Better Myself With Books

[THE SILENCER]

i believe in reading and studying books. hey, most of the people that write books are experts, and if you could learn just ONE thing from a book, that will help you win a tournament, then it was worth the price. i'm upset though. billiards digest gave the book the eight ball bible, it's highest rating. i like to look before i buy though. so first i went to his site www.8-ballbible.com and clicked on examples, new ideas, about cross corner carom shots, quite daring in it's nature, although a lot of the diagrams were not quite clearly written out, as if where the cue ball starts and ends, so i was not thouroughly impressed with the drawings, the theorys turned me on. so i went to my local borders, and barnes and noble's. i ordered his book. went back to see how the order is going, and they told me, we can't order his book now, it's out of print! we could order it again in july! i tried e-mailing the author at his website, but there was no e-mail address! you can order the book directly from his site, but then i'm taking a chance, if it will be delivered, or if i'll even like the bloody thing. anyhow, i'm just venting my frustration here i suppose. i take my 8-ball very, very seriously, and very much wish to preview the book in person. did anyone get this book? how did you like it? thanks.

 

[dmgwalsh]

i believe in reading and studying books. hey, most of the people that write books are experts, and if you could learn just ONE thing from a book, that will help you win a tournament, then it was worth the price. i'm upset though. billiards digest gave the book the eight ball bible, it's highest rating. i like to look before i buy though. so first i went to his site www.8-ballbible.com and clicked on examples, new ideas, about cross corner carom shots, quite daring in it's nature, although a lot of the diagrams were not quite clearly written out, as if where the cue ball starts and ends, so i was not thouroughly impressed with the drawings, the theorys turned me on. so i went to my local borders, and barnes and noble's. i ordered his book. went back to see how the order is going, and they told me, we can't order his book now, it's out of print! we could order it again in july! i tried e-mailing the author at his website, but there was no e-mail address! you can order the book directly from his site, but then i'm taking a chance, if it will be delivered, or if i'll even like the bloody thing. anyhow, i'm just venting my frustration here i suppose. i take my 8-ball very, very seriously, and very much wish to preview the book in person. did anyone get this book? how did you like it? thanks.

I was just in a billiards supply store in chicago, dixie billiards and saw several copies. I ordered the book over the phone, but I just looked it over once. It's mostly about barbox 8 ball and I never play that, so I'm reading other stuff first. I was however very impressed with the quality of the book, the quality of the diagrams and the number of pages. I preordered the book before it came out and the author was very cool. Talked to me about eight ball on the phone. Sent me an email to see how I liked the book.

 

[Top Spin]

i believe in reading and studying books. hey, most of the people that write books are experts, and if you could learn just ONE thing from a book, that will help you win a tournament, then it was worth the price. i'm upset though. billiards digest gave the book the eight ball bible, it's highest rating. i like to look before i buy though. so first i went to his site www.8-ballbible.com and clicked on examples, new ideas, about cross corner carom shots, quite daring in it's nature, although a lot of the diagrams were not quite clearly written out, as if where the cue ball starts and ends, so i was not thouroughly impressed with the drawings, the theorys turned me on. so i went to my local borders, and barnes and noble's. i ordered his book. went back to see how the order is going, and they told me, we can't order his book now, it's out of print! we could order it again in july! i tried e-mailing the author at his website, but there was no e-mail address! you can order the book directly from his site, but then i'm taking a chance, if it will be delivered, or if i'll even like the bloody thing. anyhow, i'm just venting my frustration here i suppose. i take my 8-ball very, very seriously, and very much wish to preview the book in person. did anyone get this book? how did you like it? thanks.

The difinitive book in pool for me, anyway, was "The 99 Critical Shots in Pool" by Ray Martin. It could have been just where I was at the time on the learning curve in this game, but I've never seen another book pack as much useful info since. Have you read it Bernie?
BTW, I haven't read the 8ball Bible...

 

[THE SILENCER]

yes, i own the 99 critical shots in pool, great book, the first of it's kind. before that, there was no book that revealed all the answers. i have seen just about every book ever written on pool, billiards and snooker. my all time favorite which i recomend to anyone breathing that plays pool is "play your best pool" by phil capele, this book, is it. there is no other that even comes close. he really and truly leaves out NOTHING!!!!! i've got the apa regional 8-ball qualifiers comming up in october, and it's on a 3 and a half by 7 regulation bar sized table, so even though, i could kick the living sh#$ out of anyone in the world in 8-ball, i like having ideas stored up in my brain, just in case, i need them. like i said, the ideas in the 8-ball bible look brave offensive, and new, which i like a lot, but the diagrams, they seem shabby. if anyone has the book, and is done, or wants to trade, i have a buddy hall instructiional video, or maybe something else, that would tickle your fancy.

