Product Description
Recognized as the king of adventure racing, Ian Adamson has won all the world's major events and been named 'toughest man on the planet' by RailRiders Adventure Clothing. Now, with the help of Runner's World magazine, Adamson reveals strategies and secrets that have made him a household name in the sport. Offering assistance to beginners and useful tips to racing veterans seeking advice from the very best in their sport, Adamson offers his hard-earned expertise on: lWhat you need to get started lWhy teamwork is your most valuable tool lFoot work, cycling, paddling, rope work, and navigation lWhat to eat, how much to sleep, and how to steer clear of the dreaded hamburger foot lThe gear you need and how to get the sponsorship to make racing a reality Along with action photography, Adamson provides invaluable tips to master the fundamentals of racing while enjoying the adventure of a lifetime! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Good anecdotal stuff!
I bought this book hoping that it would help me up my game in adventure racing... specifically wanting to know how to train for races lasting 24hrs and greater. I also wanted some specific information on fueling during races. This book is a great overview of a great sport, but unfortunately the information that I was looking for was somewhat superficial. It does provide several "tricks of the trade" and some fantastic ancecdotal stories of Iam and his buddies. It is a great book to get one excited about Adventure Racing!!

Awesome Resource!
I have followed Ian Adamson for years, and he is the real deal. This book has proven to be an indispensable resource for my team mate and I as we prepare for our first adventure race. The information in this book was immediately useful, and it has kept me from making several crucial mistakes in gear purchases. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in adventure racing!

Readable, informative
If you are a fan of adventure racing (AR), the author's reputation is quite familiar to you.Adamson is among the very best adventure racers in the world, with loads of big race experience.

He is also a good writer.The book is clear and readable.Most of the material will not be new to you if you have significant experience already, but there are tips and tricks and anecdotes that are both entertaining and illustrative.

The sport is so varied and demanding that no book, and certainly not one as brief as this one, can be complete in its coverage of it.However, there is a lot of good, accessible information here and you will not regret including this book in your AR library.

Note that as to gear recommendations, the equipment available is changing very quickly, and some preferences are just personal, so update your information before spending a lot on gear if your only reason for buying was because Ian likes it.

Expert job
This book is a expert job by a man who knows his trade!Is a must to anyone interested in this subject.

An Adventuring Racing Classic
Whether you're a veteran or a rookie just starting out in adventure racing, this is one book you should never miss in your collection. This is a classic reference written in clear and understandable language by adventure racing's Michael Jordan.Each page contains a veritable treasure of information, from training, to equipment selection, to navigation and sleep management, culled from years of racing across the world in diverse terrains and climates.If there was only one book you can buy to learn about the history and discipline of adventure racing ---this is it. ... Read more

Product Description
Adventure sports have seized the interest of the world. According to the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) 189 million outdoor enthusiasts in the U.S. were involved in adventure sports and travel in 1998. Millions of Americans are heading outside for fitness, self-discovery, and a closer connection to the environment, and many are creating a lifestyle out of it. Adventure racing is a new multi-discipline sport that requires individual will, endurance, survival skills, outdoor savvy, and teamwork to be successful. The duration of adventure races varies from one-day races to two-week expeditions requiring both day and night navigation through harsh and challenging terrain. The sport requires the athlete be versed in a variety of outdoor sports, have individual drive and the highest team skills. In The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing, you'll learn: the best techniques for biking, paddling, and climbing, gear selection, proper use, and preparation, navigation and orienteering essentials, tips on nutrition, hydration and health, team strategy and logistics, a comprehensive listing of schools, races from around the world and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

I loved this, and have purchased copies for others.
As an adventure racer who recalls when Don Mann owned Odyssey AR, I recall his midnight encouragement at CPs.At Primal Quest in Moab in 2006 Don was just as enthusiastic.This books carries some of that sincere, enthusiastic voice.His energy kept me running for years.I recall running together on the backstretch of the JFK 50 mile ultramarathon.We talked about books.Some time later, Don shared his enthusiasm for me by writing a testimonial for my book.For anyone interested in learning about our sport I strongly encourage you to read this book.Doug Gray, PCC, and author of Passionate Action: 5 Steps to Extraordinary Success in Life and Work

Largely disappointing
firstly this reviewer is a racer and has quite some experience in the various disciplines of AR (adventure racing) so bear that in mind.

The book is quite well laid out covering most things you might expect in AR.The exciting glossy cover belies the lower quality paper and pictures used within- no smart glossies inside, rather some average b/w photos.

The information inside is fine but can largely be found elsewhere with a quick google search.Still a good repository of information.

If you are looking for some guidance re AR equipment, training, techniques, tips and have not looed for the same on the web, this will be a useful book, if you have looked then it is something to have on the bookshelf.It is not of sufficient quality to have out on the coffee table as a conversation piece!
My 2cents.

Great reference book on the sport
I new to AR (3 races to date) and was looking for a good reference book on the subject.This book exceeded my expectations.It is well organized and filled with practical information and detail.It has section with tips and advice from experienced racers, there is also first person accounts of races and experiences.It is also a great price for all the information you get.

