Training Books

Steve Ilg is an interesting character and an incredibly fit man. I have been working out for 15 years, but when I tried some of the programs in this book--they tested my will! Its a terrific book to give an athlete new training ideas. The concept of changing your training routine it really useful. How many of us fall into the routine of doing the same thing over and over again? Of course, Ilg's merging of the spiritual, intellectual and physical is also awesome.

I never dreamed that working out could be such a spiritual journey.This work is TRULY innovative.There is NOTHING like it in the world. I have studied this work for over 7 yrs.It has taken me taken me on a journey that to this day continues to inspire me.We are blessed to have this book!

this book is one of the best bargains about outdoor sport on the market today. it's 450+ pages are jam packed with tips on equipment and technique, other books to read, phone numbers . .on and on and on.

nearly one third of the book is devoted to sport specific training programs-complete with illustrations-distilled from a lifetime devoted to outdoor sport both competitive and non competitive.

besides nordic and alpine skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice climbing and mountaineering, the winter athlete covers a lot of ground that's not snow covered as well. there are chapters on cycling (road & mtb), skating, rock climbing, trail running, kayaking . .

there is something in this book for everyone. everytime i pick it up i learn something new.

along with sport specific training advice, ilg also covers general strength and endurance training, nutrition, flexibility and mental preparation.

ilg's training philosophy is not without it's critics. he believes that everything an athlete does can be considered training. how you live your life is how you perform your sport. ilg is apt to tell a weight lifter to free his mind and his body will follow or a runner to "run with the earth not upon it." ilg's writing style is informative and fun. he loves the natural world and it shows.

you can accept his philosophy or not. for the humble sum of twenty bucks you get a stunning buffet of information that you can partake of or leave alone.

what more can i say. winter athlete rocks.

This book is a must read for all people who venture outdoors in pursuit of sport. While the emphasis is on the winter sports, the lessons transfer easily to all seasons. What is refreshing & unique about Steve's approach is his refusal to compartmentalize sport and exercise into another item to be checked off a to do list. His approach teaches that the lessons of effort and grace and persistence learned on the slopes & trails & tracks can and should transfer to the daily activities of life. A more unique book you will not find. Buy this to increase your enjoyment & skill of your chosen winter sport and you will get that benefit & much more.

"The books arrived today. I have informed Messr. Albert Camus that, despite his having won a Nobel prize in literature, he would have to share my mind, bedstand, and reading focus with The Winter Athlete." - George Watson, Boulder, CO

Listen. This book is it. Drop any program you are on and follow this book. It involves everything from weight training to proper conditioning and even adds plyometrics for the complete combination of power, strenght, speed, agility, and stamina. I've never gained more mass and strength in one year in my entire life. This tells you exactly what to do and when to do it. This is so intense I recommend finding a mentor or a lifting partner to follow this with you to keep motivated. If football is your life like it is mine, buy this and you will become a better athlete. Period.

This book provides a great training plan for players aged 16 to 45. Very comprehensive, easy to use and well illustrated. Noticed results within 6 weeks. Includes not only weight and conditioning training, but also drills to improve agility, foot speed and balance. This reference can serve as the basis for designing a team or individual training program for any level of play.

I have only been doing this program for a little while, and it is as great as everyone says it is. Someone earlier said it is great for 16-45 year olds, but Im about to turn 15 and it works great for me. It would also work great for someone over 45, as their are at leat 10 different exercises for each body part to choose from. I suggest you stop whatever program you may be doing right now and try this one, I have looked into numerous other programs and attended camps and this is by far the best program I've found do far.

I'm a woman in training for the IWFL (yes, there is women's football; check out californiaquakefootball.com.) This book has helped my training immensely. It covers just about everything. All lifts are expressed as a percentage of your maximum single-repetition weight (e.g., 8 x 60%)--which means I can use it as easily as the big boys. Bring a calculator to the gym, or else sit down and figure out the numbers beforehand, unless you are one of those people that can instantly calculate 60% of 130 to the nearest 5... well, you get the idea...

Buy this book & be bigger, stronger, faster. What else do you want?

