The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards

by David G. Alciatore

Book Overview

Master one of the world's most popular games with the help of a mechanical engineering professor who has a passion for pool. More than 80 principles of the game, presented with 250-plus precisely scaled illustrations and photographs, offer players of all levels a thorough overview of the fundamentals of 8-ball and 9-ball, including grip and stance, basic shots, position play and strategy, bank and kick shots, and advanced techniques such as carom...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402714289
• ISBN13: 9781402714283
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Union Square & Co.
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Billiard and Pool Book!

This book is exceptionally good. It's also WAY cheaper than it should be. It easily beats the other billiard books that I looked at. I luckily ran across this book while looking at (and reading!) many, many other books in the local "Large Popular Bookstore", and I'm glad that I chose this one. This is my first billiard book, and probably my last. It starts at the basics and goes through to the advanced topics. The book is very well written and the diagrams are superb and concise. The online content that he provided on his website is just icing on the cake. I also bought the DVD that contains all of the videos on his website, along with additional commentary, based on the quality of his book. If you're deciding on which billiard book to get, this should be the one. I strongly recommend this book.

This book is awesome

Wow! Dr. Dave has given the pool world an amazing resource. "The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards" is the best pool book I have ever seen ... and I have read lots of them. There are illustrations and photos on almost every page and the book is very easy to read. The book also presents some useful systems I have not seen presented anywhere else ... for example, the 30 degree rule. The book website is also great. The video clips have helped bring my game to a new level.

The pool book I've always wanted

I stumbled across Dr. Dave's website via the American Poolplayer Association website a few weeks ago. The free advice Dr. Dave gives on that website was invaluable, particularly the 30 and 90 degree rules. Both were concepts I was intuitively aware of, but never understood from a physics perspective. When I saw that Dr. Dave had a book coming out, I knew it was going to be just what I always wanted. From simple tips for fundamentals to the physics behind complex ball effects, this book has it all, and makes it easy to follow. That fact that it's all grounded in math and physics makes it even more appealing. And the clear, concise writing style and understandable diagrams are icing on the cake. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves pool and wonders why the balls do what they do. Personally, I'm going to browbeat both of my pool teams into buying copies.

Author comments

Hi. I'm Dr. Dave, the author of "The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards." Thank you for considering my book. I have worked very hard to create the best book possible by doing lots of independent research and by reading countless other books. I've done my best to make the book as easy to read as possible by using many full-color illustrations and by identifying all of the key principles in pool. I have also created a CD-ROM, DVD, and extensive website (www.engr.colostate.edu/pool) to supplement the book and enhance your learning experience. I hope you will find these resources useful and recommend them to other players. Good luck with your game!

Excellent pool and billiards resource. Best book available.

"The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards" should be on every pool player's shelf. It is simply the best pool book ever written. It is very thorough, covering all aspects of the game, including advanced techniques. It is also very well illustrated with photos and drawings on every page, and the numerous examples help provide insight. (...) The video demonstrations posted there have helped me improve my game dramatically. They help the book come to life, and the high-speed videos are very cool. Dr. Dave has done a great job and has given the pool world a great resource. I highly recommend this book.