Sports Books

and one of them left bad taste... the guy was riding in Africa with the author of the book and a buddy and had tire problem (tubes he put in were getting punctured after some miles). He was simply left out by his partners to deal with his problem and had some hard time when run out of spares .. It makes me wonder if author consider this story is good for his book what are the other ones..

there is some useful info in the book though... especially bike comparison

This is the bible for long distance adventure on and off road via motorcycle. I highly recommend this book.

I love adventure riding and own a BMW R1150 GS Adventure. This book covers a great deal on the stuff you need to know before that big trip. It also is an enjoyable read even if you can't do that big trip.

The title pretty much sums it up. This book is the gold standard for adventure motorcycling or travel in general. With heaps of specific information necessary for your trip, along with some classic European humor makes for a great cover to cover read and/or an invaluable reference book. With information ranging from tire change instructions to the state of travel in Columbia this book has any would be or genuine adventurer covered.

I have to say, I read this book cover to cover. I was surprised how up to date it was. I've been motorcycling for a few years for general transportation and fun. I started getting interested in adventure motorcycling this past year. I like to get off the normal tourist routes when I travel and adventure motorcycling looked like a great way to to see some parts of the world.

The book does a good job of covering all the major topics - picking a bike (it reviews 10-15 of them), what to wear, items to bring, how to pack, gear, typical mechanical issues to expect, safety, border crossings, etc. It also covers popular routes in different regions of the world. These sections are okay, but they really didn't have enough depth for me to decide where I might want to go. It only acts as a stating point. Then again, I'm sure there's TONs of routes to take per country, so I can't imagine it would be easy to add more detail to any level of comprehensivness. If the author reads this - a set of top 10 routes might be nice, especially if it included a rating system for different attributes. The second half of the book is made up of 2-5 pages short stories or diaries from riders. These stories were the best part of the whole book. I wish there were more because they're very interesting and you learn from those as well. They really leave you wanting to go out and hit the road.

Sifu Starr has done it againg! Martial Mechanics is a stand alone work, that lives in any genre; thus making it a classic for the ages! Anyone exspousing to "work smarter, not harder" would grow by leaps and bounds. Martial Mechanics is suitable and highly recommended for all combat arts. I personally study Japanese bujutsu and have studied the Brazillian brand. I highly recommend this book to grapplers/submission wrestlers! If think I am bullshidoing you, go read chapters 8,10 and 11! As matter of fact be a blessing to someone and provide a copy of Martial Mechanics for them. I can promise you, they would be the better for it! Peace!

Martial Mechanics is a good introduction to martial arts basics, a good reminder of what's important for those who have trained awhile, and is good material to supplement the syllabus of teachers of the MAs. Sprinkled liberally with anecdotes and humor, the book is easy to read and contains many excellent photographs to illustrate the points being made. While written from an internal martial artist's slant, I found it easy enough to substitute my external training/practice and keep going (for example, when the idea of reverse breathing is mentioned). The material on posture and alignment equaling power, relaxation adding to speed, and how force is generated, are especially bright spots in the book. I would recommend this book to all practicing or aspiring martial artists.

This book really gets down to the nuts and bolts of how our bodies move, and how to apply those movements to martial arts. It doesn't matter what style you train in, this book will apply to you.

It's easy to read and down to earth, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to improve their martial arts skills.

I am afraid this book will not get the exposure it deserves because it is not flashy and does not promise quick fixes or ancient "secrets".

For a serious students of traditional martial arts, it is an important addition to your library, and should be refered to often. This information is important for beginners and long time practitioners.

If spinning heel kicks or tounament sparring are your thing, this book is probably not for you. If you want to survive an unprovked attack, study this book (and put in plenty of floor time at the dojo too!)

A practitioner with more than 50 continuous years of martial arts training, Sifu Starr is the founder of Yiliquan kung-fu, an art that seamlessly merges China's three classical internal systems. He has trained not only in the Chinese arts of baixingquan, taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang, but also in Japanese judo and karate, and Filipino arnis. And, he's a member of Inside Kung-Fu magazine's prestigious Hall of Fame.

