Sports Books

"Top Trails" for Yellowstone and Grand Teton is extremely well-organized and eary to use. We had limited time in the parks and needed to quickly assess how to make the best use of our time, hiking limitations, etc. The first few pages offer an excellent overview of how long and how difficult each trail is, what you're likely to see (from geology to wildlife, panoramic views, etc). Then it gives you a reference page number, where you can get more detail on the trail, best time of day/year to do it, pros and cons, etc, etc. I can't vouch for the longer hikes, as we stuck to those under 2 miles, but it was quite accurate, easy to use, and a valuable asset.

This is a really good trail book for Yellowstone and the Tetons, but I wonder if maybe the writter is holding back on more secluded or backwoodsy, if you will, trails? I feel these same trails are pretty much in all the books I have read. The thing that puts this one in the lime light is the fact that it has pretty much all the trails in one book. I find it handy that I only need to tote one guide book, instead of three, with me on the trail. I would like to say thank you, Andrew, for the details your book puts forth!

I wish there were more of the common trails in the book (I used to work in YNP) but it's definitely a handy book with a lot of useful info

This book is one of the best hiking books I have ever bought. I would recommend it to anyone!!!

We spent a week in the Yellowstone and hike everyday - this guide helps us as a lot to find what is the best for each day. We easily found the way how to get to the trails and we never lost our way. This book is definitely very useful for everybody going to the Yellowstone (or Grand Teton) not to stay on road but enjoy hiking.

I have read LOTS of books by LOTS of Authors. However, I have to say I was in a horrible rut! All the stories where the same! Until I came across a SEP book at a thrift store. BREATHING ROOM was my first and it was so refreshing and different. I was in a state of shock. I thought it was not possible to love a book more then that one UNTIL I BOUGHT "IT HAD TO BE YOU" This was what I have been craving. SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I love that the H/H are flawed and GOD BLESS SEP for not insulting our intelligence with couples falling head over heels in love after knowing each other 14 days! Her books are realistic and loaded with love, humor and a little sadness. I dare you not to fall in love with this BOOK, this SERIES, this AUTHOR. YOU HAVE TO GET THIS BOOK >>>>>>>>>> N O W ! :) enjoy!

I liked everything about this book, from the sexy cover to the great chemistry between the hero, Dan Calebow, and heroine, Phoebe Sommerville. I mistakenly read the Chicago Stars series "out of order", but still enjoyed this immensely. This is a great little romance that's a quick read. The reading order for the "Stars" series is as follows: It Had to Be You, Heaven Texas, Nobody's Baby But Mine, Dream a Little Dream, This Heart of Mine, Match Me if You Can, and Natural Born Charmer.

Dan was an especially real character, and very attractive. There was good sexual tension between Phoebe and him. For instance, I liked the scene when Dan mistakes Phoebe for his ex-wife and attempts to play out one of his wife's fantasies, even though he's a little disgusted by the fact he's doing this.

I didn't mind that Phoebe was a little bimbo-ish. She's not really. It's just the way she was brought up to think she should behave.

I believed in this romance and believed the characters should be together and would have a happy life together after I closed the book. I've re-read it several times over the years. I think it's great.

I'm just now getting around to writing this review even though I read this book several years ago, but it's never too late to start in on a great series. This is the first in the Chicago Stars series by Phillips and none are to be missed. I believe there are seven all together but I could be wrong but if you haven't read any and are interested I encourage you to start at the beginning here and just enjoy. My personal favorite is 'Match Me if You Can' which I believe is book six, but several of my friends claim this one as their fav. Instead of doing a review for all the books I'm just doing this one because it's the first and I give a five star rating for the whole series. You'll fall in love with these characters and then get to revisit them over the course of the later books and get to watch their lives play out even after the happily ever after. Phillips is a gifted author that rarely disapoints. She can always make me laugh and sometimes cry, which I don't normally do. Please try this book. You have nothing to lose but good times to gain.

