Training Books

I became an entrepreneur and business owner after I graduated school, so I never took business courses - especially at the graduate level. My customers have taught me some, I had some mentors and family advice, but mostly I have learned from by either making mistakes or having successes in my stores. And I am a firm believer in learning from books.
Business books seem to be about 80-20. 80% stinkers, 20% valuable. And then every so often that 20% turns out to have real gem. This book from Dr Cohen is a gem, with a lot of good, practical advice I can apply immediately to improve my bottom line. If you believe in continuing your business education with books, get this one. The advice is Peter Drucker's, and Dr Cohen fully credits the ideas to him, but I credit Dr Cohen for making these lessons readable, understandable, and easy to apply. Bravo!

Author William A. Cohen was a struggling young Air Force officer with no academic experience when he entered Drucker's PhD program in management, becoming the first graduate of Drucker's doctoral program. He used his newfound insights to further career and to gain a deeper insight into Drucker's approach and personality: A CLASS WITH DRUCKER reflects his experiences, expanding upon Drucker's lessons, revealing the teacher's personality through personal anecdotes, and providing fine tips on how Drucker's management tools continue to be applied in everyday business circles. Any business library needs A CLASS WITH DRUCKER.

Peter Drucker was William Cohen's professor "in probably the first executive PhD program in management in academic history" from 1975 until 1979 and Cohen was the first graduate of this program at Claremont Graduate School. His classes with Drucker met once a week, beginning at 4:30 PM and resumed after a dinner break, continuing until at least 10 PM but sometimes later. These were lecture courses without use of notes but Drucker, a master of the Socratic method of teaching, encouraged Q&A exchanges with students. ("In answering a question he might go off in an unexpected direction which seemingly had nothing to do with the question asked. Before you knew it, he was giving a lecture within a lecture.") He attracted so many students that his classes met in the largest room available. He used the same textbook for all his classes (Management: Tasks, Responsibilities and Practices) and never used a teaching assistant to grade for him. During the dinner break, instructors and students from various classes gathered at an open bar and then dinner in the Faculty Club. Cohen occasionally found himself seated with a group that included Drucker.

What we have in this volume is a wealth of Cohen's memories of those years as a student at Claremont Graduate School, his reflections on what he learned from Peter Drucker, and discussions of how those lessons were then applied in his personal life and especially in his career. "I have tried to come close to capturing his actual words, but in any case, I believe I achieved the spirit of what he said and how he said it. My aim is to put the reader in the classroom as if he were there with me at the time hearing Drucker and participating in every interaction I had with him." Cohen succeeds brilliantly in achieving these and other objectives.

If there were a business counterpart to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Peter Drucker would be among those selected for such an honor. (Who else? That's an interesting question but the whole idea would no doubt have appalled Drucker.) Of special interest to me is what I learned about his teaching style. Cohen obviously accumulated an abundance of notes, old papers, and other sources of information from or about his several years of their association with "The Father of Modern Management." As Cohen repeatedly suggests, Drucker had a unique talent for "cutting right to the heart of the [given] issue." Among the several lessons that Cohen learned and shares, these are the ones that caught my eye:

"The first task of any business management is to decide what business it was in."

"What everyone `knows' is frequently wrong."

"Outstanding performance is inconsistent with fear of failure."

"Selling and marketing are neither synonymous nor complementary. One could consider them adversarial in some cases. There is no doubt that if marketing were done perfectly, selling, in the actual sense of the word, would be unnecessary."

"The first systematic book on leadership [i.e. The Persian Expedition or Anabasis] was written by Xenophon more than 2,000 years ago, and it is still the best."

To them I presume to add an observation Drucker made in an article published in the Harvard Business Review years before, in 1963: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all."

Cohen notes that Drucker once asked two questions of Jack Welch that then guided and informed his leadership of GE after he succeeded Reggie Jones as its new CEO. "If you weren't already in the business, would you enter it today?" followed by a second, more difficult question, "What are you going to do about it?" Today, other CEOs should carefully consider the importance of these questions, answer them, and then proceed accordingly. "Drucker taught what to do. He was very specific about this. However, he did not teach how to do it." One of this book's substantial value-added benefits is that, throughout his narrative, Cohen offers his own observations and suggestions as to how to achieve the various business objectives that Drucker recommends, accompanied by dozens of relevant examples to illustrate key points. Those who share my high regard for Peter Drucker's life and work will be as appreciative as I am of what William Cohen shares in this volume.

