Sports Books

I used this book as a companion book to another text for learning to sail on the Hudson, and I found it to be a thorough and informative text, with all basic information on rules of the road, parts of a boat, parts of a sail, rigging, water safety and rules of the road.

As a beginning sailor, learning on a responsive boat with a sail and a jib, I would recommend this book to anyone learning to sail smaller craft and slower craft. By my second lesson, this book and the companion I used allowed me to gain the comfort necessary to prepare for my basic keelboat certification.

I also got this book with a keelboat class I was taking at the time. In combination with an experienced instructor, the book was quite useful. However, there are quite a few sloppy mistakes, due more to poor editing than poor writing. If I had bought this book outright, I'd be pretty angry as well. The companion books for cruising and navigation are much the same.

The book is pretty BASIC, and for beginners it's a least the minimum that you need to know before hop on !!!! Tells you a little bit of everything, but if you looking something more especific or deep in details, definally IS NOT the right one !!!!
Really good to know boats part and names though !!!!

I took the ASA 101 course and a lot of the material that was asked on the test was not emphasized in the book. I found it very dry, somewhat scattered and generally not enjoyable from which to learn.

I've only skimmed through New Complete Sailing Manual by Steve Sleight and that book looks like it might be a lot easier to understand.

I have both Sailing Fundamentals and the US Sailing Basic Keelboat text. Overall, I find the Sailing Fundamentals to the more complete text of the two. However, the editing is sloppy in places and the illustrations are lacking compared to the US Sailing text. For those of you who are very visually oriented, I would suggest getting both texts. The US Sailing illustrations are very good.

I read this short book within a space of an hour. It is straight to the point, and is written in the style of a story. The author is a Physical Therapist and tells the story of when he was a student and he visited a senior Physical Therapist in a hospital as part of his training. He learned how to motivate someone within 60 seconds to undertake therapy by increasing importance + confidence in the patient. Although this book was essentially about how someone was able to increase his patients' motivation, this can also be applied to other areas of your life - for any goal. It is an easily understandable read and if you are looking for a way to increase motivation quick then look no further than this book.

This is a great book for anyone to learn about how to motivate yourself or others. It's in a very simple story format without a lot of exercises like other self-help books. Very good book - I highly recommend it to anyone that needs to know more about motivation.

This is a great little book. It is written in a light style that makes it easy to read and digest the principles that Jim spells out. If you have ever tried to make a change and been unsuccessful in accomplishing your goal this little book will help you to understand why you failed and how you can increase your chance of success. I found it to be helpful both with my own personal goals and in better understanding what may help to motivate my clients to achieve their stated goals.

Like any book in this genre this book will not actually help you unless your "motivated" to change your own behavior. It's simple, easy to read, and practical. It shows you the keys to changing your perspective on on how motivation actually works in yourself and others. I enjoyed it.

Being a cardiac rehab nurse and spending a lot of time each day trying to get people to change their lifestyles to create better health, this book caught my eye. After reading it, I found the principles instantly useful for me to use at work. They can help anyone get motivated to get past the barriers that keep them from making changes to improve their health. Additionally, the book is short and to the point which is good for a busy Mom like myself.

This is a fantastic book, and what's more, it has served as a model and inspiration for the many (many, many) football hooligan books that followed.

I won't really comment on the absolute cliched tripe served up by one reviewer who gave this book one star, but I would point out that he might want to take some time out from an all-knowing banality spouting, error decrying, schedule, and consult a calendar.

Among The Thugs - 1993. Most of the others? 1999 and later, including the 2005(!) Gardner tome. This book, almost alone, spawned a veritable minor industry of Football Hooligan memoirs and reportage. Don't believe me? Head over to amazon.co.uk and check it out all the related items with this book over there.

By the way, I think it was sort of the point of the experiment that an editor of a (very popular in the right circles) literary magazine like Granta went and did what he did, and reported what he saw. And in the Granta tradition, he expounds a bit on What It All Means. That gets a little dull at times, but by no means lessens the overall interest of the book.

Among the Thugs is not meant to be a piece of documentary journalism, oral history, or a PhD thesis. It's a subjective and personal account, and the author makes no bones about that. The author did, objectively, get beaten to a pulp by Italian cops, so there's some credibility right there.

Bill Buford offers an engaging narrative about violent British soccer fans, yet one does begin to suspect some exaggeration and ornamentation. Saying that these fans behave the way they do because they lack a solid home base is reductionist and not helpful at all. Many millions around the world live in conditions that leave a great deal to be desired--indeed far worse than the living conditions of a violent soccer fan--yet they don't engage in what the British call "antisocial behavior."

