Training Books

This book is written in a way that will appeal to all actual and prospective terrier owners. Frier-Murza adds depth and breadth to our basic understanding of terriers. For depth, the book covers the history of terriers (with many quotes from the 2nd century BC to the present). Illustrations from hunts in 16th century France are especially interesting. It also discusses the social forces that resulted in the emergence of today's breeds (about 30 pages). Being bred for earth work is the reason for the terrier's independence and ability to figure things out for itself, as well as the terrier's interest in chasing, tugging, etc. While actually working earth dogs is not for everyone, understanding our dog's drives and why they were bred to be the way they are can make each of us a more sensitive owner. For breadth, 29 different earthdog breeds are also highlighted in a section the brings out the working character and history, as well as the functional strengths of each breed (over 100 well illustrated pages). Breeds covered include the AKC working terriers as well as breeds like the German Jagdterrier and the American Feist and Rat Terrier (illustrated on the lap of Teddy Roosevelt). These 29 breed summaries are grouped by the regions (also described) in which the breeds emerged, thus placing them in historic and geographic context. Compared to Migliorini's book, Frier-Murza takes a more comprehensive and accurate view of both the history of the terrier's and also breed history. For example, Migliorini gives only 25 (smaller) pages (with larger type) to breed descriptions, compared to the 100 pages Frier-Murza provides. The book is very handsomely produced in near coffee table format. The hard cover book (with oversize pages) contains extensive photos. The photos are very clear, illustrative, and well produced

Book gives an excellent history of working terriers up to today's terriers as we know them. It has well researched documentation on each breed and its origin. Comprehensive in the explanation of terrier hunting, performance events, both in the US and abroad. Outstanding chapters on selecting a puppy, training, terrier/dachshund organizations, and many other items of interest to both the earthdog novice and enthusiast. I have read/studied almost every book in print (current and discontinued) concerning working terriers and I would rank this book as the "bible" in it's relationship to the others.

I submitted a review of this book earlier tonight. It is part of a larger review that I have submitted to the "borderline", the official publication of the Border Terrier Club of America. However the content is reduced and reorganized. I submit it with the understanding that your property rights in the review do not prevent such non-profit use of similar language/ideas elsewhere.

This is a good one. Lots of info on getting started. A definit must to any earthdog enthusiast. A real asset to anyone just starting out or someone who is already involved just to learn more.

It is a hardcover book and approximatley A4 size and 256 pages. As an example of what is in the book the chapters are as follows.

Ch 1. Terriers and Dacshunds-Earthdogs to the Bone
Ch 2. The deep roots surrounding earthdogs
Ch 3. Artificial den trials in the USA.
Ch 4. Artifical earthdog trials worldwide - Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ukraine, and Georgia. Quite amazing the different den types that are used. The Danes for example use live foxes.
Ch 5. Earthdog breeds-designed for work. Covers over 30 breeds including the Jack Russell Terrier.
Ch 6. Selecting a breed and puppy.
Ch 7. Entering a puppy or novice dog.
Ch 8. Advanced Work-digging deeper
Ch 9. Exhibiting at trials and tests
Ch 10. Show Time-how to host a den trial.
Ch 11. Field work-the real thing for your buddy.
Appendix A - Care of rats and making scent.
Appendix B - Building tunnel liners, obstacles, and cages.
Appendix C - Sources of Information.
Appendix D - Glossary of Working Earthdog terms

Except for the cover the photos are black and white but there are plenty of them within the 256 pages. I think a must for the serious earthdogger.

If you ever wanted a justification for home schooling and vouchers you will find it here. We college professors perpetually discuss the poor preparation of US students. Without foreign graduate students this nation would be a basket case. Little did we know that we were the problem. Fortunately left wing ideology has minimal impact on most college graduates once they get a job, so most teachers are not sympathetic to what they got crammed down their throats in Ed School. Nevertheless, Union power + case law + school policy have ham-strung the reformers.

