Sports Books

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3JQDR48JA3J7I Cullen of CullensAbcs.com reviews this book and gives you ideas on how to use to use it interactively with your child. For you I have more video book reviews, free children videos and free activity idea videos at the CullensAbcs.com website. If you have a children's book you would like me to review and offer ideas on how to use it interactively with children please send an email to CullensAbcs@gmail.com. Also, feel free to to add me, Cullen Wood, as a Facebook friend.

I gave this book as a gift but have heard my 2 1/2 year old niece read it a lot. It is great story line, lots of repetition and rhyming. I will definitely get this book for my daughter when she is a bit older.

We originally checked this one out of the library, but we had to purchase it as it's a favorite repeat! What amazing artwork!!! Bold, beautiful, and totally engaging! The story is very funny, even to the youngest set. For my son, it's been a wonderful introduction to the concept of "thinking" and how to express and wonder about what someone else might be "thinking". It is definitely on our current "top 10" list of our all-time favorite books! Thank you for the duck at "The End" eying that tractor and scratching his chin... perhaps a sequel????

This happens to be my nephew's favorite book (and it's the third copy he's worn out). Duck on a Bike a delightful story about a dare-devil duck who sets off an bike riding adventure. On his journey around the farm, he greets other animas who in turn get jealous of his biking skills. In the end, all of the animals get a chance to join in on the fun!

As an elementary school teacher, I highly recommend this book for children of all ages. The story is engaging and the illustrations capture the joy of the story!

I borrowed this book from the library for my son and he instantly fell in love with it - as did I - and so I just had to buy it for him. We read it nearly every day and he smiles and laughs each time - and he's only 7 months. A beautiful story with gorgeous pictures and a very funny final page. Enjoy!

This book not only contains all you need to know about running but also goes into great medical and scientific details. Dr. Tim Noakes is a true schollar of sports science and had managed to blend the experience of many elite athletes together with medical research and scientific fact into a compact journal - the true Runners Bible!

I bought this book because I'm told it has everything about running. It does, but, as a beginner, it's not what I was looking for. It doesn't advise so much as educate. I can now tell you all about pronation and the history of waffle treads, but I'm still not sure what my next pair of shoes should be.

Excellent and thorough book though. I've read much of it.

This is a broad, sweeping view of running, primarily from the marathon and up. Noakes covers history, physiology, current runners, ethnographic issues, and several other topics. It is very readable and each chapter is well edited, so that it can stand alone.

Noakes own views also comes through - over-training did in Bedford and Hill. My only comment is that over-training does in every runner, but perhaps this is the cost of burning brighter rahter than longer.

There are several other subjects that can be lumped into all the other various purveyors of training thought - Hadd, Lydiard, Daniels, Canova. They are all directly or indirectly addressed here.

This is the ONLY comprehensive text touching on virtually the entire spectrum of issues surrounding running which I have found. Noakes has his opinions, but this in no way detracts from this fine read.

VERY detailed and explains WHY certain training recommendations are made. I'm a physician and was surprised how technical this book was. If you are not scientifically minded, this is still a great reference, but do not plan to read this cover to cover unless you took a lot of biology in college. I have used this book for help with an injury and the recommendations and explanations seem very sound. If you are merely looking for training schedules, there are other places to find them, but this book has a wide variety of "formulas" for race preparation. For serious runners, this book is a bargain. Probably cheaper and more useful than any running shoes or other equipment you are putting on your wish list.

Noakes's book on the "Lore of Running" covers just about everything, from what happens inside your muscles to training plans for various races, from biographies of great runners to how to stretch. Noakes seems to be writing both for the runner who wants a deeper understanding of the sport, and for the runner's trainer.

Despite the specialized nature of some of the subject matter, Noakes's writing is quite readable. If you like endurance reading and endurance running, treat yourself to this book.

These stories are about people that had a gun when they needed one. You don't hear about these in the paper. You only hear about the ones (Usually DEAD) that didn't have one. Good read!

"Thank God I Had a Gun" by Chris Bird

This is a book of stunning accounts wherein ordinary people protected themselves from assault, for the simple reason that they had a firearm on hand with which to defend themsevles.

