Performance Books

I've been practicing and teaching Pilates for years, and although I continue to be challenged by the original mat exercises, there are times that my students crave different exercises. I, too, have been increasingly curious about the Reformer on the Mat exercises, and though I've seen bits and pieces in other workouts, I haven't seen one that offers them in a cohesive system. This one does, showing not only the sequence the exercises should be performed in but also the different levels for each exercise (although most of them are quite challenging).

I do still have to shake my head and laugh at the need to market the system for men- anyone who has ever tried the Pilates pushups, Side Bends or Leg Pull Ups should already know that classical Pilates demands- and builds- upper body strength. However, in the text where Lyons notes that some of these exercises are exclusively for men- or individuals with significant upper body strength- I mostly agree. I happily cede the very tricky Headstand variations to male practitioners and instructors, although I will note that they are very similar to a number of movements from the Ashtanga Primary Series.

This is an excellent resource for male or female practitioners and instructors, and if it finally gets people to realize that Pilates is a real workout and not just a souped up abs and stretch routine, so much the better.

This book is exactly what I needed. Exercises are well explained. No boring stuff around, goes straight to the point. I already feel better...

I am a great fan of no equipment/body weight exercises. It is amazing what level of fitness can be achieved by following the exercises as outlined in D. Lyon's book and i fully endorse the other positive reviews on this book. The book is very user friendly with precise descriptions of the exercises and specific recommendations for men with tight hamstrings, hips, etc. It's very easy to build up your program step by step over time and you will see results very quickly (at least I did in terms of core strength, slimmer waistline and more muscle tone).

I use this book along with David Swenson's great Practice manual on Ashtanga Yoga and between the exercises of these 2 books and occasional runs in the park I will stay busy for the rest of my life. The great thing is that I don't need to spend a dime on gym memberships, equipment, etc.

I continue to be incredibly surprised by the effect this workout has on me. I've always been physically active but constantly suffered from tightness along my lower back and legs, despite conventional stretching. After routinely performing the exercises in this book, I found myself feeling unusually well. My back quit feeling so sore and my calves, shin and hamstring stopped feeling as tight after my usual non-Pilate workouts.

Interestingly enough, my family loaned me several Pilate workout videos when they discovered my enthusiasm. I've tried a few of them but have not had as pleasant an experience. The videos aren't targeted for men, perhaps this lends a clue. I suspect, however, that the book just includes some great lower back and leg stretches that the videos do not.

I am a certified Pilates instructor and I consider this book to be THE authoratative text on Pilates mat work. It is not only an incredible resource for teachers seeking to "tighten up" their already advanced form, but also a fantastic, user-friendly entry point for a beginner looking to build a Pilates practice from the ground up. Exercise descriptions are both clear and concise, and the unique illustrations of the exercises "in motion" go far beyond run-of-the-mill photographs. Lyon's instruction on classical mat work is worth the price of admission alone, but his "Reformer on the mat" section puts this book over the top. "The Complete Book of Pilates for Men" is just that: complete. Man or woman. Beginner or advanced. When I was learning the nuts and bolts of Pilates, I wore out my copy of Lyon's book. It is truly exceptional, and anyone serious about Pilates needs to own it.

As a professional certified coach, I love this book and use it as a resource in the programs I facilitate on leadership development and business coaching. Tom has such BIG HEART and through this book he provides a wonderful road map on how managers and leaders can begin to create more high performance work teams.

This will become one of your go-to books re: the coaching process. I know it's one of mine! Incredible insights as well as lots of advice, tricks, tips, etc. A must buy for coaches, or those who aspire to become coaches.

In this three-part relational guide for the development of "a performance-focused, feedback-rich organization", consultant Tom Crane offers the reader his insights on three aspects of transformational coaching; the model, the coach, and the culture. The unifying theme, the heart drives relationships, and relationships drive performance, is evidenced by the title of the book and the statement, "If you chose to incorporate any of the practices described, pay attention to how your relationships are enriched and your results are enhanced."

