Training Books

I have a vast library of martial arts books and I must say that this is by far the best book that I have ever read on kicking. To start with, let me confess that at first I was more than a little skeptical about another book on kicking, especially one which covers only one specific kick. I couldn't imagine how there could be enough information on one kick to fill an entire book. Well, now I know. This is the most complete book on the back kick that I have ever seen!

This book leaves nothing out. It covers everything including the anatomy of the leg, stretching, vital targets, foot positioning, timing, distancing, and the importance of correct recoil. Shawn Kovacich covers variations on the back kick which I haven't considered before, and I have been studying martial arts for 25 years. He also delves into training drills, weight training, speed training, and covers several ways to develop your kicking power.

Back Kick is very well written and easy to follow. So many of the technical martial arts books are so dry and boring that is is a struggle to get through them, but Back Kick uses a lot of analogies and great photographs which make it interesting and easy to follow the author's points. I especially found the "did you notice anything wrong photographs" and the trouble shooting section to be very helpful. The pictures really helped to drive home specific points and demonstrated specific mistakes, as well has how a good back kick should look.

Shawn Kovacich obviously knows his stuff! I am totally impressed with this book and plan on reading more of the series. I highly recommend this book to every martial artist who wants to improve his or her kicking skills.

Shawn Kovacich's book "Back Kick" is the first book in 20 in his achieving kicking excellence series. The book is at once a primer and an advance technical manual. It functions as a primer because he covers the basics in the back kick. It has the standard photos showing the reader how to complete the kick. The kick is shown from a variety of positions, such as stepping back kick and spinning back kick (which is shown properly, often people will label the technique a spinning back kick, but end up showing a spinning side - Shawn stays true and demonstrates a proper spinning back kick).

The book, however, functions as an advance book, because it dedicates 200 pages to the back kick. This is more than a standard pictorial book. Many pages are devoted to anatomy and physiology with photos of the muscle groups and skeletal frame. One thing I really enjoyed is his "bad habit" comment reminding people not to drop the leg after executing the kick, but to recoil it. I have sat on many belt tests boards in other's dojos and have to watch this mistake again and again.

There are chapters on weight training to maximize power and executing the kick in a fight. The content of the book is superb; however, the high rating is due largely to outstanding content. There are some nagging problems with photo quality, but I cannot say it in any way it compels me lowing the rating since it in no way distorts the content.

This is Volume One of ten books devoted to mastering kicks. Shawn Kovacich devotes this book to the back kick: simple, deceptive, but effective. This review examines Shawn's book from a practical stand point--how well does this book enable me to learn the back kick?
I'm 50, 6'3" tall and 220 pounds, but I'm not an athlete--just healthy. I cannot perform the back kick higher than my own waist right now--I'll need to improve my flexibility. It isn't too much of a handicap for self defense--or active military service--but for those of you involved in karate matches, you need the high kicks for the match-winning points. The back kick is deceptive because most people are no threat when approached from behind. Employing the back kick can get you inside your enemy's OODA loop (John Boyd's Observe, Orient, Decide, Act cycle) and deliver the fight-winning initiative. Of course, if I fall to the ground or can hold onto something, my kick gains stability, height, and power--at the cost of being fixed in position for an instant. I'll need to work on my back kick more. Shawn's book has persuaded me that the back kick is worth mastering.
I have training prejudices: I like to employ mirrors, a video camera or two, a minimum of one sparring partner, and at least one referee when I train. Multiple sparring partners are to keep me from getting stuck kicking at the same height each time, and because in the real world, my problems usually come in bunches. Often, I must train alone or not train at all, so I have to limit my training intensity for safety. A second set of eyes can help spot flaws--and prevent injuries. It is very hard to dial 911 when one's back is thrown out. These kicking techniques can injure the practitioner if done incorrectly. I like both mirrors and video because when I initially practice, I can watch myself in the mirror. For realistic practice, I need to concentrate on technique and the target instead of watching my own reflection--instant video playback aids me in spotting what happened. I can even figure out if my kick was in the right place or not! Shawn wrote about the "crawl, walk, and run" phases of training and the basic and advanced kicking techniques are covered in detail. Exact detail. Train at your own risk. I perform a risk reduction prior to training--assess the risk level and employ risk reduction techniques to make training safe. Remember that training is synthetic reality, intended to be less expensive than gaining real-world experience.
I think that "Achieving Kicking Excellence: Back kick" is well organized. There are ten chapters. The introduction defines the kick and advises how to use the book. Chapter One is kick anatomy: bones and muscles. Chapter Two recommends warm up and stretching exercises. Chapter Three is Basic Principles: striking surface, target areas, and 11 other key points. Clear graphics left me with little doubt about what part of the foot to apply and where to hit my opponent. Chapter Four covered the primary kick technique. Again, the graphics are very clear. They include "dance step diagrams" showing where the feet go--footwork is critical to effective kicking. The photos have numbered labels stressing correct positioning of each part of the body. Chapter Five is variations of the primary technique. Chapter Six covers training and practice techniques to achieve skill, strength, speed, and power. Chapter Seven is a trouble-shooting guide. Chapter Eight is applications: how to use this in competition or combat. Chapter Nine is Shawn's awards and accomplishments. Chapter Ten previews the next volume in the series. There are a table of contents, a recommended reading list, and an index.
This is an excellent study guide. I can train some now, on my own, and when I find training partners (sparring partners and a referee) I might even get proficient!

