Training Books

I bought numerous Akita books before I got my Akita. But later I found this one. This is the best one I have seen. It is great because it not only has great information on the Akita, but also a lot of good general information on the care of dogs.

This is, simply put, the DEFINITIVE volume on the breed. Anyone who admires the breed or shares their life with an Akita will find this volume not only fascinating, but invaluable. In fact, dog lovers in general will benefit from the information included. EVERYTHING is covered in great detail in this very beautiful THICK volume which makes a beautiful coffee table addition. EVERYTHING - historical context, breeding and whelping, puppyhood, adult life, senior life, behavioral issues, rescue...and THE most comprehensive collection of medical information accumulated to date - edited by the remarkable Dr. Jean Dodds, the veterinary authority on Akita endocrine and immune issues. The medical information allowed me to navigate with my vet through a complex process - and I was able to understand what was happening and to make educated decisions on the care of my Akita as a result. I must say I was also surprised at the cost of this book - when you receive it you will see that comparable texts are sold for twice the price. This is an absolute must have! It's beautifully produced with wonderful pictures and an easy to reference index. It's really a tremendous accomplishment. I wish every important subject had a volume like this. Don't hesitate - I feel this book has undoubtedly extended my dogs' lives because I'm able to provide breed-specific care for them...and you can't always expect your vet to have the information that this volume does. It's a result of decades of information gathering and evaluation from a legend in the breed. I've never met Barbara Bouyet, but I can tell you that we benefit from sharing the information she provides in this text ALL THE TIME.

I bought the first volume and thought it was invaluable. The second one contains even more... I have used the information as a resource both with my own dogs and as a volunteer for Akita Rescue. The sections on health and diseases in Akitas have been expanded to give a better understanding of how the environment impacts the health of the Akita. I am studying the chapters on health and puppies intently now as I prepare for my second Akita. I've passed on information regarding auto-immune conditions to my own vet to use as resource material. Barbara has outdone herself and her devotion to the Akita is evident as she commits herself to educating others.

This book is a godsend for anybody who owns an Akita whether as a pet, show dog, obedience dog, etc. Virtually everything you need to know from personality to grooming, from health to holistics and feeding is in this book. There is nothing missing. Have a question about your Akita? It's in here. I cannot say enough good about this book. It is a bible of Akita information. We all (as Akita owners) owe Barbara a debt of gratitude for putting together so much information between the covers of one book. I am an Akita breeder, and my advice is this: if you can purchase only one Akita book, then this is the book to buy.

After Bouyet's first book, I was in line for the second one long before it was available, and it didn't disappoint. There can be no price put on the information contained, including health, history and nutrition. There are numerous examples of non-traditional remedies that your vet will never tell you! There is more information on nutrition than your vet will ever know! There is a view to the 'whole dog' that no one but an experienced owner/rescuer and devoted, full time student of the breed could ever have developed. And Bouyet is willing to share it - along with touching and beautiful photos that span generations of development and changes in the Akita breed. Artwork by Alicia Meyer enhances the imagery, and Dr. Jean Dodds' involvement is a huge bonus as, in my opinion, she is THE authority on the Akita immune and endocrine system.
On the surface, this is a gorgeous coffee-table book that depicts the love the author has for our sometimes difficult breed, but open the cover and you'll find an amazing wealth of knowledge that no other book can deliver.

This is a perfect training book. The way it is writen keeps my two year old interested. She even knows the song now. It doesn't recommend rewards or any odd words that you may not want to have your child use for pee and poo. It talks about wanting to be older and do what the big kids do...use the potty. Buy it, you will enjoy this book. Recommended for girls because of Miss Piggy...it's too bad that they didn't do one with Kermit.

this book is the best potty training book available to kids. i used this book 11 years ago when i was getting potty trained. and now the child next door that i help babysit is using the book. i loved this book. and so does Lauren (the child next door). every child should get the expierence of reading this book for potty training.

My child loves this book. I must read it to her six or seven times a day. She sings along to the song with a row row row your boat melody. When my girlfriend or myself are not reading this book to her she attempts to sing the song anyways. My daughter can relate to the troubles of not being able to have her diaper changed exactly when needed and the inconvenience of having it changed so frequently. We have a toilet for her and when the book says hello potty she goes over to it and waves. It is the cutest thing ever! Without this book I think we would be miles away from potty training my beautiful baby girl.

