YEA I READ THIZ BOOK AND I THINK ALLEN IZ THE BOMB.HE LETTIN PPL KNO U CAN PLAY B-BALL JUST WORK HARD AND DO YO BEST YO KNO.ITS NUTHIN MUCH 2 TELL GOT2 READ THA BOOK YA SELF. WELL A BIG SHOUT TO ALLEN DOIN HIZ THANG 2!

This is a nicely illustrated, clearly written book. . . . It does a good job of simply yet accurately presenting complex concepts such as how nerve impulses are transmitted and the electrical stimulus behind generating a heartbeat. It discusses the development of the pacemaker by an electrical engineer named Earl Bakken (the founder of Medtronic Inc.)This book would make an excellent addition to middle school and high school libraries.

Just a little book with great, really wonderful, photos of one of the best ever! Edoardo,Italy (edobald@tin.it)

This is a concise but thorough story of one of baseball's most fabled stadiums. As many of the old classic ballparks go the way of the wrecking ball, such accounts become more and more necessary.

The Polo Grounds met its demise as long ago as 1964, but it is likely to continue to have a hold on baseball fans long after some of the newer monstrosities which were built and/or abandoned afterwards (I.e., Riverfront Stadium, Houston Astrodome, Three Rivers Stadium) have been long forgotten.

Many of those who pick up this book will already know that the New York National League baseball team (which was known as the "Mutuals" before it became the "Giants") actually played in four different ballparks known as the Polo Grounds and that polo was never played in any but the first one (the succeeding ones simply kept the name for familiarity's sake).

But this book will add some breadth and scope to that knowledge. The author, Stew Thornley, has nothing new to add concerning the most famous events that took place there. At this late date, what more is there to be said about Merkle's Boner, Zimmerman's Boner, Snodgrass's Muff, Merkle's Second Boner, Hubbell's 1934 All Star Game performance, The Shot Heard Round the World, or Willie's Catch?

On the other hand, would you believe that Willie Mays's first Polo Grounds home run took place before his 1951 rookie season with the Giants? How and when? I didn't know before reading this book.

Thornley also seems to have swallowed the myth that a vengeful Brooklyn Dodgers team beat the Giants in 1934 to spoil their pennant chances and get even for the slight that Bill Terry inflicted when he asked, "Is Brooklyn still in the league?" The story is part of Giant-Dodger lore, and all of those events took place, except that it is likely that Terry's question was really an innocent response to a rumor circulating over that franchises's future.

Thornley's principal contribution concerns the political and business history of the four ballparks, as well as their dimensions and how they affected baseball as it was played there. But while there are some wonderful photographs in the centerpieces of the book, Thornley fails to integrate them with his technical descriptions of the ballparks' dimensions. Some maps of old New York and some diagrams of the four ballparks facing the pages containing the descriptions would have been helpful.

There were not only once baseball giants at Polo Grounds IV but football giants too. Boxing and other athletic events also took place, and, in a separate chapter, Thornley dutifully pays homage to the Grounds's non-baseball history.

Regarding Polo Grounds I, where the Giants played from 1883 to 1888, it is described as a "difficult place to hit home runs". As Thornley states, "Total Baseball lists the home run factor for the east diamond as 71, with 100 being average; this means that home runs were reduced by nearly 30 percent...because of the characteristics of the ballpark itself."

Thornley continues, "However, the Giants had a slugger capable of reaching not just the outfield fences but the property fences that provided the outside border to the stadium itself." The slugger was Hall of Famer Roger Connor, described by another historian as "the premier power hitter of the 'Gaslight Era'", and Thornley recapitulates a contemporary description from 1886 of a Connor home run traveling majestically over the right field stands and into a field across 112th Street.

A Giants baseball team playing its home games in a pitcher's ballpark, stingy with home runs, but having in its lineup the premier home run hitter of the era, a left-handed slugger and future Hall of Famer capable of overcoming the park's dimensions by muscling baseballs entirely out of it.

Thornley deserves thanks for reminding his readers that after 116 years and a move to the West Coast, the more baseball changes, the more it remains the same.