Man, I can tell you, if you what a complete workout plan, this one's all that and more. Especially the first two weeks of the off-season, resistance training workouts, if you go maximally through those workouts like Ben Cook describes, you are going to be left at the end having to have some one else take your shirt off. I mean you are all messed up, but in a good way. This book was exactly what I needed. I'm on week 7 right now, (I started at the end of my high school football season) and I already feel bigger and stronger. Mr. Cook says that consistency is the key, and so far I havn't missed a workout. It seems to really be paying off I think. It'll pay off for you too I'll bet. GET THIS BOOK!

I read this book after reading Thomas Ricks' "Making the Corps" so compared to that book, I was a bit disappointed.
The book had some useful information, but didn't tell you that much about boot camp. In addition, there are billions of sections. Almost every two paragraphs is sectioned under a new heading, which annoyed me.
Though it didn't give me quite what I wanted, I did learn some useful information about preparing for boot camp, and the appendix is wonderful! With the phonetic military alphabet, army ranks, workouts, PFT info, useful charts, and much more!

Pretty useful for someone who wants to learn about preparing, but I recommend "Making the Corps"... read about it at: http://www.aaronsinfo.com/makingcorpsreview.html and there's product link to it's amazon page to look at reviews or purchase it.

As someone who aspires to join the military one day and has read many BCT survival guides, I can proudly say there is no better book on the market than 63 Days and a Wake-up!!! It is intuitive, astounding, and to the point. Specialist Herbert did a remarkable job writing this must have book. It's as if you're already at BCT and know what to expect. Like Don says, he won't give you a 300 page book that contains 40 pages of substance. Every page is of helpful material to get you ready for RECBN/BCT or so you can just have a better understanding of what it's like. Starting with the recruitment process and ending with life at BCT, every single aspect is covered and explained. What I look for in an Army BCT survival guide and have not found in the many I have read are the helpful hints and tips found in this book for while you are in training or in the preparation process. It's easy to see that the Specialist wrote much of this while at BCT. Even if you're not interested in joining the Army, I would recommend this to anyone to better understand the "Army Strong Process" and for anyone seriously considering it, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS BOOK!!!

After reading this book, I immediately e-mailed Specialist Herbert and complimented on it. I also asked him if it would be okay if I could talk to him sometime with questions about the Army I had. He responded the very next day and gave me his phone number. I called him with the questions I had and not only did he answer all of them but he couldn't have been any nicer and insightful with the information he gave me. He is a truly outstanding guy and the best warrior America has to offer. I can't wait and look forward to the sequel to this book coming out soon!!!

I am SO glad I found this book before I left for BCT this Winter! It had the perfect combination of brevity, subject knowledge, and personal experience. The book contains exactly what you need to know and why you need to know it. He starts out with Recruitment, moves through the entire enlistment process, and then breaks down the current Army BCT experience. I enjoyed reading it, but was only able to truly appreciate the knowledge when I was going through the training. I felt like I had already experienced much of it through the book, and felt much more confident in my ability to handle the change from civilian to soldier.

Since my MOS is the same as his, I sent him an email when I was at AIT. Not only did he respond, but we talked several times over the phone about the combat medic training, and he was able to refer me to some more excellent reference material that made the training much more understandable. He also talked to my younger brother over the phone about BCT (he leaves in June), and reiterated some of the things he talked about in his book. It's nice to have someone put their money where their mouth is.

This book isn't just nice to have; it's a necessity!

I wasn't disappointed at all. I was going on what the other reviewers wrote - which has bitten me in the a__ before, but not this time. I liked the fact that I could read it in one evening, over just a few hours. I have the attention span on a flea, and it kept my attention all the way through. Now I've got the upper hand when I deal with my recruiter. Don't talk to a recruiter, or sign your contract without reading this book!!!

As an Army Recruiter I cannot stress enough the importance of being ready, not only prior to training - but before you make the decision to serve. I am going to recommend this book to every potential soldier who walks through my door. It is the best source of information on the "New Army" BCT out there (it's even better than the Army literature). I have shown it to 2 of my Soldiers who just returned from training and they both said the book was right-on. The best way to describe the book is "the kind of information you can't appreciate until you go without it". With just a few pages assigned to each different, but important phase of enlistment (Recruitment, MEPS, Travel, Personal Business, etc..) Herbert does a better job of describing the processes than the Army ever has done - and we own the business!!!
I have been using the book as a tool to help future Soldiers understand what they can expect. I loaned it out to one of my warriors who wanted to know more about BCT before they committed to sign, and he brought it back the next day and was ready to sign-up. The book answered his questions and made him more comfortable in the decision - which is very important!
You should be comfortable with your decision to join the military, and this book will help you make the decision - one way or the other - with confidence.