Among the 40 books written by Peter Drucker (November 19, 1909-November 11, 2005), my personal favorites include The Practice of Management (1954), The Effective Executive (1966), Management: Tasks, Responsibilities and Practices (1973), Adventures of a Bystander (1998), Peter Drucker on the Profession of Management (1998), The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker's Essential Writings on Management (2001), The Effective Executive (Revised Edition, 2002), Classic Drucker: From the Pages of Harvard Business Review (2006), and People and Performance: The Best of Peter Drucker on Management (2007).

This is an incredible book. The breadth and depth is excellent with insight for the most sophisticated supervisor along with the less experienced. I was very pleased with the chapter layout and the inclusion of personal factors as well as the expansive sections on diversity, evaluation, and legal and ethical considerations in supervision. The panoply of evaluation tools in the Appendix are a bonus that more than justify the purchase of this volume.

This is a book for anyone doing supervision in a mental health field. It provides a much needed and innovative approach to supervision and includes material on strategies, diversity, legal and ethical considerations, role of personal values, evaluation, and disruptions to the supervisory process. There is a wealth of information and resources to enrich every level of supervision. It can be used as a text or for reference and contains excellent tools in the appendices.

This book reflects an intelligent, scholarly approach to a complex process that examines all aspects of competency in clinical supervision. The chapters dealing with diversity and ethics are outstanding, and the appendices provide a gold mine of practical guidance for both the supervisee and the supervisor. This is a must-read for academics, for practicum, internship, and postdoctoral supervisors, and for licensing regulators as well as a great text for much needed graduate courses.
-Asher R. Pacht, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

As a league administrator, I'm always looking for great coaching
resources for the coaches in our league. I love this book because it's
a combination coaching and drills book. Many drills books out there
just have drills (with a smattering of ad hoc remarks on mechanics).
But this book is different. Every section of the book has a thorough
discussion of the required mechanics (hitting, pitching, defensive
footwork, infield defense, outfield defense, etc.), followed by a slew
of drills. The book contains a progression of drills for every level of
player (youth league level, as well as tons of "advanced variation"
drills for travel league and high school players). The book is very
organized, and therefore is a great resource for coaches to refer back
to on a regular basis. You can tell that Michele Smith is a stickler
for details because the photos and captions are very detail oriented and
helpful. All and all a fantastic resource!

This book is a great reference for any coach of U10, U12, U14 and high school girls softball. The book is very organized and well written, and explains very clearly the fundamentals behind each drill. As expected, the pitching chapter is excellent. But the hitting and the defense chapters are also outstanding. There are lots of advanced level coaching tips throughout the book, including in each drill's "hints" section. Michele Smith is in alot of the photos personally demonstrating the mechanics and drills. The diagrams are good, and clutter free.

I have two daughters, an eighth grader who is really into softball, and a fourth grader who is just getting into the sport. I ran across this new drills book and highly recommend it. It's really organized, with good pictures to go along with the drills. And it's great for both of my girls. I'm definitely going to tell their coaches about it.

During the late 1960's and early 1970's Rinus Michels and Ajax took flowing, attacking soccer and turned it into a science. This science has become widely known as 'Total Football.'

The fortunes of Ajax and the Dutch national team have always been inexorably linked. As it was in the 70's, 80's, and 90's Ajax's stars of today are the Dutch international stars of tomorrow: Cruyff, Van Basten, Kluivert etc.

In the early 1990's Louis Van Gaal and his staff took over at Ajax, reshaping the team, and in less than six years conquered Europe with what was essentially a youth team. Many of these former Ajax stars have gone on to become the backbone of the Dutch national team, and are among the world's best players.

Kormelink and Seeverens,' 'The Coaching Philosophies of Louis van Gaal and the Ajax Coaches,' is a wonderful book, that details Louis van Gaal's time at Ajax, including system/tactics, drills/training, youth development, goalkeeping and general philosophy. This book takes you behind the scenes of one Europe's most influential and respected clubs, allowing the reader the unique experience of critically observing Ajax through eyes of one of football's greatest minds. Van Gaal and his staff meticulously dissect all aspects of the Ajax system from the ground up, providing coaches, players and fans with an indispensable guide to attacking football.