Clearly Sifu Starr has the knowledge, skills, and ability to articulate this important information very effectively. His book, Martial Mechanics, is a very well-written, interesting, and informative tome, one that I believe is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to hit faster and more powerfully. Contents include principles of power, impact, speed, force, shock, stance, footwork, body rotation, body shift, breathing, spinal alignment, consolidation, overcoming inertia, combinations, density, and a whole lot more. Both hard (external) and soft (internal) dimensions are covered. The supplemental drills, such as learning how to use a candle, balloon, forging post, and heavy bag to augment your training, are a nice bonus as well.

Starr's writing is absolutely stellar, highly articulate yet pithy and unpretentious. There are no fancy foreign words to memorize or pointless pontificating to wade through. In fact, the tone is fantastic, with subtle and not-so-subtle humor throughout. The photos and illustrations are very clear, augmenting the text effectively. The book really is that good. In fact my only complaint is that there is no index to help me refer back to important topics quickly and easily. Consequently my copy is already crammed full of sticky notes, dog-eared, scribbled-on, and filled with highlighting.

Martial Mechanics really is a must read for any serious martial artist, particularly those who study predominantly striking arts such as kung fu, karate, taekwondo, muay Thai, or kickboxing.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults and Martial Arts Instruction; co-author of The Way of Kata and The Way of Black Belt

Excellent horse stories about the human/horse connection. Good reading on how horses can mirror our emotions.

This book comprises a collection of 38 short essays, all submitted by different authors, about the special ways in which horses have impacted their lives. The essays are divided into four categories. "Love and Dreams" focuses on how a the love of horses can affect people; "Healing and Health" contains stories about lessons learned from equine health troubles, as well as ways in which horses have taught people about their own health; "Courage and Endurance" collects stories about equine heroes and horses that have inspired the people around them; and finally "Spiritual Connection and the Afterlife" explores the spiritual and religious experiences humans have had in connection with horses. After each essay the authors pose a question or two for the reader, designed to prompt reflection on how the story may relate to your own life. At the end of each section is a short, fictional "Ask Zeke" page, where the authors have posed a question to their friend's horse, Zeke, and then composed an reply as if Zeke himself were answering. The stories are a mixed bag of themes, and some impacted me more than others. If you aren't a particularly religious person, you may find a couple of the more supernaturally-oriented stories a little harder to relate to, but on the whole the essays presented here are heartfelt and touching. My favorite pieces were "Emily's Song," about a withdrawn, lonely young girl who finally comes out of her shell in order to help and even lonelier, more withdrawn pony, and "Miracles are Something to Believe In," written by a 12-year-old girl who's pony Lilly saved her life by, counter-intuitively enough, falling on her in a freak accident. The book is a quick and easy read, suitable for horse lovers of all ages, and well worth the time. "Angel Horses" would be a great gift for any horse lover, or a nice treat for yourself.

This was an inspiring book for a horse lover and Christian. Everything was as advertised.

Moving, heart-tugging, heart-warming, encouraging. This book hits all of those emotions! A great gift for the animal Lover--especially of horses (of course!!) Short stories make it easy to pick up and put down for a busy schedule too.

This is a beautiful, inspirational collection of real life stories of the love, lessons learned and spirtiual connections that people have with horses.
Each story is sensitively told in the own words of the horse's owner/or the person who has the story to tell.
The book's major focus is on the spirituality and sensitivity of the horse and just how deep that goes in these beautiful creatures.
A gentle plea for people to open their hearts and minds to the wisdom and love horses have to offer at all stages of their lives.
I found the book to be touching and refreshing.

This is a must have for any survivalist. I give it a 6 out of 5 stars. No filler pages whatsoever. Every word found in this book is useful. Thanks for making this info available!