Just to set the record straight, the only sensationalism in Rita Kramer's book is her title. Otherwise, it's formal reporting of the kind you would read in Time. She traveled to lots of schools, attended lots of classes, conducted lots of interviews. She's quite professional and even deferential.

The problem for educators is the picture that emerges. If you know nothing about American education, you might be stunned to find that ed schools are places where academic content is rarely mentioned, and students are trained to be social workers and baby sitters, not teachers as traditionally understood. Psychobabble is the air they breathe; mediocrity is their goal. Social engineering could mean making people smarter, couldn't it?? In our country, however, it means leveling everyone down to C-.

Written in 1991 when Whole Word was still dominant, one ed school professor tells her students: "Tell them to spell, not sound it out. Watch `em, they will. Eventually they'll trust you and they'll learn to read." I mention this in case you ever wondered why teachers can be so loyal to ideas that don't work. Here's why: ed school professors.

A century ago, John Dewey laid out a secret scheme whereby ed schools would be used to indoctrinate teachers and thus bring about social change. The scheme continues. All unnecessary; all wasteful; all destructive. Teachers don't need ed school. (Better they take a course at Toastmasters.) Private schools and parochial schools merely require that prospective teachers be expert in the subjects they'll teach. What a concept!

Welcome to the place where torturers are trained and weeded out!This book is first step in finding an answer to the pathetic state of today's educational system. What are teachers taught? What is the criteria for determining a good teacher from a bad teacher? Or do they even try? Who decides this, and how? Ms. Kramer gives you the raw data to answer these questions yourself. The reader sits in on Teacher Ed classrooms with Ms. Kramer from the east coast to the west coast. You stop at the elite and exclusive schools, such as Columbia University's Teacher's School and Vanderbilt University's Peabody College, as well as the schools that simply churn out teachers in mass, such as Eastern Michigan University. The book gives readers a general survey of what happens in Ed Schools in the U.S. It is an initial look at the crime scene. Many other questions will arise pertaining to the causes of the observed corruptions, but these would be material for other books. Although Ms. Kramer does let her disapproval be known throughout the book, so did she when she chose a title. She would be an accessory to the crime if she didn't voice her disapproval. Thus, contrary to some other reviewer's opinions, I applaud Ms. Kramer for letting her evaluation of the facts be known -- its high time!On a personal note: As one who has been through a Teacher Ed program, this reviewer does not believe that the events have been exagerated in any way. My school was NOT one of those surveyed, but reading this was like a deja vu experience for me. This actually happens!

Other books tell about the bizarre premises, concepts and methods in schools today. But where on earth do these ideas come from? And why do administrators and teachers believe this stuff? The short answer is: ed schools. Rather than being a model of scholarship, today's ed schools waste away time with endless prattle about theories and philosophies. Rita Kramer toured the country, spending a good deal of time at each of a number of ed schools. She visited prestigious eastern schools, mainstream schools, and everything in between. Kramer reports on everything she saw: vapid looks of the students, meaningless classroom activities, faculty members who loathe the very same goals that most people expect from schools, and grades, assessments and final degress devoid of any substantive value. This book tells a vital part of the story in understanding what's wrong with our schools. I can't think of a better book recommendation for a young person considering ed school, a student in ed school, or a teacher who is trying to figure out why the time spent in ed school has so little to do with his or her classroom success. It's not really out-of-print, so if you can't get it at Amazon, try a print-on-demand service.

I enjoyed reading Rita Kramer's first-hand account of what our future teachers are learning. Although she is not dispassionate, she is absolutely well-informed about the travesty that passes for "education" in the "ed schools." Future teachers are indoctrinated, not educated, and that is the major reason for most of our problems in education today. If you care about improving schools, and if you are worried about your own child's education, READ THIS BOOK!

Extremely useful set of forms and ideas for use in the restaurant industry. It is skewed towards full service restaurants; but still has lots of useful stuff to apply to QSR. Do not expect to find a treatise on training, though. The CD ROM helps to take advantage of the material because it has the full text on pdf format and several of the sections in MS-Word format.

