Sports Books

The best book on bodybuilding if you're a beginner! I bought the book and it's got more info jammed in fewer pages than anything you'll ever read. The different methods of training, technique, and the importance of rest and recovery. The specifics on nutrition alone is worth the price. The author shows examples of diet planning and how to manipulate your metabolism for maximum muscle. The author does not focus on worthless supplements, he simply pushes good nutrition and pumping iron. I am constantly referring to this book after three months of reading and re-reading. There are plenty of pictures and advice regarding how to avoid injury.
The only negative about this book is several errors in grammar.
But the stuff is so practical and easy to read who cares! A great compact easy to carry book that I still keep on my nightstand.
This author is showing what one bodybuilder did to build real muscle and compete to win the big prize. Whether you're just looking to tone or build muscle, this book will help you look good naked!

A very good book that delivers what it promises. The book is intelligently broken into topics that cover the exercises, the grouping of exercises into workouts, how often to exercise, how many reps to perform and nutrician. Each section is written to cover people who what only to tone up, people who want to loose weight and those who want to gain weight/bulk up.

His advise on all this really is 'realistic'. He stresses the basic exercises (bench presses, squats, pull ups, etc) to build a good foundation before progressing onto the more specialized exercises like cable crossovers. He points out that suppliments are not only expensive but aren't necessary if you simply eat the right foods at the right times.

Although the end of the book covers various aspects of competing, I think the book is best used by beginners to intermediates. It is the only bodybuilding book that I will need buy.

I think this is the book for working people who want to build muscle/tone them/loose weight etc. Most books seem to be considering that the reader is into professional body building. So, even if you start the program, you end it soon because it is just too much effort. This however is really a realistic approach and thus, you can continue it and getting results. I started with Arnold's book and the 5 set approach. That was just too much as I never had enough time for the same. Eventually after a month or two, I left the program. Then later on, after several years, I got this book and this was a no-nonsense approach, which I can adopt easily with my extremely busy work schedule and part-time graduate degree even!

This book is the best bodybuilding/weight training book I have read. It is a no bull approach that gives you the straight details without all the frill. This is not a catalog of grunts posing, it is a real book for real people who want to get into weight training.

Melfa is direct and honest on what you need to do. The nutritional information is the easy to understand and gives you a complete break down of how to eat for either muscle building or fat loss. I found the nutritional section to be much more consise then most other books. Considering that eating right is more the 50% of weight training, I don't know why so many other books have skimped on this section. The excersises are consise and clear. Melfa explians all aspects from beginner up to advanced competive training with clear photos and detailed examples for performing each excersise.

I've checked out just about every book in the library about body building and this is the one I wanted to buy. I am constantly referring to it, any and all questions are addressed. If you want glossy, full color printing in a large bound book so you can gawk and dream, then don't buy this book. If you want to be serious about getting into a training program and progressing, this is the book to buy.

I have lifted weights on and off for 25, sometimes pretty seriously, occasionally achieving quite a lot of bulk and definition, but this book finally gave me a real plan suited for guys like me - athletic nerds who want to be in shape.

It really is realistic; it is complete (diet, "dungeon" (basement) workouts, and - importantly - safety, are covered thoroughly), easy to follow, and the pictures are great. Many times, the author says "Look, I've done this excercise tens of thousands of times, and this is how you really have to do it. Watch out for X, Y, and Z, and don't fall into the various traps of bad form that can result in injuries, slow development, or uneven development).

The writing is friendly yet never verbose. The reader is encouraged at every step of the way, and the sample workouts and diets make things concrete.

When I looked up Darryl Brock to see Havana Heat, I was thrilled to see that If I Never Get Back was rated 5 stars by *SO* many people. So I'm adding my own rave.

I read a library copy of this book shortly after it was published. I loved it so much that I immediately bought my own copy and some extras to give away. I even wrote a fan letter to Darryl Brock, who wrote back and included some cartoons & other items that were apropos to the story.

I love the entire book, but want to add special mention about the last page or 2. The ending is unique and charming and absolutely perfect. I can't help but smile whenever I think about it.

The book is like a grown-up fairy tale based on an actual historic era. If this appeals to you, READ THIS BOOK!!

