Recreation Books

I am just beginning to incorporate golf as a method for acquiring new clients in my practice. Michael's book answers many questions I've had about how best to conduct a 'business round' of golf. Not only does he give a wealth of info on proper golf behaviors and etiquette, he also provides a wide range of advice on how to build a successful business. I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting to integrate the wonderful game of golf with becoming a better businessperson.

Author Mike Smith is articulate and delivers a highly organized, common sense look at how to comport oneself while on the links w/ a client. All 18 chapters give you the chance to score your "game" versus what may be your competition! A fun, quick read choc full of great advice. Go for it!

In this age of ethical confusion detached from traditional sources of guidance Mike's delightful compendium of observations is refreshing indeed. This slender volume poses and answers disarmingly simple questions that often lead to exquisitely delicious reflections on morals and mores.

You'll love it if you love golf or life.

Mike Smith's book is packed with tips that are very helpful both on the golf course and at the office. As a re-emerging golfer, I found it helpful for my golf game and etiquette, and it has given me useful insight into running my business.

If you're an entrepreneur who likes to play golf or if you think playing golf could be a good business networking opportunity for you, you'll enjoy reading "Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success" by Michael Smith.

Smith divides his book into eighteen chapters, one for each hole of golf. Smith begins by posing a question about business-golf etiquette, answers it, and then discusses solid business ideas based upon his experience in the financial services industry and as an entrepreneur in the field of manufacturing.

On the 6th hole, Smith gives us this scenario: "... You're on the green putting for a birdie from about twenty-five feet away. Your guest is standing quite close to you and does not seem to realize how much it is bothering your concentration. You wish to communicate using one of the following:"

Smith gives three possible golf-etiquette answers:

"A. Wave your arm at your guest to have him or her move a little and say nothing.

B. In a pleasant way, ask your guest to move away since it is bothering you.

C. Don't rock the boat since this is an important client and you do not want to miss any sale opportunities. Go ahead and putt."

What? Whack the guest on the shin with your putter is not an option? Smith says the correct answer is B because it shows diplomacy and shows you're willing to confront problems without hesitation. Smith says C is the worst choice because it may indicate a personal weakness your guest is trying to probe--a lack of assertion which might well lead you to hide problems from the client.

On the 8th hole, Smith poses the question: "...Your second shot finds you just off the fairway in the rough. While addressing the ball, you inadvertently touch the ball with your club and the ball moves from its original position about an inch or so. You know full well that the golf rules mandate a one stroke penalty."

What do you do? Smith gives these choices:

"A. Do not worry about it since your guest was on the opposite side of the fairway and could not have possibly noticed.

B. Your intention is to say something but wait until later in the round.

C. You immediately add the penalty to your score and hit the ball. You advise your guest right away of your score."

The birdie (correct answer) is C. However, since the film "The Legend of Bagger Vance," I question people who call strokes against themselves for just touching the ball. Are they really just being honest or are they sacrificing an insignificant golf stroke to impress me with their Matt Damon honesty?

So, maybe, if you are playing the skeptical, untrusting sort, it's better to ignore the minor touch. Or, if you feel it's really a question of ethics, take a huge swing and run it over the top of the ball! Personally, I feel that the rules of golf should be changed to exclude any stroke, excluding putts, which moves the ball less than about five feet!

Many of the golf-etiquette lessons are pretty basic, but some are also more advanced and could really help you in a business-golf situation. For example, I didn't know that the rules of golf disallow a person to search for a ball for more than five minutes.

While half of "Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success" is devoted to golf etiquette, the other half is devoted to business lessons entrepreneurs will find useful.

For example, Smith tells us about the 80/20 principle which says that for many businesses only 20% of all customers account for 80% of the company's sales. Smith compares business measurements to golf scores. How can you know how well your company is doing if you don't keep proper score?

Smith writes: "Do you list your most important statistics? Can you readily assess your key costs? How are your sales listed--by type of units or services, volume or profitability? Who are your most profitable customers? Why do they place their business with you? Are there others that you can add to your list of key customers? Do you know what your tip customers represent in overall sales to your business?"

Smith suggests listing your top 20% of customers by both gross sales and profitability and then looking for similarities between these customers so that you'll have more insight into finding profitable customers.

"Business-To-Business Golf" also contains a short glossary of golf terms (bogey is one over par, birdie is one under par) and a short list of some basic golf rules which people new to golf can use.

Overall, if you enjoy golf (or, are just learning to play it) and you enjoy reading about business, you'll probably enjoy Business-To-Business Golf.