Phoebe Somerville is what most men would call a bombshell. She has a killer body, a husky Katherine Turner-esque voice, and the attitude and candor to back it all up. What Phoebe also has is a painful sexual past that she uses her hot body and quick wit to cover up. So when she attends her father's funeral, a man who owned the Chicago Stars football team and was ruthless in his desire to make her a lady, Phoebe comes dressed to the nines with her poodle and gay boyfriend in tow. The results are hilarious, and after the funeral Phoebe learns that, while her father considers her his only failure, he's given her an opportunity to make it up to him. Phoebe has one season to lead the Stars to the AFC Championship or the team will go to her cousin.

Dan Calebow, the head coach of the Chicago Stars, wants nothing to do with Bert Somerville's vendetta against his useless, socialite daughter and he wants to keep his players out of it as well. Dan just wants to coach his players, for the team to win, and for him to find himself a nice, comfortable, baby makin' woman to settle down with. And he doesn't think that's too much to ask for. Which is why when Phoebe disappears after inheriting the team--leaving contracts unsigned and his players' futures in question--Dan decides to bring her back. He realizes that she's a vapid sexpot who cares more about what she's wearing than the future of his team, but he's determined to make her stand up and take notice. Because if his future and that of the Stars rests on the bombshell blonde's shoulders, he's going to make sure she doesn't squander them away.

Okay, so I'm on a kick right now where I'm reading all of the books from All About Romance's Top 100 Romance Books and this book is #14. I think that's a pretty fair ranking. It Had to Be You is contemporary chick lit with a lovably flawed heroine and a delightfully arrogant hero. Watching these two tussle is the stuff that romances are meant for and Susan Elizabeth Phillips does a great job of making the sparks fly between hero and heroine without ever going over the top. Phoebe is a force of nature with her bombshell body and smart mouth, but it's really all covering up a painful past. The fact that Dan can break down those walls and is the only heterosexual man she's been able to trust in more than a decade was endearing, and the fact that he both earned and deserved her trust was appealing. As for Dan, I love alpha male arrogant heroes. I can't help it. And Dan fits the bill. His team and his players come first. Always have. Only he's now got to make room in his life for his woman, and it's great to watch him navigate this transition.

I think three or four books from the Chicago Stars series actually made the AAR cut, and I'm more eager than ever to read them after enjoying this story so much. In fact, this is my first book by Phillips, but I can guarantee it won't be my last. Next up, book 2 in the series Heaven, Texas.

This book is very informative and explains nutrition in a way that is easy to understand. It has great tips and it helped me to balance my exercise routine and eating pattern. This book is great for a serious athlete to a casual exerciser and I would highly recommend everyone who wants to obtain knowledge about a healthy lifestyle to read this book.

I recommend this book to everyone. Although Nancy Clark calls it a Sport's Nutrition Guidebook, this is really a guide on the way everybody should eat in order to be healthy. She begins by giving general guidelines on what eating every day should be like. She explains why everything is important: carbs, protein, fat, sugar, dairy. Then she goes on to explain what it is each of these types of food does in the body and how and why we should eat them. She also explains how to eat and when to eat. It is an extremely detailed book where you get a whole new outlook on food. There's also some great chapters with recipes.

Nancy Clark's book has revolutionized my diet, training, and life. As a fitness instructor and runner I had trouble knowing what to eat, how much to eat, and struggled with erratic weight. After reading this book all of my questions have been answered. I have learned tips on how to fuel my body for the demands that I put upon it. I have energy, I can eat without guilt, and my weight has stabilized. Science and experience backs up everything that Nancy Clark says. I'm a true believer. You'll love this book!

outstanding book, changed my eating habits with good information rather than beliefs. I recommend to anyone on a sports nutrition program.

The Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a useful resource for the average, healthy individual to have at hand as a nutritional resource. This book is more of a healthy living guide, than a sport specific guide, Individuals who are engaging in sports that require a lot of anaerobic activity, like football or baseball will not find this book as useful, but they will still find some great instruction. For endurance sports such as running or cycling, or for the general weekend warrior looking to have nutrition be a part of a healthy lifestyle, that is not concerned with larger than normal weight loss, this book is a good esource.

While basic advice is well-written here, that shouldn't be really new to anyone who is familiar with good nutrition: a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, and dairy; and the importance of regular meals, some care is taken to readjust thinking about fad diets and dietary myths, especially in preparation for physical activity. Unbalanced approaches to carbohydrates, fluid, protein, etc. and their dangers are detailed in an easy to understand format. The chapter on misusing a healthy lifestyle for rapid weight loss or other eating disorders is tactfully written.

