Athletics Books

One Great Game is an interesting chronicle for those who like high school football. The analysis of the longest winning streak in history in any sport would be enough in itself. Indeed the game account seems less important than discourse on social and economic differences between the featured schools and their students. Though the writing is ponderous at times, I learned a lot about the nature of high schools in other states - for instance most of the perennial powerhouse football teams are from private schools. The character sketches of players and coaches is good, but I still would like to know how to pronounce Bob Ladouceur's name. Cover notes on the book say it is "an engaging cultural history about twenty-first-century American life." I submit it is, instead, a cultural narrative about life in California. Where else would you find players, when gunshots erupt in the neighborhood, react by citing the type weapon being fired, then resume practice as if nothing unusual happened. Going in, I expected the story would convince me that California high school football is the best played anywhere in the U.S. Despite the author's conviction that California has not just the best but probably the second- and maybe third-best teams anywhere any given year, I came away figuring teams from my state and others would fare well playing the Golden State schools. Had there been more interstate games, I doubt The Streak would have happened. I give the book 3 stars because I consider it about midway between the most and least enjoyable books I've read. Oh yes, if you're buying it, suggest you get the September 2005 edition that includes epilogue and afterword rounding out the story.

Don Wallace did an excellent job profiling the stark differences between De La Salle and Long Beach Poly, creating much more interest in the game and it's outcome. Whether you are a fan of DLS or Poly, you couldn't help but come away with a greater appreciation of the other school. Yes, it was One Great Game, and it was One Great Book.

Don Wallace's account of the first ever high school football championship game is frequently riveting, and always insightful. In the chapters leading up to the Game (An October 2001 matchup between #2 Long Beach Poly and #1 Concord De La Salle)Wallace proves himself more than able to juggle two disparate narratives, managing to track the players and football programs at these two perennial powerhouses while capturing the social dynamics of the towns in which they reside.

At first, the towns seem diametrically opposed: Concord is a predominantly white, upper middle class suburb; Long Beach is an ethnically diverse community replete with gang warfare and violence, as well as Wallace's alma mater.

But Wallace, it's clear, does not buy in to the American Dream vs American Nightmare pitch. Poly, it turns out, is an academic as well as a football powerhouse, a diamond circumscribed within the rough streets of Long Beach. And while the students at De La Salle may be economically priviliged in comparison to Poly's, they are also burdened by heavy expectations (A 116 game winning streak on the line)and must dedicate themselves completely to football.

One Great Game concludes with a vivid account of The Game itself, often digressing into a play by play account. It's during these moments that Wallace's intimate familiarity with the two teams, as well as the game of football, comes across best.

I highly recommend this book, not just to football fans, but to anybody with an interest in contemporary American society. You won't mistake One Great Game for a PHD thesis--its far too interesting and well worded--but you may find yourself admiring the poignancy Wallace discovers, or creates, from our best, quintessentially American sport.

This book chronicles the first-ever meeting between the #1 and #2-ranked high school football teams in America. In October of 2001, #1 Long Beach Poly, a Southern California powerhouse with a long, storied tradition, alma mater to a record 50 past and present NFL players, played host to #2 De La Salle, a Catholic all-boys school from the upper-class suburban town of Concord, CA, home of the nation's longest football (and perhaps all team sports) winning streak, which, before the Game, stands at an astounding 116 games.

Prior to this game, no #1 and #2 teams had ever met in head-to-head competition, which always beggared the question, "Who's REALLY #1?," since most, if not all of the USAToday's Top 25 high school teams would end up the season undefeated.

Long Beach is the "most diverse city in America," a sprawling city of 425,000 sandwiched between monstrous L.A. to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. It has a long and rich history, much of it less-than-sparkling, where waves of immigration, first of blacks, Hispanics, and Japanese in the early part of the 20th century, then of Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Central Americans following upheavals in their respective homelands, made for a boiling brew of racial tension. Despite all this, Polytechnic High School, located in the decaying heart of downtown Long Beach, is a shining beacon for the whole community, not only as an athletic powerhouse, but as an academic springboard to prestigious colleges. in the 2001 season, the Poly Jackrabbits have perhaps their most talented team ever, with 5 players ranked among the 100 best high school players in the country.

Concord, California, is a wealthy, mostly white, upper-middle-class suburb in the East Bay Area, populated by the professional, educated types who toil in nearby San Francisco. De La Salle is an exclusive all-boys school where tuition is $7,200 per year. The De La Salle Spartans are coached by a living legend, Bob Ladouceur, who since 1979, has lost only 14 games in his entire career, and none since December of 1991.