 

[Williebetmore]

Silencer,
I also love the Phil Capelle books (he also has "Play Your Best 9-Ball", and "Play Your Best Straight Pool"). I was talking them up enough that the best player in our straight pool league bought them and read them. His comment was, "there wasn't anything in them I didn't already know." OUCH!! I thought they were great, and I learned a lot from them. I have almost every book ever written on pool, but not the 8-Ball Bible, I'll have to pick up a copy.

 

[dmgwalsh]

Silencer,
I also love the Phil Capelle books (he also has "Play Your Best 9-Ball", and "Play Your Best Straight Pool"). I was talking them up enough that the best player in our straight pool league bought them and read them. His comment was, "there wasn't anything in them I didn't already know." OUCH!! I thought they were great, and I learned a lot from them. I have almost every book ever written on pool, but not the 8-Ball Bible, I'll have to pick up a copy.

I got "Play your best straight pool" recently and I too thought it was great. I hadn't looked at the other two Capelle books. Maybe I will.

As for the eight ball bible, I didn't think the diagrams were too shoddy. Dennnis

 

[catscradle]

Any book about any subject is always a good thing!!!

 

[Bluewolf]

Any book about any subject is always a good thing!!!

When I first started playing, I found that i was reading about pool more than I was playing. Between my husband and I, we have most of the recommended ones on our pool shelf.

I like best 'the pro book', bernes '350 shots, his new one, 99 crit shots okay, although I mainly consult them when I want to work on a certain thing. The pro book, in addition to drills, states it is not a book for beginners, assumes the person has fundamentals so just not go into all that stance and how to hold the cue stuff, but talks about diet, preparation for touraments, facing certain types of opponents and the importance of stetching before playing among other mental aspects. I would have to say that I got more from that then any other although it is not as well known as Berne or capelle.

I hate Phil Capelle's stuff. We have most of his books. They are wordy, boring, and I have found some things in them that, after consulting experts were inaccurate as well.

For mental stuff, I found the inner game of tennis and the monks book 'point the way' pretty okay too. The problem with mental books for me is that way before pool, like for 20+ years, I had practiced meditation, self-hyposis, relaxation techniques, and yoga including breathing techniques. So others benefit more from these books than I do including 'a mind for pool' by capelle(I really got bored with that but everybody is always recommending it).

What helps me most is to watch good players or videos, try out the shots etc, and practice, play, practice. Time on the table is the answer for me and it is that, not a bunch of books that will help me to keep getting better. JMHO.

Laura

 

[dmgwalsh]

books

I hate Phil Capelle's stuff. We have most of his books. They are wordy, boring, and I have found some things in them that, after consulting experts were inaccurate as well...'a mind for pool' by capelle(I really got bored with that but everybody is always recommending it).

Laura

I think his "play your best straight pool" is very good, but maybe that is just because there's not that much out there on straight pool- Babe Cranfield and Johnny Holiday come to mind.

However, I do agree with your assessment of "a mind for pool", almost as bad as the monk's stuff.
Dennis
p.s. I haven't read the pro book yet. Agree that Byrnes 350 and Martin's 99 are good.

 

[catscradle]

...
I hate Phil Capelle's stuff. We have most of his books. They are wordy, boring, and I have found some things in them that, after consulting experts were inaccurate as well.
...
Laura

Even Play Your Best Pool? I found that one helpful. Though I agree he is wordy, and A Mind For Pool was pretty useless IMO.

 

[Williebetmore]

...there's not that much out there on straight pool- Babe Cranfield and Johnny Holiday come to mind.

However, I do agree with your assessment of "a mind for pool", almost as bad as.

DMG,
What book are you referring to by Johnny Holiday?? I have the Cranfield books, but I have never heard of anything on straight pool by Holiday - what is it, where can I find it? Thanks

 

[dmgwalsh]

DMG,
What book are you referring to by Johnny Holiday?? I have the Cranfield books, but I have never heard of anything on straight pool by Holiday - what is it, where can I find it? Thanks

"continuous hi runs"
"Position Play for High runs" and
"Encyclopedia of Pocket Billiards."