"If I Never Get Back" by Darryl Brock has something enjoyable for everybody. It's a historical novel with adventure,danger,action,humor,fantasy and romance, but will be especially loved by those who love time travel and baseball(and train enthusiasts as well). You'll go back in time and escape to a time with no electricity,phones, credit cards, TV, radio or cars, but in the just post civil war era of 1869, there was our National Pastime - Baseball.

Sam Fowler does not start out as the most likeable character. He's a drinker,has a bit of an anger management problem, and is brooding over the separation from his beloved little girls due to a messy divorce. On top of that he has just been notified of the death of his own absentee father(no great loss to Sam) but has the dubious job of burying him.
The boozing had led Sam to "milky" periods where things are just not quite in focus. While at the train station on his way back from dealing with his father, he is having one of his episodes and falls into unconsciousness. He awakes on the same platform but things are quite different. He hops the train - some old classic - and finds himself aboard with one of the first pro ball teams - The Cincinnati Red Stockings.

Not knowing at first, if he is hallucinating or just having a bad day, he eventually comes to realize he has somehow gone back in time and forms a relationship with the team. He travels with this extraordinary group of young men and becomes a big part of their world.On his transcontinental travels- using the early RR system, horse and buggys, etc)there is one adventure after another. He falls in love with a woman he feels a deep connection, gets in hot water with some real toughs who are after him throughout, befriends the great Mark Twain, has a spiritual connection with an apparition,and plays baseball 19th century style - a might rougher and faster then today's version of the game. He's even involved in a shoot out in a poker game in a western saloon! While searching for the reason he is there(an enjoying the change of pace quite a bit), he becomes a new man. One we can't help but cheer for as his life is in danger at so many turns.

The book is a page turner. You can't help but become attached to Sam and the boys. Brock puts you right there in the 19th century, with remarkable detail of each city,the trains,food,clothes,dress,etc and through Sam we are living the life of someone who has gone back over a hundred years(this book was published in 1990, so there are even more differences now!).The Civil War plays a small but integral part of the story too. And then there is Baseball - we are treated to a real look at how the game was played, and feel the intensity with which they played.Even then, the game was popular and the players heroes. But think of never seeing them play unless you were fortunate enough to actually be at a game.

Also available in hardcoverIF I NEVER GET BACK. A Novel. check for best deal and availability

I for one was having such a great time, I hoped he would never get back! Baseball, apple pie,old trains, wonderful colorful characters...and a refreshing look at historical America....enjoy!.....Laurie

I first read this in high school. I reread it recently and am happy to say that is still one my top favorite books.

This is a book I've read several times. I'd like to know where Mr. Brock found out so much about Charlie sweazy, Asa Brainard et al, to make these characters come alive the way they do. There were a few political issue editorials Darryl brought into the story. But these surely do not detract from the book. I wish I had Andy Leonard as a brother as well.
You will hate to see the end of this book as it is entertaining(and historically accurate) from first page to last. As I said earlier, it's my favorite baseball book and one of my favorite of any genre.

This is one of the greatest baseball novels ever written. If you like baseball,time travel,romance and "rooting for the good guys" this is a book that will never get old. I'm sorry they never made a movie if it. However I doubt Hollywood could do it justice. Superb!!!!!!!!!!

...it should be this one. All the basics are here, copiously illustrated (some of the images featuring judo's founder, Jigoro Kano) and explained in a fair amount of detail. Although other books may offer more variations and flashier presentations, herein can be found all the rudiments of Kodokan judo. If the subject interests you at all, you simply must own this book. With judo's popularity on the rise (even professional mixed martial artists, typically reliant on either wrestling or Brazilian jiu-itsu, have begun to reevaluate judo and its usefulness in the combative context), no serious student of the martial arts can afford to ignore Kano's work, and this book is the gateway to understanding that work.

Complete text of traditional art by authoratative author. Excellent reference of techniques. Chinese author has slight problem with english in this translation. Does not delineate when or where to use techniques. Must learn Chin-na with instructor to learn this.

As stated above, this book is considered the foundation of Judo, both modern day and early judo. Please be aware that this book is not to purchased and read as a novel: it is to supplement judo training in the dojo and assist with one's desire to achieve success in the sport of judo.