This was a basic overview. I read more about shelter and basic survival than exact techniques on evasion. I guess they do go hand in hand but I thought this was going to be a little different.
It was easy to follow though and very understandable for being in my opinion so basic.

I can't say I'm planning on running away into the wilderness, but I definitely think that if you are, this is the book. It's a good read whether you're planning on running off, or just reading a good book about survival.

Anyone interested in the outdoors should read this book. Lots of useful information. I am an avid hiker and tracker and have read many books on these subjects as well as backcountry medicine and this book had many things which i had not even considered. Good read!

I have to confess to being a fan of the author Michael Chesbro. His books offer lots of practical information, and "Wilderness Evasion" is no exception. The ability to stay out of sight in remote and wilderness areas has its place even today. Wilderness Evasion teaches you how to avoid being tracked, how to build low-key shelters, how to avoid dogs, find food, and generally 'stay lost' when you want to.
I am not a big outdoorsman, but I do like to take weekend backpacking trips, and this book has taught me how to avoid and evade the two-legged predators one sometimes meets in remote and out-of-the-way place.

GREAT BOOK - Get It While You Can!

The Resistance Band Workout Book advocates workout routines using the resistance band - and reinforces theory with almost a hundred exercises using this accessory. The blend of general workouts and sports-specific, goal-oriented exercises comes with illustrations and makes for an excellent primer.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I didn't buy this through Amazon. But I thought it was a great book. Many more uses for the band than most books. It discusses stretching, rest periods for the muscles, etc. It is divided into groups of exercises for each of the major muscle groups. Off-hand, I can recall it has exercises for arms, shoulders, chest, trunk and abs, legs, hips, thighs and buttocks. That's great for targetting. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because the workouts in the back don't refer to the page the exercise is on so I constantly have to go back to look for them and then do them. I still haven't found one of them yet, lol. But all in all, it did have more excersises for the bands for each muscle group than any of the other books I have so far.

Having seen Mr. Roberts on television demonstrating his "Join-Up" technique with unruly horses, I'm a little bit shocked at the number of accusatory & negative reviews I'm reading on this page. Especially from people who seem to have never actually read his book.

For those of us who believe that horses are naturally social creatures, and that a little gentleness & patience towards any animal is a far better training technique than trying to force a creature against its will, this is a terrific book.

It's been years since I read the book, but when I first got it, I read it twice in its entirely. The Man Who Listens to Horses is actually two books in one: It's an autobiography, and it's a how-to manual for gentling horses and speaking their language. It's just a wonderful, wonderful book, and I can't recommend it enough.

well ill try out his method and if a mustang doesnt kill me ill return to rate it

I have not read this book. There may well be information in here that is useful. I will not buy the book due to what I read in a Time Magazine article:

Monday, Dec 14, 1998 "Horse of a Different Color"
By John Skow and James Willwerth/Aspen

The article starts with:
"To put the matter politely, memoirs are self-serving. Still, it's something of a shock to learn that Monty Roberts' enormously popular, enormously self-approving memoir The Man Who Listens to Horses may assay out as part fiction. Call it horse puckey for the soul, if charges by Monty's younger brother Larry and others close to the author's life are to be credited. By these accounts, backed up by TIME's reporting, the stirring tale with more than 800,000 copies in print--out this month in paperback--contains an embarrassing number of seeming untruths, some harmless, others outrageous."

The article can be found as of today on the Time free archives site. Decide for yourself if you feel comfortable with paying money for this book.

I think this is a very good book on horse husbandry. The story is rather sad in many ways but for people who want to be kind to their horses, it's a very informative book.

On the whole, a very good book.

The best parts are the recounts of the Gumball battles and the road racing. However, I think Alex felt the need to tie all the events in the book together with a single underlying storyline - one that I think is fictional. To me, it's too incredible to believe, and I don't think Alex would have believed it at the time either.