The last third of the book is a useful recipe guide that applies principles taught in the book into practical meal planning steps that are neither arduous nor difficult for active individuals to adapt to. Creating a healthy approach to the body, especially in view of a fat obssessed society calls for balance and patience. There is nothing sudden or radical about the advice in this book, as it is above all, caling for a lifestyle that is healthy and active and is designed to provide nutrional advice for helping individuals achieve those goals. This book is a great resource for active people, who want sound, scientific advice that meets the needs of individuals in today's fast paced society.

a solid read, but i was expecting a book that got more into the intricacies of sports psychology, but this book seems to focus more on your thinking off the court then on it.

Mind Gym is a great book! I highly reccomend picking one up. HOWEVER, Amazon sent me 2 books with damaged covers and ripped pages. Get the book, just not from Amazon.

Training tips and exercises are paired with the psychological aspect of sports. Put your game into perspective.

This is a great book. It helps you to put the minds involved in athletics in perspective.

I have read several books on the mental game in sports and this is by far the best. I work with collegiate and professional athletes and recommend this so often that Gary Mack should send me a commission!!!

I have recently read Seabiscuit and watched the film and found both to be very compelling. We dont think much anymore about the dark days of the Depression but Laura Hillenbrand puts us right back in the middle of it. The important lesson was to look to the future as Charles Howard implored, the sun will come up tomorrow.

Three incredible characters intersect with this horse of unknown promise. Howard is the wealthy owner, despondent over the death of his son and unsure how to live the life of leisure; Red Pollard is a jockey not able to break into the big-time, due to his attitude, blindness, and injuries; Tom Smith is a taciturn man who belongs in the 19th century of his youth, not the modern world. Together they develop and promote Seabiscuit, a horse of incredible bloodlines, yet given up on by better trainers due to his work habits, attitude, injuries, and size.

Eventually the Biscuit wins all the stakes in the state of California and gets a shot at a match race with the great Eastern horse and Triple Crown winner, War Admiral. Both horses are descendants of the great Man'o'war, but the eastern elites dont want to give the western upstart his chance. After a few cancellations due to injuries and prickly owners, the match race goes off in Baltimore and the smaller horse brings it home.

The book is more enlighting with respect to the fuller stories of the characters, especially the relationship between the jockeys and Pollard's romance and marriage to a Boston nurse. The movie brings the times to life. Howard and Pollard were the raconteurs who made Seabiscuit the hero of the little guys during those lean years. Dont forget, tough times dont last but tough guys do.

Ms. Hillenbrand is an equally interesting story. She suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and is only able to work at a fraction of the typical writer. Here she focused her energy on this story and these times. Seabiscuit has been the story many times in film and books but Ms. Hillenbrand brings it to life for us.

Seabiscuit is a great story, book, and movie. If you have not read it, buy it today and start reading. You will not be disappointed.

This book is a true American legend at its best. "Seabiscuit" was written by Laura Hillenbrand based on a true story of one horse and jockey's incredible life. This biography is set in the 1930's and 1940's and takes you on a journey with someone and something that no one believed in until they were given a chance to prove themselves. The perseverance of these two characters is admirable; they never give up, no matter what. The jockey, John Pollard, was struggling in life until given the shot to show he was more than just an average jockey. Seabiscuit, on the other hand, is my favorite character; he never accepts the possibility of losing. Pollard and Seabiscuit's relationship started when trainer Tom Smith paired them together out on the racetrack. I love that they were given a chance to prove everyone wrong by winning race after race with odds stacked against them; both had been injured numerous times. Read about how they smashed people's disbelief and made history, performing one of the greatest comebacks in all of sports. The theme of "never giving up no matter what" would most likely interest people who enjoy sports novels. "Seabiscuit" is truly the greatest sports story of all time.

This narrative leaps out of the first paragraph in the same way Seabiscuit learns to bolt from the starting gate. From the start, Laura Hillenbrand draws the reader into the story with colorful, taut writing. There are no meaningless side stories in this book - each detail weaves itself back into the tale of a horse who beat the odds to become one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
This story is gripping even if you have no interest in horseracing.