I purchased the book with the hope that it would include more detail on the martial aspects of Judo, i.e. atemi (strikes), leglocks, and other things considered illegal in competition. It has some, but speaks of them very generally, and always refers one to the Kata. As a general reference it good, but not exactly what I had hoped.

I have been practicing /training in Judo for approx. 3 months, great book for review /insight before and after training and performing at Dojo.

I finished this book the day after it arrived. So funny, so inspiring. This author freely admits that she was committed to laziness and yet finished a marathon. (albeit in pain!) This is truly more of a memoir than a training manual, but it should inspire you to get off your butt! Even if you have no intention of ever running a marathon, this book will convince you to set a goal and accomplish something that seems impossible. A truly enjoyable read.

Dawn Dais is hilarious! Get this book if you are even considering taking up running or starting a training routine for any length of race. It is more of a light read than a manual, but at the same time I find myself referring back to specific things in the book.

Perfect for any woman considering (or having committed to) the daunting task of moving your rear off the couch and on to the track! So funny, so honest, so motivational and realistic everyone who reads this book will finish it just as I did, totally inspired and ready to start the journey! I've already purchased my Water-Holder Butt Thingy and modeled it to the laughter of my family... Thanks Dawn for showing me I can actually do this!

I picked up The (Non)Runner's Marathon Guide for Women last month after finishing Claire Kowalchik's book about running for women (you can read the review here). I wanted a running book with which I could better relate. I'm a super slow runner and didn't even make it onto any of the charts in Kowalchik's book, which was a little defeating for me. So when I read about Dais' book, which tracks her struggle through training for a marathon, while also giving great tips for people who have never really run before, or haven't run much at least.

I loved this book because I related so well with the things Dais talked about. She talked about feeling discouraged because every time she went out for a run she would end up right back where she started. She also describes her first trip to the running store where she learned about the importance of shoe fit, spandex and bodyglide (which I had never heard of until reading this book). She includes some great stretches, as well as a 20-week training schedule for both a marathon and a half marathon. She also leaves space for journaling, and for answering questions she poses, such as "Why are you running this marathon?" and "What was life like before you began training and after"?

An example before and after from her book:

Vitamins
Before: Do the rainbow of fruit flavors in Skittles count?
After: Pills the size of marshmallows washed down with one of my thirty-two gallons of water.

For me, the best part of this book were the personal journal entries from when Dais was training for her own marathon. Dais' perspective is so true to how I think most new runners feel that it's hard not to laugh out loud (I couldn't read this book in public because I kept snorting at her writing). Here's a sample:

"This weekend my little calendar o' runnin' said that I had to run sixteen miles. Is it me or is this number just getting ridiculous? Sixteen miles. What possible reason could one ever have for running sixteen miles? After about Mile 10, just call a cab and save yourself a lot of effort. Hell, call me. I'll give you a lift. Believe me, it's just not worth it. One fun fact about sixteen miles - that's about how far away hell is. I know you'd think it'd be farther away, at least as far as Fresno. But you'd be wrong. Actually, I think I hit hell around mile 14, so it's an even shorter trip."

If you're new to running, or even if you've been running a long time, I highly suggest picking up Dais' book because it'll remind you of what it was like when you started and why you run. It'll also remind you that you're not the only one who suffers for running. If you are training for a marathon though, I suggest picking up some other books as well. Dais' book is great for moral support, but I think there are some others out there that would add a little more technical support, unless of course you have your own personal trainer.

I read the 10th spandex joke. Geez, the jokes were funny at first but by the time I made it not even halfway through the book they were SO annoying. She kept repeating the same things and about how much she HATES running. Enough already. I do not get the point of writing a running book if you hate running so much. I have run marathons before so I guess it is my fault for reading a non-runner's marathon book.
I just wanted something motivating to read. I did not realize she hated running though. I want to read Chipper Jen's journal. Now that would help me!
Yes, this book is definitely for beginner marathoners BUT definitely join a running group for your marathon training. My training schedules were completely different than the one's in her book so I do not care for those either. Jumping from week 5 at 60 mins to week 6 at 90 minutes is almost a 3 mile jump. How can that be right? For a newbie no less?
If you join a marathon training group for the first time and read this book you will probably find many similarities and enjoy the book.
OR if you HATE running and are running a marathon (which is pure stupidity to me--why torture yourself if you do not like running????) this book would be perfect for you.
For seasoned marathoners you might find the jokes stupid and annoying after awhile..