Get Out There and Do It!
The adventure racing world waited a long time for a resource as comprehensive as this one.It is no surprise that we were finally provided this resource by the man who founded Odyssey Adventure Racing, a company that produces more races than any other US AR company and also offers a great racing academy.

One of the best features of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is that rather than giving us "the gospel according to Mann and Schaad", it provides multiple views from various experts on controversial topics such as nutrition, strategy, team dynamics, and sleep management.You may occasionally find that the contributors disagree with each other, which only serves to underscore the strategic nature of the sport.

What I didn't expect was inspirational content in addition to the detailed information of this text.By including first-person stories from other racers, race directors, and observers, the book becomes a "good read" in addition to an instructive one.It makes you want to get out there and register for the first race you can find.Buy this book and you'll see what I mean!

Get Out There and Register!
The adventure racing world waited a long time for a resource as comprehensive as this one.It is no surprise that we were finally provided this resource by the man who founded Odyssey Adventure Racing, a company that produces more races than any other US AR company and also offers a great racing academy.

One of the best features of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is that rather than giving us "the gospel according to Mann and Schaad", it provides multiple views from various experts on controversial topics such as nutrition, strategy, team dynamics, and sleep management.You may occasionally find that the contributors disagree with each other, which only serves to underscore the strategic nature of the sport.

What I didn't expect was inspirational content in addition to the detailed information of this text.By including first-person stories from other racers, race directors, and observers, the book becomes a "good read" in addition to an instructive one.It makes you want to get out there and register for the first race you can find.Buy this book and you'll see what I mean! ... Read more

Product Description
Motivating and challenging team races for students

Begin with a physical challenge. Add a heavy dose of fun. Divide into teams. What do you have? Adventure racing events and units that are easily planned for a field day or a regular class period using equipment you already have.

Adventure Racing Activities for Fun and Fitness: A CORE Experience is the brainchild of Dan DeJager, a physical education teacher and adventure racing enthusiast, and Cathrine Himberg, an instructor of future physical educators and advocate for effective physical education who want to pass the fun along to kids. Adventure racing is a sport that combines two or more disciplines and emphasizes teamwork--in fact, the CORE in the book's title stands for cooperative obstacle racing experience. In adventure races, teammates work together to finish an obstacle course as quickly as possible.

DeJager and Himberg provide everything you need to know to prepare for and teach an adventure racing unit at your school or lead an adventure racing event in any environment with any group of people. With Adventure Racing Activities for Fun and Fitness, you get

• complete instructions for setting up an adventure racing unit or event,
• forms and checklists to help you organize and conduct an adventure race, and
• suggestions and options for customizing theactivities to suit your needs.

Unlike conventional adventure races that call for mountain bikes, kayaks, and other specialized equipment, Adventure Racing Activities for Fun and Fitness guides you in setting up races for teams of two, three, or four students that require no equipment or readily available equipment.

The authors show you how to set up a race, lay out the course (locations include tracks, fields, courts, schools, and gymnasiums), use obstacles to present challenges, and assess race results. You discover how to vary the course and the obstacles to bring fresh excitement and challenges to each race. And you find out about various scoring systems (some in which the winners are not necessarily the ones who finish first!), adding spice and motivation to the competitions.

Adventure Racing Activities for Fun and Fitness provides teachers and youth leaders with a new way to get kids excited about physical activity, instill healthy habits, and meet NASPE National Physical Education Standards. More than that, it meets kids' standards of having fun while being physically active. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good book
this book on adventure racing changed the way i look at PE. it really helps ... Read more

Product Description
Take the ultimate endurance challenge! Adventure Racing is the complete guide to the skills, equipment, strategies, navigation, and nutrition used by the top adventure racers around the globe.

Start with the right gear to perform your best—even in desert, rainforest, and subzero environments. Then learn the skills for trekking, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking, and mountaineering.

Insights on team strategy, use of support crews, map reading, and magnetic deviation will keep you on track. And the right fuel for changing conditions, medical know-how, and survival skills will keep you in the race.

Profiles and stories from the top races and adventure racers provide a taste of the exciting challenges of the sport. They’ll inspire you to test yourself time and again in the most addictive team endurance sport on the planet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

good book for rookies
this book is a littel old, (2000 year) but it is a good book for those people who want to go on the adventure world.

Helpful book
This book was very helpful and informative for adventure racing.I would reccommend to anyone getting into the sport. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by two endurance athletes, Adventure Racing covers the sport from its origins in New Zealand 20 years ago through today. It delves into the nuts and bolts of navigation and orientation, mountain biking, trekking, rope skills, and paddling. Information on nighttime racing and training, how to prevent injury and illness, fuel and hydration, and what to expect after a race are included. This book also offers appendices with sample gear list, race instructions, support crew list, and volunteer gear list. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A good place to start learning about adventure racing!
"Adventure Racing, The Ultimate Guide" By Barry Siff & Liz Caldwell

Barry Siff and Liz Caldwell, both experienced adventure racers with resumes that include 11th place finish in the Eco-Challenge in 2000, 9th place finish in the Raid Gauloises in 2000 decided to put together their collective experience and write a book to help introduce and educate people about adventure racing. The book was very good, educational and informative especially if you are interested in getting into adventure racing.