Energized training strategies respectful of the multiple intelligences and learning styles flow throughout the book. Content features key strategies for instructors from building the course, to igniting anticipation from learners, to understanding why a variety of well-placed and appropriate activities--including the use of music-- build retention of the training content. Practice segments invite the reader into interaction with the ideas suggested in each chapter. From instructor self-reflection, to comprehensive planning and delivering the course, Russell builds elements of Instructional Design into an Accelerated Learning process with the learner, retention and performance at the center.

and didn't know who to ask!

As a seasoned practitioner of brain-based learning techniques, NLP, and accelerated learning, I was intrigued by this book - it was the book I always thought I'd write!

I'd recommend it to my friends who've decided they want a cool job like mine.

It covers the A-to-Z of learning - business reasons, contract for learning, learning styles, memory, you as trainer, environment, music, development of learning events and marketing. It even provides usable examples and activities.

The best thing - Lou models what she's writing with the use of illustrations, tables, etc. If you want to be a trainer who does more than lecture, this book is a must for your briefcase...it may never make its way to your bookshelf!

This is the most useful training book I have ever read. The format is easy to read and it is easy to learn the concepts. I have been doing training and psychotherapy for twenty-two years and I am an NLP practitioner. I learned many valuable new things. Especially the importance of teaching all the types of intelligence's. I now realize that when I get all excellent evaluations except for one or two I may not be hitting that persons intelligence. The marketing ideas are a very welcomed addition. This book has helped my training and business immensely.

Outstanding presentation on the theory and practical tools to enahnce any learning experience. I found that the book answered many questions I had, and solved many dilemmas I face facilitating behvior change in organizaitons. Lour orgainied the material very well, and ends each chapter with a personal plan place. Her work exemplifies the methods she illuminates.

I have adoped the field book for use in the Corporate Trainer Certification program being offered here at San Antonio College Continuing Education. The text is up to date. It combines a very well written text with review exercises, case studies, and personal actions through out. The students love it! But, what I like best about the book is my instructors' USE IT! They use the music CD as well. Their coments to me are that "it's user friendly." Thank you very much for this great teaching tool.

GIAT means "give it a try"!! Is simply magnificient. The security of ordering, the speed of delivery and the packaging of ordered books are simply world-class.

For update differentiationn and innoovation in training concepts/methodologies, best to read Active Training. Its a compelling companion for effective trainers/coaches.

This book arrived in excellent condition. The book is easy to read with great examples.

This book is an excellent supplement for teaching employee training and development as a course. I'd recommend combining it with Noe's text (Employee Training and Development) for a college or graduate level course on this subject. The book is also a good stand-alone reference for teaching aspects of active training to a firm's curriculum development staff.

Great book with plenty of practical comments and ideas which allow you to design a truly active session that both, your audience and you, will enjoy.

Mel Silberman is the master of active training. Just skimming his book gave me a handful of new ideas I applied to my training. Reading the book helped me to revamp my training courses to include many more participatory training exercises.

Everybody loves being involved, talking, interacting, and exploring during training. Lecture, however, is too often the default methodology. In some ways lecture takes less time to prepare and is less risky, but is it more effective learning? In this day and age, linear, slow, from-up-front training just isn't effective. Instead, shift over to active training that engages and empowers participants to learn rather than be taught. I'm reminded of Winston Churchill when he said, "I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught."

Silberman gives idea after idea of how to spice up lectures, or better yet, replace them with other a dozen other learning methods that actively involve the participant. The 100+ exercises and examples in Active Training makes it easy to incorporate non-cheesy learning activities that really work.

Wake up your participants! Get active.

Like all the titles in Shawn Kovacich's Achieving Kicking Excellence series, book 3 Axe Kick is a comprehensive study of one of the important kicks used in modern martial arts today. The book is incredibly thorough with numerous photos demonstrating the every aspect of the kick in minute detail. Mr. Kovacich knows his stuff and it is obvious that he has spent many hours honing his technique. The book provides an in-depth study of the bones, muscles and mechanics involved in the kicking technique.

In addition, the book contains a wealth of supplemental information on strength, speed and power generating exercises to enhance the technique. There is also a section on stretching as well as the application of the technique.

