Average customer rating:
- Not all its cracked up to be.
- Back pain no more!
- Product Query....
- Excellent product. Great value.
- IF YOU HAVE A BAD BACK OR TIGHT SHOULDERS BUY THESE BALLS!!!!!
|
The Miracle Ball Method: Relieve Your Pain, Reshape Your Body, Reduce Your Stress
Elaine Petrone
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Accessories:
-
Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
ASIN: 0761128689 |
Book Description
Take two-they're small. And they perform miracles. Suffering a career-ending, potentially crippling injury to her back and right leg, a young dancer named Elaine Petrone tried everyone from orthopedists to yogis to turn her pain and prognosis around. Nothing worked-until she healed herself through a unique program of therapy and exercise based around the use of two small, squishy balls. From there she turned her passion into a mission that is helping the thousands of people who visit her classes conquer pain, stress, and injury.
Now, for relief for sufferers everywhere, comes The Miracle Ball Method, a healing kit containing two miracle balls and a fully illustrated book, all packaged together in an attention-getting clear plastic cylinder. The work itself is simple. Take a sore back: By resting your aching back on the grapefruit-sized balls and letting your body sink into them, you're unworking the muscles that hurt. Pain and tension drain out of the body. Petrone shows how proper breathing (which she demonstrates) works in conjunction with a range of unexercises that call for placing the balls under the back, head, knees, hip, elbow-wherever there's pain-and then resting, rolling, or rotating on them. She points out that relief can come in surprising ways: Lower back pain may be helped by placing the ball under your neck, or a bad knee might be helped by hip work. It's arevolutionary program of relief, from head to toe.
Customer Reviews:
Not all its cracked up to be........2007-10-08
On the basis of the many positive reviews here and because of suffering several months of neck and shoulder pain I purchased the Ball and DVD kit. The back of the DVD clearly stated assistance for Neck and shoulder relief. Watching the DVD which was blemished and had to be polished three times before it was viewable from the beginning I performed the breathing exercises and moved to the "On the Ball" sections and then the "Whole Body Movements." I found nothing that specifically targets the neck and shoulder issues, except one brief camera shot of the balls under the upper back which is not covered in the video.
In addition, the video while beautifully shot is poorly scripted and Elaine and the two people participating in the exercises talk over each other as well as distract Elaine from information she starts to give and them never returns to. It is very frustrating at times because of this.
To date I have found no relief from my neck and shoulder pain from anything on this video. Maybe there are more videos or the book covers more uses and placements of the balls but that is not explained on the dvd jacket and I bought it for the neck and shoulder pain which the jacket was misleadingly indicated was part of the program..
Back pain no more!.......2007-10-06
I have a pronounced scoliosis curve and have struggled with low back pain as well as neck and shoulder pain for many years now. I have tried stretching, therapeutic and restorative yoga, Qi Gong, massage therapy, trigger point therapy, chiropractors, osteopathy, positive thinking...you name it. They've all helped...a little. But nothing has provided the remarkable relief that Ms Petrone's method has brought me. If you suffer and are searching for a way out of your pain, this might just be what you are looking for.
Product Query...........2007-10-03
Hi
Does anyone know if this provides a guide on how to excercise the upper back and shoulders?
Thanks
Excellent product. Great value........2007-09-17
I'm in pretty good shape and active, with few aches and pains. However, I do suffer from occasional lower back stiffness and have bouts of lower back pain about once a year during times of stress and particularly during season change and cold weather. I thought the miracle balls would be a good tool for stretching and releasing tension and hoped adding them to my regimen of exercise would prevent further episodes of pain. I just received the Miracle Balls last week and have used them almost every day, because it just feels so good and relaxing. I have noticed an overall release of body and mental tension during and after use, and improved feeling of alignment and flexibility when doing the other parts of my exercise routine. I've already given a set to a friend who suffers from stiffness and have recommended them to several other people. This is one of only a few items I've ever been inspired to review over several years of shopping on amazon, and I appreciated the reasonable price and efficient delivery as usual!