The Good: Great source of information for beginners and experienced racers alike. Good color photo's in the center. The section that detailed the gear list was very interesting. There isn't too much to elaborate on. If you are interested in adventure racing this is a good place to start.

The Bad: I wish they would have spent a little bit more time on shorter races.

Overall: This book is a good place to start for people interested in adventure racing. Pick it up and give it a try.

Adventure Racing--General Thoughts on Three Guides
I bought three books as I prepared for my first race (a sprint, which my team won thanks to the good advice found in all three of the guides discussed below): Don Mann and Kara Schaad's Complete Guide to Adventure Racing, Ian Adamson's Runner's World Guide to Adventure Racing, and Barry Siff and and Liz Caldwell's Adventure Racing: The Ultimate Guide.Of these, I found the Complete Guide good to start with, Adamson's book a standard guide to go back to again and again, and Siff and Caldwell's an ongoing delight.

The layout of Mann and Schaad's work is good for those just starting--lots of sidebars, whitespace, and basics.Adamson has professional prestige and his book is filled with the opinions/wisdom of someone with hardwon wisdom.I sensed though that as a high profile professional adventure racer, he is obligated to sponsors.His gear recommendations, which I gobbled up at first, began to seem more like celebrity endorsements by the end and I began to wish there was a more objective equipment guide.I have no doubt that Adamson's equipment recommendations are excellent; I would have liked to have gotten a better sense of comparison, though, to help me better understand why a Paladin harness was the recommendation rather than an Alpine Bod-- ie. what are the little things I am really looking for when I go out and buy gear for a discipline I don't yet do?

On Siff and Caldwell, I think the text portrays fingertip wisdom as good as Adamson's and the color photo section is great.Having read all three a couple of times through, I find myself picking up Siff and Caldwell and browsing it more than the others.

Mann and Schaad are on the bottom of the pile. I think that has something to do with the layout--which hints of Idiot's guides.I've certainly not worn out their advise but the layout has gone stale.

Recommendations:If you are completely new to the sport, and to more than one discipline, get the Complete Guide and read it first.Once you are hooked, you have to have the other two.

One area that these books don't purport to cover well is land navigation. A great book for learning those skills is Burns, et. al. Wilderness Navigation.I have taught from it several times in college level classes and it is a better fit for adventure racing than for what I have been using it (fundamental map reading and compass navigation).

Excellent Guide Book
This book has been an invaluable guide and should be considered mandatory reading for both racers and crew.

I've competed in one 24 hour adventure race, crewed for another and am preparing for my 2nd 24 hour race which is a couple of weeks away.The practical advice and suggestions that Barry and Liz present are excellent and have prepared me for what to expect in nearly every facet of my races.I particularly like their section about team dynamics and the importance of racing with people you like.

Adventure racing is not a sport to be taken lightly given the length and duration of races as well as the multiple disciplines involved.Research and education are crucial and this book is an excellent start for all of us budding adventure racers.

Excellent Guide Book
This book has been an invaluable guide and should be considered mandatory reading for both racers and crew.

I've competed in one 24 hour adventure race, crewed for another and am preparing for my 2nd 24 hour race which is a couple of weeks away.The practical advice and suggestions that Barry and Liz present are excellent and have prepared me for what to expect in nearly every facet of my races.I particularly like their section about team dynamics and the importance of racing with people you like.

Adventure racing is not a sport to be taken lightly given the length and duration of races as well as the multiple disciplines involved.Research and education are crucial and this book is an excellent start for all of us budding adventure racers.

great pictures
This was my first Adveture Racing book. I really enjoyed it.I learned some very useful information.My hi-lighter was used quite a bit. The pictures are spectacular!They will be hanging on my bedroom wall soon. ... Read more

Product Description
Adventure racing is an exciting and fast-growing sport that combines nonstop, action-packed challenges such as trail running, mountain biking, orienteering, rock climbing, trekking, whitewater swimming, and paddling in some of the world’s most beautiful—and most challenging— places. Races last from just a few hours to two weeks, and are filled with passion, drama, sleep-deprivation, hallucinations, blisters, cramps, exhaustion—and inevitably great stories.

"The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of My Feet" contains over thirty first-person adventure racing stories that will take you from the leech-infested jungles of Borneo to the snow-capped peaks of Tibet to races near you.You will be entertained and inspired as you read how athletes—from beginner to expert—overcame enormous odds, physical limitations, raging storms, equipment failure, personal fears, and in one case, even the tragic death of a competitor. These stories are as close as you can get to adventure racing without getting your feet wet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Book
This book was very helpful for adventure racing.The book was practically brand new and the product came very fast.