The story, the pictures, the illustrations and the good information all made me a lot better goose hunter.

This book is full of things that you should know and things that I did not know. I am glad I purchased this book from Amazon.

I liked the chapter on concealment. There was a lot of good information in that chapter.

It was the best waterfowl book that I have ever read. I will recommend it.

This is the worst book on hunting I've ever read. The author has no love of geese, to which he constantly refers as "those damn geese." Nor does he seem to appreciate the hunt. His only interest is in "killing those damn geese." To the author, the only reason for hunting is killing. The only reason for geese is to kill them.

The author goes into some detail about techniques, including decoying and concealment, and this may be helpful to beginners. However, anyone with interest in learning how to hunt should read any number of books written by people who are hunters, not killers.

Jim Corbett was an excellent writer and storyteller. Although I've read other stories written by adventurers and hunters that were Corbett's contemporaries, none were as interesting or as well told. My 11-year-old son particularly enjoys them. I would highly recommend any of Jim Corbett stories for teens or pre-teens as well as adults.

This book, read first when I was 14 years old, and since added to my adult library, read and re-read again, has stayed with me like so very few other books in my life.

I wont over-egg the review - Corbett wouldn't have liked that kind of lionising (good pun!) and he doesn't need it. Suffice to say I respect Corbett deeply, and often think of him. Unabashed admiration for this man is easy. All his books are worth your money, but start with this one.

Probably the best big game hunting book ever written. Will keep you on the edge of your seat and I do not recommend reading it while camping in the woods (especially if the woods happen to be in India). Corbett describes stalking man-eating tigers and often they stalk him. These are not made-up stories nor are they self justifying. Corbett ONLY hunted tigers that the local population asked him to, after dozens or sometimes hundreds of people had been killed. His descriptions are beautiful and picture an era (India in 1900-1930) that has long since gone. I have read it many times, the first when I was about 11 years old.

This book was written by not only a very brave man but a man that possessed great character and class. His only reason for hunting these Man-Eaters was to rescue the villagers from this ever present terror. He took no money for his efforts. Very exciting reading without ever a hint of bragging about his extraordinary gift of successfully hunting the most dangerous animals on earth.

In the early twentieth century, British held South Asia was terroized by a number of infamous tigers and leopards. Entire villages were abandoned and literally hundreds of human beings found out they weren't at the top of the food chain. In the "Man Eaters of Kumaon", hunter jim Corbett describes in vivid and suspensful detail his hunt for tigers in Northwest India.
Corbett describes the perilous beauty of the jungle clad hills in the shadow of Nepal's majestic summits. He also masterfully paints an image of terror and suspense as he faces off against tigers, leopards, a bear, and a venomous snake. Even as he pursues his prey, he often comes close to having the tables turned on him. He also presents readers with a glimpse of the cultural spectacle and harsh life-or death realities in India under the Raj.
Corbett doesn't come across as very prideful. In fact, he even respects the animals he's hunting and often notes injuries or situations that likely caused them to hunt humans. I will warn potential readers that there are several rather gruesome scenes ranging from finding dead or injured humans to some of the hunting itself. However, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in adventure, hunting, or both. It is well written, a fast read, and ultimately a powerful tale of man against beast.

I can't believe I missed out on this one as a child... but it's just as good coming to it as an adult. The perfect lazy Sunday afternoon book to read. Adults can also escape to the wilds of Lake Windemere (Lake District), to sail up the Amazon, do battle with pirates and search for buried treasure on Cormorant Island.

The year is 1929 and story is about four children - John, Susan, Titty and Roger (in age order) - who are holidaying on the shores of Lake Windemere with their mum and baby sister, Vicky. The children are an adventurous lot and love sailing in their boat, the Swallow. Towards the end of their holiday they persuade their mum to allow them on an adventure for a week. They're allowed to sail across to the island not far away and make camp there by themselves.

This is a great adventure for these intrepid explorers. They discover a retired pirate, camp, bathe in the lake, fish and cook for themselves, and are threatened by a rival group of bandits, the Amazons (otherwise known as Nancy and Peggy). All in all a great week of fun and adventure is had by all - brilliant to read about, although there are very few children who'd be allowed to do this now! Inspired by the author's own childhood holidays at the south end of Coniston in the Lake District.

