Product Description

The world–champion freestyle skateboarder and the man who brought the ollie – the trick that revolutionised the sport by taking it from the ground to the air – to street skating shares the history of skateboarding, as he tells the dramatic story of his life.

At the age of 13, Rodney took the freestyle skating world by storm. He won 35 world titles in less than five years. But through it all, his father looked down on his son's love for skating and pressured him to walk away from the sport and leave behind his fans and status as the most famous skateboarder of his era. After years of stress and conflict, Rodney gave in and promised his father he'd quit for good. But by the time he finally broke free from his suffocating and abusive home life, the popularity of freestyle had waned and given way to vert and street styles. So Rodney picked up his board and started from scratch. With the help of mentor Mike Ternansky, Rodney used his freestyle background to usher in a whole new era of street skating.

Today Rodney is more popular than ever. The videos in his series Rodney Versus Daewon are among the most popular skateboard videos ever produced. He won the 2002 Transworld Skateboarding readers' choice award for favourite street skater and is the most popular character on the top–selling Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video games.

Customer Reviews (20)

Inspiring
I bought it and sent it to my son, aged 30 and these are his own comments: "inspiring, useful tribute to skateboarding history and the purpose of it all, including social aspect of the life of a true winner"

Great book, must read!
Wow!What an amazing story.I wasn't able to put it down.If you have a passion for skating in any form, then I can't say enough great things about this book.
Rodney Mullen did more for skateboarding that I ever realized.This is one of the best book's I've ever read!

An inspirational must-read for anyone, especially teens
Hard to put down - a heart-wrenching story.

Mullen is so articulate, insightful & thoughtful that you can't help but be affected by his story.

Yes, the book has skating, but it's also about so much more - it's about life.

I borrowed the book from the library but now I'm going to buy a copy to save for my kids (currently 7 & 8) to read when they're teens.

Rodney
Robney is clearly a very interesting guy, great stories about the glory days of skating, mixed with a insightful view into parenting styles of the 70s

Sk8Ter Approved!
I got this for my husband as a gift and he finished it in 2 days.He loves the old skool history of sk8ting and hearing about characters from daze past.He really seemed to enjoy it, as he didn't put it down until it was finished!;-) I would say that puts it in the 'good read' category! ... Read more

Product Description

"An amazingly vivid documentary that runs the full gamut from exhilaration to devastation, and back. It's more exhilarating than not, though, because it is about how kids invent their own lives, whatever life has handed them."
—Luc Sante

"We Skate Hardcore points to a very hard reality. Cianni's photographs bear faces of an enduring working class, the people of "Los Sures" in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. You see their desire for life, family, home, and community, to move forward and become someone. You also see in these bold as well as intimate portraits, scenes, action shots, and still video sequences, the life, blood, spirit, conscience, pride, and zeal of young in-line skaters and their tribes."
—Juan Sanchez, Hunter College

The stunning photographs of We Skate Hardcore reveal the determination, the dreams, and the rough and tumble story of urban Latino youth coming of age in New York City. Vincent Cianni spent eight years photographing and documenting a group of Latino in-line skaters in the Southside of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Cianni weaves together images of the skaters with their own words, showing the the skaters' struggles to find a place to skate and build skate parks, and just to survive in the city. In the evacuated industrial spaces of their neighborhood, the skaters carve out places for enjoying their sport and showing off their skills—often thwarting established rules and authority figures in the process. Their stories are both personal and resonant; they reflect the trials and tenacity of a young urban culture, as well as life in Southside's Latino community.In addition to black and white and color photos, We Skate Hardcore includes a DVD with footage of the skaters featured in the book, as well as additional photographs and an essay.

We Skate Hardcore, with its verve and youthful energy, will especially appeal to photographers, those interested in urban studies and adolescence, New Yorkers, and in-line skaters and extreme sports enthusiasts everywhere.