When my youngest sister turned 3, she wanted to learn how to use the potty. I got this book at our local library and it really helped her learn to use the potty and wear underpants. This is a great book to teach your child to go potty. Get this book at your local library or bookstore and teach your child what it feels like to use the potty.

my child is now proud of wearing diapers. the first line in the book is --Do you wear diapers?-- my kid laughs and says yes and pats his diaper. He doesn't relate to her dislike of diaper rash or having to sit in it when mommy doesn't have time to change it. Also this book talks about diaper pins and tape which is outdated even for cloth diaper users. So this book has had the opposite effect by no error of the writers; I didn't expect that reaction when i bought it! Really is probably a decent book for every other child in the world

This book is easy to understand for the beginner yet is full of quality classical driving and training principles. It also incorporates natural horsemanship(so old it's new again!) principles. Highly detailed but not overwhelming. Excellent book. This should be the bible of Carriage Driving.

I have only read portions of the book at this point but plan to read all of it. I am completly ignorant of harness driving but recently purchased a miniature horse that I plan to finish in carting. This book has been an excellant resource. It is very detailed, but easy to understand. It mentions things to keep in mind that might not be obvious (like if you're new to harness or your horse is, you should have a bucking strap on your harness to save you a lot of frustration). I also like her approach to working with the horse - it is definately working WITH the horse and not BREAKING the horse. I have not read any other driving books yet to compare, but I am happy that I started with this one.

This is the best book on driving ever written. Extremely well organized and easy to follow. Answers all your questions just as you think of them. There is only one problem with this book -- it is very hard to find. People never resell their copies so if you can find one, grab it.

This is the book for anyone who is serious about training their horses for driving with no corner-cutting. It is obvious that this book was written by a true horse trainer for true horse trainers, people who love horses and are dedicated to making the training experience a joyful and life-long experience. Heike Bean's book covers everything you need to know starting with the very basics, horse anatomy, hoof structure and shoeing, conformation, collection, bits, harness, carts and carriages.

This is truly the best book on carriage driving ever written. It is the bible for people who know the sport. This is the one book you truly need if you want to learn carriage driving. You can tell from the first page you are in the hands of an expert.
The only thing wrong with this book is you can hardly ever find a copy. If you find one, grab it. ( I don't know what's going on but there were about 10 reviews of this book here, all of them glowing, and they seem to have been erased. Everyone in Driving knows how great this book is.)

I needed this book when I first became a manager 10 years ago, but at least I have it now. Ms. Hacker did a great job of organizing the chapters and making the book understandable. I hire people almost weekly and finally know why I have had problems in the past. This book showed me how to organize my search and zero in on the right person for the job. I was using the hit or miss approach in the past. I ended up hiring lots of misfits. Thank you Ms. Hacker for making my job easier. Are you writing another book?

This book is a great guide for anyone who is responsible for hiring. It's well-written and to the point. I found myself picking it up and putting it down as I had time. I bought copies for each of my managers.

This book is written for the manager who must hire good people. After reading this book I feel I know how to stay focused in my search as well as where to get people. The questions that can be asked during the interview located in the Appendix were EXTREMELY helpful. I used to think that I ran a high risk of asking something illegal, but now realize that there are many questions I can lawfully ask. Overall, this book was an excellent investment.

This book is written for managers both new and experienced. I have been supervising people for more than 20 years. I found this book to be loaded with good, solid information that I could use and share with my staff. Hiring good people that mesh with the rest of the team isn't easy, especially given the low unemployemnt rate. The author organized this book in a manner that made it convenient to pick up and put down as time permitted. I learned a number of things that have changed the way I recruit for my department. I have 500 people I'm responsible for as a plant manager. I needed this book 20 years ago!

Carol Hacker has done a service to those who are serious about weeding out the costly bad hires that are waiting out there to harm your organization. She makes excellent points and warns about the huge costs of making a mistake.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "How to Spot a Liar in a Job Interview" and "How to Spot a Phony Resume" docwifford@msn.com

I thought this was an excellent book. I bought it to help provide some guidance while training my young horse, and it not only gave me a nice guideline of what-to-train-when, but also made dressage much more understandable.