Litmanen, Kluivert, Davids, Overmars, Kanu, Seedorf, the De Boers, Rijkaard, Van der Sar, Blind etc, all make an appearance, and Van Gaal's comments on their abilities, strengths and roles within the system make for some excellent reading. One of the most fascinating parts of the book from a fan's perspective, is Van Gaal's incredibly detailed account of Ajax's preparations for the Champions League final against AC Milan. He takes you through drills, training, tactics, even the warm up --not to mention the game itself, with the thoroughness one would expect from one of football's perfectionists.

Ultimately this is a book of philosophy and ideas, and is among the very best (of the many) football books I've read. Interestingly enough, it's also extremely accessible. While coaches at all levels will find it an extremely valuable resource, players and fans will find it equally informative. I highly recommend it to all fans of Dutch soccer and attacking football.

This a Bibel for all people, that likes Ajax Amsterdams 4-3-3 soccer. You simply become glad for Van Gaals`, and the others Ajax coaches way to think about the greatest sport, soccer !!

great subject,lot's of jari,and no adze's at all. makes me feel melancholic considering the lame results of ajax nowadays. But it remains to be the best club in the world so we have rank this book in importance above (for example) the work shakespierre or goethe

This is an excellent resource for trainers. It has many original exercises as well as clear guidance on what to do with the matierla. Also the introductory material gives a clear jargon-free explanation of the value of coaching. It is the best on the market, as far as I can see.

I have found this material very valuable for developing managers as coaches. The big plus for me is that the exercises are mostly based around real work. I find that managers do not like artificial exercises that seem too disconnected from real work. Also the provision of the material for use in workshops is first rate. Finally I liked the fact that the authors have given guidance on how to put the materials together to produce a coherent workshop.

This learning resource is an excellent addition to any developers' library of materials. It has clear, practical advice on how to develop effective coaches as well as a collection of fine exercises. The exercises are mostly based around real life practice. Too often these kinds of collections are full of exercises that look fun to do but are disconnected from work. This pack does not fall in to that trap. The exercises are graded - from easy to use to those that are more advanced. However the authors give very clear guidance on how to use them and show some examples of how the exercises could be put together to create workshops on different aspects of coaching.

I would recommend this pack unreservedly. It meets a real need - organizations desperately need to develop the coaching capability of their managers and this material will really fill a gap in the market.

Mr. Haltman,

Thanks for the DVD program. I'm enjoying it thoroughly - I can actually see from your course why some of my deals did not go through. This will be very valuable information to me as I start originating loans and moving that knowledge in my personal investments. Thank you for the informative material.

These testimonials appear on our seminar website, The CommercialCapitalMortgageSeminar, and were written by attendees at various live seminars. The DVD set was recorded at a live event, and the manual is the reference book used during the presentation:

...Extremely knowledgeable. Charlie made the seminar very enjoyable and the information easy to understand! Maria L., United Funding Group LLC, N.Y.

Charlie did a great job of presenting a large amount of information in an extremely manageable fashion. Bruce J., Equity Management Associates, N.Y.

Charlie was very knowledgeable and straightforward. He combined all of that information with examples from his business that really made it clear. John W., 1st Republic Mortgage Bankers, N.Y.

Glad to be part of the class. Great course and materials. It was definitely worth the trip. Debi S., IDS Consulting Inc., Fl.

I am very impressed by Charlie's presentation and candid, honest comments. The different scenarios and examples really helped me to understand the information. Suresh S., Ca., Private Investor

I took this course with Mr. Wallshein, and not only did I learn 100 times more than what I knew about commercial financing, I now am making tons of money using it. If you want to know what you are actually talking about when it comes to commercial financing and actually get deals done, I highly recommend this material. No joke, GET IT!

I have a DVD and book now by Menendez. Both are great. The wonderful thing about Pilates is that you can start at age 102 or 10, as you just pick the level you like and go easy on anything that seems a little hard.

The thing that has impressed me about pilates is how they make me feel afterwards. Even with the very light beginning workouts I felt great afterwards the first day! (And though I do other exercises I never got that endorphin high others talk about. :-( ) Pretty quickly I noticed more flexibility and easier movements, too.

I figure anything that makes me feel so good, has gotta be good for me.