This book is ideal for any martial artist who wishes to perfect their axe kicking ability. The beginner will find a wealth of information to assist in developing proper mechanics while the advanced practitioner will glean some vital knowledge from an accomplished teacher.

Be sure to check out the other books in this series. You are sure to find one that addresses the specific kick that you need work on.

Aaron Hoopes
author of Zen Yoga: A Path to Enlightenment through Breathing, Movement and Meditation

The next book in Shawn Kovacich series, "Axe Kick," covers just that, the axe kick, from about every angle one could possibly approach this subject. Shawn if anything, is consistent, which aids this series. The reader knows what to expect, details about muscle groups, target areas, and proper technique are standard in his "Achieving Kicking Excellence" series.

Now, I must state my bias: I have never been much a fan of this kick and taught it as part of the curriculum knowing some other student my fall in love with the kick. In all the years of competition, full contact or point, I only saw one person who could use this technique properly (Tomas Kurowjoski spelling - Shidokan Open). Shawn has a picture of him using this kick in the same tournament, whether he was successful with it, I don't know; however, what I do know is that he has mastered the technical knowledge on all the workings on learning, teaching, and applying this kick.

He demonstrates both the in and out axe kick and adds other photos such as a man using an axe and constant use of a protractor showing peak points. Each muscle group is mentioned and how it applies to this maneuver. His application section works well These books excel as instructor's aids and out of the three I have reviewed so far, this book has provided the most information about a certain kick and how each muscle is working to make this kick excel. This series is quickly turning into a reference set for instructors and students alike.

This is Volume Three of ten books devoted to mastering kicks. Shawn Kovacich devotes this book to the axe kick. This review examines Shawn's book from a practical stand point--how well does this book enable me to learn the axe kick?
Shawn likens a properly executed axe kick to a lumberjack's axe splitting wood. While only right leg techniques are shown, Shawn doesn't think you've mastered the kick unless you can apply it with either leg. This book is geared towards executing the perfect axe kick.
I'm 50, 6'3" tall and 220 pounds, but I'm not an athlete--just healthy. I cannot perform the axe kick higher than my own waist right now--I'll need to improve my flexibility. It isn't too much of a handicap for self defense--or active military service--but for those of you involved in karate matches, you need the high kicks for the match-winning points. Of course, if I fall to the ground or can hold onto something, my kick gains stability, height, and power--at the cost of being fixed in position for an instant. The axe kick uses the heel bone--the back center of the heel bone. Target areas are the head, shoulders, and collar bone.
I have training prejudices: I like to employ mirrors, a video camera or two, a minimum of one sparring partner, and at least one referee when I train. Multiple sparring partners are to keep me from getting stuck kicking at the same height each time, and because in the real world, my problems usually come in bunches. Often, I must train alone or not train at all, so I have to limit my training intensity for safety. A second set of eyes can help spot flaws--and prevent injuries. It is very hard to dial 911 when one's back is thrown out. These kicking techniques can injure the practitioner if done incorrectly. I like both mirrors and video because when I initially practice, I can watch myself in the mirror. For realistic practice, I need to concentrate on technique and the target instead of watching my own reflection--instant video playback aids me in spotting what happened. I can even figure out if my kick was in the right place or not! Shawn wrote about the "crawl, walk, and run" phases of training and the basic and advanced kicking techniques are covered in detail. Exact detail. Train at your own risk. I perform a risk reduction prior to training--assess the risk level and employ risk reduction techniques to make training safe. Remember that training is synthetic reality, intended to be less expensive than gaining real-world experience.
I think that "Achieving Kicking Excellence: Axe Kick" is well organized. There are twelve chapters. The introduction defines the kick and advises how to use the book. Chapter One is kick anatomy: bones and muscles. Chapter Two recommends warm up and stretching exercises. Chapter Three is Basic Principles: striking surface, target areas, and 11 other key points. Clear graphics left me with little doubt about what part of the foot to apply and where to hit my opponent. Chapter Four covered the primary co-kick technique, "out-to-in". Again, the graphics are very clear. They include "dance step diagrams" showing where the feet go--footwork is critical to effective kicking. The photos have numbered labels stressing correct positioning of each part of the body. Chapter Five is variations of the primary technique. Chapter Six is the "in-to-out" co-kick technique and Chapter Seven covers variations. Chapter Eight covers training and practice techniques to achieve skill, strength, speed, and power. Chapter Nine is a trouble-shooting guide. Chapter Ten is applications: how to use this in competition or combat. Chapter Eleven is Shawn's awards and accomplishments. Chapter Twelve previews the next volume in the series. There are a table of contents, a recommended reading list, and an index.
This is an excellent study guide. I can train some now, on my own, and when I find training partners (sparring partners and a referee) I might even get proficient!