This book focuses on the German dressage training scale. The author explains the steps in training the horse, dividing it into stages (i.e. stage one you focus on A, B, and C elements, stage two you begin developing D and E). He gives some guidelines as to what your horse should be able to do before you push him for more. He then devotes a chapter to each element needed in dressage, in the order it should be developed in the horse (relaxation, regularity, freedom, contact, on the aids...). He finishes with a few miscellaneous chapters on the flying change, transitions, the inclined arena (great for eventers), Prix St. James test, and lateral movements.

This book mainly aims to discuss the development of the young horse, providing a correct foundation for all further work, including eventing and show jumping. It provides more detail about the early years of training, rather than say, development of the piaffe, passage, extensions, etc.

I would recommend this to all dressage riders (especially those just starting out or at the lower levels), to those people interested in putting a good foundation on a young horse (this applies to ALL disciplines!), or to those that just want a better understanding of how to ride a horse correctly. This book has great clarity, is an easy read, I even recommended it to my youngest sister (she's 12).

Don't get me wrong, this is not a book for novices just learning to post. You do need a basic understanding of riding. He's not going to explain how to ask your horse to shoulder-in or get on the bit. I read this with a good working knowledge of dressage. This just put everything into a clear format and made dressage, for once, seem simple to understand (even if its very difficult to perform!)

Very helpful, great ideas on horsemanship and training. A must read for anyone serious about correct, empathetic horsemanship.

This is a book that should be mandatory reading for all aspiring Dressage riders, as well as those who train and start youngsters! This book provides detailed descriptions as well as a thoughtfully laid out format. Kurd follows the German training tree - with one exception that makes sense and gets results quicker! Read the book to find out what it is!

This is a book that should be in every Dressage enthusiast's library! A clearly written, valuable book for any rider, especially at the lower levels of dressage, with a horse of any age.

I am very enthusiastic about "The Elements of Dressage: A Guide to Training the Young Horse" and will be recommending it to my friends and students.

The author's instructions are written clearly and are plentifully illustrated with diagrams and photos.

As well as dressage riders, Western Pleasure and Western Horsemanship riders will find this book to be amazingly applicable to their favorite events. All riders will find that this book is both a wholistic and a specific guide to good horsemanship.

I found this book to be really helpful when I started using FCP. Everything was written in a manner that was easy to understand, it also contains everything you can do with the program. The instructions include editing, tools usage, transitions, capturing, etc...The book is thorough and the author isn't boring, which is great since there's a lot to remember!

This book is well organized and easy for folks new to FCP. It has the basics and some advanced features. I had to learn FCP quickly as I was responsible for making my son's varsity basketball highlights video. The book covered file organization, how to insert video and stills into the timeline, add audio, make special scenes of B&W to color, slow motion, transitions, credits, and export the movie. The video was a hit. It was very gratifying to see the kids and parents reaction.

Clear, precise and comprehensive. I found the exercises and tutorials well-conceived and appropriately entertaining. This text and DVD companion (tutorials) made learning a software, especially one as technically complex as FCP, a wonderful experience.

I was editing with FCP in under a week with the help of this book!

I used to think the Apple training books were the best, but the HOT (Hands On Training) books, especially those authored by Larry Jordan, are even better. Mr. Jordan explains everything with such ease that it put other authors to shame. And the graphic design and layout of the book, coupled with the use of color in just the right places and a very legible typeface, makes reading these books a joy. Yeah, that's right...a joy to read a 'how-to' book. Who would have thought?

I'd give this 6 stars if I could, just to send a signal to other 'how-to' authors and publishers that this is HOW IT'S DONE.

Summary: A fine companion for the beginner or intermediate Final Cut Pro 5 user.

The Book:
Final Cut Pro (FCP) is a complex swiss army knife of an edit program and can be very intimidating to a beginner. There seems to be way too many layers, windows and other sharp objects on which to cut yourself. But once you appreciate its potential, you will put imovie in your old cigar box of treasures and only bring it out to share with the grandkids.

This book guides you through the maze with agility and style. The author, Larry Jordan, is an Apple Certified Trainer who specializes in FCP and DVD Studio Pro. He is a veteran producer, director, and editor of corporate and network programs. He prides himself as a teacher and it shows in the more than 70 step-by-step Final Cut tutorials and fourteen quicktime movies. He has refined his teaching in his workshops and takes pride in presenting the information in a friendly, organized manner. Larry seems to be one of those tireless types. I'll leave it at that.