I loved this book !! It made me feel as though I was there watching the drama unfold as the unknown underestimated horse rose to champion status. The characters are real and the story is built piece by piece. If you like rooting for the underdog and enjoy the thrill of competition, this book is for you. The large print of this edition was easy on the eyes as well.

Dave Pelz is a scientist who has studied the art of putting. I don't know if reading this book will improve my putting; that has yet to be proven. The text is well written. There are abundant illustrations and the quality of the paper, the binding, the illustrations and photographs are excellent. This is not the kind of book one reads in an evening. There are practical exercises, and one must go to the green and apply what has been read. It is a joy to read, and I have a better understanding of why I am missing those putts. It is my hope with persistence I will improve my game, but lets face it ... the ultimate test is one that involves athletic ability, perception, and the ability to convert intellectual understanding into action.

Outstanding book!!(I have already read it cover to cover!) It was delivered in a timely manner!! At a fairly reasonable cost!! I'm a very satisfied customer who will indeed order other items in the future!!!

This book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to improve their putting. It is not a, "Putt like me" book as so many golfing books tend to be.

I have found the experiments and the science basis for the putting methods recommended to be fascinating and very enlightening. There are things addressed that I have not even thought of. I have a good science background and I can't remember any of the basic premises that I disagree with.

My only regret is that I am not privy to the more recent information the Dave Pelz has collected in the years since the book was written.

If anyone knows of a better book on putting let me know about it.

Don't expect a quick fix but reading this might give you some basic insight which, combined with the required hours of practice to ingrain what you have learnt, could last you a lifetime.

I first read the Short Game Bible and found this really improved my game. I did not find the putting book to have that dramatic an input but it was still very insightful and helpful.(21 handicap)

Great result when you use a buying catalogue like Cabelas, Orvis or L.L. Bean and combine it with the information of this guide... they should make an spanish version

This was a reccommended book for any flyfisherman. I bought the Orvis and i just had to have the L.L. Bean book too. Both are great products. L.L. Bean has outdone themselves what a great book for any fisherman. This is a father's Day gift and i can't wait to give it to my dad. He will love it.
Thanks,
Chase

Bought this book before fly fishing for the first time. Great pictures and text. goes into detail that I won't "outgrow" for a long time.

This is a composite of three previously published L. L Bean guides: fly-fishing, casting, and fly tying. The first part is Whitlock's book on fly-fishing and is one of the best (the other being Rosenbauer's Orvis book) introductions to the sport of fly fishing. The Whitlock illustrations are always great, and the information is top-notch. You will find out everything you need from fly lines to fly rods to knots to basic flies.

Add the other two parts and this is an excellent overall view of all three areas. Because of the comprehensive approach, it is one of the best "how to" books on fly-fishing available.

Don't be fooled by the "L.L.Bean" title--the book does not promote their products. It is a top-rated introduction to fly fishing, casting, and tying.

Well written with great illustrations. Perfect aide to learn to cast. Could use a bit more detail on how to fish different types of flies, but great all-round guide.

Great study guide for the national exam. This is the most comprehensive study guide I have found to date.

This book appears to be a pretty darn good resource for fitness prescription and testing. I have read much of it and it is pretty well written and quite clinical. So if that's what you need, then this book is it.
However, I was intending to get books to study for the ACSM Personal Trainer certification. This is NOT the book for that. Now granted, they recommend this book on their website, and it may be helpful, but the intended primary study source is the ACSM's resources for the personal trainer...book. So if that's what you are trying to do (like i was) then get that book, not this one. If you want a bunch of cool knowledge about exercise prescription, then this is the book for you.

This book came in great condition with no marks. It was exactly what I needed for my class and cost less.

Excellent resource and very helpful/beneficial. I would recommend it to anyone in the exercise testing field. Easy read and comprehendable.

Has all the knowledge you need to evaluate, test, and retest your client, patient, or subject. If you don't have this book (or a previous version of it) and are not following the procedures in this handbook...you're not helping your client as well as you can.

