Product Description
With the Winter 2006 Olympics bringing Canada our first gold medal in curling, the sport's popularity is at an all-time high in this country, and its international presence is growing. In the five years since the publication of the first edition of Curling For Dummies, Canadian attendance at curling tournaments and viewership of televised curling has skyrocketed. Twenty new nations have joined the World Curling Federation.

Curling’s profile isn't the only thing that's changed since the first edition was published — so too have the game's rules, equipment, and technique. Profiles of players, listings of television coverage and events, and memorable curling shots also need to be updated for the second edition. As the most comprehensive and up-to-date book available, Curling For Dummies will remain the ultimate curling book, for fans, players, and coaches. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A good follow up after you start curling
Back in February of 2010 my wife and I were watching curling in the Olympics and my wife, not familiar with the sport (I knew a little about it, enough to be dangerous), became fascinated.We went home from dinner and continued watching the games.While watching, I surfed around and learned that we had a local curling club and they did Learn to Curl's.We did that in March and have sense participated in a Beginner's League.Wanting to learn a little more, and not being afraid to admit I'm a dummy I picked up Curling for Dummies.

Curling for Dummies presents curling at the beginners level but seems to give much more (while I'm just getting started, I've seen a few things I know I should cover again after I have more experience).The book is divided into six sections that go from introducing the sport to the fundamentals to playing the game and getting better.Subjects are presented in a nice simple format with subsections covering details very nicely.

Rating wise I'm calling this a 4 star book.I was generally impressed with its presentation of curling.There's good details to expand a beginners understanding but its no substitute for learning from a certified curling instructor (if you're interested in curling I highly recommend attending a Learn to Curl from a local curling club).I do believe this book is helpful to beginners and intermediates to understand more about curling so they can talk with the more experienced curls in their club and possibly improve their game.

Lots of great information for both new curlers and old
From the perspective of the person who curled for several years 8 years ago and is now getting back into the sport by founding a new club, this is a great book with a look of good info for both new and old curlers alike.

With all the press curling has gotten recently, good luck finding a copy.

Yeah!!
The best (and really, for all intents and purposes the ONLY) guide to Curling for us non-Canadians....

I used it while taking a Curling class here locally....it was great fun, it had all the information I would ever need, and it helped me keep up with the lingo and rules without looking like a total homer....

Great reference for new and experienced curlers
I picked up curling just after the 2006 Olympics.This book does a pretty good job covering all the aspects of curling, from scoring, sweeping, delivery, and more.This book won't replace a lesson from an experienced curler, but its certainly a good reference once you've gotten out on the ice.This book has the Triangle Curling Club Seal of Approval, if there is such a thing :)

any new curler should read this book
As a new curler, this book was a perfect companion to actually playing.It had everything you need to learn the sport. A must read if you want to curl. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (15)

Very Helpful Book
This book revolutionized how I think about sexuality. It's written in a funny and engaging manner, and is well researched and informative. I don't agree with absolutely everything Dr. Popcak says, but he has me convinced of all his major points.

A flippant, prurient book masquerading as a "Catholic" guide
I'm so glad I was able to borrow this book from the library so that I didn't waste money buying it. I'm also glad that this book doesn't have the imprimatur. I found it very offensive, and theuse of case studies I feel is inappropriate to couples who want to improve their own marital sexual relationships. I felt like a voyeur reading a lot of the material! The "tone" of this book leaves a lot to be desired. For example, why would a couple who do not have a wild sexual history pre-marriage want to read about others who have? This book is presumably not written for other professionals, so why go into the details of disordered relationships? I found Protestant Mike Pearl's book, also entitled "Holy Sex" to be more orthodox and helpful. Althugh John Gray discusses practices that are unacceptable in Catholic teaching in "Mars and Venus in the Bedroom," I was able to discount this information, and I found Gray's tone more mature and helpful than Popcak's smarmy and smutty presentation. In a culture drenched in disordered and immodest sexuality, I don't think Popcak's "guide" is very helpful--indeed it suffers from the defects of the larger culture. A truly Catholic presentation would be countercultural--not go with the polluted flow.

Outstanding Book
In his book, "Holy Sex: A Catholic Guide to Toe-Curling, Mind Blowing Infallible Loving," Dr. Greg Popcak expertly dispels the long-held societal myth that the Catholic Church teaches that sex is bad.He explains that the Church teaches that marital sex open to life can actually be holy, satisfying and "mind blowing."