IF YOU HAVE A BAD BACK OR TIGHT SHOULDERS BUY THESE BALLS!!!!!.......2007-08-18
I have a VERY bad back and in the last 6 months it was crippling on and off. I originally saw these at Costco and didn't buy them because I thought that they were a gimmick. But then I received them in the mail as my mother had bought them hoping that they would help me.. I was having a particularly painful morning when they were delivered to my door...what the heck I tried them out and the difference was immediate. I SWEAR BY THESE BALLS THEY REALLY ARE A MIRACLE!!!!! The only thing that might discourage people is that the spot you were using them on the first day will be painful to use the next day so just wait a day. Your body will get over it and the balls will get softer. BUT DON'T GIVE UP AND STOP USING THEM. DAY OR TWO LATER AND IT WILL BE LESS PAINFUL. My niece who also has a bad back used mine and loved them so I ordered them from Amazon for her. IF YOU HAVE A BAD BACK OR TIGHT SHOULDERS BUY THESE BALLS!!!!
Book Description
The definitive and rollicking story of one of the best, and one of the wackiest, teams of all time, during one of the most vital eras in baseball.
With The Gashouse Gang, John Heidenry delivers the definitive account of one the greatest and most colorful baseball teams of all times, the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals, filled with larger-than-life baseball personalities like Branch Rickey, Leo Durocher, Pepper Martin, Casey Stengel, Satchel Paige, Frankie Frisch, and--especially--the eccentric good ol' boy and great pitcher Dizzy Dean and his brother Paul.
The year 1934 marked the lowest point of the Great Depression, when the U.S. went off the gold standard, banks collapsed by the score, and millions of Americans were out of work. Epic baseball feats offered welcome relief from the hardships of daily life. The Gashouse Gang, the brilliant culmination of a dream by its general manager, Branch Rickey, the first to envision a farm system that would acquire and "educate" young players in the art of baseball, was adored by the nation, who saw itself--scruffy, proud, and unbeatable--in the Gang.
Based on original research and told in entertaining narrative style, The Gashouse Gang brings a bygone era and a cast full of vivid personalities to life and unearths a treasure trove of baseball lore that will delight any fan of the great American pastime.
Customer Reviews:
Baseball lover's only!.......2007-09-23
Baseball in times long passed was a very different game, but like today there were some really wild characters to mke the game all the more interesting. The 1934 Cardinals, "The Gashouse Gang" were an exciting, odd collection of great ball payers who played for the love of the game in a way we wish today's players did.
If you love baseball you won't be able to put this down, and even if you don't it will be too intriquing to stop reading once you start. Well written, well researched and as entertaining as anything I've read this season. Highly reccommended!
The Gashouse Gang Personalities.......2007-09-15
This book climbs to the top wrung of my baseball ladder. Rather than a statistical or play-by-play book so common in baseball pages, this features personality development of some of the wackiest players of all time. Learn that Ducky Joe should have been Mean Joe, that Leo the Lip couldn't handle relationships, or that Dizzy Dean was really Jerome or Jay or Hanna or Herman, maybe that he was from Arkansas or Oklahoma or Texas -- well, you get it.
This book captures the thrill of a season and the joy of a team effort. It really makes you think of the Oakland Athletics of the Catfish days.
Just one observation: John Heidenry missed the point of the moniker, "Gashouse Gang." He can't figure out where it came from. He even ponders how "Gas Tank" became "Gashouse." During that day, electricity was provided by manufactured gas plants, sometimes called "witch's brew." The main structure was known as the "gashouse." The working class fellows who toiled away in those dirty gashouses were known as "the gashouse gangs." They cursed, they played dirty and hilarious tricks on each other, they had great and sour dispositions -- necessary to get through the tough days, and yes, their clothes were always filthy. Sound like the beloved Gashouse Gang?
Snag this book, and you will enjoy several hours of quiet time, if you can block out your own laughter.
Me 'n' Paul.......2007-09-02
In baseball, 1934 was a year to remember, a year in which the Saint Louis Cardinals, a scruffy team of misfits and malcontents, came from almost the graveyard to win the National League pennant, and then the World Series. While we learn a tremendous amount about the Cardinals, and especially the Dean brothers, Dizzy and Paul, there are others about whom we receive thumbnail biographies. Most importantly, Branch Rickey is focused upon for much of the early part of the book, and just reading about this remarkable man is sufficient reason to study this book. Other famous players make cameo appearances: Babe Ruth, Mel Otto, Mickey Cochrane, Leo Durocher, and Pie Traynor, with whom I was once priviledged to have an extensive conversation about baseball when I was in college. I also remember listening to Dizzy on the television announcing(?) games and talking about all kinds of extraneous subjects other than the game he was supposed to be calling. Of course, Dizzy is the centerpiece of this book, and he strides through it like a colossus. He did things then that would not be tolerated by a basseball organization today, and perhaps we are the pooorer for not having men such as him (and Curt Flood)to challenge what is considered the "right" way to act as a porfessional ball player. He's gone, and so are all of those famous old-timers, and the world misses them!