Peter Hupalo, Author of "Thinking Like An Entrepreneur."

Congratulations on this book Mr James. and the research which went into it. The data on the Byerleys of that era is rather obscure, and the horse has always been referred to as an Arabian rather than the Turk it was. Thank you for clearing up many of these questions, and reading about the Colonel (I share his name and lived near Goldsborough in my youth when talk of the Turk was frequent)was a great thrill. I understand that the Byerley line died out with his children, but thats another story.....

Then you will enjoy this book. The epic adventure of a horse, Black Beauty style. Well researched and written in a captivating manner, the author weaves and interesting story out of threads of truth. Ofcourse, I love Thoroughbreds!

This was one of the best horse stories I have read in a long time. I couldn't put it down. I thought that Jeremy James did a wonderful job of writing and interpreting the history of this horse and the people that were connected to him. I happen to love horses but I think that this book would appeal to almost anyone. I'm sure that I will read it again.

"The Byerley Turk: The Incredible Story of the World's First Thoroughbred", is a fantastic story, masterfully told. It is a story of a horse, from his auspicious birth while in the care of his Turkish groom, to his peaceful death while in the care of the wealthy Englishman, Robert Byerley. It is most compelling, and contains a graphic intensity that the author Jeremy James, who has knowledge and experience with horses, weaves into his story.

Jeremy James has the ability to take you inside the landscape, and into the hearts of horses and of men. In fact, the way that this story is told, gives insight into an era that is long gone. Buildings, scenery, attire, relationships, protocol, and events are lavishly described. It gives insight to vastly different cultures in conflict, and yet the element of the human heart, and the heart of the horse are amplified throughout. The author has an uncanny ability to involve the reader, so that the passions, horrors, joys and sorrows, are deeply felt.

This is a story of trust, loyalty, and supreme athleticism, during a time of war and upheaval. There are heroic deeds performed as a matter of fact, and in retrospect, deeds with a seemingly supernatural aura... deeds which connected the events with their destiny. There are elements of beauty amongst the serious gore. Fear and friendship, supreme intellect, slavery, survival, suffering and opportunity are juxtaposed inexorably into the landscape spanning from the Ottoman Empire, to Ireland.

The stallion and his groom inspire awe and change, where ever they go. The relationships that they offer are of such a deep and profound nature, that, whether they are at home, or in a foreign land, at times it seems that they are from a different world altogether.

There are emotionally charged sequences of courage and sacrifice made in the name of love, not war. This story illustrates the power of deep relationships, the power of `home', and the transformative power of understanding.

It is not a story for the faint-hearted. The senses are floridly described in scenes of death, stress and suffering. Partings are painful. Love is not a petty emotion. Devotion is not a fleeting fulfillment of convenience. It is a book of extremes. Extreme beauty and style...extreme dedication, extreme danger, and the fantastic power of a strong-willed and defiant stallion, and the tender moments he creates when the touch of a whisker brings about peace and comfort...

It is the story of how Robert Byerley came to be in possession of the Turkish horse known as the Byerley Turk. Well researched and well presented, it is a wonderful use of the novel in depicting a time in history. It successfully captivates the imagination, and allows the reader to understand the importance of the horse in World History.

Congratulations to Jeremy James.

The horse is known to history as a foundation sire. I expected much more emphasis on his contributions to thoroughbred history (there are are no notes on who he sired, how fast they ran, what they won, or when his significance was noted, etc).
There is a lot of dialogue, so to me this is not a true "nonfiction" work. It is an historical novel, well researched it seems, but it is not true nonfiction.

Not necessarily the best writing per se, but if you ever wondered: Can a fly-fishing book put forward the synopsis of a novel insight into fly-fishing that does both: (1) helps you catch fish, and concurrently (2) could stand alone as a novel scientific study of trout behavior?

The only book that I have ever read that can answer "yes" is this book.

I would love to hear about other books, maybe Gordon or Hewitt have something out there from the early 1900s (???), but for sure this book is the most original contribution to American fly-fishing in the past 30 years.

This is the book to have if you fly fish or ty flies. Thats all that needs to be said!!!

Gary LaFontaine's Caddisflies is the classic study of the caddis. Clear, comprehensive, thoroughly researched and well illustrated. All you could want to know and more about the subject. Relevant to any fly-tier or fly-fisher.

this book is the most extensive book written on the caddis fly. it should be part of every fly fishers library.