I've been practicing the martial arts for over 20 years and the back kick is one of my specialties so I was most eager to read what Shawn Kovacich wrote. I was impressed at the level of detail and the proper foot positioning and distribution of weight. His pictures clearly demonstrated how to execute a proper Ushiro geri as well as variations such as the jumping back kick, the step in back kick, the step back, the offset, the jump 540 (actually the jump 360), the switch back kick, etc. He also devotes quite a lot to conditioning.

Now here are the draw backs of the book.

-Too much repetition (he repeats the same sentences over when explaining the proper mechanics of kicking technique)

- There is no mention of practicing with your back to the wall. This is a technique I've learned in order to condition myself to draw my knee in close to my body.

- Only 30 - 100 squats?? That's child's play. In the dojo, we do 300 - 400.

- The fighting stance he demonstrates is most suited for point fighting. In full contact tournaments and other styles like Kyokushin and Enshin, that stance makes one more susceptible to low kicks and sweeps. The stance should be lower. Even in JKA (Shotokan) style fighting, the stance is lower.

The author states that the book was written for all styles, yet he fails to mention that in many styles, the practitioner is on the balls of his feet much of the time while fighting. Hence it's important to practice this way as well to get used to executing the kick under less than ideal circumstances.

Over all, this was a good book.

If you are a novice martial artist, a kick-box exercise video nut, or someone who wants to advance their knowledge of martial art kicks, this book looks as if it would be very helpful.

The series of books is organized by type of kick: back, wheel, axe, crescent, reverse crescent, front, hook, hatchet, roundhouse, side kick. Ten books in all.

The volumes are absolutely loaded with pictures of not only kick technique but also of helpful strength-with-weight exercises, especially gym exercises with machines like the hack squat and leg press sled and of course the all-important lunge. So you get not only a discussion of how-to, but of what exercises can improve overall performance by gaining muscle strength. There are pictures with overlays of angles and axes, giving you an idea of proper form, though there is no substitute for a sensei giving you real-time feedback, of course. So these books are a good adjunct to martial arts class in the dojo; something to read and then take to practice and work on with real-time help.

There is a section on sparring--right and wrong. There is a suggested reading list in the back. A very complete series.

The only thing these volumes suffer from is slightly dark and low contrast black and white photograph reproduction due to pictures being on paper stock and not glazed plate stock, in order to keep costs reasonable for publishing. And the cover photo is wonderful but the graphic design (showing the title being shattered by the someone doing the title kick) was a GREAT concept but you can't read the title on the front cover (because it's being kicked to bits!) This is annoying; you have to read the spine to see which kick the book is about. If this bugs you, it's easily fixed: get some stickers or a Sharpie and mark the front cover with something like SIDE KICK VOL 10 or whatever works for you.