Great Father's Day gift.......2007-07-12
I gave this book to my 60 year old father for Father's Day. He hasn't read a book in years but is a huge baseball fan. He loved the book and stayed up late into the night reading it. Great for a Cardinals or baseball fan!
RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "73 YEARS AFTER WINNING THE WORLD SERIES "THE GASHOUSE GANG" ST LOUIS CARDINALS HAVE A BOOK!".......2007-06-13
Before I give you the details of this book, let me save some people their valuable time, by telling you who this book would appeal to! Old School Baseball fanatics, "Baseball Historians", Saint Louis Cardinal fans. If you think the designated hitter rule is good for baseball this book isn't for you.
73 years after the famous (To the above listed people.) Saint Louis Cardinals, hereafter known as "The Gashouse Gang", won the World Series, they have had an excellent book released on their exploits and accomplishments. As a self-acclaimed baseball fanatic, some of the statistics, and idiosyncrasies, I discovered in this book about famous old time players that I already knew about, were both interesting and amusing. The author's writing style is not anything you'll remember as out of the ordinary, since so much of the meat of the book, you can tell is repeated from old newspaper articles. But the detailed, meticulous, research should be applauded. As I've mentioned in my earlier reviews, I've read literally hundreds of baseball books, and memorized half the "Encyclopedia Of Baseball" when I was 10 years old, yet I learned even more details and amusing personality "quirks" of some of the old-time stars. I of course already knew that Dizzy Dean was a great pitcher, in the Hall Of Fame, and the last National League pitcher to win 30 games. What I didn't know, but learned here, was the absolute bottom of the barrel poverty he came from in the historically famous "dust bowl"! I knew he was a "wacky" character, but I didn't know, it went to the extent of him literally being the Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali, of the baseball world in the 1930's, before there was an Ali. I didn't know that Dizzy held out and boycotted games, in a demand for an increased contract, in the middle of the season. I also got to learn much more about the great Ducky Medwick, (The last National League Player to win the Triple Crown 70 years ago.) who was one of my dear departed Mother's favorite players, when he later played on the Brooklyn Dodgers. I never knew he was such a New Jersey, street fighting, chip on the shoulder, ready to fight anyone, including his own teammates, type of guy! I learned more than I ever had known about what led up to one of the biggest name trades in baseball history, Rogers Hornsby for Frankie Frisch. The detailed background on Branch Rickey, before his famous relationship with Jackie Robinson, was also expertly detailed. The almost blow by blow reporting on the 1934 World Series between the Gashouse Gang and the star studded Detroit Tigers makes you feel like you were there. I could go on and on, but like I said in my opening sentences, these facts, that are exciting and educational to me, would only be exciting to the type of people I described in my opening.
Book Description
International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition, 10th Edition, by Ball, McCulloch, Frantz, Geringer, and Minor continues to be the most objective and thorough treatment of International Business available for students. Enriched with maps, photos, and the most up-to-date world data, this text boasts the collective expertise of five authors with firsthand international business experience, specializing in international management, finance, law, global strategy, and marketing - a claim no other text can make. Only Ball, McCulloch, Frantz, Geringer, and Minor can offer a complete view of International Business as diverse as the backgrounds of business students.
Customer Reviews:
review.......2006-11-18
well organized text, dialogue is slightly "elementary" over all text covers a large range of subjects, online access is very helpful.
Book Description
Mosby's Guide to Physical Examination is a comprehensive textbook of physical examination, history-taking, and health assessment with a unique emphasis on differential diagnosis and variations across the lifespan. Written by a team of two physicians and two nurses with a special blend of expertise in adult health and pediatrics, the book conveys a uniquely compassionate, patient-centered approach to physical examination with a strong evidence-based foundation. A completely updated art and media program -- consisting of 260 new illustrations, with all new examination photos, full motion video exams on the companion CD-ROM, a completely new 15-part video series, and expanded Health Assessment Online asset library -- further solidify Seidel's reputation as the best-illustrated, most media rich, physical examination textbook on the market.
Customer Reviews:
If you need it.......2007-09-29
This book has alot of information in it. I kind of wish I did not get the book because my teacher has notes for everything she wants us to know. I've tried reading it but... I believe it would make a good reference book when you need to look something up.