The third volume of Shawn Kovacich's Achieving Kicking Excellence series is Axe Kick, and like the first two it is an excellent resource regarding this specific kick. Like other books in this series, Kovacich wrote a text with detailed explanations on the execution and application of the axe kick and its variations. Also like the others in the series, this is the most complete written description with photographs of the axe kick that I know of, and is an excellent addition to any martial artist's library. It will be especially beneficial to those that teach the axe kick and variations in their curriculums.

The author, Shawn Kovacich, set two world records for endurance high kicking that were certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, and has an impressive record in the tournament circuit having competed in tournaments such as the Sabaki Challenge among others. With those credentials, I expect him to provide solid instruction on the execution and application of kicks, and he definitely delivers.

Axe Kick includes brief chapters on basic anatomy, warm up and stretching, strength, speed, and power. Many martial artists, especially instructors, will have more complete references on these topics. However, it is nice to have these brief chapters that have the basics all in one volume, especially for those that do not have a large martial art library. I feel it is important that Kovacich includes these if for nothing more than to introduce the basics and encourage the reader to seek out more instruction on these important elements to kicking. I have said the same thing about the other volumes in the series, but include it here as well to make this review stand on its own.

The reason to include this book in your library is for the instruction on the axe kick. Kovacich starts out with a very good description of the basic principles of movement for the axe kick including target areas. He then delivers an excellent description with pictures of how to perform the out-to-in axe kick. I don't think a person could give a better explanation with pictures in written form than Kovacich does here. The next chapters teach variations of the axe kick including: Back Spin Out-to-In Axe Kick; Spin Back Out-to-In Axe Kick; Off-Setting Out-to-In Axe Kick; Switch Out-to-In Axe Kick; and the Step Back Out-to-In Axe Kick.

After the descriptions of the variations, Kovacich gives detailed instruction with pictures of the In-to-Out Axe Kick. This chapter is followed by the variations: Off-Setting In-to-Out Axe Kick; Cross-Over In-to-Out Axe Kick; Hop/Slide Forward In-to-Out Axe Kick; Hop/Slide Backward In-to-Out Axe Kick; and the Switch In-to-Out Axe Kick.

Kovacich includes training and practice methods, a trouble shooting guide, and axe kick applications in subsequent chapters. This rounded out the book to make it a complete stand alone volume on the axe kick, and by far the best resource out there on this difficult technique.

One of the things I really enjoy in this series of books is the notes. Each chapter has notes and in these you find excellent gems of wisdom. Not only will they help your kicking on the described kick, but are relevant to other kicks too. For instance, in this volume, one of the notes states, "The ability to effectively and efficiently utilize high section kicks depends primarily on the following four factors. A: Your expertise in kicking. B: Your overall flexibility and physical condition. C: Your environment at the time. D: Your opponent." I wrote about similar issues in the kicking chapter I wrote in Fighter's Fact Book 2 with Loren Christensen.

Like Back Kick and Wheel Kick, the first two books in this series, a person could criticize this text regarding the repetitiveness of some of the pictures and descriptions of the wheel kick variations. If you are reading this book straight through cover to cover, yes, the repetitiveness could become boring. If you are using the text as Kovacich intended, as a learning tool, this should not be a factor. I much rather have each kick explained in its entirety, rather than be referred to a different part of the book for the elements that are similar or the same. There is a big difference in a book intended to be read from cover to cover and a book intended as a resource guide. The Achieving Kicking Excellence series are guide books, and the format is perfect for this kind of instruction.

Shawn Kovacich's Axe Kick is the third book of the series and an excellent instructional text for any student or instructor of the kicking arts. Its detailed descriptions and photographs are clear and easy to understand, while his kicking notes provide quality instruction and advice to improve one's training and execution of this important kick. I am definitely looking forward to future volumes in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

I highly recommend this book and the entire series!

Alain Burrese
Hard-Won Wisdom From The School of Hard Knocks, Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, and the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series.