Douglas Robert Brown's excellent reference tool is worth every penny and should be in every food service operator's reference library. I have recommended his book for my tea students for the last five years and am pleased to endorse the revised media. From the small tearoom owner to the chain restaurant, Mr. Brown's resource is a valuable tool. Carnelian Rose Tea - Tea Business School - Jennifer Petersen

There is not one page of information in this incredibly handsome book that is not useful. The book includes every possible form I can think of, and many many more I never thought about which would be incredibly useful to our business today! The companion CDROM of forms allowed us to use this book from day one. Highly recommended!!!

The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Training is a no-nonsense, thorough resource covering the necessary training for all positions in the food service industry, from professional chef to maitre d to bartender and much more. Written in clear, easy-to-understand terms and charts spelling out explicit training instructions, and illustrated with some diagrams (such as a picture of how to properly set a formal table), The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Training spares no effort to be as understandable as possible. No background knowledge in any trade is needed to grasp explicit instructions ranging from a step-by-step breakdown of the hostess job to the proper order of service for a luncheon handout to how one can go about creating a memorable presentation to food service employees, and much more. A CD-ROM accompanies this absolute must-have for anyone preparing for a career in food service, or charged with the responsibility of training food service recruits.

As a long-time user of The Restaurant Managers Handbook by Douglas R. Brown, I have found The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Forms and it's CD Rom to be the most complete and comprehensive selection of forms and ideas for every day and every situation that can or will arise in the food service business.

We've had to order multiple copies, so we can use them over breakfast or dinner. I've been wanting to share the hours with my husband for years, but was daunted by the complexity of the other official hours. This one is do-able.
I especially like the songs at the end. The words are deeply evocative and I was surprised to discover that that the words do indeed fit to many tunes.

Author presentation: This is a book of morning and evening prayer that combines a broad choice of hymns, psalms and biblical canticles combined with readings from Scripture and forms of intercessory prayer. It is brief, easy to use, and fully Catholic in content and format. Morning and evening prayer
are one of the foundation pratices of a Christian life. Next to the Mass itself they foster individual and family worship that is filled with praise, thanksgiving,and a sense of belonging to the Communion of Saints.

William Storey provides here a brief but traditional form of the Roman Catholic morning, evening, and night prayer from the liturgy of the hours suitable for individual or communal praying. The texts for morning prayer and evening prayer are given in a four-week cycle. Each hour of prayer consists of introduction, hymn, psalm with psalm prayer, short scriptural reading followed by silence and response, a canticle, Lord's Prayer, and closing prayer. The Apostles' Creed is added after the canticle on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. A simple format of introduction, psalm, reading, Canticle of Simeon, intercessions, Lord's Prayer, closing prayer, and Marian antiphon-most elements involving several options is provided for night prayer.

There are simple, straightforward directives for the leader of the prayer when a group uses this book. Other clear suggestions provide ways of praying the psalms, using appropriate postures and gestures, and engaging in silent prayer. An appendix contains suggestions for biblical readings during seasons of the liturgical year; a collection of hymn texts which can be sung to simple, well-known, traditional melodies and a section which discusses prayer and contains the texts of many traditional prayers with short commentary on them.

Compared to other similar resources, this book is simpler to use than most and is suited to both individual and communal prayer.

This is a fine introduction to the biblical form of prayer known as the Liturgy of the Hours. The Hours are a rich and time-tested way for Christians to pray with the whole community of faith and out of the source of its hope, the inspired Scriptures. This type of prayer immerses believers in the poetic word of God found in the psalms, scriptural canticles, and scriptural readings. It may be prayed in community, family gatherings, or by individuals seeking to pray in communion with others.

"An Everyday Book of Hours" offers an introduction to and spirituality of this prayer and shows how to do it. It presents a clear format of morning prayer and evening prayer over the course of four weeks. It also offers a simple form of night prayer for bedtime, a fine collection of basic Christian prayers, and newly translated hymns.