The 'model' part is a three-phase methodology for coaching; starting with connecting, preparing, and establishing expectations (the Foundation); progressing into exploring and issues identification (the Learning Loop); continuing with options, commitment, and follow-up (Forwarding The Action.) The 'coach' element is an introspective piece including communications and style. The 'culture' part covers both `what it is' and seven principles for creating the change.

From reading the book, it is easy to see that Crane believes in intrinsic motivation and in people. He uses a most wonderful term, "positive regard," for how a coach or leader might look upon those they work with. I could not agree more with this sentiment. If you share this feeling, this is a book worth the read, as it gives wonderful guidance for how to bring out the best in people.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

Tom Crane goes to the true essence of coaching. He developed a comprehensive coaching method to transform knowledge into performance and action into results. A must read not only for coaches, but also for managers and leaders.

This book does have some good background information about coaching. It is pretty dry though. If you want to learn about coaching, take an accredited coaching certification program. I did, and this was one of our required reads. It happened to be my least favorite and gave me very little practical information to use during a coaching session. If you want to read an inspiring, empowering book, read Breaking the Rules by Kurt Wright.

Twain's _War Prayer_ is a classic piece of anti-war literature. Written during the Spanish-American war, the sentiments Twain expresses are still relevent today. As a combat vet, I always struggle with those who invoke the name of religion, morality or righteousness with war. War is obscene - Twain's vivid poem illustrates what that is. The power of Twain's words are supported by the drawings of John Groth, which fit the tone and time of the story.

As a previous reviewer has noted, the printing quality of the book leaves something to be desired; with that said, I strongly recommend this powerful piece.

No other book has ever hit me this hard with its message in so few pages like Twain's The War Prayer. In our troubled world today, this book should be read by everyone. The book portrays the unspoken side of a war prayer, the consequences of victory and conquest. With such "victories" in the battlefield, we ask for much more destruction than we intend to ask for. The drawings here (just look at the cover page) are eloquent as they are haunting and accompany the grimness of Twain's piece absolutely beautifully. A buy you will never forget. After you read it, buy a few more copies, and give this to family and friends.

This short narrative is simple and to read an understand. It gives the dramatic account of a blindly patriotic church service being interrupted by a "messenger of God," who proceeds to reveal the unspoken prayer of the congregation as heard by the ears of the LORD. It is, to put it breifly, a caution against self-centered prayer and/or a reprimand against needless bloodshed. This should be standard reading in schools and churches across the globe, especially here in the good 'ole war-mongering USA.

OK - A note from a middle american man on the War Prayer. This book should be read every morning at schools rather than the pledge of allegiance. It takes the american psyche of war and turns it on its ear, with no need for the author's typical wit. I have bought and given away many copies, but more importantly always have a copy hanging around somewhere in your house where visitors or your kids might come across it. They might pick it up, and to pick it up is the same as to read it for the ten minutes it would take anyone to get through it. If more and more people read this book, our culture could perhaps find a more humane view of what warfare truly is. Are you truly willing to pray that your enemies children will be left wandering, wounded, trying to find enough food to survive? I sure hope I know your answer.

"The War Prayer," by Mark Twain, is a short, parable-like story. The text, which is arranged on the pages like poetry, is accompanied by John Groth's black-and-white illustrations. The entire book, although unpaginated, is less than 100 pages long. The story takes place in a time of war, when "the holy fire of patriotism" burns in every heart. Twain tells of a church service in which the congregation is preparing to send its young men off to war. But an aged stranger interrupts the service with a message of his own.

The back cover of the book notes that "The War Prayer" was written during the Philippine-American war in the first decade of the twentieth century, was rejected for publication in 1905, and remained unpublished until 1923. Twain has crafted a harsh, bitter, and biting satire of how patriotism, militarism, and religion can come together. His searing message is well complemented by John Groth's stark, sometimes nightmarish images. Groth's impressionistic drawings look like he has lacerated the pages with his pen. Twain's "Prayer" has a timeless and universal feel. After all these decades, it still packs a punch.