This wonderful book was written about 75 years ago, but is still extremely popular today. It is ageless. I first read it as a nine or ten year old and have read it several times since then. The last time I read it I was in my late 50s or early 60s. Every young person should enjoy it immensely as a fictional story. But there are many moral and ethical issues that are slyly inserted into this novel. The biography of the author and how he came to write this book, which was the first in a series of 9 or 10 novels, is a fascinating story in itself.

The Swallows and Amazons series was one of my favorites when I was a child. The story, set in the Lake District of England where Wordsworth and other great poets grew up, is a gentle adventure tale about children camping out on an island and rigging a little sailboat. It is slower paced than children are used to today. But I think a sensitive boy or girl would find it reassuring that the children solve their own problems of navigation etc.

While it didn't bother me as a child that the language was distinctly British, as I'd been prepared by the Winnie the Pooh stories, and Wind in the Willows, I would recommend Swallows and Amazons as a bedtime story to be read aloud by an adult reader. The reader could then explain the language. A map of the UK would help too, as the story is set in the Lake District.

An adult storyteller might be interested in a biography of the series author, Arthur Ransome, who led an adventurous life - including work in the Soviet Union and marriage to a Russian woman.

Enchanting
It's hard to explain what makes this book so charming: The writing, the way the children and their relationships with each other are shown so clearly and believably, the very real adventures they have, the sense of place....but listing those traits doesn't do the book justice. It's also really funny in places! Ransome creates a world that is clearer and lighter and more enchanting than the one most of us live in -- but he's also written a realistic book. The Lake District DOES look the way he describes it, and there could be children like the Swallows and their friends the Amazon pirates.

The books are for all ages, and I think they are also inspiring and a good influence! They make me want to have adventures -- and they encourage parents by example to let their children have them. The parents in the books are responsible, teach their children well -- and allow them to adventure on their own. They can do that because they've taught the children to have good judgment and be responsible.

Arthur Ransome's own favorite in the series was WINTER HOLIDAY, which I also loved. Once the original characters leave the series, it loses its interest (for me, anyway) -- children who enjoyed the first books will also probably like Blow Out the Moon by Libby Koponen and all the E.Nesbit books.

About 60 years ago I read as many books from this series that I could find in my local public library. I had passed through a phase of devouring the Dr. Doolittle fantasy series (so damaged by the motion pictures using that title - how could they cast tall lanky Rex Harrison in the role of a short cuddly grandfather-like figure?) Another series in which, as an American boy fascinated by warplanes during the Worl War II era - I went on to become an aerospace engineer - I was enthralled, was "A Yank in the RAF", which I don't think would translate to the 21st Century very well. But the series that made the most impact on me was Ransome's Swallow family. As with Hugh Lofting's Doolittle, the author's drawings enhanced the books.

I have not visited there yet but I plan on touring Britain's Lake District (I don't think I was cognizant of where the tales took place, except I knew the children were British. They liked to drink ginger beer; in the US we had a ginger ale drink, but not ginger beer and I was curious to have some.) I have long wanted to live somewhere that would allow me to experience the thrill of mastering the small sailing boats of the story. The closest I came was living near the Pacific in California and near the Potomac River. But the boats in those regions were larger and not terribly accessible. I did go sailing with friends and tried to sail on my own in a marina with a rented boat (a too narrow and crowded venue for a novice just learning to tack and unfamiliar with how to dump wind from the sail when being carried in the wrong direction.) I have gotten to taste ginger beer. I have also used the children's means of including coded messages in their letters in the form of dancing stick figures around the page's margin (the secret was to ignore other parts of the figures and concentrate on the positions of the arms, which were standard semaphore code.) I introduced the code to one of my daughters when we were in the "Indian Princesses" organization. (Is the name and programs of that organization offensive to American Indians? I'm sure its founders weren't sensitive to the fact that American Indians still existed.)

I will introduce this series to my precocius 6 year old grand daughter when I think she is ready.

Outstanding text, very clear. VERY inspirational. Goes into background of material and deep insights into Mindfullness, meditation. Immensely spiritual.

Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness is well worth the time it will take to absorb its pages. When applying these principles to your daily life you will discover the profound effects yoga can have, not just through physical discipline, but mental, emotional, and spiritual effects as well.

This is an excellent book.

-SP. Amherst, MA

this is the third copy i have bought to give to a friend.
i am a yoga and meditation teacher. i also suggest erichs book to my students. i really think you can put all other yoga books aside and i really like many of them, but the way erich writes you can feel the poses.the last chapter on meditation is the very best.
read every word and go out into the world and do every word.
this is the only meditation book you will need. you can relate so simply to his real approach. i think he should publish the meditation chapter on its own.

I am disappointed in this book. I was expecting a book which takes you right into practicing Yoga but the first Chapter is all about the author's youthful years in England and India. Then the next Chapters are on meditation. I got bored and put it down and haven't picked up it since.

This book is definitely for advanced students. My daughter loves it because she is 18 and can more easily twist herself into a pretzel than I could ever dream of. Eric is amazing and if nothing else, I look at this book periodically for the WOW factor and keep dreaming that some day I'll be able to do these postures.

Veryyyyyy good information... Has both mental and physical approaches to the game! Definately a good buy!

For young and inexperienced players, Ted Williams' name may no longer hold the magic it did when I was growing up and playing baseball. But most of us "old-timers" will still remember that Williams was the last professional ball player (in the MLB) to hit over .400 for a full season. So when my Little League aged son was struggling a bit at the plate a season ago, I broke out my copy of Williams' The Science of Hitting to look for some kernel of wisdom that would help my son get out of his slump.

But, the first line in the book is an admonition that today's best hitters fail more than they succeed "...even if you're a .300 hitter...you are going to fail at your job seven out of ten times." This statement is at once encouraging as well as discouraging. That is hitting in a nutshell (triumphant in success yet unbelievably humbling and potentially discouraging in failure) and any good player will need to remember that success as a ball player is measured a bit differently.

The admonition out of the way, Williams' book splits the topic of hitting up into two basic parts--first, the physical mechanics involved in hitting; second, the mental duel taking place between the batter and pitcher.

Much of what is written in the book is the result of Williams' conversations with great hitters of the past. As a result, much of the advice in the book is shared in the form of readable anecdotes, which make the book easy to read and enjoyable for baseball aficionados as well -- where else are you going to learn about Harry Heillman's philosophy of hitting?

One of the primary keys to Teddy Ballgame's success was his swing. The best "old-time" hitters (and Williams was certainly one of them) had a nearly a flat swing plane, flat wrist-roll and a low, rather than high finish. Most of today's hitters' display an upper cutting arc and high finish to their swings. Yet, in the "dead ball" the old-timers managed to wrack up nearly as many homeruns but had much higher batting averages and strike-out to hit ratios. This ended up being the clincher for me. I noticed immediately that my son had started trying to uppercut the ball so he could hit more homeruns (after hitting his one in his first at-bat of the season).

We started working on having him hit line drives and sure enough he raised his average from .175 to .403 by the end of the season. Then this season he kept the swing we worked on and ended up hitting .390+, but also leading the league in home runs, finishing with 22 (including 6 in the post-season).

The other thing that Williams writes (which is often misinterpreted) is that he'd never swing at a pitch he hadn't seen before. Often time people will swear (incorrectly) that Williams never swung at a pitcher's first pitch. Williams was, if nothing else, a student of the game. He intently studied pitchers watching them warm up, watching them from the on-deck circle and mentally replaying previous at-bats in his head. When he stepped into the batters box he had a game plan and he had a good understanding of what a pitcher threw and when. My son used this part of Williams' game as well and it was fun to watch him "studying" the opposing pitchers.

Thank you Ted Williams! My son, whose name is Theodore William by the way, earned the nickname "Teddy Ballgame" from his coaches and teammates as well.

Williams text in The Science of Hitting is accompanied by the wonderful pen and ink illustrations of Robert E. Cupp. These drawings and other explanatory photographs to help illustrate the points Williams is trying to make and really enhance the book.

If you are a player, coach or just a parent wanting to help your son or daughter improve their game, this book is a must have!

