Reviews (64)

Not worth the money
Anything you read in here has already been written in much better detail. although the pictures of the exercises are good with explaination, you can get this from the internet for free with a little looking.

This is overkill
This is overkill in my opinion. Focus on a program like his brother's 'body for life' and with consistent training you will see more defined abs in 12 weeks. ABS ARE MADE IN THE KITCHEN.

Too many unnecessary photos, poor on substance
In this 130-page book, there are 23 full-page photographs of the author, posing on mountains, streets, in front of his home front door, on lakes, under the shower, with and without glasses, you name it. Before you get to chapter 6, which contains 10 pages, the first 5 chapters range in length from 2 to 5 pages. Whether it is relevant or not, the author scatters his personal photos everywhere in the book.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Abdominal exercises    2. Consumer Health    3. Exercise    4. General    5. Health & Fitness    6. Health & Fitness / Exercise    7. Health/Fitness    8. Physical fitness    9. Sports & Recreation / Bodybuilding & Weight Training    10. Abdomen    11. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    12. Diet / Health / Fitness    13. Muscles    14. Weight training   

Reviews (12)

Fascinating!
This book was excellent. For the casual fan and the person who thinks he is an expert!

real interesting book
this book makes a real interesting read. now it has some shortcomings,but on a whole it's very entertaining&will make you think&Debate. no matter what Baseball Book I read Barry Bonds is the Greatest Player Period to me.the game has evolved,but the Guys who can truly Play always stand out no matter what era. no matter what era or time as far as Hitters go, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron,Roberto Clemente,Frank Robinson, etc.... would be solid.same with Great pitching.

Baseball fans will consider it a 'must' filled with fun and scientific fact alike
The Baseball Prospectus Team of Experts' BASEBALL BETWEEN THE NUMBERS: WHY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GAME IS WRONG comes from sports writers who challenge conventions, offering new insights and alternative analysis of baseball questions. The group of fans met with a common goal: to better understand the game and its plays. Ten years and eleven annuals later comes BASEBALL BETWEEN THE NUMBERS, an investigative guide to everything from averages to rotation choices and team trivia. Baseball fans will consider it a 'must' filled with fun and scientific fact alike.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Baseball    2. Baseball - General    3. Baseball - Statistics    4. Baseball players    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Statistics   

Reviews (1)

The best systematic aikido presentation
It's not a wonder, that shihan Saito made the best systematic presentation of aikido. I recommend this book (and all the five) for both, beginners and masters. If you want to know the "standard" of aikido techniques, simply by this book. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Secular religions are fascinating in the devotion and zealousness they breed, and in Texas, high school football has its own rabid hold over the faithful. H.G. Bissinger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, enters into the spirit of one of its most fervent shrines: Odessa, a city in decline in the desert of West Texas, where the Permian High School Panthers have managed to compile the winningest record in state annals. Indeed, as this breathtaking examination of the town, the team, its coaches, and its young players chronicles, the team, for better and for worse, Read more

Reviews (257)

GREAT BOOK
This is the best nonfiction book I've ever read. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Exciting from the beginning to the end. It's amazing how much pressure is on these kids to win. A must read for all football fans.
Excellent writing for a fantastic story
High School Football in Odessa, Texas is the driving force behind the entire city.Businesses close for the games.Everyone in town knows all of the players by name, their personal history, and their stats.The black and white of the Permian Panthers is reflected in every aspect of life from the bumper stickers on cars to the clothes people wear on game day.And nothing is more important than the idea of "Goin' to State."
A great read
I could barely put this book down once I started reading it.I'd heard about it before (in Sports Illustrated I think) and it had been on my reading list for a long time.I haven't seen the movie, but the book is great.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Football    3. Football - General    4. Odessa    5. Permian High School (Odessa, T    6. Permian High School (Odessa, Tex.)    7. Social aspects    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Texas   

Reviews (37)

This will KEEP you running
If you are serious about getting into running or back into it, BUY this book.I was a runner in highschool and have been an on-again, off-again runner throughout college.I was missing something to help me stick to it.This book helped me tremedously with all of the tips and training programs provided.I love the book so much I recommended it to a friend and I am going to now buy the competitive runner's guide.I have owned the book since January and I have been running consistantly since then, probably my longest period of consistant running since highschool.I highly recommend this book.Enjoy and good luck running!

