Education Books

This book is filled wth great ideas on giving children memorable experiences in Nature. I myself am a nature docent and I know from experience that if you try to lecture to children out in nature you just have a lot of kids not listening. If you give them an experience you will give them something that they will always refer back to for the rest of their life. I highly recommend the methods used in this book.

Before moving overseas, I practically lived outdoors with my two young children. We had easy access to nature parks and there were plenty of places to connect with nature on a regular basis. Now we live in a rural farming village and I homeschool. (So we are in the house the majority of the day.) Recently, my 2 1/2 year old screamed and was absolutely terrified of an ant that crawled on him. What a wake-up call! Walking down the country lane is NOT really a nature experience, for he appears to be afraid of insects. (I grew up with a continual collection, much to my parents' dismay. "You're a GIRL, for heaven's sake"...) My oldest two children LOVE to explore wildflowers, insects, and anything they find... so long as I deem it safe. I think this is because when they were younger we took the time to immerse ourselves in nature. I regret not doing this for my youngest, but have decided it is time to get out and get in touch with mother earth once again... this time for good. I grew up loving nature just because I spent most of my spare time IN nature exploring and observing the woods all on my own, or reading natural history books from the library. No one taught me, encouraged me, or took the time to do activities with me. Wow, that would have been a treat. Encourage kids who love nature and inspire others to get involved! Buy this book! Get outdoors! Wish others by this author were back in print.

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This is one of the best books that I ever bought when I was at college. The best part of this book is that it is simple and easy to use as a teaching tool. You can pull out one activity from this book and use it as a fun nature activity for children which is also educational.It gives children the chance to rediscocer the joy of playing in nature and it also encourges them to respect nature. It is truly amazing. It can be easily adapted to the climate that you are in. This book is truly a masterpiece.

From the author of FLOW learning comes the book "Sharing Nature with Children" and the sequel "Sharing Nature with Children II". These delightful books are a welcome tool in the bag of tricks for any outdoor education facilitator. Find out how the characters of the Otter, Crow, Bear and Dolphin help guide the mind's eye to the wonders of nature. Re-discover the joy of playing in the outdoors while helping the next generation to appreciate and respect nature. This book is more than a must have for any teacher, parent or naturalist. Don't miss out.

This book is THE original tool for connecting kids with nature.

Whether you are a parent or a teacher, you will find that this simple, small but comprehensive book will be the dog-eared book on the shelf or the coffee table...or the one that gets loaned out to friends the most. In every place I have taught environmental ed, I have seen activities from this book being used. In fact, so many enviro ed books have borrowed and adapted activities from this book that they have become classics.

The best part of this book is that it is a comprehensive teaching tool called "Flow Learning" that works like a cookbook. What I mean by this is that you can pull out just one 'recipe' for an activity, or combine several into the educational equivalent of a full four-course meal. Cornell's book is more than just a nature book, it is a system of four stages called 'Flow Learning', which very simply and effectively models how to facilitate connecting children (yes- even inner city children) with nature.

If you don't find this book extremely invaluable, I would probably offer to buy it back from you. After all, I can't seem to get back that last copy I loaned out...

This is a great book if you are new to home education. You have questions and people who know you probably have questions.

Read it chapter by chapter or use it as a resource to look up different questions by topic. Wonderful answers written clearly and concisely.

This book is well organized, fun to read, inspirational, and educational!
I recommend this book for anyone thinking about homeschooling or already homeschooling as it has so much good information inside!
Thank you, Ms. Davis!

Hello. When my husband and I decided to homeschool our 4 children (2 were of school age at the time) we received less than enthusiastic reactions. Most of the family opened with "I don't approve of that." or "I think that's just wrong." That was in Spring of 2005.

Recently, I found this fabulous book. How I wish I'd had it back when I made the announcement! Since reading the book myself, I have purchased the book for 4 family members. Our community is one of the best for homeschoolers, so there's more social opportunities than they had in public school. I've found that many of the questions in this book are things that people want to ask, but don't think of or know how to ask.

Today, most of the family still thinks we are wrong for our choice, but 1 has come around, my mom. However, occassionally I still get asked, "honey, wouldn't it be easier to send them to school?" The answer is "yes, but as parents it's our job to do what's right, not what's easy."

Buy this book, read it, share it. There are things you don't know, even if you've been homeschooling for a while. This isn't a heavy book, but a realistic collection of the most common questions about this amazing journey.

This is a great book to help give you great food for thought to answer the question the title asks, which happens all the time if you decide home-schooling is for you. Loved it!