As LaFontaine states midway through the book, "The study of caddisflies is the graduate school of an angler's education." His book clearly mirrors both the diversity and complexity of its subject matter - caddisflies. LaFontaine mastery of the bug and how to present it to trout in it's varying life stages is apparent. But the crowning achievement in these pages is the bridge LaFontaine builds between this insect's world and the mind of the angler. It's a bridge every angler must eventually cross in order to master the complex interaction between these bugs and feeding trout. I couldn't really come up with the number of days and the river miles you would need to wade in order to gain the knowledge Lafontaine distills onto paper... but a lifetime wouldn't be a stretch here (wearing out many pairs of wading boots along the way).

The writing takes a no-nonsense approach, but you feel his excitement and willingness to share the insight he has gained with the reader. The expression "doing one's homework" comes to mind when reading Caddisflies. Lafontaine spent ten years of intensive study (and of course fly-fishing) to develop the material and support his observations. As he put it: "It was not writing that took so long... The subject, however, proved to be so fascinating that it deserved much more than just a rehash of the past literature or a smattering of untested opinions."

Lafontaine structures the content into two parts: (1) Tying and Fishing Caddisfly Imitations and (2) The Biology of Caddisflies. The first part of the book is likely as comprehensive and authoritative treatment of tying and fishing caddisfly patterns you'll find published today. Even if you don't seat behind the vise tying these flies, the chapters offer as much "why" as they do "how" (i.e., the thinking behind using a particular material, color, shape).

The second half focuses on the biology of these amazing insects with well over 1200 species of caddisflies in North America. Lafontaine highlights a key attribute leading to their bio-diversity today: "Caddisflies basically owe their diversification in the aquatic world to the ability to make silk. This is the evolutionary tactic, a wonderfully functional tool, that has been used in so many ways to solve problems of dislodgement, food gathering, respiration, and protection." A comprehensive listing of each caddisfly genera provides a great reference. To aid the angler, Lafontanie uses the listing to emphasize the species which are more likely to force a trout into selective feeding.

After reading Caddisflies, I'm not ready to claim I've completed the caddis "graduate school of angling." That claim may come after a couple more readings and application on the water. I can say for certain that my appreciation and understanding of caddisflies has gone up dramatically.

What a wonderful book - filled with statistics, stories and sometimes pictures. It takes the champions of the 20th century (American thoroughbreds, for example, Horse of the Year, and tells the stories of their racing careers decade by decade. Each chapter of text is followed by Past Performances, as put together by the DRF. There are stories about long-ago horses I haven't seen since Robertson's History of Thoroughbred Racing in America. It's going to take a long time to read this book - not because it's slow reading, but because I keep going back and forth in time to compare stories and speed fractions.
One thing I'd change - even if they didn't have the space to tell the story of each champion, I wish they'd found the space to have a picture of each one. As they say.....one picture is worth....... I love looking at pictures of the old racers and the newer ones - line them up next to each other and look at their relative build, then go to the track and see who reminds you of the great old geldings or the powerful sprinters. Now THAT's data!

i already wrote a review praising this book, but i wanted to leave another to let people know that they don't have to pay the extravagant prices wanted by the thieves selling here on amazon. simply go to drf.com and you can get this book for the list price of $50. i'm not affiliated with them, i just think it's wrong for someone to try and over-charge by 7 times because someone might not know where else they could get the book.

For all of us in the Horse Racing business as owners, toutes, fans, etc, everyone knows the Daily Racing Form is the key publication for past performance data and news.

The PP's(past performances) of famous champions of the past really open your eyes as you see that some of them ran within days of their last start in Major Stakes races and others ran at tracks that no longer exist, or across the country and both coasts in the same season.

The best of the best are in here, and as DRF did a very good job with arrangement and information. Its like looking at the Breeders Cup Entries of the Immortals !

Best Regards to All, MC - TheStickRules.Com

a good book which serves as both an overview of horse racing in the 20th century, as well as offering loads of past performance lines so race fans can compare the greatest thoroughbreds.

I bought this as a birthday gift for my 25 year-old daughter, and it's her favorite of anything I have ever given her! She has always been really good at spouting names, numbers, years, tenths of a seconds, etc. Now she'll be insufferable! This book is absolutely loaded with all the racing stats you could ever think of! She actually WHOOPED when she opened the package!!! She opened it and explained all the racing stats to me--she understood every bit as soon as she saw it (I was still in boondoggled land!) The book DID have some of my favorite recent horses in it (such as Bertrando and Paseana) and it had ALL of her favorites in there! It also contains pretty much all the great horses of the century. One thing even I noticed and really loved in this book, is it tells who the jockey was in each race.

