Hot Products > Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games

I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot from School

Great Stuff, 2008-06-18
I bought this book for my Dad, trying to look clever whilst reminding him he is old. When he started asking me if "I knew this or that" I realized how much I had forgotten from school, and I made a complete fool of myself.

I asked my father to lend me the book now! I needed a quick read through, but he wouldn't let me have it!!

Great fun.
Mark

Carra: My Autobiography

Has Jamie's page been hacked?, 2008-09-06
Read my discussion at the bottom of the page. Somebody at Amazon has added "18 Years of Failure" to the book title. I don't think Jamie or the publishers will be best pleased!

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

Indulge yourself!, 2008-06-19

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 are bright and clear,
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good, they say,
If for long it's laid away.
Birch and fir logs burn too fast,
Blaze up bright and do not last.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
Even the very flames are cold.
Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills you eyes and makes you choke.
Apple wood will scent your room,
With an incense like perfume.
Oak and maple, if dry and old,
Keep away the winter cold.
But ash wood wet and ash wood dry,
A king shall warm his slippers by.

Official Liverpool FC Annual 2009 (Annual)

Articles of Faith

Faith rewarded, 2008-11-10
Let's leave the recent Radio 2 controversy to one side and concentrate on this book. I imagine if you've got this far, you are either a fan of Russell Brand or football, probably both.
`Articles of Faith' is a collection of Russell Brand's Saturday column in The Guardian spanning the 2007/08 season. If like me you didn't manage to buy the paper every week it is the perfect opportunity to play catch up. It's also very funny. I respect Russell for writing the column. With a burgeoning media profile and a movie carer about to take off, I was both glad and surprised that he stuck to the task and continued writing about football from wherever he found himself around the globe (Hawaii, Hollywood, The Isle of White). Surely, with so much going on, it would be easy for him to ditch the column. Also, unlike many of these celebrity `fans', I believe that Russell is doing it for the love of the game rather than the money or the kudos.
As for the content, there can't be many writers who muse on the beautiful game in such an eloquent and intelligent way. If you enjoyed his radio show or stand-up, you'll identify straight away with the style: the ramblings are often abstract, frequently self-obsessed but always humorous.
This is a great book, that despite being tied to the 2007/08 season, manages to transcend it. I laughed out loud as I read it this week and I have a feeling it will still be funny in five years time.
Perhaps, with Russell Brand's Guardian musings and Danny Baker's return to 606 we are entering a golden age of football humour. Things certainly haven't been this good since Baddiel & Skinner graced our screens in Fantasy Football in the mid-1990s. Add to this the excellent (but much less widely known) `Modern Football is Rubbish' by Davidson & Hunt, and you've pretty much got the Christmas gift market covered for the intelligent football fan who likes a laugh.
So, `Articles of Faith' - a must have if you like Russell Brand or football. 5/5.

"Match" Annual 2009: From the Makers of Britain's Bestselling Football Magazine (Annual)

The QI Annual 2009 (Annual)

they keep delivering, 2008-11-10
I love buying these kinds of books for presents - you can read them first before wrapping-up! I bought this along with a Joined-Up Thinking by Colgan (Stephen Fry gave a quote on the front cover) and both books entertained me hugely on these cold, wet, darker days. great stuff.

Lewis Hamilton: My Story: Special Celebration Edition

QI: The Book of General Ignorance

fun but tedious at times, 2008-07-31
This is a fun book to pick up and put down at leisure but it loses something for not being delivered by the dry tones of Stephen Fry. If you are an avid watcher of the series you will have heard most of these entries before but there are still some gems among them. Some of the explanations do go on and there seems to be a fascintaion with space that just doesn't excite me but there were a few chuckles along the way. At the end there is a disclaimer inviting readers to send in alternative answers or explanations which does dilute the whole thing a bit. Good for picking up trivia to delight your mates at the pub.

The Big Book of "Top Gear" 2009

FUNNY, 2008-11-19
I don't even watch Top Gear that religiously but I bought the book for my brother for Christmas. I opened it to write a message in the cover and ended up reading most of it! I laughed out loud on so many occasions, it is SO funny!! As funny if not funnier than the show.