I just finished reading this book and have to say it is very good. Although I already know "why" I chose to homeschool, she reaffirms the decision for me. She makes some excellent points, and she has the facts and statistics that back it up for those doubters out there.

I have collected and used books on sound system engineering for many years and this book has quickly become my favorite. Mine has been borrowed by other engineers so often that I have purchased a second copy. Don and Gene are among the most experienced in the field. They have also both tried to share thier knowledge with others throughout thier careers. This combination of knowledge and desire to share it has produced a book that explains complex ideas in a way that leaves the reader with few questions. It is clear and concise, and is supported by a great number of charts and diagrams. I can't imagine a better way to capture thier knowledge and share it with others. A great number of professionals are going to benefit from this book, and I expect it will be the industry standard for many years to come.

One of the better books in my collection, and I have many on acoustics and audio from the highly technical to hands-on.

I owned 1st version before and the 3rd revision is a more complete version and gives more information on digital processing aspect.

Sound System Engineering, 3rd Edition contains a wealth of information on the design, implementation and testing of sound reinforcement systems. Don Davis' section on audio and acoustic measurements is a must read for anyone serious about performing such tasks. The concepts he discusses about signal delay/synchronization and room acoustics will help the reader to understand what is at the very basis of these topics.

Similarly, Eugene Patronis' section on loudspeakers and arrays is not to be missed. It will have you going back again and again to find that piece of information you need about horns, direct radiators, crossovers and arrays. His presentation of signal processing starts with basic sampling and progresses through system theory and digital audio.

Two of the latter chapters on equalization and "putting it all together" are true gems. They yield practical information that you'll be using the next time you're faced with the issues covered.

Sound System Engineering, 3rd Edition takes all of the knowledge contained in the 2nd edition and augments it with up-to-date interface methods and advances in the field of audio and acoustics since its last publication. This text is equally suited for both the novice and the veteran audio practitioner. It is written in such a manner that each time you read a portion of it, something new will come to light.


Charlie Hughes
President
Excelsior Audio Design & Services

Congratulations to Don Davis and Eugene Patronis, Jr. for writing the most informative book on sound system engineering ever. The book contains all of the elements of theory, design and practical installation. The book is an excellent reference for the sound system engineer.

Sound System Engineering, Third Edition is the most complete technical book on sound system engineering I have ever read. It is a concentrated capsule of knowledge that gives the theory as well as instructions of how to implement the theory. Don has recorded for us how to do the installation process. Dr. Patronis has given us the physics back of the theory and he added the mathematics so one can reporduce the results. There are places that Doc uses the "It is intuitively obvious..." leap of knowledge that some might have trouble working through but it can be done.

Thank you for such a great work

Don Eger, Owner, Don Eger & Associates

I was a summer camp counselor for seven summers, and this guide was fantastic for those years. It is a staple reference at our camp for other counselors to read. A true reference from a distinguished psychologist and counselor given to other counselors. Thanks

This is a really helpful book for preparing for summer camp. Here's a tip I got from a friend: if you buy it through acabookstore.org (ACA = American Camping Association) then it comes with a DVD-CD set. My son, who's pretty anxious about going to camp, watched the DVD and that really helped turn his anxiety into excitement. The book and DVD give great tips on preparing (packing, etc.) for camp, but also gives great insight on how to approach the camp experience. Together they answered a lot of questions I didn't even know to ask. It's one of those things you can't afford not to get.

This book really covers what you need to know before you send your child to sleepaway camp. The part that was most helpful to me was the research the authors have done on homesickness. Before I got this book I was guessing about how to handle my daughter's homesickness, and I came up with one or two of their recommendations. But after I read this book I felt I understood how to handle this with my daughter and also what the camp and counselors can do to help. There's a great list of all the things you can do. And everything the authors said rings true with my experience.

It's well written, easy to follow, and has parts written just for kids to read. There's even a section to tell kids how to get the most out of camp - from general guidelines on how to treat others to good advice on how to deal with living with lots of kids in a small space.

Every parent, camper, counselor and camp director should read this book! Parents will have a more relaxing time while their kids are away, campers will know better what to expect and how to have the most fun, counselors will know better what to do, and camp directors will have fewer problems with kids AND parents.

The best thing about this book was that it was so helpful to both me and my daughter when it came time to start preparing for her first stay at summer camp. We relied on the suggested internet search engines in the book to find the camps and used the section on co-ed vs. single-sex camps to come to a conclusion that my daughter and I(!) were comfortable with. I've already spread the word about this book to all the parents I know that are thinking about sending their kids off to camp. Every parent will feel better once they've read the homesickness section.