Great stories of real adventure
I've seen adventure racing on TV (Eco Challenge, Primal Quest, etc.).And those shows always concentrate on the drama, the beautiful people, and so on.This book, however, shows what adventure racing is all about.The 30 stories in this book are all from people who love the sport of adventure racing and have dedicated a part of their lives to the sport that they love.

There are stories from seasoned veterans and beginners -- all of which demonstrate how we can overcome great odds to reach the finish line.The lessons learned from these athletes will help athletes and non athletes alike.Great book!

An inspiring read
I was originally turned on by the book "Becoming an Ironman" as I was training for my own first Ironman. This book had the same effect on me. The stories by the different athletes repeat similar tales of pain, adventure, pain, beautiful scenery, pain, and all-out efforts, but they also report another common experience that extends beyond that of individual sports: therewards of developing team relationships that come from depending so completely upon each other during such a difficult event. The book does a great job of describing this exciting sport. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London : T. Werner LauriePublication date: 1901Subjects: HorsesHorse racingJockeysNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great set of books, lots of fun to read!
I find the works of Dick Francis quite to my liking.They are fairly slow to build, with great character development and a lot of story involved, rather than a lot of shoot-`em-up, bang-bang.I have nothing against the high-adrenaline thriller, it is just nice now and again to read these slower-paced works and enjoy a nice story, and the complex webs that Francis weaves around his characters.Nothing is ever quite as it seems, and you better believe you will eventually end up with a surprise or two staring you in the face.This foursome of tales is sure to please!

High Stakes: Steven Scott is a wealthy inventor who has taken to horse racing as a hobby.He doesn't know much about horses, but he does know about finances, so when he discovers that his horse trainer has been stealing large amounts of money from him, he fires the trainer.Not one to take such things lying down, his trainer (Jody Leeds) sets out to keep Steven's best jumper - a nice black horse named Energise - through the simple expedient of simply driving away with him.He has also given instructions to the driver to not stop for anything - even if that thing is Steven in the path of the truck.First attempt thwarted, Jody refuses to relent and takes Energise anyway.

As Steven digs further into the scam that Jody was running on him, he discovers it was not just he who was being hurt by this; apparently many of the small betting firms who worked at the horse races were being run out of business.Refusing to relent, Steven inevitably finds himself on the firing line.Can he find a way to stop the scam without ending up dead himself?

Smokescreen: Francis, in the Introduction to this book, tells the reader that he had recently been to South Africa when the idea to write this book came to him. Furthermore, once he decided his main character was going to be a celebrity - an actor - he decided to gain background by visiting the British film studios at Pinewood to see how movies are made. Apparently his wife used to work behind the scenes in the movie business, so they have a number of friends who are actors, giving him a good, solid understanding of the acting business.

All this preparation and knowledge paid off in a particularly solid book, where you really feel like you are there while reading the story. Edward Lincoln is a well-known actor who has just finished filming a movie called "Man in a Car" (or something similar) where the basic story is that he has been handcuffed in a car and left to die. After this particularly draining experience, he is looking forward to some time with his family, but when his godmother, Nerissa, calls he immediately goes to see her. Startled by her appearance - she had always been very robust - he discovers she is very ill with lymphoma and is probably not going to last very much longer. She asks him to go to South Africa and look into her horses there as they have been performing badly in the races; she wants to leave them to her nephew, but she doesn't want him to end up with duds. Link is happy to comply.

However, once he arrives in South Africa, the attempts on his life almost immediately begin and he is soon drawn into a desperate struggle to both understand the problem with Nerissa's horses, and to protect himself from harm.

Beautifully detailed descriptions of the African vistas visited by Link bring us into the book fully - Francis seems to be particularly good at this sort of thing. I have definitely enjoyed reading books by this author and I believe I'll look into getting a few more.

Rat Race: The Dick Francis stories are slower moving than modern mystery/thrillers, and I rather enjoy that. It's not a constant shoot-'em-up action and as a result there's more time to get to know the characters. In this book, Matt Shore has been hired on to replace an air taxi pilot who is leaving the country. It's just his good luck to have for his first major taxi job several people who appear to be at one another's throats, a terribly moody jockey and - from a stop along the way - one of the most famous jockeys in England. Things just go from bad to worse when, on the flight back he notices a problem with steering the plane and puts down to check it out - only to have the plane explode. Soon Matt finds himself in the middle of a complex web of schemes and secrets - with people who aren't afraid to kill to keep the schemes secret.

An excellent read - highly recommended!

Bonecrack: Neil Griffon grew up in the world of horse racing - his father owning a racing stable and all - but he had left his father's domineering shadow and gone his own way as soon as he could, and made a success of himself. However, when his father is injured in a serious accident and finds himself in hospital, Neil is left with no choice but to take over running the stable - at least until he can find someone else to do it in the interim. His plans of turning the stable over to someone more qualified are quickly kibashed, however, when he is abducted and told that he will be getting a new apprentice, whom he WILL allow to ride the most valuable racehorse in the most important race. If these things are not done, the stable WILL be destroyed. Now Neil must stay and run the stable to make sure that Alessandro Rivera, the son of mobster Enso Rivera, is kept somewhat mollified while still keeping the stable functional and doing his best to make sure everything is kept ready for the upcoming racing season.