William Storey has produced a number of highly regarded books for prayer over many years. They are sturdy guides to a fresh experience of the centuries-old tradition of Christian prayer out of the pslams and other Scriptures. He is one of the world's few experts in this long experience of lived prayer. This newest publication deserves a wide and heartfelt following!

Bill Storey's revised prayerbook (An Everyday Book of Hours) is the most useful single book for daily prayer available. My wife and I now use it on a regular basis. I will also integrate it into courses I teach in liturgy in a Presbyterian seminary. The book offers a classic model of prayer for evening and morning, in a version suitable for individuals, two or three persons, or larger groups. It will find use in our chapel, with different levels of musical expression, and it will also serve as a model for developing regular prayer services in other settings. The genius of the book is to embody the wisdom of tradition in a very accessible form. The prayers are both poetic and succinct, there is a very helpful guide to reading the Bible daily, and there are immediately useful resources for seasons. The model for a night prayer is particularly fine. This is prayer for the people.

I first read Mr. Meyer's book in the early 90s and was touched and amused by it. As the decade progressed, so did the number of layoffs I also encountered, and I never went through a layoff without thinking of his story. I can't tell you how many people I have referred to this book, and that's why I'm on this web site today - to send a link to yet another middle-aged worker who is feeling "Down and Out in Corporate America."

It's a must-read for anyone who has been laid off and anyone who works in Human Resources. It stands the test of time!

G. J. (Jerry) Meyer writes an outstanding memoir reagarding his experience seeking work in the modern America of right-sizing and layoffs. Mr. Meyer writes honest and straight-forward prose about corporate life and the tough job market faced by the increasing numbers of people as production gets more efficient and automated. I read this book right after reading Jeremy Rifken's 'The End of Work' (which discusses WHY so many people are un- or under-employed), there should be a Surgeon General's warning about doing this, the experience is nearly too intense. One can only hope that Mr. Meyer gets screwed in some other manner, so that he'll be motivated to write more. Truly an excellent book by a very skilled and compelling writer

I so enjoyed this book I devoured it in one sitting -- which surprised even me. I have not a thing in common with the author: I am not male, I'm nowhere near 50, I have never been a senior executive and I've never been fired. In fact, I'm a stay-at-home mother. But Meyer writes well. And if you've ever had to look for a job under any circumstances, you'll identify. Don't believe the reviewers who call Meyer bitter -- he's not, he's just very, very specific about the details of his humiliation. His book does raise real questions about employers today, but more to the point, it's a good read.

Even if you are securely employed or living off a comfortable trust fund, this book is a superb read, painfully funny, sharp-witted, well written. Though I had never much sympathy for six- figure executives, Meyer's take on that world still engaged me to read the book in one sitting

The corporate life is much like a chicken coop: the few chickens on the top of pecking order have friends and a full access to the feeder. Once a chicken slides down the pecking order, it is unlikely to regain its spot. At least, not at the age of 50 and not without strong connections.
Jerry Meyer, an ex-senior executive at MacDonnell-Douglas, wrote a painfully frank story of a corporate chicken, who made it to the top of pecking order without connections or old money, and fell back to the bottom.
It is a must-read for every executive wannabe. Maybe, the reader will think of Meyer's message and reconsider the career strategy: it is safer to be paid for what you DO than for what you ARE. A title is no substitute for skill, creativity and, most important, sense of self-worth.

William Bongiorno has given us a fast-paced, well-organized discourse on public relations, demonstrating incisive understanding of the business world, overlaid with the practical application of public relations to financial spheres. From such topics as honing the message, being a source to the media and weaving your website to ideas such as utilizing color and context in presentations, even the most experienced media person will discover gems of information and tips in creating a sophisticated business public relations plan.

Media relations guru Bongiorno's responses in this one hour question-and-answer session are intelligent and insightful, taking a helpful problem-solving approach. Bravo!