Author Kovacich is a black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do (which of course is one of the martial arts for which the kick is the premier technique.)

Breakaway is a refreshing, common sense book that provides fresh, new ideas about performance improvement, and the value of employees. This book describes how important a competitive edge is in today's market place, and provides the tools to help you succeed!

Breakaway lives up to its promise (and premise) of delivering value and expertise fast and clean. No-nonsense, practical, with suggestions of surgical precision to guide organizational transformations.

Don A. Johnson
Principal,
The Clarity Group, Inc.

Breakway was clearly written by an author who has been in the trenches, growing a company and working with people. From its elegant organization to its intuitive set of theories Breakaway reinforces what we all know to be true - that a principled approach to business will achieve the best results. This book should be on every business person's must-read list.

Breakaway is a must-read book for anyone in the corporate world who has responsibility for human resources, employee development, sales and marketing management, and for top corporate executives.

The main theme of the book is that in order to break away from the competition in today's ever-changing economy, an organization must effectively develop employees to deliver value to the customer faster than the competition does. After analyzing how organizations currently train employees and the deficiencies associated with this type of training, Fred goes on to define a new method for bringing employees to proficiency faster and more successfully than traditional training methods.

The first several chapters of the book document a new model for human performance and the three rules for accomplishing peak performance. The first rule - Establish a proficiency threshold - describes how to determine the point at which an employee is equipped to deliver the promised value to customers quickly. Fred clearly describes the questions that managers must ask in order to define the proficiency threshold and discusses the relationship of the proficiency threshold and the value chain.

The second rule - Accelerate the accumulation of experience - includes a discussion of how people really learn, describes the four phases of learning, discusses how traditional training methods leave the accumulation of experience to chance, and how to manage the accumulation of learning. Using an example of training copper splicers to become fiber optic cable splicers, Fred demonstrates how to successfully manage the accumulation of experience in relation to training.

The third rule - Measure the cycle time to threshold proficiency - describes the metrics used to measure the how fast an employee can be trained to arrive at the proficiency threshold. Fred goes into some detail on how to measure the overall proficiency of the organization, and redefines the learning curve as the proficiency curve.

In the last half of the book, Fred describes how to "put it all together". Recognizing that no two companies are the same, Fred compares and contrasts the styles of two very different companies. What emerges is that there is no set of rules for achieving organizational proficiency, rather there are a set of key concepts that managers must be aware of in designing fast, effective, successful development programs.

In summary, this book is very readable, indeed it is designed "...for the business leader, to be read in the time it takes to fly from Chicago to San Francisco or Denver to Miami." True to one of the key concepts, the book is clear, concise and to the point.

About the author:
Charles L. Fred is a thought leader in performance improvement and an expert in learning speed. He is the founder and CEO of The Breakaway Group, which provides seminars and workshops to teach the concepts described in Breakaway. Formerly the CEO of Avaltus, a leading provider of e-learning services, he has also directed major change efforts in both the manufacturing and service industries, has consulted to successful companies around the globe, and has been a frequent speaker to major business forums and groups of senior executives over the past twenty years. Once a nationally ranked NCAA track athlete, he continues to compete in corporate races across the country. He lives in Centennial, Colorado, with his wife, Julie, and their three teenage children.

Review by Richard D. Turnquist.

What has really changed in our world in the last two decades? Time has sped up and surpassed all the other busienss variables in importance. These days time is more important than money.

To win in business, you must break away from the pack and stay ahead by serving your customers extraordinarily well. "Speed-to-proficiency is more than a theoretical advantage; it is the most devastating competitive weapon in a world where the competitive forces of scale, automation, and capital are subordinate to the power of a proficient work force."