And of course, the unsurpassable Secretariat is in here; all his races. I still think that seeing him win the Belmont and with it the Triple Crown, was the greatest moment in sports history! The reruns are unreal, but there was NOTHING like seeing it happen!

I can't speak as an owner, trainer, or one who bets. But as a "serious fan" of racing, I can truly say this is one extraordinary reference manual to have on hand. WELL worth the price!

If you want to learn how to really punch, and if you can find a copy of the following book in either its original hardback version, or the reprinted paperback version, I strongly recommend that you purchase it and read it. However, be advised that it has been out-of-print for sometime and can be quite expensive if you are lucky enough to find one to purchase in the first place. Just exactly what book am I referring to, well it is the book called "Championship Fighting" by Jack Dempsey and it was originally published back in 1950. The edition I have is the 1983 paperback edition published by Centerline Press.

Jack Dempsey, as you may or may not know, was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world in the early 1900's. Being rather small for a heavyweight, Dempsey more than made up for it with the devastating power he had in his punches. Over numerous years both during his boxing career and after, Dempsey kept meticulous track of just exactly how to develop punching power not only through his own training and experience, but also through numerous others. What he discovered is contained within the pages of this book.

Now if you keep in mind that this book was originally written over 50 years ago, you will be even more amazed at how profound and relevant the information contained within is to our current day and age and with a little adjustment, is even relevant to perhaps any and all martial arts and combative systems in one form or another. That is perhaps the one single thing that stood out and impressed me the most about this book and its author, and that is the fact that the information provided was and is way ahead of its time and soundly based in fact and principle.

Dempsey starts out his book by giving you some background into his punching prowess and his reasoning behind writing this book and supplying you the reader with such a treasure of punching information. Dempsey teaches you all of the various components that you will need to learn and practice in order to improve your punching power and give you the ability to knock out your opponents. These various components include; the different types of punches, the correct stance, how to drop your body weight, proper body movement, etc.

Being a practicing martial artist for over 25 years, I saw a lot of relevant information in this book that could be applied to the martial arts with just a little bit of modification for the technique being used. Even though Dempsey is talking about punching, a lot of the principles he teaches can also be applied to kicking, throwing, grappling, etc.

Here is a list of the chapters that are included in this book.

1. Explosives at Toledo
2. Good and Bad Toledo Aftermaths
3. Punchers Are Made; Not Born
4. Why I Wrote This Book
5. Differences Between Fist-Fighting and Boxing
6. You're the Kayo Kid
7. What is a punch?
8. The Falling Step
9. The Power Line
10. Relaying and Exploding
11. Stance
12. Footwork
13. Range
14. Straight Punching from the Whirl
15. Purity in Punching
16. Hooking
17. Uppercuts
18. Punch Ranks First
19. Your Sparmate
20. General Defense and Blocking
21. Deflection
22. Evasion
23. Feinting and Drawing
24. Training
25. How to Watch a Fight

No matter what your own level of expertise or experience is, you will benefit from the information contained within this book. Do yourself a favor and locate a copy of this book and purchase it, and then read it from cover to cover numerous times and practice the information contained within after reading it and you will see a noticeable increase in your punching power. Don't take my word for it though, buy the book and see for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

I recently purchased this used book from Amazon. It is the best boxing/punching book out there, bar none.

As I already indicated in the title I (and many others I presume) would like to see that book on Amazon again since previous reviewers value it so high and I didn't have a chance to get my own copy yet. Is that too much to ask?
I wonder why books of such quality aren't on the "shelves" more often so that vultures like those 3 at used&new ($250 is overinflated to put it mildly-especially if you can get a new piece for roughly 10 times less) wouldn't get a chance to reap us off that easy?

This is the classic work and still one of the best on how to improve your punching. For me it occupies a similar place in sports history that Ted Williams's book on batting and hitting does, a book truly written by one of the greats in his field. It isn't just about punching, either, as it discusses the importance of stance and footwork and other factors on punching. Another writer here mentioned how Dempsey said he preferred a non-leaning stance; this is similar to the stance and strategy in the kali and escrima knife-fighting arts (which I teach), where this approach is preferred also. And in tai chi, which pays more attention to the fine details of balance than any other martial art, learning too far forward is normally avoided also. (I say normally because advanced students are allowed to take a front stance in which the knee extends further than the middle of the foot, which is usually avoided).