Insight that has helped my business tremendously! Having great Public Relations is priceless to a small business owner...this CD gave me the "know how".

This is a very well done, informative CD which gave me lots of great ideas on how to expand my business using the media.

The CD provides a depth of insight for which you would normally be charged a $10,000 retainer. I'm very impressed. This is a must-buy for anyone in the financial or PR sector.

Comprehensive resource for novices as well as seasoned professionals. Mr. Bongiorno offers excellent suggestions on how to use the power of the media to grow a business of any size.

The book has interesting visuals, set-up for taking notes, and covers a wide range of what is contained in the history and present of the study of the mind in relation to the body.
I think it will definitely help me in my entry-level Psychology course.

As an Intro Psych instructor, I reviewed dozens of psychology texts. Gray's "Psychology" is clearly the best.

First, because it is written by a single author, it maintains a consistent style and viewpoint throughout--that is, the application of evolutionary biology and cognitive science to the study of the mind and behavior. Consequently, he does not shy away from putting forward strong arguments where they are needed. On this, see especially his superb discussion of the fall of behaviorism and the rise of cognitivism.

Second, the author has a powerful command of several lines of important research, and he uses this to "smarten up" the text to make it *more* understandable. As an example, see particularly his discussions of the heritability of intelligence.

Third, the text is beautifully organized.

The text does, however, suffer from two small weaknesses: the discussion of self-esteem owes too much to James, with James' errors especially, and the discussion of mental health and happiness needlessly bore little imprint from the chapters on cognition.

Still, Gray produced a superlative volume.

If truth be told, I do not even like psychology, and feel contemt of some sort for it.I took it this semester to fulfill my humanity requirement.Nevertheless, I cannot deny that this book is wonderfully written, and it was a true pleasure reading it ! Peter Gray is obviously very fond of psychology, as well as of teaching it.It was much fun reading a book written so sensitively and with so much enthusiasm. I know many universities assign this book and am therefore surprised only one person reviewed it so far.

The first day of class my professor felt free to note that the text for her class was boring, in the opinion of some of her students. After reading it myself, I had to disagree. The text is one of the better ones I've read. I took AP Psych in high school and the text used there was boring. This textbook, however, presents Psychology in an interesting light. The first chapter, on the founders of Psychology is written so that you can actually make sense of it. Most cases studies of the guys like Freud, Wundt and the like proved to be boring for me, but not in this text. The authors also go out of thier way to make sure that you understand what you are reading through the questions that appear in the margins of the text. The book also features comics and interesting pictures relating to the subject matter. This book is not your typical "college text." I also recommend the study guide. It has self tests that you can use to study for the final.

I thought this text was great--it provides information in a very clear and well-explained manner for the student who has never taken a psychology course before. Gray proves he has a sense of humor as well, injecting funny lines every now and then. It provides a lot of pertinent information in an interesting manner, and covers everything from theories on development and society to cognition and neuroscience. After finishing my intro psych class I even found myself wishing I could still use the text for my other classes (in fact I still refer to it every now and then).

I just finished reading Shawn Kovacich's book Frontkick. I found it to be very complete and detailed, as were the other two books that I have read in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series. I will not go into the front and back matter as I have already covered this material in my other reviews. Much of it repeats as things such as stretching, strength training, speed training, and the like apply to each of the different kicks equally. These specific parts of your training are covered in detail and are a very useful part of this book.

I found that I especially liked the "notes" which are found throughout the book. Shawn's notes are filled with useful and interesting information. Both the kicking applications and the trouble shooting guide were also excellent. I find it refreshing for a martial arts author to be willing to show photos of himself making mistakes in order to point out what you should not do, instead of just showing you how your kick should look. I personally find this teaching technique very helpful.

Obviously Shawn Kovacich knows what he is talking about when it comes to the art of kicking. I highly recommend this book to any martial artist, beginner or experienced, who is interested in improving his or her kicking skills. This book is technically complete and well written, and is a great addition to any martial arts library. My copy is now highlighted, pointing out tips and information that I want to go back and quickly reference. If you are looking for a great book to improve your front kick, this is it!