I bought Chris Thurber's book on Friday, and watched him on NBC's Today Show this morning (June 9, 2003). Seeing him in person confirms what I thought: he is a camping expert with a wealth of helpful information for parents and kids alike. I feel so much better sending my son to camp knowing that Chris and Jon's research has helped us prepare in a way that will maximize the fun and minimize the homesickness at camp. Buying this book is a small investment in a positive experience whose benefits, I am sure, will last a lifetime. (I found the perfect camp for my son by visiting the American Camping Association's web page: acacamps.org.)

it covers every aspect of swimming in great depth, such as hydrodynamics, stroke techniques, nutrition, weight training, starts and turns and much more.

high recommended for all fitness and competitive swimmers.

I've readed a lot of books about swimming and I must declare that this one is probably the best.
It analise every aspect of this sport and supported by an impressionant bibliography it can separate facts from suppositions and errors.
This book has helped me to understand the deepest aspect of training and swim propulsion in the four strokes, and it can be well used in addiction with other manuals.
I'm emotionally waiting for Maglischo next work.

This is the best swimming book I have ever read. Everything a swimmer or coach needs: training principles, swimming technique, and mental aspects of the sport. It covers everything even how you should split your race. Lots of drills for every stroke.

This book has served me well as a coach for many years, and I have given it as a gift to several coaches and top swimmers. Whether or not you care to get lost in the endless debate over Bernoulli versus Newton, this book has much more to offer. I trained under Ernie Maglischo and this book has served as the marvelous manifestation of his patient and persistent work on deck. I recommend it without reservation.

I'm primarily a rower, so I can't speak about the swimming-specific sections of this book. But I can rave about the more generally applicable sections. I've used this book for several years to design training programs for various rowing events, from 500 meters (about 1.5-2 minutes) to 2,000 meters (about 7-8 minutes) to head races (20 minutes and longer). Maglischo's explanations of how to balance the levels of effort in a training program for sprint or endurance events is tremendously helpful, as are the explanations of how to periodize training programs and create daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly programs.

The only tiny criticism I have of this book is that I would find it slightly more useful if the swimming distances included approximate times for the events. That way, it would make transferring the principles to comparable events in different sports more straightforward.

I recommend this book to any coach or athlete of any racing sport. You'll find not only physiological issues addressed, but also issues concerning pacing and race strategy -- a must for anyone desiring an internal focus during racing.

Very easy to read in layman's terms. As the mother of a four year old with PDD, I would suggest this book as a great book to start off with if your child was diagnosed with autism or pdd. It touches on a lot of areas ABA, schooling etc. without getting to technical. It also has statements and examples made by adults with autism/pdd which I found very interesting.

Targeting Autism is an excellent book for those new to Autism. Families and teachers should especially appreciate the analysis and overview of the various educational interventions, from one-on-one methods, to group programs used in many preschool and school situations. The book lists many available resources and spotlights inspiring new advances in research creating an overall atmosphere of hope and possibility for the prospects of more universally effective treatments and eventual cure of this devastating developmental disorder.

Since the symptoms and manifestations of Autistic Spectrum Disorders vary in incidence and severity, those who read this book should not be unduly encouraged or discouraged by the often times conflicting reports of success and/or failure of the various treatments and interventions discussed, but rather use the information given to further investigate the possibilities of each treatment or intervention on an individual or case by case basis.

Why it should be so hard to find a book that thoughtfully discusses the myriad of autism treatments, I don't know. As a parent of a child diagnosed last year at age three, I appreciate this book.

Thank you Shirley Cohen for writing it. Thank you Amazon, for making it so easy to find.

I WORK WITH AUTSTIC KIDS SO I READ THIS BOOK TO UPDATE MYSELF.IT WAS GREAT IIT PROVIDE GREAT EXAMPLES FORM OTHER BOOKS. AND IT GAVE EVIDANCE THAT SOME OF THE CURES MIGHT WORK FORM SOME. ALSO IT PROVIDE GOOD INFO ON ASPEGERS YNDROME MOST OF THE BOOKS JUST GIVE IT A PPAARGPAPH.

First off, she defines autism in layman's terms and with first person testimonials.

Secondly, she provides a life cycle view of autism, so that you have SOME idea of what the future might hold for your child.

Third, she describes how families cope with autism, that some become driven, others fall apart, others adopt a "Holland" approach.