There is no excuse for hooliganism and bad behavior. To find "causes" for lawbreaking, be it soccer violence in Europe or drug dealing in America, is a step toward tolerating and even forgiving it.

Generations of black Americans have been raised under the impression that racism is an insurmountable problem and that they have to go outside the law to survive. This perception is so strong that Barack Obama's presidential bid was dismissed early on by some of the most seasoned political analysts as well as civil rights leaders in this country. They thought that America was simply too racist to even consider a black president. Obana was jumping the gun, they said, damaging his own chances in a distant future. When those whose words make public opinion are so out of touch with the American reality, what can one expect of a black teenager who is attending an under-funded school? Getting away from the subject? Not really. The world knows American black youth culture largely through hip-hop music and all the fashion, DVDs, games and other paraphernalia it generates. Many teenagers all around the world, in their angst and search for identity, claim victimhood and try to emulate a thug life with various degrees of conviction. The British "antisocilas" are themselves informed by such imported gangsterism. Few understand that for every gangsta or gagsta wannabe there are thousands of black Americans who go to college, fill professional echelons or start legitimate businesses.

Instead of trying to "understand" thugs, of whatever color or stripe, let's concentrate on those who really understand and avoid thug life under any guise for the boring, graceless, destructive existence it is without ever being sullied by it.

There's a lot to hope for in this book, but it fails badly. The author never comes across as even remotely credible. His writing reflects his snobbish background and beliefs. He went to college at Berkeley, then elite Cambridge, and he clearly feels that he is above the subjects of the book in every way. The jacket says he edits a literary magazine, and now he thinks he can ingratiate himself with football thugs? Please. He may be American, but he's apparently been infected with that classic British class thing. His book is full of comments on how stupid and ugly the people he is interviewing are. He talks at length about how he tries to get the "animals" at various pitches to let him interview them. Too bad he was posing the whole time, trying to be "cool" but really manipulating his subjects for his own use. In fact one gets the impression that this was Mr. Well Educated/Snobby Lit Magazine Guy doing his bit of slumming. I'm sure he's drunk many a glass of wine, chuckling with his tweed-wearing Eton buddies, self congratulating on how he survived many nights in those nasty pubs, coaches and terraces with the "idiotic" football supporters. Minor but telling points: he can't even get Bill Gardner's name right (West Ham's top man with the ICF) and lastly, that cover photo is not even of a football thug, it's called "The Smoker" by some random photographer. Can't get Bill Gardner's name right and he's doing a book on football violence? Good Lord, there's an entire book about Bill: "Good Afternoon Gentlemen, The Name's Bill Gardner." There's his name, pal. And we're supposed to believe your book is the real deal? Sorry man--go back to where you belong--editing James Joyce or something--and don't pretend to be what are not. This book is from a poser and not worth a purchase.

This is a great book, albiet the first one I have read on football hooligans. This is not limited to one single firm though, as some of the many ICF books are. Buford runs with the Man. United firm, has a run in with the National Front, and has the grand finale with English hooligans during the world cup. This is really an eye opener into a section of history and life I never knew about in England, and Buford does an excellent job sharing it. There were a few points where he starts to ramble about unrelated crowd violence elsewhere, but these nuances are insignificant by the close of the book. At just over 300 pages I finished this book in 5 days, it's an engrossing book, funny, disturbing, and horrific at times. An excellent read. I would thouroughly reccomend this to any football fan, fan of Green Street Hooligans, or just about anyone else.

Fantastic book and a page turner. Opened my eyes to hooliganism in the sport of football. This was probably common knowledge to most people outside the U.S. Great story from an unbiased source.

I did not find this book helpful at all. Mr.Parelli is all over the place with his writing. There are no real instructions on how to train, just his philosophy. I did not find the book useful, it will be the first book to go in my garage sale pile. He's very "showy".

This book, along with the entire Parelli Levels DVD home-study, Savvy monthly magazines and DVD's, Liberty & Horse Behavior DVD Set and the Success Series DVD, teach a philosophy of thinking like the horse, caring for your horse with leadership and love, and always keeping it natural.
Parelli, who is very experienced and knowledgable in the theory and practice of horse training, psychology and behavior, teaches us how to understand how horses think and learn. It's nothing short of amazing.