The book is part of a H.O.T. (Hands On Training) series presented by publisher lynda.com/books. The founder, Lynda Weinman, a web graphics and design veteran, wrote the very first industry book on web design, Designing Web Graphics, way back in 1995.

"The best tip in the book is that FCP gives you lots of different ways to accomplish the same task... just learn the ones that make you productive so you can forget about how the tool works and concentrate on telling your stories."
Larry Jordan

The book's chapters walk you through the entire process, from organizing and editing to outputting your project. The title page of each chapter shows a table of exercises and a summary of what you'll learn. You follow along with each exercise with the FCP project files and media located on the companion DVD-ROM. Each chapter closes with a list of helpful keyboard shortcuts and a summary of what was covered.

Throughout the book are shaded boxes and pointers identifying features that are new to FCP 5, power tips, warnings, etc. The graphic design, layout, paper texture, etc., are all very pleasing and evoke the attention to detail found in every aspect of the book.

Also on the companion DVD are the fourteen movies of Larry talking us through various aspects FCP, including capturing media, filters and multi-clip editing. Each one is about fifteen minutes and all are helpful in grasping some of the more complex features of FCP. One of the movies I especially liked was Larry's demonstration of slip/slide and ripple/roll edit features. His description helps differentiate the tools and describes when to use each.

Even though there are brief exercises on bringing files into Soundtrack Pro and LiveType, the 478 page book deals only with FCP not the other applications found in Final Cut Suite.

This book is for beginner and intermediate users of FCP. It provides a solid foundation and fills in a lot of holes if you're self-taught. It is written as if you are attending one of Larry's classes, very conversational and punctuated with his opinions and personal preferences. If you like his style, you'll like the book.

I highly recommend Final Cut Pro 5 Hands-On Training to anyone wanting to learn Final Cut Pro.

PRO: Best book I've seen for beginning FCP training. A treasure.

CON: Who has time to go through it all, plus the movies. Just have to pace yourself.
NOTE: This is written my Jim Jewell and I'm posting it

More myth-busting warrrior workouts from a real world expert. Jason Feruggia is straight-ahead with good advice and just the right amount of supporting anecdotes.
Enjoyed the book and would purchase it again.

Jason has certainly outdone himself. I have found this book to be very detailed and very well laid out. For a beginner like myself, its an easy but precise read and I was able to follow the various chapters. I totally recommend this book to anyone young or old... seasoned or beginner levels.. what Jason has done is really clear - he wrote a book that is for everyone. - Darren :)

Jason Ferruggia has outdone himself again! This book is applicable to anyone looking to get into great shape, not just MMA Warriors. Jay provides a plethora of information, including assessing flexibility/mobility and strength, prehab, conditioning and strongman training. Jay presents this information in a very easy to read manner, in which he relates everything back to his own in the trenches experience. This is definitely a must read for anyone trying to take their conditioning or strengh levels to new heights.

"Fit to Fight" has it all. You not only get cutting edge strength and conditioning routines for the MMA athlete, but you get Jason's unique ability to bring it all home in a manner that both the expert and the neophyte alike can benefit from.

Jason breaks new ground with some of the exercises in here -- likely ones you've never seen before, along with describing textbook-perfect form on exercises you may have been doing for years and explaining why they're useful for combat training. Not only do you get detailed descriptions on the latest strength training methods and dieting guidelines, but you'll also get 'Tips from the Cage' that answer some of the important questions you might have regarding training, diet, etc.

So, Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a weekend warrior, a UFC contender or the average Joe looking to get big, strong, and shredded training the way the top fighters in the world do, do yourself a favor a pick up a copy of Fit to Fight.

Fit to Fight is essential reading for anyone who wants to learn the latest training secrets that will turn you into a complete, fighting machine. Ferruggia sticks to his no-holds-barred, straight talk. He does an excellent job submitting the outdated, dogmatic training methods that many fighters have followed over the decades.

Most training books consist of methods that build one fitness quality at the expense of another - not this book. Ferruggia lays out a system that will simultaneously develop brute strength, powerful endurance and plenty of mobility. This book represents a new frontier in training for fighters and fitness enthusiasts.

