Ginger

To sail a boat is a magical, and sometimes mystical, experience. The sailor is free from the cares of life on land, entirely absorbed in the enterprise of moving a craft across the water. For the uninitiated, though, willingly putting oneself at the mercy of nature's unpredictable forces, winds, waves, and weather can seem quite daunting. Here, Matt Vance takes readers inside the mind of a sailor, from the first scary moment of handling a boat solo to the exhilaration of sailing across oceans and discovering new worlds. His stories and those of his fellow madmen will captivate sailors young and old and have landlubbers yearning for the blue horizon.

Ever wondered why most classical music concerts are such stuffy affairs? Had to bluff your way through classical music conversations? Trying to get a handle on music by modern composers? Failed to convince teenagers of the merits of Beethoven or Bach? Or just want an absorbing read about music? This book is an illuminating guide that will be a hit with classical music lovers and those keen to discover more about the subject, written by an accomplished musician, historian, and music writer. Devoid of snobbery, with an engaging, informal feel, How to Hear Classical Music will open readers' eyes-and ears!-to exciting new sensations.

Released for the 2004 Melbourne Cup, this guide provides astute observations and hilarious insights for both racing amateurs and seasoned racing and betting pros. Celebrating "the sport of kings," this insider's view explores the personalities, scandals, oddities, joys of ownership, social divisions, betting systems, and how it all began-blame King Charles II-while offering sound advice to newcomers.

From the Southern Cross to the mysterious dark companions of the Dog Stars, the constellations in this guide will help readers see the night sky in a whole new way, allowing them to enjoy the vast beauty of the solar system.

This comprehensive and illuminating guide explores the entire spectrum of pop music, from Beatlemania and the long-playing record to Eminem and the iPod.

This comprehensive overview reveals the secrets of one of the most enduring and soothing spirits-from the miraculous process of turning grapes into wine and how the shape of a glass affects its taste, to who decides if a wine is a winner and what makes it healthy to drink.

Packed with gloriously funny stories, this guide not only gives advice on how to get started fishing but also discusses the serious impact of over-fishing, which threatens oceans and rivers.

How do you deliver a "googly" or make chin music? What are a beamer, a flipper, a corker, and a jaffa? What do a bunny, a cherry, a dolly and a royal golden duck have to do with sports? Readers will discover the answers to these questions and learn much more about the noble sport of cricket in this entertaining and enlightening book. Written by a passionate player and cricket-watcher, the book traces the sport from the author's cricketing childhood in England to a seat on the bank at the 2006 match between the Black Caps and the Windies at the Basin Reserve.

Every day millions of people enter virtual worlds through video games, which are now the fastest-growing form of entertainment and are played by young and old alike. This account unlocks this amazing world, providing insight into what makes video games so fascinating and exploring the emotions involved in playing, the issues that surround them, and the future of the technology. Considering how games are appearing on phones and other mobile electronic devices, the book raises the questions Will everyone become a gamer? and Will people gain happiness or merely lose time?

Part geographical wandering, part New Zealand history, and part cultural study, this narrative recounts one man's personal journey into the world of birds and birdwatching. Written by an award-winning journalist and with black and white photographs taken by Major Geoffrey Buddle, it traces the fascinating history of people ensnared, captivated, and entranced by birds.

Full of enthusiasm, this guide sets out to convince non-believers that rugby is the world's greatest game.

Beer - it's the world's favorite alcoholic drink and its popularity is soaring. It has only four key ingredients but fearless brewers are adding countless others, from chocolate and coconut to beardgrown yeast, seaweed and stag semen. As Alice Galletly surveys the growing array in a supermarket, she makes a spur-of-the-moment decision: she will drink and blog about a different beer every day for a year. While writing her blog Beer for a Year Alice becomes not only a beer nerd and enthusiastic member of the beer community, but briefly a brewer, with a bizarre medieval concoction that contains… ? Read this entertaining book and find out. Alice's stories and her tips on how to get the most out of every glass of beer will make you roar with happiness, pain, and thirst. Best read with hops on hand.

An award-winning novelist reveals the books that have captivated her and the influence they have had on her life and writing. Highlighting a true love affair with books, this story emphasizes the transformative power of the written word.