Sunday, October 31, 2010

Solo Training: The Martial Artist's Guide to Training Alone

Solo Training: The Martial Artist's Guide to Training Alone Review



Loren's book gave me lots of ideas on how to vary up my workouts. He's right, repetition gets boring. The mind requires new stimulation. You have to have something new and different to look forward to or you will lose interest in the very thing you love. Becoming bored and losing your edge can be fatal on the street.

This book teaches you how to use every part of the body as a weapon, how to frame up your survival or warrior spirit so that you have the right attitude and mindset for a crucial situation. Keeping your training edge is what this book covers well and keeping that training edge, intensity, combined with a smart approach to training will keep you alive.

Loren takes training seriously in terms of the purpose of the drills and focus on effectiveness. As he states in the beginning of the book, training smart is not pampering yourself. Being tough is only really possible if you are first smart otherwise your body will not be conditioned and prepared for those moments when you need it to be touch. Get this book. Follow his advice and don't assume that you know it all. Read it with an open mind and you will receive more and re-examine your basic assumptions. A great read!

Kevin Brett
Author: The Way of the Martial Artist: Achieving Success in Martial Arts and in Life!




Solo Training: The Martial Artist's Guide to Training Alone Overview


Loren Christensen shows you over 300 ways you can add variety to your daily martial arts training routine. Whether you’re a student looking for fun new solo drills to spice up your home training or an instructor in search of new ways to pump up your classes, you won’t be disappointed. This incredible collection of drills, techniques and exercises will take your workouts to the next level. Learn to:

*Organize your solo workouts to the get maximum results from even the shortest training session
*Improve your speed and power with dozens of inside tips and tricks
*Beat boredom and get excited about your solo training sessions
*Become a well rounded fighter by adding essential skills that your instructor may not be teaching you
*Safely experiment with new techniques to find your ideal personal style of training
*Get an edge on your opponents with training methods that will make you unstoppable in the ring or on the street

Not only will you learn enough new training strategies and methods to keep you busy for years, but Loren Cristensen’s no-nonsense writing style will get you up and moving even on the days you rather skip your solo workout. Packed with solid advice and kick-butt motivation, this book will become your favorite training partner.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 31, 2010 17:56:05

Five-Star Basketball Drills

Five-Star Basketball Drills Review



The Five Star Basketball Camps are legendary for helping players develop basic and advanced skills. Many of the same drills used at the camps are explained in this book.

It is a great source of information and ideas for youth basketball coaches, middle school/junior high coaches, sub-varsity coaches and varsity coaches.

It includes details about how to get the finer points of a given skill across to players.

A solid resource for coaches.

Kevin Sivils - author of Game Strategies and Tactics for Basketball: Bench Coaching for Success



Five-Star Basketball Drills Feature


  • How to book



Five-Star Basketball Drills Overview


Over 5,000 talented players have completed the Five-Star program and received scholarships. Distinguished alumni include Isiah Thomas, Moses Malone, Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Mark Aguirre, John Paxson, Jim Paxson, Jeff Ruland, Darnell Valentine, and Mike O'Koren. Here, in print for the first time, is a compilation of 131 drills they practiced at the nation's premier basketball camp. The book includes the following:
  • 131 of the best drills used at the Five-Star camp
  • Conditioning, one, two, and three player drills for men and women
  • Proven regimens from a star-studded galaxy of NCAA and NBA coaches
  • Step by step instructions with pictures and diagrams to maximize your potential and practice time

"Howard Garfinkel and Will Klein are as well organized in their presentation of drills as they are in their camp. This book is a great contribution to your basketball library." -- Bob Knight

"Owning one of the most varied sports libraries in the country, I consider myself an expert on sports books. Nowhere on my shelves is there anything approaching the value of these drills for youngsters and young coaches. It's the best drill book in America." -- George Raveling

"With the advent of the three-point shot, there's now a high priority on the skill parts of the game. This book will help the dedicated user become a fundamentally sound player." -- Mike Fratello

"A must for all young players and coaches who want to learn the game the way it should be taught." -- Rick Pitino

"Five-Star has done a great job helping kids. I admire the way they've emphasized teaching the concepts and maintained the personal touch in dealing with youngsters. This book carries on that great tradition." -- Mike Krzyzewski


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 31, 2010 13:34:05

The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own

The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own Review



This is a book full of healthy eating tips--and a lot of humor! It cuts to the chase on telling you how to eat from the different food groups, and even gives you 100 calories every day of anything you want! Plus you GET a day off and one meal off a week--just try to beat that, it's actually allowed and you lose weight! I don't play against other people point wise, just try to do better myself each week. I've been eating healthy for three weeks now and have noticed a big difference in my energy level, I also sleep better at night. It is sometimes hard to space the meals 2-4 hours apart-it definately takes some planning, but it is worth it as I never feel hungry and my blood sugar stays even. I'm very happy with the book--the only reason I gave it four stars vs. five is due to some of the language was uncalled for--I feel the author could have gotten the same point across w/o being so raw at times.



The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780061718892
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own Overview


The Game On! Diet is not a diet. It's a bold new approach to fitness that turns the latest, smartest, most successful health science into a fun, fierce, and exhilarating game. Developed by Az Ferguson, to help Grey's Anatomy writer Krista Vernoff shed forty pounds of postpregnancy weight, it is the ideal program for busy people who should be working out but have a thousand good excuses not to.

Az keeps you motivated and Krista keeps you laughing as they show you how to organize opposing teams, set goals, and compete to earn points for daily exercise, healthy meal plans, and positive lifestyle changes. With The Game On! Diet, the process of losing weight, for the first time ever, is actually fun. After all, what's better than a bikini body . . . and bragging rights?

Get out there and lose . . . to win! Game on!




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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 31, 2010 09:10:05

Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross-Country Team

Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross-Country Team Review



I ran cross country for a smaller NCAA Div III program. It's amazing how similar our teams were (8k times were much different), but the day to day things were the same (injuries, having to do long sunday runs, tough speed workouts, homework, married life, etc..). It brought back some great memories. There are some shocking events that suprised me in this book. It was great to see how the coach/runners handled everything that came their way. Many of the runners have dry humor. I laughed quite a few times. I would have loved to run for this team.



Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross-Country Team Feature


  • ISBN13: 9781585748044
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross-Country Team Overview


In RUNNING WITH THE BUFFALOES, writer Chris Lear follows the University of Colorado cross-country team through an unforgettable NCAA season. Allowed unparalleled access to team practices, private moments, and the mind of Mark Wetmore--one of the country's most renowned and controversial coaches--Lear provides a riveting look inside the triumphs and heartaches of a perennial national contender and the men who will stop at nothing to achieve excellence. The Buffaloes' 1998 season held great promise, with Olympic hopeful Adam Goucher poised for his first-ever NCAA cross-country title, and the University of Colorado shooting for its first-ever national team title. But in the rigorous world of top-level collegiate sports, blind misfortune can sabotage the dreams of individuals and teams alike. In a season plagued by injury and the tragic loss of a teammate, the Buffaloes were tested as never before. What these men managed to achieve in the face of such adversity is the stuff of legend and glory.
With passion and suspense, Lear captures the lives of these young men and offers a glimpse of what drives a gifted runner like Adam Goucher and a great coach like Mark Wetmore. Like Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike, RUNNING WITH THE BUFFALOES is at once a glowing celebration of a sport and an inspiration to anyone who has ever had the courage to beat the odds and follow a dream.



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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 31, 2010 03:13:05

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat

Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat Review



This is by far the most hilarious "biography" (it's more a series of ramblings) that I've ever read. I haven't read a book "for fun" in over a year (I've read numerous text books) and forgot how great it could be. Get this book, you will not regret it.



Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780061721724
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat Overview


Wondering why you should purchase this book when there are other titles written by much higher-caliber fighters? Well, Forrest Griffin is not as good-looking as those guys. He's not as smart as them or as athletically endowed. And let's face it, neither are you.

If you get off on having your face rearranged, though, Got Fight? is for you. This is a manifesto more strategic than Sun Tzu's The Art of War, more philosophical than Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do. In these pages you will learn about true mental toughness—whether it's for scraping it out in the Octagon or picking up chicks. You will learn about the mental defects that made Forrest Griffin into the abomination he is today and how you can use your shortcomings to become equally horrible.




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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 30, 2010 23:08:05

Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon

Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon Review



Biographer Roland Lazenby describes Los Angeles Lakers great Jerry West as "the most influential figure in the history of American basketball." Lazenby takes on the task of trying to explain the "mystery that is Jerry West."

Lazenby was told that to understand West, he needed to understand West Virginia, where West was born and raised and played for the University of West Virginia. Lazenby spends the first 75 pages, detailing the history of West Virginia, exploring West's ancestry and interviewing many of his family members, relatives and boyhood friends. While this does help to explain West, I'm afraid it's about 50 pages too long for many readers.

But, by the time you finish this nearly 400-page biography, you'll have completely forgotten about the book's slow start.

Lazenby achieves his goal of explaining the mystery of Jerry West. Jerry's mother was a perfectionist, who was a loner and shy. Jerry, who had little relationship with his abusive father, took after his mother. He was also deeply affected by the death of his older brother in the Korean War.

West was never able to enjoy his accomplishments. Nothing he ever did was good enough. Instead, he settled for disappointment, harsh criticism or perceived slights by others. He would go through long periods of depression when he wasn't playing well. He was extremely competitive, had more heart than any other player, obsessed with winning and driven to greatness. He was humble, shy and reserved.

Lazenby says West's rise to the top of basketball was "absolutely improbable." West was physically frail through high school, college and much of his NBA career. As an NBA rookie he was 6-foot-3 and 172 pounds. Coach Bill Sharman called West, known as Mr. Clutch, "the tallest 6-foot-3 player ever." Sharman also felt West was "probably the greatest defensive guard ever."

Lazenby gives a good account of West's high school and college basketball careers, particularly the rivalry between West and Oscar Robertson of the University of Cincinnati to be considered the best college player in the nation. The book is equally divided between West's pre-NBA years and NBA career.

West's heroics and heartbreaks in the NBA, losing year after year to the Boston Celtics for the championship, are well chronicled. West and the Lakers finally won a championship in 1972, beating the New York Knicks. Lazenby points out that if West had scored a total of 10 more points in five games, he would have had an NCAA title and four NBA titles.

After his playing days, West served three unhappy years as the Lakers coach and then became their successful general manager.

This is an insightful biography about one of the NBA's greatest players ever. It should be on every basketball fan's "must-read" list.



Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780345510839
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon Overview


When in 1969 the NBA sought an emblem for the league, one man was chosen above all as the icon of his sport: Jerry West. Silhouetted in white against a red-and-blue backdrop, West’s signature gait and left-handed dribble are still the NBA logo, seen on merchandise around the world.

    In this marvelous book—the first biography of the basketball legend—award-winning reporter and author Roland Lazenby traces Jerry West’s brilliant career from the coalfields near Cabin Creek, West Virginia, to the bare-knuckled pre-expansion era of the NBA, from the Lakers’ Riley-Magic-Kareem Showtime era to Jackson–Kobe–Shaq teams of the early twenty-first century, and beyond.

But fame was not all glory.

Called “Mr. Clutch,” West was an incomparable talent—flawless on defense, possessing unmatched court vision, and the perfect jumper, unstoppable when the game was on the line. Beloved and respected by fans and fellow players alike, West was the centerpiece of Lakers teams that starred such players as Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain, and he went on to nine NBA Finals. Yet in losing eight of those series, including six in a row to the detested Boston Celtics, West became as famous for his failures as for his triumphs. And that notoriety cast long shadows over West’s life on and off the court. 
 
Yet as the author discovered through scores of exclusive interviews with West’s teammates, colleagues, and family members, West channeled the frustration of his darkest moments into a driving force that propelled his years as an executive. And in this capacity, the success that often eluded West on the court has enabled him to reach out to successive generations of players to enrich and shape the sport in immeasurable ways.

Though sometimes overshadowed by flashier peers on the court, Jerry West nevertheless stands out as the heart and soul of a league that, in fifty years, has metamorphosed from a regional sideshow into a global phenomenon. And in Jerry West, Roland Lazenby provides the ultimate story of a man who has done more to shape basketball than anyone on the planet. 
 


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 30, 2010 18:21:06

The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership

The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership Review



Being a football coach, I am always trying to learn more about strategy as well as ways to motivate young men. I have always been intrigued by Bill Walsh. After all, the man did reinvent the game of football, and made it into what we know it as today. I am a fan of his previous books, and when I saw that this book was being released, I knew that I had to get my hands on it.

The book is a little unconventional, in that it is published posthumously. You can tell that the work was not quite finished, and Steve Jamison does not shy away from this fact. What you have is the words of Bill Walsh, supplemented with those that knew him best. Bill's son Craig, Joe Montana, John McVay, and Mike White, all give their insight into what made Bill Walsh such a spectacular person.

The beginning of the book is a little dry, as it is mostly Steve Jamison explaining how the book came to be. However, once you get to Part I, you find out quickly what this book is about...Leadership. The examples that this book gives comes from the football world, but can be applied to life in general. This book has given me a better understanding about the ways in which Bill Walsh was able to be a successful leader, but more importantly it has made me think about ways that I can become a better leader. As I was reading this book, I also began taking notes on how to create my own "Standard of Performance."



The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership Feature


  • ISBN13: 9781591843474
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership Overview


The last lecture on leadership by the NFL's greatest coach: Bill Walsh

Bill Walsh is a towering figure in the history of the NFL. His advanced leadership transformed the San Francisco 49ers from the worst franchise in sports to a legendary dynasty. In the process, he changed the way football is played.

Prior to his death, Walsh granted a series of exclusive interviews to bestselling author Steve Jamison. These became his ultimate lecture on leadership.

Additional insights and perspective are provided by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana and others.

Bill Walsh taught that the requirements of successful leadership are the same whether you run an NFL franchise, a fortune 500 company, or a hardware store with 12 employees. These final words of 'wisdom by Walsh' will inspire, inform, and enlighten leaders in all professions.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 30, 2010 13:08:05

The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life

The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life Review



I loved this book. A friend gave it to me because she and I had both dabbled with running. It is no exaggeration to say this book changed my life. His story and approach to exercise removed barriers in my mind. Instead of telling myself I couldn't ever be good "enough" - fast, etc - it became completely clear that doesn't matter. His beginning running program: 1st week: Go out the door 3xs and move for 20 minutes. Well heck, I could do that! Almost anyone can. The book is written in a conversational style, is easy to read, and is very encouraging. The move from thinking about outcomes to focusing on effort has affected my life positively in more ways than just running. After this I read the Beginning Runner's Handbook by the Sports Medicine Council of British Columbia. It's a research-proven program, and lays out a great follow up program - I'm on week two and loving it. If you're a beginning runner - or have even thought about running, this would be a great place to start.



The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780684854557
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life Overview


"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."

Take your first step toward fitness and a happier, healthier life.

Has the idea of running crossed your mind, but you haven't acted on it because you don't think you have the body of a runner? Have you thought about running but quit before you started because you knew that you would be breathless at the end of your driveway? Well, put aside those fears because you can do it. John Bingham, author of the popular Runner's World column "The Penguin Chronicles," transformed himself from an overweight couch potato who smoked into a runner who has completed eleven marathons and hundreds of road races.