This book is an one special of its kind. It's like "Lost Ballparks" but enfocused only at the mythic Polo Grounds. The simply evocation of the name of the former field of the baseball's Giants wake up alots of events and personalities all very well descripted there in the book. Highly recommended.
One only thing I didn't like from the book: its binding.

One ballpark that has fascinated me more than any other has been the Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants. This is due to my interest in reading books about John McGraw and Christy Mathewson. My only two visits to the site came long after the stadium had been demolished. Author Stew Thornley provides the reader with a concise history of all four arenas called the Polo Grounds. Polo Grounds I was located at 110th Street and 5th Avenue and was the only location that polo was acutally played. Polo Grounds II was located on the site of Manhattan Field where the parking lot for the future arenas was to be located. Polo Grounds III had a short life as fire destroyed the park and the team moved into Hilltop Park after accepting an invitation from the Highlanders (Yankees) to play there while Polo Grounds IV was being rebuilt on the same location. I enjoyed the pictures that were in the book which included a couple views I hadn't seen before and also the history of the plaques in center field. I've often wondered what happened to the Eddie Grant memorial and I've found I'm not alone in this respect. Also of interest to me was the information provided on the Putnam Bridge near center field outside the park and the Macombs Dan Bridge that crosses the Harlem River. Of additional interest is the information provided on groundskeeper Matty Schwab and his family that lived in an apartment in the left field area and his son who had friends who would sleep over with him on the outfield grass. The area around Coogan's Bluff has history dating back to the days of George Washington and the Revolutionary War and two of baseball's most memorable moments in the 1950's took place there, Thompson's homer off Branca in '51 and Mays's catch off Wertz in '54. I remember writing to Tom Meany who worked for the New York Mets in the 1960's, asking him if he could provide me with a piece of concrete from the stadium when it was to be demolished. He sent back a picture with a note saying, "Sending you a piece of concrete would necessitate my using a chisel and I've never been a chiseler in all my life." The history of the Giants and Mets provided in this book can be found in any number of other baseball books, but some of the things I mentioned above I was not familiar with. Thanks, Stew Thornley, for an interesting book.

My book review is on a retired Basketball player named Dennis Rodman.The Author of this book is Stew thornley. Dennis rodman played in the first NBA team Spurs. He played for Spurs for about 2 years then he moved to Chicago Bulls, and played on that team for 3 years. After his Coach switched to be a different coach for another team, he desided to do something with his life which I don't want to say, because I can Ruin the book. The reason I rate this a 4 star book is because It's a good book and It tells Kids and young adults and adults who want to be a basketball player what to do or how to do it.

Sports Great Dennis Rodman

This is my favorite book . Its a good book for basketball fans and players . While reading this book you realise how hard some peoples lives are . I liked this book because I am a basketball player and I have seen Dennis play . It keeps your intrest . It also gives facts on his life and career . Before I read this book i thought that Dennis was a little diffrent but by reading this book you can see why he acts and dresses this way . It is a real good book and anyone who is intrested or plays basketball should read it . This is one of my favorite books .

This book was very good, it was so good i bought two one two to read and one to save for my deion collection . the book went through many chapters of baseball then football , and both at the same time. but if you don't like deion sanders don't read it because it dosn't need your critism, from somebody like you.But i wouldn't trust my rating because it could a very bad book but i wouldn't not like it.

This is a wonderful read for young basketball fans. The vocabulary is limited, but content is not lacking. The writing style is easy to read, not choppy, and covers highlights and personal challenges. The book includes a good introduction, career stats, how to contact Duncan (through the San Antonio Spurs), terms to know, books about Duncan (all are appropriate for children), and the URL's for the Official NBA and the Official Spurs web pages. The photos are clear and nicely framed, usually with a shadow effect. Some photos are framed in an overlay border print effect. Most pictures are captioned with statements that relate to the text. Added graphics enhance, without distration, the visual interest of the pages. This will be a nice choice for young sports fans with well written material that is appropriate for their reading level.