Beginner Runner
I am a begginer runner and I have really enjoyed this book.I can see why it's a best seller.It has been a great place to start on my way to getting into shape.The author is very thourough in the material he covers.He is very enthusiastic about running wich inspired me to get moving.

Excellent Resource for Runners
I found this book to be a great resource. As a beginning runner, it had a lot of information on the science and practice of running, both how it relates to the body and mentally. I thought the sections on nutrition and for special populations (children, the elderly, those with disabilities) were interesting and have a wide range of appeal. If you want to buy one book on running, this is it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Physiological aspects    2. Physiological effect    3. Running    4. Running & Jogging    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Training    8. Fitness training    9. Sports & Recreation / Running & Jogging    10. Track & field sports, athletics   

Editorial Review

To learn a Japanese martial art is to learn Zen, and although you can't do so simply by reading a book, it sure does help--especially if that book is Read more

Reviews (103)

A study of conflict
This book is great for anyone interested in personal development.It is a guide in focused self-discipline.It is also a guide to successful navigation of conflict.
GREAT 17th CENTURAY SAMURAI SWORDSMAN'S ADVICE ON STRATEGY
Based on my readings, Musashi's motive in writing his Book of Five Rings had been to correct misrepresentations of his views on swordsmanship by his contemporaries. Having become a legend in his own time, Musashi's reputation was being exploited by ambitious rivals claiming to have adopted the master's martial techniques and philosophies. Thus Book of Five Rings was intended by its author to establish his point of view for correcting misconceptions.
An excellent treatise on swordsmanship.....and life
Admittedly, I do not own this edition, but I bought it as a Christmas gift for a friend.This Musashi classic explains about the necessary fundamentals of samurai swordsmanship.While written centuries ago, the book also has strategic applications for handling life.This edition is good for simplicity and the lay reader. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business Life - General    3. Early works to 1800    4. Management - General    5. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    6. Military    7. Military Science    8. Military art and science    9. Personal Growth - Success    10. Strategic Planning    11. Swordplay    12. Self-Help / General    13. Sale Books   

Reviews (28)

Excellent supplement to Dojo training
I was once told by a Tai Chi Chuan master "you can learn forms from a book, but a master can teach you to learn them well."With that in mind, the same line of thinking applies to this book.Some martial arts books are so well-made its possible to learn forms and Katas solely from those books.Not as well as from a good teacher mind you, but it is possible.This is not one of those books.One should pick this up only if 1) You have had prior Karate experience and know what a kata should look like or 2) You are currently training at some dojo.
Best book on Shotokan kata
It is not obvious from the product description, but a major feature of this book is that it not only illustrates each technique of the Shotokan kata, but also describes how fast each technique should be executed and how long to pause between each movement. I am not aware of any other book that tells you this, a real help when learning.
A great step-by-step kata guide
This book is either an outstanding tome or a mediocre one, depending on what you're looking for. It's a thorough step-by-step description of the various Shotokan kata, an invaluable resource for karateka who are looking to remember the sequences of these various forms. It falls seriously short, however, if you're looking for insight into bunkai (applications) for the kata. In other words, you see all the motions but do not get any description of practical street-worthy applications from them (there's only so much you can pack into one book anyway; it's already ~ 300 pages). Soooo, as long as your expectations are clear and you just want documentation of the steps, it's well worth owning.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Handbooks & Manuals    2. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Karate   

Reviews (6)

I really liked this book.
Very informative and layed everything out nicely. I'm going to order the Paleo diet book as I'm not a long distance athlete and more into the crossfit type training.This book would seem to be easily applied to gaining strengh/Muscle with a couple small "tweaks" as the authors put it.

