Book 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. 

Customer Reviews (2)

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

Book 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.

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
Choose from 32 possible endings in this 144 page book with 35 black and white illustrations! Perfect for both boys and girls.Ages: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Manufacturer:Marlon Creations ... Read more

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
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 home is a young nation on the Moon called the Tycho Colony. You live, work and go to school beneath a glass dome facing the Earth. You are excited to be among the first humans living in Tycho Colony, but that doesn't mean it will be easy. Whether you scavenge the Far Side for signs of alien life or brave the moon's dark inner tunnels - good luck to you!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Behind The Wheel
Uh-oh!Something is behind the wheel.I know it will cause trouble in the race.I like this book a lot. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Mi Moto Fidel, Christopher Baker's intriguing account of his three-month romp through Cuba on a fire-engine red motorcycle is perhaps the most thorough portrait of this faded Communist country to date. Baker leaves no stone unturned as he revisits Ernest Hemingway's haunts in Havana, checks out a secret cave in the foothills of the sierras that once served as Che Guevara's command post during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and sips motojos at a thatched-roofed beach bar on Playa Los Pinos. On this exhaustive journey, our leather-clad "yanqui" interacts with a myriad of characters from artists to farmers to fisherman to prostitutes, and engages in lively discussions on everything from politics, sex, cigars, and, of course, on the aging revolutionary himself, Fidel Castro. Baker effectively captures the essence of the Cuban people--primarily their generosity and resilient spirit--and his various dalliances with beautiful habaneras (Daisy, Sonia, and Juanita, to name a few) will pique readers' interest (men's more than women's, understandably). By the time Baker winds up back in Havana he has covered some 7,000 miles on his cherished bike. After reading Mi Moto Fidel, you'll no doubt be inspired to hit the road. --Jill FergusBook Description

Throughout the course of his three-month, 7,000-mile odyssey through Castro's Cuba, Christopher Baker—thanks to his attention-getting vehicle—enjoyed instant entrée to a people both deprived of and obsessed by chrome and motorized wheels.

Customer Reviews (33)

Great travel book
I happen to love great travel books and this was fantastic. It has beenfew years since I read this book but it was a fast and fun read. You get a real sense of the culture and the country. The book was always moving and that is what i like about travel books.

A Great Ride!
Mr. Baker's book is riveting, entertaining, and educational. I am Cuban born and had visited Cuba prior to the "special period". Mr. Baker's account is fair and balanced and highlights the Castro regime's failures and accomplishments. For anyone wishing to find out what it is like in Cuba - look no further! It is a fabulous read.

Good book
Although Baker is an unapologetic womanizer and takes avantage of many women who obviously want him so as to escape Cuba, the book is interesting in that it highlights many of the failures of the cuban revolution;the prostitution, bad food.Meanwhile, he catches the friendliness of the people.

Mid Life Crisis
Some men buy a red convertible.Some take a mistress.This is not news, nor newsworthy.Another title of this book could be, "A Boy, A Bike and A Penis".White male heterosexuality at it's banal worst. But then again, no one forced me to read it!If you want to know about the conditions in Cuba, this is NOT the book to read.If you want to live vicariously, it's all yours!

the other million little lies
a drunk finnish skipper gives him ze helm of his boat in 15 foot seas, then goes below for a nap. this after showing him how to read the instrument panel and telling him his compas has just been installed and is 10 degrees off. uh huh. then the panel goes dark, who knows why; maybe the 15 foot seas? should he wake the captain, nah, why do that when he can steer by the compass?
this is just the beginning of the book. this guy is so self absorbed that he writes his own review filled with what? more reviews! skip this work of fiction. ... Read more

Book Description
He has the talent. He has the desire. He has the commitment. But if Eddie Stewart wants to become a top professional racing driver, he's going to need some help. As he and his team of close friends take on the fierce competition in the TransAm and Formula Atlantic Series, they learn that there are many ways to the victory podium. Some of their rivals believe that winning is everything, and they play by their own set ofrules. Will Eddie be able to overcome the odds and run his own race every time? ... Read more

Book Description

"There was no warning, just a loud metallic bang, and the engine noise stopped instantly. Everything immediately went white, as if I was a plane that had suddenly flown straight into a cloud. The cockpit of the car filled with thick, white smoke, stinging my eyes and nose. I couldn't even see the steering wheel, much less the road ahead."