Stories such as these, wherein ordinary people defend themselves against criminal violence do not receive much attention in the media. Their stories do not always appear in print or in news accounts. Nonetheless, many Americans do protect themselves and their loved ones on a regular basis. Ordinary people, in their homes and places of business, subjected to criminal attacks, do not always suffer injury and death, if they have the will to survive, and a firearm in their grasp. The unarmed however, are not so fortunate. They become statistics, and end up in the morgue or the hospital on many occasions.

The author is very experienced in the use of handguns and makes his living as a shooting instructor.

Most people, with no criminal background, can purchase a firearm for self defense. The background check takes between 20 minutes to 1 hour generally. After which time, you can leave the store with the means to protect yourself. That, and some affordable self-defense classes in firearms saftey and uses, can make the difference between living and dying, or going through life with nightmares for memories.

A very good and informative read for those who desire to educate themselves regarding the facts of firearms possession. Whether renter, housewife and mother, businessman, or just plain folks, this book is very useful.

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Of course you will not be able to put down the book because you are on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next in each story. Chris Bird doesn't just focus on the story itself like a cheap Hollywood film. Details of each victims personality, what led to the incident, how the police responded and the aftermath (how people who defend themselves feel afterward) gives you a lot of food for thought. There is probably someone who was involved in defending themselves that you can relate to. I bought this and the The Best Defense by Waters, read them in a few days each, and passed them among girlfriends. They make great conversation; we consider the possibility of an earthquake putting us in a situation like the Katrina chapter. Or what gun control means to an older woman who lives alone. Also, knowing what really happens when gunfire is exchanged, you will never look at an action adventure movie or police drama the same again!

I was very pleased that I learned so much from this book. I am an advocate of personal responsibility and self defense is a part of that. I try to think of ways to keep myself from ever having a confrontation and ways to remove myself from one if it were to happen. This book gives accurate descriptions of how people behaved in these times of stress, and while reading them I automatically inserted myself into the situation and noted how I "think" I would behaved differently were it me. At the conclusion of each story, I was able to compare what actually happened to what may have happened had it been me and I found some of my decisions to be in error. Hopefully I'll never have to be in one of those stories, but if I am, hopefully I'll be able to apply the knowledge gained from this book.

this book needs to be read by people that are not total anti-gun but think the police can "save" them. Learn that the gun is just a tool with a job to do,learn to use it like you would any other tool.

this book covers everything about aba even bob costas said this book has it all so he wont write on about his time in the aba. 2 chapters on wackiest team ever spirits of st louis and tells of the greatest money deal ever by the silnas that will go on for ever. have read over and over and still enjoy can pick up book any chapter and start reading fun to read and very interesting

I rank this book right up there with "The Bronx Zoo" and "Thin Ice - A Season in Hell with the NY Rangers." It is a captivating book that is very difficult to put down once you begin reading it. A++++!!!!

If you were a fan of the ABA growing up this is the book for you. For some reason I just loved the ABA. To read about the beginning of the league and all the trials and tribulations the league went through is funny. Players I remember as a kid come to life. The Doctor, Lou Dampier, Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore, Laverne Tart. They are all here. The only challenge is that the book is narrated by many former participants and at times it is hard to remember who each person was. However, this is a minor criticism. This was a great book to read and brought back a lot of memories.

If Amazon was really on the ball, they would pair this book together with "Going Long," the book about the old AFL - both are entertaining, hilarious at times, and just great reads - you start to see a connection between the leagues in a way, the startup antics, the dubious franchises, and the hilarious happenings. If you are a sports fan or not, you have to get this book - it is hilarious and an absolute joy to read!

Before 24-hour sports coverage on cable TV and back in the day when a basketball fan was lucky to get one nationally-televised NBA game per week, there was an upstart league with a flashy basketball, flashier players and paychecks that oftentimes bounced higher than the ball.

Terry Pluto, a long-time sports columnist for the Akron Beacon-Journal, captures the crazy times and legendary personalities on the court and in the front offices in this oral history of the American Basketball Association.

It was a league that hit the NBA where it was most vulnerable; signing players to contracts that were unheard of at the time. For example, Mel Daniels - a number one draft pick in both leagues - opted to play in the ABA and became one of the all-time greats. There were renegades like Rick Barry and the sky-walking dunks of "Dr. J," Julius Erving, arguably the greatest player of his era.

