Finally! I've been waiting for an entire book devoted to the monopoly power in pro sports ever since reading Stephen Ross's chapter in "The Business of Professional Sports" advocating the breakup of these monopolies. Quirk and Fort's Hard Ball fits the bill nicely and advances many of the same views as Ross, namely that multiple, competitive leagues would result in lower ticket prices, fewer public subsidies for stadiums, and the penetration of professional sports into all markets that demand and can sustain it.

The authors of Hard Ball are certainly well-qualified to discuss this subject, having earlier published Pay Dirt, the so-called bible of sports economics. Hard Ball is much easier to read than Pay Dirt and seems to be aimed more at the non-academically-inclined sports fan, being much lighter on economic theory and a little more narrowly focused. Although Hard Ball doesn't have the detailed historical discussion that Pay Dirt has, it still gives a good overview of the problems caused by the monopolies and how they came to be. It discusses in detail how the owners, players, leagues, TV networks, and politicians are affected by the monopoly power and why these groups have little, if any, financial motivation to fight it.

Perhaps Hard Ball has a couple of minor shortcomings. First, there is very little discussion of whether pro sports leagues are a "natural" monopoly, a view that is held by experts who oppose the position advanced by Hard Ball. The second is that, while the authors demonstrate clearly and throughout the book the potential economic benefits of their theory as public policy, their final chapter offers a rather feeble attempt at persuading the reader of the benefits to the sports fan in the form of increased competition and availability of big-time pro sports. But overall, Quirk and Fort embark on a very interesting and convincing discussion of the topic.

Continuing their trend from Pay Dirt, the data tables at end of Hard Ball serve as a comprehensive and invaluable reference. The Hard Ball data concentrates on financial numbers during the 1990s in all four major pro sports leagues. While some of the data is pretty basic stuff (media income, salary averages, etc.) other charts are quite amazing (for example, one showing that the correlation in the 1990s between payroll and winning percentage in MLB is so small that it is statistically insignificant). As with Pay Dirt, even if the text doesn't inspire you, the data supplement alone is worth the purchase price of the book.

Hardball is the most enlightening sports book I have read in a long time. Die-hard team-sports fans are traditionally opinionated, knowledgeable, and frustrated that "it ain't what it used to be". Quirk and Forth, both economists, re-describe the world of pro sports in a manner that can affect even the most opinionated. Their rhetoric and logic are compelling and appealing. They even have a solution to bring a Why-didn't-I think-of-that? smile to your face. And, if you care, the book is packed with statistics.

In HARD BALL, economists James Quirk and Rodney Fort document and persuasively blame the monopoly power and authoritarianism of professional sports leagues for exorbitant ticket prices, high and escalating player salaries, growing revenue disparities between small- and large-market teams, and the leverage owners use to blackmail cities to finance new facilities with taxpayer subsidies. To eliminate these problems, Quirk and Fort advise that "the Justice Department should file suit and break up the existing monopoly leagues into several independent leagues with the antitrust laws applied to the industry created" (see page 177). To be sure, their proposed solution to dismantle leagues will stimulate discussion and research to improve the economic conduct and social performance of the industry. But in RELOCATING TEAMS AND EXPANDING LEAGUES IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS: HOW THE MAJOR LEAGUES RESPOND TO MARKET CONDITIONS (Quorum Books, 1999), John Guthrie and I argue that between 1950 and 1995 leagues and franchise owners made rational decisions to approve team movements and expand league membership. We concluded that market participants-owners, players, sports fans, and communities-together are best equipped to determine the growth and development of professional sports in America. An alternative proposal to mainstream economists, we oppose any bureaucratic role for government in allocating the number and location of teams in professional sports. In our view, innovation and reform of the sports industry should be initiated and implemented by the market and not by regulation.

I was generally glued to this book, although the technicalities of the workings of the LAPD left me lost or vacant, at times. I had the rare occasion to work with the author for six weeks during an Army public relations tour in Nicaragua, and his insights into life in the LAPD and life, as a cop, in general, furthered to set the stage for the book. Tom Owens is a well-read, knowledgeable man in workings of life as a private dectective and cop. I wouldn't want him investigating me!

This book doesn't pull any punches in reporting the facts surrounding the Rodney King case, the incident that led to it, and what happened afterward. As a former LAPD officer and a private investigator, the book's author, Tom Owens gives an objective look at one of the most contraversial cases in our nation's history, reporting the facts that he collected.

A Taste of reality, set in the days of Mississippi, and for the southern states. Man's Inhumanity to Man kind.