I enjoyed this book, right from the first sentence -- "This book is designed for the business reader, to be read in the time it takes to fly from Chicago to San Francisco or Denver to Miami." Breakaway is an easy read with a vital message. Read it.

This book will be equally useful for an individual ambitious to improve, or for a chess trainer looking for stimulating course material. There is a tremendous depth to the program of instruction here, with sections on openings, middlegame concepts (closed center, open center, isolated pawns) and endgames (queen endings, pawn endings, knight endings). Computers and databases are covered (2 pages), with the emphasis in that section (as indeed with the whole book) being as much on HOW to study as on the study itself.
A beginner might enjoy this book, but the most benefit will be obtained by players who have some experience but feel they have reached a plateau - a quite common situation in my experience. Gambit is well known for only publishing quality chess books, so this is a self-improvement work you can rely on to improve your game and rating.

What I really like about this book is how it caters for the student who seriously wants to improve. There is a lot more to it than you might think from seeing the cover, and I learned a lot about strategy and endgames. There are four things I found especially helpful:
1. the book covers a big range of topics, like how to make a plan or the important of pawn structures.
2. the diagram examples feature many famous games and famous players.
3. endgames are covered in detail (I have found that other books of this type ignore them).
4. there is lots of advice on how to improve

If you are an intermediate player (say rated 800 to 1900 USCF) this book will greatly benefit you.

What I really like about this book is how it caters for the student who seriously wants to improve. There is a lot more to it than you might think from seeing the cover, and I learned a lot about strategy and endgames. There are four things I found especially helpful:
1. the book covers a big range of topics, like how to make a plan or the important of pawn structures.
2. the diagram examples feature many famous games and famous players.
3. endgames are covered in detail (I have found that other books of this type ignore them).
4. there is lots of advice on how to improve

If you are an intermediate player (say rated 800 to 1900 USCF) this book will greatly benefit you.

why has no-one told me about this fantastic book before? There are sections on the endgame, analyzing your own games, how to study position-types and so on. Hall clearly writes from personal experience, and the method worked for him: he is a strong international master. The title is a little misleading in that it might imply the book is aimed at novice players, when the book could be useful for even club players. My chess library consists of around 300 books. This is one of the best self-improvement works in it.

You will find this book outlines a wonderful program on how to study, and gives a deep insight into openings, middlegame strategy and endgames. As well as teaching chess I play in local tournaments, and I can say with confidence that this well-rounded approach is exactly what will benefit the intermediate level player most. The chapters on the middlegame will help every junior solve some of the most common problems, and there is a lot of great study material on strategic themes. The section on the endgame alone is worth five stars, as it extensively covers topics you rarely see mentioned in other books.
There is no doubt that after reading this book your general strength will improve, and there is so much material packed in, that it is like having the contents of several books put together. That is my one complaint - there is almost too much material, and it could take several months to do it justice.
The author is an experienced chess teacher, and he shares his methods with a passionate enthusiasm. I found his methods to be valid, and quite insightful in some cases. I would highly recommend this book for both kids and adults to study and enjoy.

this book will help to create a connection and fasination for kids with the environment and give them much needed connection to health and exercise too.

I bought this book as a resource for my church's Preschool/Kindergarten Religious Exploration class. Each Sunday we have a class of 3-6 year olds for an hour. We break the time into short segnments and like to include some kinetic activities. They have together time, a spiritual message, a craft, a song, and then we use to play a game together. The games started getting a bit wild and sometimes too competative, so I thought a quieter physical activity like yoga might be a good fit. This book makes the positions so fun and easy: each child can be sucessful at thier own level. It has suggestions of how to use the poses, ways of advancing through the positions, a section sort of like a "teachers guide" so people unfamiliar with yoga (such as myself) can use it with confidence. The kids love doing Yoga and looking at the pictures to see how to do things. They are fully absorbed in trying to achieve the poses and talking about what a flower (or star or whatever the pose is modled on)feels like or sees or thinks. The book is very well done, thought provoking and affirming. I am fully delighted with it!! This is a wonderful adition to a young child's life.