The league went straight to the heart of the NBA for its first commissioner, hiring George Mikan as a means to gain credibility in the eyes of the stodgy national sports media. Larry Brown and Doug Moe were ABA players before becoming pro coaches. And - if nothing else - who could beat franchise names like the New Orleans Buccaneers, Minnesota Muskies, the Spirits of St. Louis and the San Diego Conquistadors (with Wilt Chamberlain as player/coach)?

Though the final few years of operation - with a merger inevitable and the league consolidating its shrinking resources - became an abrupt climax to the ABA, the teams and players that made the jump to the NBA made for a dramatic leap in the quality of the game & it can be argued set the pace for the style and grace of Magic, Michael, Dominique and LeBron.

Have to say that this book really opened my eyes into understanding the reality of violence and how our perceptions of violence directs the methods of how we teach the martial arts. I am a third degree black belt in Shorin Ryu karate and have been involved in the martial arts for over 15 years.

I think as an instructor in the martial arts, we don't typically work hard enough in explaining to our students what to expect in a real life situation basically due to the fact that most of us have never had that experience. The information obtained in this book is a "must-have" for all students and instructors in the martial arts who wish to understand violence and how to maybe adjust our way of teaching/learning self-defense.

There are all sorts of violence in the "real world" and I highly recommend this book if you want to gain greater insights on how to survive if you should ever have the need to use the self defense you have been taught.

I have to say that without a doubt that "Meditations on Violence" is well worth the print. It is a book that has been needed to be put in the civil world to reveal the realities of violence as compared to our notions of violence that we perceive through media and martial arts "practice".

This book, written by Sgt. Rory Miller, a corrections officer, CERT team member, and rescue missions volunteer helped me to come to a better understanding of the world and myself, as well as some of the doubts that I had about both.

As a newly appointed corrections officer myself, I found some of his stories in the prison environment both affirming and comical, but seriously straight to the point and honest. I liked that.

The book is broken down into 7 chapters dealing with the complexitites of the strategic matrix in self defense and what is tries to be and what it really is, how to think in training in regards to violence, the types of violence and possible situations, description of different predators, training the "four" basic truths and for reality, some ideas on making you defense work regardless of "system", and how to deal with the aftermath of such horrendous violence.

For those with an open mind and have the experience of "being there" this is a valuable book. For others it will give you the mindset and mental skills to hopefully come out on top. The author makes no pretentions or promises. He simply offers his perception of the world and offers a piece of the pie to help make the work a bit less chaotic.

Thanks for such a wonderful book Sgt. Rory Miller!!!!!

As a 30 year veteran of three different styles of martial arts I wish this book had been written when I embarked on the journey towards my first black belt. This book is so thought out and calls BS on a lot of the conventional teachings out there that could get your killed out on the street.
When I thought back to the fights I've had (or muggings I managed to evade back when I was a kid in New York) everything that Sgt. Rory Miller talks about is spot on from the four basic truths of violent assault to what occurs to your body (and fighting skill) when the adrenaline hits your body, and much, much more.
If you're serious about self defense and your martial arts then you must own this book!

Having completed my second full read of Meditations on Violence, I am amazed at the depth and breadth of information provided herein. In gritty detail, the author breaks down violence into manageable chunks. Most of us will never see the same kind of combat with which Sgt. Miller deals on a regular basis, but here he provides us a look into that world, and the lessons we can learn from it. The name of the book is a slight misnomer... as Sgt. Miller points out early on, violence is huge subject. This book would be more accurately titled 'Meditations on Criminal Violence'. Nonetheless, given that criminal violence is the type most of us are likely to experience, the misnomer can be forgiven easily.

Both the martial arts practitioner and the person who has never set foot on the mat will be well served by reading this book. I have asked my wife to read through it now, as the sections on the 'predator' mindset and the patterns of 'prey' are so enlightening, I feel they should be required reading in high school health classes. As a father of 2 daughters, and as a husband, I am grateful to Sgt. Miller for laying out these patterns for me to see and help my loved ones avoid.

The work is solid from beginning to end, though there are some more philisophical leanings in the last few pages which seem a tad out of place for a book so grounded in reality. Nevertheless, they don't interfere with the overall outstanding quality of the work. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the nature of criminal violence, whether for professional reasons, or personal ones.

(This review based on a retail copy of the book provided by the publisher.)

"Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence" is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best books on self-protection ever written. I really enjoy books that cut through the crap and give useful (i.e. potentially life-saving) advice in a down to earth and accessible way. Rory has a great writing style and the hard-won information he presents is imparted in way that is very easy to digest. The student in the martial arts can run in to the problem of being given dangerous misinformation by people with no idea of what a real situation involves. There are also those who understand the realties of violence, but are unable to communicate it effectively. Sergeant Rory Miller is one of the rare, and much needed, instructors / authors who has both "been there" and is also able to effectively communicate what the unforgiving world of real violence truly demands. To get to the point, this in an outstanding book that all martial artist need to read.

The reason I didn't give the book a 5 rating was because it could have had a better ending. Greg was SO timid and let everyone else run his life for him. It never improved until the end. And this bit about him always being scared to come out of the closet--geez. Who did he think he was-Tom Cruise or somebody really noteworthy or famous?? He was a gold medalist from an Olympic contest for Pete's sake--it would have made the news for a day and then blown over. I kind of wonder what his life would have been like if he had run it himself.

But--it was a good book and I did enjoy it and I loaned it to a friend, and both of us had it read in 4 days.

It is a great autobiography in the sense that the author is very honest with his readers and being true to himself.

The author has made great introspections on his life and through the chapters on his childhood, family, diving career as well as relationships, you will be inspired to think along of your own and relate it to his stories. It is not only readng a story of the author but also a soul-searching journey of your own.

It does not matter that you are not a professional diver or have little interest in the sport since the chapters on diving do not include technical details that bore the non-sportlovers. Instead they display how Greg Louganis accomplished his achievements through years of hard work and perseverance rather than depending on his good look or luck, if any.

His story of success in career is as thought-provoking as the later chapters on his struggle to live with HIV-positive and pursuit of the cause of non-discrimination against gays.

Also the photos in the book are fantastic. You can see some on his childhood, friends and family, diving and a few of them are gorgeous and sexy(e.g.centerfold in Playgirl)that won't disappoint you.

We must give the author a credit that he did not show off how many important people he had ever taken pictures with but included those who are important to his life. If you challenge me about the two photos of the presidents, don't judge him too soon, look at the caption and you will know why.

The third last sentence of the book is "I just hope I have enough time to make a difference". After reading the book, you will agree with me that he did and did it amazingly. Thank you, Greg Louganis.

This book provides further gut wrenching proof that outward success is no guarantee of happiness or spiritual wholeness. Almost the opposite it seems. 4 Olympic Golds, a body and a smile to die for, and yet trapped in self loathing and an abusive relationship.

Greg Louganis is not alone in recovering from this paradoxical situation, but his story is a moving and powerful one nonetheless. It also provides hope to us who will never be Olympic medalists but still suffer from self doubt and self destructive ways.

This was a candid autobiography by Greg Louganis. It discusses his struggles with coming out of the closet, being pushed to the limit by his father and diving coach, an abusive relationship, prejudice, being tested HIV positive, and other ordeals he had to live thru to get to where he is today. I learned a lot about Mr. Louganis by reading this book and hope you will too. It was that good.

The reason that I first read this book was that I wanted to read a book written by a gay author. I knew nothing about Greg Louganis or the fact that he smacked his head during the Olympics. All I knew was that he was gay and was a swimmer. I checked it out from the library and ended up reading it in two days, which is a record for me because I procrastinate.

Greg and Eric put together Greg's story very well, never once causing me to wonder what was going on. From the very beginning I was amused by Greg's thoughts and concerned although he was talking about something that had happened over a decade ago (seven years ago when the book was written). Greg did not tell his story from a casual perspective. He was upfront with his emotions and I felt like I really got to know who this guy was and I came to care a great deal about him.

Greg Louganis is the sort of person that should be admired and respected not only for his athletic and acting (let's just think about Jeffrey here...) accomplishments but for his strength and courage. For someone who used to have such a distorted self-perception he grew into a rather wise and very beautiful man. He tells his life story with such compassion, humour, and care that it's difficult to believe he used to think so poorly of himself.

This man is one of my role models and I highly suggest that anyone and everyone read this book.

Gave a glimpse of the professional swimming world. Starting with kids beginning swimming to Olympians from the perspective of professional coach. Entertaining and more appreciative to the sport. But too late for me to join.

Very nice book about swimming as a sport and the people, swimmers and coaches and more, in and behind it. One of few great books about swimming.

Seriously inspiring, got me through a lot of long practises.