Buy this book, read it, and put the information to use right away. It contains tips, tricks and principles that are applicable to anyone, not just fighters. And I can assure you the book is worth 10x the price. I've implemented many of Ferruggia's principles with my fighters and the results have been outstanding.

As a strength and conditioning professional and avid snowboarder I would give Rocky Snyder's "Fit to Snowboard and Ski" a solid "5 Star" rating. He has laid out functional progressions that will take a novice through expert rider/skier and develop the whole body for the demands of the sport.
The descriptions and pictures are easy to follow making this a very practical self-help guide. You can have lots of desire to improve but if you don't have the strength and stability behind it you will never reach your full potential.

I left New England in '98 because it was too cold and because I never learned to ski. In college, everyone came back from the slopes with broken parts and not just on their skis. After reading this book, I am glad to know that there are slopes on the West Coast because I'm giving this thing a shot. Snyder makes skiing and boarding sound not only fun and good for your health but necessary. His writing style is as free- flowing and easy as a trip down the bunny slopes. His encouragement is like having an instructor by your side cheering you on. I'm going to add his regimen to my fitness activities because he is so thorough, positive, and knowledgable. Thanks Mr. Snyder. Can't wait to see what's next in store for us!

Getting ready for this years ski season, I found this book to give me an excellent foundation in getting ready to hit the slopes. Mr. Snyder, made it simple to understand and follow, and I recommend this reading for all skiers/snowboarders.

As a practicing chiropractor for 25 years I have seen all of what can happen when you don't have a reference like Fit to Ski and Snowboard in your library. Rocky Snyder is a master at translating a no-nonsense training protocol into pure joy in skiing and snowboarding. Rocky's book will help prevent injury and inspire more charging and fun. What's not to like about a book like that?

Dr. Herby Bell
Capitola, CA

As an avid skier, I have personal experience with Rocky's books and his fitness/training regimine. What I have found most helpful about this book for ski/snowboard training is that it has a variety of exercises that will keep you busy throughout the off-season and keep you tuned during the season. If you get too familiar with an exercise you can easily find other exercises that will challenge you. Rocky's proven exercises really do work in keeping that edge to edge fitness and quickness required for skiing and snowboarding. The pictures and instruction make it easy to follow. The added bonus is that many of these exercises can be transfered to other sports. Every skier and snowboarder should have this book on his/her shelf. You'll use it often.

I've been in the business for over 14 years. I've been operating 2 personal training studios for the last several years. I'm now moving back to the club management side of the business again and was looking for a refresher on sales, prospecting etc. The book was well done, but very old school. Lots of cheeesy closing lines, scripts, etc. Lots of the techniques are outdated in the new era of club sales. Pretty "used-carsalesman" like. However, good stuff on forms, tracking, setting up personal planners etc. Don't get me wrong, this is a good book if you're a young buck just getting into club sales... just skip over the closing sections and you'll be ok. If you want a VERY current, highly informative book on working in a club... get "Making Money in the Fitness Business" by Thomas Plummer. That one is 5-stars!

I just read fitness, memberships, and money and it is an income producing system that was created to help sales people in the health club industry improve their ability to recruit and enroll new clients. This book was written in a basic form and I learned a lot from it!
I am not a sales person I am a personal trainer and I was looking for a book that could help me implement a fitness program or train a client. Many books may cover the latest and newest when it comes to exercise. These books are great for impressing my clients but when it comes time to make a living, I am looking for a book that gives it to you straight. One that teaches real techniques used by the best closers and producers in the "personal training industry." I was than told about a new book that had all the things this book was missing! "Selling Personal Training" by Ron Thatcher is the book for any serious small club operator or career personal trainer the techniques will lead you down the path of success. I bought the new book at Trafford.com and it covered things that were missing like how to do P.T. Re-signs , How to Work the Floor, The Wall of Fame, The Closeout, Selling Supplementation, Interacting With the Staff ,Giving a Free Gift with Purchase, Confirming Appointments and Cancellations my small personal training studio is booming because of "Selling Personal Training!"