This book is really a must for Gumball enthusiasts. While it is accessible to those not familiar with Gumball, I would say it's most enjoyed by those in the know. An excellent accompanyment to any DVDs you have, as it gives amazing tales of antics not seen in the documentaries - both off the road and on!

Some of the stories are so enthralling I didn't want them to end, and this was one book I couldn't wait to pick up again after work.

A myriad of enthusiastic book reviews tout this book as "the best frickin' book ever" and, suffice it to say, I agree. Wholeheartedly. Thus, to avoid duplicity, I wanted to comment briefly on a less-reviewed aspect of "The Driver," one that seems to often take a back seat (pun intended) to the racing/high-speed/gumball-rallying/party-all-night theme that is the subject of innumerable other reviews: the author's attempt to answer some big questions in a car.

Clearly Mr. Roy can drive. Obviously he is a brilliant strategist. It is axiomatic that he is insane. But some of my favorite scenes in the book did not take place in the lovely M5.

Thus, for those who are thinking of buying this book and, also, in response to those who have taken the time to pontificate, often so carelessly, about Mr. Roy's life, and to judge, all too easily, his passion for racing and the actions he has taken in the exploration thereof, I humbly offer this.

To understand what makes this book so special, it is important to read and understand those passages that do not relate to the garmins, radar jammers and police outfits that otherwise make Team Polizei the wonderful and ridiculous phenomenon that it is.

Indeed, when read holistically, "The Driver" is a fast-paced journey through a world of insane cars, playboys and rally-racers just as much as it is a window into the driver's personal search for that which money can not buy. Meaning. Answers. Passion. "Cadillacs."

This book is the best book I have ever read, A lot of information in it and still written in a way its easy and fun to read!
Anybody who is remotely interested in reading just has to read this book!

This is an ego driven look at someone full of himself. He continually talks about "racing" and refers to other drivers on the public roads as "civilians". Alex Roy is no race driver. His accomplishments are staying awake while driving thousands of miles and avoiding the police. He is not pushing the car or himself to the limit, thank god. The one time he got on track he crashed.

The book is best aimed at the "Grand Theft Auto" crowd.
And Mr. Roy, you ARE a civilian.

As much as I disapprove of what Alex Roy does (and I truly do), I couldn't help but get a guilty, vicarious thrill reading this book. Alex Roy participates in road rallies and cross-country runs for speed, often clipping along at speeds well into triple digits (how does 175 mph strike you?) on public roads. No matter how many safety precautions you take, that's putting the lives of non-participants at risk and there are plenty of legal ways to get your car onto the track if you want to drive fast safely. Lecture over, my immature half will now commence the review.

I stayed up late reading this book despite writing that is disjointed and frequently hard to follow because I just loved hearing about the antics of the guys who drive these rallies. I am always curious how these guys get away with driving the way they do, how frequently they get caught and what happens when they do. This book answers those questions.

What was unexpected for me was the level of technology and preparation that Roy and a couple other drivers put into these rallies and cross-country runs. Roy's penultimate achievement is setting the record for driving fastest from New York to LA in just 31 hours and 4 minutes. He uses police scanners programmed with the frequency of each state's highway patrol, infrared cameras for night driving, gyroscope-stabilized binoculars and a spotter plane - yep, a plane.

If you've harbored the same questions I have about how and why these guys rally, if you like technology and planning, if you have a kernel of resistance to authority in your personality, if you like cars a little too much, you too might find yourself staying awake too late into the night reading this book. Even if you do disapprove of what these guys do.

Have you ever been too small for something and had someone not pick you, let you go on a ride, etc. This is what Danny Walker deals with all the time with basketball. This book is called Summer Ball by Mike Lupica.