WE SKATE HARDCORE
Art Exhibition Schedule

Sep 1–Sep 19, 2004
Brooklyn, NY–Williamsburg Art Nexus
late September–early October 2004
Museum of the City of New York
September 2004
Laurence Miller Gallery, New York
Oct 9–Nov 30, 2004
Minnesota Center for Photography
Nov 2004–Jan 2005
Griffin Museum, Winchester, MA
Spring 2005
Fullerton Museum, San Bernadino, CA

Product Description
For more than twenty years, Thrasher magazine has been the leading authority on skateboarders and their culture. Packed with hundreds of the most intense skateboarding photographs ever printed, Insane Terrain offers a view through the skater's eye, while supplying the necessary images to incite the imaginations of skateboarders everywhere. The book starts with a historical overview of the lifestyle and an examination of the history of skateboarders past and present, including profiles of such well-known legends as Tony Hawk, Tony Alva, and Christian Hosoi. Finally, the book showcases some of the coolest places on earth to skate, from legendary underground fullpipes and renowned skateparks to popular street hangouts and cutting-edge terrain. Utilizing images from Thrasher's unparalleled photo archives as well as commentary form the Thrasher crew and friends, Insane Terrain is essential for skaters worldwide.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Pics,nearly spot on history of skating
A must have book for your living room coffee table collection.
I do not like how Jay Adams was thrown out there in this book,and the controversy over Dusto and the pipe Salba got busted in is bogus BS,but aside from that,this book is WELL worth the $20 bucks for a crisp,clean and new copy.

If you are a skater for life,you must own this.

Purchase this,and if you don't have the spending gitas,get your girlfriend or mom to buy it!
AWESOME BOOK!!!

BORING!
I hope the 25 year anniversary book is better, the cover of it looks promising enough with Jay Adams and the classic Skate & Destroy motto I live by across the front, but this one is b o r i n g.

Thrasher rocks!!!!!!!!1
Thrasher:Insane terrain is an awsome book with great pictures and information. To all skaters i recommend this book you will enjoy it. To all non-skaters play thrasher skate and destroy that is also awsome. Thrasher this book is truly a compliment to urselves as a pioneer of the skating revloution. GREAT BOOK!!!!
If u dont read it you are truly missing out it was worth every cent. ... Read more

Product Description
Written in concise, layperson's language and full of photographs and personal anecdotes, this book goes step-by-step through the process of creating and using sails. Provided is a definitive look at the latest developments in sails, sailcloth, engineering, hardware, and sail trim. Also offered are case studies that illustrate which fibers, fabrics, and sails are suitable for a variety of different sailing applications, from simple dinghies and day sailors to offshore racing and cruising yachts. Sailors of all levels of interest and ability will find information they can apply to their own boats and sail choices. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Power Up with Maximum Sail Power!
Are you looking to power up your performance as a cruising or racing sailor? Add this book to your "must have" nautical library. It explains how sails work, how to control draft in all wind conditions, shape your sails for power and speed, and care for your sails to make them last longer. Clear and well written, Hancock talks to the reader in layman's terms. A great read!

An excellent book on sail technology and trim
This book covers common sail materials and manufacturing techniques. It describes the advantages and disadvantages of each material. Advanced sail trim techniques are also covered. The single most useful and complete book on sail trim and sail materials I have come across. I do own many books on this subject and "Maximum Sail Power" is by far the best! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Tony Hawk - Hardest Working Man in Skateboarding
If you love skateboarding you better read this. This book is fun and interesting. Tony Hawk has written a personal and honest book. He takes you on his journey to the very top rung of pro skateboarding. You can see the mindset of a great skater and great athlete. He was extremely hard on himself and always worked hard to master each trick. He seemed to stay humble and was self-deprecating while becoming one of the best, if not the best, in the world. Parts of this book are very funny, when he talks about the pranks and crazy stuff skaters would do. It takes you right into the crazy 80s when skating was getting huge with the big personalities and goofy colors. Glad he wrote it!

Check out my book about growing up as a goofy punk kid in L.A. during the early 80s:
[...]

JordanThrower's review
He went pro at the age of 12; is credited with inventing nearly 80 tricks; won 73 contests in the course of his career; started his own (now multi-million dollar) company in 1992; had a PlayStation game named after him; reportedly rakes in over $1 million a year in endorsements (from The Gap, to Mountain Dew, to the "Got Milk?" campaigns); and during the 1999 X-Games, became the first man ever to land the 900.in the book he talks about how kids at school hassled him about how he skateboard and how he was pro. and it dident get much better for him because the older guys dident like the way he did his air's and they dident like his style I liked this book because it really shows what skaters have to go through with all the people that hassle you because you skate.