And, despite the fact that this book has "Catholic" in its title, it is not just for Catholics.Every married couple interested in having a great sex life would benefit from this wonderfully candid book.

Dividing his book into four parts, in Part I, he introduces the truths of what he calls "Infallible Loving."Part II givesthe tools to tap into what he calls "The Five Powers of Holy Sex," and how readers can learn how to celebrate the sacred, redemptive, heavenly, uniting and creative nature of holy sex.Part III gives readers the necessary information to apply the principles of holy sex to their marriages. Part IV offers practical guidance to overcome sexual problems and challenges.

As an NFP teacher for many years, I already knew much of what was included in this book, but I still found it to be extremely helpful.The author's humor and candor are particularly entertaining.Anecdotal stories of real couples from the author's experience as a marriage counselor make this a most interesting and compelling read.

It is explicit in parts and therefore recommended for mature readers. However, I highly recommend this outstanding book to any couple who truly wants to experience sacred sexuality.

Amazing Book
This book is strong in both its theological explanations and practical advice.I highly recommend that all married couples read it.

Great read!
This book is well written and covers all topics with a positive and funny perspective.I appreciate reading about church teaching on this topic.Greg Popcak has a great way of communicating truth with sensitivity.Have always enjoyed his books!A+ ... Read more

Product Description
How can the secrets and strategies of great curling champions be learned and taught? Is there more to their success than technique? Curling champion Cheryl Bernard teams up with curler and writer Guy Scholz to uncover the keys to success on and off the ice. Concentrating on the mental and motivational aspects of the sport, Between the Sheets spotlights the importance of team dynamics, mental attitude, coaching, practicing, and more. Drawing on strategies, experiences, and wisdom from legendary curlers, great athletes from other sports, and even modern cultural references like The Matrix and Star Wars, Between the Sheets will help you live, play, and perform at your best. ... Read more

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Instructions for making animals, flowers, and other decorations from ribbon. ... Read more

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This entertaining series features fascinating quick-reference guides to all the Winter Olympic sports and events. Filled with fun facts, dramatic stories, and dynamic photographs, each book is a terrific guide to both historical and current records, as well as to the reigning Olympic champions. He shoots...he scores! Readers will score with this full-colour book featuring two of the coolest sports on ice: hockey and curling. From the hard-hitting, puck-flying action of hockey to the precision sliding and sweeping of curling, these challenging team sports have it all. In this fantastic book, you'll learn about the rules, the records, and the heroes of the games. ... Read more

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Success in curling demands outstanding skill and strategy, but getting and keeping the champion's edge requires even more. Exceptional psychological skill is imperative. Ask the experts.

In Smart Curling, champion Vera Pezer uncovers these secrets for those who are committed to curling excellence. Winner of countless championships, she knows all about "hurrying hard" while keeping her cool to win. From the perspective of competitor and that of sports psychologist, Pezer illustrates how to maximize motivation and concentration while effectively managing stress and distractions. She teaches about self regulators and confidence and outlines the relationship between practice and competition. She helps players understand and practice excellent communication - verbal and nonverbal. And she outlines team dynamics to understand and work with the various personalities and roles of team members and coaches.

Loads of examples and illustrations elucidate the sound theory in Smart Curling while its worksheets (downloadable from the internet) are designed to help players complete the exercises required to perfect their game through mental training.

... Read more

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Product Description
A lighthearted, fact-filled guide to the roaring game: curling

Immensely popular in Canada, curling has captured the hearts of millions of diehard enthusiasts around the world. Full of quirky characters, fascinating facts, intriguing history, and amazing trivia, this unique guide gives curlers (and lovers of the game) a colorful and often amusing look at this singular sport. With odd, funny factoids on every page, the book sheds light on the long-forgotten Downer Disc, a round curling broom, and how Charlie Kerr, a Brier curler of the '40s, was thwarted by the ash from his own cigar. This one-of-a-kind volume is the ultimate bonspiel prize for curling fans everywhere.Bob Weeks (Toronto, ON) is the editor of the Ontario Curling Report and the author of three books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

who knew about curling?
Bought as a gift for my grandmother, she always watches the olympics and I thought she would enjoy this. It was very informative and she was delighted! She is now a "curling" expert!

Okay book for a casual curling fan, but not much new ground covered.
I enjoy reading books on curling, and that's why I have a whole bookshelf of them. Ironically, that's probably why I didn't appreciate "Curling Etcetera" as much as someone with less interest in curling might.