I owne a small ladys only club in las vegas. I was looking for a way to improve my selling ability. this book was my first step to a thriving sales department. I use it on a daily basis to keep my new members coming in! first I used fitness memberships and money then with all my success I bought selling personal training what a great way to make your business grow!!!

erin brown

I learned more about fitness sales while working with Ron for 6 months than my other 10 years in the business combined!!! Ron's system is simple to apply and it works!!! If you want to immediatly increase your sales, buy this book!!!
Chad McCleary - Riviera Country Club and Sport Center

YOU CAN NOT WORK IN A HEALTH CLUB ONE MORE DAY WITHOUT THIS BOOK!
This is a book that will change the way you train your intire staff. It is the only book that I have ever been able to find that focuses on the specific area of selling a membership and teaching your staff how to sell. This book is not for owners or people who want to learn how to own a new health club. I have used this book with every new trainer and every new membership rep. it teaches things like drilling, the question game, how to interact with other sales staff, how to set up a close out, how to use a daily planner, 29 pages just on closing, 25 pages on prospecting, it even has scripts on how to sell P.T. This book maps it out for you word for word. I recomend it for every club operator that wants to improve there struggling seles department.

With all the books on hiring out there, I didn't expect to find one that showed me a system that worked flawlessly. This is a must have book if you are at all involved in the hiring process. It's worth its weight in gold! Buy it before it sells out. Enough said.

Over the dozen years that I've been interviewing and hiring staff, I have "self-developed" many of the techniques the author presents. However, I had not formalized them. This book provides methods and procedures, helps develop a mechanical thought process, to structure the pre-interview selection, the interview, and the post-interview analysis.

I used the book to augment my own "self-grown" interview process recently and with tremendous success.

This book is a "must have" arrow in every manager's quiver; young or old, new or mature. Whether you have "home-grown" an interview technique, had HR force one upon you, or are looking to develop a strategy, this book will help.

"High Impact Hiring" by Del Still is a must read for everyone from the President of a Company to the Dept. Manager charged with interviewing & hiring decisions. Once you have read this book you will find you are more equiped to gather the pertinent information on candidates which will ultimately give you greater success in this most important decision. Hiring the right individual is one of our Corporate clients greatest challenges so we have been giving this book to them to assist in facing the hiring hurdle. With the assistance of the book they are capable of meeting the hiring challenge with confidence. As the President of one of Southern California's premier CPA firms I am involved in all of our own internal hirings and am so grateful to have read this book. My advise to those of you who are involved in this process is "Don't hire without first reading this exceptional book!" Your business cannot afford the wrong individual. Creating an exceptional company can only be acheived with exceptional people within an organization.

"Making the right hiring decision is more important today than ever before." Del J. Still writes, "I don't have to tell you about the impact of smarter competition and globalization of today's business on profits. I'm sure you've felt the pressure. If not, you will. Even the smallest company cannot afford to operate as they have in the past and expect to suceed in today's pressure-filled environment. How do you win? You win by building an exceptional work force"(p.19).

In this context, throughout the book, he presents his 7-Step interview model that can be summarized by one seven-letter word- 'PROCEED.' He argues that "It is an acronym where each letter represents one step of the process. 'PROCEED' is your blueprint to interviewing success. You'll be amazed at the results you achieve when you follow this process, step-by-step"(p.42).

Step 1: Prepare

* Identify existing superior performers

* Create a job description for the position

* Identify the competencies or skills needed to do the job

* Draft interview questions

Step 2: Review

* Review questions for legality and fairness

Step 3: Organize

* Select your interview team and your method of interviewing

* Assign roles to your team and divide the questions

Step 4: Conduct

* Gather data from the job candidate

Step 5: Evaluate

* Determine the match between the candidate and the job

Step 6: Exchange

* Share data in a discussion meeting

Step 7: Decide

* Make the final decision

Finally, he writes that "Even though the material I have included in this book is based on years of research and practical experience, it can always be improved. I encourage you to experiment with the methods and discover what works best for you...The cardinal rule is to 'stay legal' and 'play fair.' The 'best' thing you can do is put someone in a job where their competencies closely match the requirements. The 'worst' thing you can do is the opposite"(p.221).

Highly recommended.

In December 2001 I recruited a person to our business and because I hired on my gutfeeling I made a very expensive mistake. Now seven months later after enormous amounts of energy and resources devoted to that person I had to fire him.

This book has thought me the importance of looking at working habits and past actions when hiring people. Maybe you can teach a old dog to sit - but who has the time and money for that!

If you are hiring - buy this book and do it right!