As an educator, I found this book to be delightful, colorful and easy to understand. I would suggest this book even to adults trying Yoga for the first time. First of all, the layout and pictures were easy on the eye and I can see how this may attract young readers to its content, without an adult. The language and tone of the book was enjoyable. I think this is a good introduction to anyone beginning Yoga and I would recommend it very highly. Peace, Kind Essence (Karen thompson)

I bought a whole slew of yoga for kids books and this is by far the best one. All of the others repeat the information from this book, but in a less clear way and without the great pictures. This is the one to get.

A beautifully illustrated book. Accurate and colorful. My class of preschoolers related to it wonderfully, using it as a guide for their own Yoga poses. They invented several and we took pictures to add to this stunning book. This Yoga work interested and calmed some of my more challenging students. Well worth the investment of money and time. Highly recommend.

Anyone working in sports medicine should have this reference guide in their library. It's an outstanding resource that will help in diagnosing an injury.

Awesome book !!! I'm a P.T. and Athletic Trainer getting
back into sports medicine and this book is a "must" for
your library. It's well organized and covers such a variety
of subject matter regarding injuries,rehabilitation, specific
medical injuries, and even aspects on the use of supplements
by athletes. It also contains functional anatomical references
that aid in the evaluation and differential diagnosis of
the injury. Great Book !!!

The Second edition of Clinical Sports Medicine is the best reference book I have come across as an athletic therapist and professional fitness and lifestyle consultant. I find it very easy to navigate with great illustrations and information. The references are all very recent and evidence-based so you feel confident in following the authors' recommendations. It is particularly good value at 67 US dollars - most hardcover books of this size are about twice that price. The corresponding website has updated information, including relevant published papers, which I find quite helpful also. These authors have really done a fabulous job of classifying sports medicine information in a logical and easy-to-use format. I highly recommend it to anyone in the sports, fitness, and/or health fields!

This is an astounding book. When was the last time you saw a 900+ page hard cover book packed with useful photographs and excellent line drawings...The practical advice in this book is unparalleled. No wonder it is an international best-seller. It arrived quickly and well packed from Amazon. Keep up the good work and thanks!

The second edition (2001) of this work is indeed an outstanding resource. My daily work includes imaging of sports and musculoskeletal injuries. I find this book frequently useful to supplement deficiencies in my knowledge and experience, and a most useful companion to the second edition (2001) of "Musculoskeletal Ultrasound" by Marnix van Holsbeeck and Joseph Introcaso.

Highly recommended as a workbench resource to those interested in imaging of sports injuries.

Wonderful tips and insights in this book! A great resource for both beginners and professionals alike. It's fun, engaging, and informative. The best part of the book is that it centers around real-life stories and examples, so you not only pick up some "theory", but see how it works in practice. Describes many simple techniques that work! I think it can be helpful not only for coaches, but for managers, as well. Highly recommended!

You will not be disappointed with this book. Whether you are a consultant/trainer, supervisor or simply would like to better manage your personal relations, this is the book for you. Great exercises - excellent definitions and insights. This is a super buy!

The book conveys the author's approach and techniques for effective coaching, starting with a model to help an observer see the big picture, followed by eleven stories to examine coaching in action, and twelve coaching tools used with success in the field. A highly useful and insightful book that brings the reader, to the extent words permit, into contact with the coaching process. Very highly recommended.

The practical and innovative tools contained in this very original book are described in an authentic and engaging manner. I recognized many of my own clients in the deft descriptions and stories provided by Thier. I often felt like I was in the midst of a lively coaching tutorial. Creative applications to my own coaching practice were sparked for me as is evidenced by the numerous folded-down page corners on my copy! I know that I will return to Coaching CLUES to refresh my thinking and practice. Thier is an artist.

There has been a lot written on coaching. What sets this book apart are the compelling stories and practical tools for getting results. Thier's wisdom and experience come through on every page. Anyone engaged in coaching (as a coach or client), or anyone who's just interested in self-improvement, will benefit.