After being cut from his 8th grade basketball team because he was to small Danny makes his own team, which ends up winning the National Championship. He now is going to a basketball camp called Right Way. This camp is run by Josh Cameron and made up of the best ballers in the U.S.A. There is only one problem Danny is really short for his age. Don't get me wrong he is the best passer and dribbler you have ever seen, but he will be playing guys who are 6 foot 4 inches. When he gets to camp he is accidentally put in the 11 and 12-year-old dorm. But he also meets a kid named Zach who is also very much like Danny in many was. His coach is extra hard on Danny and very strict. This book has a great ending and, is the sequel of Travel Team. This book fits under the fiction genre. I would recommend this book to any middle school student. This book has a great ending, and it is extremely influential.

Another great book from Mike Lupica ! I recommend reading all of them !

Hey! I'm a 15 year old guy that loves sports and plays them with passion. This book, Summer Ball, brings back loads of memories from sports camps that I've attended, especially those competitive ones.

In this book, the main character is again Danny Walker just like it was in Mike Lupica's other basketball book, Travel Team. This book highlights many things that a teenage boy would definitely want to do. That includes sneaking out to meet girls, playing sports, and hanging with friends.

This book almost comes to life as the characters seem like real people -- kids that you would want to hang out with. That is how good of a job Mike Lupica did on this book.

In this story, Danny Walker is a 5'3 mini-baller, but Coach Ed Powers from the competitive "Right Way" basketball camp doesn't think he has what it takes to be a top-notch baller. Coach Powers thinks Danny is one of those small, scrawny fast kids that should play soccer. This book incorporates lots of emotions that teens have to deal with when they are put down or put into a position of making a team. Danny's attitude is great in this story, and it helps him to become a key player of his camp Celtics team. It is a great lesson learned and it shows that a teenage boy that is very determined can definitely get the job done.

Therefore, if you like sports and you liked the book Travel Team, and then this Mike Lupica book is for you! When you pick it up, be sure to follow each and every drive to the dish with Danny and friends for a SLAM DUNK of good reading!!!

The beginning made me unsure but once he got to camp (or met Tarik) I knew it would be good. I was worried that Danny would walk over everyone, but between Rasheed (at first) Lamar ( He doesn't deserve to be Named after Lamar Odom) and Coach "My Way" Powers I had plenty of people to hate (Teddy was absent because Richie told the mafia to get him). Powers was tied with Lamar and Teddy for biggest jerk in history, his quotes, (after Danny wins the game by using his own play) "You used your own play didn't you? No more secrets Mr. walker. Are you ever going to learn?" (after Danny asks to be traded to another team) " Mr. Walker let me give you to think about. Soccer. It's full of fast little guys like you." He destroys anyone with creativity and run an run mindedness (If he coached the Phoenix Suns Nash, Barbosa, Marion and Amare would be chewed out nightly and get 5 minutes of play each)

My 13 year old son does not like to immerse himself in books of any kind. The school he attends had an time a couple of times a week set aside where everybody in the school had to read. He hated it, but after reading this book, said he wished he had more reading time! I haven't read the book, but can't wait to do so.

I am partial to this style of the martial art. I have met Master Oshima and practiced with him. This is a traditional style of karate and an excellent illustration.

This was my first time using Amazon to bought a book that I am looking for. So far, I am satisfy with this service instead of I buy in book store. Price is my concern and Amazon give this.

If you do Shotokan or any karate for that matter you should have this book, If you do Shotokan you HAVE to have this book and you are very luck to have so much of the founders works published in english and still in print, i train in Kyokushin and most or Mas Oyama's work is in Japanese only and long out of print

This book is a fantastic must-have for any Karate enthusiast. It really is The Master Text (it says so right on the cover). The early chapters provide an insightful background and history of Karate and Shotokan, and are a great read. The later chapters serve as wonderful reference material for the practicing Karate-ka.
Highly recommended.