This was my first Dick Francis book, and while I wouldn't exactly call it pulse-pounding exciting, it is a decent little book. It is fairly slow moving at time, but I don't really mind that, because it provides us with good character development and that's always a plus. So, I would recommend this for those who are fans of Dick Francis, books about horse racing, thrillers, etc. ... Read more

Product Description
The Adventure Racing World Championship is the pinnacle of the sport. Consider this book your view-finder as you zoom in on some of the strongest athletes in the world doing what they do best.A unique adventure racing experience - this photo book is as real as it gets without actually entering the race. The account of the 2007 World Championship held in Scotland.In May and June 2007, Scotland hosted the World Championship - Adventure Racing.A gruelling course of 550 kilometres was designed to take 196 of the world best adventure racing athletes on a unique Scottish experience. The seven day course included the Isle of Rum, Lochaber, Loch Ness, Rannoch Moor and the high summits of picturesque Glen Coe.With over 200 awesome images and an inspiring journal this beautiful coffee table book is a true reflection of what this international race was all about. ... Read more

Product Description

Come along for the ride with these fast and flashy racing machines. Find out which are the speediest bikes on the track, how to perform a knee slide round a corner, what happens on the wall of death, and more.

... Read more

Product Description
Seldom is a successful manufacturer willing to share the inside story of how it established a new racing program in a new series, or dealt with the ups and downs of engine development. It is all the more unusual when that manufacturer has had the bitter disappointments followed by astonishing successes that American Honda and its racing department, Honda Performance Development, experienced in ten years of racing in the CART racing series. But in A Winning Adventure: Honda's Decade in CART Racing, Honda has agreed to do just that. Join authors Gordon Kirby and John Oreovicz as they tell the complete story of Honda's remarkable turnaround and unprecedented success through frank interviews with key Honda managers and engineers, as well as champion drivers like Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Gil de Ferran. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An excellent book for Honda racing fans
If you enjoy hearing how an engine was developed for CART by some of the team members which developed the Honda engines that took Senna and Prost to F1 championships, then you will enjoy this book. It details info from the engineers at Honda and in the US and how they underestimated the complexity of CART and had to re-group and re-design the engine after failing to qualify for Indy. It is a book about the "inside" story. Not quite enough pictures about the engine or its internals (top secret I suppose), and a few too many of CART cars, but the text is where it's at with this book. An enjoyable read if you are a Honda racing fan.

A must for the Honda Racing Fan
This publication is of a very high standard in both content and production. Make sure you have a sturdy coffee table as it is a weighty volume.
Not only does it cover the Honda years in CART, but also gives an excellent overview of Honda's determination to succeed in all forms of motorsport both past and present.
Absolute value for money and a must for anyone who appreciates Honda's dedication to quality and winning. ... Read more

Product Description
Have you ever daydreamed about digging a hole to the other side of the world? Robert Banks not only entertains such ideas but, better yet, he supplies the mathematical know-how to turn fantasies into problem-solving adventures. In this sequel to the popular Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes (Princeton, 1998), Banks presents another collection of puzzles for readers interested in sharpening their thinking and mathematical skills. The problems range from the wondrous to the eminently practical. In one chapter, the author helps us determine the total number of people who have lived on earth; in another, he shows how an understanding of mathematical curves can help a thrifty lover, armed with construction paper and scissors, keep expenses down on Valentine's Day.

In twenty-six chapters, Banks chooses topics that are fairly easy to analyze using relatively simple mathematics. The phenomena he describes are ones that we encounter in our daily lives or can visualize without much trouble. For example, how do you get the most pizza slices with the least number of cuts? To go from point A to point B in a downpour of rain, should you walk slowly, jog moderately, or run as fast as possible to get least wet? What is the length of the seam on a baseball? If all the ice in the world melted, what would happen to Florida, the Mississippi River, and Niagara Falls? Why do snowflakes have six sides?

Covering a broad range of fields, from geography and environmental studies to map- and flag-making, Banks uses basic algebra and geometry to solve problems. If famous scientists have also pondered these questions, the author shares the historical details with the reader. Designed to entertain and to stimulate thinking, this book can be read for sheer personal enjoyment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Readable applied math.
This is a fine compendium of math applied to a variety of real world problems. The only thing that bothers me is, where are the problems for the reader to try on his own?!

I mean, a lot of people who are going to read this type of book like the challenge of solving a few problems on their own. The author provides scanty few problems to solve, but geez, even for those he doesn't provide the solutions?! - to me this is a cardinal sin when it comes to expository math books -sorry. So please, next time include a few problems for the reader "a la Martin Gardner"

But it is otherwise a very fine book full of spoilers for us math puzzle freaks.