Achieving Kicking Excellence

If you are a novice martial artist, a kick-box exercise video nut, or someone who wants to advance their knowledge of martial art kicks, this book looks as if it would be very helpful.

The series of books is organized by type of kick: back, wheel, axe, crescent, reverse crescent, front, hook, hatchet, roundhouse, side kick. Ten books in all.

The volumes are absolutely loaded with pictures of not only kick technique but also of helpful strength-with-weight exercises, especially gym exercises with machines like the hack squat and leg press sled and of course the all-important lunge. So you get not only a discussion of how-to, but of what exercises can improve overall performance by gaining muscle strength. There are pictures with overlays of angles and axes, giving you an idea of proper form, though there is no substitute for a sensei giving you real-time feedback, of course. So these books are a good adjunct to martial arts class in the dojo; something to read and then take to practice and work on with real-time help.

There is a section on sparring--right and wrong. There is a suggested reading list in the back. A very complete series.

The only thing these volumes suffer from is slightly dark and low contrast black and white photograph reproduction due to pictures being on paper stock and not glazed plate stock, in order to keep costs reasonable for publishing. And the cover photo is wonderful but the graphic design (showing the title being shattered by the someone doing the title kick) was a GREAT concept but you can't read the title on the front cover (because it's being kicked to bits!) This is annoying; you have to read the spine to see which kick the book is about. If this bugs you, it's easily fixed: get some stickers or a Sharpie and mark the front cover with something like SIDE KICK VOL 10 or whatever works for you.

Author Kovacich is a black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do (which of course is one of the martial arts for which the kick is the premier technique.)

THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT FOR COACHING AT ALL LEVELS. I HAVE OTHER GREAT COACHING BOOKS AND I'M COMPARING THIS BOOK TO MY OTHERS. THIS CONTAINED THE BEST SHOOTING CHAPTER SINCE BILL KUTCHARS BOOK ON HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL.

This book tought me a lot of fundamentals. It has many illustrations

"Hal Wissel shares the personalized techniques he has mastered teaching players from NBA to youth level. Coaches and players will gain from his steps to success." Chuck Daly, Coach, 1992 Olympic Basketball Team

"Hal Wissel is an astute basketball architect. This book will help players improve and enable coaches to teach the game better." Jack Ramsay, PHD Television Analyst for ESPN and Miami Heat

"Basketball: Steps to Success has the innovative instruction and drills you need to master the fundamentals that will improve your total game."

This book has been very helpful in designing lessons for teaching students to become more proficient, creative writers. I highly recommend it for anyone who teaches upper elementary! The CD contains an abundance of great prompts!

This book is well worth the price!! I was able to turn average writers into stronger, self confident writers. Students buy into the ideas presented in the book, and take off in their writing. For the students who just need a little boost, for dramatic flair in their writing, this book is the ticket. Start today! Your students and parents will thank you for the metamorphsis they see in student writing. Share with colleagues and you'll be a star.

After my first year of teaching and experiencing the stress associated with preparing for the state writing assessment, I knew I had to find something that would help me know how to prepare my students for this important test. As I stood in the middle of a teacher's store, I spotted this book. I wondered if this would be of any help. Since I was open to any ideas, I decided to take the chance and make the purchase. Happily, I admit, this was perhaps the best purchase of my entire teaching career. Mrs. Kiester's simple four-step plan was a "God-send." She puts into print each step a teacher should follow to help her students became extremely proficient writers. I have followed her plan for several years and have had great success with my students. I believe my students truly understand the writing process, and it is all due to Mrs. Kiester's Blowing Away the State Writing Assessment Test book. Hooray, Mrs. Kiester!!! This is the answer we've all been looking for!

This book, along with other tools for your classroom, is yet another excellent source to turn your mediocre writers into advanced writers. The strategies are also excellent for empowering your students to pass your state writing assessments.

This is just what I was looking for: a step-by-step writing program that includes examples of student writing that I can share with my students. I couldn't be happier.