I was a high school baseball coach and the first day of practice I brought this book. I told them I had read it every year before baseball season and it always seemed to help me. I had 6 of my players read this book and all of them agreed and had much better seasons that what I anticipated they would. Just like any self help book you have to have faith in it working but this book speaks for its self. With all of these positive reviews you can tell how many people it helped. I now coach football and have suggested this book to several players even thought it is not about football. I have read several books about sports psychology and self help type books. They are not my favorite and most of the time I found that they did not work for me but as a coach they were good to know for my players. This book did work for me and is the number one sports psychology book I have ever read. I highly recommend it.

The Mental Game of Baseball is an outstanding read. It is loaded with useful information. It is refered to as the "baseball bible". Anyone from little league coach, high school coach, college coach, player, or parent should take the time to read this book. It gave me (a college baseball coach) a new found respect and understanding for the mental side of baseball. I recommend this book to every baseball enthusist out there.

This book is as much about life as it is about baseball. The positive re-enforcement the book gives about accomplishing almost anything is the true message.
Whenever you or one of your players is struggling, go back to this book to refresh a slumping attitude.

A great tool for coaches & players at all levels. If you don't understand the mental part of the game, this is the book for you.

Chuck Schumacher
Owner -- Chucks Gym
Baseball & Martial arts
Training & Conditioning

Oh yea, that's right. There is no need to think when you're up at the plate. The main thing is to relax and trust your trained body motions/strengths. This book separates the men from the boys. It helps skilled athletes develop to their full potential. In fact, it can even change the way you live your life. Great book for those hot summer nights.

Interesting way of looking at things can give fresh ideas and thin book was a great read.

Almost every book I've read about the hospitality industry (or "management" books in general) are boring. This dude has some style and flair. Just read "MYOB" on vacation in November 2002, and was impressed with the detail and the ideas Sullivan shares in the book. This guy is obviously in the biz. He covers marketing, service, selling, team, etc and while some of it is too basic for me, it served as a reminder for my younger managers. Best part is whether the idea was new or old you can use it right away. There's a lot of graphics and the layout pretty cool. It'll be a key tool for keeping a temperamnetal restaurant team together. I wish there's been more on Team Meetings and E-learning, but he refers you to his website for that information and it's free there, so that's worked out well. I've been running chain restaurants for 12 years and this is the best book on the basics of managing hospitality; that I've seen, anyway. I gave my 3 other managers copies for Christmas. The price is great for the amount of info you get in return. Anyway, that's my 2 cents on it.

MYOB: The heart and Soul of Hospitality is Jim Sullivan's new book, addressing the keys to Restaurant Customer Service-- from an experienced pro. Jim's humorous approach to a subject dear to any restaurateur or service person's heart is an easy read.

Heavy on specific examples and tips of ways you can change your service to improve service, sales, and profitability, MYOB is a primer for doing a service business right in the competitive 2000's. As numbers of eateries increase in the US and abroad, the key differentiation will be service received and Customers' value perception.

Sullivan combines a variety of methods that will energize salespeople in your operation.

I've recommended this book to people in other Service businesses, too, since it is so insightful into the service delivery. My friends in grocery, hotel management, retail sales, etc. have all purchased the book and gleaned successful selling/service tips from it.

If you're in a service business, this could be a MUST READ this year!

HOSPITALITY MUST READ! MYOB is written from the front-line operator perspective with Jim's passionate voice calling to that person inside. The person inside is the one that started in the Hospitality business and remembers how fun the "rush" is and all the special ingredients that led to choice of this industry.

I recently visited with Jim during one of his dynamic seminars at the Toronto, HOST EX - Restaurant Expo. I immediately ordered his book via Amazon.com and I just finished reading it! I couldn't put it down - I read it again - cover to cover! What a joy. Today - I am purchasing 8 copies for my Interns at Penn State. Jim - thanks for the continuous inspiration!

Well-written, lots of information about caplocks during their brief but important period of use. I was not disappointed in the reason for purchase which was the honest reviews of modern replicas. The only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars are the pictures and awful Old English font used. A 19th century one would have been better. Maybe in the 2nd edition they will make some changes.