Then she discusses treatments, including a solid analysis of educational approaches such as Lovaas (leans positive), mainstreaming, TEACH, DAP, etc... and non-traditional approaches, such as AIT, FC, etc...

And she talks about recovery too, the controversy that very term raises. She closes this chapter with a quote that could have come straight out of my own heart: "A parent asked, What if my child remains autistic? What will we do? The best you can - with your love, your skills, and all the resources you can marshal - to help him achieve as independent and joyful a life as possible for him."

Perhaps I love this book because so much of what she writes does articulate what I have felt as I've gone over the different options for my son's interventions.

But also, her testimonials from a wide range of sources really help to illuminate autism as well.

And finally, her book is very REASONED in tone.

The only thing missing is a chapter that summarizes her thoughts about what she thinks parents should do. I mean really, most parents are reading these books for ADVICE! Even if parents eventually do something else, its always nice to have a plan laid out that you can either agree with or react against and develop your own. You won't find an action plan here, but the information provided should help you in making one of your own.

ray linn was, for me, the catalyst for a life long interest in philosophy and the ideas of postmodernism. i treasure this book as a reflection of him and his insights. as michael said, it's really more of linn's intellectual journey than it is a basic "key terms" guide (and it's a far better and more stimulating read because of it). that said, i have this little tome cracked open as i write a term paper on wittgenstein, so its definitely useful as a reference for some pretty complicated ideas. core baby for life.

Although, on the one hand, it is more one man's account of his intellectual life in Postmodernity than an actual account of Postmodernism; on the other, this book is useful in the sense that it familiarizes the reader with some key terms and ideas.
If you thought Russell's History of Philosophy was a good way to actually understand intellectual history, then this book is for you. If not then this book is useful as a starting guide at best.

As a former student of the ever brilliant Mr.Linn, I can attest to the fact that this is a great book. Any one who likes Postmodern philosophy will find this book very useful because it makes a complicated subject understandable and interesting.

Cleveland Rocks!!!

Well, it certainly seems as though quite a few CHS alums have come on to [...] to sing the praises of our old H.S. philosophy teacher. While he was a remarkable teacher, and the fact that he enabled H.S. seniors to actually understand postmodernism is truly remarkable, I think no greater praise can be offered to A Teacher's Instruction to Postmodernism than this:
As I sit here, a second year graduate student in philosophy, sweating over the intricacies of Wittgenstein's writing, it is this book that serves as my lifeline to understanding these theories. Yes, a book that was comprehensable as a 12th grade student, it serving as my most valuable resource.
Thanks Ray!

Never before have I read such magnificance in all my years as a college student. This has inspired me to further pursue my interests in the post-modern world. I trust that all educated scholars will appreciate this work filled with ideas concerning the existence of every individual. I ardently recommmend this book to anyone who has the time to contemplate over his or her post-modern existence.

I would love to see this book updated and organized with color coded tabs for easy reference. It had a lot of good tools and ideas, for both parents and teachers. We pass this along to our teacher every year.

As a parent of children with TS, I obtained this book for teachers to have a better understanding of techniques in the classroom. Consistently, I came across teachers who would apply the techniques uniformly and dismiss the "it depends" approach which is critical in dealing with TS... from the standpoint that the condition is ever changing in an individual, and it is different from one person to the next. (Too many teachers would say, "Oh I've had a TS child before"... I have *two* as well, and they and the *effective* approaches in teaching them couldn't be more different from one another.)

For example: putting a child near the front of the room for attention issues and to help them keep on track... may be devastating for a child who does not want their tics on display, and of course not necessary for the child who tics but who does not have attention issues.

Seating arrangements need to be assessed INDIVIDUALLY for every child; and for those with TS, it needs to be assessed more than once... the condition is dynamic, not static, (it waxes and wanes), the techniques need to be dynamic too. Too often I see the techniques gleaned from the book used statically and never re-visited throughout the academic year as to wether they are working, and/or if they are needed at any given moment.

The book doesn't necessarily indicate static approaches, it just seems to me that once the book is read, (or skimmed is more likely what I found to be the case by our educators), that the educators we've dealt with will focus on one erroneous technique that may have nothing to do with our child's current needs or situation, and claim that they are modifying their techniques for our child with TS, with no consideration as to the effectiveness. Or worse, (from our child's standpoint), they will read about *behavior* approaches when in fact our child has no associated behavior issues, (the book tends to lump different but sometimes associated conditions like ADHD, OCD, Anxiety, Mood disorders - and offer techniques without clearly delineating if the symptoms are TS or from other conditions), and the resulting assumptions as to the root cause of any given *in-classroom* behavior can have a devastating impact on a child with TS, especially if *intention* is thought to be behind *disruptive* behavior.