Forget about the image of a perfect body in skintight clothes, and don't worry about how fast or how far you go. Bingham shows how anyone can embrace running as a life-enhancing activity -- rather than as a competition you will never win. In an entertaining blend of his own success story and practical advice, Bingham provides reasonable guidelines for establishing a program of achievable goals; offers tips on clothing, running shoes, and other equipment; and explains how anyone can prepare for and run distances ranging from a few miles to marathons.

After all, in running and in life, the difference between success and failure sometimes comes down to a single step. Waddle on, friends.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 30, 2010 05:01:05

Friday, October 29, 2010

Boy Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911 (Dover Books on Americana)

Boy Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911 (Dover Books on Americana) Review



I'm rarely 100% pleased with a book I buy, most are enjoyable but the Dover edition of the 1911 Boy Scouts Handbook was great. I was never a Scout but thought the book could be interesting. I enjoy reading older books and survival manuals so I thought it was worth a shot, I wasn't let down. It's a good size, fitting easily in your hand, and quite thick, just over 400 pgs. It's filled with illustrations, photos and diagrams. The contents range form Scouting, the history of, badges and requirements ( reading this section made me realize that a 1911 boy scout was more of a man than I'll ever be) knots, woodcraft, survival, hunting, fishing, tracking, biology, science, sailing, hygiene, etiquette, first aid, how to build gadgets, kites , bird houses and countless other topics. This book is filled with information that should be helpful to all ages. The morality taught is commendable and the knowledge required of these Scouts should only increase one's appreciation of a great organization. (The Dover edition is recommended, I purchased it for less than .00, there is another more generic edition with no illustration on the cover for 4 times the price.)



Boy Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911 (Dover Books on Americana) Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780486439914
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



Boy Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911 (Dover Books on Americana) Overview


Complete republication of a book that has been used by generations of American youths, with copious information on such topics as woodcrafting, camping, sailing, as well as notes on developing self-reliance and good citizenship. A delight for Americana enthusiasts, a treasure for collectors. 219 figures and illustrations.



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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 29, 2010 18:57:04

Triathlete Magazine's Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide: Plans, Scheduling Tips, and Workout Goals for Triathletes of All Levels

Triathlete Magazine's Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide: Plans, Scheduling Tips, and Workout Goals for Triathletes of All Levels Review



I have yet to utilise this book. Have read it and although very comprehensive, I find all the codes used a bit daunting. I would imagine after using it for a while you would get used to all the codes, but at the moment it may sit on the shelf. There are other training guides that are more user friendly.




Triathlete Magazine's Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide: Plans, Scheduling Tips, and Workout Goals for Triathletes of All Levels Overview


DESCRIPTION: As popular as the swim-bike-run sport has become in recent years, triathlon training remains a daunting physical and mental challenge. From short sprints to Olympic distance events, this guide from Triathlete magazine provides athletes with different plans for every skill level, and shows them how to build up their training to reach their ultimate goal. Good-humored narrative text accompanies detailed workout schedules, guidelines, weekly goals, and coaching tips. Including off-season training advice and photo-illustrated stretches and exercises, this is the book triathletes need to stay at the top of their game.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 29, 2010 11:51:05

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival

Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival Review



Tom Brown has written a wonderfully informative field guide on wilderness survival. In this book, Tom shares valuable knowledge passed down to him from Grandfather, his wise Native American teacher. The skills that Tom explains are time tested and true. Everything is explained extremely well, and in an entertaining fashion. One of my favorite things about this guide, and every other by Tom Brown is that he also gives the spiritual side of the subject. In this book, he tells that survival (once you've taken care of your needs) can actually be fun. It is sort of like camping, if you look at it in the right way. So, if you are curious about wilderness survival, or are already educated on the subject and need a refresher, this is one of the best books to get. Every person should read this book, and practice the skills it explains. Survival is one of the most important skills that a person can learn. Please, don't neglect the need for this knowledge, buy this field guide.



Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780425105726
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed




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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 28, 2010 23:49:07

Strength Training for Women

Strength Training for Women Review



Although I have no problem growing old, one thing I refuse to accept is my body looking untoned and out of shape. Once one passes the 40th year mark, muscle and bone structure start to "get lost" somewhere in between slouching flesh. Enter Joan Pagano, and her targeted, customized workout she presents us with in her excellent book "Strength training for women".

Ms. Pagano is not only a fitness instructor but has worked with entities like the American and Canadian osteoporosis foundations, as well as SHARE, a group of breast and ovarian cancer survivors in the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Her career started while she designed customized workouts for women with the disease, as well as for women wanting to fight osteoporosis. For me in particular, this hit home, as my mother died of breast cancer, and I must admit it scares me to think about it but I have to face the fact that in a few years, I may have to deal with it myself. Then again - and God willing - I may not.

Nevertheless, and after having looked through several workout books, I decided on this one due to the fact that my specific goals were to build a bit of muscle, endurance and tone my body throughout. Although I do not follow the book fully when I work out, it has made me aware of a myriad of things that for years I have been doing wrong, for instance, the breathing patterns one should adopt while performing squats or push-ups (such as inhaling during exertion, not the other way around).

The book is divided into three main sections to target the main parts of the body women generally need to work on: lower, upper and core. For each, Ms. Pagano offers simple but effective exercises and techniques that can be mostly done at home, sometimes including tips for using specific machines while at the gym. What is very good about this book are the pictures, of excellent quality and polished printing, which are characteristic of every DK Publishing book. Prior to starting the suggested work out routines, the reader is presented with a PAR-Q test - which should be answered openly and honestly - in order to ensure good health with a clean start. The book closes with four suggested routines to target specific areas of concern, and includes a resource list to purchase the limited equipment that is pictured throughout. It even includes specific exercises to be performed when travelling, in the event one may not be in ready access to a gym (guess what I'm including in my packing list next time I go away?).

I must admit that after the first time I worked out at the gym using the suggestions pointed out in this book I felt a considerable difference. My muscles "burned" in a way like they never had before - it felt good, but not painful. The exercises for the core workout are amazing, and I do not know whether it is that I really need to build good definition in my middle area, but I noticed the difference immediately after my very first routine. I can confidently say that if one follows the routines regularly the results can only be outstanding.





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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 28, 2010 17:29:05

Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy (P.S.)

Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy (P.S.) Review



By creating her own rules on the fly, after being forced to operate within the rigid constraints imposed by Koufax, Jane Leavy has thrown a few fastballs into the annals of sports reporting and biography herself. With this very revealing biography of one our most enigmatic sports heroes she has immortalized him in a way befitting his elevated and elegant status and demeanor.


As a dyed in the wool "Dodger fan for life," frustrated physicist, survivor of the 1965 LA Watts Riots, and general sports enthusiast, this book about Koufax hit my palate's "sweet spot." Her description of 1955 Brooklyn New York, the excitement of the Dodger Yankee rivalry, the changes in the game itself, and how Koufax intuited the perfect mechanics of the optimum pitch is unexcelled in sports writing. That picture of the body being a single muscle coiled and anchored to the ground as it unfurls like a medieval catapult at the release of a pitch, for many reasons will be an enduring image in my mind.


But that is just the preliminaries, in the intro. The best part is the tension her narrative creates in the lead up to Koufax's own "game of a career," in the 1965 pennant final with the Chicago Cubs. With LA still smoldering in the background from the "Watt's Riot," Koufax's old and weary arm (at the very young age of 30), "came again in the stretch run," and it was a beautiful sight to behold.


