| |||||
Books: Subjects: Soccer
The Devil Wears Prada: A Novelby Lauren Weisberger List Price: $13.95 Available from Amazon $8.37 On 7-19-2006 
See Item's Page Product Review It's a killer title: The Devil Wears Prada. And it's killer material: author Lauren Weisberger did a stint as assistant to Anna Wintour, the all-powerful editor of Vogue magazine. Now she's written a book, and this is its theme: narrator Andrea Sachs goes to work for Miranda Priestly, the all-powerful editor of Runway magazine. Turns out Miranda is quite the bossyboots. That's pretty much the extent of the novel, but it's plenty. Miranda's behavior is so insanely over-the-top that it's a gas to see what she'll do next, and to try to guess which incidents were culled from the real-life antics of the woman who's been called Anna "Nuclear" Wintour. For instance, when Miranda goes to Paris for the collections, Andrea receives a call back at the New York office (where, incidentally, she's not allowed to leave her desk to eat or go to the bathroom, lest her boss should call). Miranda bellows over the line: "I am standing in the pouring rain on the rue de Rivoli and my driver has vanished. Vanished! Find him immediately!" This kind of thing is delicious fun to read about, though not as well written as its obvious antecedent, The Nanny Diaries. And therein lies the essential problem of the book. Andrea's goal in life is to work for The New Yorker--she's only sticking it out with Miranda for a job recommendation. But author Weisberger is such an inept, ungrammatical writer, you're positively rooting for her fictional alter ego not to get anywhere near The New Yorker. Still, Weisberger has certainly one-upped Me Times Three author Alex Witchel, whose magazine-world novel never gave us the inside dope that was the book's whole raison d' etre. For the most part, The Devil Wears Prada focuses on the outrageous Miranda Priestly, and she's an irresistible spectacle. --Claire Dederer
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
|
Running with Scissors: A Memoirby Augusten Burroughs List Price: $14.00 Available from Amazon $8.40 On 7-19-2006 
See Item's Page Product Review There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Running with Scissors, that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped, glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours." There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist, and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription meds and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a pedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorizes it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a capella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward. Burroughs's perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs's survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all. --John Moe From Publishers Weekly "Bookman gave me attention. We would go for long walks and talk about all sorts of things. Like how awful the nuns were in his Catholic school when he was a kid and how you have to roll your lips over your teeth when you give a blowjob," writes Burroughs (Sellevision) about his affair, at age 13, with the 33-year-old son of his mother's psychiatrist. That his mother sent him to live with her shrink (who felt that the affair was good therapy for Burroughs) shows that this is not just another 1980s coming-of-age story. The son of a poet with a "wild mental imbalance" and a professor with a "pitch-black dark side," Burroughs is sent to live with Dr. Finch when his parents separate and his mother comes out as a lesbian. While life in the Finch household is often overwhelming (the doctor talks about masturbating to photos of Golda Meir while his wife rages about his adulterous behavior), Burroughs learns "your life [is] your own and no adult should be allowed to shape it for you." There are wonderful moments of paradoxical humor Burroughs, who accepts his homosexuality as a teen, rejects the squeaky-clean pop icon Anita Bryant because she was "tacky and classless" as well as some horrifying moments, as when one of Finch's daughters has a semi-breakdown and thinks that her cat has come back from the dead. Beautifully written with a finely tuned sense of style and wit the occasional clich‚ ("Life would be fabric-softener, tuna-salad-on-white, PTA-meeting normal") stands out anomalously this memoir of a nightmarish youth is both compulsively entertaining and tremendously provocative. Copyright 2002 Cahners business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. |
Baby Proofby Emily Giffin List Price: $23.95 Available from Amazon $15.57 On 7-19-2006 
See Item's Page From Publishers Weekly The bestselling author of Something Borrowed and Something Blue now tells the story of what happens after the "I do"s. As a successful editor at a Manhattan publishing house, Claudia Parr counts herself fortunate to meet and marry Ben, a man who claims to be a nonbreeding career-firster like she is. The couple's early married years go smoothly, but then Ben's biological clock starts to tick. A baby's a deal breaker for Claudia, so she moves out and bunks with her college roommate Jess (a 35-year-old blonde goddess stuck in a series of dead-end relationships) while the wheels of divorce crank into action. Even after the divorce is finalized and Claudia embarks on a steamy love affair with her colleague Richard, she begins to doubt her decision when she suspects Ben has found a smart, young and beautiful woman willing to bear his children. Standard fare as far as chick lit goes, but there are strong subplots involving Claudia's sisters (one is coping with infertility, the other with a cheating spouse) and the childless-by-choice plot line produces above-average tension. 