More appropriate for strength athletes
The authors play a rather silly game of exclude the middle.
Carbo drinks and jels in Paleo times
If Paleo people were so fit and healthy why do authors of this book put so much empahsis on importance of sports drinks? How about soda bicarbonate to improve one's performance, or caffeine? So where do we draw the line? Either promote NATURAL way of nourishing our bodies or lets have a list of supplements (as long as they are still legal) to give an athlete the edge. Too bad our ancestors did not have access to energy jels. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Athletes    2. Consumer Health    3. Diet/Nutrition    4. Diets - General    5. Health & Fitness    6. High-protein diet    7. Nutrition    8. Prehistoric peoples    9. Training    10. Diets & dieting    11. Health & Fitness / Diets   

Reviews (3)

O.K. Little Book
Notice that the title is not "The Fifty Greatest Golf Courses."My title would be, "Fifty Interesting Places to Play Golf."Whether it's my title or the real title, the emphasis is on "places to play," or "destinations," not golf courses per se.More than fifty golf courses are covered.Which is not to say that the book does not include a lot of great golf courses.The format is mini-coffee table, with several pages of text for each destination and one small picture for most of the destinations.The quality of the printing, photo reproduction and binding in my copy is excellent.The text for each destination has been volunteered by a different prominent golf person.For example, Nick Faldo writes about the Royal Melborne Golf Club (West Course) in the Australian state of Victoria.Alice Dye about the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course (see a connection there?).On the plus side are the quality of the color photos and the introduction (to me) of golf courses in some far away places (e.g., Bhutan, Morocco, India, places, however, I'll never get to).On the minus side, I don't have a prayer of playing some of the U.S. courses, even after I die (e.g., Pine Valley, Sand Hills, National Golf Links of America), which, honestly, the author points out.Finally, why not at least one photo for each destination?From the two page description of the Pacific Grove muni: "[T]he back nine . . . takes you right out to the water and combines incredible views of the Pacific and Monterey Bay with windswept bluffs reminiscent of some of the great courses of Scotland and Ireland."Why no photo of this course?From the two page description of the Torekov Golf Club in Sweden (my ancestral home): ". . .a links-oriented course. . . You can view the sea from all eighteen holes.In the summer, wildflowers are blooming everywhere . . . ."I want a photo, darn it!
Beautiful Pictures, really nice gift.
Being a golfer, I got this as a gift from one of my relatives.I must say the pictures are outstanding.This book makes me want to travel more to other countries to experience the pleasure of these courses.This book will always have a permanent place in my library.For excellent golf instruction that helped me to drastically reduce my handicap, I recommend,
A great gift item for the golfer on your list.
This really is an attractive volume, and it constitutes a sort of fantasy list of unique golf courses. The author has gone out of his way to avoid many of the "obvious" big name courses that golfers know from televised tournaments. This gives the book an added interest factor, as one can read about exotic courses in such out-of-the-way locales as Morocco and Oregon. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Directories    2. General    3. Golf    4. Golf - General    5. Golf courses    6. Golf resorts    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Sports & Recreation / Golf    10. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Horse Racing    2. Horseshoeing    3. Physical Education    4. Reference    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    8. Technology & Industrial Arts   

Reviews (3)