Great, unusual problems solved in detail
The charm and attraction of most of the problems in this book comes from their unusual nature. I for one probably would have never thought to ask what the relative areas of the colors are in the flag of the United States. Another fascinating computation deals with how many times the world's water has been consumed (ingested) by humans. Not surprisingly, it is on the order of one part per million. An interesting supplemental problem would be the rate of change of this ratio. Given the high current population, the rate of increase is the highest in history. While the problems are extremely interesting, one is often hard pressed to find a practical application for the results.
My favorite problem is the computation of the length of the seam of a baseball. The problem fits in well with the mindset of baseball aficionados, who adore obscure statistics concerning the sport they love so passionately. When the weather turns bad, there is not one person among us who has not stood in a shelter and asked the question, "Will I get more rain on me if I run as fast as I can or if I just walk?" The answer here is thorough, as the author even considers the amount of water that splashes on you when your feet hit the ground. To learn the answer to this pressing question, you will have to read it for yourself.
If you ever wish to complete my childhood fantasy of going to China by the direct route through the Earth, then you will want to read chapter 11 before you make the attempt. Assuming you can iron out all the minor engineering details concerning the molten core of the Earth, you will need to understand what will happen to an object at one end of the shaft if it is dropped. The journey to the other side of the Earth would also be a surprisingly short one, roughly forty two minutes in duration.
Learning and teaching mathematics requires that certain problems be presented and solved. However, once the core is covered, consider taking a sideways trip and explore these delightful oddities. It is well worth the effort.

A truly excellent book on applied mathematics
This book, together with the author's earlier title "Towing Icebergs,Falling Dominoes" belong to the bookshelf of everyone who lovesapplied mathematics.They contain some of the best examples I have everseen on "applied" math (versus many other great titles on"pure" math), represented by numerous fun and funny cases.Readthe preface and be intrigued by the questions addressed in them.As allgood scientists and engineers know, the key to problem solving is reallynot math, but how to apply them, how to "model" or"approximate" real world cases.That's what these 2 books areall about.

To fully appreciate these problem-solving skills, you need tobe comfortable with advanced calculus or basic differential equations(probably at the halfway point of these courses).On the other hand,students who are taking these courses should read Banks' books just to seewhat they are really learning.Math really comes to alive through thesepages.I had a great time.

Not for everyone
Don't be misled by the title; this book is not for everyone.Unless you are very comfortable with calculus and have more than a nodding acquaintance with differential equations this book isn't for you.Theauthor does a good job of providing solutions to interesting problemsthrough applied mathematics. However, he does something that mathematicsprofessors always did that used to drive me crazy and it still does.Hesets up a model, develops some defining equations and then makes a leapwith something like "using these relationships, it can be establishedthat ..." or "With this information, we easily determine that..."Some intermediate steps would have been helpful.

The book isinteresting andentertaining but without a background in calculus and anunderstanding of ordinary differential equations, you won't like it.

Fun with math.
This is one of the most delightful books I've read in a long time.I have one other book by Banks, "Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and other adventures in applied mathematics."Like "Towing Icebergs,""Slicing Pizzas" is jam packed with sometimes useful, sometimestrivial, but always entertaining mathematical excursions into some of themost interesting little "didja know?" subjects in appliedmathematics.If you have inquisitive kids - or if you are one yourself --it's a definite must read.

The book is a little over 250 pages long, andthere are 26 chapters, so each chapter is pretty brief - typically onlyabout ten pages. Most of the mathematics in the book is algebra,trigonometry, geometry, and a little bit of calculus, and the book isliterally packed with mathematical equations and diagrams.Just becausemost of the mathematics is at the high-school level, however, does not meanthat it's necessarily easy or trivial.When it comes to "mess'n withmath" Banks is a real pro, and I found myself on more than oneoccasion taking up to 30 minutes filling in the details from one of hisequations to the next.

What's fun about Bank's book is that it goesafter problems you might not have thought about.And when Banks startsgoing into detail it can really make your head spin.Take, for example,the American flag.How much could you write about the mathematicaldescription of the flag?Well, Banks packs more information than you mightsuspect into 22 pages (chapter 1 and lots of chapter 2).It seems thatjust about everything you can say about the flag (mathematically speaking)and about five-pointed stars and golden ratios is tied up in this chapter. Ever wonder what percentage of the flag is blue, white, and red?Bankswill tell you.

Caroline particularly got a kick out of chapter 3.Sheis 10 years old and loves pizza, so when Banks decided to write a chapteron how to cut a pizza to get the most number of pieces for a given numberof cuts she could relate.Think it's easy?Try working the problem andthen compare your answer with Banks.When you are done, do it forwatermelons (that is, do it in three dimensions).

Have you everwondered what is the best strategy in getting from one point to the nextthrough a rainstorm?Is it best to run fast and minimize the amount ofwater on your head whilst soaking your front and splashing your feet andlegs?Or, should your run a little slower, get a little wetter on top, butkeep your legs and shoes a little less damp?This is yet another exampleof the seemingly whimsical yet eminently practical and always mathematicalproblems that Banks entertains us with (chapter 4).