Tony Hawk
I'm sure you have heard of this skater he is very famous he was the very first person to land the 900.Can you guess who he is that's right its Tony Hawk.You could say Tony was unexpected until he was born.He said that his parents thought that they were going through a relaxing phase until he was born.When Tony's mom told his dad that he was born he had a heart attack.When he was getting older he began Pre-K and he really didn't like school.He would do anything to get out of school like cry or when his parents came to visit he would grab on to there leg and wouldn't let go or, he would grab on to the fence when his parents dropped him and he wouldn't let go so they had t pry his fingers of the fence.He would fallow the same routine over and over again each day.When he started Kinder garden he began to skate.Tony was really smart when he was little His teachers said he had a 12 year old brain in a 8 year old body.Tony fell on his head so many times (About 5 times) I think he broke a lot of bones when he was skating.Tony Hawk was very famous because he was the very first person to land the 900!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to people that like to skate or people that just want to have a good laugh.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater
Tony Hawk Pro Skater

5 star pro skater? I don't think so. When he was born his dad had a heart attack but didn't die. When he was in pre-K he never wanted to go. So his daily routine is to cry so he didn't have to go and if that didn't work he hanged on to the fence until he could hold no more. He stated skating when he was about 7 or 8 he fell on his head so much but he still continued to skate. Every day before school he would skate the curb in front of his school until the bell rang. He would watch Sesame Street and he learned most of the stuff he learned was from Sesame Street like math with count and Spanish. But after school he would get a ride from his dad or someone from his family to go to the skatepark or he would ride his skateboard there.

His two front teeth were capped because he tried to do a frontside rock and role(Which is a skate trick)and fell into the ramp on his face. His first sponsor was dog town skate comp. But it didn't last that long until they ran out of business. He was called a pro amateur and there wasn't that much in the 70s. He officially turned pro in 1999.



I would recommend this book
To people who skate and who like to laugh.

Don't judge a book by it's cover
To tell you the truth, I was suspect when I first saw this book.This probably has one of the lamer titles around.Fortunately, the book never had a dull moment.This book is well written and hilarious. ... Read more

Product Description
Skateboarding is a means of transport, a pastime, a lifestyle, an artful expression, and an ethos. Some even call it a sport. But until now, the scene has lacked an appropriate -- and accessible -- tribute. Scarred for Life is an intimate, you-are-there look into the culture and history of skateboarding, as told through the voices and experiences of those who have dedicated their lives to riding a wooden plank with wheels. Eleven chapters take readers on a wild ride through the evolution (and revolution) of skateboarding -- reaching as far back as the 1950s -- and includes oral histories and terrain reports of the major styles and techniques as they emerged. One hundred dynamic photographs capture skaters doing what they do best in pools and pipes, on hills, ramps, streets, and skateparks. From the early proving grounds of California hills and pools to the chaotic streets of modern New York City, Scarred for Life offers street-level talk and eye-to-eye truth-telling about skateboarders, scars and all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Scarred....
When I read this book for the first time I thought it was a history of skateboarding type book, but I was wrong. It is a bookof stories about the people who made skateboarding history!! Keith Hamm did a great job writing this book. He uncovered info that I had never knew or even thought of. I am waiting for more from Keith Hamm especially about Jay Adams and more pool skateing. Yeah!!! Get a copy and read it for yourself. It is a good edition to a skate library. Team AM approved!!

excellent look at the culture
This book is obviously written by someone who not only knows how to tell a good story, do a good interview, and find interesting people, it's really written by someone who KNOWS what he's talking about and knows how to translate it to others, this is a great book on skateboarding culture. The Jay Adams story alone is worth the price.