Gun Digest is Back and better than ever for 2007
I was pleasently surprised when I opened my 2007 edition.It abounds with interesting articles.Tops and lead in this issue was an excellent piece from John Malloy, renowned author of many top notch articles on guns and gun history.He takes you through 60 years of the automatic pistol in the US and neatly ties it into the 60 years of the Gun Digest.I found this year's other articles both very intersting and informative.Those that downplay this years edition either haven't read it, or don't appreciate it. I've given it 5 stars to counteract the insultingly low ratings.I have collected the entire gun digest library starting with the 1944 edition and have read through many volumes of the library.I believe that this qualifies me to speak about the entire body of work that is Gun Digest. I can honestly say that this issue is certainly not one of the worst and would be ranked as a refreshing change from those of the recent past.Get it for the articles, and enjoy it until next year.Ken Ramage and the GD team have made an effort.That says alot in this day and age and I believe that you won't be disappointed - do yourself a favor though, and this goes for any book.Don't pay anywhere close to retail price.You should be able to get this one brand new for around 15 bucks - delivered as of the date of this review!

How Low Can You Go
Can't wait till the2008 issue comes out to see how much further you can go to destroy what used to be an excellent publication. No articles, canned content, and errors abound in this publication. Was going to give it 2 stars so I have the ability to downgrade if next years digest gets any worse.

It just keeps going down hill
Gun Digest has been going down hill every year since it sold out to new owners back around 1999. This year is a new low. Very few articles and many errors in the canned specs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Firearms & Weapons    2. Firearms And Gunsmithing    3. Guns/Rifles For Hunting    4. Shooting    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Small firearms, guns & other equipment    8. Yearbooks, annuals, almanacs   

Editorial Review

Concise and yet packed with detail, Read more

Reviews (121)

The void of the mind...
Some of us are adrenalin junkies. We need to feel the rush, the tension and the accomplishment that comes with scaling 21,000-foot mountains, such as the Siula Grande. Then there are people like me, who would rather read of other's accounts of such incredible experiences. And Joe Simpson reaches your psyche in ways few other writers could. Part of it is just the knowledge and fearful horror of what he went through -- realizing that not only did he make it through the experience, but that he was able to articulate such inexpressible fears and feelings in such a vivid, moving way. Of course one can never truly understand what Joe Simpson experienced, but when one reads his words and begin to let your mind wonder into the "void", isn't the book as close as anyone would want to get? This vicarious adventurer says yes, yes, God yes.

Good survival story
This book is worth reading & Joe Simpson is without a doubt a great writer. I do recommend this book if you like survival / adventure stories.
Climb, Joe, Climb!!!
True Story of overcoming the mind and the mountain.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Case studies    4. General    5. Great Britain    6. Huayhuash, Cordillera    7. Mountaineering    8. Mountaineers    9. Peru    10. Search and rescue operations    11. Simpson, Joe    12. Special Interest - Adventure    13. Sports    14. Sports & Recreation    15. Sports - General    16. Yates, Simon    17. Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (20)

A great guide to getting out of a survival situation.
Unless something is wrong with you, your goal when thrust into a survival situation is to get out of it as fast as you can. That is the premise of this book. You won't find detailed instructions on building and using a fire bow. You won't find recomendations on the biggest, baddest knife. The one used in the book has about a 4 inch blade and retails for less than $20. You will find practicle suggestions for fire. You will also find suggestions on assembling a survival kit that's thorough but not enormous. There is scientific discussion on the human body's reaction to the environment. All of this is presented in a humorous style. The book focuses on preparation for a survival situation and how to get out of it. Not learning flint knapping, snare building, dead falls, etc. I found the book informative and easy to read. Those offended by the few cartoon characters should get a life.

98.6 Rates a 100%
Down to earth, straight forward, factual, No BS here.
Much better titles out there
Besides the dedication to "all Beings of Light," living "within a conscious understanding of our true Selves" and his gratitude for "all the Ascended and Cosmic Ones, to all the Archangels, Archeia, and angels, elementals, and Elohim"... and his characters "Elvis Parsley, Willy Nilly" and others, by the time you weed through all his flakey or cutesie fluff content, the meat on the bone is practical and useful, but lost.By three chapters in, I truly felt like I had wasted my time.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Handbooks, manuals, etc    2. Outdoor Skills    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Wilderness survival    6. Health & Fitness / Health Care Issues    7. Sports & Outdoor Recreation    8. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY   

Editorial Review

The Read more

Reviews (6)

Good Stuff!
The book has a tremendous amount of positive basketball knowledge. Many coaches get away from fundamentals and this book goes into detail on the benefits of breaking everything down to the bear essentials.A great compliment to this book is the video "48 Championship Basketball Drills" which has some outstanding creative shooting drills.Sid Goldstein should be hailed as "El Sid" on a good effort and worthy teaching tool.