But more than this, her interleaving of scenes and scenery from his life with the nine innings of the most famous and electrifying game of any era, the descriptions of his technique, the comments of his teammates, the awe in which he and his talents were held, and the utter modesty of the man himself, makes this book a rich offering of sports biography of an important sports icon; a proper portrait of the rarest of human beings; and an excellent description of what grace and elegance looks like under pressure.


If what Ernie Banks said about Koufax is true that "It is like being in the ballpark with Jesus," then this, Jane Leavy's book is the bible with nine innings of scriptures, chapter and verse. Five stars




Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy (P.S.) Overview


No immortal in the history of baseball retired so young, so well, or so completely as Sandy Koufax. After compiling a remarkable record from 1962 to 1966 that saw him lead the National League in ERA all five years, win three Cy Young awards, and pitch four no-hitters including a perfect game, Koufax essentially disappeared. Save for his induction into the Hall of Fame and occasional appearances at the Dodgers training camp, Koufax has remained unavailable, unassailable, and unsullied, in the process becoming much more than just the best pitcher of his generation. He is the Jewish boy from Brooklyn, who refused to pitch the opening game of the 1965 World Series on Yom Kippur, defining himself as a man who placed faith over fame. This act made him the standard to which Jewish parents still hold their children. Except for his autobiography (published in 1966), Koufax has resolutely avoided talking about himself. But through sheer doggedness that even Koufax came to marvel at, Jane Leavy was able to gain his trust to the point where they talked regularly over the three years Leavy reported her book. With Koufax′s blessing, Leavy interviewed nearly every one of his former teammates, opponents, and friends, and emerged with a portrait of the artist that is as thorough and stylish as was his command on the pitching mound.




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The Only Game in Town: Sportswriting from The New Yorker

The Only Game in Town: Sportswriting from The New Yorker Review



Some amazing writers from various disciplines have contributed to the pages of The New Yorker in the magazine's 80-plus-year history. More than 30 of them are included in this wonderful anthology of the best from the world of sports, in itself a competition of sorts.

One would not find these pieces in the back pages of a local newspaper. These are thoughtful, long pieces that go beyond the box score and records, or the simple accomplishments on the various fields of play. Some --- like "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu," John Updike's chronicle of Ted Williams's final game --- have become part of the larger time capsule of sports' legendary figures, both subject and author (a 50th anniversary edition of "Hub Fans" was published earlier this year by the Library of America). Others --- such as Lillian Ross's "El Unico Matador," perhaps the only profile ever written about a gay Jewish-American bullfighter --- offer people, places and events they otherwise would never discover.

It is fitting that New Yorker staple Roger Angell "leads off" the collection with his famous report of a classic 1-0 extra-inning 1981 college contest between Frank Viola of St. John's and Ron Darling of Yale. (And if you want to know the details, in the words of the eminent baseball philosopher Casey Stengel, "you could look it up.") Adding to the enjoyment of Angell's tale: the presence and commentary of "Smoky Joe" Wood, a standout of the early 1900s and later a college coach himself. Other notable writers include John Cheever on fathers, sons and baseball; Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on Michael Jordan; A. J. Liebling on the 1955 Marciano-Moore fight; and John McPhee on Princeton basketball star (and later U.S. senator) Bill Bradley.

But is good writing on its own enough of a draw? While there are five essays on baseball, it seems editor David Remnick tries perhaps a bit too hard to be democratic as he includes so many sports/games/activities. Maybe that's the point. In what other mainstream publication would you find so much thoughtful prose on such diverse topics as surfing (William Finnegan), snowmobiling (Calvin Trillin), dog sledding (Susan Orlean), ping-pong (Nancy Franklin), and parkour (Alec Wilkinson; parkour is a jumping "sport" that seems more applicable to cinematic stunt work than athletics). Oddity for oddity's sake? Or is it perhaps a "snob factor" the historic magazine is after?

Regardless, sports fans who hold The New Yorker in the same regard as The Sporting News or Sports Illustrated will no doubt welcome this edition into their library.

--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan



The Only Game in Town: Sportswriting from The New Yorker Feature


  • ISBN13: 9781400068029
  • Condition: New
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The Only Game in Town: Sportswriting from The New Yorker Overview


For more than eighty years, The New Yorker has been home to some of the toughest, wisest, funniest, and most moving sportswriting around. Featuring brilliant reportage and analysis, profound profiles of pros, and tributes to the amateur in all of us, The Only Game in Town is a classic collection from a magazine with a deep bench.

Including such authors as Roger Angell and John Updike, both of them synonymous with New Yorker sportswriting, The Only Game in Town also features greats like John McPhee and Don DeLillo. Hall of Famer Ring Lardner is here, bemoaning the lowering of standards for baseball achievement—in 1930. A. J. Liebling inimitably portrays the 1955 Rocky Marciano–Archie Moore bout as “Ahab and Nemesis . . . man against history,” and John Cheever pens a story about a boy’s troubled relationship with his father and “The National Pastime.”

From Tiger Woods to bullfighter Sidney Franklin, from the Chinese Olympics to the U.S. Open, the greatest plays and players, past and present, are all covered in The Only Game in Town. At The New Yorker, it’s not whether you win or lose—it’s how you write about the game.


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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

World of Cars

World of Cars Review



Indeed, this one's great for "Cars" fans of any age. I only regret that we don't yet have more such volumes illustrating some backstory for all of the characters! There's a great intro from John Lasseter as well.

I love all five stories here, but in order, my favorites are:

"Showstopper" (Flo's, & therefore slightly Ramone's); "Ciao, America!" (Luigi's & Guido's); "And Now a Word from Our Sponsors" (Lightning's & Mac's); Hoodwinked (Mater's); and "Banged Up" (Doc Hudson's.) Each entertaining, funny, and beautifully illustrated tale provides a slice of the characters' earlier lives. The pictures on each page are terrific--big, colorful, and detailed.

I personally found Flo's and Luigi/Guido's stories to be the most creative and interesting, but again, they're all very good. (I love that Lightning's features Rusty and Dusty of Rust-eaze--those two clowns clearly based on the hosts of the fantastic National Public Radio program Car Talk, 'Click & Clack the Tappet Brothers!')

So if you read or buy just a couple of "Cars" books, this is one to go for, along with "Meet the Cars" (which is likewise an enlightening wealth of facts, that tells you a bit about each of 100 characters.) With this, you'll actually learn new things about each of the included characters, and definitely enjoy both the well-written text and the pictures. They're loaded with the delightful and engaging cleverness you've probably come to adore and expect from Pixar.



World of Cars Feature


  • ISBN13: 9781423108733
  • Condition: New
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World of Cars Overview


Ever wonder how Mater first lost his hood? Or why Rust-eze started sponsoring Lightning McQueen? What about how Guido and Luigi came to Radiator Springs?

This deluxe jacketed, hardcover storybook reveals all this and more in five delightful, brand-new adventures! Find out about Flo's glamorous life before Radiator Springs and how Doc Hudson escaped the racetrack's limelight to become a doctor. Plus there are two elaborate gatefolds (including a map following Guido and Luigi's crazy road trip across the United States!) and an introduction by the film's award-winning director John Lasseter.



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That First Season: How Vince Lombardi Took the Worst Team in the NFL and Set It on the Path to Glory

That First Season: How Vince Lombardi Took the Worst Team in the NFL and Set It on the Path to Glory Review



You would almost have to live in a cave or under a rock on a remote island not to have at least heard of Vince Lombardi and the now famous football team he brought from the bottom of the pile to the top. I strongly suspect that most Americans, even if they are not football fans or have never seen a game in their life, are at least somewhat familiar with the Lombardi legend.