Amazing.......2007-09-19
My books (all of them) were received in excellent condition and in lightning fast speed on schedule. Just in the nick of time!
Great Service.......2007-06-15
The product arrived in the time frame as stated. The book is perfect.
Mosby's Handbook.......2007-05-24
Excellent resourse for health care professionals, there is a big focus on communication which I think is very important in primary care.
Gold standard.......2007-01-11
This seems to be the common text for most medical training programs. Excellent pictures. Covers most things in Basic concepts without too much detail. Detail is left to other books on each subject.
Book Description
This revision of QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR BUSINESS provides students with a conceptual understanding of the role that quantitative methods play in the decision-making process. This text describes the many quantitative methods that have been developed over the years, explains how they work, and shows how the decision-maker can apply and interpret data. Written with the non-mathematician in mind, this text is applications-oriented. Its "Problem-Scenario Approach" motivates and helps students understand and apply mathematical concepts and techniques. In addition, the managerial orientation motivates students by using examples that illustrate situations in which quantitative methods are useful in decision making.
Customer Reviews:
This textbook is TERRIBLE!.......2005-10-01
This book is written in unnecessarily complicated language and does not present information in a way that is easily understood. I teach graduate courses in quantitative methods and I made the mistake of ordering this book for one of my courses without reading it first. It was a disaster!
Unless you are getting a doctorate and need to know lots of complicated formulas without adequate explanations, DO NOT buy this book.
Quantitative MAnagement.......2005-07-10
IT's really oky book. But it took a little more time to get it ghrough me. There are few scratches on the book when i recd. it. The parcel is oky.
Thanks anyway,
Quant Methods Book.......2005-03-06
I have used this textbook for an upper level math class and although the book was hard to follow, I really feel that it did present the information in a well laid out format. Some of the words were hard to grasp, but as for the problems in the back, I found them very useful. I hope anyone out there will in fact give this book a chance.
ABSOLUTELY THE WORST TEXTBOOK FROM A STUDENT'S PERSPECTIVE.......2003-03-12
I am currently taking a Quant Meth class which is using this as the textbook. By far, this is the worst textbook I have ever encountered as a student. It is hard to understand and the answers that are given in the back do not explain how to get to the final solution. Because the problems are not paired (that is 1 is not like 2, 3 is not like 4, etc.) and the only answers are to the EVEN problems, you are basically lost. There is a website for the 9th edition that is "under construction" currently, so there is no help there. This is not a book conducive to learning. Teachers and colleges - PLEASE think twice before you choose this for your curriculum. Both you and your students will be miserable!
Quantitative Methods 8th Edition.......2002-02-01
I am a professor using this book to teach a graduate level Quantitative Methods math class. This book is hard to understand for the students. Exercises included at the end of the chapters are hard to figure for the student based on what is presented in the text alone.
For the instructor, no teacher support is available except a solutions manual. All other texts I have used provides sample lecture material, additional cases, etc. This text provides no such support with a useless web site.
Product Description
GENERAL FEATURES: Ball of Whacks by Creative Whack Company is a creative tool for innovators, artists, and nearly everyone else! More versatile than a puzzle and lots more fun than a brain teaser, there's no wrong way to play and work with it. It gets your creative juice flowing!The Ball of Whacks is made up of 30 magnetic design blocks that can be taken apart and rearranged in endless ways. The Ball of Whacks comes with a 96-page illustrated book that provides exercises for creative brainstorming and problem-solving. For ages eight and up.
Customer Reviews:
A fun, creative toy for the person who has everything.......2007-10-01
This is just a fun, creative toy. It starts as a ball and comes apart into mini "pyramid-like" pieces. From here, you can use your imagination and create new objects (animals, stars, etc.). It also has a strangely soothing feel when you are putting it back together.
The only drawback is that the magnets could be a little stronger. Sometimes it is hard to get your new creations to stay together because they slip. However, overall this is a really cool toy. Good for kids and adults.
Disappointing.......2007-09-12
I'm sorry. I just find this product to be boring and, to be frank, juvenile.
Great for your coffee table.......2007-05-07
When I was a kid my family always had a game or puzzle on the coffee table to twiddle with when watching TV. Even though in this TiVo world we watch commercials less, the Ball of Whacks still gets picked up and played with while the TV is on.
This is a timeless toy that can be split and combined in a zillion ways. Not quite the rubik's cube of the 00's, but fun for kids and adults.