This is a fun little book, obviously a labor of love by the authors. The coverage of performance is not all-inclusive, but the historical information is interesting and you can infer the authors' preferences for certain brands of reproductions. They missed the Rogers & Spencer revolver, though there aren't many of them around. I like the R&S grip and it's a solid design, so too bad they didn't cover it. The book does cover the Colts and the Remington New Army pretty thoroughly, along with a few others that were of less interest to me. It steered me away from the Walker and Dragoon Colts and convinced me I had to have an 1851 Navy Colt, though I bought a .44-cal version that's compatible with my other cap-and-ball revolvers. The authors didn't test the .44-cal, only the more-common .36-cal.

What this book needs more than anything else is copy editing. There are many consistent misspellings, which detract from the pleasure of reading it. That's why I gave it only 4 stars. Perhaps the authors can find a friendly local English teacher to clean up the manuscript before the next edition.

I had purchased this book to help provide information about shooting cap and ball revolvers but had the additional pleasure of finding excellent information on care, cleaning, tuning and background as well. While it does not cover all available reproduced models it is very informative, helpful and humorous about the models it does cover. The only negative I have is that the captioned photos are in very small print and difficult to read. I intend to buy a second copy for my reference library and use my 1st copy as a range and bench reference. I hope that Bates and Cumpston continue with another book covering other cap and ball pistols not covered in this work. A very useful book for Remington and Colt cap and ball shooters.

This is a great book, from a historical reading standpoint. It puts the technological progression of the percussion handgun in historical context.

I thoroughly enjoyed the practical information on how to use the various antique versions and modern replicas of these old guns. I also appreciated the candid assesment of build quality, parts availability and customer service from the various importers and manufacturers of replica black powder percussion guns.

My only suggestion is that the book be larger, with more pages, with lots of color and black & white photos, with more history, more gunsmithing how-to's, more custom black powder revolver modifications, more gun leather, and more field testing and hunting tales. The only regret I had on finishing this book was that there is not yet a sequel.

Buy this book, but be warned -

. . . upon reading this book you will find yourself awaiting shipment of an 1851 Colt Navy black powder revolver, along with a small box of shooting supplies. (make sure you try real black powder!)

Nice little book, full of information about various types of handguns. I liked the opinion bits about various gun makers, the load charts for each gun, nice amount of information (including history)- even for a novice to the sport. I like the range test details and comparisons to modern weapons too.
At least one reviewer mentioned the poor photographs, I don't remember the technical term but they're printed newspaper style (too hard to look at) and would be helped if they were larger. The old English script(why use that?)on these pictures is very hard to read at this scale, in one instance it's impossible. Fortunately the real information is in each chapter instead of the pictures.
My biggest complaint is that while various gunmakers/ dealers/ parts suppliers are mentioned you don't get an address or website for any of them. Many of the readers of this book will already have these bits but they should be provided for the novice as well.

The scenes in this book enabled me to explore a variety of situations and characters. The dialogue is concise, but emotive--the words are easy to pronounce, yet they emit a lot of meaning. In practicing the scenes with friends, I found it easy to empathise with the characters and generate a latitude of interpretations. I recommend this book for any student of theater. Though the title seems to recommend the scenes for mainly teenagers, I found them just as powerful for adults in their twenties (I qualify as the latter).

I personally had the great experience of working with Chambers, and this book truely helped me broaden my range. Having seen myself only as a comedy actor I was in awe when he asked me to do a dramatic scene, but with the help of this book i can now do a dramatic scene and hold a straight face. I would recommend that anyone trying to make it in the entertainment industry read this and try to work with this great coach and teacher, Chambers Stevens

The scenes are both fun and easy to learn. Besides discovering my kid, he has been an invaluable resource with both his books and his coaching! All his books are highly recommended.

Lots of variety and plenty of scenes. I started with Sensational Scenes for Kids and now I am enjoying the Teen Book. Chambers is a great acting coach and his books are wonderful.