Eddie Stewart has what it takes to become a top racing driver--everything, that is, except money. That hasn't stopped him and his team from sinking all their savings into a Trans-Am Mustang and entering it in their first pro race. But it will take more than skill and nerve to make it to the victory podium. Eddie is about to learn that some drivers will do anything to win--even play by their own set of rules.

Book Description

"I tried hard to concentrate. To go faster, I had to find the car's limits and then take it up there on every corner in a smooth, fluid rhythm.
Rick called it 'being in the zone.'
That was where I'd find the speed I knew this car was waiting to deliver."

Eddie Stewart and his team have vaulted up the points standings of the North America Formula Atlantic Series. After his victory in Toronto, a win in Miami will give the rookie driver the overall points title. Just before the big race, Eddie is offered a long-term deal and a huge sum of money to drive for another team. But the offer comes with a price. . .

Amazon.com
Alaska is more than just the largest state in the Union; it's also a state of mind, as Ann Mariah Cook found out. Together with her husband, 3-year-old daughter, and 32 purebred Siberian huskies, she moved there from New Hampshire in order to train for the legendary Yukon Quest, the most rigorous sled-dog race in the world. Her tough, thoughtful memoir, Running North, chronicles the ordeals as well as the rewards of their mushers' life. In the course of their transformation from cheechakos, or greenhorns, to sourdoughs, or seasoned Alaskans, Cook and her husband learned to defend themselves and their dogs from extreme weather, adapted to mushing in Alaskan conditions, and even absorbed the niceties of Yukon social customs (hint: always put on a pot of coffee for visitors). The book ends with a harrowing account of the race, complete with packs of wolves, howling blizzards, minus-60-degree temperatures, and a few narrow escapes. But this is as much Ann's story as it is her husband's, and as a result it goes far beyond the confines of a simple adventure story. Full of intriguing glimpses into sled-dog (and musher) psychology as well as lyrical observations about the beauty of the Yukon landscape, Running North is as much concerned with the who and why of adventure as with its how and when. Leaving behind the comfort and security of Cook's New England life required a multitude of adjustments, from the design of the dogs' booties to a new appreciation of interior decorating, Alaska-style. In the end, however, it was going home that proved hard: "Returning to New Hampshire, I saw my life as a stranger might view it. I could not get used to so many houses, so many neighbors, so many social demands. Everything in my life had been redefined in only seven and a half months." --Mary ParkBook Description
Now in paperback, the acclaimed story of a family's struggle to complete the world's most grueling dogsled race.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

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!!

Great Adventure
What a pleasant surprise to read a literary and exciting story of Alaska and dog-racing. Thoroughly enjoyable. I totally recommend this book to all adventure lovers.

Enduring Determination
Fascinating details of the "Cook Team" in the greuling Yukon Quest are revealed in this book.Ann and her husband move to Alaska from the eastern United States so that they can experience "real" dogsled racing.Their adventure is difficult from the beginning; however,they eventually grow to love the Alaskan atmosphere.Despite muchadversity, from friends and neighbors, about their inexperience, George andAnn enter the Yukon Quest.Details about survival, cultural adjustment,and everlasting memories are enriched in this educational book about theYukon Quest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

I could have done better
Just because the writer was a doctor does not lend creditablility to the information. It was terrible. Way to juvenile.
I have a small team of racers that I support. Three sisters from a family of eight(8) kids. So, I support the three (3) oldest to the tune of 15-16K in 2006. We have six race bikes and two practice bikes. Our biggest supporter is a local mechanic that donates his time for free. I am able to do quit a bit of the maintance, but not the big stuff. We drive 140 miles round trip across Phoenix friday afternoons to get to our track. That is a story into it's self. We have won three races, but it's mostly for me to spoil some kids that their parents are not able to because of the size of the family. So I help a little.
I contacted Amazon for a return label to return this book, and I am still waiting.
"Mr.B"

I couldnt put it down!
this is one of the best books i have ever read.I bought it and once i started i couldnt stop,it was soo amazing! If you can,you should deffinitely buy this book,it is so worth it. You will love it,and your kids will love it,your whole family will love it!

good book
I don't even like to read, but I read this book in one night. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from ATV Sport, published by Ehlert Publishing Group on December 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1678 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Western civilization: an 'old west' adventure in Nevada's high desert.(GOINGPLACES)
Author: Blake Stranz
Publication: ATV Sport (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2004
Publisher: Ehlert Publishing Group
Volume: 7Issue: 9Page: 62(6)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more