Not as good as expected.......2007-04-05
I was excited to get this based on the reviews, but I found the toy more inhibitive than expected. The odd shape of the blocks combined with the limited amount only allow a couple different arrangements, all tending more or less toward a ball-like design. Things like the "frog" in the picture are about the most you can spread it out, but it will be too fragile to touch at that point. I felt like this could have been cool, but the pieces just aren't as flexible as I would like (such as Legos). This was not worth the money to me.
Neat at first.......2007-03-31
This was fun to play with. The magnets aren't as strong as Geomag or Supermag toys, and as a result interesting arrangements can't keep their shape. However, the shape of each piece is clever and you can make many arrangements with it. After a few weeks though I got bored with the Ball of Whacks and gave it away.
Product Description
When David Ball on Damages was first published in 2001, it changed the way attorneys seek damages. The book provides step-by-step guidance for attorneys seeking money for their clients. Ball explains why jurors give, why they do not, and how to motivate them to do the former instead of the latter. He walks readers through voir dire, opening, testimony, and closing, providing practical, effective, and innovative methods for pursuing damages. Now, in this expanded, second edition, Ball includes methods to contend with the way todays jurors view lawyers and their clients. The techniques provide tools to counter sophisticated opposition tactics, the public mood, and laws and rules that continue to grow more hostile.
Customer Reviews:
The Best Guide on Damages.......2007-10-16
There is nothing more difficult for a plaintiff's attorney to do than to decide whether or not to ask the jury to return a specific dollar amount in damages or leave the decision up to the jury. The second most difficult question he/she has is determining how to motivate the jury to return as big a verdict as possible.
Ball does not disappoint in answering these questions. In short, he teaches plaintiff attorneys how to maximize the verdicts they get. For example, he devotes a whole chapter on describing jurors' motivations for giving and how you can get them to do so. Even if you are a defense attorney, this book is essential reading so that you can learn what jurors are interested in and what causes them to reach the decisions they do.
Damages review.......2007-08-23
David Ball on Damages is the best book I have ever read on the subject. I have been practicing for 20 years. This book has changed the way I will approach personal injury trials in the future. Other lawyers in my area are just starting to use Mr. Ball's techniques with sucess.
Med Mal Attry's Evaluation.......2007-06-11
This is one of the finest books written on the subject of obtaining fair and complete damages at trial in an atmosphere of "tort reform"
David Ball on Damages: The Essential Update.......2007-05-07
Quite frankly, it is malpractice to try a jury case without first reading this book. A MUST for any trial attorney for civil litigation. Ball plainly lays out the basics of jury selection and then expounds on the critical points to successfully arguing damages to a jury.
essential reading for every trial attorney.......2006-11-03
Full of practical advice developed through years of jury consulting. A must read for any attorney interested in monetizing pain and suffering.
Average customer rating:
- Rules of the Red Rubber Ball
- Have you found your Red Rubber Ball yet??
- Quick inspiration for your own personal journey
- High fluff, low substance
- best 10 minute read ever
|
RULES OF THE RED RUBBER BALL: FIND AND SUSTAIN YOUR LIFE'S WORK
Kevin Carroll
Manufacturer: ESPN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1933060026
Release Date: 2005-09-07 |
Book Description
With simple but delightful storytelling, Kevin Carroll channels his childhood passion for sport and play into a universally appealing blueprint for life. Drawing wisdom from the playgrounds of his youth, where he spent hour upon hour sharpening his body and his mind, Carroll shares with readers his Rules of the Red Rubber Ball how to achieve maximum human potential through the power of passion and creativity. Finding your own red rubber ball and chasing it to your hearts content, he argues, is the surest route to peace, prosperity, and happiness. Over the years as an athletic trainer and public speaker, Carroll has transformed his philosophy into seven simple rules that any successful leader will endorse: 1) Commit to it 2) Seek out encouragers 3) Work out your creative muscle 4) Prepare to shine 5) Speak up 6) Expect the unexpected 7) Maximize the day With an award-winning design and color photos throughout, Rules of the Red Rubber Ball will inspire the child in everyone for generations to come.
Customer Reviews:
Rules of the Red Rubber Ball.......2007-08-13
This is a great book to remind, motivate and inspire us to play, enjoy life and do what makes our hearts sing. I found this book to be fun and inspirational!