I enjoyed this book, especially the glossary of baseball lingo. I think I'll keep this book near the TV when I listen to the "color commentator" spew all that meaningless baseball jargon! Some parts of the book were helpful, but a lot was fairly obvious if you've spent much time watching games or playing Little League. Still, the author includes some fun little-known facts...and I *think* I finally understand the infield fly rule! But don't quiz me on it.

I purchased this book for my husband who happens to be a deeply serious baseball geek. He's not much of a reader so I wasn't sure if the book would keep him enthralled enough to keep reading it. Much to my surprise he's yet to put the book down. The two of them have been inseparable since Christmas. I figure if it can keep his interest it most certainly will keep the interest of other baseball fans wanting to learn the sport. For this reason I highly recommend the book.

Zack Hample wrote this book in an easy-to-understand and pleasant writing style. His writing style is conversational and you almost feel as if he is there in person talking to you. He provides an extensive glossary near the back and words that are in the glossary are italicized when they're used in the body of the book. The book provides a lot of insight into professional baseball and is really useful for someone who is not an aficionado. It helped me enjoy the game more by understanding strategy and understanding baseball jargon. Hample also provides some history of the game and of the league as a tool for helping the reader understand why certain rules or strategies exist. A book on a subject like baseball could easily be written in a dry style; this book is anything but dry. I enjoyed reading it.

Table of content for this book:

Ch. 1, The Basics
Covers the draft, how players get into the Major League, How the League is organized, spring training, regular season, post season.

Ch 2, Pitchers and Catchers
Covers the signs they use, the different types of pitches (with diagrams), pitching strategy, what's really going on during time-outs at the mound.

Ch. 3, Hitting
Covers how the lineup is determined, fundamentals, stances, recognizing pitches, hitting strategy, and more.

Ch. 4 Baserunning
Covers the rules, strategy, signs, base-stealing,the various types of slides, signs given by coaches to runners, duties of the first base coach.

Ch. 5 Fielding
Covers the various types of defensive alignments (and why), why you'll probably never see a left-handed catcher, types of ball bounces and how the player responds to each, field positions and the skills needed to play each, and more.

Ch. 6 Stadiums
Covers the challenges of playing in various well-known stadiums.

Ch. 7 Umpires
How umpires get to be umpires, what life is like for an umpire, meaning of gestures used by umpires, why umpires work in fours, why the ump places a hand on the back of the catcher, why the ump puts mud on the balls, why the ump goes with the trainer when the trainer goes to the mound to talk to the pitcher, and lots more.

Ch. 8 Statistics
Lists baseball stats, gives formulas for how the stats are determined, and explains how they are used. (This chapter could have been dry, but was not. It was as fun to read as the rest of the book).

Ch. 9 Random Stuff to Know
Why the players grab and adjust their crotches, why the letter K represents a strike in scoring, how baseball began using numbers on the uniforms (and negative reaction to it), unwritten rules, controversies, and more.

Ch 10 Random Stuff to Notice
A few pages of odds and ends; some of it interesting and some of it mundane.

Glossary: Baseball Slang
42 pages of terms with definitions

Appendix A: More Statistics
Baseball stats with their abbreviations, the record holders, and informative commentaries.

Appendix B: Uniform Numbers
Shown in order by number, provides list of famous players who wore the numbers 1 - 55.

Football may have the hard-hitting action and basketball may have the slam-dunk feats, but baseball has character. In what other sport are the fans supposed to all stand in the middle of a game and sing a song? Furthermore, while basketball, football, hockey and soccer are all essentially different versions of the same game (pushing a puck or ball into the goal defended by the opposition), baseball has no real parallel (except maybe cricket, which is at most a minor sport in the U.S.). And, of course, unlike almost any other sport, there are no real time or point constraints to baseball; you're always in the game until the last out.

The unique elements of baseball can be off-putting to fans of other sports, who may find the subtleties of the game to be slow or boring. But as Zack Hample illustrates in his book Watching Baseball Smarter, there is a lot more going on than is readily apparent. Designed for the casual baseball fan, Hample offers insights into the sport that may escape most people (though the more die-hard fan will know much of what he describes).