300,000 announced first printing. (June 13) Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Giffin has made a name for herself with unconventional, extremely popular chick-lit novels that place her heroines in difficult situations; both Something Borrowed (2004) and Something Blue (2005) were surprising and defied the norm. Her third offering places 35-year-old Claudia in an untenable position. When Claudia married Ben, both agreed that they didn't want children. Suddenly, Ben has changed his mind, and he starts pressuring Claudia to reconsider as well. Claudia is resolute--she has never wanted children and is certain she never will. When both she and Ben stick to their guns, it drives a wedge into their relationship, until a big argument over the issue drives Claudia from their apartment. Suddenly, it seems their marriage is over, and Claudia sorrowfully consents to a divorce even though she still loves Ben. Months later, Claudia is still having regrets, and even when she starts dating a handsome, slick publicist, she can't forget Ben. She begins to reevaluate what is most important to her. By avoiding easy answers, Giffin once again proves she's one of the best chick-lit writers in this thoughtful, layered, and wholly original story of a woman facing a major choice in her life. Kristine Huntley Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved |
Coaching Girls' Soccer: From the How-To's of the Game to Practical Real-World Advice--Your Definitive Guide to Successfully Coaching Girlsby John Dewitt List Price: $15.95 Available from Amazon $10.85 On 7-19-2006 
See Item's Page Book Description Coach Girls for Success on and off the Field Girls rule! Coaching girls' soccer is a challenge and also a wonderful experience. Witness a game-winning penalty kick or a goalie who saves an almost unstoppable ball, and you can't help but be inspired. The effort, pride, and enjoyment on the players' faces are great rewards for parents and often the signs of a good coach—the type of coach you want to be. So how can you get there? Perfect for coaches of girls up to age 13, Coaching Girls' Soccer includes everything you need to be an outstanding coach and mentor to your team. Whether you are a seasoned coach looking to fine-tune your skills or a rookie eager to take the field running, you'll discover techniques for success that are tailored specifically to the needs of girls, including: ·Drills and strategies for coaches new to the world of coaching soccer ·Tips on what girls want and need from their soccer experience ·Practical suggestions on how to motivate in a positive and encouraging way ·Advice for helping girls deal with their changing bodies ·And much more! Now you can be a coaching winner and help bring out the best in your players, both on the soccer field and in the game of life. Inside Flap Copy Coach Girls for Success on and off the Field Girls rule! Coaching girls' soccer is a challenge and also a wonderful experience. Witness a game-winning penalty kick or a goalie who saves an almost unstoppable ball, and you can't help but be inspired. The effort, pride, and enjoyment on the players' faces are great rewards for parents and often the signs of a good coach?the type of coach you want to be. So how can you get there? Perfect for coaches of girls up to age 13, Coaching Girls' Soccer includes everything you need to be an outstanding coach and mentor to your team. Whether you are a seasoned coach looking to fine-tune your skills or a rookie eager to take the field running, you'll discover techniques for success that are tailored specifically to the needs of girls, including: ·Drills and strategies for coaches new to the world of coaching soccer ·Tips on what girls want and need from their soccer experience ·Practical suggestions on how to motivate in a positive and encouraging way ·Advice for helping girls deal with their changing bodies ·And much more! Now you can be a coaching winner and help bring out the best in your players, both on the soccer field and in the game of life. |
Coaching Youth Football (Baffled Parent's Guides)by Paul Pasqualoni, et al List Price: $14.95 Available from Amazon $10.17 On 7-19-2006 
See Item's Page Book Description A PAPERBACK ORIGINAL Features the expertise of one of the nation's top-ranking college football coaches Author Paul Pasqualoni, head coach at Syracuse University, is renowned for the hands-on style he developed over years of coaching football at all levels. Like all Baffled Parent's Guides, Coaching Youth football takes an upbeat, inspirational approach to coaching, with an emphasis on creating a positive, supportive environment. Pasqualoni offers the fundamentals of motivating, controlling, and encouraging a disparate group of children of varying skills and dispositions. Readers learn the secrets of coaching football, including how to determine a child's position, how to teach blocking and tackling safely, and how to calm a player's and parent's fear of being hurt. Takes a drills-based approach to teaching basic skills Q A sections provide solutions to problems most new coaches face Back Cover Copy "[This] series is required reading for those of us who . . . one day find ourselves facing the expectant gazes of a dozen youngsters who insist on calling us Coach."--FamilyFun magazine "You have the opportunity to teach the value of competition, that winning and losing are both part of the positive experience, and that having fun is the name of the game."--Paul Pasqualoni Coach. You just volunteered to coach your child's football team, and you can't tell a draw play from a screen pass or a tight end from the end zone. Don't despair--Coaching Youth Football is here to help. From your first team meeting, Coaching Youth Football shows you how to teach the fundamentals of football, including passing, catching, blocking, and kicking. You'll find drills for playing offense and defense that work for any age group or experience level. You'll even learn to develop your own coaching style--and before you know it, you'll be coaching players who are learning, motivated, and most of all, having fun.