There is no better study guide for passing the postal exam than Mr. Parnell's. All info is up to date right with postal guidelines. No other study guide is as easy to understand and follow. As we all know it is practice that makes perfect.I had searched for a study guide like this and purchased three others before this from the list here.
I had a hard time understanding and putting the formulas together from other manuals.That was all cleared up after the first listen to the first cd. There are lots of secrets that no one else has.If you need any proof, I got a 100% on my exam.So do yourself a favor and purchase this guide.you need no others.

I scored a 99.3 on the exam after preparing with this guide. I did this on my own with NO veteren or disabled extra points. It can be done and you can get to the top of the list. Very easy!!!!

I am retired USAF, and purchased this book and CD set to prepare for the postal exam. I was one of the 5 hired out of hundreds who tested in Oct 2003. I now have 11 months as a Mail Carrier.

Using this book as a study guide to prepare I recently took the exam for the Raleigh area. Test results = 100% carrier, 96.8% mark-up clerk. Without a doubt, this book was the reason for my success---it prepares you for the exam in every possible facet, right down to the completely realistic answer sheets (they are set up the same on the actual exam). Don't take this test without preparing for it (as many people unfortunately do). This book will get you prepped.

this prep book WILL get your scores to the top 95% exam mark. the higher the score the sooner you get called in by the post office. simple as that. took the test and within 6 months, i am with the post office (long island, NY). scored a 97.84%. my friend went from a 95% to a 100% and was called in as soon as the list was available (3-4 weeks). a simple 2.16% made the difference of 5-6 months wait before getting called.

I recently had a knee replacement. My doctor suggested water therapy.

This book yeilded several specific therapies to improve the flex in my knee.

The best parts of this book are the detailed photographs of all the exercises, included in both a large format (one per page) and a small format (so that you can see many exercises per page). The only thing that would make the book even better would be if the small photographs were offered separately on water-resistant material, so that you could bring 'em into the pool. I'll probably photocopy those pages, and laminate them, so that I can do that.

The book has a helpful appendix of commercial resources with products such as an in-pool exercise station, and Aqua Tunes. Some of the companies appear to have gone out of business in the 11 years since the book was first published--to be expected.

By the way, the average rating here would be 5, but one reviewer apparently forgot to add the star rating, while still offering the book a glowing review.

I had a devastating knee injury about five and one half months ago (the doctor stated that I may never be able to obtain my pre-injury range of motion)The traditional rehab was going very slowly and very painfully. I asked my physician if I could exercise in the water, and after his approval, I started with the workouts in this book along with my prescribed rehab. I have gained 80% of my pre-injury range of motion and on a good start with my strength and balance with VERY little pain!! My physical therapist said I started improving much more rapidly after starting the water workouts and I have already exceeded the expected post-operative range of motion. I could not have done it without the water workouts!!

This guide is helpful for persons with physical limitations and provide safe non-impact exercises. It would be helpful if the guide would inform the purchaser that assistive devices would aid with the routines.

I was in a bed for 9 weeks with a herniated disc. My wife found this book in the library. I happen to live in Florida and was able to use this book to keep myself somewhat active and not become a cripple because of the pain I was in on land. 15 years later I am in great shape at 50 love the water and this book, and still read in now and then to remind me of the form to use and the benifits.I need a new one becaus eits been so used.

I love these books. It is a very easy to read book that I would recommend for people in the military and people not in the Military. "The Defense of Duffer's Drift" and "The Defense of Hill 781" belong on the same shelf together. They are both long enough to cover the topic, but short enough to actually read. BTW, If you are from a foreign country that is not friendly with the USA, you will not like this book. It will be of little use to you. 8-)

If you are riding in a combat vehicle that weighs over 11 tons, and you have to read this book. It takes basic tenants from Duffer's drift and puts it into a mechanized framework. Read Duffer's drift first, then this book. It will change the way you look at terrain or I'll eat a box of MREs!