Scarred for Life
Finally a skateboard book that did it's research. Amazing photo's and a good read. This is definetly a must have book. It's nice to see skateboarders that have been true to the sport finally get some photo's in print. Skateboarding is a lifestyle to most not just a thing to do because everyones doing it.Keith really did his homework. Good job! ... Read more

Product Description
This beginner's instructional guide is designed to appeal to novice- and intermediate-level skateboarders. The topics include tips on safety, equipment, and basic riding techniques. The author collaborated with and sought the expertise of top riders and coaches in order to explore the how-tos of riding and performing maneuvers upon various terrain and obstacles likely to be found on the streets or in skate parks. The step-by-step instructions and photographs illustrate important details and fail-proof methods that will help get beginning skateboarders riding in no time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

too early
Bought as a gift for a beginner-has not received much attention with all the snow on the ground.

Not So Much
I bought this book a while back, and it is O.K...but thats where it stops.

There is nothing at all like watching in real life--or hey, why not TV how to start-up ur own tricks?

Much better, and much more worth it--Check out this movie Skateboarding Explained!

Its Wayyy more helpful and like i said--Much more worth it.

You can check it out on Amazon or on MySpace..Hey give it a try?

What you got to lose? haha, go Back to this book I guess if it doesnt help...but im telling you now--Skateboarding Explained is MUCH MUCH better!!

Keep Skatin!

Not Bad
The book is a great book if you have never skateboarded before or if you want to learn about it. It spends a lot of time on what it is and what it is about. The book tells about the parts and pieces of a typical skateboard.... And it also tells how to ride a skateboard, but you don't really need the book... just get on a board and ride how you feel comfortable. The book also tells about the history of skateboarding as you go along in the book. And for the trick tips section....it just has the basic stufflike an ollie and kickturns. Nothing big, just the basics are in this book.

Skateboarder's start-up
Skateboardersstart up
by Doug Werner with SteveBadillo
2002
All people who like to skate board this book is for you.It tells you about the laws and the safety of skateboarding.
Some of the exciting parts are the parts were they show you how to do the tricks and it tells you how to do kickfilp and other cool tricks . And they show you how to plant your feet on the board
The people who like this book like to skateboard and people who want to learn it

here is a good idea
all this book can tell u for tricks is where to put your feet and you're never gonna magically get good by reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

My daughter's favorite book
Everybody checks it out
When the Skateboard Monsters book's about.
Get your card and stand in line.
Skateboard Monsters are really fine!
Read it once or read it twice,
But please to treat the pages nice.
Library copy's old and torn,
Someone treated it with scorn
But we are patrons brave and strong
And we will not complain for long.
We've checked it out ten times this year.
(It's treated well when it is here!)
Erika can't leave this book alone...
Guess it's time to buy our own!

Bright pictures,rhyming story and monsters make this a hit!
Skateboard Monsters is the kind of book that appeals to the youngest of readers as well kids that think they are too old to be read to anymore! The illustrations jump off the page at you in bright vivid colors. And even though there are monsters these are not scary monsters but ones any boy or girl would love to play with. These monsters are definitely cool! The story is fast-paced with wonderful rhyming words. The lyrical quaility of the story makes any kid want to read it over and over. I know my boys do! So if you need a good book to get the kids sitting down and reading on their own, this one gets my hearty recomendation!! ... Read more

Product Description
In January 1981, a group of San Francisco skateboarders put together the first issue of Thrasher magazine. Today, Thrasher is bigger and better than ever—its name synonymous with both skateboarding's roots and constant evolution. Marking Thrasher's anniversary, this jam-packed retrospective recounts skateboarding's twists and turns of the last two decades and offers a glimpse at its thriving future. New and old school skaters alike will love Thrasher: Skate and Destroy. Not only does it cover the first twenty-five years of the magazine, reprinting the best of the original columns—"Photograffiti," "Zounds," "Trash," among others—but it will feature unpublished photos, rejected covers, interview outtakes, and detailed profiles. Action-packed photos capture legendary skaters such as: Tony Hawk, Bob Burnquist, Andrew Reynolds, Tony Alva, Mike Carroll, and Lance Mountain.The definitive guide to the history and development of skateboarding, no other book will take you as close to the risk taking, bone breaking world of what has since become the world's fastest growing extreme sport. With an emphasis on the current trends that will especially appeal to today's hundreds of thousands of skaters, this will be the skateboarding bible for fans of all ages and levels. Like the tattoos carved into the arms of skaters worldwide, Thrasher is forever. This one's gonna be gnarly! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Disappointing
Maybe my expectations were too high but I really expected quite a bit more from this book. It's really just a collection of photos from each year with a couple of descriptions here and there. I expected much more from the early years and either reprints of articles or some new content. How can you not have a section on Pushead? Just not what I expected and fairly weak.