The book takes two parallel stories, one of Poly, the other of De La Salle, focusing on the players, coaches, families, and overall atmosphere of each school and community, before intersecting them at the Game, which is described in bone-jarring play-by-play detail. You can almost imagine listening to the game on the radio, the play-by-play is so well-written.

The Game was billed as a sort of David vs. Goliath, with De La Salle playing the part of David, traditionally undersized but winning on the basis of suberb coaching and relentless conditioning, and Long Beach Poly playing Goliath, with massive offensive and defensive lines and Division I college talent populating every skill position. However, when reading about each program, the reader gets the impression that instead of David vs. Goliath, it's more like Godzilla vs. Mothra, two unstoppable juggernauts heading toward a climactic Battle Royale. And ultimately, that is exactly what it is - simply one of the finest battles between two programs of the highest caliber in the biggest game of their lives, and possibly the lives of many others.

I was very satisfied with this book. If you like football, sports in general, or just like a thrilling and consuming read, this book delivers.

When I first picked up the book I was worried that the account would be bias toward the Poly side, especially considering it's the writer's alma mater. However, Mr. Wallace presents a fair, balanced account of one of the most anticipated prep sporting events ever. He starts off about a year prior to the game, when it was only a rumor and concludes with an action filled account of the game (portrayed play by play). Characters are well developed, and -- although I can only speak from experience on the De La Salle side -- seem to be very accurate. The introduction leading up to the game got a bit long winded at times, but outside of that the book was hard to put down. I recommend it to any fan of high school sports, as well as for people curious of how two of the most successful football programs in America opperate.

I couldn't put it down. I literally read it cover to cover in less than a day. It was an honest look into her life that was absoltely brilliant. It's the best book I've read in a long time.

This is a wonderful book. It may be a bit deep for some people (judging from one of the reviews), but go ahead and jump right in as long as you're not afraid to think outside of the box. I have been a female athlete since I was 8 years old, and totally understood everything Heywood writes about. Performing... the drive to make a name for yourself... the way life can seem to get out of control when you're trying so hard to control it... this book is very true to life. I really think any parent of a hard-core athlete should read this; it just might help them understand where their daughter is coming from.

I am a 17 year old girl and a distance runner on my high school track team. I found Leslie Heywood's book to be an abosutley incredible memoir that touches the soul. There are so few people in this world with the drive, determination and dedication to make themselves the absolute best they can be. It is obvious that Heywood has the true heart of a champion, that not only made it in the world of athletics but struggled and conquered things like sexual harrassment, (and just harassment in general), bulemia, the tourturous colligate track life, and made it through all of it to write an extremly powerful and well written novel. She is a role model to the girl athletes who strive to do what she did.

I suggest every father or mother who has a young girl interested in sports read this book. It is apparent everyone can take something away from Leslie's mistakes and triumphs. She has written a clear,captivating and disturbing memior. It is truly an eye opener and a page turner. Leslie, "Keep on Rocking in a Free World."

I am the same age as the author of this book. I graduated from a high school a few miles from the one she attended. I should have enjoyed this book more than I did. I found Ms. Heywood's prose style irritating: "It is 4pm. I am writing a customer review for Amazon. My feet are cold but I do not put socks on. Breathe, deeply breathe." One sentence in the book simply reads "My legs are big in the world." In the world? As opposed to Mars? Annoying prose style aside, I felt that the book lacked a truthful core. I feel that the author presented herself in a positive but not entirely honest light. Did she abuse drugs as a teenager? Was she promiscuous? Though she was taken advantage of by a reptilian coach, one wonders how impaired this girl's judgment was. I did not get a strong sense of Ms. Heywood as a person, of the time and place in which the events of the book occurred, of the other people in her life, or of the particular difficulties women athletes face. For me "Pretty Good for a Girl" was not a very successful memoir.

This book was far more useful than I expected. It describe all nutritious needs for a runner from beginner to elite, step by step and with details in a very friendly and understandable language.
It affected my running performance and changed the way I fuel my body to a healthier manner.

I saw the reviews on this book and then checked it out from my library (with intentions to order it very shortly as it's a great reference). I'm only halfway through it, so basically at the fueling for a race and his concepts are fantastic so far. While you can tell where he is leaning, he doesn't seem to try to push his ideas and states that every person is different, but these are ideas to try to get yourself to this level. Also, instead of a focus on weight loss, his focuse points toward restructuring your body composition. A lot of the principals he brings up are carried over from other sources, and he discusses other diets out there and why they are necessarily appropriate for runners. I also love that he breaks down the types of sugars in various sports drinks, gels, and other options out there.

