Book Description
After the planes from the Big Town airport vote to have their friend, Waldo W. Wing, represent them in the big race, they're shocked to discover he cheats to win. ... Read more

Book Description
The author covers the six-to-twelve day races that would cover up to 500 miles of climbing, swimming, navigation, kayaking, and more as a journalist before he began competing in them. The book is a dramatic, fascinating, intensely personal story of adventure racing written from his dual perspective as a journalist and an athlete. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A Passion For Living
There is a message in this book much greater than that of finishing the Raid Gauloises. It's the journey that's important, not so much the finish.

If your looking for a how-to book on adventure racing, this may not be for you. However, if your looking to read the story of one man's accomplishments and how those accomplishments relate to adventure racing, this is certainly a book to read.

The author takes us through his experiences of adventure racing both on and off the course, sharing the essence of his human spirit.

It's a story of dreams that became a reality. A story of teamwork, discipline and friendship. A story of love for one's family and a passion for life.

Thanks Marty and enough with the ibuprofen, that stuff will kill you.

Rockin Great Book
I just want to say that I think this is a great book. I like to adventure race and I probably wouldn't have hear of this book if it wasn't for Survivor. I'm glad I did. It was uplifting, motivating, and about far more than just adventure racing. I was interested to find out Dugard and Mark Burnett had such a long history together, which is catalogued in the book. It's like the Survivor story actually begins with this book, with the show as the next generation of outdoor survival.

Informative and Sometimes Inspiring
This book is really two stories within one.The author starts by telling how he changed his life by taking a chance and pursuing a dream.It is a story of a corporate professional who grows disillusioned with his job, and spends his days daydreaming about a more exciting and fulfilling life.Taking a leap of faith, with the support of his wife, the author decides finally to pursue his dream as a free lance writer.We follow the author's adventure first as a correspondent for a new sport, and then listen as the author is drawn into the sport as a participant.The author is very informative when it comes to describing the adventure race experience.If you have ever wondered what an adventure race entails, and what motivates people to undertake such an endeavor, this book is for you.If you are stuck in a deadend job and dream of doing something different, then you may want to read this book as well.The editing could be better (I often times wondered if the author used the same editor on "Survivor"), but this is only a small distraction from the material contained in the book.

Participate In Life-Multi-Sport Maketing & Coaching
Surviving The Toughest race on Earth -This is the first real informationsource on adventure racing a sport that began in 1989.This offers theperspective from a freelance writer who has covered many of the differentAdventure races in all parts of the most difficult terrain the world has tooffer. Writer Martin Dugard also describes the process from the perspectiveof a racer having finished One of these events.The Information onpersonalities,perserverance,team-dynamics,and the mind numbing difficultylevel of andventure racing is brought out in it's truest form.Thedescriptions of the people,places and emotion bring adventure racing tolife. If you are a multi-sport athlete this will peak your interest inadventure racing.

Misleading
I was boiling with anticipation to read this.It seems I can't get enough of Adventure Racing whether it's watching the Eco Challenge, reading about the Raid Gaulioses or participating in the Hi Tec Series.However, most ofmy anticipation was destroyed during the first part of this book.I'mhappy for Mr Dugard in that he was able to escape corporate America and dowhat he dreamed of doing.But he beat the issue to death.Factor in hisstory on the Concorde and he has no right calling this book what he did. It's the classic bait and switch.I wanted a first hand account on whatit's like to train, participate in and then finish an Eco Challenge and/orRaid.I just didn't get that.In the end he finally did give me a littletaste of what I was after when he described his experiences with TeamLestra Sport.But it just wasn't enough. I do give him credit there as hedid finish the race even after the rest of Lestra Sport was forced to dropout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A CYOA masterpiece!
One of R. A. Montgomery's most sophisticated and bleak works, Last Run takes the reader inside a murky and sinister conspiracy.The protagonist is more richly detailed than most "you" characters, the setting (the Italian Dolomites) is interesting, and the endings, while largely unhappy, are dramatically satisfying.A must-read for all CYOA lovers.

