on-court coaching, the scoring system, equal prize money, ranking systems, doubles reforms, the service let, etc. The essays analyze them with more thoughtfulness and fairness than I've seen before. Your opinions about certain issues will undoubtedly change after you read these essays. Interviews and features with Agassi, Serena Williams, McEnroe, Ashe, Navratilova, Borg, Sampras and other champions are also eye-openers. History fans will definitely enjoy the six retrospectives and the 10 greatest matches. On a light note, everyone will have fun with "True Confessions" and the amusing and sometimes shocking trivia that is sprinkled throughout the book. Several of the articles received writing awards. This is a book you will want to read and re-read.

TC
Tennis Confidential is not an encyclopedia, but it IS encyclopedic.There's a lot of substance within its covers:player profiles, interviews, controversies, history, greatest matches, and even a brief history of racquet design.
Fein's passionate concern for the sport is evident throughout.He writes, "If tennis tries to be all things to all people, it will lose its brilliant uniqueness and end up being nothing much to anyone."His book, however, comes close to being all things to all tennis fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent
It is a very helpfull book for beginners, intermediate and advanced tennis coaches ... Read more

Product Description
A complete guide to tennis strokes, styles and strategies and an education in the art of winning.Words and pictures show you the techniques of top players, the most up-to-date (rev. 1992) information on equipment, fitness and exercise, and rules. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Complete, but too much info!
This is a very complete book on tennis.Not a book to learn from, though, because it has so much information.If you already play well and would like to know the game's history as well as other techniques (and look atlots of pictures of past great players), this is the perfect book.

The best among half-dozen tested
This book was the best out of about a half-dozen books in which i carefully reviewed a test chapter, on tennis serving.

Subsequently i read the entire book, which is voluminous.

The book's not perfect.There are occasional areas of ambiguity and repetition, which the publisher Alfred Knopf company did not catch.But it was still the best of a random sampling of such books.Knopf should re-print it. ... Read more

Product Description
Tennis Beyond Big Shots presents a bold back-to-the-future approach. A new game that moves away from power and big shots yet is more lethal to opponents than any booming serve. Greg Moran shows players of all ages and abilities that, with simple and small changes, you can not only maximize your tennis wins and play longer, but also have much more fun doing it. A book for every tennis enthusiast!Chris Evert says "Greg's Tennis Beyond Big Shots is a must for every players library." "This could be a blueprint for my game" opines world No.1 tennis player Mats Wilander. Cliff Drysdale, ESPN Television: "You can win more matches simply by making small changes, Greg shows you how" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Good, but no Pulitzer
I had heard a lot about this book from my tennis playing friends so I was quite looking forward to reading it. After half a dozen chapters, however, I emerged somewhat disappointed. Here's the rub. Not that the book is irrelevant...it covers a lot of things a tennis player should know and keep in mind when playing, and they all help. True to the intro, Moran doesn't spend a lot of time on how to make shots; it's mostly tennis-specific sport psychology. That's good stuff, but if you've spent any time at all reading Allen Fox's articles in Tennis Magazine, or watch the one-minute instruction videos on Tennis Channel, you've already seen most of them. So at the end, I got the feeling that I didn't quite learn anything new, but instead got a really good refresher on what I do wrong on the court almost all the time. And that's not all bad!

Few gems, mostly routine stuff
I was disappointed in the number of really good different tennis tips.There were only a few gems in the whole book.Most of the tennis "tips" were routine.

An Easy Read to Better Tennis
I love the game and have read many books on the subject.This one excels at giving tangible advice on everything "just folks" need to play and enjoy the game. Tips from strategy to etiquette are clearly explained, easy to remember, and make a difference. Greg is an advocate of playing percentage tennis (knowing when and where to hit your shot, and the smart uses of power and spin).Having followed his advice, I've seen my game advance and I'm comfortable on the court with all levels of players.

Best tennis book I ever read

The tips and strategies in this book had an instant positive result on my last match.I would highly recommend it for any player looking for tangible strategies to take their game to the next level.