This is Volume Six of ten books devoted to mastering kicks. Shawn Kovacich devotes this book to the Front Kick. This review examines Shawn's book from a practical stand point--how well does this book enable me to learn the front 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.
My two favorite kicks are the side kick and the front kick. I find them to be the most useful in real-world personal combat, though Shawn's book on the back kick did raise my appreciation for the back kick. The front kick is like a boxer's jab punch--quick in and out. A series of front kicks can be delivered rapidly with just one leg, or a flurry of front kicks from alternate legs can be delivered. The striking surface is the ball of the foot and targets are precision spots such as the face, neck, kidneys, solar plexus, arm pit, groin, knee, and nerve bundles on the thighs. Shawn lists a variety of targets much longer than my list--and has a useful target area diagram on page 29. The front kick must be precise, and because the front kick is less powerful than other kicks, you must kick THROUGH the target to deliver maximum punch.
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: Front 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!

Volume 6, "Front Kick" in Kovacich's "Achieving Kicking Excellence" series, like the previous five books, covers the kick very thoroughly. Shawn if anything, is consistent, which aids this series. Format is the same throughout all books so far, which aids the instructor or the student, making information more quickly accessible. The reader knows what to expect, details about muscle groups, target areas, and proper technique are standard. This book serves its purpose well.

Achieving Kicking Excellence

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.)

During my past 14 months of regularly attending karate classes, I thought that I was really good at executing the front kick. When I was deciding what other books in the series to order (I had previously ordered Back Kick, Wheel Kick and Axe Kick) I had initially not even considered ordering Front Kick as that was the first kick my instructor had taught me and even he said that it was a really simple kick to learn. After awhile, even he thought I was really good at it. However, I decided that I would go ahead and preorder the remaining eight books (including Front Kick) in Shawn's Achieving Kicking Excellence series. Boy, am I ever glad that I did.

I sure had a pleasant surprise on Valentine's Day when I received an e-mail from Shawn telling me that the rest of the books were back from the printer and that he would be mailing them out to me the following day. Four days later my books arrived via USPS Priority Mail. Although Front Kick was in there, I didn't really take much of a look at it. I just thought that I already knew how to execute it and I didn't really think that there was really anything else I could learn about it. Well, although it stings my pride to say it, I was very, very wrong. Not that I'm not ever wrong, it's just that I should have known better after reading Shawn's first three books.

One weekend I decided to sit down and flip through Front Kick. I didn't get too far into the books when low and behold, I realized that there were at least three things I didn't know for every one thing that I did know, or thought I knew. Several hours and about a dozen cookies later, I finished reading Front Kick for the first time. One of the first things I learned was that even though my front kicks looked good, there was very little substance to them. Because I was one of the people in class that executed the front kick so well, I thought that I was doing fine. After reading the book, I realized that although my front kicks looked good, they were very weak.

I practiced off and on the rest of the weekend and when I went back to class on Monday some of my classmates noticed that I was doing my front kicks different. Even my instructor took notice and he even remarked that I must have received the other books that I had ordered.

Once again, I can't begin to explain to you exactly how much detail Shawn puts into each and every one of his books. My instructor has taught entire lesson plans on the material in this series of books. Most of the times he ends up using my copies and I don't see them for weeks at a time. At least I know what to get him for Christmas, a complete set of books of his own.

Now when we spar, it's harder for my opponents to determine if I am going to use the front kick or another kick. Now I am even finding it easier to go into another combination of punches and kicks or just another kick. Thanks again Shawn for fine tuning my front kick. These books should be a cornerstone for anyone who teaches kicks and for anyone who wants to learn how to kick correctly.

I was often puzzled by employees in their early 20s. They brought different values, expectations and skills to the workplace. My job was to teach them the service ethic, to keep them long enough to get the benefit of my training efforts and keep them motivated to put in a good day's work.
This book addresses those issues. Any employer today needs to inform themselves on how to deal with this age group.