THOUGHT THAT IT WAS COOL, IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
I really enjoyed it, but for some reason, I could not find a ending where I demolished the Meridians.I wish that I did though.I thought that the plot was perfect.This was my most challenging Choose Your Own Adventure ever!It was well written and what I would say was the most wonderful and greatest book ever published.As a critic and fan of Choose Your Own Adventures, this was the literary masterpiece of young adult fiction everywhere.I acclaim it as a 10 ... Read more

Book Description
Rising star Eddie Stewart is on the starting grid of one of the greatest races in the world, the Indianapolis 500.With an innovative new car, an international sponsor, and the support of a talented team, Eddie seems to have everything he needs for success. But he soon discovers that he will have to deal with much more than the risks of wheel-to-wheel racing at over 200 miles per hour. A mysterious series of crashes threatens to end Eddie's dream before it even begins. ... Read more

Book Description
When a baby zebra is abandoned by his traveling circus, he finds himself lost and alone in the Kentucky heartland. But a kind farmer and his daughter rescue him and bring him home to their barn. There he lives among the farm animals, believing he's a horse like any other. His name? Stripes, of course! Stripes grows up believing he's born to run. But he is teased about his unusual appearance by the snooty thoroughbreds at the horse farm next door. Determined to prove himself, Stripes begins to train for the greatest race in the world... the Kentucky Derby. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Blue Ribbon Winner
This book captured the highlights of the movie and some photos of the movie too! I enjoyed this book greatly! Stripes- a zebra was taken to a farm when he was very young. Because he was left behind by a trailor. Cold and startled the Zebra must be trained and try to win a huge race! Can Stripes do it? Read this book today! A wonderful summer riding book for the whole family! ... Read more

Book Description
Come join Peanuts and the gang as they prepare for the best turtle race ever!With The Adventures of Peanuts Holly, Richard Piotrowicz brings to life the lost art of childhood hobby.

Offering entertainment coupled with a moral lesson, Peanuts and his buddy Spec illuminate for every child the brilliant essence of friendship, healthy competition, craft and simply growing up.Through the eyes of these children, young readers will journey deep into their own imagination, where possibilities are endless.

Piotrowicz incorporates a theme of puzzles into his text that bring an element of excitement into the reading.The puzzles, complemented by the vibrant illustrations, give a radiant quality to The Adventures of Peanuts Holly, that sets it far apart from other books of its kind. ... Read more

Product Description
Young Adult Fiction.Horse racing adventure.A young boy, inspired by a champion racehorse, becomes a winning jockey on his way to solving the mystery of his father's disappearance. ... Read more

Book Description
Whether you're a casual fan tuning in to the Kentucky Derby or a dedicated horseplayer trying to turn a profit, says the author, racing and betting today are completely different than they were in the days of Seabiscuit and Secretariat. The author has been at the forefront of many of these changes and in this long-awaited memoir, he chronicles his unique adventures in racing journalism, politics, high finance and, closest to his heart, betting on horses. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

And the future is----
Crist took the racing form into the present & future. It was in the hands of guys frozen with a 1930s outlook (sorry Saul Rosen et al)and Crist pumped his energy and intelligence into a moribund product. Congratulations Steve.

Ah, to have the report's life.
Steven Crist, Betting on Myself: Adventures of a Horseplayer and Publisher (DRF Press, 2004)

Crist's surprisingly readable "my life thus far" autobiography is probably stuck with a built-in limit to the numbers of readers who are going to be intrigued by it. This is a mistake not by Crist, but by those readers who don't think they're going to like a "horse book."

Crist traces the path he took from his years at Harvard, when he first discovered greyhound racing, to his present position as the owner of the Daily Racing Form. In between there's a lot of other fun stuff to interest both the horseplayer and the general reading audience: a stint with the New York Times, various discussions of economics (as it pertains to horse racing, granted, but money is money), the political scene in Albany, and all the other good stuff a dirt-dishing autobiography is supposed to have. (Kitty Kelley readers, however, will be depressed to note that Crist has been married to the same woman since Methuselah was a pup, and if there's any steppin' out involved, it never gets mentioned. Which may explain why Crist, and not Kelley, wrote this book.) It's also exceptionally readable for non-fiction, and a lot of fun in the bargain. A lot of fun. ****

He took the words out of my mouth
The nearby review - Well Written Memoir from a Fascinating Person - got all the details of a review right, so I don't need to repeat them. Enthusiastic individual believes in himself, makes good, but fails (hardly by accident) to reveal some of the "secrets" of parimutuel betting success. Kind of like that magician who just won't explain how he cut the lady in half.

Crist Cashes In A Winner
It's always interesting to read and learn about the behind-the-scenes action that takes place during the business ventures of which the general public is not usually aware. In BETTING ON MYSELF, Steven Crist is a horseplayer who had ideas to improve the information provided to gamblers by creating an alternative publication to The Daily Racing Form (DRF). Instead, as this well written memoir details, Crist became chairman and publisher of DRF. His story serves as another example of a person who fulfills his goals and proves that luck is directly proportional to hard work applied to opportunity.