And last but not least, the late, great Bruce Lee's style of kung fu that he invented, Jeet Kune Do, has its footwork based primarily on western boxing and western fencing. Even today JKD's punches are still more boxing-like than Wing Chun-like, the style of kung fu that influenced Jeet Kune Do the most. (By the way, I have to mention that I am a certified instructor in Kali/JKD under Chuck Gonzaga, one of Ted Lucaylucay's senior instructors, and who himself was a student of Bruce Lee and Danny Inosanto. Chuck is a great martial artist himself who is skilled in several martial arts and also in the healing massage arts).

Dempsey has been described as the first modern boxer, one of the smartest fighters to ever grace the ring, and a true gentlemen. In fact, one time, as a 12-year old boy back in the early 60s, he once sent me postcard. My father had stopped for a drink at his bar, it might have been in Chicago, and got to talking with the champ, and happened to mention it was my birthday. So Dempsey sent me a card. :-) So I had to post a comment here about Dempsey's classic book and a man who was a great fighter and a true gentleman who went out of his way to send a kid he didn't even know a birthday card.

In this book, Dempsey proves himself to be one of the most intelligent boxers the ring has seen. His knowledge of the physics behind a punch is impeccable, and his book is based around using these elements to your advantage. The best example is bodyweight, and Dempsey describes in the opening chapters how a baby dropped from a 10 story building onto a person's head can easily kill a grown man. You've got 20 times a baby's size - imagine what you can do!

The rest of the book details how to throw pure punches, with body weight in motion behind each to ensure maximium damage. He knows quite a bit about preventing punches from losing their power by keeping skeletal structure optimal, and throughly discusses this in the chapters about the power line.

In addition, this book isn't just about boxing. It is written with fist fighting in mind, where K.O.s are much more prevalent. In these situations, being a "fancy Dan" is begging for a knockout. Each second you're fighting exposes you to more danger, and so ending the fight via power punching is the best exit. And boy does he show you how to do it.

A side note - the basics of a punch where the fist lands vertically isn't known by many modern fighters. This punch predominated in bareknuckle boxing because it allows for a cleaner strike with more of the fist, whereas horizontal punches tend to connect in smaller areas and increase the likelyhood of breaking a knuckle. When you consider the pinky is most skeletally reinforced part of the fist, a fact Dempsey explains in the book, this is even more dangerous (he teaches you to aim with the ring to prevent pinky breakage while still allowing for high power). He doesn't mention this protective benefit of vertical punching, but he clearly knows how to throw them. Then again, this may be due to the fact gloves were around 6 ounces in his day, so they're not quite as protective as they are now. Horizontal punching is somewhat an artifact of the sport, and since Dempsey grew up fighting people in bars, you get to see an entirely new vertical punch most people won't expect. He calls it a straight jolt, and it's like running into someone with your fist. It's faster than my jabs but with serious stunning power.

This book is great for anyone who wants to learn how to punch in a fistfight, as well as a boxing ring. The vertical punch and Dempsey's falling step were both admired by Bruce Lee and incorporated heavily into his Jeet Kun Do system. A cursory look at this book and that martial art easily shows that Lee's ideas about counter-punching were heavily modeled after Dempsey, as with his basics of throwing a punch. And for good reason - if you spend a week on the heavy bag trying Dempsey's advice, you'll notice remarkable gains in power. After a year, you'll be vicious.

He also goes over training and conditioning, including sparring, and the proper way to watch a boxing match. He says he wrote 384 pages for the book then trimmed down the worthless info to the essentials behind strong punches. In addition to having good advice, it's a pleasure to read. The book is well-written, interesting, and gives many insights into how Dempsey thought about boxing (and the popularity of it after his fight with Willard).

When I started taking boxing lessons, I had drilled from this book and studied fights for a year. Apparently this book helped me punch hard from the beginning. I managed to start with few corrections to my general punching form, and since those minor adjustments (the first lesson) I haven't had to spend additional time on basics. The second lesson we moved straight to advanced combinations (the first was more getting me used to the idea of fighting someone). It's very useful to start boxing knowing how to triple jab. And thanks to this book and long arms, I'm told I have good power in either hand.

When I first met my trainer for a lesson, he had me, a friend, and someone who had trained MMA for years jab him in the arm. I was told that I hit harder than the MMA fighter (I had 15 pounds on him but this was my first boxing lesson). I had been training on a heavybag and shadowboxing for about a year with this book and others as a reference, and am pretty athletic. So assuming you have some natural strength or athleticism, it is certainly possible to teach yourself fight using this book. However, timing, distance, accuracy, and defense are hard to learn on your own. But you can develop a head start; by practicing parries and glance-offs as described by Dempsey, I apparently started out tricky to hit (usually new people are punching bags).