Chambers has a way with making even the most serious situations into funny ones. It is a MUST tool for teen actors who are serious about their career. This in one of the many helpful books that Chambers as written for kid/teen actors.
SETH MORRIS-age 12-actor

Globalization is quickening and will continue to have an increasing impact on your professional career. With globalization there will never be a shortage of Talent. Having the best talents and proven capabilities is not enough anymore. As the author puts it, we need to become "Talent-plus" person. If you do, you will add value to yourself, add value to others and accomplish more than you dreamed was possible.

This is an excellent book that can be applied in the real world. As an IT Project Manager, I was able to apply the learnings from the section on Teamwork to inspire my project team.

Other books on the same subject seemed very philosophical "common sense" with no practical actionable take aways. This book, however, explains things in very analytical format with examples that I could relate to, both personally & professionally. Recommended!

This book forces you to examine your character more than your talent. It offers concrete information with great examples.

This is a must read for everyone regardless of vocation or lifestyle. Reccommended to me by Jim Tressel of Ohio State University, and I have studied it like a college text book. As an educator and an advocate for youth, it has significantly affected me and the way I conduct my profession. Read this, it will be one of the best choices you'll ever make, and it takes no talent to do it!

This book is fantastic! I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The author kept my interest as I learned some life points that I'll never forget. I would recommend this book to anyone who desires to become a better person all-around. If you want to become a "talent plus person" this book is for you. Now, I plan to purchase the study guide so that I'll be able to draw even more out of this book and myself.

Was a great encouraging book, when you feel like you just aren't good enough. Easy read, with lots of typical John Maxwell one liners.

If you are in a group of hardcore U2 fans, and you say, "the U2 bible" or "the Pimm book", they will all know which book you mean. For collectors, bootleggers, and general fans, this is THE book. While Pimm has sadly passed away, well known U2 insider Caroline Von B. has taken over and kept this tradition alive. This is the U2 book that the U2 crew take on the road. Need I say more?

This is the ultimate compendium for the true U2 fan. Not only does it document every single show they've ever played but it gives a lot of background and behind the scenes info on the albums. When I found out this updated version of the book was coming out I got excited and now that I've received it I was not disappointed!

This is the updated version. The first book that came out covered U2 from their earliest stages up through to the beginnings of the Popmart tour. This one carries us through the Popmart tour right through to the end of the Elevation tour. Pretty much every U2 show ever played is covered to some extent, whether it's just with a setlist or a lengthy review. Each tour has a page or so dedicated to an overview and then each show is detailed to some extent. If you're just a fan of the band you'll get a kick out of many of the shows details (the pizza order/delivery from 1992 being fantastic). If you're a collector of shows this book is to U2 fans what Deadbase or those Tapers Compendium books are to Grateful Dead fans. It's either a lot of fun to read or a rich source of information. Just a blast.

On a side note most of the book is written by Pimm Jal de la Parra. I'm not sure if it says it anywhere but apparently he had passed away during the creation of this updated version. A few people had gotten together to finish it off for him. They most certainly did him proud.

Hands-down the best book for collectors, fans, completists and trivia buffs. Compiled from thousands of sources by devoted but objective fans, this book is a good read, reference book and very interesting look inside each tour. As a long time collector, I have always heard that if a setlist exists in this book, there is a recording of that show, somewhere in the world.

This book is hard to put down! Every U2 gig is detailed from setlists to attendance. Lots of photographs, some that have never been seen before. I love it!

In the introduction, Erika Andersen lays out her underlying premise as follows: "Managing well requires skills--just like cooking or playing the piano or, yes gardening--and I hope to teach you some of those skills." She succeeds. Here's an outline of the book, chapter by chapter.

Preparing the soil. This chapter concentrates on what Andersen calls "the foundation of management success:" listening.

Plan before you plant. This is about how to set expectations. There's very good material here on core competencies and key capabilities. One very important skill that Andersen covers is learning to describe a job clearly. This is vital if you want to find the right people to do the job and if you want to establish clear expectations for them.