If you have easy access to squab, pheasant, loin of rabbit, quail, buffalo, antelope, Mexican oregano, blackberries, poblano chiles, gualjillo chiles, serrano chiles, chile molido, chile carib, chipotles in adobo sauce, Apaloosa beans, calypso beans, Steuben yellow beans, fresh hoja santa leaf, dry aged goat cheese, smoked gouda, chanterelles, Silver Queen corn, fresh marjoarm, fresh epazota, pumpkin seeds, cumin seeds, dried blueberries, huckleberries, etc., then you might find the recipes in "Red Sage: Contempoary American Cuisine" the kind that will give a fresh and creative twist to your culinary endeavors. Otherwise, you are likely find very little in this book that you can put to use in your kitchen.

that guy who wrote the derogatory one must live in a closet.

Not only have I read the book, which is well written and quite insightful, but I have had the priviledge to create many of the dishes presented. The techniques are fairly simple for a seasoned chef, and the only trick is finding the ingredients if you live in a smaller town. One item I have discovered cannot be substituted is the can of chipoltes in adobo sauce. If you find them, buy many cans, as you will be using them often! The beauty of this book is the diversity of dishes featured. Vegetarians can find many recipes to entertain, and the poultry, game, and beef dishes are quite intriguing. This cookbook is fabulous, and I consider the recipes to be invaluable. A must for any cook!

Some of the lists are very funny, but it's missing something in book form because you're missing Dave's delivery. Also, a one-joke book gets kind of thin quick. I recommend only reading three or four lists at a time so the novelty doesn't wear off. Great bathroom reading.

This collection is from the Late Show era, not the Late Night era. However, believe it or not, these top ten lists are funny enough to read and reread. For those of you like myself, who are Letterman fans, this collection, like all previous collections, borders on the essential. Do yourself a favor, though, and buy the Late Night editions as well.

This is another hilarious collection of Top Tens. Will they come out with any more?

Knight here provides a very entertaining introduction to Anglo-American legal history and some of the main precepts underlying the U.S. legal system. A great choice for lay readers (especially those considering law school or those who are not inclined to read more scholarly works such as Coquillette's Anglo-American Legal Heritage or Friedman's History of American Law). A few quibbles -- the chapter on binding precedent is unnecessarily confusing, the headquotes seem to have been pulled in haste from Bartlett's, the discussion of the Civil War amendments is oddly roundabout, and some of the history is contradicted (in minor ways) by the latest research. However, at its best, the book conveys the grandeur of the law and its slow development over many centuries. Also recommended as beach reading for lawyers.

A well-researched and readable legal history that casts a greater understanding of the law and the tradition of the American legal system. Most important it introduces the lay reader to legal thinking not as a scholar, but as a citizen for whom law is a fact and not an option.

This book is a sheer delight. Witty, insightful and entertaining. What a great introduction to the history, politics and philosophy behind our system of jurisprudence.

I love the mysteries of Colin Dexter and Reginald Hill, so when a friend mentioned that the Frost series had a lot in common with them, I had to buy one. I was definitely not disappointed. Jack Frost is the most hilarious character I've ever come across. He usually says whatever pops into his head whether it's appropriate or not.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes British police procedurals. You won't be disppointed!

Terrific writing, interesting characters, witty dialogue. The ultimate plot solution is little strained, but I'd much rather compromise on the crime's "destination" than on the journey there. I vehemently disagree with the earlier reviewer who found Frost self-centered and disgusting. Self-deprecating would be much closer to the truth--a very sympathetic character.

I found this book gripping, exciting and humorous. Detective Jack Frost has his own inapt way of solving crime and will do anything to avoid paperwork and confrontations with the Divisional Commander. Some folk are not convinced Frost to be a suitable detective, but think again as he's not as foolish as some might believe. ! I just can't wait to begin the next novel by Wingfield which I am told are as good if not better than this one. - I recommend this to anyone, even if murder mystery is not your 'cup of tea'. ! 5 Stars.

I have to call into question the accuracy of the author's information. For example, when referring to the crash of Flight 553 into Chicago in 1972, he indicates that "A United Boeing 737 crashed into a Chicago residential area (December 8, 1972) during an approach, killing everyone on board, including the wife of Watergate figure E. Howard Hunt." Well, as a survivor of that crash, I can quite definitively state that he needs to do some some more fact-checking. If he can't get that right, how am I to believe the rest of it?

When I finished reading Rodney Stich's previous book, I thought: this is terrible, but at least he's out of prison. Yet when I read his next book, this one, I found out he'd been arrested again, for persisting in a suit against the government in spite of a court order unconstitutionally barring him from doing so. As before, he was forbidden a trial and forced into federal prison. But this time those responsible probably regret it, as it was his springboard into a much deeper investigation of government corruption.