This is a well put together read that is full of useful info for the beginner to the advanced runner. I have been running for over a year and am in training for my first half marathon. I struggle to maintain a healthy running weight and this book really has helped me with that. I love all the advice on proper carb, fat, and protein intake. The book is easy to read and does not necassarily need to be read in any particular order. I would recommend this to any runner and have already.

This is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to learn how to best feed their body for running. As a beginning runner who's training for my first marathon, the information included in this book has been priceless.

As is the case with Runner's World, the quality of the writing is unique amongst sports-related publications. Most running books I've encountered so far generally have poor grammar and/or spelling, and tend to read more like grad school papers than informative books. Matt Fitzgerald's writing style manages to make the subject matter interesting and enjoyable.

References to websites and other resources for more information were also very useful. The section regarding supplements and where you can find out which ones are honest about their ingredients is fantastic.

Regardless of where you are in your training, I would highly recommend this book.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through this book and the advice that Matt supplies is extremely eye opening. I never knew drinking during your workout was so important.

This book is written from a very down to earth point of view. I felt like a coach or a friend was giving me advice. After reading most of this book I went ahead and ordered both the EFS (formerly E3 as mentioned in the book) sports drink and the Ultragen recovery drink. I'm completely convinced by Matt's detailed explanations that these products are really targeted to maximize your body's needs.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who is an avid runner. It will help you understand how certain foods and nutrition can help your body as a runner.

This book is fabulous!my travelling clients have found this to be an important resource, especially given that they find themselves in all kinds of different gyms across the country.So its only logical for them to utilize the equipment available.This is where this book has really helped.
I've also used the book to create some really intense circuits.I took it to a different level by arranging the workouts as a continous circuit.A must buy for those who are tired of trying to figure out equipment in the gym

This is a wonderful, easy and quick way to tone up your hips and thighs. I can definately see a difference in the 3 weeks that I've been following the program. As a mother of 3, it's hard to find time in my busy schedule for lengthy work-outs. This was the perfect solution. Love the book!!

If you are just getting started, time challenged, not interested in the gym scene and don't feel the need to 'have to' use the latest machines, etc. - then this book is a good place to start.

As a Pro Trainer I believe simpler is better for most people, especially those who are just starting out on their fitness journey.

Ladies, for something gentle and gradual - give this one a try.

Joey Atlas - The Wizard of Fitness
www.ButtHipAndThighMakeover.com
www.AbsOfStoneCoreOfSteel.com

I think Jorge Cruise has a lot to offer and I certainly love his technique, but I believe his first book "8 Minutes in the Morning: A Simple Way to Shed up to 2 Pounds a Week Guaranteed" was by far #1. Here's why:
- 8 min. flat belly had a lot of repeat information from the original 8 minutes, which is to be expected because they both market to others, but if you have already read and followed the original 8 minutes book, I doubt you'll appreciate this one.
- I FELT a lot thinner in all areas while doing the original 8 minutes routine than I ever did while doing the flat belly program. It reccommends mixing hip and thigh spot training with all over body moves, I just didn't feel a difference.
- The original has a few paragraphs of motivation before every routine, lean hips doesn't. The motivation was a big factor for me.
- The original has different routines every day for 4 weeks!! Lean hips has only 1 week of each level (easy, intermediate, hard).
I know every body is different and perhaps if you begin with this book you would like it, but my overall opinion is that the original is #1!!

I like the different exercises on every other day- it worked out pretty well for me with my week days- but some of the info seems to be rehashed over and over again in his books.Some of the moves bothered my low back at times- morning vs the evening so I changed around the execersies it seem to work. Hope this helps.

This book was written in 1993 (it is now almost 2000) and you may be tempted to think that this book is outdated. You couldn't be more wrong! Everything in this book is as relevant, if not more so, that when it was written.

The section on canting and alignment is amazing. On first reading I was sceptical. However, I have recently been correctly canted and aligned and am amazed at the difference. As an instructor and racer, I work a lot on my skiing technique. Being correctly aligned has shown the biggest single improvement in my skiing for years.

The techniques discussed in this book are also very very good. Most of them are now more relevant than when the book was written as they allow you to get the most out of the new generation of carving skis.

Buy this book, read it, read it again, be aligned and then ski better than ever.