For the casual curling enthusiast with a short attention span, this book is perfect. It boils a wealth of curling factoids down into small vignettes that take up anywhere from a quarter-page to two pages. If you know little about the history of curling or its notable players, this book provides an entertaining (if superficial) foundation of such knowledge.

If, on the other hand, you are well-informed on curling and/or have read a variety of other curling books, you will find this book to be redundant and a bit annoying. Redundant, in that there was rarely a fact in this book that I had not already read or learned elsewhere, and more in-depth. Annoying, in that just when you think you are about to learn something new, the article ends and you are on to the next one. I kept thinking that there would be new ground broken by this book, but it never happened.

Overall, this book reads more like a "pile of facts" that were hastily thrown together, than an in-depth discussion of anything in particular. As noted above, this can be good or bad, depending on your existing level of curling knowledge and interest.

Bottom line: If you are a casual or novice curling fan, this book would be a good starting point to learn some interesting facts about the game. If curling is old hat to you, this book will probably duplicate what you already know.

Stories of that funny game with rocks and brooms...
I'm not sure what it is that draws me to semi-obscure sports...at least sports that are semi-obscure to the average American.I got hooked on curling during the Olympics a few years back, and now I'll sit and watch a match if it happens to be on (which is rarely).I saw the book Curling, Etcetera: A Whole Bunch of Stuff About the Roaring Game by Bob Weeks and thought it might be a way to learn a bit more about the history and game.While the book is most useful to those who are heavily into the sport, it was still an entertaining read.

Weeks is a journalist/sportswriter who has covered the game for nearly two decades.During that time, he's collected a huge storehouse of trivia and facts about the game that go beyond who won and who lost, where the game was played, and other such statistical information.Rather than continue to sit on all that knowledge, he wrote Curling, Etcetera to get it some of it out on paper.The results is a fast paced book that sheds plenty of color and light on curling, both the history of the sport and the players who give it life.

Curling has its own version of the NFL's "Heidi game", when the network switched to a different program before the end of the match.The CBC never did that again, and in fact put in a new policy that said all curling games would be covered from start to end, regardless of time.When do you retire from curling? Possibly never...the oldest living curler is 93, and there was once a regular competitor who was a spry 102.It used to be that curling had no clocks to regulate play.Matches could take hours (and often did).An experiment to try "speed curling" based on a chess clock was tried in 1983, and again in 1986 during a nationally televised skins game.By 1989, many jurisdictions were using the clock to regulate play, and now it's a regular part of every event.And you know you've made it to the big time when your sport starts to appear in television commercials, sponsored by such companies as Cialis, Labatts, Scotties tissues, and Office Depot...

A fair number of the factoids revolve around legendary names in the sport, but they are not names that would be known much outside of curling circles.Therefore, I think that actual curlers would get more from the book than I did.Still, I enjoyed the stories and history, and Curling, Etcetera did nothing to dampen my enjoyment of the game. ... Read more

Product Description
Are you sick of mopey, moody, whining vampires?Two New Orleans vampires are, and they’re doing something about it.Their plan to abolish the annoying, pathetic new vampires and restore the traditional evil vampire hinges on one teenage girl…

Hunterleigh Pelican moves from Big City to the ugly little town of Sacks, Utah.She falls for a handsome, diseased-looking vampire named Eggbert, but his feeble non-blood-drinking powers won’t protect her when the fangs hit the fan.

Also sniffing after Hunterleigh is the handsome Native American boy Lycanthro Turns-Into-Wolf, who may have some sort of supernatural secret of his own.

Only Hunterleigh can stop the evil New Orleans vampire Douchette, his significant life partner Lionel, and their plot to restore the Dark Ages of vampire rule.

Meanwhile, the hot n’ lusty Vampire Queen of Utah is thirsty to sink her teeth deep into Hunterleigh’s beloved Eggbert.Also meanwhile, Hunterleigh’s father, Professor of Skepticism and Debunkery at Sacks Community College, is called away to debunk rumors of vampires taking over a small town in Maine.

Can Hunterleigh save the people she loves?Can she stop the evil New Orleans vampires from bringing back the Dark Ages?Can she win Eggbert’s heart while still stringing Lycanthro along?And will she ever find a decent prom dress?Tune in to find out!