Win matches and friends with this perceptive book
"Tennis Beyond Big Shots" provides plenty of topnotch instruction about strokes and strategy that will help you win matches.This 224-page paperback, spiced with pithy quotes, also gives readers superb suggestions about how to win friends and enjoy your tennis, regardless of the outcome.
Its "10 Commandments of Social Tennis" chapter should be posted at every tennis club and center.Especially important is author Greg Moran's commandent to accept your mistakes graciously."No matter how badly you may be playing or losing, keep a positive attitude and your excuses to yourself. No one's interested, and you'll only sound foolish," he advises.
My other favorite chapters are "Two Shots That Deserve Respect," "Conquering Our Inner Devil," "Three Secrets To Defeat Stinky Feet" (about footwork), and "Being The Best Tennis Parent Ever."
Recreational players, teaching pros and coaches, aspiring juniors, and tennis parents will benefit considerably from studying this well-written and well-analyzed book that covers both the basics and the fine points of tennis. ... Read more

Product Description
Spinning the raucous tale of four restless sons of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Hannah introduces the reader to a pretty-boy international tennis star, his devoted manager, his gay coach, and a shell-shocked but sane Vietnam vet. Their adventures include rape by a walrus, murder by crossbow, and a tennis tournament played at gunpoint. Hannah's inventiveness sparkles and his prose shines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good for a laugh
This book is a masterpiece, a comical one that is. Barry Hannah takes us through the lives of the most unlikeable batch of characters I have ever read. A tennis "star" who can be compared to a faberge egg,beautiful on the outside, but hollow on the inside. A doctor whose purposein life seems to be the brain for the tennis "star" and tosexually degrade every woman he meets. A homosexual turned heterosexualwith one glance at a certain woman, and an vietnam vet who is having anincestuous relationship with his aunt. The men's characters are allexplored in the novel, but the women's characters seem only to be ornamentsfor the males. It might have made a better read if Barry Hannah hadexplored their characters a little more and added some depth to them, butwhat's done is done. All the characters, both men and women, are missingsomething either physically or emotionally. You almost want to feel sorryfor the characters, but then you turn the page, and you take that feelingback. The situations that the characters find themselves in, tend to bevery comical. Electric shock by a toaster to get inspired, finding a curefor the common cold, ambushing bums to scare and shoot them, an attemptedrape by a walrus. It almost feels like Hannah is trying to hard to beoutrageous. All I can say is this book is silly. Good reading for a rainyday!

