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Carra: My Autobiography

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: Jamie Carragher

September 11, 2008
I'm not a Manchester United supporter, but I read Alex Ferguson's autobiography, and enjoyed it. I'm not a Liverpool supporter, but I read Robbie Fowler's autobiography, and enjoyed it. I read Shane Warne's autobiography, but I'm certainly not an Australian. In short, I read a lot of autobiographies about sportsmen whose teams I have no allegiance to, and I read them without prejudice.
I suppose if you are a Liverpool supporter you might enjoy this book, but if you're not then don't bother, it wasn't written for your benefit anyway. Basically, Carragher does not have a good word to say about any one or anything outside the boundaries of Liverpool. Apparently he hated playing for England, hated even travelling to London, and doesn't feel ... Read More:

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I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot from School

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: Caroline Taggart

May 22, 2008
This book is split into chapters based on the traditional school subjects, such as geography, history, maths, and then within each chapter split into 'typical things we were taught', ranging from the list of British kings to trigonometry to Charles Dickens.

There are certain chapters you'll skip, either because they were your specialist subject at university or because you're still not interested years later. But there are chapters you'll definitely be saying "I used to know that!" for.

It doesn't take very long to read the entire book, but that's only half the usefulness, because my copy will be taking a prominent place on my shelf- because next time anything that relates to these subjects comes up, I'll remember (I hope) ... Read More:

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Coming Back to Me: The Autobiography of Marcus Trescothick

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: Marcus Trescothick

September 01, 2008
Marcus Trescothick has written a truly amazing book here. Unlike many sports biographies which are stodgy and difficult, "Coming Back to Me" reads easily, almost like a gripping novel. The writing style draws you into a very personal dialog with the writer and before long you almost feel as if you are in conversation with him.

The subject matter too is very enlightening. First of all, there is the history of his cricketing career, which doesn't get bogged down in a dreary list of scores and averages, but bounces along bringing the excitement of the game to life. The mainstay of the book however, is Marcus' struggle with the depressive illness which has had such a major impact on his life and career.

Descriptions of anxiety attacks ... Read More:

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I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: Judy Parkinson

August 09, 2007

This is a little gem of a book; I bought it thinking it would give me helpful ways of knowing and remembering more about grammar - but it's so much more than this.

The whole book is about mnemonics and rhymes as memory aids, grouped into 17 themed categories as listed in the contents page, which is viewable on the 'Search Inside' feature.

This book is ideal for flicking open and dipping into whatever page it lands on as it not only cites fascinating facts/trivia it also provides the means for remembering them!

To give a flavour of the diversity of information in this book, here's a rhyme which caught my attention (I hope the information's accurate!) on what's good to choose for firewood:

Beech wood fires ... Read More:

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QI: The Book of General Ignorance

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: John Lloyd, John Mitchinson

October 05, 2006
I really enjoyed reading this book and found it more than "Quite Interesting". Unfortunately though, if you are an avid fan of the television series like I am it offers nothing new. Most, if not all, of the material is taken from the series.

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Homework for Grown-ups: Everything You Learnt at School... and Promptly Forgot

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: E. Foley, B. Coates

August 28, 2008
There are some fantastic trivia references here and the whole book is put together in a nice fun and easy going way. Great

QI: The Book of General Ignorance

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Tackling Life

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: Jonny Wilkinson

October 02, 2008
There are some fantastic trivia references here and the whole book is put together in a nice fun and easy going way. Great

QI: The Book of General Ignorance

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Heroes, Villains and Velodromes: Chris Hoy and Britain's Track Cycling Revolution

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: Richard Moore

September 15, 2008
Like so many people in the country I was blown away by the success of the recent Olympics in Beijing, but especially by the amazing performances of the GB cycling team. So when i noticed "Heroes, Villains & Velodromes" on the shelf of my local book shop I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect really but what i got was a lively, entertaining and extremely well written read about the revolution in british cycling and Hoy's part in it over the last ten years. As Moore says in his comments it's not nessecarily a story just about Chris Hoy but he is the principal character and 'star of the show'
Hoy comes across a phenomenal athlete, ferocious competitor but also a genuinely nice guy who's dedicates hiimself completely to his sport, not for the money but ... Read More:

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The Dangerous Book for Boys

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: Conn Iggulden, Hal Iggulden

June 05, 2006
As the cliche goes: I sooo wish I'd had this book as a kid. Nearly everything inside could be found with 5 minutes determined google searching, but it is the lucidity and compiling that makes this book so compelling.

Somehow it makes you feel invigourated reading it - you feel that it is entirely possible to do all the things listed and be a swiss army man or stg.

The one weakness (if it has a weakness) that this book has is that it does have an ever so slightly condescending tone. However, given the tone of the many inferior versions (eg the 'How to be best at everything...' series - as if they are), this book is remarkably down to earth.

So, what are you waiting for? If you've got this far then you clearly spend too much time on t'internet ... Read More:

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Tricks of the Mind

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Sports- Hobbies and Games
by: Derren Brown

October 08, 2007
The book is a humourous introduction to a diverse range of subjects - magic, memory, hypnosis, suggestibility, spotting lies, cognitive illusions, religion, scepticism and the paranormal.

Some sections were witty and extremely informative - magic and memory stand out in my mind - other sections can be dry and humourless. The book as a whole is certainly worth reading particularly if you're interested in Brown's areas of expertise as a performer.

The downside to the book is that Brown frequently rants about the importance of science and scepticism particularly in relation to his past life as a Christian. Despite this he seems to blindly accept the views of anyone he considers a supporter of science. Statistics about being more likely to die from a plane crashing ... Read More: