Sports Books

This quick read will give you great tips for your mental game. It focuses on relaxing, playing freely, not thinking about the outcome and staying in the moment.

Jeff Greenwald delivers a work filled with some stunning insights from himself and other top players that can help you focus, relax, and bring out your best. As he points out, everyone is struggling with something on the court, and it turns out that most of us are struggling with the same things. I have found myself going back to this book again and again because it examines so many of the key mental obstacles that the game presents, and provides a practical, process-based approach to overcoming them.

It is a nice read to have in the tennis bag and read while waiting for a match. It did have some useful angles that I have used on the court.
Worth the money.

Jeff Greenwald's well-written, nicely-packaged little book on how to improve one's tennis is far more than a "how to" book. It offers keen insight into the most effective psychological way to approach this game and, indeed, life in general. Greenwald's expertise comes from real life experience as a former #1 world-ranked tennis player and nationally recognized sports psychology consultant. In my opinion, not even players like Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Andre Aggasi, or for that matter, Pancho Gonzales, Jack Kramer or Rod Laver could have gained the insight that Greenwald passes along to the reader. I give this volume five shining stars and recommend it to any sportsman or sportswoman who wants to not only improve their tennis game, but gain a valuable new perspective into how to get more out of life.
Woody Klein
Westport, CT

As a therapist and tennis player who has read numerous books and articles on the mental aspect of tennis, Jeff Greenwald's book and cd are by far the most helpful and the most relevant I've come across. While other mental tennis books are interesting and helpful, Greenwald has put together powerful and credible insights born from his own tennis career and solid mental health research and experience.

His insights ring true and they are clear, employable and even necessary for being a healthy happy human tennis playing person (and I would think especially necessary for the junior and pro level players to keep a healthy perspective). Often mental tennis advice makes sense (just think positive) but falls far short of being realistically helpful (positive thinking usually doesn't help muscles from getting tense in a close match). But Greenwald has done a superior job of organizing, articulating and delving into the heart of the issue/s that can leave every tennis player from playing their best tennis.

I love this book! I have bought two for myself, and several for my students and friends. I feel that this book is well written, easy to understand, and can be used for review, or to learn new techniques. If you know just a little BJJ, you can use this book to expand your toolbox. It's worth every penny.

I highly recommend this book! It's especially handy for reviewing proper execution of chokes, submissions, positioning etc. that you just performed in class as well as any frustrations you may be experiencing with a particular move. You might be missing something very simple that can be picked up by seeing the move or reading it step-by-step in the book. I also train at Royler Gracie/David Adiv's academy. They are two wonderful men.

Train hard!
Never tap!

I purchased this book on the recommendation of a guy that I ran into in the martial arts section of Barnes and Noble (purchased it on Amazon...it's $10 cheaper) and I will definitely be providing the same recommendation to others. I began taking jiu jitsu classes approximately 3 weeks prior to my purchase of this book and I was becoming quickly frustrated with my inability beat anyone in my class. While I am blessed to have a fantastic instructor, I'm not the most patient person so I purchased this book and read it the weekend between my 3rd and 4th weeks of being in class in the hopes that I could speed my technical progress. The book opens with a nice introduction to the sport as well as a description of the basic positions that are fundamental building blocks for a begininer but may be overlooked in a class where everyone is already familiar with the basics. The book clearly explains every move and provides large color pictures to highlight every aspect of a technique from start to finish. Additionally, for some of the more complicated maneuvers a reverse picture is shown along side the normal description with extra hints to make the technique more adaptable. After just one time reading this book, I felt exponentially more confident the first time that I rolled in class afterwards and I had significantly greater success on the mats than I was having just 3 days prior. As a female, I like the component of jiu jitsu that allows for a smaller, weaker opponent to dominate a larger, stronger player simply by relying on technique and forethought rather than brute strength, and after the purchase of this book, I was enlightened on dozens of techniques that allow for exactly that. If I wore a gi in class, I would have given this book 5 stars, however I do not, so some of the techniques aren't applicable to me and there is no non-gi alternative described for some of the moves that hinge directly on the capability of maneuvering an opponent by the handling of his clothing. Conclusively, I highly recommend this book to the beginner who has never taken a ground fighting class before. It also serves as a decent refresher for returning participants as well as a bridge for people who previously have experience in wrestling but not in jiu jitsu.

I recently started training in Gracie Jiujitsu. The Gracie system has a structured curriculum i.e. so many lessons at each level, and I found this book to be helpful. After training, I come home, find the technique I learned in the book, and flag the page. I then have a visual reference to go over the techniques in my head when there is no training for the day. It's easy to understand, the pictures are clear and show the important steps, and the pages are color coded to belt level (though I found this wasn't exactly accurate).

Overall, it is a good purchase for anyone studying this martial art.

This book is a prime example of good publishing. No hype, no gross fabrications, no commercial over-bounds. The information is presented in a concise, accurate, flowing format of color-coded, well-arranged photos with detailed text to enhance the learning process.

Renzo Gracie has done his home work while being in the States, and with the help of John Danaher superior writing skills, coupled with Kid Peligro's editing talents, this production offers a genuine, solid account of fundamental ground grappling skills from which the reader can learn.

While I am not a supporter of nor a fan of the hype and importance provided to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts, the ground game is always an important aspect of combat sports, specifically, and actual combatives, indirectly (incidentally). To be a complete combat sports athlete and a well rounded combatant (survivor of combat) a working understanding of this realm of "fighting" is necessary, to which this book serves this purpose well.

The book is worth the coin...

...didn't this guy get caught staying at a hotel during one of his little camping trips?

I love Bear Grylls and never miss his show when it's on. When I heard that this book was coming out I all but camped at my local bookstore until I got my hands on it. So, enough of the fan girl chatter. Is the book fun? Yep. Is it useful? Yep. I hope I never have to make a snow cave but I kinda sorta know what to do now. Is it abolutely chock of details about survival. Yep. I'm ready to go eat some ants or supervise my husband as he skins a snake now.

I haven't completely finished reading the book, but I must say that it is very useful and full of wonderful information, provided in an entertaining way. Mr. Grylls enthusiasm in sharing his knowledge is apparent and holds your attention and also helps you to remember his tips (such as figuring out your prioritites in a survial situation - Protection, Rescue, Water, Food, summarized in a helpful mnemonic: Please Remember What's First!). I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in survival techiniques or who just loves the show Man vs. Wild and Bear Grylls!

When I first opened the cover, I was greeted by a breath-taking picture of Bear crossing a volcanic area. I knew then that this book would be great.

There is a tremendous amount of knowledge packed into it with some beautiful pictures and excellent illustrations. Bear guides you through the fundamental survival skills (fire making, natural ways to treat illness, making knots, and more), and to the more specific skills for certain terrain types.

There is a lot more information in here that he has yet to reveal in the show. Even you don't watch the show, this book can act as a "Staying Alive in the Wilderness for Newbs" guide and still be useful.

This is a great buy and is fun to read thanks to Bear's magnetic personality. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the outdoors.

First off. I am a big fan of Bear Grylls. I watch his show regularly, and I have read about his climb to the top of Everest. With that said, this book left me a little disappointed. It does have a lot of information in it and glossy pictures but it lacks the nitty gritty info of other survival manuals. For instance; I did not find a list of basic items that should be carried in the bush. Also, the fire making section doesn't really touch on how to use the flint and steel used by Bear in his show. I guess if you are a fan of the show Man vs Wild then this is a good accompaniment. But, if you are looking for a good survival skills book this isn't it.

This book is just what you need if you know nothing about soccer and are going to be coaching young children. I coach 7 & 8 year olds, the drills are easy to understand and execute.

If you are just looking for something to get yourself through a couple months of soccer than the first book is more useful.

We did use a couple of these drills. If the season went longer I think we would have used more of them.

My husband and I have been youth soccer coaches for years, and have a stack of books and drills. Recently, I purchased this book and it has both energized our soccer program, and made coaching really fun. Kids eat up these games! No more lines... no more boring drills... no more complicated set-ups. We can choose a couple games, add a scrimmage, and have a ready-made, fun, purposeful practice. Great work, Tom Fleck and Ron Quinn!

If you are a parent who has been drafted into coaching your child's rec league soccer team, this book is a lifesaver. I have been a rec league coach and assistant coach on and off for 7 years, and have been an assistant coach in travel/select leagues. Prior to reading this book, I was a "form-two-lines-and-dribble/pass-around-the-cones" kinda guy. Practices consisted of small-sided games and various "drills" (ie. standing in line). Planning practices was always a chore, and sometimes the practices themselves, according to my son and other players, were downright boring. I wasn't as bad as "Coach Calisthenics" (you know the guy -- "line up around the center circle and let's do jumping jacks..."), but oh how I pity my pre-enlightenment players.

In an "off" year I took the "F" license coaching course from the US Soccer Federation and the book was given to us at the end of the class. Since then, I've bought a copy for each coach I've worked with and have used it at almost every practice to date. Now the kids are having fun AND learning at the same time, whether they are aware of that or not.

No need to explain what's in it, as the "why" of buying it is what matters. I highly recommend this book to all coaches, but particularly those at the rec level. In fact, rec leagues should provide this to ALL of their coach-volunteers, as it will make practices infintely more fun and might even help raise the performance bar of American soccer players in the long run.

My wife bought this for her youth boys soccer team and found it to be very helpful in setting up drills to keep the boys busy and learning. She played soccer through highschool and still found the pages to be full of helpful ideas.

Worth the price.

Mr. Kriegel provides an insightful, interesting, serious study of the background to the life of Pete Maravich. I recommend the book, not only to sports' fans, but to anyone who enjoys well-written biography. For thoses readers who wish to understand Maravich's conversion to Christianity and the course of his post-conversion life, the book disappoints as Kriegel seems to understand the conversion as a retreat into religion rather than a confrontation with reality.

As others have stated, this is an extremely well-written book. But it is also the first book I ever remember reading that had a dark cloud hang over every page. The quotation by Magic Johnson to Pete's children at the All-Star game naming the Pistol as one of the top 50 in NBA history is memorable. "Your father was Showtime before there was a showtime." You always hope sports heroes have happy endings. I wish Pete could have experienced more of it.

It is a must read.

I BOUGHT THIS BOOK TO INCLUDE IN MY GRANDSON'S PACKAGE THAT WAS HEADED FOR IRAQ. HE LOVED THE BOOK BECAUSE HE GREW UP IN THE PITTSBURG AREA AND PLAYED SPORTS AT SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE BOOK.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE ENJOYED IT FROM COVER TO COVER AND I AM A HAPPY GRANDMA. ACTUALLY, I'LL BE HAPPIER WHEN HE GETS BACK TO THE USA.

I read PISTOL during the last week when my brain was in gear, my emotions high and my persona not cracked. Good thing, too. If I had been depressed, I might have eaten more junk food than my diet allows.

Yes, PISTOL deserves five stars. The lives of Press Maravich and his son, Peter Press Maravich, are, however, Pittsburgh bleak, covered with soot and anchored by the angst of control and chaos.

Basketball should a fine, fun game, but this book proves it doesn't have to be any fun at all. It can merely be twisted.

The sun is shining now, and the temperature is crisp. I think I can forget all Pete's "showtime" moves, the suicide of his mom, the manic control of his dad and the up-all-night drinking bouts.

What I can't forget, yet, are all the tortures his sons went through when they tried to honor their dad by playing basketball, too. One coach in particular at LSU needs to be put down for his cruelty.

I admire the fact that Mark Kriegal had the guts to devote about a third of the book to Press Maravich, Pete's father. But it got tedious to hear the endless details about who scored what during which game, and so on. Perhaps that's common to most sports books, I don't know. I understand why the author wrote this book: Pete Maravich's life is a fascinating story. Unfortunately, I had mixed feelings about Pistol overall. Yes, I got bored with the first third of the book about Press Maravich, although it did give you a nice overview of the origins of pro basketball, if you can call it that. I also felt that the last 30 pages devoted to Pete's sons was overkill. Just my opinion. The middle part of the book about Pete was superb, though. There were so many touchstones that were handled exceptionally well----on race, the marketing and growing popularity of basketball (college and professional), the complexity of Pete's relationship to Press, Pete's various obsessions with UFOs, vegetarianism, martial arts, etc., plus his alcohol abuse. Pistol, for all its stylistic virtuosity, was a little too sentimental sometimes. Nonetheless, I'm glad I read it.

Nobody knows everything. Every now and then even the most well versed cyclist has some questions. Put those people to the beginners who need to know everything and the sooner the better and you've got the group who will benefit from this book.

The research that was done to put it together seems excellent. There isn't anything that seems to be left to chance. Of course there could be a little loss when the person isn't aware of a proper name for a part or technique but that will come.

I recommend this book to any cyclist.

This book is a good introduction to cycling. It will give good tips on how to set up your riding position, ride securely, differences between mountain biking and road biking, buying appropriate clothing, etc. I'm not a total newbie on MTB but i learned a lot with this book.
I gave 5 stars to this book because as the title says, this is a book for the new cyclist, so if you are a more advanced rider, you can still find it useful but you should look out to something more specific.

VERY informative little book, I must say. While some of the instructions go a little "over the top", length-wise,(changing a flat tire), it is always feasible to be too"wordy", than not"wordy" enough. Basic maintenance is crucial to enjoying a bike, and to think nothing is going to happen to your bike while riding, is asking for trouble. This book should be standard reading for all bike enthusiasts....mountain AND road. It answers most of the beginning cyclist's questions with easy to read text. Even seasoned "veterans" will appreciate the full spectrum of subjects included in this paperback.

I bought this book as a gift for my boyfriend and he loves it. We have chosen one of the golf courses to visit on our honeymoon--Teeth of the Dog in the D.R. If you know someone who enjoys golf and likes to travel, buy them this book.

I don't care for golf too much, but I gave this as a gift. This is the perfect gift for an avid golfer.

The photo's and the script makes me want to visit every place. Very relaxing and something to look forward to.

My brother is an avid golfer so he really enjoys the history and little known facts about the "best" courses.

A lovely book. Not exceptional, but enjoyable. It was disappointing in two ways:
1. some of the authors (each chapter talks about a specific course or courses) of the chapters were the course designer of that specific course - clearly, a conflict of interest!
2. would have loved to have more courses that are out-of-the-way and/or extremely private - courses that we can only dream about playing!

DEADLINE's Ben Wolf knows he is dying. An aggressive blood disease will kill him within the year if he isn't treated. With treatment, he might extend his life some. Ben chooses to refuse treatment. He also chooses to keep his condition a secret from everyone except his doctor and the therapist his doctor forces him to see. He throws himself into his last year of life. He finally tries out for football. He pursues the girl he's in lust with. He tries to sober up the town drunk. He acts up in class because what does it matter if he doesn't graduate?

Crutcher, as usual, doesn't fear including issues in his story. There's sexual and physical child abuse, alcoholism, and bigotry. At some points these issues threaten to overshadow Ben's story, but Crutcher keeps them under control.

The diminutive Ben feels fear. He feels sad and he doesn't want to die. Every time his brother or girlfriend talks to him about the future he feels guilty for his lies. But, at the same time, he's a happy narrator. He's doing things he loves and making the most of his final year. He does not regret choosing not to fight the illness with drugs nor does he regret the relationships he makes. (He should regret some of his jokes.)

I don't regret reading DEADLINE. I cried at the end, yes. Ben dies. There is no miracle cure. But I thoroughly enjoyed spending time in his head, watching him do some things so right while still making large mistakes. I cried, but I felt happy. Ben worked hard to make sure the people he affected most would be able to handle his death. He made a choice at the beginning of the novel and defended it to the death. I respect him for that. I will also continue to read Crutcher faithfully, no matter how many of his books get banned.

Excerpted from In Bed With Books

This is the first Chris Crutcher book that I have read, at least I cannot remember another at this time. I am confident that I will read more of his books. He is an exciting and captivating writer. I find it very interesting that he writes in the first person of his main character, but then adds this interesting dialogue with a spiritual character. There is great depth in the dialogues and interactions between characters. The book moved me.

This book would be appealing to oler adolescents. I would package it as follows: Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were told you had a limited time to live? This novel introduces one way that a person may choose to live a limited time. The characters are believable and come alive in this well written novel. I think you will enjoy this book.