Brilliant, but only half-way there.
Attempted rape by a walrus is a perfect symbol of the nature of lust that serves as a theme of the work. In fact, the walrus may prove for some to be the least shocking expression of lust in the work. Perhaps the bluntprimitive quality that is acceptable in the walrus makes a point concerningwhat is or is not acceptable in man. If the nature of man is truly morecomplex than the nature of a walrus, would not our expressions of lust bethat much more complex than those of a walrus? And then there's thequestion of love-- where does lust meet love? The work characterizes menand women who seem to not be able to distinguish, and who seem too plainlycontent with not even concerning themselves with it. The description of Godon page 72 is amusing but holds the most merit of any comment in the workconcerning the theme of man's primitive desire. God is portrayed as notonly human, but a "regular" human who wears shoes from Sears.This lack of a sense of divinity being associated with God is everywhere inthe work also associated with man. There seem to be no ideals, goals,perceptions of progress, hope, or faith in terms of any aspect of lifeaside from pure and often brutal or abusive forms of lust. True: this is aside of humanity that is often ignored or buried from reflection. True: theissues the characters raise, each a different type of primitive, are foundin our spinning lives on a daily basis. True: most of us can laugh at whatwe consider abnormal without ever empathizing with the confusion involvedin an "abnormal" path. But the overall message of the workignores more realities than it accurately portrays. Granted, it is fiction.But it is a fiction which seems to be motivated towards expressing certainrealistic sides of human nature, and therefore is not complete in its taskif it does not thoroughly address those sides. The changes in perspectivewere fantastically manipulated to get everything concerning Baby, French,Word, and Bobby completely characterized and successful as far as nurturingthe theme. However, the disappointment of the author's lack of integrity inportraying the female characters overwhelms me. The women in the novel seemto have nowhere near the amount of character that the men have. They areseemingly placed in the work as talking objects who provide adequate butshallow conflicts for the male characters who are so brilliantly portrayedin so many dimensions of thought, emotion, and spirit. Either Hannah isless familiar with the truly primitive characteristics of women and simplyevades them in the work, or he simply did not feel as though the trueprimitive female nature had a place in the thematic design of the work. Theclosest he came with any of the female characters was Cecilia. WithCecilia's character, the desire for a healthy child that is not fulfilledresults in a type of mental and emotional instability that has certainlyaffected some women in reality. But the remainder of the female charactersprovide no enlightening commentary on the primitive nature of their sex,nor do they adequately develop as many frames of lust ambition as the malecharacters so completely do. The female lust ambition is portrayed in thework consistently as a result of some male instigation. With the malecharacters, we reflect on homosexuality, degradation fantasy, some hints ofdeeper love, unexplainable incestual desire, feelings of incompetence,competition, adultery, and jilting. With the female characters, we reflecton what? Submission, aquiescence, manipulation, dishonesty. . .moralcommentary as opposed to the three-dimensional exploration we're offered bythe male characters. So what of the unmentioned facets of feminineprimitive lust-- rape fantasy, sensuality, sex and menstruation,homosexuality, power struggle, self-confidence, and the consequences offemale sexual freedom?In essence, the work was very successful in what itexplored, and should be held in high regard for the issues Hannah wascreative and astute enough to handle with style. I simply would have beenfar more impressed had his characters expressed something other than themale sides of lust: the walrus carried the theme further than any of thewomen did.

Barry Hannah rules!
Good grief, how can it be that none of Amazon.com's astute readers has yetwhipped up a review of this remarkable gem?Barry Hannah, for anybodyignorant of his place in the pantheon of letters, is a whiz bang lightningbolt of a writer, a Mississippian wild and dangerous, and this book is afine example of his work. You'll laugh till you cry and then some.

Yippeeand hoorah for BH!!!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Raise the level of your game with the complete instruction found in Serious Tennis. Internationally known instructor Scott Williams, in conjunction with 20 of the top tennis minds in the world, presents the same technique, conditioning, mental training, and strategy tips used to develop the world's best players.

Serious Tennis shows you how to

• use SMARTS to improve your strokes,

• develop tactical awareness and increase anticipation,

• perform better under pressure,

• hit the ideal shot at the right time, and

• tailor equipment to your style of play.

If you’re dedicated to becoming a better player, you owe it to yourself to get the best instruction in the game. Get Serious Tennis and become the kind of player you've always wanted to be. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Fine Instructional Book with Some Unique Observations
The author presently coaches in Florida and obviously knows his tennis well. It is similar to many other conventional tennis instructional books. However, it has some things that other books don't take into account. For example, it discusses sports vision which few other books tackle. The concept of eye dominance is seen by some coaches (e.g., Robert Lansdorf, Maria Sharapova's coach) as very important. Scott Williams also makes some interesting observations about footwork on volleys (landing before or after the contact point depends on ball height, etc) which happen to be quite true but rarely commented on. In addition, the author also adds comments from leading tennis coaches or experts. It is a fine comprehensive tennis book that you may want on your shelf simply because it has a slightly different angle on tennis. I have most tennis instructional books and have known or met many tennis authors/coaches; I do recommend this to be one of the finest books over the past decade.

Very Good, Complete Tennis Analysis
I bought this book as I have mentally been struggling with nerves in match play.There were a couple of chapters on the psycology of tennis and how to deal with nerves and pressure.I found those helpful.The famous sports psychologist, Jim Loehr was quoted in there quite a bit.