Don't use this book unless you plan to delve deeper into your student with TS, and their exact manifestation of symptoms, and their pattern of symptoms and then be prepared to re-visit the THEN resulting specific application of techniques, on a continual basis, other wise you can do more damage than good by ASSUMING that you are applying techniques covered in the book, when in fact you may not be addressing the specific situation your student finds themselves in, in any given week, in any given hour.

The plan needs to be flexible, use the book ala carte or for brain storming solutions... don't apply it like a recipe, your ingredients will always be different with a TS student.

I have a now 17 year old daughter who began really struggling in school at age 10, 5th grade. We had her evaluated by the school and they determined that because her IQ was high, she was not eligible for special services, despite the fact that she was failing almost every subject and had trouble socially. I took her to our own child neuro-psychiatrist and, after a lengthy interview and eval, she was diagnosed with tourette syndrome. Further it was determined that she was manifesting her TS with many symptoms of ADHD and OCD...something the school district refused to take into consideration.

I stumbled upon this book at our local book store and literally sat in the aisle just soaking up the most accurate description of my daughter that anyone had ever been able to give me - and it was a BOOK! It was as if I could have written the list of symptoms and the various methods they offered that work (most of the time). I immediately paid the $35 for this book without reservation and read it from cover to cover, several times. There are about 10 pages in the back of the book with many many other resources for parents, DR's and educators.

The thing about any brain disorder is that they vary in degree and there are very few who have an exact definition or symptomology...iow, no two are ever truly alike. It is VERY common for kids with TS to have crossover symptoms of ADHD and OCD and vice versa. This book addresses those symptoms. This book also talks a lot about the common 'rage attacks' that many of these kids experience and how it's such a normal reaction to what they are going through...it really helps the parents to put their child's behavior into perspective and rather than parent from a purely punitive standpoint, the parent can custom fit their parenting styles to suit that child. This book shows you how to do that. It offers tips and resources to help teachers deal with these types of kids in a way that is not humiliating and embarrassing to the child or his classmates. This book helped me to 'read' my daughter and learn how to diffuse a rage attack before it happened - any idea how incredible that is??

Most teachers have been trained to teach one way. They have a population of about 24-30+ students in their class and they have to figure out a way to teach them all so they teach to the majority. Who does that leave out? The bright shiny star students and those who need a helping hand or those who need just a little encouragement and a few secret code words to get through a lesson plan. The majority of teachers do not have the time or the wherewithall to accomplish the goal of moving from one lesson plan to the next with ease when she has even ONE special needs kid in her class. Someone loses and most often, it is the student who needs the help the most. Sure, the schools provide paras, but only in the classrooms that have a named special education student in them. If you have a kid who has TS and isn't designated Spec Ed, then his/her class will not have a para in it.

That's another reason this book is so valuable to ALL teachers. Each of our children learn in their own way...there is a way to teach them and teach them well. This book should be mandatory reading for all prospective teachers. Every teacher should have this book in her library!! I made 3 copies for my district, one for the elementary level, one for junior high, and one for the high school level. I don't think one person ever cracked it open; if my daughters experiences at our local public school are any indication. We transferred out to a charter school in 9th grade. She did very well there. The entire staff was very up on their special needs kiddos and my daughter benefitted from their style of teaching and their empathy - something that is sorely lacking in our public schools in my opinion. Buy this book!

I am 19 and when I was in elementary school tourette's was still looked upon by many proffessionals and most authority as something that "didnt exist"or the parents fault. My [...] teacher mrs. streneva used to poke me so hard in the chest when i disbehaved that i recieved many bruises on my chest. the doctors said i would never make it through public school. My mom paid 40 some dollars for this book back then, and we didnt have alot of money, and it cost a fortune, and this book was my moms treasure and she never ever let me hold it and never ever let any of the teachers borrow it, instead, she made then copied pages & such, and then the teachers would request more information on a topic and my mom would copy it from this book. this book educated alot of authority and all the teachers at Pleasant Elementary in Warren, Pennsylvania. This is a big miracle, I have a huge thanks for the writers who did this. This book is a 100% MUST HAVE for ANYONE with ANY amount of children with tourettes syndrome, ADHD, Depression, bi poklar, or any such. It is a strictly MUST HAVE. I reccomend this with everything in my heart and for helping me get through elementary school. As for for making it through public school? I am now a freshman at edinboro university of pennsylvania and even though my grades arent very good, I have made it this far, and I can do things with my life that doctors never thought would be possible. I am almost tic free, thanks to my medications. And it all started with this book.