Have you found your Red Rubber Ball yet??.......2007-07-22
Although written very simply and easy to read in an hour or so, its meaning and power go very deep. Best read a couple or three times in quick succession to make sure the simple message but powerful ideas sink in properly. Both inspiring and motivating this book may be just the one to kick you in the "proverbial" and get you on track and make something of your life.
It's all about finding your deepest PASSION & interest about something you do (or want to do) in life, committing to it & then staying the course & not listening to the doubters & naysayer's (no-hopers) in life that've already given up & are already halfway through digging their own miserable grave.
Clearly set out & simple to understand & follow rules in the book help & guide you on the right course & keep you their. Keep it by your bedside when you need something to inspire you on those occasional gray "down" days when you may be feeling a bit negative.
It's worth a hundred or more of those other so-called Self Help copycat Positive Mental Attitude books. It's written by someone who's already been there & done it!
Are YOU stuck in a rut?? Get this book NOW & start a new life, for you, your family and those closest to you (your real friends). This book may be short, but so is life, so get going RIGHT NOW!! & buy this book.
Quick inspiration for your own personal journey.......2007-07-21
A colleague of mine gave me the book after seeing Kevin at a recent conference. I hadn't heard of the book. The cover texture was interesting. Yet, I didn't pick it up immediately until I saw a BlackBerry ad featuring Kevin Carroll. The coincidence was enough to make me go grab the book and I didn't put it down until I was finished. Although "ROTRB" not a lengthy book, it is intriguing, engaging, stimulating and thought-provoking. It's a great read for anyone who is commanding their own personal journey. The short bursts of inspiration didn't overwhelm me, rather they served up just enough information that my own thoughts had to kick in. Because of the circumstances of me obtaining the book and finally picking it up, I was amazed when I saw the quote on pg. 86 "One way to {embrace the unexpected} is to be on the lookout for, and respect, coincidence. I do not necessarily believe in fate, but, for me, coincidental occurrence strengthens my belief that I'm on the right path." The Rules of the Red Rubber Ball was a pallatable dose of inspiration that will continue to fuel my own personal journey.
High fluff, low substance.......2007-07-04
Anyone who has done any serious self-analysis of their career, values, and place in life will probably find that this doesn't offer anything new. The author is very self-absorbed and rah-rah, and I understand that some people consider his writing to be motivational. If nothing else, he is a good salesman for being able to hawk this short, insipid book at a $14.95 list price.
If you're looking for substance, there are plenty of other books on this topic that can offer it. ("Finding Your Perfect Work" by Paul and Sarah Edwards comes to mind right offhand . . . . ) However, I'm sure some people don't want to -- or can't -- read anything that complex, and others lack self-motivation and need to hear cheerleader talk. For them, "Red Rubber Ball" is a good option. The book could also be given as a cutesy graduation present for snoots who would be offended by Dr. Seuss yet who are too video-game stultified to comprehend or even sit through the writings of Epictetus or Stephen Covey. In other words, this would make a good humorous gift for people with no sense of humor, which is the only reason that I gave it two stars instead of one.
best 10 minute read ever.......2007-05-29
One of the best 10 minute reminders of what it is all about. Fun, energizing and a blast to share! Buy two at a time, you'll want to keep one for yourself!!!
Book Description
HALL OF FAMER DAVE WINFIELD:
"THE GAME I LOVE IS HURTING."
Revenue has never been higher, attendance has never been better, and baseball has never had a stronger international presence. Yet, with all of the prosperity, the game has rarely faced more significant problems, both in the headlines and deep within our communities. Steroid scandals, labor strife, self-centered superstars, a dramatic decline in the number of African American players and fans, constraints on Little League facilities and resources, and competition from trendier sports and entertainment options all threaten the foundations of our national pastime.
Dave Winfield knows and loves the game and he believes baseball can be rescued and revitalized. In Dropping the Ball, Dave presents his compelling plan of action for saving this great game from self-destruction. A respected role model and ambassador of the sport, Winfield outlines his strategy for making baseball the game he knows it can be: inclusive, empowering, and entertaining. He focuses on how to make the game more fan-friendly, and especially how to reach out to the African American community. From the commissioner's office to the kids on the street, Winfield examines the game from every perspective, offering ideas and solutions for diversifying front offices; marketing the game; developing community-based programs; and working out fair, creative, and lucrative parameters for the business of baseball. Dropping the Ball inspires readers to get out of the armchair and into the action.