Some people don't know what pilates are. In case you are one of them, I think they are a lot like Yoga without the eastern mysticism mumbo jumbo. Also, if you like, you can get a more intense cardiovascular workout with pilates at the higher levels than is likely with even advanced yoga.

What does else will pilates do for you? They cause an increase in oxygen due to the deep breathing, which is great for oveall functioning and stamina and is highly correlated to a lower incidence of cancer. They greatly help to improve your posture and align your skeleton and neuoromuscular system in general. You know "the knee bone's connected to the..." and one problem in one area can cause problems in lots of other places.

Piates can also build up your body strength, though not as much as the usual weight bearing exercises, and certainly can make you look sleeker. Try them, you'll like them! :-)

Probably one of the best books on Pilates you could find on the shelves. Is written in a very clear and concise language that makes it an absolutely must have for any one interested in learning and practicing Pilates.

The first part of the book is directed to the basics and fundamentals ideas behind the physiology of body control and body awareness. You will learn how to maximize your mental control over body movements. The second part is dedicated to the actual exercises and techniques associated with the Pilates method.

One of the best features of this book is that all the routines and exercises are fully illustrated and described, with photographs, clear and detailed explanations, tips on posture and execution. The best of all is that every single exercise can be performed at home without the need of expensive or special equipment.

Having read the first edition I was keen to see what the second edition had in store. I was not disappointed. Menezes is adept at finding new ways of improving his 'old' methods, even though those were a new way of thinking for the pilates industry. The Stamina Stretch I found incredible to understate the obvious! It improved my breathing capacity by 30% in just 2 minutes! His wording of the exercises has changed significantly to make them more effective. Now I understand why the emphasis he places on starting the breathe first gives more core control to stabilize you before the rest of the exercise.
My back felt great and my abs much stronger. His posturing formulas are second to none - and certainly none that I have come across in other pilates books. His Feedback Scales make you work to the max on every exercise without compromising your personal safety while achieving ultimate results.
A great improvement on an alredy great product - can't wait to get hold of the videos/DVDs mentioned in the back of the book.

Monique Ryan's sports nutrition book is contains valuable nutritional information in a user friendly format. It is full of charts, meal plans, and nutrient requirements based on body size and the type of athlete you are. Monique's book teaches you how to plan your meals by the type of food needed, the amount needed, and the timing of your meals for optimal performance. I highly recommend this book to the athletes that I work with. Mary Horn, Scientist, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Hawaii Ironman finisher.

Monique Ryan does a wonderful job at explaining the need for sports nutrition when training for a particular sporting event--triathlon, marathon, etc---or for a moderately active person. The specificity of the content of the book helps one to understand the vitality of an appropriate nutritional combination in order to provide the athlete with optimal energy before, during and after their particular race and/or daily activity. This book assisted me in completing my first triathlon and enabled me to sustain a moderate pace throughout this event. I am confident I would not have been able to complete this event without Ms. Ryan's book and expertise. A great value and learning experience!!!!

"Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition" by Monique Ryan is an excellent book for athletes/exercisers of any level. It provides the reader with solid scientific information, in an easy-to-read format. Monique Ryan is a registered dietitian who specializes in sport nutrition, and is well-qualified to be the author of such a book. She provides the reader with information on planning and consuming a proper training diet that will allow you to exercise at your peak. This is a great book and one that I think should be purchased by any person interested in sport nutrition.

Navigating through higher education can be, at times, a painful process. In my case, the tears began just as the process began- with my first acceptance into an MSTP program. Having been out of school for several years by that point, I had no idea there were rules to this game. And so, upon receipt of my first acceptance, the one that should have elicited a sigh of relief, I instead cried and cried on the phone with the admissions officer as I wrestled with the morality of saying "yes" to this program while secretly knowing I would bow out if my dream school came through. Rookie mistake, I now know, and a cringe-worthy story to relate to fellow students at Welcome Back barbeques. But tear-stained cheeks were to appear throughout my training, generally due to more subtle pressures and more complicated issues. Should I begin graduate school after M1, which would set me up for an easier transition back to medicine and the wards, or after M2 or even M3, which would allow me to truly integrate my burgeoning medical knowledge with my research? Should I join the large lab that will push me until I crack, revealing what I hope is the great scientist inside, or the small lab that feels like home, full of warm personalities and a sense of camaraderie? How can I possibly prepare for the wards, after so much time away, no less, when I'm trying to finish up experiments, bang out a couple of papers, and write my thesis all at the same time? It's a wonder I'm not permanently attached to a saline drip after all this.