While I did not buy the book for stroke production that is the substantial part of the book and they covered every shot imaginable with emphasis on their "Smart" approach.This is a large book that I could see in any Tennis Pro's office as it is great reference material and you could hand out to students who wanted to read more on a problem.Also, there were quite a few references to drills to preform on different shots.

Overall a very good, informative book.

My #1 tennis book
This is the best of instructional books out there.The author does not give you a glam rock romp of who he has instructed on the tour, but instead he gives YOU the "I want to be better than average club player" guy some solid advice on more than just tennis stroke production which you probably already have in place in your game.You actually remember the advice in a match, you use it to improve your game that is in place already and you are given tools to complete your game on and off the court.This is the book that took me pushed me beyond a 4.5.

Best tennis book I have
EXCELLENT BOOK !!

I have a few tennis books from Vic Braden and Brad Gilbert which are not bad but this book is by far the best.

So many club players concentrate only on swinging which is why SMART system is tremendously useful to anyone serious about tennis.

For instance, in the past, I never know there is such a great difference of using dominant eye versus non-dominant eye.
I now can see the ball more clearly and quickly.

Serious Tennis Helps You Get Serious About Your Tennis.
This book helped me improve parts of my game that I just could n't improve further with more court time or match play. The expert advice from leaders in the field of professional tennis allowed me to explore avenues of improving my game that are usually reserved as resources of the pro players.Williams' SMARTS system helped me streamline my stroke production and the expert advice helped me to hone my skills into a completely different level of play.Finally some refreshing and useful tennis reading that you can actually apply to your game!Pictures are great.My favorite chapter, because I find the info in it sticks in my head when I'm playing: Performing Under Pressure - Chapter 9.I would like to take a clinic with this author.Will probably carry this book with me to some matches.I'm looking forward to the updated edition to Serious Tennis! ... Read more

Product Description

How does your opponent put that tricky spin on the ball? Why are some serves easier to return than others? The mysteries behind the winning strokes, equipment, and surfaces of the game of tennis are accessibly explained by Howard Brody through the laws of physics. And he gives practical pointers to ways players can use this understanding to advantage in the game.

Through extensive laboratory testing and computer modeling, Brody has investigated the physics behind the shape of the tennis racket, the string pattern, the bounce of the tennis ball, the ways a particular court surface can determine the speed of the game, and the many other physical factors involved in tennis.

Customer Reviews (9)

mad tennis scientist
This book is very interesting for tennis players who have a scientific background.It may be a tad complicated for the average Joe tennis player.It explains the why hows and what to do's to give you the best chance of winning in tennis based on physics.The book however is quite dated and talks about the oversized Prince racket as a new design and Borg as a current player.The new racket designs and strings have changed the modern game of tennis. I would have liked a more up to date version or at least a new chapter.

Good used book
Satisfied with the buy.. No surprises and the book looked in good condition when received....

Very interesting book for tennis players and / or coaches.
I bought this book and it was very nice to improving my game. This is not only a very nice reading, but i know understand a lot more the science of Tennis. I recommend it.

Interesting Read - Basic Tennis Advice
This book is fun to read if you can appreciate a scientific approach (graphs & formulae).This book takes some basic tennis advice used by instructors and scientifically proves them.It changed my perspecctive on certain aspects of the game.The advice that results from Brody's analysis is similar to what you'd get from a beginner's tennis class.However, the approach is interesting and insightful.

Finally, tennis facts.
There is so much misinformation in tennis! This book sorts through all the hype and confusion and gives true information on what makes a tennis ball go. From rackets to strings to strokes, this book shows what is important and what is not. For instance, why is it so hard to hit a hard shot from mid-court? Why do shots down the line go out so much? Should I serve hard or slow? How can I become more consistent at serving and groundstrokes? Should I crowd the net or stay back and get ready for a lob?
This book finally gives answers to these perplexing questions. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

product arrived in time, no trouble no hassles.
The only trouble I had was that I ordered three books at the same time and checked 'em all out at the same time, I assumed that they would all have overnight delivery but only one from amazon had over night delivery and the other two arrived normally which was late for me. I wish amazon could change that. ... Read more