Urbane and entertaining, this is a trenchant, thought-provoking, and uplifting analysis of what can be done -- by the baseball giants and by all who play and love the game -- to save America's national pastime for you, your kids, and your community.
Customer Reviews:
very strong book.......2007-07-23
off the Bat when George Steinbrenner is the doing the introduction then you know anything can be resolved. Brother Dave Winfield is a down to earth cat who pulls no punches and wants to see More Young Black Players respecting and knowing the what the Negro League,Jackie Robinson,Larry DOlby and other Black Ball Players who paved the way through Blood,sweat,tears to play this National past time. Dave Winfield has alot of strong concepts at making the game even better and also a strong future. this is a must read book.
A good start.......2007-07-19
This book did what I expected it to. It laid out some good ideas that Winfield feels would both improve the game of baseball and improve the image of baseball. In these times of steroids (allegedly, of course) and poorly behaved athletes, a clear, "UNITED" manifesto and direction for baseball is something the game clearly needs. Winfield delivers this.
Another reviewer points out that there are no "A-ha!" moments in this. I have to agree with him, HOWEVER, I think that is really actually the point. What Winfield proposes in this book is not earth-shattering, but one must believe that implementing these changes, the game will be better, both on and off the field. What is so shocking, to me, is that implementing a lot of these changes should really be so simple that the true "A-ha!" is that they aren't already being done!
What muddles the book, though, is that the book does get to be a bit rambly. It is hard not to feel like this is a beefed-up transcription of a monologue that Winfield gave one afternoon. It seems to me, though, that any type of book, whether about baseball or politics or knitting, in which the author is making a proposal, or making a pitch to a certain way of thinking, that there will be some extent of "ramble".
I would take Winfield to task, though, in that he at times seems to ignore the white elephant in the corner of the room. He, at times, lets people off the hook a little too easily and does not take them to task. But you should kind of expect that from him. I'm not questioning his integrity, but, as others have pointed out, he has one foot in both sectors of the game- as the former player and the current executive. His allegiances are, unfortunately, prone to being a bit murky.
Having said all this, I still give this book 4 stars, because he has very good suggestions for all aspects of the game, suggestions that will surely not hurt the game. If I were to become commissioner of MLB, he'd be one of the first people I'd bring in.
Analytical and Revealing.......2007-05-22
Great book! I really enjoyed reading Dave's prospective of the game I love. I found it purposeful, direct and full of great solutions for improving America's pasttime. Dave has hit another grand slam! He gives everyone an action plan that includes people of all colors, class and creeds.... moms, dads, coaches and the like. Must read for young people and adults alike. Another great job Dave!
Not Exactly A Strikeout, But...........2007-05-18
Former Yankee slugger, Dave Winfield's put together a thoughtful, from-the-heart analysis of what's wrong with today's major league baseball...but it's a softball (if you will) approach to improving baseball's public image. It's heavily lacking in direct quotes. Anecdotes are few and far between, and fiery criticisms are just not there.
Apparently, Dave told himself one day: "I gotta' write down what's wrong with baseball." -And this is the result. Dropping The Ball is a nice, over-coffee review of everything about the game and what needs improvement and what to do about it. He makes some good points, but very few are of the "Ah-hah!" eye-opening variety one might expect of someone on a mission of change.
One of the forever-recurring themes of the book is that "[MLB] isn't doing enough to market [baseball] properly" hence, he says, the drop-off in fan interest across the board. He gently complains about the inferior abilities of some players, but doesn't address league over-expansion, which may be the cause of it. Too, Winfield could have zeroed-in on the hows and whys of over-priced tickets...and the major-league out-of-pocket costs for game-day hot-dogs, beer, pizza, parking and Pepsi. He didn't. Dave, what about the new pasteurized, kid-friendly, Disney-land-like stadiums that waterdown youngster interest in the game? [Didn't Las Vegas learn that pandering to the under-12 crowd just didn't work?] -And how come corporate elements can easily get playoff tickets while the average fan doesn't have a chance? Dave doesn't say. He (only in passing) mentions the crazy-high player salaries, but our author doesn't attribute big-time fan disinterest in and detachment from the game to them.
--But one thing is clear. Dave gets a little worked up over the decreasing percentages of Black major league baseball players...but then seems to concur with MLB's decisions to go on outsourcing to the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, etc. to get large rosters of cheap (but decent) players into today's baseball games. The numbers of White players is also on the decline, he points out, but not a whole lot is made about those stats. On and on, he treats the lack of Black athletes in the game as a true major problem. Maybe it is, but I don't think he fully made his case.