The book was really good. At times it can get slightly boring and slow, but Crutcher always brings things back up to pace again.
It's written very, very well, and the ending wraps it up nicely. Few parts are predictable, having many surprises throughout.
I would definitely recommend it.

If you have ever read the book A Walk to Remember, or even watched the movie, then you know the feeling that you get when you find out that your favorite character is dying. Intense sadness; anger; desire for change; hope that it's not true; and then finally, you just give up. You know it's true, but in the end it doesn't make it any more bearable.

In Deadline, you know from the very beginning that Ben Wolf is going to die. It is inevitable... even on the front cover it says it. The evidence is everywhere. But, since it's introduced so early in the story, you don't really think about it as more than a plot point.

So, what would you do if you were going to die? Well, I'm sure there are different answers for different people, but I know Ben's answers. He wants to make a difference. He wants to stick out. He wants to live life to the fullest; and he does. He goes out for football, despite the fact that he weighs less than a hundred and thirty pounds. He befriends the town drunk. He starts arguments in class, trying to get people to think about life and the way things are. And he finally gets the guts to ask out that perfect girl he's had a crush on.

And throughout all of this, he is the only person (besides his doctor and his therapist) who knows that he's dying. But obviously he can't keep it that way.

This book was truly amazing. It's a real page turner, from the very first sentence. Chris Crutcher isn't one to waste words; he doesn't write anything that doesn't mean something to the story, so this book isn't full of pointless banter. It has feeling. It has meaning. I can truly connect to the characters in a deep way. I felt like there was just the right amount of sarcastic humor and life messages to make this a really enjoyable book; you will laugh, you will cry... and you will also fall in love with this book.

I am a middle school teacher and read this book over the holiday break. I really enjoyed it but would recommend it for high school-aged readers. There is some cursing and references to sex, which I'm not saying is bad. As a teacher, I just know I'd have some unhappy parents to deal with if I assigned this to my 6th graders (although they would have really enjoyed the story). Great themes of loyalty, friendship, and courage.

I found this book a little hard to get into at first but omg does it get good.

At first I couldnt picture Luc and Jane together because he was such a jock, and he was into blond,big-boobed women. As the story evolved I started wanting these two to get together. I really liked that despite the fact that he was a jock, he wasn't as chauvinistic as Rachel Gibson's other male characters tend to be.

Maybe it's just me but it seems like all Rachel Gibson books start off extremely slow. Many times I have started her books only to lay them aside for a while. Once I pick it up again, ultimately, it becomes an interesting and fun story.

Since you already know the plot of the book, I won't go into that. I just want to say that I did enjoy this book. The characters were well-written and likeable. I especially appreciated that the heroine was strong and independent and knew how to get the job done without a lot of whining. Of course, the male lead is a strong Alpha male who every woman dreams of and wants. Oh, how delicious it is when the strong man falls for the woman he never thought he'd want! It's just yummy!

fast-paced, quirky, sensual. the simmering chemistry between jane and luc virtually leap off the pages. it's not the usual boy-meets-girl, boy-gets-girl setup, either. jane is a complex woman with a lot of guts and no-nonsense opinion about men and sex. luc is more than the star-athlete, he has his own personal problems that he tries valiantly to juggle with his career, while oozing with merciless red-hot sex appeal. gibson superbly builds up the tension between the couple and doesn't disappoint even after the last page.

there are a lot of funny scenes throughout this book, but my favorite is the synchronized-jock-strap-dropping-thing in the locker room (a classic!). even the other hockey players with their camaraderie, superstitious beliefs, and glimpses in their personal lives were amusing to read. it's one of the best contemporary romance i've come across in a long while...

See Jane Score

I really wanted to like this book and, from the synopsis, it sounded like a fun read about two unlikely lovers. Unfortunately, it drug out way, way too long. The couple doesn't actually get together until the very end of the book and by then I was just too angry and fed up with Luc Martineau to care if he loved Jane back. No, by then I was hoping she'd buy a shotgun and blow his head off. What a jerk! Maybe if he had some redeeming qualities early on in the book I could wait for the payoff at the end, but I truly hated the guy at the end and wanted him to wade in misery. I didn't even like the way he treated his sister. So it was disappointing when Jane was the one who actually did something nasty at the end (as Honey Pie) and then begs forgiveness from Luc. I would have much better liked it if he finally felt bad for the horrible way he treated her through the first three quarters of the book.