I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE READ THIS WHEN I WAS LOANED A COPY FROM HIGH SCHOOL COACH - UNFORUNATELY I NEVER GAVE IT BACK, UNTIL NOW - BUT I DID SHARE IT WITH MY COUSINS AND THEN SONS AND DAUGHTERS - AND NEPHEWS - ALL TO FANTASTIC RESULTS...THIS IS THE HITTERS GUIDE BY THE GREATEST HITTER OF ALL TIME...THANK YOU TED WILLIAMS - AGAIN AND AGAIN...

Nice read, talks about a ton of ideas for hitting better, have used some of them, and have noticed improved power to the opposite field.

Ted Williams was the second best player of all time, anytime he speaks or writes about baseball, it's in your best interest to soak up the info.

This book, along with "The Art of Hitting .300" by Charlie Lau, simply belongs on every ballplayer and coaches bookshelve. This book is rather simple in format, yet loaded with subtle tips and techniques.

Are there books that may be better? Absolutley.

However, these two books are the foundation on which all others are built.

If you dont own it, buy it!

If you love the game of tennis, you'll love Paul Fein's insightful comments on the game that fill this book. From the "look behind the curtain" that Paul provides in his interviews with Pete, Mac, Jimbo, etc., to the well thought out logic he applies to many of the current controversies of the game, you will find much interesting, amusing, and thought-provoking material in Tennis Confidential. Buy it!

Tennis Confidential is not an encyclopedia, but it IS encyclopedic. There's a lot of substance within its covers: player profiles, interviews, controversies, history, greatest matches, and even a brief history of racquet design.
Fein's passionate concern for the sport is evident throughout. He writes, "If tennis tries to be all things to all people, it will lose its brilliant uniqueness and end up being nothing much to anyone." His book, however, comes close to being all things to all tennis fans.

As Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (IMGCA), I am always searching for new material, stories and background on sports psychology that I can bring to our members via articles, training programs and our IMGCA Certification programs.

I have followed Paul Fein's writing for years and have always been greatly impressed by his tennis acumen, his intellectual depth, and his writing style. He is one of the very best tennis writers being published today, and this book, Tennis Confidential, is no exception. This is a superb addition to the tennis literature, and one you will want on your bookshelf.

Paul's in-depth analysis of the social context of tennis is remarkable, and I really appreciate his engaging interviews with tour players that reveal the hidden mental dimension.

This book has appeal to all tennis players. I highly recommend this book for players, coaches, teachers, parents and officials.

As a former coach of several world-class players and also former National coach for the French, Swiss and Hellenic tennis Associations, I most appreciated the originality and expertise in Tennis Confidential. Pro tennis has plenty of controversies about on-court coaching, the scoring system, equal prize money, ranking systems, doubles reforms, the service let, etc. The essays analyze them with more thoughtfulness and fairness than I've seen before. Your opinions about certain issues will undoubtedly change after you read these essays. Interviews and features with Agassi, Serena Williams, McEnroe, Ashe, Navratilova, Borg, Sampras and other champions are also eye-openers. History fans will definitely enjoy the six retrospectives and the 10 greatest matches. On a light note, everyone will have fun with "True Confessions" and the amusing and sometimes shocking trivia that is sprinkled throughout the book. Several of the articles received writing awards. This is a book you will want to read and re-read.

As a tennis fan, especially in a family with few tennis fans, I enjoy reading outside material about the game. Not tips on playing, but about the pros, especially stories, history, analysis, etc. So I figured this book would fit right in with my appetite, especially from the subtitle, 'players, matches, and controversies.' I was right!



Tennis Confidential contains all of this and more! I was excited to read about events that happened before I was around, and also enjoyed reading about events that happened while I was around, and Fein brought a fresh and inside perspective to dozens of topics. Chapters I particularly enjoyed include the Burning Issues section, in which Fein examines modern topics like power, blacks' domination, new stats, and more; Controversies, with topics such as equal prize money, women's tennis superiority, the let rule, and more; and all time top 10 matches, with many surprises, but deep analysis.



No wonder my 2nd favorite sport is baseball. Both it and tennis, my favorite, invite analysis, discussion, controversy, have rich histories, and no clock. Reading this book allows me to appreciate the game more, want to discuss it more, and proud to be a tennis fan.
Plus, the author is very friendly and happy to discuss his work. I met him at a tournament, and we took a picture together.