This book by John Eisenberg is the well written, and I must say thoroughly researched account of the first year of the Lombardi/Greenbay story. This work is remarkable, or at least interesting, on several levels. While it does not offer any surprises or reveal anything that was or is not already known, it does present a very macroscopic look at a period in time and the events that pretty much changed the world of not only professional football, but professional sports in this country. The author's writing style is quite readable and even though you know what is going to happen, the writer has the ability to keep you turning the pages.

The book begins with an account of just how low the Packers where in 1959 under the leadership of Scooter McLean. It goes into detail addressing all of the physical and mental hurdles that Lombardi would have to face when he took over the team the following season. Quite remarkable really, when you consider the wonderful past this team had. The one portion of the work presented here that I was unaware of at the time of the reading, was the fact that the entire team had been micromanaged by its governing board...i.e. they had been managed and indeed coached my committee; a rather large committee. This committee had pretty well mucked things up over the years. This all changed completely when Lombardi took over.

The author covers every preseason game, almost play by play of that first season under the new coach and the goes on to give an almost play by play account of every game played throughout the year. If you are a football nut, you will love this. If you dislike football, or could care less, then this aspect of the book will have your eyeballs rolling to the back of your head.

But that last comment being said, there is plenty of other information in the pages of this book to keep your interest alive. We not only get a wonderful glimpse into the working mind of who is beyond a doubt one of the greatest coaches, in any sport, of all times, but we also get a wonderful overview of the development of some of the most famous players ever played the game; Bart Starr, Don McIhenny, Paul Hornung, and Boyd Dowler just to name a few.

I found this to be an enjoyable read and was glad to add it to my collection of books on the life of Lombardi. It was a worthwhile read and kept me entertained throughout its reading.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks




That First Season: How Vince Lombardi Took the Worst Team in the NFL and Set It on the Path to Glory Overview


When Vince Lombardi took the job of coaching the Green Bay Packers in 1959, he inherited a team that had gone from legendary to laughing stock. They hadn’t fielded a winning team in over a decade and had gone 1-10-1 in the 1958 season despite having seven future Hall of Famers on the team. They were a team accustomed to losing and in desperate need of a turnaround.
 
That First Season chronicles that turnaround at the hands of Lombardi, himself serving as a head coach for the first time. The Packers were a team of talented underachievers more used to lax coaching and late nights than grueling practices and curfews. Lombardi’s no-bull coaching style helped hammer them into winners who operated with machine-like precision. Every football fan knows that the Packers under Lombardi were champions, but That First Season shows how he did it, bringing readers the inside story of a sports dynasty.



That First Season: How Vince Lombardi Took the Worst Team in the NFL and Set It on the Path to Glory Specifications


Product Description
In the late 1950s the once vaunted Green Bay Packers were a laughing stock. They hadn't fielded a winning team in more than a decade and were very nearly in jeopardy of losing their franchise to another city. The ultimate low came in 1958, when, with 7 future Hall of Famers on the team, they went a lousy 1-10-1 under a too-soft coach, Scooter McLean. They were desperately in need of a savior, and he arrived via wood-paneled station wagon in the dead of winter from New York City.

That First Season chronicles Vince Lombardi's remarkable first year as head coach with the franchise he would reinvent and etch forever in football history. In a single year, as the grizzled coach who took no bull, he would transform a team of underachievers into winners and reignite a city known for its passion for its sport. Based on exhaustive new research and interviews, That First Season is the seldom-studied prequel to a football career marked by greatness. Eisenberg pushes away the mist that surrounds the Lombardi legend to bring readers the real story of how the seeds of a football dynasty were sown. He also brings alive an incredible ensemble tale of a team, a town and their leader.



Photographs from That First Season
(Click to Enlarge)

The Packer offense took off when Lombardi inserted Boyd DowlerPaul Hornung, a key player in Lombardi's offense
Don McIlhenny runs the ball against the ColtsA fan congratulates Lombardi as he leaves the field



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Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters

Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters Review



I just read Tabor's book, "Forever On The Mountain", and then read Wilcox's 1981 book, "White Winds", and 1973 Snyder's book, "In The Hall Of The Mountain King". Wilcox and Snyder are two of the five survivors of the twelve-man expedition up the Muldrow Glacier route on Denali in 1967. Both of their books were written years after the event and express different biases. Snyder's book suffers from a clear bias against Wilcox, and Wilcox's book suffers from a different sort of bias, essentially pinning the entire tragedy on the storm that caught the seven who died, and ignoring the culpability of the National Park Service and the intra-group tensions created when the NPS forced two mismatched teams (Wilcox's nine-man team and Snyder's three-man team) to climb together. No one from the second group of men summiting the mountain survived and they left behind no journals or other writings, so anyone writing about what happened has to try to base his or her conclusions on the objective data that did survive. For that, Tabor's book does an excellent job of marshaling and analyzing the existing evidence, consulting experts, and interviewing surviving participants in this drama. His writing is crisp and clear, and tells a gripping story. His descriptions of what happens in high-altitude alpine expeditions, from pee bottles to spending the night with your backs to the wall of your tent trying to keep it from collapsing in 100-mph winds, are spot on for anyone who has been there. Tabor takes the available evidence and then, like a courtroom attorney, draws reasonable inferences to try to reconstruct what likely happened to the seven who died high on the mountain. At the end, he concludes that there was a lot of blame to pass around, with some falling on both Wilcox and Snyder, and perhaps the most falling on the NPS and the Denali Park Superintendent at the time, but concludes, as do both Wilcox and Snyder, that there was likely nothing that could have been done after the first few days once the storm struck high on the mountain were squandered by the NPS's bureaucratic dithering on what to do. NPS ranger Wayne Merry tries his best, but is thwarted by persons in the chain of command above him who had been burned by an all-out winter expedition rescue just a few months earlier and who were simply out of their element at a time when climbing expeditions of the sort mounted by Wilcox/Snyder were nascent on Denali. Incidentally, I subsequently read Gerianne Thorsness' critical look at Tabor's book, but it suffers from great subjectivity (she is the daughter of the Denali Superintendent at the time), a misreading of Tabor's conclusions, and selected examination of portions of Tabor's book taken out of context. It would have been very interesting to read an objective, critical review of Tabor's book based on evidence that he did not have or consider, or chose to ignore, but G. Thorsness' paper isn't it. Overall, Tabor's book is a compelling attempt to answer the questions, that remain even after Tabor's book, about just what happened to cause this tragedy.



Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780393331967
  • Condition: New
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Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters Overview


Winner of the 2007 Banff Mountain Festival Book Awards Grand Prize (The Phyllis & Don Munday Award): "A riveting account of a long-ago mountaineering disaster."—Time In 1967, seven young men, members of a twelve-man expedition led by twenty-four-year-old Joe Wilcox, were stranded on Alaska's Mount McKinley in a vicious arctic storm. All seven perished on what remains the most tragic expedition in American climbing history. Revisiting the event in the tradition of Norman Maclean's Young Men and Fire, James M. Tabor uncovers elements of controversy, finger-pointing, and cover-up that combine to make this disaster unlike any other.


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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Ford Pick-ups & Expedition 1997 thru 2003 (Haynes Repair Manual)

Ford Pick-ups & Expedition 1997 thru 2003 (Haynes Repair Manual) Review



Excellent, it gives a very good explanation on how engine electronics work and how to troubleshoot with simple procedures, i.e. voltage and resistance measurements! This is nice because it allows you test sensors and verify if they are working, this way you can save quite a few dollars down the line.