Books that are excellent for complimenting this are "The Art of Boxing" by George Carpentier. It goes over snapping punches and more. Carpentier was friends with Dempsey after their heavyweight title match, which was one of the original superfights and million dollar gates (in the 1920s)! It's clear Dempsey organized his defensive chapter based on conversations with Carpentier, who uses the same categories for defense as Dempsey.

The best thing about these books are the little tricks they throw in that are valuable for advanced fighters. They casually mention weakpoints of certain builds, styles, and dirty shots you can use outside of the ring. Dempsey's book, Carpentier's book, Tunney's autobiography "A Man Must Fight," and other Dempsey biographies are chalk full of these references. Find all of them you can and study them - all three were amazing world champions (Carpentier fought in around 6 weight classes and Dempsey and Tunney speak for themselves).

That said, this book is my favorite. It's helped me appreciate a sport I'd neglected for years. Reading about Dempsey's life ("Flame of Pure Fire") and this book, it's clear he was a smart guy. He's so friendly you can't help liking him, yet in a boxing ring he was murderous. He walked 20 miles in the desert for a match when he was starting out. He's the real deal as a champion and a gentleman, and my only personal hero.

This book was a gift for a new High School assistant basketball coach. He read it front to back and continued to comment on how it was written. Easy to read, with many useful ideas and drills.

No matter how many books I have on basketball I always come back to this one.When great coachs explain every insight they used to be successful it can only make you a better coach.

This book does much more than just teach the game of basketball, it shows coaches how to prepare their kids to be successful in life. And does an excellent job at both. His experience and record speak for themselves, the man definitely knows the game. But I feel his expertise at the X's and O's is just icing on the cake. I first discovered Mr. Wootten's masterpiece about five years ago while preparing to coach a Y.M.C.A. travel team (my first gig). It was the main source I used to develop my program. I recieved rave reviews from both the parents and the Y.M.C.A. Over the past five years I have endorsed the book in social settings(when the subject arose) but hadn't seen the book since then. In the meantime I've had an increased yearning to coach basketball, which I've gone back to school to accomplish. Today I found out, it was Mr. Wootten's book that caused me to believe I was born to coach.I recently landed an Assistant Coaching job for the Varsity Women's basketball team at the Div.III school I'm attending. Preparing for the upcoming season I deciced "Coaching Basketball Successfully" was the first book I'd reread. Very quickly I realized where my passion to coach came from. The coaching philosophy paper I had to write the previous semester was eerily similar to many of the ideas in Coach Wootten's book. Since the copy I'm reading now is from the library, I intend to buy my own copy and one each for both the Men's and Women's Head Coach here at my school. Coach Wootten's wonderful book optimizes the true meaning of the word COACH..,and sparked a fire in my soul, to be the positive influence and guide that a coach is supposed to be. Exactly what our children deserve.

I spent one year as an assistant coach and one year as a head coach for boys high school basketball. After a four year hiatus I am returning to head coaching a freshman team and being an assistant for a varsity team. This book made me realize the little things I missed the first time around. From having a philosophy to in game situations. This is a comprehensive plan that I wish I had the first time around. Instead of going to coaching clinics to tell other coaches what Im doing, Im going with questions for the more experienced coaches on how they handle situations. All aspects of being involved in a program are covered: discipline, dealing with the media, dealing with parents, practice plans,etc.... This book does not miss a beat, a must have.

Morgan Wootten is probably THE most successful high school basketball coach, and his book is one that I believe coaches at all levels can benefit from. I have found that the principles, plays and strategies he has written to be very beneficial in my own development as a coach. Plays and diagrams are simple and complete, and his focus on developing his kids as both individuals and players is great reading. This book is one you will want to take your coaching and your team to "the next level."

I was floored by thoroughness of expertise and professionalism in this book, which goes hand-in-hand with the sheer passion for the game and wisdom in teaching children that comes through on every page. No detail of technique, sportsmanship or strategy is left out here, and the book is as useful a guide for would-be coaches inexperienced in the ways of the game as it is for veteran coaches looking broaden their knowledge base.

Bruce Driver's talent both as a former Stanley Cup winner and a long time coach combined with Clare Wharton's flawless and engaging writing style makes this book an absolute must for hockey lovers new and old.

As a USA Hockey certified Referee I recommend this book to anyone involved in youth hockey at any level.This is how hockey should be taught.

A complete resource for coaches, yes, but also something every hockey fan and parent should read too. Presented in a concise and logical manner, with no detail left out. Extensive photos and drill diagrams for all situations. I found it to be very well written.