I ordered Gibson's other books, but was so incredibly disappointed with this one, I cancelled my order. If you don't mind really nasty guys as heroes and a lot of boring crap until the very end of the book, then this is your cup of tea. But if you expect a real-life relationship with the ups and downs, give and take that real couples go through, this ain't it. She spends most of the book groveling after him, while he goes after rink bunnies. Disappointing.

So here's the plot: SPOILER AHEAD*****Jane Alcott takes over for another reporter covering the hockey games for a Seattle hockey team. Unbeknownst to them, she also writes a steamy erotica column under the pseudonym Honey Pie. Anyway, without getting into the many characters involved (and there are many), she falls in love with the goalie, Luc Martineau. The guy's a complete waste case and rink bunny chaser who loves big-breasted Barbies. Need I say more? Anyway, Jane falls in love with him, realizes he doesn't love her back, and writes the infamous nasty column about him as Honey Pie. Except they then sleep together and both fall madly in love with each other. She waits for the ax to fall when the column is finally printed and it does at the worst possible moment. She begs him to forgive her and he eventually does. The epilogue is two pages--they get married and that's it. I was bored.*****END OF SPOILER

The author clearly has a wealth of knowledge and practical experience with heart rate monitors and heart rate monitor training. If you're looking for a "beginner's guide to using a heart rate monitor" this might be a little too complex for you.

However, if you are a serious athlete whose sport requires caridovascular strength and endurance, then this book is a great fit for you.

This brief but densely packed book is a superb reference of conditioning principles for all serious athletes. The reason is that it combines a safe, practical way of quantifying your workouts with a superb overview of the dimensions of training.

Contrary to the impression you might get from the book's title, this book is not a recap of the usual information about heart rate training, it is rather a concise summary of the long experience of the author searching for both effective training strategies and a way of organizing those strategies into an overall system.

The highlights that impressed me:

1. How to realistically and accurately evaluate your own heart rate training zones. "Max heart rate" is risky and unneccessary to test and uselessly inaccurate to estimate from age. Friel's approach is to use lactate threshold and work back from there because it is much easier to determine and more meaningful to most training programs.

2. The physiological and functional effects of each training zone, related to perceived effort and types of training drill. This breakdown tells you exactly how each type of training affects your basic athletic abilities and gives you examples of drills for each zone.

3. An easily understood adaptation of Bompa's system for relating basic athletic abilities (endurance, force, speed-skill) to advanced abilities (muscular endurance, anaerobic endurance, power).

4. Practical suggestions for determining what sorts of training you need to support activity of different durations.

The book focuses primarily on training for endurance sports, but its quantitative approach to training will help anyone in any athletic activity to systematize and improve their own program.

Note that the focus in this book is on the performance abilities common to all physical activities. There is no coverage of skill aquisition, flexibility, mobility, stability, or the functional approach to sports. The training concepts in this book in general assume that you already have the basic functional ability to perform in your given sport. I would say that this fact, more than any complexity or difficulty of the book, makes this a somewhat advanced resource. If you are a novice athlete, you would not want to just jump into the sorts of training program suggested here. You would want to first determine the basic stability and mobility requirements for your sport and be sure you understand and meet those before you go off doing different kinds of intervals and steady state workouts.

This book is a superb mixture of exercise science and the author's long practical experience with athletic training. I highly recommend it to help any thinking coach or athlete better plan their conditioning workouts.

As with other Friel books I've read, there is an abundance of outstanding, detailed and reasoned information in this book. Probably more detail than any non-professional athlete needs, but it is an outstanding resource. I think it is well worth the money for someone who wants to understand the physiology and theory regarding workouts in order to maximize his/her fitness.

A very confusing book geared for the advanced athlete or olympic hopeful.
Of little use for the average fitness enthusiast.
I learned nothing from this scattered manual.
I'll continue to research elsewhere.

It's an excellent acquisition for people who like measuring their fitness. Sometimes the book seems to be a little complicated but you can after a second lecture you will find that is no so complicated