Ford Pick-ups & Expedition 1997 thru 2003 (Haynes Repair Manual) Feature


  • ISBN13: 9781563926372
  • Condition: USED - Like New
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Ford Pick-ups & Expedition 1997 thru 2003 (Haynes Repair Manual) Overview


Haynes offers the best coverage for cars, trucks, vans, SUVs and motorcycles on the market today. Each manual contains easy to follow step-by-step instructions linked to hundreds of photographs and illustrations. Included in every manual: troubleshooting section to help identify specific problems; tips that give valuable short cuts to make the job easier and eliminate the need for special tools; notes, cautions and warnings for the home mechanic; color spark plug diagnosis and an easy to use index.



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Seven Years in Tibet

Seven Years in Tibet Review



Thanks to the author, we've a record of a unique, serene, & beautiful country. One lost for all time, due to the cruel invasion & genocide, committed by the Chinese communists. Tibet can never again be what it once was. Not if China got out today, not in one hundred years. It would be virtually impossible to recreate the magic that once was Tibet. Even by reverting to the old ways. Modernity couldn't be kept out entirely. I'd like to see them try, though. A remarkable journey by Herrer & Aufschnaiter. I can see why this is a classic among travel literature readers. I'd love to have seen it, but China destroyed it for greed. I now hate China more than I already did for machine-gunning their own citizens in Tianeman (SP?) square, & all their other atrocities. I don't buy anything Chinese if I can avoid it. I wish the world would do the same. Some accuse the Dalai Lama of wanting to be put back in control of vast riches. To be reinstalled as a tyrant, over a backward populace. They should read this book, & get a clue. The treasures were accumulated in Llasa because they were never spent. If China hadn't raped Tibet. They'd have had some moral high ground to take in their accusations of Japan having raped Nanking. Had this not happened. Today, Tibet could possibly be more or less, just as wonderful a place as it was. It's people have now been scattered to the four winds, & contaminated by outside influences. Except for the 1.2+ million who were murdered by genocide, plus all the others who were killed during the fighting, that is. I believe both Heinrich & Peter are no longer w/us. It would've been quite an experience to meet them.




Seven Years in Tibet Overview


Imprisoned in India by the British when WWII was declared, Austrian climber Heinrich Harrer escaped, crossing the Himalayas to Tibet. Settling in Lhasa, the Forbidden City, he became the tutor and friend of the present Dalai Lama in this classic of adventure literature. Heinrich Harrer, already a famous mountaineer and Olympic ski champion, was caught by the outbreak of the Second World War while climbing in the Himalayas. An Austrian national, he was imprisoned by the British in India. By an almost super-human effort, on his third attempt he succeeded in escaping from the internment camp and fled into Tibet. After a series of remarkable experiences in a country never crossed before by a Westerner, Harrer reached the forbidden city of Lhasa. He stayed there for seven years, learned the language and acquired a greater understanding of Tibet and the Tibetans than any Westerner had ever before achieved. He became the friend and tutor of the young Dalai Lama and finally accompanied him into India when he was put to flight by the Red Chinese invasion. Made into a successful motion picture starring Brad Pitt, this is a stunning story of incredible courage and self-reliance set against the backdrop of a mysterious and magnificent culture.


Seven Years in Tibet Specifications


Originally published in 1953, this adventure classic recounts Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer's 1943 escape from a British internment camp in India, his daring trek across the Himalayas, and his happy sojourn in Tibet, then, as now, a remote land little visited by foreigners. Warmly welcomed, he eventually became tutor to the Dalai Lama, teenaged god-king of the theocratic nation. The author's vivid descriptions of Tibetan rites and customs capture its unique traditions before the Chinese invasion in 1950, which prompted Harrer's departure. A 1996 epilogue details the genocidal havoc wrought over the past half-century.

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When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?

When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? Review



I loved this when I read it! It brings up good points even though I'm sure that wasn't his intention (why does it always take less time to get back from where you went than it takes to get there?) It just is full of things that make you say, "I cant beleive he just said that" while showing how politicians and everyone else just treats you....its a great fast read that you'll find yourself wanting to share with a friend.




When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? Overview


On the heels of George Carlin's #1 New York Times bestseller Napalm & Silly Putty comes When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? -- infused with Carlin's trademark irreverent humor and biting cultural observations.

Here we go again . . . George Carlin's hilarious When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? offers his cutting-edge opinions and observational humor on everything from evasive euphemistic language to politicians to the media to dead people. Nothing and no one is safe!

Despite the current climate of political correctness, Carlin is not afraid to take on controversial topics:

--Carlin on the media: The media comprises equal parts business, politics, advertising, public relations, and show business. Nice combination. Enough bull for Texas to open a chain of branch offices.
--Carlin on the battle of the sexes: Here's all you have to know about men and women: women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is that men are stupid.
--Carlin on hygiene: When did they pass a law that says the people who make my sandwich have to be wearing gloves? I'm not comfortable with this. I don't want glove residue all over my food; it's not sanitary. Who knows where these gloves have been?
--Carlin on evasive language: Just to demonstrate how far using euphemisms in language has gone, some psychologists are now actually referring to ugly people as those with "severe appearance deficits." Hey, Doctor. How's that for "denial"?
--Carlin on politics: No self-respecting politician would ever admit to working in the government. They prefer to think of themselves "serving the nation." To help visualize the service they provide the country, you may wish to picture the things that take place on a stud farm.

The thinking person's comic who uses words as weapons, Carlin puts voice to issues that capture the modern imagination. For instance, why are there Ten Commandments? Are UFOs real? What will the future really be like? This brand-new collection tackles all that and more.

In When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? Carlin's razor-sharp observations demolish everyday values and leave you laughing out loud -- delivering exactly what his countless fans have been waiting for.


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The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book

The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book Review



This is an authoritative, comprehensive reference work, a necessity for anyone interested in the history of tennis. The b/w photos are wonderful although printed on plain-text stock, and the copy is always the usual Bud Collins as journalist stuff, amusing and arch, with all the stats one could possibly desire.

My copy, however, has neither date nor place of publication listed anywhere, making me wonder about its authenticity. Furthermore, typos abound.

Still, I wouldn't be without this tome, especially with the Open coming up so soon.



The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780942257700
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The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book Overview


Compiled by the most famous tennis journalist and historian in the world, this book is the ultimate compilation of historical tennis information, including year-by-year recaps of every tennis season, biographical sketches of every major tennis personality, as well as stats, records, and championship rolls for all the major events. Newly updated with the latest history-making records in the sport, this revised edition covers the recent achievements of a variety of tennis stars, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and Ivo Karlovic. Highlighting the author’s personal relationships with major names in the sport, this resource offers insights into the world of professional tennis found nowhere else.



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Monday, October 25, 2010

The Chambliss Tapes

The Chambliss Tapes Review




This is a nice little time travel adventure about a young man who is compelled to go back in time to rescue his twin brother who died at the age of four. I like the premise that the trips were being funded by an agency that wanted to record famous points in sports history. Also, there was a nice take on the limits of what could be fixed by time-travel.

On the negative side, I don't think enough attention was paid to the consequences of the trip. To me, their should have been more consequences to the individual's personal relationships from living 30 years outside his time.




The Chambliss Tapes Overview


Short story, 7,314 words. Time travel story based around NY Yankees Chris Chambliss' historic pennant-winning homerun in the 1976 American League Championship Series. A man (Jon) who works for Sports Illuminated, a time travel agency that documents famous events in sports, travels back in time from 2006 to 1976 to document Chambliss' famous homerun. But Jon has another agenda—to save his identical twin brother who died in an accident.


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Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner

Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner Review



The reader is allowed to be in the author's head, body, world while he transforms himself into a super-athlete. For many who don't find life's normally-accepted challenges stimulating enough, Dean provides a physical outlet. Dean chooses running, and extreme distances at that, but any physically-taxing activity would do. It's fascinating to hear how his mind and body react to such challenges and how Dean chooses to respond. I plan to read this to my 3 children, all athletes of varying degrees, to show them what's physically and mentally possible when you set your mind to it.




Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner Overview


There are those of us whose idea of the ultimate physical challenge is the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon. And then there is Dean Karnazes. Karnazes has run 226.2 miles nonstop; he has completed the 135-mile Badwater Ultramara-thon across Death Valley National Park-considered the world's toughest footrace-in 130-degree weather; and he is the only person to complete a marathon to the South Pole in running shoes (and probably the only person to eat an entire pizza and a whole cheesecake while running).

Karnazes is an ultramarathoner: a member of a small, elite, hard-core group of extreme athletes who race 50 miles, 100 miles, and longer. They can run forty-eight hours and more without sleep, barely pausing for food or water or even to use the bathroom. They can scale mountains, in brutally hot or cold weather, pushing their bodies, minds, and spirits well past what seems humanly possible.

Ultramarathon Man is Dean Karnazes's story: the mind-boggling adventures of his nonstop treks through the hell of Death Valley, the incomprehensible frigidity of the South Pole, and the breathtaking beauty of the mountains and canyons of the Sierra Nevada. Karnazes captures the euphoria and out-of-body highs of these adventures.

With an insight and candor rarely seen in sports memoirs, he also reveals how he merges the solitary, manic, self-absorbed life of hard-core ultrarunning with a full-time job, a wife, and two children, and how running has made him who he is today: a man with an überjock's body, a teenager's energy, and a champion's wisdom.


Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner Specifications


Ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes claims "There is magic in misery." While it would be easy to write off his habit of running for 100 miles at a time—or longer—as mere masochism, it's impossible to not admire his tenacity in pushing his body to reach one extreme goal after another. Sure, it's gory to read about how he lost one of his big toenails from shoe friction during the Western States Endurance Run. But what registers more is that here's a guy competing in an event that includes 38,000 feet of elevation change--the equivalent of scaling the Empire State Building 30 times.

Despite his considerable athleticism, "Karno" argues that the first half of any race is run with one's body, and the second half with the mind. Without delving into excessively touchy-feely territory, he explores "the possibilities of self" as he completes an ultra-marathon in 120-degree heat in Death Valley, and later the first-ever marathon at the South Pole. It's an odd combination: a California surfer dude contemplating how, as Socrates said, "Suffering leads to wisdom." But Karnazes's self-motivation is utterly intriguing, and it's impossible to read this memoir without wanting to go out and run a marathon yourself.--Erica Jorgensen

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The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently

The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently Review



We all know that mentoring is the best way to develop key character traits in others, particularly young people because it is based on the model of discipleship. You may recall Jesus and the twelve, and the impact they had on the world. Mentoring Works! Tony Dungy provides an excellent framework for leaders who may not have thought as themselves as potential mentors, and for mentors who would like to become better leaders. Mentor leadership takes servant leadership to a new level. As a board member for a non-profit organization that mentors at-risk youth, I gave each of my fellow board members and staff one at our recent board retreat. And now many of the principles in this book are showing up in our mission, vision, values, and goals statements, and are being implimented in the field. A must read for anyone who aspires to be a true leader or mentor.



The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently Feature


  • ISBN13: 9781414338040
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently Overview


“Your only job is to help your players be better.” That single idea had a huge impact on Tony Dungy when he heard it from one of his earliest mentors, and it led him to develop the successful leadership style so admired by players and coaches throughout the NFL. Now, a storied career and a Super Bowl victory later, Tony Dungy is sharing his unique leadership philosophy with you. In The Mentor Leader, Tony reveals what propelled him to the top of his profession and shows how you can apply the same approach to virtually any area of your life. In the process, you’ll learn the seven keys of mentoring leadership—and why they’re so effective; why mentor leadership brings out the best in people; how a mentor leader recovers from mistakes and handles team discipline; and the secret to getting people to follow you and do their best for you without intimidation tactics. As a son, a football player, and a winning coach, Tony has always learned from others on his path to success. Now you can learn to succeed for your team, family, or organization while living out your values—by becoming a mentor leader.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 25, 2010 03:37:05

Sunday, October 24, 2010

North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters

North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters Review



I purchased the eBook version for my reader, and was pleasantly surprised when I started to read. So surprised that I stayed up late to read it all in one sitting! This book is much, much more than just an accessory to the TV show. It is more than a must-read for fans of "Deadliest Catch."

It also covers much, much more than that. There is an insider's view of the Norwegian immigration to the United States, in particular Washington state in the early 1900's. There is a detailed history of the evolution of crab fishing and the Marco crab boat's evolution to supremacy. I was fascinated by the attention to historical details, such as the use of surplus Army cots to build the first crab pots. The wisdom of a seasoned fisherman peppers the book - discussing why certain boat designs work better than others, why a tank full of solid ballast is better than tanks full of mobile crab, and why navigation at sea is not as simple as going in a straight line from Point A to Point B.

Encircling all these historical details are the stories of the Hansen family in the USA. His father's boats. Moving up, moving down and out. The evolution of a skipper/captain.

This book will satisfy the fans. It covers the ground that fans will want to know about - close calls out at sea, pranks between the crew members, embarrassing growing-up stories among the Hansen brothers, and how the Northwestern came to be on TV. It also tells the story of how the first coveted F/V Northwestern jackets came to be!

The digital version of this book had some minor issues. There are many, many words which had been spliced - there is a space in the middle of the word or a dash in the middle of the word inappropriately. The best feature of the digital version, however, was the click-able index. Next to the word in the index was a hyperlink that you could click, which would take you right to the reference.



North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780312591144
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters Overview


NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

In the tradition of Sebastian Junger and Linda Greenlaw comes Captain Sig Hansen’s rags-to-riches epic of his immigrant family’s struggle against deadly Alaskan seas, freezing shipwrecks, and dangerously brutal conditions to achieve the American Dream

Sig Hansen has been a star of the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch from the pilot to the present. Seen in over 150 countries, the show attracts more than 49 million viewers per season, making it one of the most successful series in the history of cable TV. With its daredevil camera work, unpredictably dangerous weather, and a setting as unforgivable and unforgettable as the frigid Bering Sea, The Deadliest Catch is unlike anything else on television.

But the weatherworn fishermen of the fishing vessel Northwestern have stories that don’t come through on TV. For Sig Hansen and his brothers, commercial fishing is as much a part of their Norwegian heritage as their names. Descendents of the Vikings who roamed and ruled the northern seas for centuries, the Hansens’ connection to the sea stretches from Alaska to Seattle and all the way to Norway. And after twenty years as a skipper on the commercial fishing vessel the Northwestern--which was his father’s before him--Sig has lived to tell the tales.
 
To be a successful fisherman, you need to be a mechanic, navigator, welder, painter, carpenter, and sometimes, a firefighter. To be a successful fisherman year after year, you need to be a survivor.

This is the story of a family of survivors; part memoir and part adventure tale, North By Northwestern brings readers on deck, into the dockside bars and into the history of a family with a common destiny. Built around a gripping tale of a deadly shipwreck like The Perfect Storm, North By Northwestern is the multi-generational tale of the Hansen family, a clan of tough Norwegian-American fishermen who, through the popularity of The Deadliest Catch, have become modern folk-heroes.