Written I beleive in the 70's. Johnny Holiday's real name was John D'Amato. I think he was out of new york, retired to Florida and passed away.

I saw one of these books at Dixie Billiards
15407 S Cicero Ave.
P.O. Box 137
Oak Forest, IL 60452
PH: (708) 687-0144
Fax: (708) 687-9489 Saturday. It appeared she had the other one listed in a catalogue but not the encyclopedia o pocket billiards.

From what I've read of the first two, Pretty good books for their time. Dennis

 

[recoveryjones]

Silencer,
I also love the Phil Capelle books (he also has "Play Your Best 9-Ball", and "Play Your Best Straight Pool"). I was talking them up enough that the best player in our straight pool league bought them and read them. His comment was, "there wasn't anything in them I didn't already know." OUCH!! I thought they were great, and I learned a lot from them. I have almost every book ever written on pool, but not the 8-Ball Bible, I'll have to pick up a copy.

The only two instructional books I own are both great ones.Ray Martins 99 critical shots in pool and Phil Capelle's, Play your best Nine Ball.There is enough $hit in these two books to keep someone going for years, if you actually set up the shots as diagramed and hit them. That 8 ball book sounds good too. I only play 8 ball in league once a week and I usually learn some stuff the hard way, when somebody pulls a sleaze move out (within the rules) and beats me. Then I learn.

 

[Bibleman]

i believe in reading and studying books. hey, most of the people that write books are experts, and if you could learn just ONE thing from a book, that will help you win a tournament, then it was worth the price. i'm upset though. billiards digest gave the book the eight ball bible, it's highest rating. i like to look before i buy though. so first i went to his site www.8-ballbible.com and clicked on examples, new ideas, about cross corner carom shots, quite daring in it's nature, although a lot of the diagrams were not quite clearly written out, as if where the cue ball starts and ends, so i was not thouroughly impressed with the drawings, the theorys turned me on. so i went to my local borders, and barnes and noble's. i ordered his book. went back to see how the order is going, and they told me, we can't order his book now, it's out of print! we could order it again in july! i tried e-mailing the author at his website, but there was no e-mail address! you can order the book directly from his site, but then i'm taking a chance, if it will be delivered, or if i'll even like the bloody thing. anyhow, i'm just venting my frustration here i suppose. i take my 8-ball very, very seriously, and very much wish to preview the book in person. did anyone get this book? how did you like it? thanks.

Hello Silencer,

The book has been available since 13 Jan 04. Every order has been filled.

Borders, and Barnes and Noble do not handle the book. And whoever the jackass was who told you it was not available didn't bother calling the number listed in the Bowker's network because we've filled a couple of orders to other Border's stores.

THE EIGHT BALL BIBLE is available for $29.95 + $4 S&H = $33.95

at:

https://www.ussecurepay.com/carts/8ball/cart.asp?item=2

or by phoning 877-368-2255

Delivery takes 3-5 days

Publishing dates, for those who do not know the score, are artificial publication dates that are virtually always months after the actual release date. This farce is done to get reviews in important publications (Not BILLIARD magazines by the way).

Readers are even more enthusiastic about THE EIGHT BALL BIBLE than the reviewers. Here are a few out of scores of positive remarks.

The 8 Ball Bible is worth every penny charged for it. I wish it had been available years ago.

Put simply it is the best instructional book on 8 Ball that I have ever read.
Many, many thanks!
Giraldo — Secaucus, NJ


THE EIGHT BALL BIBLE is awesome. My last league night I took all games. And not because I was on, it was because of the new strategy THE EIGHT BALL BIBLE gave me. Later...
Randy – Lincoln, NE


THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU — I just received your book and read the first 30 pages. I feel like I just paid a pro player $150 for a personal 1 hour lesson, but got so much more for my money.
Wayne, Reno NV


Mr Givens
Your book is everything you said it would be, best eight ball book ever.

Finally a book that tells you how to win. The examples are easy to understand, can't wait for league night to try them out.

Once again, best pool book I have ever read.

Congratulations!
Tim – Northfield, MN

​

THE EIGHT BALL BIBLE has a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so why worry about whether you'll like the book or not. If it's clunker send it back for a full refund, including all postage!

But guess what— there hasn't been a single return so far because no one wants to give up an 8-ball book that substantially improves their competitive ability.

If you don't learn at least a dozen new ways to win in high speed competition, send the book back.
Bibleman