“With this book, the vampire fad has finally completed its long descent into utter stupidity.”
-Anonymous Notable Horror Writer ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

You have to know the rules to brake them.
I at first thought is book would be like all the other contemperary books out right now. It wasn't. This is intense satire. It was halarious, his ability to keep up repetitive description shows just how far this writer would go to make a point, though it was a bit distracting. The characters stay static and flat the whole time. It appears that most of this book is focused at the twilight series, he takes obvious and cutting jabs at Charlaine Harris series also. There are several other series aluded to, I had to ask myself several times was that at face value or did he just do it agian. It is a great work of satire, but a bit hard to get through, because its not the just the story that is satire its the style of writing and the literary elements used and reused (like description, alliteration, setting, characters, plot, etc.). If you like Jon Stewart and Colbert, you will get a kick out of this. You do have to have a working knowledge of the works alluded to to get most of the satrire though. ... Read more

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Memoirs of Canada's curling expert.

It was no surprise that Team Canada won the 2006 Winter Olympics gold medal in men's curling. As the preeminent curling country in the world, Canada has more curlers than the rest of the other 50-plus curling nations combined. For the past 50 years in this exciting time in curling history, Doug Maxwell has been right alongside the ice, as Canada's foremost observer and storyteller of the sport.

During a 25-year stint as the executive director of the Silver Broom World Curling Championship, Maxwell collected a rich lode of anecdotes. Now he weaves them into a wonderful tapestry that is sure to please lovers of this northern sport.

Maxwell's memoirs include:

• The legendary Ken Watson
• The Richardsons
• The World Heavyweight Curling Bonspiel, where each team weighed in at a combined thousand pounds
• Embarrassing escapades on the road
• A stolen key for the front doors of the Scone Palace.

The 'l' in Curling has humor, tales never before told, and insights that help explain why curling has such a hold on Canadians.

Product Description
Ok so the fad diet failed, you're never going to be a domestic goddess, the husband's gone AWOL and you've dropped the baby. Time to close the door, curl up on the sofa, pour yourself a stiff drink and laugh out loud. In this wickedly funny book, the Loose Women girls discuss all the topics closest to their hearts -- from younger men to sugar daddies, six-pack fantasies to support knickers, this book is packed with lively, wide-ranging opinions. They share toe-curling confessions of wild nights out (Carol has been particularly generous in her contributions to this section. Thanks Carol.), celebrity encounters, pearls of wisdom, and woeful tales of disastrous relationships (Again, thanks Carol...). The pros and cons of being single, the highs and lows of long-term love, domestic drudgery, drunken skullduggery...It's all here. If you've ever fancied your doctor or wept over a washing machine service manual -- and laughed to tell the tale -- this is your kind of book. A witty, wise, funny and comforting book, it will leave you aching with laughter and itching for a night out with the girls. ... Read more

Product Description
On the demand side, exporters and strategic planners focusing on combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons in Germany face a number of questions. Which countries are supplying combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons to Germany? How important is Germany compared to others in terms of the entire global and regional market? How much do the imports of combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons vary from one country of origin to another in Germany? On the supply side, Germany also exports combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons. Which countries receive the most exports from Germany? How are these exports concentrated across buyers? What is the value of these exports and which countries are the largest buyers?

This report was created for strategic planners, international marketing executives and import/export managers who are concerned with the market for combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons in Germany. With the globalization of this market, managers can no longer be contented with a local view. Nor can managers be contented with out-of-date statistics which appear several years after the fact. I have developed a methodology, based on macroeconomic and trade models, to estimate the market for combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons for those countries serving Germany via exports, or supplying from Germany via imports. It does so for the current year based on a variety ... Read more

Product Description
This report was created for strategic planners, international executives and import/export managers who are concerned with the market for combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons. With the globalization of this market, managers can no longer be contented with a local view. Nor can managers be contented with out-of-date statistics that appear several years after the fact. I have developed a methodology, based on macroeconomic and trade models, to estimate the market for combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons for those countries serving the world market via exports or supplying from various countries via imports. I do so for the current year based on a variety of key historical indicators and econometric models.

On the demand side, exporters and strategic planners approaching the world market face a number of questions. Which countries are supplying combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons? What is the dollar value of these imports? How much do the imports of combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons vary from one country to another? Do exporters serving the world market have similar market shares across the importing countries? Which countries supply the most exports of combs, hair-slides, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips, hair curlers, and parts excluding electric hair curlers and straightening irons? Which countries are buying their exports? What is the value of these exports and which countries are the largest buyers? ... Read more