My son LOves this book
I bought this book for my 16 yr old son who is an avid skateboarder. He loves this book. It is definitely a collector item filled with many unknown and interesting facts through out the yrs of skateboarding....

Slashdog POV
As someone who started skating even before Thrasher published their first issue, and who has an extensive collection of Thrasher magazines, I too was a little underwhelmed by this book. Nevertheless, it's a worthy effort at summing up what Thrasher was and is.

The print quality is top notch, and the photography is excellent. Many pages are occupied by short bios of "Legends", skaters that have left indelible marks on the art of skateboarding over time. These offer little more than polish on the already established fame/infamy of those mentioned, though.

I was expecting more of Thrasher's seminal articles reprinted, but besides that pillar of skateboard writing, "Skate and Destroy", from 1982 they are few and far between.

All that aside - Thrasher remains the truest, most meaningful print expression of skateboarding. Don't forget - Thrasher was there when skateboarding appeared dead to the eyes of the world at large, and they're still here. ... Read more

Product Description
Skateboarding is one of the great outlaw subcultures - combining death-defying stunts, cutting-edge fashion, and an all-round bad attitude. This is the story of the people who forged and inspired that culture, like the legendary Dogtown crew: Alva, Peralta, Adams, - kids bailing out scummy backyard pools to skate in them, fleeing from security guards, and inspiring each other to ever-greater feats. A scene which eventually led Tony Hawk to be the first skater to earn a million dollars a year. Written as a history and personal memoir by someone immersed in the skateboard world for over twenty years, The Answer Is Never is not just the story of the heroes, but the exploits of anyone who's ever picked up a skateboard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

The Answer is ... Buy this Book
If you love skateboarding you should buy this book. It's a nice history that is intelligently written. It talks about skateboard culture with the alienated, angry kids, and how it is so different from organized sports. It covers the early beach culture skaters, punk rock skaters, Dogtowners and the beginning of vert riding. This book is fun to read. It's smart and almost scholarly but Jocko Weyland keeps it fun and exciting at the same time.

Check out my book about growing up as a punk skater kid during the early 80s:

One Step Beyond: A Teenage Odyssey in 1980s Los Angeles (Volume 1)

Absolutely Incredible
The best book I have ever read about skateboarding.None of the BS, namedropping, "my generation," "you owe us," etc you usually find in a book about skateboarding's history and/or skater's memoir.Jocko is a true skater to the bone, nobody special, never pro, never worked in the industry getting rich; Mr Weyland is just a skateboarder who feels he owes more to skateboarding than it owes him (which is extremely rare in today's skate environment).I'm willing to bet if you've skated for more than 10 years and are over 25 (especially over 30) you will love this book.All of my friends and I have followed the general path of the author's life; he has definitely touched on a common thread of each of our lives.As an historian I don't think it is the best "history" per se, but I don't think that was his intention, I think it was a personal history; so as a journalist I think it was incredible reporting. Incredible work dealing with "what is skateboarding?"

Describing the color red
Growing up in the 80s I was surrounded by skateboarding, whether it be in the form of my Mom's friend's daughter showing me how to (attempt to) ride down the street at age 10, the kids skating in the "hip town" of Hyannis, MA (which was a "city" to someone from The Cape), watching my neighbors skate and build their own ramps, watching the early skate videos, or ogling through Transworld Skate or Thrasher and wishing I'd had enough coordination to actually be able to learn what I was seeing.I found this book at the public library and thought it might be an interesting read, but I had no idea what I was in for.Granted, Weyland's writing can be very subjective and he tends to "go off" about what skating has become (as many people who have been skating their entire life can), but what he wrote isn't just his complaints about skating and the industry.There's a lot of information about the history of skating (which a lot of people who claim to skate might not have any ideas about), and also stories about what skating was like before The Circus of what is now began.What he's written gives the person who doesn't understand skating the ability to have some inkling of what it's like, and to understand that "skating" isn't just what they see, but it's a culture, a lifestyle, a thought pattern, a philosophical journey, and can even be a family.One truly interesting part of the book (for me, being a 28 year-old college professor) is Weyland's comments and thoughts about going from being "in the know" to being considered "old."I would definitely suggest this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the history of the sport and the genesis of what they see before them today.