I would like to think that most of the sobbing and the stressed-out-mad-dash-treadmill sessions have not been in vain. As M.D./Ph.D. students, we are asked early on to make thoughtful and savvy decisions about our career paths. Time spent considering these decisions, tortured or not, is well spent and can reveal underappreciated aspects of our goals and ourselves. That being said, we need not approach these decisions alone. In fact, if there is one thing my empty Kleenex box has taught me, it is to seek out those people who have traveled this road before and thus have years of experiential wisdom to impart. Lucky for all of us, Ben Rosner M.D., Ph.D. and Jayakar Nayak M.D., Ph.D. are two such well-versed people. Not only have they successfully traveled this road, they have written a book about it in hopes of making the journey a little less bumpy for the rest of us.

In "The Complete Guide to the M.D/PhD. Degree: The Art and Science of `Doing it Twice'" (J&S Publishing Company, Inc, 2004) Rosner and Nayak approach their topic as though they are giving advice to an eager younger sibling- with ease, charm and clarity. From applying to dual degree programs to applying to residencies or postdocs, they provide the reader with detailed information, handy tips, timelines and advice for getting the most out of our training years with the minimal amount of anxiety. The book is organized sequentially into chapters on applying to schools, MS1/2, the graduate school years, MS3/4, and future career options. This particular organization may not be ideal for nontraditional students who choose a different route through their program, but the principles and most of the timelines will still apply. Rosner and Nayak write in a conversational tone, and this, coupled with Brandon Minnery's too-true cartoons, makes the book a fun and relatively quick read. But don't be fooled by the jokes and the mellow delivery- the book is packed with useful insights and links to more detailed information in almost every area covered. Reading it felt like having a long conversation with an exceptionally perceptive and discerning MSTP "Big Sib". A long overdue conversation in my case, but still relevant- I found the chapters on graduate school, MS3/4 and career planning particularly helpful, timely and applicable.

One of the overriding themes of "The Complete Guide" is that good planning and thoughtfulness will take us further than ulcers will. The authors encourage us to plan ahead, work hard, and to enjoy this time, both in school and out. Just between you and me, as I read through the first chapters on applying to schools and tackling MS1 and MS2, I found myself longing for the opportunity to go back and do it all over again, this time in a cleaner, more organized and incisive way, with Rosner and Nayak as my guides. Now, I'm almost finished with a hard won (remember the tears) PhD. To tell you that these authors led me to wonder about doing the whole thing over again, nay yearn to, is just about the best review I can offer.

In spite of my newfound adoration for Rosner and Nayak, I must confess that I was disappointed by the consistent differentiation the authors make between MSTP and M.D./Ph.D. programs. They make a point to offer NIGMS statistics regarding job placement, publication record, and research funding between the two (as well as between straight M.D.s and Ph.D.s) but the statistics are rarely significant and a bit outdated (1995), perhaps not indicative of current trends. Further, scant attention is paid to one of the most difficult transition periods- that between medical school and graduate school. This can be a surprisingly difficult transition for many students and is often overshadowed in conversation by the seemingly more difficult transition from graduate school back to medical school. Even a few words of advice on this topic would be welcome. Finally, though many of us have an idealized version of the Physician-Scientist floating around in our heads, more than a few of us wonder, at times, what it is that we are uniquely trained to do? In this increasingly translational scientific atmosphere, where M.D.s do phenomenal bench-top research and Ph.D.s run brilliant clinical trials, what do we, as M.D./Ph.D.s-in-training, have to offer that is concretely different? Where, exactly, do we fit? Rosner and Nayak are in the enviable position of viewing this process with the insight and perspective that only experience can give. Their thoughts on how we fit into the larger scientific and health-care communities would be encouraging to those of us just beginning the process as well as to those about to emerge on the other side.

I am happy to report that it has been years since my puffy eyes and red-tipped nose have made an appearance at school. There is something to be said for the process- I'm tougher now, and my goals are much more specific and clear. I won't, in fact, be doing this all over again. But if I did, I would be sure to not make this process any more difficult than it has to be. I would look for guidance earlier from seasoned professionals who know the road better than I do. And I would always, always, buy extra-soft Kleenex.