As a PSIA Ski Instructor I would recommend folks be very careful about some of the canting information in this book. The book assumes that all bowlegged skiers are overcanted and while this is mostly true it is not absolutely true. Many bowlegged skiers (including myself) are naturally undercanted and the advice presented in this book is incorrect for us. This book seems to be the source for the 'if you are bowlegged, cant on the outside of the ski' common wisdom, and again that is simply not true in all cases. Canting solutions are individual and must not be over generalized. Instead, read the descriptions of what effects over or under canting can have and see which fits you. Then cant as necessary.

Also, I would say that this 'used to be' the definitive guide. After reading both this and All Mountain Skier by Mark Elling, I would definately recommend the latter. Ellings book is much more useful for actual practice. There is not much in here that is not better covered in Ellings book. Also, the technical information in Ellings book (on canting for example) is much more accurate.

What can I say that the book doesn't already say. A great book for beginning to intermediate skiers. Including several sections covering your equipment and proper fitting techniques.

As a full certified ski instructor with over 14 years teaching experience, and as a former club racer and High School coach, this is the only book I recommend to anyone (and everyone) that seeks to improve their skiing. In this book (and previously in his first book, How the Racer Skis) Witherell does more to define and clarify the skills necessary for achieving and mastering the highest level of skiing than the piles of PSIA books and manuals I accumulated during my five year progression from uncertified to full certified instructor. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL; Witerell also addresses the most critical, yet most overlooked, aspect of alpine skiing: THE EQUIPMENT. Most specifically BOOT FIT: fore/aft balance, and canting. In so doing Witherell attacks the "disease" that most skiers suffer from, poor fitting equipment (boots) that puts them out of balance and out of alignment and leads them to constantly struggle with compensating movements in a desperate and futile attempt to regain balance and compensate for poor alignment. So much ski instruction and (sadly) coaching only attempts to treat the symptoms (poor "technique": most often caused by compensating movements in attempt to try and correct equipment caused imbalance or alignment problems) and thus miserably fails the student or racer. When a student comes to a lesson for help with their skiing or a racer puts her trust in a coach they deserve to be taught and coached with, and given, the knowledge that is contained in this book.
Simply put for those that have knowledge of NASTAR handicapping, the information contained in this book (and two days skiing with Witherell) took me from an 18 or 19 handicap to a 7 or 8.
This book is even more critical and more cogent today than when it was first published 13 years ago considering today's shaped skis.
Buy this book. Read it. Address boot fit and canting. Read it again. Ski. Constantly play with your equipment, dialing it in. Ski. Play on your skis. Read this book again and again and again.
Skiing isn't as complicated as most instructors make it. Trust me. Trust this book. Warren Witherell and David Evard know what they're talking about.

If you buy only one book on skiing, this should be it. It is a joy to read, and re-read. Keep it on the coffee table at your ski condo and read any random chapter. You'll learn something.

Warren is the father of carving long before it became a fad. It is "how the racers ski" (which is also the name of his first book from the early 70's that is a classic).

The content if outstanding and the writing and presentation is equally as nice. Glossy pages, excellent photography.

I've given this book to more hard core skiers than I'd like to say.

The section on balance and alignment alone are worth the money. Buy it!

As a cyclist who is training for racing (or for a century/benefit tours something like that), and if you want to take your training seriously, you're going to need a training diary. I personally find Chris Carmichael totally obnoxious, in that everything he does is a plug for his CTS Trainright thing, but a diary is pretty much a diary, and you should get one anyway. However, next year I will be getting Joe Friel's diary, particularly because I use his Cyclist's Training Bible (which I highly recommend).

Any cyclist using a structured training program should use this diary to record your daily workouts. Great information also accompanies each entry.

First, being a diary it has lots of blank pages. Only about 43 pages have information.

That being said, if you are a serious athelete and you do not have a diary, get this one. You can adapt its pages for other purposes besides cycling. If you already do, borrow this book and see if you can do it better.

I used a modified format for my training diary that is almost exactly the same as this one. Various doctors and physical medicene therapists have often marvelled at my training notes, and I owe 80% of it to Chris Carmichael.

The end of the book has important lists that you should keep, such as bike measurements, equipment. It is very complete.

I find that this cycling diary is a usefull tool for anyone following a structered training program especially those using CTS for thier training. The format is easy to follow.

Great information. Training reflects those I used in a marathon training program that was sucessful. If you want a personalized program though, you will have to purchase it. Price for that training seems reasonable and there is an offer of free initial consultation with Carmichael Training Systems. All in all, this book is very useful.

