When I wrote the first version of Pleasures of Small Motions, fourteen publishing houses declined the pleasure of publication. One editor expressed the general opinion like this: "Pool players won't read this?it's too highbrow."

That seemed silly to me, for two reasons. First, "intelligent" doesn't mean "highbrow," and lots of folks who wouldn't be caught dead discussing?for instance?Derrida or the decline of social cohesion in postmodern times are plenty intelligent and quite interested in sound thinking about the things that matter to them. Second, while plenty of towns suffer sleazy poolrooms whose patrons bear some resemblance to popular stereotypes about the game, far more pool players take to the felt in community centers, schools, churches, "family fun" enterprises, upscale poolrooms, clubs, and private homes. Pool is predominantly an amateur sport?only about a dozen people in the entire country earn a living wage from winnings in pool tournaments?and most of those amateurs are intelligent, educated folks with lively minds.

I knew there was a market for the book. In the league in which I played while writing the first version of Small Motions (as I call the book to myself), nearly everyone I knew had respect for learning. Among the professions represented in my "fan mail" (from my magazine writings) are engineer, airline pilot, biochemist, substance abuse counselor, computer programmer, and lawyer?and some very, very smart pool instructors.

I decided to self-publish the first version of Small Motions to prove my point. Frankly, the results surprised even me!

Though I bought exactly one advertisement (on the Women's Professional Billiards Association's Web site) and sent out only a dozen or so review copies, and though you could only buy the book over the internet or by special order, it became one of the best-selling pool books in the country.

Early last year, my agent, Clyde Taylor, was preparing to go at the "legit" publishers again when he passed away. Kirstin Manges, previously Clyde's protegee, took on the project?and here you have the outcome.

In this new version, in place of the seven chapters of the first edition you'll find twelve chapters and an "interlude" (call me superstitious, bull didn't want thirteen chapters), expanding the book by about fifty percent. The largest additions have to do with motivation, competition, and the fundamental role of the body in the mental game. I've cleared up a few things here and there in the original material, and have worked in further thoughts on things I'd said there.

I couldn't be happier than to have Small Motions come out under The Lyons Press aegis. For many years, Nick Lyons pioneered publishing for the literate sportsman?now, sports person. And as it happens, when I was doing my psychotherapy training, I worked for a computer "boutique" in Greenwich Village that installed Lyons's first computer system?and displayed books from Lyons in its windows. At The Lyons Press, Small Motions joins some of the best pool writing available, including Ned Polsky's wonderful Hustlers, Beats, and Others. I'm proud to be in such company.

?Bob Fancher