Rodney was truthful and upfront. I'm mentioned in the latest edition but the name is Richardson not Richards. I have first hand knowledge of Government corruption and cover-up and know some of the others mentioned in 'Defrauding America' and can vouch for the honesty and the way the facts are given.Anyone who has lost a loved one or has a complaint about high taxes shoud read this book. When an aircraft goes down and you hear the statement 'pilot error' you must remember; the Government conciders it the pilots fault for flying a defective aircraft. Part of my whistleblowing concerns the Presidents and King Fauds aircraft and when either of these two gets bounced see if it's pilot error then. That will probly make someone look into the billions in rip-offs by one 'protected' company and the DoD/DoJ conspiracy that protects these companies. W.E. Richardso

The 1st of 2 books by Charles M. Sevilla (with others on this book) that takes a humorous look at life in the courtroom. I'm sure that a lot of you have gotten the e-mail with excerpts from this book (which is what prompted me to buy the book and the 2nd "Disorder in the Court"). With quotes like "Then I object to the District Attorney objecting to my objecting to standard legal objections" (p. 60) there is something in this book to tickle everyone's funny bone. Anyone in or around the legal professions should find this book amusing. Amusing illustrations illuminate some of the quotes. I found some quote more amusing that others, but over all got a good chuckle out of the book. Over all this is a good book. It would be great for the beach - pick it up, put it down and pick it up again, no worrying about loosing your place in the story.

This is the kind of book that is hard to put down once you've started reading it. Except to say that it was given to me by a lawyer and every lawyer, paralegal, and secretary that I've shared it with has loved it, there's nothing more to say. If you find courtroom proceedings (trial and otherwise) interesting, GET THIS BOOK.

Another book that covers the misquotes of the legal system? Maybe but the funny stories that you will read make it a real pleasure to review this book. This 170 plus page book of stories and illustration are actual excerpts from cases and I am glad to have read this book.

Covered in the book is testimony from expert witnesses, the jury selection process, cross-examinations, opening and closing arguments and the sentencing phase. Each section is so enjoyable and so funny, I found myself laughing for hours.

Poking fun at the legal profession is getting to be too easy and this book proves it. The stories are great and coupled with the fantastic illustrations you have an unbeatable combination. A real collectors item for those in and out of the legal field.

The verdict is in and it's unanimous, guilty of laughter in the first degree. Well done and congratulations on a fine and hilarious book!

On the face of it, it would appear Brad Fregger has good qualifications to write a book of this type. Starting with Atari in the early 1980s, he was involved with the games industry for almost two decades.

However, I had several problems with "Lucky That Way". The first, and most basic, is that I didn't find the book that interesting. The products that the author worked with were not exactly those which built an industry, Shanghai and Solitaire aside. As an expose and history of the video game industry, you'd be much better off reading David Scheff's "Game Over".

Secondly, the writing style grated. The phrase "Seize the moment" is repeated, in italics, at least once a page and frequently once per paragraph. I noticed in the author's bio that he's a professional speaker; this comes across in the prose, in the gimmicky and catchphrase-led style. What works as a speech does not necessarily work as a piece of writing.

Finally, many of the anecdotes are brief and lack detail, and can be extremely generic. One chapter regarding Microsoft quotes "Barbarians Led By Bill Gates" extensively, with very little extra information.

The book wasn't a total loss - the author has considerable experience, in life as much as the games industry, and some of his business acumen comes across well.

My personal opinions only. Your mileage may vary.

Brad Fregger is a great storyteller - like the bards of old. I enjoyed reading his tales, both the uplifting and the troubled ones. What makes this book even better is that the stories are true! Thank you for bringing us these tales, Mr. Fregger.

"Lucky That Way" is a great story about learning how to take advantage of opportunities you normally might miss in life. Brad uses stories to share his philosphy of life with the reader- serendipity and syncronicity. He also shares with the reader that it is important that you actively seek out these opportunities or they will pass you by. In addition, you learn a little about how some of the most popular computer games of all time were created.

The book is compelling, informative and keeps you giggling every so often. Easy to read and easy to recommend.

Rodney Howard-Browne has given us a treatise on a much needed topic, the real Jesus. He covers various aspects of who Jesus is as opposed to what "religious" people think who Jesus is. He covers nearly every conceivable topic in relationship to the nature of Jesus.

Howard-Browne's theology is mostly solid. There is ample biblical support given for his assertions that Jesus is much different from the pseudo-Jesus taught by much of the Church. He brings out the important fact that Jesus wants to bless the members of the Church.

All the positive points covered in this book are muddled by very trite writing. It was difficult to read entire paragraphs consisting of the same three word sentence repeated numerous times. The very real and compassionate minister of the gospel hid behind parody and silliness in his delivery of the subject. The theology gets 5 stars; the writing style a 1. Thus my overall rating of a 3.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. For The spirit filled Christian, It is a blessing. For the average Christian this book will encourage you to have a deeper relationship with God. And for the non Christian, it will present a non religious view of Jesus!! This book will show most people an intirely different point of view, and be a very positive life encouraging experience that can help in the world we live in.

This book cuts to the religous bone of who Jesus is. I have been to Rodney Howard Brownes meetings and the book is written exactly how he preaches. I only wish I had read this when I was a young christian instead of having a religous Son of God portrayed that was ready to condemm you at every wrong move. If you want a revitalisation,and a book thats very easy to read, plus the Gospels thrown in for good measure then I highly recommend this book