This is a good source of endurance info. It has good information of skill and technique development. Marc Evans takes more of a 'whole athlete' view than some other endurance writers. There are better books on triathlon training, but this is a well balanced text on endurance.

This is a great book for those of you out there that feel a little lost in the world of triathlon training. Stop reading all those contradictory articles and just get this book. Dead serious. To get the full effect of the book you must spend hours studying it. But your racing and training will improve dramatically. The author covers everything from speed, endurance, form, the whole nine yards.

This is not a "hoo-rah" story of a bunch of pro's achievements, but an in depth discussion of endurance in general. There's so much information, that you could pick and choose only 1/3 of it and the book's still a bargain. I bought it when I first started doing short triathalons for fun and fitness, so I didn't use all of the serious training charts. What I did use the most was the discussion on running technique and nutrition's effect on endurance. The swimming and biking technique sections were also helpful. You don't have to be a triathalete to benefit from this book. It applies to hiking, climbing, biking, or any endurance activity.

Endurance Athlete's Edge by Marc Evans is the best book on the market for anyone who is interested in this form of training. Mutisports are one, if not the most challenging activities the body will ever endure. Marc Evans gives you the information you need to improve your knowledge in helping you last in this sport. If you want to win or just finish an Ironman race, you must get this book. Marc Evans Knows His Stuff, and is a leader on this subject. Thank you Mr. Evans for helping us all train right!

Progression charts, milage graphs, timing in minutes and seconds, pace guides; whatever happened to just "doing it?" Marc Evans is certainly into it but I can't imagine how he keeps up with anyone he coaches, considering all the analysis that has to be done to use his method (would a three-sport athlete have time to even look at these charts?). Maybe it due to computers or maybe the rise of internet coaching, but analytical coaching seems to be the rage these days. If that's what you want, this is the book to get; Evans will have you dialed in and on a schedule that will be the envy of those who make Boeing 747's for a living! Just remember to have some fun in the process, OK? By the way, outside of scheduling charts actual sport-specific training advice is fairly skimpy and generalized. You'd do better to get specific sport information from sport-specific books. Evans would probably agree that a face-to-face coach is better for that sort of thing anyway. As for me, I'll take the advice of one great cyclist: "Ride lots."

Learn some great exercises to improve your fitness level for skiing. Step-by-step instructions for each exercise are included.

This is a great book - for less than I'd expect from a quality hardback. It will give you the exercises and the knowledge - you need to provide the effort and motivation :-). A good value.

I have several gripes about this book:

1. The page layout of the 1st edition is terrible. The type size is too big, and the paragraph length is too long, making it difficult to just sit down and read. It looks like it was made using Microsoft Word, which detracts from the professionalism of the content. Cheesy clip-art doesn't help. This book would really have benefitted from a more professional editor and publisher.

2. Like another reviewer said, there are a number of typos, misspelling and instances of poor grammar. This again distracts from the "authority" of this text.

3. Some paragraph text was missing altogether, such as the "Ultimate Hangover Solution" in that section: it is about 1" of empty paragraph. So, it's unknown what the recommended "ultimate" solution for apres-ski hangovers.

That said, it does have excellent information about how to get in shape for skiing, and to improve your fitness while targeting skiing as a hobby/sport. There are good photos and diagrams, as well as step-by-step instructions for performing exercises properly. Hooge is a young author (in his early 30's); I think a 2nd "tidied-up" edition would really make this book worthwhile. Hopefully the 2nd edition (released in Oct 2006) will live up to this expectation.

I'm giving it only 3 stars due to the poor production; however the content seems pretty solid.

Be aware that this is a total fitness guide.
You need to be prepared to commit to a complete exercise program involving plenty of gym work as well as following a recommended nutrition program.
Great book, requires only your commitment!

Like the other reviews, this book has very few information about skiing, but it is very detailed and informative about land training before the skiing season. Actually many of the methods described in this book can be used for other sports or just for being a healthy person. So if you are looking for something for actual skiing techniques this is not your number one book. But for land training it can be...

I don't doubt for a minute that you completely missed the theme and messages of this book - you expose your true colors and attitudes towards kids with your "cross-eyed, overweight child" and "fat, blind kid" pejoratives. "Players must understand their skill level limits them" - I can hear you now getting that message (loudly, clearly and strongly, no doubt to toughen them up for the "real world" - yeah, right) across to young adults on a daily basis. What magic you must weave in the lives of these young people. If the generalizations fit, go ahead and wear them - clearly you have no use for any child that isn't contributing to that bottom line (for you) - WIN. Rest easy that your opinion is the dominant one in the youth coaching ranks, however - and thus the need for this book.

