The beauty of Hank Davis' book is that it operates on several levels at once -- as only the best works can.

On the surface, Small Town Heroes is the story of an older guy with enough spare time and discretionary income to get in his car and truck around eastern North America checking out minor league baseball teams. Players, managers, mascots, front office people, concession workers -- each has a story to tell. These stories interweave to form the tapestry that is minor league baseball today.

On a deeper level, Davis' investigations facilitate the contemplation of bigger issues, beginning with the realization that, ultimately, all travel is time travel. It is fascinating to watch Davis collide head on with (friendly) ghosts from his middle 20th century childhood even as he encounters a new generation of "instant" stadiums hastily assembled from the remnants of discarded beer cans.

Deeper still is the responsibility of an emerging generation of elders to preserve and protect that indigenously North American optimism that baseball has always represented and that minor league baseball today can help us preserve. Our heritage was never predicated on the whims of spoiled brat millionaires and self important corporate moguls in luxury sky boxes. As Davis points out time and again, relief from such nonsense is only as far away as your local minor league ballfield.

My only regret is that Davis' book cannot go on forever and cover every location. As both a Royals/Golden Spikes and CWS fan, I would enjoy Davis' perspective on Omaha's precious Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium.

Meanwhile, anyone afflicted with parents, spouses or others irritated by "valium ball" who routinely admonish you to "grow up" and burn your bats and gloves so you can get out in the back yard and build them a new patio -- you need only hand those offenders a copy of Small Town Heroes and let Davis show them why such requests cannot and must never be granted.

Finally, if you're a "Field of Dreams" fan, consider this to be a book about multiple successful examples of the "if you build it, they will come" scenario.

This is an excellent read from start to finish. Davis really captures the essence of the minor league experience from the perspective of players, employees and fans. Baseball fans will love it, and non-fans will still be caught up in the many personalities profiled here.

Well, beat the drum and hold the phone-the sun came out today! We're born again, there's new grass on the field.........Well, I spent some time in the Mudville Nine, watchin' it from the bench............. Hank Davis has a hit! Reading Small-Town Heroes gives one much the same feeling as listening to Fogerty belting out Centerfield.

Davis does an excellent job of exposing the heart, soul, and emotions of those immersed in making a minor league team a reality. The struggle of emotions and the psychic battles faced by players, managers, coaches, mascots, fans, vendors, and other personnel involved in making the game "come off" are, many times, missed by the typical fan. Davis puts you "in the head" of the new kid just getting off the bus in eastern Tennessee. He then gives you a tour of the mind, emotions, and ego of the 27-year-old coming down from The Show for a last trip through the minors.

Davis's style makes you cheer for guys and teams that you have never seen-nor, in many instances, heard of. You feel the sense of urgency in getting the next hit or lowering the ERA with the next strike out. You feel the humanity of men ready become superstars as well as those about to plunge into "the agony of defeat". Hank Davis distinguishes and translates the subtleties of conversation in the dugout and batting practice that are concealed or ambiguous for most. His understanding and empathy flow clearly and viv-idly through to the pages of Small-Town Heroes.

Hank Davis leaves the reader with his opinion of the state of the baseball, and the minors in particular. He has an explicit assessment and is not hesitant about sharing it. He is the kind of guy I would like to sit next to and share a beer with at Graniger Stadium in Kinston, North Carolina on a hot August night!

Tours of small towns, minor league parks, and geography are accurately and realistically portrayed for the reader. Local flavor, as illustrated by Davis, can almost be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt. He presents all the characters-those not likely seen by a visitor and those taken for granted by the locals. From "Mom" and the "Mountain Man" to the groupies, mascots, ground crew, hotel desk clerks, waitresses, and guards-"the whole cast"--Davis introduces you to each. Others have attempted tours similar to Davis only to commit error after error-Davis gets a hit!

I knew Java and ASP for several months, and I had to do ASP.NET with C# at work. This is my first and only DOT NET book so far. This slim book got me into working on ASP.NET in few days. This is NOT for the BEGINNING Programmers. If you have experience in OOP like JAVA and Serverside Web scripting like ASP, you would find this book get you to ASP.NET developing fast. It has real world example and explains core essential things. Just what you need to know to get on the job quickly. You don't spend time on what you already know. It doesn't teach you C# but since I knew Java, it was perfectly ok. For more detailed stuff where I needed, I went to MSDN library. To learn more and deep in certain sections, I'll buy some other books. I am giving 5 stars because it's the only book I read and it did good job for my purpose. Thank you very much!

I knew Java and ASP for several months, and I had to do ASP.NET with C# at work. This is my first and only DOT NET book so far. This slim book got me into working on ASP.NET quickly. This is NOT for the BEGINNING Programmers like college freshmen. It doesn't teach you C# but since I knew Java, it was perfectly ok. If you have experience in OOP like JAVA and Serverside Web scripting like ASP, you would find this book get you to ASP.NET developing fast and worth the time. Each chapter gives you core essentials. It has good examples and explains well.

It's concise: it tells just what you need to know to get on the job quickly. You don't spend time on what you already know like basics. No book can be indepth at every area, for more detailed stuff where I needed, I went to MSDN library. To learn more and deep in certain sections, you need buy some other books. I am giving 5 stars because it's the only book I read and it did good job for my purpose. Thank you very much!

A rather interesting book in the New Bobbsey Twins Series. Flossie gets a role in a movie because she looks like lead actress in the movie. I won't say to much more about the book other than the fact that this is one of the better books in the New Bobbsey Twins series.