One of the best of its' kind
As a coach of a 5th and 6th grade boys basketball team I found this book a tremendous teaching tool this season. Most of the children I coach have had little or no formal teaching in basketball previous to me. This books true value comes from being geared towards all skill levels. A coach at my level, straight through coaches of High school varsity teams, can find drills to introduce to their players. OK on fundamentals; no-go on drills
I'm always looking for books that will help me with the teaching aspect of coaching (which also happens to be the most important).The author has the right idea of focusing on breaking things down to the fundamentals, butdoes only a so-so job of explaining them.The coverage is inconsistent;sometimes explanations are very clear, other times you're left to fill inblanks. The same is true of information provided on why certainfundamentals are important and why the methodology offered is the correctapproach.Read more

Subjects:  1. Basketball    2. Basketball - General    3. Coaching    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation   

Editorial Review

Read more

Reviews (1373)

Fast paced, educating account of extreme mountaineering
Mr. Krakauer's account of the deadly trip to the top of Mt. Everest has a credibility to the story that many other action filled, non-fiction works have.Due mostly to the fact that Mr. Krakauer was a reporter who was there, a member of a team who witnessed the way the disaster unfolded in one of the most unforgiving environments in the world.His book is a chronicle of the things that went wrong with the expedition, things that were red-flags to those there but were not heeded.Some of the book deals with the commercialization of Everest, where if you have the money, you can find a guide that will risk your life, his life and others lives to get you to the top.Some of those who died were Everest guides, people who knew the signs of things going wrong, yet they still made the fateful decision of pressing on for the summit.Part of the book, about Beck Weathers is amazing and does give some hope to the extents and abuse the human body can take with a certain frame of mind.Albeit, it cost him his hands and part of his face, the fact that he survived is amazing none-the-less.
Read "The Climb," too...
I give "Above Thin Air" 5 stars because it is a magnificently written work about Everest, but Krakauer's venom towards Anatoli Boukreev was and is inexplicable when the facts of that night are laid bare.
Non-Fiction at Its Best
I couldn't put this book down. To be honest with you, I rarely enjoy non-fiction, yet the way with which Krakauer creates tension - something that most likely is not that difficult as Everest on its own is a formidable place - is as effective as some of the best fiction writers out there. I was also impressed with how he was able to situate the expedition and the characters involved within the rich tradition of Everest mountaineering. His descriptions of Hall and Fischer are remarkable and he has immortalized them for the general public as they have been immortalized with climbers for years. I also like the way with which Krakauer is honest about what he is and is not sure about concerning his account. Being above 26,000 ft. makes it very difficult to be sure of what took place. Overall, I was quite impresed with this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Essays & Travelogues    3. Everest, Mount (China and Nepal)    4. Krakauer, Jon    5. Mountaineering    6. Mountaineering accidents    7. Mountaineering expeditions    8. Specific Groups - General    9. Sports    10. Sports & Recreation    11. Sports - General    12. Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering   

Reviews (6)

350 Moves Every Player Should Know
This was a gift and it was delivered on time to meet my friend departure

great resource!
Best collection available covering all types of shots.Not everything is useful in typical pool games, but the book has lots of interesting and creative shots.