This will go down as the best swimming book ever written. The facts of non-fiction with the fluidity of a great novel. PH Mullen has written the aquatic masterpiece.

P.H. Mullen's Gold in the Water is a story that i first came into contact with a couple years ago. It is a fast paced true tale about average men trying to accomplish their goals. Reading the story over and over has helped me get through the hard times in and out of the pool. You don't need to be a swimmer to appreciate this story, but it does help. As I am in film school now, this is one story that can inspire more people then Remember the Titans with the Olympic power of Miracle. I encourage every athlete, Olympic fan, parent, or anyone who has a goal to accomplish to buy a copy of this book and one for their coach or mentor. It is a book to read over and over again.

Our boy looked at this book so much, he literally wore it out. It was his favorite. We purchased a new one for our little girl.

My son and my daughter both responded to this book when only 2 or 3 months old - the animals have big eyes and friendly smiles, and when they peek at the baby reader, the baby responds with smiles, coos, and wriggling. Perfect first book. Sturdier than most flap books, but will get lots of loving use, so why not buy 2?

We love this series! Large, colorful illustrations and full page flaps makes this a great book for little ones new to reading. A perfect gift too!

They used to read this book frequently at reading times in Ohio when my daughter was in baby laptime. She always loved it and I gave it to a friend as a gift. She says that her daughter is really enjoying it as well.

This book is great. I not only have my own children but I own a child franchise and I read this book to our 10-13 mo. olds and 12-15 mo. They just stare and smile and try to grab every page.
I love this book.

Whether you are a strength coach, any person who trains others to increase their strength or looking to learn more about improving your own strength, this is a must have. It is science digested and put into print in a very easy to understand format.

This has been a fanastic book. I coach cyclists for the Velodorme, and it has been nothing but helpfulll in bringing up the power output in riders and having them pull out some better numbers on the track.

I recomend this book to anyone who has been having trouble in getting anyone over the line in any sport that requires power, strength, or a combination of both.

This book gets 5 stars because it focuses precisely on Programming. You can see by the other user reviews that this is an excellent book.

This is the best book I've read on planning strength training programs. If you exercise for strength, you need to have this book.

However, while I thought this was a great book by the standards of the field, the lack of references really irked me. What's fact and what's opinion? It's hard to tell. Rippetoe often implies things are scientifically supported (and from other reading I have a pretty good idea about which of his points are supported), but he doesn't give you the references you would need to be able to tell. He doesn't tell you where his knowledge stops and his speculation begins. This book really is closer to best-practices than anything else out there, but you can't tell that by casually reading it.

Myth-based training and unsupported theories run amok in weight training. Scientific-ish people like Rippetoe could combat that. In that narrow sense, this book is a missed opportunity. There are readers who will get through the book and put it on the shelf next to McRobert, Mentzer and Schwarzenegger and not be able to tell the difference.

Quibbles: The Intermediates chapter, which ought to be the most useful for the target audience, is hard to follow. I was particularly disappointed in the description of the Texas Method. There's also basically nothing on mixing weight training with other sports, which is a common need.

Overall, it's a very good book, but it could have been a great one.

As with most of the books that I have read on advanced weightlifting programs, the book is heavy on theory and low on examples. The author gives some general and somewhat confusing parameters on how to design a program and then fails to give a full body workout. The book even states that working the body as one unit is the way to go, but then only gives examples on specific exercises like the push press or squat. Its well written and one can tell the author is extrememly knowledgeable. I just dont understand why he didnt give a full body workout example for beginner, intermediate, and advanced lifters.

If you have any interest in Smith & Wesson firearms, this is a must have. Tons of information on pistols, rifles, shotguns and other items made by S&W.

Excellent resource for the S&W collector. Very comprehensive, quality pictures, great read. The type of book you get lost in for a few hours!

This is a great book to get familiar with all the different models of S&W revolvers. I needed a book that would help me identify different revolvers and this book is the one. I believe this book will help anyone looking to broaden their knowledge of S&W firearms. What I like about this book is the color photos and detailed descriptions of each model. This book should be in every gun enthusiast's library.

As a firearms dealer there is a need for referenca materials that I can use & depend on, both for my business & as a service to my customers. This is the BEST S&W book I have come across.

Best, most useful reference text I've seen on the subject. A very valuable reference for the collector. Very well done. Couldn't be more pleased.