A Must Read For Hoseplayers
I Found This To Be Both Entertaining And Insightful.
It Is Amazing How This Individual Can Be Such A Corporate Magnate, Harvard Graduate But Yet Still Relate And Identify With The "Common Horseplayer".His Insight Ito The Interworkings Of Handicapping And Trying To Survive AS A Horseplayer Are A Must Read. I Did However Think To Much Copy Was Spent On His Relationship With The NYRA. I Would Have Loved To Have Seen More Print On His Personal On-Track Tales. ... Read more

Book Description
From the creator of the best-selling Polk Street School series--and winner of the Newbery Honor--comes The Adventures of Minnie and Max, a new series of chapter books about a plucky female detective and her trusty feline sidekick, Max. Minnie's brother, Orlando --owner of the Catfish Cafe--may not be sure of Minnie's detective work, but her new friend Cash and police officer Kitty the Klutz, are right behind her, helping her all the way.Minnie and Cash join forces for an important case--a stolen racing pigeon, a prizewinner named Mary Moon, and the very suspicious disappearance of their friend, Bird Berry. ... Read more

Book Description
The tracks are faster. The cars, too. But the hunger for speed-and the hunt for the checkered flag-hasn't changed.Jodell Bob Lee has long since retired from driving, but the love of the sport is still like a fire in his belly. When he spots a talented young driver he can't help remembering his own glory days. It's as if he is thirty years younger and racing the dirt tracks of Tennessee all over again. Jodell has an idea: his old friend and former "wrench," Billy Winton, has put together a racing team, but so far wins have been hard to come by. Billy is looking for a driver who can do more than just chase the checkered flag. He needs a young gun who can tame the superspeedways and take the flag. A new partnership is born. But the Kid has a few obstacles in the way, namely Dale Earnhart, Jr., Adam Petty, Casey Atwood, and the other young guns who are clearly stock car racing's next wave of stars. It's a new generation of drivers, but the prize is the same: the checkered flag! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Keith & Wright take you inside big time Stock Car Racing
If you've not read the previous 4 books in the Rolling Thunder series, feel free to pick up book 5 and start from here.Young Guns is set in the current/modern day Grand National series and this book apeals to anyone who has ever seen a few minutes of a race on TV.

Keith & Wright take you inside the car with spectacular racing sequences!

The story follows a young driver through his first few races, and showcases the behind the scenes aspects of a race team.The team struggles to pick up a big sponsor and seams poised to make a big splash in the Grand National series.

You won't put this book down until the last page, and then you'll want to know what happens next season.

Young Guns (Rolling Thunder Stock Car Racing, No 5)
This book is one for the stock car racing lover.Don Keith has captured the feeling and heart of NASCAR auto racing and the drive of the people behind the scenes.The way he tells how hard it is to break into the upperlevels and the talent it takes is so very real.I recommend this to anyNASCAR fan. ... Read more

Book Description
In the beginning, man hoisted a scrap of cloth on a pole and discovered it moved his boat. Over the centuries we have progressed a great deal from this first discovery. From the earliest pleasure crafts of the Netherlands, where yachting began as a sport, to the high-tech machines of today, THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF SAILING YACHTSpresents a finely drawn panorama of yachting history and of the most beautiful objects ever created by the imagination and the hands of man.
Herein is a sweeping survey of spectacular yachts, brought to life in superb engravings, photographs and masterpieces of marine art -- from the earliest yachts based on working boats to the revolution wrought by AMERICA, the first winner of America's Cup; from the skimming dishes of New York Harbor to the plank-on-edge cutters of the Solent.
The great builders and desingers - Steers, Watson, Herreshoff, Stephens, Nicholson, Rhodes, Farr, Frers, Laurent Giles, and many more - as well as the evolution of design and building techniques, are profiled in detail. The lives and achievements of the heroic sailors, the solo advnturers, the racing helmsmen, and the round-the-world voyagers are discussed in detail along with their involvement in the development of the sport.
From the earliest informal races between yachts, as personal wagers among gentlemen, to the grueling, worldwide marathons like the Whitbread, to single-handed challenges of the past few decades, racing hasbeen a preoccupation of most sailors. In THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF SAILING YACHTS, the greatest races and their histories are detailed -- the Syndey-Hobart, the Bermuda Race, the Single-Handed Transatlantic, the America's Cup, and the Admiral's Cup. Through storms and calm and dismasting and swamping, adversity has propelled sailors to truly heroic deeds.
For years, yachting was the province of the rich. Today, it has become a sport that attracts millions on all the waters of the planet. In THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF SAILING YACHTS, we can follow the development and progress of a sport that has pitted man against the most fearsome elements -- sometimes with disaster, sometimes with jubilant victory. It has never been dull, and it has produced outstanding creations - beautiful yachts and stalwart sailors. ... Read more