Literary History of the Sport Lovingly Told
Weyland chronicles the history of the sport from its ancestry in Hawaiian surfing through its recent emergence as a mass-marketed ESPN drawing card. While carefully charting this history, he intersperses lenghty (though riveting) tales from his own experiences growing up as a skater.These tales, which are indicative of how the skating mileau of the time shaped him, are a valuable time capusle to which many readers will relate.He manages to do all of this very artfully so that what seems to be a bi-polar stucture is nearly seamless.Few books measure up to the narrative and literary standards I expect from authors--but this one far surpasses them (a pleasant surprise).Novice skaters and parents who wish to understand skating culture should read this book and also Tony Hawk's Operation: Skateboarder.Both are fast reads (despite their 300+ pagecounts) and demonstrate two contrasting aspects of the sport and the corresponding worldviews engendered therein.Really, it's so good if Weyland waxes poetic on ice fishing I'd have to check it out.Please note that this book is a lot more fun to read than my dull review.

the answer is...
Indeed there is something to be said for reaching out with the internet. Jocko has, since my previous review, made good with a payment for the photo usage in this book, and has been added to my personal list, as another "Cadillac of Dudes".
-M.Fo ... Read more

Product Description
Fully illustrated with fabulous photos. Exciting text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Tony Hawk
The setting of this book is everywhere in the United States like California,Arizona,New York City,and Connecticut.But the setting is probably in California because thats the state that mostly appears in the pages.The conflick of the story is that Tony hardly gets to see his family because he is a professional skateboarder and he is also famous.He is always traveling around the world.Sometimes when he has some extra time in his schedual he can visit his faily for a couple of days.The plot of the story is that it first talked about Tony Hawk's 6 grade teacher.Next he filmed for the movie The New Guy.Tony had to do a stunt on a ramp.Last he went to the ESPN Action Sports and Music Awads where he won an award.

Cool Book
This book is really good. It has a lot of cool color pictures. If you dont like skateboarding dont get this book because it is about skateboarding. Its long too. Get this book.

Skateboard Families won't mind this
Skateboarding can sometime get a bit rough and crude - but this book is AOK family material.Great pictures.

a great book to read in your spare time
this book is really great. i bought it because it has many pictures, it is very detailed, and it shows how difficult one day could be for the great Tony Hawk.Tony is a big inspiration to many people including me. So, if your child wants to read something that shows how much work they should put into a day, they should read this book and see how much Tony works for people every day. Anyone who likes skateboarding should buy this book.

The best book in the world!!!
This book displayed an exuberant amount of beauty and color about skateboarding as it is. He has been my idol since I first learned to walk and after reading this book it has brought up my hopes of being a carnie. I beleive whoever reads this book will have the same opinion. It has changed my life's perspective on how tennis players are so awesome!!...
oh by the way, Paige, you're hot ... Read more

Product Description
Chronic illness has the ability to rob life of its joy and meaning. The social, psychological, and emotional challenges of a chronic illness can destroy lives and leave empty human shells in its wake. But just as chronic illness is a thief, it is also a giver.It has the ability to transform lives by providing countless opportunities for knowledge, personal growth, and perspective.Chronic illness challenges us to accept its intrusively difficult nature and grow through the difficulty. Through a series of poignant essays and chronicled journal entries, Bittersweet Chances recounts Doug and Dana Broehl's journey of growth through the darkness of cystic fibrosis and the renewed hope of a double lung transplant. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not a Bitter Book
Dana Broehl is my spanish teacher, and I read her book mostly to see how good of a writer she is. I found out that she is an excellent writer who adds humor to her very difficult problems. She writes of her husbands double lung transplants and all of the problems that go along with it. It is a heart warming story of love, faith and living ones life to the fullest. This is perfect for anyone who is going through a difficult situation or has been through one in the past.