Dave Winfield is still a baseball insider, being an exec for the San Diego Padres MLB team. Maybe that's why this book lacks the focus, luster and impact of a true motivating force. Like MLB itself, the focal point of the book is generally ho-hum. It's like a current US Senator sincerely (?) writing about "making Congress `better'" -without naming names or overtly coming down on all of the "guilty." Now, how would that work?
This book is chock full of warm, heart-felt generalizations and sentiments, repetitions, and excuses. Winfield's put down some lengthy but sketchy plans for his "Baseball United." His "solutions" are all very nice, but "improving" an already successful multi-billion dollar organization [MLB] seems mostly an aimless gesture that leaves this reader flat. Not much fire. Not much "insider" revelation. A fast, pleasant read...but there's not much new or deep here. Winfield kind of dropped the ball on this one....
Like MLB: Enjoyable, but Full of Unfulfilled Potential.......2007-04-16
Being a person who noticed the whiteness of baseball crowds for years now, I took to the call to urgency made by Winfield and Levin in this book. Baseball has suffered a number of problems over the years, and this book struck me as one that was written as a labor of love by a Hall of Famer who wanted to see his sport do better for itself, and not written as a brash "tell-all" expose.
I suppose that I was right in that regard. Winfield and Levin do truly love professional baseball as a game, and they make a lot of valid points: dwindling interest and participation by inner-city blacks, the economic advantage of "farming" Hispanic players versus fostering them in our own communities, and presenting ideas that would help build bridges between major-league baseball teams and players with their communities.
I suppose that, feeling a great sense of appreciation for Winfield's points led to me feeling so disappointed in this book. Much like Winfield's baseball, it's still something to admire and appreciate, but there is a great amount of untapped promise. Winfield takes a very real and noticeable demographic change to a ludicrous extreme when he talks about "the last African-American ballplayer." It may be his attempt to sculpt a "modest proposal" for baseball, but it does not contain Swift's shrewd irony.
In addition, Winfield laments that the NFL and NBA are succeeding where baseball is failing in working with the community; he also is bothered by the structure of baseball scholarships for college students relative to the same sports. In the end, one gets the feeling that he isn't in the least bit concerned about improving genuine opportunities for disadvantaged children with an interest in sports. Instead, I feel that he's merely upset that these opportunities aren't centered around *baseball*.
The book contains this idea throughout it, underneath the surface of Winfield's arguments. His discussion of the MLBPA player's trust is evidence of that, when he spends several pages lauding how the NBA and NFL promote their charitable works. His concern isn't the degree of involvement as much as it is the public perception that good things are being done. I find that rather self-centered and bothersome.
There are still great points made in the book. Winfield's criticism of the economic structure of baseball in the past, in the current era, and the phony nature of the MLB commissioner as a patsy to the owners is accurate and needed. His (possibly ironic, given his career trajectory) concern with the lack of "legacy" players (like Kirby Puckett), who stay in one town for their entire career, is surely related to the lack of camaraderie between players, teams, and community; how can one become enamored with a city when a trade or free agency may jeopardize that at any time?
Ultimately, though, I think the kinds of policies Winfield suggests for "Baseball United" are naive (if he thinks that we can shift from the current era of profit-hungry owners to one of community-oriented philanthropists so quickly), misdirected (yes, providing inner-city kids with opportunities to play ball is great, but since we know so few people make it to the big leagues, couldn't such money be better appropriated for the disadvantaged?), and self-serving (that he's more concerned with his legacy and baseball's legacy than with actually improving conditions for ballplayers and communities).
Winfield clearly loves baseball, but just as he wishes MLB could live up to its potential, so I wish this book would have lived up to the promise its dustjacket seems to suggest.
Book Description
This exciting new textbook provides exceptional coverage of the essential topics taught in a modern operations management course. Its highly current coverage includes contemporary and relevant service theory and applications. Appropriate manufacturing applications and theory are included where relevant. The book's modern/strategic approach addresses OM from a cross-functional perspective, which views operations as linked to all other functional areas of an organization, such as marketing and finance. The strategic approach takes into consideration the integration of technology and how it changes the way a firm operates. Recognition of this current trend is the main differentiating factor for this Collier/Evans text. The book provides equal coverage of manufacturing and services theory and applications, while placing an emphasis on the integration of the value chain.
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