Answers to the, "What's in it for me?" question are relevant to more than just Chester's "Kidployees" - youth who have come of age in the late 90' and beyond; these answers are required for virtually every employee and this book delivers practical, relevant, everyday applicable, ways to answer that question with your employees. Reflecting common sense, as well as a sense of humor, Chester delivers means and methods to address front-line worker's all important needs for purpose, identity, and accountability. From CEO to front-line supervisor, this easy to read, enjoyable book will provide countless ideas for making that all important, bottom-line, performance connection with your staff.

From the section on "How to Attract Them", to "How to Keep Them", to "How to Connect with Them", Chester will hold your interest with his logic, humor, and common sense ideas for respecting, motivating, and holding them accountable. If you are responsible for managing more than one (yourself) employee, give this book a try. I highly recommend it.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

If you employ a team or are looking to employ (and retain) a team that includes anyone in the 15 to 25 age bracket, this book is an absolute MUST READ.

Several very good examples of what other successful operators are doing and plenty of food for thought that can lead to real application in your business.

A great investment and a very good read!

Eric Chester's Getting Them To Give A Damn: How To Get Your Front Line To Care About Your Bottom Line provides an excellent key to turning uncaring employees into performers and innovators. The latest generation shares a new set of values and won't blindly conform to company policy - but they can be motivated, and 'Generation Y expect' author Eric Chester shows how. From recruiting the best new employees to using different types of training to make them loyal, this is a 'must' for any member of the 'next generation employer'.

Eric Chester's Getting Them To Give A Damn: How To Get Your Front Line To Care About Your Bottom Line provides an excellent key to turning uncaring employees into performers and innovators. The latest generation shares a new set of values and won't blindly conform to company policy - but they can be motivated, and 'Generation Y expect' author Eric Chester shows how. From recruiting the best new employees to using different types of training to make them loyal, this is a 'must' for any member of the 'next generation employer'.

This book is an excellent read for all those who are interested in grip strength.

The Grip Master's Manual is written in a much more organized manner than John Brookfield's first book, Mastery of Hand Strength. Both are certainly worth it and used together are even better. Most of the techniques inside both books can be done with little material from a hardware store or things you probably already have. He goes over all types of grip strength and in The Grip Master's Manual he devotes an entire chapter to steel bending. If you're interested in how to train your every aspect of hand strength, buy both his books.

Upon purchasing and reading through this book, I have come to the conclusion that the author is insane!

Brookfield really takes a "backwoods" approach to his training. For the most part there is no fancy machines or complex contraptions that he uses to build grip and hand strength...Much of it revolves around using bricks or long pieces of boards to create resistance...sounds easy but it's not.

I will admit that despite having read the book, I haven't put alot of effort into building my grip strength. It seemed to me that it would require plenty of dedication to accomplish so I never truly persued it.

Apparently this guy is an expert in the field...Being that there aren't many books available on this topic, it's worth reading and seeing if any of the training methods work for you.

This book is THE book when it comes to grip training and becoming a well rounded athlete. Brookfield lays this book out very logically starting with a section on getting ready. He then progresses through: Advanced Lower Arm and Grip Training; Advanced Grip Challenges; and Steel Bending. No matter where you turn to this book is filled with helpful tips and ideas to get your workouts going.

I can honestly say this book and the ironmind grippers have already improved my hand strength immensely. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to acquiring Brookfield's other book "Mastery of Hand Strength."

John Brookfield IS Mr. Hands. He is also a very sharing person who will gladly help others to succeed. The Grip Master's Manual is a superb book with many unusual ideas for exercise and hand health. If you are interested in building a stronger grip, you MUST read this book. If you're not interested in building a stronger grip, you are probably not interested in performing near the top in any athletic endeavours. In a nutshell, if you want to be better at almost anything that requires use of your hands, you should build your grip and this book is a true asset. Highly recommended.