I liked this book because it gives practical advice that can only come from people who have been through the rigors of the MD/PhD training. I am in the process of going back to the 3rd year after completing the PhD portion, and I found the advice on transitioning efficiently to be quite helpful (e.g. try to review your patient interviewing skills, expect to feel a little behind than your new classmates, etc.). There are numerous bullet-point tips on what to do and what not to do at various stages along the training. Also the authors are candid about the realities of the program, such as why and when to switch labs if things are going sour, or that one cannot rely on his/her research laurels alone to apply for residency programs. I was pleasantly surprised at the degree of useful advice that is presented at each level of the program, from applying to MD/PhD programs through postdoctoral training. There's also a helpful appendix that lists the requirements by state for taking the USMLEs in a certain period of time. I also bought this book to get a sense of how my experience thus far compares with others and what to expect during the remaining years of my training, and I found almost all of the insightful information to be true to my experience and helpful for the future years. As far as I know this is currently the only book specifically devoted to the MD/PhD career track, so I recommend getting it as early as possible to get more insight into the ins and outs of the program/career.

From the prospective of MD/PhD graduates, Rosner and Nayak provide a comprehensive description of the MD/PhD degree and offer advice to prospective physician-scientists. Their work is remarkably well organized, and it follows a coherent logical progression. Minnery's cartoons infuse relevant humor into the work, and serve as excellent comic relief amidst the requisite descriptions of guidelines and requirements. The authors offer balanced description of the benefits and drawbacks of being an MD/PhD student. Rosner and Nayak advise readers on applying to programs, acing interviews, and being a successful MD/PhD student. The Complete Guide to the MD/PhD Degree is not simply for students wishing to apply to MD/PhD programs - Rosner and Nayak use their wealth of experience as MD/PhD students to provide meaningful advice on personal life during medical school, throughout graduate school, and beyond graduation. The authors tell the reader what to expect at each stage of the program, and what to expect after graduating from a combined MD/PhD program. In spite of failing to address all of the important distinctions between normal MD students and MD/PhD students, Rosner and Nayak succeed in providing a comprehensive guide to applying to and succeeding in MD/PhD programs. The Complete Guide to the MD/PhD Degree is an astonishingly holistic work that offers lucid insight into what would be otherwise a confusing and uncertain career path.

the information is pretty good. it tells one about the things that one must do to improve on his or her speedskating. i wish the book had alot more picture sketches and pictures of eric heiden at the world championships, etc. this book is recommended to those who speedskate and who want to improve when it comes to speed, and technique. one has to lift weights, sprint on the track and run long distance for endurance, and stretch alot.
i have to say that any information on eric heiden is very mysterious, he is a mysterious man. nice. literature(the book)is recommended to all who practice this sport or fans who want too know the ways olympians did it in the past(training). you will hear of some commenting that this book is old, but this is just said because those dont want one to improve and want to be the only ones doing it. apply this information to your work out: lifting weights, running the sprints & long distances and having a positive attitude and you should do well when speedskating. very unbiased. holum is great!

the information is pretty good. it tells one about the things that one must do to improve on his or her speedskating. i wish the book had alot more picture sketches and pictures of eric heiden at the world championships, etc. this book is recommended to those who speedskate and who want to improve when it comes to speed, and technique. one has to lift weights, sprint on the track and run long distance for endurance, and stretch alot.
i have to say that any information on eric heiden is very mysterious, he is a mysterious man. nice. literature(the book)is recommended to all who practice this sport or fans who want too know the ways olympians did it in the past(training). you will hear of some commenting that this book is old, but this is just said because those dont want one to improve and want to be the only ones doing it. apply this information to your work out: lifting weights, running the sprints & long distances and having a positive attitude and you should do well when speedskating. very unbiased. holum is great!

This is the classic authority on training for speedskating (written for ice, but with some applicability to indoor roller and outdoor roller). The book is full of clearly written analyses of form and technique on the ice, as well as a lengthy description (several chapters worth) of conditioning and training exercises. Lastly, the book talks about race strategy and uses detailed examples about 5-time Olympic gold medalist Eric Heiden. This is a very thorough book and is devoid of a lot of fluff and filler graphics--it's very "meat and potatoes".

While the sections on training and race strategy could be interesting to athletes in other sports, it may be too sport-specific to be of interest.