If you've wondered what's happened to Stanley Cup winner Bruce Driver since he wrapped up his illustrious 15-year career playing hockey with the New Jersey Devils, you'll find the answer in the new book, "The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Hockey". Admirably, Driver has been teaching young, would-be hockey stars the secrets of the game.
Don't be put off by the long title - in this volume, Driver, and co-author Clare Wharton have scored a major goal with this highly readable and entertaining offering. If you've stumbled across it, you've found treasure. Driver has wisely teamed up with Wharton, a skilled writer with an extensive background in Hockey. She has taken the shoulder pads, the knee pads, the helmet and skates of the material and, with humor, molded them into a star of the ice.
With sections on everything needed for first-time and veteran coaches alike, NHL drills appropriate for youth hockey, proven team-management techniques, tips on teaching and understanding hockey fundamentals and so much more, Driver lets us in on all of his secrets.
Hockey moms (and they are legion) who have had to spend endless afternoons - and early mornings, if time on the ice is limited - driving their little Drivers to the ice rink for practice, and dads, stuck at work but footing the bills for all that expensive equipment, will be happy to learn, through this enlightening tome, what happens to junior once he gets there.
"The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Hockey" is a winner! Anyone with even a passing interest in hockey, or sports in general, will find Bruce Driver and Clare Wharton's book a delightful experience.


Art Scott
Mystery writer
And Historian

Overall, this is a great book that touches on all aspects of hockey. I am a high school hockey coach and this book has some really nice drills and information in it. We are using a couple already in practice that work great. One thing that I was hoping for (4 stars instead of 5)was a little more intense drills or more detailed info for the higher levels of hockey. Also, it only has 3 goalie drills which was a little disturbing. As a goalie coach as well as an assistant, I find that upsetting since the position is so important, but yet it's the most overlooked. However if you are a parent or coach looking for a book that touches on every aspect of hockey as well as drills this is definitely the one. I do find the parts on dealing with parents and setting up practice plans also helpful. It was well written and has a lot of great info from an NHL player and Stanley Cup winner. It is one of the best books that puts it all together for you to learn the sport of hockey. I would suggest picking up the book: Complete hockey instruction by Dave Chambers with this book and as far as goaltending is concerned, go to www.hockeygoaltender.com. That has some of the best info concerning that position. With these 3 items you would have a pretty good arsenal on coaching and understanding the sport.

If you care about walking fast, and especially if you care about your place in walking races (judged racewalks or otherwise) then this book is for you.

This book isn't designed to sell anyone on walking as a sport; this is written for readers who already know that they want to spend time and effort into learning to walk fast.

There are sections on many of the aspects of walking; e. g. technique, drills to perfect technique, common racewalking errors, and a few workout schedules. The book is written in a conversational style. He also includes interviews with elite racewalkers.

There is also a handy chart which outlines: "if you have problem X, correct it with Y" which is VERY helpful; this helped me in getting zero cautions or redcards in my last 4 judged walks.

If there is a downside it is that some of the photos are a bit small; I'd also recommend that he upgrade his "poor technique" example photo to look a bit worse; perhaps he could use a photo of a thick-skinned novice walker.

I've been to Dave's clinics, I've spoken with him personally, and reading "The Complete Guide to Racewalking Technique and Training" is just like having him right next to you, cracking jokes and commenting on everything. If you do not have the option of working out with other racewalkers regularly, definately pick up this book and re-read it a few times. You'll always pick up something new.

This book is chock full of information on how to racewalk. I have racewalked for 6 years, but found the information to be outstanding from training tips to stretching and flexibility drills. Walkers who don't actually compete in events would benefit from the information provided and would become better, more efficient walkers. Runners would also benefit from learning the how to racwalk and use it as a cross-trainer. A highly enjoyable read.

The Complete Guide to Racewalking covers the whole gamut of racewalking from how to do it, to how to train, what to eat, how to compete and even discusses the physiology and psychology of walking. Racewalking differs from athletic walking, power walking or fitness walking. These are fast ways of walking for recreation or fitness. Racewalkingis an Olympic sport and has an official definition and rules by the USATF. Good racewalkers achieve amazing speed and endurance.

The author is a former cross country runner and has been a world class racewalker and coach for over 25 years. This book is the straight scoop. I got interested in racewalking because after years of running I developed knee and hip problems. Racewalking was reputed to be injury free and excellent exercise. I had attended a couple of racewalking clinics but still hadn't got the hang of it. I wanted a detailed description of racewalking technique and found it in this book. While there's no substitute for having an experienced racewalker show you in person how it's done, this book is the next best thing

I bought this book based on the Amazon.com reviews and I was NOT disappointed. I wanted to learn how to walk faster and have been able to achieve my initial goals in the few months I have been following Dave's training and technique advice. The book is well written, has many amusing bits, so is a good read as well as being of immense practical value. I keep referring back to it over and over.