The Title Says It All
Dana is a gifted writer who has told the story of how her life was transformed by love in a most glorious way.She shares the deepest secrets about meeting Doug and then goes on to tell how she had to learn to share him with a third party - a chronic disease that would surely kill him.Was it worth working to build the relationship?Could Dana and Doug beat the odds, which were stacked against them on so many different fronts?There is so much to be learned from their experience and Dana (a teacher by profession) educates the reader about accepting the truth and overcoming obstacles previously unimaginable.There is a spiritual side, but it does not dominate her writing.There is a humorous side, but it does not detract from the seriousness of the story.This is probably the most educational, amusing and uplifting book I have read in the past year.

Hopeful
My son has CF, and I know that he will someday need a transplant.
I found this book to be a hopeful and honest portryal of life with a chronic illness.I strongly recommend this book to anyone who feels overwhelmed or burdened by life and illness.

Uncovering The Meaning of Life
This book is an open and honest portrayal of one couple's journey through a chronic illness. The book is full of hilarious and heart wrenching stories, but the message is hope. This brave young couple has gone through the storms of life, but they have weathered them in such a way that they have learned to focus not on the storms, but on the rainbows that inevitabley follow. This is aspectacular book that should be read by the healthy and the chronically ill. ... Read more

Product Description
Miami Inverted details the history of skateboarding in South Florida as seen through the daredevil eyes of Robbie Weir. From learning tricks, such as the layback air, frontside air and the ollie, to making friends with some of the premier Florida skaters, including Alan "Ollie" Gelfand, Monty Nolder and Dan Murray, Weir was in the middle of a new sport that would become one of the main pastimes for kids throughout the world. The book follows him through training, competitions, movie stunts and fashion shoots. Within the pages of this book, readers witness the rise of the sport as well as the way it creates community and offers kids another option to the dangers of the streets.A captivating retrospective filled with some never before seen photos and anecdotes, Miami Inverted details how skateboarding changed the face of suburbia and helped launch one kid from the Everglades to prominence. Simply put, its a skateboard story in a feel good book. With many twists and exhausting turns, it is well worth the ride. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Three thmbs up for Miami Inverted
Great Read!!
Robbie has always been a class act. Through the book you get a little insight on the perseverance and go for it attitude one can only learn in a "sport" like Skateboarding.
Hopefully Robbie is working on a second book that goes in more detail on his motion picture stunt work, and the inside scoop on the modeling industry he has worked with in the past.
Carlos Galvis
Hollywood, Fl.

Got gap?
Great read! Take it from someone who knows, if you like skateboarding you'll like this book! The photography was awesome, I only wish the pictures were in color.

A great read for skaters and non skaters alike of all ages who want to learn about the history of the sport
As someone who grew up skateboarding "back in the day" in Florida, and who is now back at it again as a middle aged father, it was great to read the history of someone who came up through the ranks as a young skater and is still killing it today. No matter whether you are an East or West Coast skater, if you want to enjoy a true story from a guy who has seen it all this is a must read! ... Read more

Product Description

Whether on water, pavement, or fluffy white powder, the history of surfing,skateboarding, and snowboarding is a landscape filled with rugged personalities, exotic locales, wild innovation, and most of all the united dream of becoming one with the oceans, streets, and mountains.

Product Description
Early forms of skateboarding first emerged in the United States in the 1950s and the sport has been popular on and off ever since the 1970s. Now it is back bigger than ever. Skateboarders are everywhere and skateboarding style is too. Like surfing, skateboarding is a sport with a philosophy and a culture very much its own. Skate culture is anti-establishment and part of the trend away from team sports towards something more individual. Life is too tame without a bit of danger in it and skateboarding is perfect to keep the blood flowing. Skateboarding Is Not A Crime highlights the individual nature of boarding culture, with its cutting-edge fashion and street philosophy, and reproduces it on the page in all its unruly glory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A lotta heart
gotta give this guy credit - he tried and did a prety good job, better than most out there. ... Read more