Breakthrough! An Excerise in Serenity is an inspiration to anyone who reads it! Jeff's story is one of strength, courage and determination. To have overcome all of his personal struggles and addictions and then to help others as a result of his own personal experience is a remarkable accomplishment. His program is motivating and effective in treating both mind and body.

found that the exercise program in Jeff's book has renewed confidence
within me.  His inspiring story helped give me hope when I was very low
and filled with depression.  In time I began to feel my sad spirits
lift.  With Jeff's system I was able to find an outlet for my poor
emotional states.  My energy picked up, my self image improved, and my
overall quality of life was enhanced.  I recommend his book to all my
friends.
Thanks for writing Breakthrough! An Exercise in Serenity
Joshua Aaron

I've used weight training for a number of years to help me climb out of the dark abyss of depression. It has been much more effective for me than medication which I finally gave up on. I am very excited that someone has finally written a book that dispenses with the meat-headed "no pain no gain" attitudes and presents a sensible, simple plan focusing on consistent, gentle strength training. This book fills a huge gap.

Jeff Rutstein's personal story of using exercise to break the cycle of addiction is very inspiring, and he shares his hard-won wisdom in this clear, easy-to-follow book. His emphasis on "mindful movement" to reduce stress and feel better is a refreshing and welcome change from many exercise books that focus solely on appearance.

After reading "Breakthrough", I now have a different take on Exercise. Historically, my motto has been "no pain, no gain" which got me no place fast. I know now that having a connection between mind and body is the only way to live in serenity. This book has showed me that exercise is a lifestyle involving both mind and body. I will use this tool daily and encourage others to do so as well. Finally I'm able to breathe and exercise!

Jodi N Marcus
Occupational Therapist
Prince Edward Island, Canada

This beautiful book should be required reading for every business student, politician, and employer in the U.S. It wouldn't hurt parents a bit to read it and work it as well. We all have occasions in our lives to exert power over someone else, and too often we act out of emotions that end up causing trouble for us, problems we never saw ahead. Chagdud Tulku's Socratic method opens our hearts as it quiets our minds. Glimpses and examples of compassionate resolutions to conflict are inspiring. I plan on giving this book to Mark Greif, a high school principal in Oregon who annually alienates students and staff at his school with his bullying, paranoid management style. The beauty of the Tulku's message is that even the karmic damage someone like Greif self-inflicts is reversible through compassion and greater awareness. Chagdud Tulku writes with a poet's insight, a spiritual mentor's heart.

--Robert McDowell ("The Poetry Mentor"), author of the forthcoming book, Poetry in Your Spiritual Practice)

When all the huffing and puffing won't make your life the way you would like for it to be, read Change of Heart. It will shake up your thinking about the world and those in it. Change of Heart is an outstanding book consoling readers with knowledge, instruction and inspiration for living a radiant meaningful life. The reader, looking in the rearview mirror of their past, will be able to determine how the unplowed ground of the future will be. Change of Heart is broken down into three parts along with a list of meditations.

The compiled teachings takes you on a voyage of discovering areas of yourself you had never been keenly aware of before as you stride toward spiritual freedom. The book outlines a course of instruction called Bodhisattva Peace Training, which is friendly to all faiths. The reader will find help for troubled relationships, family, workplace, community, and/or world problems and situations. Bodhisattva Peace Training "is meant to serve as a mirror with which to examine ourselves". It explains how fear, self-interest and impulse toward self-preservation attracts negative energy. The book continues on to outline and teach you how to make "good heart" the foundation of all your commitments.

Statements like "awakening good heart is like finding a precious gem in a mound of filth" and "commitment to free all beings from suffering" are simply teasers for the mound of philosophical information to be had by reading this book.

The shared conversations with Rinpoche are unforgettable and chronicles the questions about life and soul proving the more crowded life gets the more insulated people make themselves which leads to a life of boundaries rather than freedoms. As the book points out the choice is ours. It goes one to explain about karma, being in hell, and the hungry ghost realms.

I found particularly interesting the four powers of purification which are support, acknowledgment, taking responsibility, not repeating mistakes and purification. The intense and direct conversations about karma are awe inspiring and engaging. As the book states wealth and poverty are a state of mind. When you finish this book you know that something of importance is at stake - you. Change of Heart shows you how to live your life with courageous honesty. I learned a lot from this jewel of clarity and insight and will re-read it many times.

Sherry Russell GMS
Author/reviewer
Midwest Book Review

Regularly, I am reminded of the depth and breadth of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche's genius. His project, the Bodhisattva Peace Training, is a very good example of this. Lama Shenpen has done the world a genuine service by organizing these teachings into an approachable text, and by keeping the training going for professionals and others interested in helping. Chagdud Tulku not only generated the Peace Training, but also trained lamas such as Lama Shenpen to keep his work going and to help it grow. That is practical genius, motivated by a genuine desire to be helpful.

