- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (Mar 28 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 189441330X
- ISBN-13: 978-1894413305
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 18.6 x 1.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 662 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #404,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
From Amazon
A 342-page book to explain the game of curling? C’mon, there’s ice, a rock, and a broom--it’s shuffleboard while shivering. In fact, you just might learn something about a game that happens to count both Wayne Gretzky and Shania Twain among its rabid fans. Penned with informative good humour and an ear for a tournament anecdote by Bob Weeks, The Globe and Mail’s curling columnist, this entry covers the sport hack to back line, from its disputed 500-year-old rock-on-loch Scottish roots to the eligibility of curling teams from Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to participate in the 1998 Nagano Olympics. And whether you’re a novice lead, a seasoned skip, or a confused spectator who’d just like to know what the heck those Brier colour commentators are talking about on TV, Weeks explains it all clearly, with the aid of the trademark For Dummies big print, diagrams, and short paragraphs.
Anyone who thinks curling involves a flat-bottomed slab of granite cruising effortlessly down Zamboni-manicured ice will especially benefit from reading Curling for Dummies. The bottom of the rock is actually a rimmed concave well, and only this rim touches the ice, which is itself studded with bumps of frozen water applied with a watering-can-like “pebbling machine.” It’s this combo of frozen physics and idiosyncratic ice, changing minute by minute, that leads to strategy of whether or not to use the brooms to sweep the rock’s path. Chapters are devoted to specifics of the game such as shot-making and tactics (although Chapter 8, “The Rules,” is vague on scoring), and sidebars often recount funny curling lore (such as the time the world junior champ was so exasperated with his slow opponents he had a pizza delivered to the ice). But there is some padding: a feature on “blanking”--scoring no points--appears 60 pages later almost word-for-word; and paragraphs composed of 10 excuses for missed shots or other uses for curling stones (“a game piece for a giant Monopoly board”) veer into silliness like a bad out-turn on negative ice. Still, Curling for Dummies is an invaluable guide to a complex sport in which a “rink” plays at a rink, and a game begins with an “end.” As its author, Bob Weeks is definitely “in the house.” --Tony Mason
Book Description
Packed with easy-to-follow illustrations explaining curling strategy.
"Delivers all you need to know about the game..."
— John Kawaja, two-time world champion
From game fundamentals to complex strategy, this one-step reference has curling covered. Rookie or seasoned player, fan or coach, this is the book you've been waiting for. So step onto the ice and hone your skills. Armed with the many tips and pointers in this fun, friendly book, you'll have no excuse not to head down to your local club and get curling!
Discover how to:
- Understand curling rules
- Find a club to curl at
- Improve your delivery, shots, and sweeping
- Form a winning team
- Be a great coach on and off the ice
- Enjoy the unique spirit of the game
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
Curling is the greatest game in the world. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Curling is the greatest game in the world. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book for novices,
By
This review is from: Curling For Dummies (Paperback)
Curling for Dummies bills itself as the "ultimate guide to curling" for rookies, seasoned players, fans and coaches. It is an excellent guide for newcomers to the sport. But those who have long histories as either fans or players will not learn a lot despite the great length (350 pages) of this book.Bob Weeks is a fine writer and has an excellent knowledge of curling. This book is an encyclopedic primer on the game. It reports on everything from various types of sliders to advice for curling moms and dads. In its 350 pages, I could not find a single error or piece of wrong-headed advice. (Not that I am the final expert!) Of particular value is Weeks' emphasis on practice and physical conditioning. He has sound and specific advice on the type of weight training to do that, I believe, would be of value to the majority of curlers who never darken the inside of a gym. This is one of the ambiguities of curling - it is both a social activity and a competitive sport. Even the most social curler should know the rules of the game and basic curling etiquette even if they have no interest in competition or physical fitness. This is the end of the spectrum to which Curling for Dummies is directed; it is also the group that is least likely to buy a book on curling. Obviously, lots of people are buying this book as it is now in a second edition (2006). I have to wonder though how many are actually reading it. I doubt that many remotely serious curlers will read a whole book that tells them what they already know and I doubt that many novices are sufficiently engaged with the game to want to read 350 pages. However, for those novices who are getting fired up about curling and who want to learn all the basics, this is a worthy book to read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great learning tool.,
By
This review is from: Curling For Dummies (Paperback)
This book is great for new if not all curlers. Easy to follow and covers even the most basic items so you won't be left wondering.Excellent and well worth the price.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great, fun read for the New Curler,
By
This review is from: Curling For Dummies (Paperback)
This is a great book for those that want to curl for fun. It has some fun tips, fun stories and written for those that get easily bored by technical info that you really have to "do" rather than read.Highly recommend this book for those that don't take curling or themselves to seriously :-)
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