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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 24, 2010 23:18:07

The Art of Putting: The Revolutionary Feel-Based System for Improving Your Score

The Art of Putting: The Revolutionary Feel-Based System for Improving Your Score Review



Good book. Helped me improve the way I was approaching putting, albeit not everything fits me.. I'm more a mallet-putter type and won't go back to blades, so had to work a bit around the concepts expressed in the book to adapt them to my putting style. Still, I share a big deal of "principles" and having them laid out in plain and simple english really helped out. One example is distance control: your body has it inside, no mechanics thinking can match that.. but Stan points rightly to the fact that only achieving consistent ball impact unlocks your "natural" talent (just as for any other club). And as a more funky note, reading this book helped me click about how to properly drive the ball.. and it works!
Overall, I would recommend this book to any golfer willing to learn the basics and sound fundamentals that underlie a solid putting stroke.. but some work will be left for you to adapt and integrate all this into your own style.




The Art of Putting: The Revolutionary Feel-Based System for Improving Your Score Overview


A breakthrough approach to putting from the PGA Tour’s premier short-game guru

PGA stars such as Jay Haas, Craig Stadler, Peter Jacobsen, and Darren Clarke have all sought advice from fellow pro Stan Utley about their putting, and have gone on to such immediate success on the green that Utley has become the most in-demand teacher in the game. Now, in The Art of Putting he outlines his unique approach to putting for golfers of all skill levels. In a welcome change from mechanistic and overly-complex putting "systems," Utley breaks down the putting stroke to a simple, natural motion, revealing a straightforward method for learning this sure, repeatable stroke.

As he guides you through the fundamentals of the proper grip, posture, alignment, and swing, Utley will overhaul and improve your stroke by putting feel back into your game. This definitive book also provides:

• A complete primer on club design, with tips for finding the putter most in tune with the nuances of your swing
• A guide to the sensory aspects of a good putt, from grip pressure to impact response to the way a putt should sound
• Simple steps for reading greens accurately, every time
• Drills to commit your putting stroke to muscle memory and overcome the tics that can knock your putts off line
• Cures for the mental hurdles you’ll face on the short grass


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 24, 2010 15:55:05

Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation

Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation Review



I watched the movie Invictus and enjoyed it, so I thought I'd try the book Playing the Enemy. Turns out the movie was very faithful to the book as well. What makes this so much more than just another Cinderella/underdog sports story? The timing of this World Cup Rugby match. I don't pretend to understand Rugby, and you don't need to - it's really about how Nelson Mandela, soon after being released from prison, seizes an opportunity to use rugby to help unite South Africa.

After years of repression, apartheid, white supremacy rule, the Blacks had elected Mandela as their new president of South Africa. Both white and black radicals wanted revenge, power - violence was breaking out. How to stop it? By using the very symbol of white racism - the South African rugby team - Nelson Mandela gave everyone something they could support, a cause to rally behind. It ain't crazy if it works, and this actually worked. He got the blacks to see the rugby team as belonging to all of South Africa, no longer something that only the whites would watch.

What makes this book work so well are the characters behind the history. Of course the successful change from white rule to free elections was made possible by more than just a rugby game, but the author shows how many different approaches Nelson Mandela used to ensure peace. The focus is on the people - the game, the politics and strife remain in the background. This is not by any means an exhaustive history of the end of apartheid, but rather a very compelling piece of that story. Very uplifting and motivating, that in of itself, makes for a good read.



Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780143115724
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation Overview


Beginning in a jail cell and ending in a rugby tournament- the true story of how the most inspiring charm offensive in history brought South Africa together

After being released from prison and winning South Africa's first free election, Nelson Mandela presided over a country still deeply divided by fifty years of apartheid. His plan was ambitious if not far-fetched: use the national rugby team, the Springboks-long an embodiment of white-supremacist rule-to embody and engage a new South Africa as they prepared to host the 1995 World Cup. The string of wins that followed not only defied the odds, but capped Mandela's miraculous effort to bring South Africans together again in a hard-won, enduring bond.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 24, 2010 02:21:07

Saturday, October 23, 2010

The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training

The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training Review



I'm 100 pounds overweight and trying to train for my first (and only) half-marathon (gotta love peer pressure). I am half way through my training and felt I needed a little more boost so I got this book. It was so timely. The things that Dawn was writing about were the exact same things I was totally experiencing (blisters, aches, fatigue, slow weight loss, incredulously increasing mileage). Her book is written in a way to crack you up. It's not for the super serious runner. The title defines perfectly the target audience for this book! The book throws in helpful information while cracking you up. One of the last pages in the book was an exert from her journal - I laughed aloud for 5 minutes with tears rolling down my cheeks. I could not stop cracking up. The book is an easy and quick read (I'm not really a reader but got through the book in only 2 days). If you're an experienced runner - skip this book . . . unless you are mentoring a novice runner than this would give you excellent perspective of what your trainee is going through. If you are new to running with a goal of half or whole marathon - put this in your amazon cart right now!



The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training Feature


  • ISBN13: 9781580052054
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training Overview


Dawn Dais hated running. And it didn't like her much, either. Her fitness routine consisted of avoiding the stairs in her own house, because who really has the energy to climb stairs? It was with this exercise philosophy firmly in place that she set off to complete a marathon.
The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women is a fun training manual for women who don't believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless. It opens with a realistic training schedule and is chock-full of how-to's, quizzes, and funny observations, which Dais felt were lacking in the guides she had consulted.
TheNonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women also integrates entries from Dias' journal, sharing everything would-be marathoners need to know about the gear, the blisters, the early morning workouts, the late-night carb binges, and — most important of all — the amazing rewards.
Anyone can do a marathon. This book just makes the experience a little more bearable and a lot more fun.



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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 23, 2010 12:43:08

A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis

A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis Review



If you read this book AFTER Agassi's Open, you will be disappointed because the tones of the two are totally different. Sampras' books is as Sampras is. I could see why some reviewers said it's boring. Through the book you could see Sampras as the person of who he is: highly disciplined, focused, quiet, and introvert. And that is how the book comes about. Towards the end Sampras seems to come out of his shell some. Reading his autobiography and you will see, understand and appreciate what it takes to remain No. 1 for such a long time. I don't mind the stats at the beginning of each chapter. That just more represents Sampras of who he is, the athlete who's very focused and disciplined in the sports of his choosing. All the data might be boring to some readers, but you get several tips out of the book as a tennis player because here and there he would share his mentality/tactics/strategies of how he played especially against different kinds of players. He even provided his opinions/analysis of each top player in his time. All those represent the book title, A Champion's Mind.



A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis Feature


  • ISBN13: 9780307383303
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed



A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis Overview


Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player ever, a man whose hard-nosed work ethic led to an unprecedented number one world ranking for 286 weeks, and whose prodigious talent made possible a record-setting fourteen Grand Slam titles. While his more vocal rivals sometimes grabbed the headlines, Pete always preferred to let his racket do the talking.

Until now.

In A Champion’s Mind, the tennis great who so often exhibited visible discomfort with letting people “inside his head” finally opens up. An athletic prodigy, Pete resolved from his earliest playing days never to let anything get in the way of his love for the game. But while this single-minded determination led to tennis domination, success didn’t come without a price. The constant pressure of competing on the world’s biggest stage—in the unblinking eye of a media machine hungry for more than mere athletic greatness—took its toll.

Here for the first time Pete speaks freely about what it was like to possess what he calls “the Gift.” He writes about the personal trials he faced—including the death of a longtime coach and confidant—and the struggles he gutted his way through while being seemingly on top of the world. Among the book’s most riveting scenes are an early devastating loss to Stefan Edberg that led Pete to make a monastic commitment to delivering on his natural talent; a grueling, four-hour-plus match against Alex Corretja during which Pete became seriously ill; fierce on-court battles with rival and friend Andre Agassi; and the triumphant last match of Pete’s career at the finals of the 2002 U.S. Open.

In A Champion’s Mind, one of the most revered, successful, and intensely private players in the history of tennis offers an intimate look at the life of an elite athlete.


From the Hardcover edition.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 23, 2010 04:34:06