I am a 2nd-dan practitioner under Tsutomu Ohshima, the translator, and I want to point out a few things, regarding the comments. Mr. Ohshima read the original Japanese text of his teacher(Funakoshi), at least 50 times (before translating), and was authorized by his family to translate it into English. With those considerations (and the fact that it took 10 years), it was a monumental undertaking--personally, professionally, and historically. I can appreciate that he used his own photos, because, as someone else pointed out, the stances got lower and longer, and some things were in transition at the time the book was written--think of it as a "2nd, updated edition." For more information on the changes going on at the time, investigate Shigeru Egami's excellent Karate-do Nyumon, also available here. Egami was Mr. Ohshima's senior and very close friend, considered by many to be the top karateka during his life.

Master Funakoshi mastered 2 styles--shorei-ryu and shorin ryu-during his lifetime, instructed by Masters Itosu and Azato. The former has powerful, hard directed movements, rooted in deep stances, while the latter has swift, sweeping, bird-like movements, and we have kata from each style (Ie. the Heian/Pinan forms are Shorin, while Tekki/Neihanchu kata are shorei). Traditional "karate" come from Okinawa, and the different regional styles, named for the towns, drew some influence from Chinese sailors trained in kung-fu, who washed ashore and trained the villagers, further influencing their styles, and differentiating them. "Shotokan" means "House of Shoto." "Shoto" was Master Funakoshi's nickname. When a karateka was asked where he was going, he'd say "Shotokan," or Shoto's house. "Shoto" also means the sound the wind makes when blowing through pine needles, which Master Funakoshi loved.

Numerous styles claim heritage through Funakoshi, and widespread, unauthorized use of the Shotokan "circled tiger" has ensued. This symbol was created by one of Funakoshi's students, and is trademarked. You can see it in the opening of one of Jet Li's movies, and probably many others.

Traditional Tae-Kwon-Do was created by practitioners who got their karate black belts in Japan in the 20th century (according to my research) although there's a raging debate about the "ancient" origins of those arts. Some claim Tae-Kwon-Do descended from a children's game in which practitioners tried to knock down their opponents with a kick, which was banned by elders long ago--a view that is often ridiculed by martial art historians. This is buttressed by the fact that many Tae-Kwon-Do schools use this Kyohan as their text, and either the exact same kata (particularly the Heian), or lightly modified (usually with modified or added kicks).

Not all "karate" styles are directly descended from Shotokan. Goju-ryu and others at least partially developed in parallel, but they definitely influenced each other, and had common roots. To be called "karate," however, implied, originally, Chinese roots. This changed, later, to mean "open-hand" styles, so karate, today, is more generally loosely defined. This website has a clear "family tree," of karate heritage, as well as incredibly useful information and links-- [...]. Ohshima Shihan's website is [...]. Also see [...] (in English or Spanish).

One reviewer criticized the Shotokan punch, and it seemed that he was responding not to the book, but to Shotokan generally. Our stances have gotten longer and narrower. When Funakoshi brought karate to mainland Japan, many practitioners were already experts in judo and kendo. One effect was the lengthening of the distance between fighters--often a judo expert would immediately slam a karateka to the ground, or a kendoka would quickly "spear" the uninitiated with a punch. These 2 aspects, as you might imagine, caused a relatively immediate change, not unlike (although it's a long-shot) the effect Gracie Jujitsu had on early mixed martial arts events. These three disciplines (and others) combined to develop the efficacy of Japanese karate, as practiced by Funakoshi's students.

Another reviewer sharply pointed out that the book was written for beginners, as well as advanced practitioners. One isn't meant to punch (and fight) with the hand opposite the punching hand pulled back to the hip (ie. "pulling hand), so there is no "arm ending up behind one's body" as the other reviewer had mentioned. This is taught to beginners to show them the proper movement, and is often reverted to by the advanced, to refine the development of power through the thrusting of the hips. In a real engagement (and sparring), fighters hold their hands up naturally, like boxers or MMA fighters.

This review is supplemented by my material here--[...]

The highly-rated Karate Jutsu: The Original Teachings of Gichin Funakoshi, by Ohshima godan John Teramoto (and also available here on Amazon) is the first official English translation of an earlier Funakoshi book. Also do not miss Funakoshi's Karate-do: My Way of Life.