After a review of some of the basics of the game, Hample has sections dedicated to the four major components of the game: pitching (and catching); hitting, base running and fielding. He then has chapters on stadiums, umpires, statistics and "random stuff". If you want to know the difference between a cut fastball, a four-seamer and a two-seamer, Hample provides the information in the pitching chapter. If you want to know why left-handed catchers are so rare, look in the fielding chapter.

For the avid fan, an error or two may be noted. For example, in the section on umpires, it is noted that the catcher can appeal to the first or third base umpire on a check swing; actually, he appeals to the home plate umpire, who can seek the appropriate umpires opinion. Any other errors also seem to be on such subtle issues, so it really isn't a major issue. In general, this is a fun book for baseball fans, filled with the slang and historical perspective that gives the sport its personality. If you enjoy baseball, you should read this book.

I'd give this book to a girlfriend or anyone who wants to understand the game. It's on par with Baseball for Dummies. Not much new for the real fan. Disappointing.

After reading this book and doing a little practice on the drills it contains, you will have a thorough understanding of what makes a golf swing. With this understanding you will be able to diagnose your own swing and others (keep and mind others might not want to hear your insight). This swing understanding also helps with shot making and understanding what your equipment does. Enjoy.

I thought the book was valuable for several reasons; it is not a cookie-cutter instruction book, it presents concepts in a novel way, it breaks the swing process down into 5 easily remembered steps, and it entertained me with many of Mr. Clampett's personal golf anecdotes.

One of the main points of the book is that the bottom of your swing arc should come approximately 4 inches toward the target from your ball, a point which I have never seen expounded upon prior to this.

However, it is not clear to me on how to use his concept of the "aiming point", which is a spot approximately 4 inches in front of the ball, on the line between the ball and the target. He mentions that you should catch it "out of your peripheral vision" at the start of the downswing, but what is unclear to me is whether or not you should focus on that point at the address position. It would be helpful to get his opinion on that question, Mr. Clampett, are you out there ?

Very impressed with Bobby Clampett's book. Good instructions, am starting to see improvement in my golf game. Need to practice to keep my left wrist flat and stop turning my right wrist which is closing the face of my club.

The Impact Zone guides you to focus on five 'dynamics' (swing principals) amidst the thousands of things you could be concerned about in your golf swing. In my opinion, this is a book for someone that has played for a while and is seeking to improve their ball striking. As with any golf book, you will need to think about the material presented, practice it and work through not having Mr. Clampett standing on the practice tee with you. That being said, the five dyanamics are presented in a logical, clear and usable way that should fit many different swing styles. I'm a one plane swing golfer, and this book has definitely helped me. I have more golf books than I care to admit to, and I think that The Impact Zone is a 'cornerstone' book, one of the best.

This is the best golf instruction book ever. The main insight from the book that has transformed my game (scoring) is the realization that there is a relationship to where the ball is struck and handicap. Clampett calims, based on his analysis of golf swings using CBS' hight speed camera technology (7,000 framers per second) that the pro golfer's swing bottoms out at 4 inches after impact. The hacker about four inches before impact. The key is to do whatever you have to do to create impact like a pro. If you're able to do it, you'll probably execute the fundamentals of the golf swing properly, since there is only one correct motion that allows you to arrive at the desired impact.

So, basically, focus on impact and the golf swing fundamentals will follow. Clampett's drill in which he draws a line in the sand and then has you practrice having the club bottom out 4 inches in front of the line, is the most valuable drill ever.

Clampett claims that the high handicap golfer, if he or she understands and practices the drill for about 30 minutes, will drop about 12 strokes off their handicap immediately,

As a 15 handicapper, I have been able, almost overnight to take 10 strokes off my score just by practicing this drill.

One of the keys here is confidence. Once you realize what you need to do, and can do it at will, the confidence you take into each shot is incredible.

Also, this concept gives you a practice discipline. Simply practice to impact four inches after the line. It's that easy and the outcome is quite remarkable.

Clampett has discovered a law (truth, key, etc.) that will in my opinion revolutionize golf instruction. Until the advent of the SwingVision camera technology, Clampett's discovery would not have been possible.

Thanks, Mr. Clampett, for making golf enjoyable.