Once you read this book, you'll want to learn more, and Pat & Linda Parelli provide many valuable resources to support you on your journey with your horse. Together they teach the 8 Principles of Natural Horsemanship, stressing that preparation, patience, love, language and leadership are all important keys to learning how to read, motivate and trust your horse - and most importantly, build and grow a bond with your equine partner.

Parelli teaches that since 99% of problems with horses are 'problem people' not 'problem horses' his book and their entire study program, is really a people-training guide. The Parelii's step-by-step program is easy to follow and will take you from "green" to savvy in regards to discovering your potential, revealing your horse and treating your horse with dignity, compassion and understanding.

I've been on the Parelli Journey for nearly two years now, starting from "scratch" and knowing only that my love for my horse was the engine that would motivate me. I had no idea what I was getting into, but when I was introduced to the Parelli's Natural Horsemanship study, I was guided in a profound, logical, confident way - it was as if Pat and Linda were right there with me. Start with this book, open your mind and heart to new challenges with your horse, and you will discover a journey that fuels your equinne passion with knowledge, principles, communication, leadership, and a bond of trust and love. Thank you Pat and Linda.

I thought this book was excellent! I am a new horse owner and found it to be very helpful. Also, I am not into hurting my horse so reading about working with him naturally was right up my alley.

I love the parelli level system but this book is poorly organized and not very helpful. It is more about a philosphy and witty remarks than a method of training. Stick to the level DVDs.

i enjoyed reading and value the information in this book.even if you don't have a horse just love them you would find this book interesting.

There are 2 things I absolutely HATED about this book...I hated having to put it down, and I hated when I finished it! Vivian Stringer's story is truly an example of courage in the midst of challenges. It's not just for sports fans. Anyone can be inspired by it.

I enjoyed the book. Not life changing but there are some life lessons to be learned through the reading

How important it is to have women, young and old, to know the power and authority that lies within and that you have the perfect example in
"the Coach" of all times. Ms Stringer has given us this jewel at a time more important that any other that I can remember when so many young women are suffering from low self-esteem and rejection and so many older women are caught in the throws of life. Thanks to Ms. Stringer we have renewed HOPE!!!

This woman is completely amazing!! Being from Iowa, I fondly remember the Vivian Stringer era. I was part of the 22,000+ that atttended the game against Ohio State, setting the attendance record at the time as part of C. Vivian Stringer's vision. I am in awe of her and hearing her own story in her own words has had a profound impact on me. She mentions in the book her decision to fight for her spot on the cheerleading squad at her high school not only to cheer the team on, but to pave the way for future generations She talks about how later on, she realized that those "future generations" were her own neices.

In thinking about that story and others in the book, I realized the impact that Vivian Stringer has had on my own daughter - a basketball and volleyball player, both directly and indirectly through other generations of Stringer girls with Stringer values.

Amazing story!! Amazing Woman!!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I'm not really into sports but have enjoyed basketball from time to time. Though, I've never really been into college basketball and didn't even know who C. Vivian Stringer was before the Imus incident, I was able to gain a tremendous insight into the life of a strong, confident, and resilient woman and the women she lends a hand in raising. To learn all that she has been through and how she mustered the courage to "Stand Tall" through every adversity was so inspiring, and not just for Black women but for every woman and human being. I certainly recommend that every person take the time to read this incredible story.

This is one of those books you can't put down at night. Floyd is a
down to earth guy who tells it like it is about many aspects as a
professional bike racer and everything that goes all with, both
good and bad. You learn the inside scoop on european backward
thinking as well as the policies of the usada-a pathetic organization
at the taxpayers expense.
This book just might enspire you to get out on
your bike more.

"Positively False: How I won the Tour de France, by Floyd Landis w/ Loren Mooney is a well written account of the Life of Floyd Landis leading up his unconventional victory at the Tour de France (TdF) in 2006. His victory was then followed immediately by his fall from grace by the accusations of drug doping from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). There is nothing sophisticated in Floyd's writing, it is conversational in tone and flows extremely well, I finished in a single travel day. His writing competence is no doubt a strong reflection of a Mennonite education with perhaps a helping hand from Loren Mooney. I felt that Floyd was on the other end of the pen talking directly to me.