I love this book, which I have found invaluable in educating my son's teachers about the disorder. It is basically a compilation of information that any well read TS parent has probably found in 20 different locations, but for the novice looking for a thorough overview in one book, "Teaching The Tiger" goes a LONG way toward increasing their TS education. It gives practical advise re behavioral interventions that work, and more importantly those that DON'T.

I find teachers are more receptive to this book because it is written specifically for teachers (rather than taking advise/instuction from a parent). I've found it to be quite credible and informative to them. I believe the answer to stigma, ignorance, and misinformation (ex: the 20/20-60 Minutes/media representation of TS), is education. This book provides it, specifically aimed at giving teachers tips on dealing with TS in the CLASSROOM environment. My son's teachers have been really grateful for these TS-specific insights.

If you can afford the $35 for this book, DO! It is a worthwhile investment into making your child's educational road a smoother one. In the meantime, you may be able to do what I did. I borrowed a copy from the library and made photo copies of the most relevant chapters for each teacher/aide involved with my son. I also either showed them the book itself or made a photocopy of the cover, in case they wanted to purchase/borrow the entire book themselves. If you have a good relationship with the principal or school librarian, suggesting that the school purchase a copy for the staff library is also practical.

Those are my two cents, on "Teaching The Tiger". "Taming the Tiger" came first and provides a similar compilation of info for parents and others learning about TS. I hope you'll check out these books for yourself.

AMM

That's right... the 13th resource you want for your ministry is this book! It is creative, challenging and very effective for the new youth worker or an old tenured guy like me. If you work in a church or a para-church ministry, The Top 12 Resources is for you!

This book is an excellent resource for volunteers and career youth workers. Tons of great ideas which will help you open doors to sharing Christ with kids.

This is a very helpful book for volunteers and career Youth Workers. Tons for tools for opening doors to share Christ with teens.

This book is exactly what youth workers need--practical, user-friendly, thought-provoking, in-your-face ideas and resources.
As an in-the-trenches youth pastor, I often don't have time to sift through all the myriad articles, books and magazines to find the help I'm looking for. It's the one resource where I am almost always guaranteed to find help--no hype, this is from my own experience. Jonathan is an excellent communicator who has organized this book in a highly usable way.
I highly recommend this book!!

McKee has written a book that will help anyone working in Youth Ministry today. Everyone starting in Youth Ministry should read it for several reasons. It gives great ideas to get you started. Plus it gives powerful principles that will guide you in years to come while serving in Youth Ministry. I have worked with teenagers for a number of years and still found great tools in his book. The book is a must for Youth Pastors

This book has lots of drills to improve athletic performance. Although I haven't had a chance to try them out yet (I'm currently injured and unable to train), they seem like they would definitely improve your athletic performance.

This is a great book, it covers a wide range of training. I coach little league and have been able to take parts of this book and incorporate them into our conditioning and training at all levels. Have not used the DVD all that much but the book alone is worth it

Exactly what I was looking for.
Some brilliant drills in here.
I was hoping for more speed ladder stuff, but the amount of different stuff in here is great.

It's nicely organized with some good text.

A few descriptions were not so great.

Definitely recommended.

This is a great book and DVD set for plyometrics. Both the book and the DVD start with an "Athlete Fitness Assessment" so you can understand the athlete's performance at the beginning of training. This is lacking in many of the other plyometrics books and DVDs, which begin with instruction right away, without emphasis on assessing the athlete's ability prior to training. The materials are nicely organized into sections for Speed, Agility, Balance, Quickness, and Reaction Time. A "Purpose" is clearly defined for each set of drills, so readers at any level can understand the results which the exercises are intended to achieve. I am using this book to see where I am in my performance, and where I need to go. My only complaint is that the DVD plays the drills one at a time. It would be nice to have a "Play All" option in each section, so that I'm not using my remote every 30 seconds or so. The DVD is easy on the eyes and ears, though. Buy this set first, and save your time and money returning the other books and DVDs! Enjoy!

I thought this book was great for coaching athletes and putting together specific groupings of exercises to work on specific skills. The challenge though was that I bought it for myself and thought it would help me design something to help my triathlon speed. I'm thinking it requires a higher degree of background knowledge than I have at this point.