Toproping ( Falcon Guides How to Climb )

"Toproping" is rock climbing with the rope anchored at the top of the climb, as opposed to "lead" climbing, whereby a climber places protection as he or she goes. Having a top anchor lessens the potential distance of a fall and creates a more controlled situation in which to hone your climbing technique. Toproping is at the heart of learning to climb, and being able to safely set up and manage toprope situations is a critical component in the development of any climber. While it seems simple on the surface, topropes must be rigged and configured properly in accordance with sound safety principles--and that's where this book comes in.
Inside this book you'll find everything the beginning climber needs to know about toproping: knots to use, basic and advanced anchor set-ups, belay techniques, lowering from fixed anchors, site management, and more. All new color photos help guide the reader through complex toproping situations. Rescue skills and risk management are also covered, along with a section on teaching novices how to toprope. And there's nobody better to teach these skills than author Bob Gaines, an American Mountain Guides Association certifed Rock Instructor and longtime Joshua Tree climbing guide. Inside you'll find information on: Site selectionEquipmentKnots and hitchesAnchoringToprope systemsBelayingRappellingLoweringAssistance/Rescue SkillsRisk managementGroup managementTeaching Novices.

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Making the Masters: Bobby Jones and the Birth of America's Greatest Golf Tournament

Contested the second weekend in April each year since 1934, the Masters is the world 's most prestigious golf tournament and most-watched tournament on television. Tickets are in such demand that even the waiting list is closed, and players value the title above all others. In Making the Masters, award-winning golf writer David Barrett focuses his attention on how the Masters was conceived, how it got off the ground in 1934, and how it fully established itself in 1935.
The key figure in the tournament 's creation and success was Bobby Jones, who was a living legend after winning the Grand Slam in 1930 and immediately retiring at the age of twenty-eight. He went on to found Augusta National and sought a high-profile tournament for his new course. But nearly as important was Clifford Roberts, a banker friend of Jones who not only embraced Jones 's vision but became his right-hand man in working to bring that vision to reality.
Barrett explores how Jones and Roberts built the Masters from scratch, creating a golf institution embellished by the often surprising details of what that entailed as they were trying to establish a golf club and golf tournament in tough economic times. It also vividly chronicles the events of the 1934 and 1935 Masters, with Gene Sarazen 's spectacular victory in 1935 providing the climax. Set against the backdrop of golf, and America, in the 1930s, the book provides an informative and entertaining read for fans of the Masters and students of golf history.

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The Emerald Diamond: How the Irish Transformed America's Greatest Pastime

The history of the Irish in baseball is much richer than anyone realizes. From early discrimination to later domination, from Mike Kelly, a society star in the 1880s, to the managerial fame of Connie Mack (nE McGillicuddy), early Irish players and managers helped shape the game of baseball in every way. From the first curveball to the first players' unions, Irishmen took America's national pastime and made it their own, turning it into the glorious game we know today, as more recent players have kept alive the Irish tradition of setting records.
A wild, fun, fact-filled celebration of the Irish in baseball, "The Emerald Diamond" intersperses interviews with current players with tales of such players as Dan Brouthers, who at 6'2" and well over 200 pounds, was the game's home-run king until Babe Ruth came along; and includes lively anecdotes about such colorfully nicknamed ballplayers as Tony "the Count" Mullane, Mike "King" Kelly, James "Pud" Galvin, Hugh "One-Arm" Daily, Frank "Silk" O'Loughlin, and "Iron Man" Joe McGinnity. Just a few of the great Irish athletes featured as well are Mickey Cochrane (for whom Mickey Mantle was named); Charles Comiskey; Ed Walsh, the last pitcher to win 40 games in a single season; and Ed Delahanty, whose prodigious life and mysterious death continue to be a source of intrigue. With decade-by-decade profiles of exciting Irish figures on the field and off, "The Emerald Diamond" also offers important discussion on cultural and political themes relevant to their times.

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Wrestling for Dummies

The fast and easy way to pin down the sport of wrestling
Wrestling is a fast-paced sport with many technicalities, rules, and ways to score points--making it difficult for spectators to follow the score and understand whistles and restarts. In "Wrestling For Dummies," author and 2008 Olympic Gold medalist Henry Cejudo explains the scoring system and unique rules of wrestling to new competitors, confused parents, and fans of this ancient and captivating sport.
"Wrestling For Dummies" also explains the rich history of the sport and covers the six styles of competitive wrestling and their distinction from the modern entertainment-based "pro wrestling."Covers Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestlingPlain-English explanations of wrestling rulesDetails the history of wrestling
Whether you're just getting started as a wrestler or enjoy it as a spectator sport, "Wresting For Dummies" makes this sport accessible and easy to understand.

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Turning Two: My Journey to the Top of the World and Back with the New York Mets

Only one man, Bud Harrelson, can say he was in uniform for both New York Mets world championships: as the shortstop who anchored the infield of the 1969 "Miracle Mets" and then as the third-base coach for the storied 1986 team. In "Turning Two," Harrelson delivers a team memoir as he takes fans through the early seasons, sudden success, lean years, and return to glory.
Born on D-day 1944, the Alameda County, California, native made his Major League debut with the Mets in 1965. At 147 pounds he was the team's Everyman---a Gold Glove, All-Star shortstop who won the hearts of fans with his sparkling defensive skills and trademark brand of gritty, scrappy baseball.
Harrelson recalls how the gentle yet firm guidance of manager Gil Hodges shaped a stunning success story in '69. Bud remembers the game's legends he played with and against, including Hall of Famers Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Roberto Clemente, Bob Gibson (against whom he compiled a .333 career batting average), and his idol, Willie Mays---Harrelson's teammate on the 1973 "Ya Gotta Believe" team. Harrelson writes of his famous fight with Pete Rose in the playoffs that autumn as the Mets upset the Cincinnati Reds to win the National League pennant and squared off against the mighty Oakland A's in a dramatic seven-game World Series. After retiring as a player, Bud returned to Shea Stadium as Davey Johnson's third-base coach in 1985 and waved Ray Knight home for the winning run in the unforgettable Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.
Harrelson takes us in the dugout and on the field as he tells thrilling tales from his career and speaks candidly of the state of the game today. "Turning Two" is the ideal souvenir from the first half-century of the New York Mets---and from the pre-steroid era when players played the game the right way and did the little things to help their teams win.

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