His story is timeless and the antidotal evidence to support the injustices athletes may suffer at the hands of those with absolute power ring true. It was a witch-hunt for sure and there were many responsible for pushing the inquisitors forward. Unfortunately, with so many athletes actually guilty of the cheating of which they have been accused, it is almost impossible to save the few who are truly innocent. Unlike an actual witch-hunt when everybody is actually innocent. A better analogy would be capital punishment, where on the whole there is sufficient evidence to have a trial, but the outcome is so final that the judicial process has got to work correctly or an innocent person may be put to death. Although in Floyd's case the evidence was so thin there should not have been a trial to begin with and as Floyd's evidence suggests, the judicial process for athletes accused of doping is unbelievable broken. Unfortunately Floyd was practically put to death.

There is no doubt Floyd Landis is innocent. Anyone who followed the TdF and understood his tactics and training, along with a wide-open field, knew that what he did was spectacular, but not so miraculous as to be humanly impossible. Floyd bonked on stage 16 and the inexperienced pelaton blew it on stage 17. Period. I waited a long time to hear Floyd's side of the story, although I instinctively knew he was innocent, very few came forward to help, so I was left with the uncertainty caused by the media hype and continuous bad information. It is a shame he has had to fight so hard to defend himself and it outrageous that he has to continue to fight to clear his name.

My one criticism of the book would be that I would have liked a few more technical details on doping in general, why an athlete would take steroids, EPO, testosterone, or inject fresh blood, and under what circumstances. To me, Floyd's spectacular performance in stage 17 would suggest he injected fresh blood to recover. Not being an expert I am not at all certain how the test he supposedly failed could even contribute to his performance on stage 17, since overall, his testosterone level was actually lower than normal, and it was a ratio that was arguably out of whack. I think the answer is that Floyd probably doesn't know these technical details so it never occured to him to put them in his book - which further defines that he is postively innocence. Read this book and discover why Floyd Landis truly is the 2006 TdF Champion.

I remember watching on TV the day Floyd Landis bonked famously on a Tour de France climb. I thought, "He's smart to give in to it. He'll have a great day tomorrow." We've all been there. A bad day very often precedes a great day, and vice versa. Thanks to his power meter data, it's clear that what appeared to be an inhuman turnaround the next day was actually a combination of smart team tactics, hard training (he was well within his normal hard load), physiologic recovery, and cagey use of water (dumped over his head to create a cool microclimate for himself). A sloppy French lab then created, purposely or inadvertently, a false positive, and an unfair process made it impossible (unclear if this is true yet) to rectify. It's sad how science is being used to advance causes these days, but it's nothing new. Even religion has dressed itself up as science in an attempt to advance its world view. Landis' book is refreshing. He's painfully blunt at times, and a tone of honesty permeates the storytelling, which is brisk by the way. This book reads clearly, you can hear Floyd's voice, and it is hard to put down. I enjoyed it thoroughly. After reading this and previously having read Arnie Baker's analyses and the ruling from the first arbitration panel (which captures enough lab flaws to leave you scratching your head at the fact that it still resulting in a guilty verdict), I believe that Floyd is innocent, and that he is being railroaded by a system out of control. A great cycling book.

Before reading this book I was quite convinced that Landis was innocent.Before reading this book I was quite convinced that Landis was innocent. Having been an avid cyclist for the last 20 years and spent my childhood years in Bucks County PA I felt that the basic values imparted upon him growing up where he had would have served him better. But reading through this drivel was quote annoying and its mere publication did a great disservice not only to Landis but also cycling in general. It is written in a smug and insolent tone and countless anecdotes of Landis' attitude of "hey you schmucks, you just don't get it do you!". Just who does he think he is anyway? He thought he was someone who got get away with it; you know, just how he was spouting off lines of philosophy at fellows riders but only he "got it". His sob story of how his poor wife breaks down in tears because officials show-up unannounced (or announced) to perform a routine drug test is meaningless (not sure why he had to drag his otherwise seemingly nice wife into the mud as well). If he cannot handle such tests, which he has now aggravated through his own irresponsible actions, then get out of the sport, full stop. His endless (and expensive) efforts to try and exonerate himself have all failed miserably, who's the schmuck now?
Don't get me wrong, I empathetically believe that it's the professional riders who have been dragged through the mud and abused in these drug scandals. As has been seen, if drugs can improve performance in a sport an ambitious athlete will make use of them. Who can blame them? With the amount of money that is on the table for grabs the temptation and likelihood of rationalizing the use of drugs is simply overwhelming. It's the teams that should be held responsible and made to keep their riders on track and bear the financial costs (maybe through posting a bond) if one of their riders tests positive.