To be quicker: the Bodhisattva Peace Training has real intelligence behind it. It's the real deal, and I believe it can be of real use to people and the planet.

Gratitude!

"To bring forth good heart," explains Chagdud Tulku, "we must use spiritual methods. We are never too old or too young to do so. One of the key points of these teachings is that everyone can apply them." Change of Heart is a compilation of the Bodhisattva Peace Training sessions of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, a beloved Tibetan lama who passed away in 2002. Tulku's stories and analogies to teach us how to counteract old habits through meditation. The practical and effective meditation exercises increase our awareness of our connectedness and expand our capacity for love, joy, and compassion.

As Westerners, we might find it difficult to relate to some of the Buddhist concepts regarding karma, suffering, past lives, and impermanence. It's not necessary that we embrace these concepts, only that we contemplate them. The purpose of these teachings is not to impose the Buddhist beliefs upon us, but rather to provide a method for increasing outer and inner peace for all beings. It doesn't mean we need to retreat from the world or abandon our normal lifestyle. "It is a matter of bringing love, compassion, and awareness to everything we do," says Tulku. "The merit of helping others, dedicated to all beings, is boundless and becomes a powerful force for positive change. Continually contemplate impermanence and cultivate nonattachment. Practice contemplation and relaxation. Review your day, reflecting on the virtue and negativity. The point of our practice is not to have visionary or clairvoyant experiences, but to reduce mind's poisons and enhance our positive qualities. Ultimately, change is the key - to change the heart, to discover mind's true nature."

Tulku advocates a meditation technique that alternates between a state of contemplation and relaxation. "Contemplating without resting is like stirring the sediment in a pond. On the other hand, resting without contemplating is like practicing archery without a target. We cut through mental dullness and attachment to emptiness through contemplation. Then we cut our attachment to concepts by letting the mind rest.. We go back and forth, so that we are neither consumed by swirling concepts nor lost in a dull or comalike state of free thought." One of my favorite exercises is to contemplate that we have all known each other during at least one lifetime. It helps me dissipate the tension that can arise when I'm around people who are angry, prejudiced, or resentful. "There are no real strangers anywhere;" Tulku theorizes, "we have previously been intimate with every being as we have been with our own mother in this life. No matter what role someone plays now, that being has at one time been our parent."
Regarding parenting, Tulku encourages us to be sincere with our children. Young children respond well to stories that convey a lesson. And above all, he advises that "The most effective way for parents to teach their children spiritual values is to live them - to demonstrate respect, loving kindness, and compassion."
Acceptance and compassion are the foundation of effective communication and relationships. "When we work with others," Tulku reminds us that "it is most important for us to be accepting. No matter how right you may think you are, trying to impose your opinion on others is wrong."
The Western world is a self-centered society. Many people remain focused on our own well being and take little action to ensure the well being of the world community. This is manifested by our obsession with the acquisition of material goods, supersized homes, and exclusive ideologies. Tulku comments that "To be of greater benefit, we must develop equanimity, an equal regard for all beings; compassion, the wish that all suffering come to an end; love, the aspiration that all beings find both temporary and lasting happiness; and the ability to rejoice in others' good fortune. Our challenge is to let go of our judgements and biases, including the distinctions we make between victim and aggressor."

The Bodhisattva Peace Training of Chagdud Tulku is an excellent tool for cultivating inner peace and helping us removing the veil of our misperceptions. "We have a deeply ingrained habit of believing that our everyday reality - this long dream we call life - is inherently true. This is ignorance. Because we don't realize that we're dreaming, we have attachment or aversion to the different circumstances that arise. The mind is like a television's remote control," observes Tulku. If we know how to change channels, we can change the picture."

We don't all have the good fortune (karma) to meet a great Tibetan Buddhist teacher much less receive their teachings. With this book, Lama Shenpen Drolma has provided many of us with that precious opportunity. Here in straight forward terms are the basic principles we all need to understand how we can cultivate peace in our lives and in the world. After reading it front to back, I flip open the book almost daily as a practice for establishing a more contented life. This happiness is not just for me but also for all of the people that I encounter. Try it - you'll be surprised at how quickly you can make this change of heart.