Book excerpt: This book is written by a hobbyist for his fellow-hobbyists, gentle folk and kindly as a rule, though people who do not know the charm of hobby-riding may think them as cracked as some of their "pots" too often are. The purpose of the book is as modest as the hobby. It is simply to assist the amateur in order that he may pass safely and with confidence through a field notoriously full of pitfalls, -- pg. v.