Apart from golf tips that constitute on its own a sufficient reason to purchase this book, you can get a grip on valuable practices for your day-to-day life. Not only will they be helpful at work, but also in your personal area. This is a book which is worth its value for money and that must be discovered as soon as possible. Thank you Gay !

I first purchased this book because I was looking for something to help the eternally finicky golf game. This book has actually been helpful for my golf game. But it has been even more helpful and inspirational for the business side of my life. I think the three secrets are extremely important to keep in mind every day if you want to be successful in your current job and also be able to move ahead with your career.

I thought the book was so good that I have gotten more copies for my family, friends, and co-workers. One co-worker that has never golfed before thought the book has extremely valuable concepts for work. Getting my co-worker to read a golf book was the most difficult part. Making a new energetic believer in the three secrets was easy.

I loved reading Conscious Golf, and it has had a huge impact on my tennis game! I just played tennis for the first time in 3 weeks this morning (after reading the book) and focused on completing each swing. This made the most noticeable difference on my serve. In fact, the person I played against (who, in the past, has beaten me by substantial margins), asked, "What happened to your serve?!" since she could not seem to return it! She was convinced that I spent my 10 day trip to Ojai at a tennis camp on the sly, instead of the Conscious Living for Professionals Training with Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks!

I have worked in the Golf Industry for the past 13 years (10 years as a golf professional within the PGA of America) and have only understood the importance of the second secret from this book in the last month through Gay's teachings. It has re-awakened my passion for golf and the reality of playing without the pain from my past 2 back operations. Thank you Gay for expanding into the golfing arena and sharing your knowledge with me (and others), I now have the tools to choose endless fun in golf, business and life.

I wanted to read the book over and over and over again. It really could be this simple and there's only one way to find out for sure...do it. I take that back, don't do it...live it.

At ClubWeb Solutions we recommend this book to our customers...people like us who have experiences in business as well as in and around the game.

This book is about the South and northern places in the mid 60's-80's. To be sure it is about a gifted black athlete having to survive a white society that wants somehow to be with him in his quest for greatness. Much more than that, this book is about racism at its core, promise, insecurity, and reluctant goodness, and we should hope that Morris's honest and understandable "sorta" autobiographical dissertation on his homeland Mississippi will compel us to take another look at where we are as a society. We should not let Pete, Willie's mid-life dog, be the best of what we can be.

This is a must read-especially for the young athletes of today. This man was a legend! Hands down the best running back in the country during his era!
Having met him, he's a modest, humble man who loves football and loves his hometown. Would love to see this made into a movie!
Get it, you won't be disappointed!

I recently read "The Courting of Marcus Dupree" and found it to be exciting and spell binding. My entire family was caught up in it. The book is an excellent tale of the birth of a young Black male in a troubling time for the South. The way Willie Morris related Marcus' birth and powerful strength to the struggle of his town and state was awesome, he should be the Mayor of Philadelphia or the Governor of Mississippi. I expected the book to be totally about football but it proved to be much more. It made you laugh and cry at times because of the tremendous pressure on Marcus Dupree, the 17 year old athlete that was blessed with such miraculous skills. The book made you feel like you were at the games when he made some of the beautiful plays. It was so intense that you wanted to get to the next page, but never wanted the book to end. I wish it was reprinted.

I read this book again recently and it was better than I remembered. It was so interesting to see how one 17 year old boy could dominate one small town's conversations. I expected this book to be a tale of a high school football star and his recruitment, but I got more, much more. Willie Morris examines the importance of football in Mississippi and how Marcus brought blacks and whites together with his play. He had insight in to Marcus that nobody outside of his family and high school coach could have had. Overall, a great read.

As an OU fan and a person who remember Marcus Dupree light up Norman during his brief time, I was very excited to have a little bit more background on this fascinating person.

The book hits several different topics. Obviously his recruitment of many football schools at times take center stage. But much of the book also discusses the effect of a black athlete becoming a state hero in Mississippi and gaining fans of all races. The foil of Dupree's time to that of two decades earlier when three cival rights activists were brutally murdered by the Klan. And the author, Willie Morris, contrasting and comparing his life with what he sees around him while following Dupree.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great personal account that takes you back to 1981 Mississippi, civil rights, and the power of football.