This is Floyd Landis, exhorting his legal defense team to let it all hang out on the Internet in what became known as the Wiki defense. Trash talking Mennonite listening to Metallica while plotting to destroy his opponents, Landis comes across as a conflicted and none too sympathetic character.

This isn't to say, however, that the book isn't a good read. For anybody who follows cycling it's a page turner regardless of how you feel about the author and his self righteous efforts to vindicate himself.

There are three main parts to the narrative - Landis' childhood and early mountain bike racing years, his career as a professional road racer culminating with the 2006 Tour de France win, and his battle with authorities in the aftermath of being accused of doping. These parts flow together and complement one another as a convincing portrait of the champion (?) emerges.

Along the way Landis provides a compelling explanation for his remarkable performance in Stage 17 of the 2006 Tour. It's about tactics, teamwork, training, and single minded focus on the readings of a PowerTap meter. Putting it all together it makes sense, and you find yourself thinking, "He just might have done it".

There are also interesting perspectives on teammate Lance Armstrong, the group dynamics of the peleton, and the pageantry and flawed grandeur of the Tour de France.

Cycling aficionados will want to read this book, in spite of its self serving PR perspective.

eagle is a really good book and I want the next one to come soon!!!

A book written with this much emotion and character should be read by all ages. Along with all the other books in this captivating series, "Eagle" is truly a work of art. The knowledge behind everything in this book honestly reflects the dedication of the author. Through the author's writing style, I can clearly see the characters thoughts, appearances, and actions. Congratulations to Jeff Stone on another amazing book. I look forward to reading the next book(s) in this amazing series.

If you are ever looking for a pleasing book to read on the airplane, or on a nice sunny day, I suggest anyone of the Five Ancestor books. Have a wonderful day, and happy reading!

Anyone who's a WNBA fan of any team other than the LA Sparks knows that the Sparks have gained the reputation of being the team you "love to hate"! But also, as a WNBA fan you have to give credit and your respect to all the women who have been responsible for the love and excitement we have for the league. They have blazed the trail for all the young talents we see today.

Lisa Leslie is definitely one of those women. In her book, "Don't Let The Lipstick Fool You", you will get a better view of Lisa the person as well as the athlete. She shares her life, her beliefs, and her career. I truly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to any WNBA fan.

I have made more progress with the advice in this book in the last month than my average year. After years of thinking I knew what i was doing at the gym, I finally feel like im on the right track with my body and my health.

Its also refreshing to read (and ironic since this book is 30 years old) people recommending moderate weight/high reps as opposed to the high-intensity school which I feel has its place in your routine, but just was not leading to muscle gain for me.

If you are interested in fitness, getting in shape or body building, I think this is required reading. It has also given me a tremendous amount of respect for Schwarzenegger who seems to have conquered everything in this world except the California legislature.

I first read this book back in the summer of '83, as a skinny kid, while in college. I was curious about bodybuilding before buying it, but after reading it this book actually inspired true change in me. I immediately began training using the dusty, dilapidated weight-set that sat down in the dank, beer-stenched fraternity house basement that I lived in during the summer. I then graduated to the university gym, and then to a real Gold's Gym- I was working out with real bodybuilders! It was such a rush to get into the true environment of pro bodybuilding. It took seemingly forever to put on muscle but one day it seemed to magically start to happen. It was like a dream come true. I used to sit at a bus-stop waiting to come home after a monsterous workout. I never remember ever feeling so exhausted in my life while waiting for the bus.

Anyway, I managed to get into beautiful shape and excelled in my studies and eventually reached the pinnacle of my profession...and bodybuilding was one element that helped, without a doubt. This book by Arnold and friends was so inspirational to me and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to transform their body/lives or anyone who wants to peer into the world of the greatest bodybuilder of all time. You won't regret buying this book. If you happen to be reading these reviews, Arnold, thank you for the memories. I will always consider you as being one of the top greats of sports and success stories..

Full of information on mental & physical training. Things even I would never have thought about. Recommend it to anyone, well worth the money.

What can we say?

Fantastic book. Great for motivation. After reading this book you will realize that dream really can come true if you put enough effort and passion in them.

This is a must have for anybody wanting to know more about the basics of bodybuilding. This book has loads of pictures, detailed descriptions and is thorough and straight forward. And if you happen to be an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan, even better. Buy it!

This was a great gift for my brother. I read it over and there was a lot of history of OSU football in there.

Great Read, Great Book for any Ohio State Fan. Great gift. Strongly Rec. Go Bucks!