"An invaluable guide for both novice and veteran coaches."--Fred Lower, Bangor (Maine) Youth football Organization
|
Barca: A People's Passionby Jimmy Burns List Price: $14.99 Available from Amazon $9.74 On 7-19-2006
See Item's Page |
The Everything Kids' Soccer Book: Rules, Techniques, and More About Your Favorite Sport! (Everything Kids Series)by Deborah Crisfield Available from Amazon $6.95 On 7-19-2006
See Item's Page Book Description Are you among the millions of kids who live to play soccer? If you are, you'll love The Everything Kids' soccer Book! Inside this exciting book, you'll find out how to excel at this hugely popular sport, with professional instruction on: The complete rules of the game Techniques for dribbling, trapping, and heading the ball The arts of defense and goaltending Winning techniques and drills Tips on how to maintain possession of the ball Soccer player and coach Deborah W. Crisfield gives you lots of advice on stretching, endurance building, and strength training. Along the way, she includes some amazing facts on the World Cup and American soccer stars, such as Landon Donovan and Mia Hamm, and offers dozens of puzzles and games. The Everything Kids' soccer Book is definitely a GOAL!
|
Soccerhead: An Accidental Journey into the Heart of the American Gameby Jim Haner List Price: $24.00 Available from Amazon $16.32 On 7-19-2006
See Item's Page From Publishers Weekly The year his son turned six, Haner was shanghaied by a group of local parents into coaching the College Park Hornets, a scrappy group of boys (and one girl) finding their legs on the pee-wee soccer fields outside Washington, D.C. His book charts his ensuing obsession with the sport in language as brisk as the game. Between weekly matches, Haner, a Baltimore Sun writer, pores over books, visits fabled soccer homelands and interviews legends to uncover the American heart of this foreign game. Although Native Americans played a version of soccer with a deerskin ball, the sport really took root in the U.S. in the 1930s, when immigrant workers played in raucous leagues. Walter Bahr, who took the winning shot against the English in a 1950 World Cup game, tells Haner how his team of blue-collar laborers stunned some of the world's best players. But Haner learns the essence of the sport from his kids. Watching them play, he sees how fluidity, creativity and trust reign in this simple game. After the Hornets lose a county championship, Haner concludes, "There is a God and he gave us soccer at the dawn of time so that we would never forget who is in charge." (Apr.) Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist *Starred Review* As soccer's popularity grows in the U.S., conventional wisdom holds that the game is a recent arrival, perhaps a product of globalization. Haner tells us that what we're seeing is not new, but a reprise--and that soccer first blossomed during a much earlier phase of globalization: America's early-twentieth-century flood of immigration. An award-winning writer for the Baltimore Sun, Haner started out as a football fan, not a soccerhead. But he became a full-fledged fanatic after taking a step American dads and moms take every day: he became a coach. Frustrated by his tactical failures and intrigued by tales of tough U.S. textile workers taking on Europe's best teams, Haner's quest for knowledge led him to coaching success and one hell of a good book. His enthusiasm and good humor is infectious, the history is genuinely interesting, and anyone who doubts that soccer games between nine-year-olds can be chronicled with the same verve and intensity of professional or collegiate sports need look no further. And, with the 2006 World Cup fast approaching, this is remarkably timely. Belongs with Franklin Foer's How soccer Explains the World (2004) as a must-read for people puzzled by soccer's popularity. Keir Graff Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved |
Additional Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Other Shops:
Books
Resources
Most Watched Book Auctions
Soccer at Sduf
Book Review Directory
Reviewed Authors
Reviewed Titles
Review List
Site Map