Picking your plants. This chapter will be hard for many managers in larger companies to implement. It covers using the interview process to make sure you're hiring the people most likely to succeed on the job. The material is good, and picks up on those listening skills mentioned in the first chapter. The sad reality, though, is that HR has co-opted the hiring process in many companies and the managers have very little say

Not too deep and not to shallow is about how to bring people on board. You will search in vain through dozens of books about managing people without finding a word, let alone a chapter, on this critical task.

The gardener's mind is a great chapter about trusting your own skill and letting human nature help you grow great people. This is the core concept beneath the metaphor. Read this chapter when you doubt yourself. Read this chapter when you are tempted to "make" something happen.

A mixed bouquet. Guess what? Everyone who works for you will be different. This is the chapter that will help you figure out how to manage each of them.

Staking and weeding. This is the day-to-day stuff you have to do to keep the garden growing. It's not very exciting most of the time, but it's absolutely essential and the great supervisors I've known have practiced it as a core part of the job. There's good material on giving feedback of all kinds.

Letting it spread. The gardening metaphor starts to break down a little here, but it's OK. This chapter is about delegation, how to do it well, and how it can make things better for everyone.

Plants into gardeners. The metaphor morphs into science fiction. Imagine the plants in the garden rising up and seeking nutrients on their own, watering each other and thriving. Andersen shares her coaching model in this chapter.

How does your garden grow? The metaphor is back and working. Andersen re-states the core idea that successful gardeners trust their own skills and the power of (human) nature. She offers her "management decision tree" to help you work effectively with your team members. If you like complex decision trees, you'll love it. If you don't, skip it. There's enough good narrative and example here that the decision tree is not really necessary.

Some plants don't make it. I wish this chapter had come earlier in the book, but I'm glad it's here. Too many authors imply that if you do as they suggest everything will work wonderfully and profit and joy will reign. Every working manager knows that's impossible. Sometimes you have to help a team member move on to another job where they can thrive. There are tools here to help you.

The master gardener. When you become responsible for people and their performance you enter a field where you will never know everything. I tell new supervisors that it will take them a year and a half at least to become effective and at least ten years of work to master the art of supervision. Even then you won't know or be good at everything. In this final chapter, Andersen comes to terms with that by giving you tools to guide your own development.

If you are responsible for managing people and their performance this book will help you do your job more effectively. It is an absolute must-read for working managers and for senior executives who want to improve people management in their organizations.

Growing Great Employees is an exceptional resource guide to building and managing a powerful team. We send this book to all of our clients, candidates and new hires as it is full of inspiration, powerful tools, practical examples and insight. Erika's conversational writing style, realistic examples, and multi-faceted approach empowers each reader to enhance their leadership skills and manage with confidence.

Tending the garden is metaphor and departure point for this brilliantly clear, wise and pragmatic book. If you aspire to be an effective leader, if you strive to achieve the potentiality of those who work with you or for you - whether you are a human resources professional, a CEO or newly minted supervisor - Erika Andersen's insights, tools and exercises will deepen your skills, give you fresh insights, and reinvigorate you.

GROWING GREAT EMPLOYEES reminds me that one's humanity plays a big role in becoming an influential leader. The importance of being a good listener, a mentor, being bold, honest, responsible and accessible to those around you are welcomed reminders in this era of myopic functionality, quarterly returns, and corporate liability.

Beyond trend, GGE will be a `perennially' relevant resource for the business community.

Erika Andersen provides us with all the skills we need as managers to turn our associates from contributors to superstars!

In addition to being full of insights and inspirations, Growing Great Employees has space for you to write YOUR story, and to make this book your own.

Don't buy 1 copy of this book...BUY 2: 1 for you, and 1 to give away to your favorite manager or manager-to-be!

Finally a practical business book that teaches the skills you need to be a top rate manager. No theoretical mumbo jumbo, just practical advice told in a witty, conversational style that makes it a joy to read. Using true life examples, Andersen shows techniques for delegating, making agreements, giving feedback etc.. that provide a virtual road map for becoming a better boss and colleague.