Then there are thosetidbits for spouting out around the dinner table during awkward times wheneveryone stops talking."Hey, guess how many times the oxygen in theworld's atmosphere has been breathed by people" Or "Hey, guesshow many times the water in the world has been drunk by people"

Now here is an interesting idea.Because the earth spins on its axis itis an oblate ellipsoid, which means that its diameter is greater at theequator than at the poles.Banks asks the question, "which rivers runup hill."That is, which rivers have their mouth further away fromthe earth's center than their heads?Think it isn't possible?Think againand then read chapter 6.

Many of the problems that Banks solves deal withspherical geometry and trigonometry.For example, how would you go aboutcalculating the length of the seam on a baseball or tennis ball?Banksdoes it in chapter 24 in what is probably the most mathematically intensechapter.It's not as easy as you might think.

Chapter 9 is about greatnumber sequences, and Banks finds a practical application in - among allthings - the problem of how the captain of a destroyer would go abouttracking down an enemy submarine.Who would have thought there was aconnection?There are too many examples to mention them all, but roundingout my favorites are chapters on how to make a valentine, how to pursueprey, how many people have ever lived on earth, population explosions, and(my very favorite) what makes a rainbow.

This book is very much in thesame flavor as Bank's other book,"Towing Icebergs."It alsohas much of the same flavor as James R. Newman's four-volume set "TheWorld of Mathematics."If you are acquainted with any of those books,and found them interesting, I think you will like this one.

One of thethings I like best about this book is the frequent use of homeworkassignments.In lots of cases Banks takes the reader through to the bitterend, but in others he leaves tantalizing tidbits for the reallyenthusiastic readers (though he often provides answers - something welcome,in my opinion).The only real complaint I have about the book is it'sutterly useless index.This is such a fun book, and covers so muchmaterial that it's real shame you cannot go look up many of the topics itdiscusses by using the index.For example, some of the most interestinginformation in the book deals with the golden number and golden ratio, yetneither "golden number," or "golden ratio" is in theindex.I read the book with a pen and marker, so I updated the index inseveral cases.

If you love mathematics and doing mental calethsentics Ithink you will really enjoy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Beware and Warning!

This book is different from other books.

You and YOU ALONE are in charge of what happens in this story.

"There are dangers, choices, adventures, and consequences." YOU must use all of your numerous talents and much of your enormous intelligence. The wrong decision could end in disaster - even death. But, don't despair. At any time, YOU can go back and make another choice, alter the path of your story, and change its result.

Your dad was a famous racecar driver who taught you everything he knew - even when you were too small to reach the pedals! Now, you have been selected to race in one of the most grueling competitions in the world, the African Road Rallies. Life on the ranch in Arizona taught you a lot, but none of your previous races have demanded as much from you as this two-part race across the wildest parts of Africa will!

Customer Reviews (1)

Lil ''T''S Review
I Think The book is cool.The first adventure is if you wan't to start the speed race first or if you wan't to start the easy one first.I cosed the easy one first cause to let my car warm up for the speed race, like it was real.It told you to go to P.70.Then it told you if you wan't the ''Nissa'' or a truke.I cosed The ''Nissa''.And after that I won two races comeing in first place.It's awsume.I hope you read it so you can enjoy the book.When I cosed the ''Nissa'' it said ''It's a beuty.''Red paint ,hevy grills above the head lights,it's a great car'',Befor you race it tells you to wach out for animals and raffuges. ... Read more

Product Description
Now in paperback, the acclaimed story of a family's struggle to complete the world's most grueling dogsled race.Amazon.com Review
Alaska is more than just the largest state in the Union; it'salso a state of mind, as Ann Mariah Cook found out. Together with herhusband, 3-year-old daughter, and 32 purebred Siberian huskies, shemoved there from New Hampshire in order to train for the legendaryYukon Quest, the most rigorous sled-dog race in the world. Her tough,thoughtful memoir, Running North, chronicles the ordeals aswell as the rewards of their mushers' life. In the course of theirtransformation from cheechakos, or greenhorns, tosourdoughs, or seasoned Alaskans, Cook and her husband learnedto defend themselves and their dogs from extreme weather, adapted tomushing in Alaskan conditions, and even absorbed the niceties of Yukonsocial customs (hint: always put on a pot of coffee for visitors). Thebook ends with a harrowing account of the race, complete with packs ofwolves, howling blizzards, minus-60-degree temperatures, and a fewnarrow escapes. But this is as much Ann's story as it is herhusband's, and as a result it goes far beyond the confines of a simpleadventure story. Full of intriguing glimpses into sled-dog (andmusher) psychology as well as lyrical observations about the beauty ofthe Yukon landscape, Running North is as much concerned withthe who and why of adventure as with its how andwhen. Leaving behind the comfort and security of Cook's New Englandlife required a multitude of adjustments, from the design of the dogs'booties to a new appreciation of interior decorating, Alaska-style. Inthe end, however, it was going home that proved hard: "Returning toNew Hampshire, I saw my life as a stranger might view it. I could notget used to so many houses, so many neighbors, so many socialdemands. Everything in my life had been redefined in only seven and ahalf months." --Mary Park ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Author portrays weak female character
I was intrigued by the story, but sad to hear the author assume a stereotypical weak female role.Her story was only a tale of a rich couple learning to live without their accustomed wealth.If you're interested in being shocked and awed over the "way Alaskans live" this will be the book for you.If you're looking for a good book on the Yukon Quest...keep looking.