Today no one thinks that they could fly a jet or command a ship. But everyone thinks that they could command troops in the field. This book shows its not as easy as it looks. You don't line your tracks and grunts up in a line & go get them. This small, slim book is a great primer for the people who are going into the Mechinized Infantry or if you are going into the NTC for fun in the Sun.
Altogether this is a great companion for the "Defense of Duffers Drift" and should be read and shared by the rough ,tough soldiery of the Green Machine.

This allegory about LTC A. Tack Always having to serve his time in purgatory (the NTC) is an outstanding read. Having served 12 years in the Army as an Armor officer I found this book dead on about tactics and operational planning. This book is geared more toward someone who has some military knowledge, though. If you are a civilian with no military knowledge then this book might be a little hard to understand. Overall it is a great read.

The Defense of Hill 781 is the clearest and most accurate depiction of what the National Training Center at Fort Irwin is all about. I've deployed there three times and still learned from this book.

I was having sushi with a good friend and we were discussing pets and the difference between dogs and cats. Being a cat lover from the time I can remember I was not too interested in hearing about dogs, who I perceived as basically big dirty dumb animals. My friend had a different take; she said, "cats are nature's serial killers, but dogs were put here to teach us how to love."

When my husband and I moved to the Caribbean I brought three cats over with me. One night a local stray dog, a "potcake" as we say, came to visit. "Don't feed it!", I yelled, "or it will keep coming back!" Well, he did feed her and she did come back and now we have no cats but are the proud owner of a 65 pound potcake named Smiley (the best dog in the world). Hmmm....

She came housebroken and relatively social, but liked to run off, was overprotective, and did not play well with other dogs. Luckily I found a great dog trainer and groomer, and Smiley entered doggie day care with training and socialization. Our trainer, as it turned out, used the principles taught by The Monks of New Skete. An Eastern Orthodox order based in Cambridge, New York, the monks train dogs as part of their "monastic witness. For example, since we live on land that is steep and rocky, it is totally unsuitable for farming. This reality led us to begin breeding German Shepherd Dogs early on, and boarding and training dogs of all breeds." The Monks also train dogs and their owners to lead happier, more productive lives together.

Their latest book, Divine Canine: The Monks' Way to a Happy, Obedient Dog, is a clear and easy-to-understand guide to training "difficult" dogs using the examples of actual clients. This is a beautiful book with color photos of the dogs, owners, and Brother Christopher. We see the dogs misbehaving and behaving with clear explanations of how they walked the path. The book is grounded in the monks sense that relationships with dogs help deepen our relationships with God. "God speaks to us through our dogs -- indeed through all life -- and woe to us if we're deaf to that voice."

Divine Canine is organized around the five basic obedience commands: Sit, Stay, Heel, Down, and Come. Each dog story focuses on how teaching the dog these basic commands leads ultimately to a calmer, happier dog and therefore calmer, happier humans. So we watch as Tessie the mini bull terrier with obedience issues learns that she is not the "alpha" of the family and must listen, as Hugo the bulldog learns to not jump up, and as Boomer the rottweiler mix learns that aggression will not be tolerated and is not necessary. But what we also learn is what we as humans must give to the dog -human relationship; what our companion dogs should expect from us.

While all of the Monks' dog books are wonderful, I especially enjoyed The Monks' Way to a Happy, Obedient Dog because of the personal stories. We see the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to the dogs and their owners and learn about ourselves as much as about our pets.

I raise puppies for a guide dog school and I also teach other raisers how to train their dogs. I always suggest any books by the Monks of New Skete. They teach love and consistency, exactly what a puppy needs.

A good book for understanding your dog even if he is perfect. Learn loving discipline that is geared to the nature of our beloved pets. Easy to understand and a joy to read for any dog lover.

This is the 3rd book I have purchased from the books authored by the monks of New Skete,and I continue to be amazed at their incredible insight into the world of training dogs.