Wow thats a lot of shots
I've been a fan of Byrne for a few years now, but I never really appreciated the scope of his knowledge until reading this book. I think that it would literally take at least a decade to master everything in this book. Many of the shots are completely impractical except as trick shots, but they're still fun to try and the skills acquired can't hurt your game. I found his safeties and rail-first shots to be the most useful to me so far.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Billiards    2. Games    3. General    4. Pool (Game)    5. Pool, Billiards, Snooker    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Games / General   

Reviews (1)

The Standard by Which Others are Compared
This huge book, now in its 12th edition was begun in 1963. It is intended for the education of atheletic trainers. Its primary concern is in preventing and when necessary treating sports injuries.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Medical    2. Sports & Recreation    3. Sports Medicine    4. Training    5. Medical / Sports Medicine    6. Track & field sports, athletics   

Reviews (8)

Helpful for Western Riders too
Even though I ride western, 101 Dressage Exercises has helped me create more lift and forward motion in my horse while retaining flexion. I especially liked the chapters describing different stretches and massages beneficial to your horse. I also recently bought the author's DVD, which is also really helpful. It goes into more depth regarding work-in-hand, and helped me pay closer attention to my horse's muscular development.

Dressage Exercises
Yes there are 101 excercises, but no instruction on weight distribution and rein contact. It is mearly a list of things to do such that on a sleepless night I could come up with the same patterns. I would use it for ideas in a class so that I could keep things fresh.

Not as good as 101 jumping exercises
This book is a great help to plan and diversify flat work and seriously move forward in dressage. But it lacks the step by step progression plan that, in my view, makes 101 jumping exercises so much better than this one. It tells you what exercises to do, but not how to teach your horse how to do them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dressage    2. Equestrian    3. Horses - Riding    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. PETS / Horses / Riding    7. Riding & horsemanship    8. Sports & Recreation / Equestrian   

Reviews (13)

Really essential
Quite a bit of good info here although Nigel does let his rather strong opinions shine through in some areas.Smile.

Nearly best book
After my 22000 nautical miles bluewater sailing and cruising life still I feel myself really beginner.
Great book
Lot's of sailing info packed into one book. Covers many different aspects of sailing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Navigation    4. Sailboats    5. Sailing    6. Sailing - General    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Transportation    9. Travel    10. Sports & Recreation / Boating    11. Cruising    12. Seamanship   

Editorial Review

Just about every other person in the world seems like an unfocused dilettante compared to long-distance swimming legend Lynne Cox. Soon At the age of 14, after several years of training hard in pools and the open sea, she was swimming the 26 mile stretch from Catalina Island to the coast of California. A year after that, she surpassed a lifelong goal by not only swimming the English Channel but setting a new men's and women's record in the process. Rather than be satisfied, Cox aimed still higher, conquering the Cook Strait in New Zealand, the Strait of Magellan and, the Cape of Good Hope, none of which had been swum before. Being the first to swim the Bering Sea from Alaska to what was then the Soviet Union is perhaps Cox's most impressive achievement, requiring a phenomenal amount of physical strength and endurance to withstand the chilly waters and diplomatic persistence to gain permission from Gorbachev during the Cold War. Read more

Reviews (36)

Great Book
Lynne Cox is very brave and her determination to succeed in every aspect of her life was very inspiring.She proves that when you have a passion for something and are willing to work for it, then nothing is out of reach.I really enjoyed this book not just because of that, but also because Lynn proves that she is just as skilled of a writer as she is a swimmer!She captures and holds your attention right to the end, describing in detail her life as a long-distance swimmer.The best way that I can explain it is that it was so good it was almost like reading fiction, if that makes sense.
more than just an interesting story
The story of Lynne Cox is one that we should all know about.It is nothing short of amazing what she did and how she impacted our move away from "cold" relations with the Soviets.The book is well written, easy to read and just plain interesting.But if there is one most impactful element of the book it is the underlying message that through focus one can accomplish anything.A great message for all of us to internalize

Swimming to Entropy
Lynne Cox is a swimmer, but not the type you think of at the beach or the pool.She is a long distance swimmer, and a specialist in swimming in cold water.