A very well written account of a true adventure.
An excellent read. I would not hesitate to read another book written by this author. I am at the last 400 miles of the race. I love the book. I lovee the characters. I love the dogs.So well written. The author makes you feel you are there in the Yukon at the finish line.I can't say enough about the true story. Should be read by all who like adventure and cherish the truth about a God given situation. Bravo@!

Excellent book!
Running North is an excellent book for anyone interested in Alaska or mushing.Ann Mariah Cook captures the feel for Alaska and dog sledding perfectly.Even if you have no true interest in the subject you will find your self swept into the wonderful world of dog sledding.Cook clearly brings to life the people they met, friends they made, and the hazards that tried to stop them from running the Yukon Quest.One of the most grueling races in the world.I found I learned a great deal from this book without it ever becoming boring or slowing down.And most importantly she tells about the dogs, the wonderful creatures who work so willingly for us.Sometimes heartbreaking sometime funny, this book is an interesting, exciting read for anyone.

A family who followed their dream one special winter
Subtitled, "A Yukon Adventure," Ann Mariah Cook's fascinating 1998 memoir chronicles the time in 1992 that she, her husband George and three-year old daughter moved to Alaska to participate in the Yukon Quest, the toughest sled dog race in the world.It was George who ran the race;Ann was the one who drove the truck, carried the gear, took care of their daughter and gave him moral support through the long months of training, and eventually through the grueling event.

I've read other books about dog mushing, but this one had the unique point of view of a woman who, while not actually on the sled during the race, experienced her own Yukon Quest experience.She writes clearly and honestly, not shying away from the disagreement that she had with the young woman they brought with them to act as the official "handler" of the dogs. She writes about George's experience on the trail, his frostbite, fatigue, narrow escapes and indomitable spirit as he pitted himself against natural forces over which he had little control.She writes about the dogs, their personalities and backgrounds and about the tough choices she and George had to make when it came time to pick the actual team of 12 out of their much larger group.She writes about the people they meet along the way, her Alaskan neighbors, fisherman, storekeepers and the other mushers.And she writes about Alaska itself, making me yearn to experience its beauty and majesty.

There was one small line drawing of the Yukon Quest trail and I kept returning to it again and again as the book moved along and the tension mounted.There is also a photo of Ms. Cook and one of her dogs on the back cover.I wish there were more photos, but I didn't really need them because her descriptions were so clear. Recommended.

awesome
This book was one of the greatest ones I have ever read. I race sled dogs, and I found it so interesting...I could and have felt everything they go through. Also my grandmother who bought the book for me said she started reading it one night and read it the whole thing that night, and she has never raced and knows nothing about it, and she LOVED it. So it is a good book for anyone to read!! ... Read more

Product Description
The world's first training book for adventure racers and multisporters. The book is a distillation of the knowledge and experience of some of the world's very best adventure racers, legends like John Howard, Ian Adamson, Steve Gurney, Robert Nagle, Cathy Sassin and Viv Prince. Whether you're starting out or looking to sharpen your performance, you'll gain the benefit of the accumulated knowledge of the titans of the fastest growing team sport in the world today. Avoid the pitfalls, learn simple, practical tips to better health, nutrition and the selection of gear. Discover the history of the sport and find out how a Race Director chooses his course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good Primer
This book would be an excellent choice for those just getting started in adventure racing (AR) or contemplating trying it and intending to do multi-day events.Experienced racers will also find some good tips, but might want to look for a more technical book if they want detailed information.It is a fast read and is well-written.

How to Survive and Thrive in Adventure Racing
This is just the sort of book I was looking for.There is plenty of information for racers at all levels.Newcomers to adventure racing will benefit the most I guess, but the interviews with top racers do give away a few secrets that will help established racers.Steve Gurney's section on skills and techniques will prove very useful and it was fascinating to learn more of the history of the sport.

All the advice, whether on training, equipment, medical preparation or nutrition was easy to read, simple, practical and very useful.The full colour pictures are also very good, painting pictures that words can't convey.

This is a book that belongs in every adventure racer's library.

Informative, but lacking
This book is written from a mainly Kiwi (New Zealand) perspective, and focusses on the Souther Traverse. It does a pretty good job of explaining the origins of adventure racing, but lacks the bigger, more global reach oftoday's races.This book is informative, but is still lacking.Like"The Toughest Race on Earth", this book also lacks in explainingthe true training and lifestyle of today's racers. ... Read more