Having read the first 2 books,, I felt it time to re -read them due to the fact that I am obtaining a new labrador puppy.
Unlike many of the other how to train books this book offers more details on training dogs which will help me key in more to the personality of my dog, and the relationship I hope to be building with him ~ and that is ultimately,,,,,to help him to achieve what he was born to achieve.
There are many authors and trainers that give little credence to the visual part of training ,and do not have much to offer about the fact that dogs do indeed have different personalities.

I am also of the school of thought that I do not want to offer treats to train, but rather train my dog and offer praise from ME,,,(his owner)~ I think that bonding the relationship a lot better without food even tho the trainer I have worked with before is very food oriented.
I need to train my dog to come when called,, an example would be to STOP him from a potentially bad situation( we live on a counrty road) and I may not happen to have a treat in my pocket at that time! Praise can be easily given instead.

I used to enjoy watching " The Dog Whisperer",,,and ,,,not to say that his techniques are all wrong, but I feel there is a HUGE difference in the training techniques AND relationship techniques that occour during training ( or re training ) of a dog.

I prefer the New Skete method ~ it worked very well on my last labrador so I can say that their method is good without doubt.
( and, we had a great dog/owner relationship~ with lots of visual contact!)

This book offers examples of dogs that are older , have problems, and need to be re-trained~
Each has a unique personality or something they must get past, so for me,,,,,seeing the fact that they try hard to re- think ways of working with those dogs is a huge help. There may be a time I may have to do this myself.
The last section of this beautifully photographed book ,has a nice section on basic dog training,, but I would advise any owner to get their other books as well, as there is a lot more involved in those books( that go into lots of detail) which can really help the owner and dog achieve goals they have set before them.
I will be taking my dog in for obedience classes as soon as I can,, and I plan to continue as long as it takes to get the Canine Good Citizen certification.
My lab will grow to be about 80 lbs or so , therefore all the more reason to be well schooled in obedience as we have small children over to our home all the time. (In other words, I probably will want my dog on a down stay for a bit of time unil all the excitement is over~ and THEN let puppy mingle with the toddlers while I watch)
That said, I believe all dogs, large or small, should be obedience trained irregardless of their size.
I look forward to more books authored by these remarkable trainers and while other big name trainers ( re-trainers actually) have made it big on the TV circuit, these monks do what they do for the sheer love of the animal. This is evident throughtout the entire book.
This is a lovely book, and I plan to buy one of their hardcover books to place on my coffee table next.

Brother Christopher and the Monks of New Skete pay homage to the dogs who are thought by their owners to be disobedient, stubborn, or unruly. Perhaps it is the slower pace the brothers enjoy in their rustic, secluded setting. Where they not only listen to the voice of God, but they listen to the needs of the many dogs who come under their care.

Using only a firm hand and voice or hand commands, Brother Christopher begins an intensive four week training course with the newest arrivals to New Skete. With apprehensive owners needing to be comforted as they release their companions into the brother's care there is quite a bit of chaos on the arrival day, for this normally quiet setting.

The training method is simple. Understand the pack dynamics. Treat every dog with the respect and love and start building a relationship towards understanding and communication. With vibrant photographs of not only the visiting dogs, but also of the breeding dogs of New Skete (German Shepherds). Divine Canine walks you step by step through the process of their proven training by presenting each dog in a case-by-case matter.

Exercise is important, basic obedience a must and respect for these creatures are essential in order to channel the highly energetic and sometimes spoiled dogs that arrive for training. Interspersed between the training sessions are references and more gorgeous photographs of the German Shepherds the Brothers raise. The sale of the puppies helps to fund the Brothers way of life and their charitable causes.

Brother Christopher writes: "We are sometimes asked what sets us apart as trainers and breeders and why we do it in the first place. The answer may sound simple, but it is the very essence of all we are about. We look for the divine in all God's creatures. We are here, we believe, to find and foster this awareness in all of us."

Thank God for the Brothers of New Skete and the inspiration behind putting this wonderful book together.

their website http://www.newsketemonks.com/