The reader from Trenton, Michigan missed the point of this book. Readers of that review should carefully consider the source and its use of hateful ideas and language. This is an excellent book for amateur coaches of kids. It teaches how to interact with kids and how to motivate them to do their best without resorting to screaming and put-downs. If you are a coach or parent, this will be both fun to read and useful to learn from.

As a high school coach for over ten years, I have always looked for new and unique ways to motivate my players. I hoped that this book would generate fresh, creative alternatives. Instead, I was served a 400-page liberal athletic manifesto. Don't get me wrong; I believe in utilizing positive motivational strategies and teaching techniques with my players. If like me, you believe that winning is actually an important aspect of athletic competition, you will find yourself at odds with the author from the introduction. Perhaps in the youth leagues, rules demanding equal playing time that foster an "everyone is a star" attitude are effective. At the higher levels, these ideas become highly ineffectual (too many chiefs and not enough indians). Eventually, players must understand that their skill level (or lack thereof) limits them to a lesser role as a reserve or practice player. While the author offers sound ideas for communicating with players, the techniques are just another by-product of sixties liberalism run amuck. I agree with the author that many children have enjoyed a less-than-successful athletic career based on poor coaching; and I'm sure I could have been a surgeon if only my Cub Scout den mother was better with her pocketknife. The truth of the matter is that most kids don't become good or great athletes because they aren't willing to put in the time and effort necessary to do so (while approaching every aspect of life in pretty much the same fashion). In my experience, most of the problems in youth athletics are caused by adults! The kids know who to pick; it's the adult looking to create "fairness" for the cross-eyed, overweight child who can't tie shoes without sustaining a career-ending injury that creates the problem - first by demanding equal opportunity, second by placing the child in a situation where there is little chance for success. When the fat, blind kid struggles and feels like a failure, this is the coaches' fault? It is if you believe in Jim Thompson's doctrine. I'll admit there are some good ideas for dealing with players on an interpersonal level. P.S. Don't let the Foreward by Phil Jackson fool you! (How many titles did his positive coaching win without Michael Jordan?)

I coach volleyball in grade school and junior high school, and I usually get the "B teams" (the leftovers who are not as talented as the girls on the "A" team.) Therefore, if there ever was a crying need for a book on how to coach these types of athletes, this book more than served its purpose for me. Actually, this book had a positive effect on me since it saved my coaching career.

Don't get me wrong, though, this book will turn around any coach's career whether he has an A or a B team. I coached a group of 13 and 14 year old softball players the year that I purchased this book. At the beginning of the season, the only team these girls could beat was themselves; in fact, that was primarily the reason they were losing was the fact that they were beating themselves! Well, after one mediocre game, I sat the girls down on the bench and instead of reading them the riot act, I took to heart a suggestion by the author. I emphasized all the positive aspects of the game they played just to show these girls that they were capable of doing some positive things. I did this after each game from then on, win or lose. Wouldn't you know it, these same rag tag girls lost the last the last game of the season: the city championship game by one run (to a team that annihilated them by 12 runs in the first game of that season.) This was an example of positive coaching, and I've used everything in this book to my advantage to become a successful POSITIVE coach. Thanks Mr. Thompson for turning my career around!

I got this book just as I was about to coach a new teeball team and found its insight very helpful. Not a book about what drills to use but about motivation, handling people and protecting peoples love of the sport. More cerebral than I would expect in a coaching book. I used much of the material in my business career. Now I am starting his next book, "Shooting in the Dark".

Amby carries on where George Sheehan left off. Great motivational essays at a great price. Amby and Joe Henderson are two of the best living running essayists.

Amby is a great runner, editor and human being. Give his book a go or give it to some runner you know...

I ran all through grade school and high school and am picking up the sport again after some years off. I found this book to be a great re-introduction after some time off. I think Amby describes it best as that book that has lots of answers to the questions you've been asking yourself for months (or years), and instead of buying many books to find the answeres, they are all in one small, relatively inexpensive book.

If you run, buy it, you'll like it, if you are thinking about running, buy it, it'll help you along the path towards your running goals.

This book is great for runners of all age and experience. I have never been much of a fitness nut, but Mr. Burfoot's book inspired and helped me to begin a personal running program. I have already recommended this book to many people and will continue to do so.

execellent book for the beginners. the principles are short, comprehensive, precise and right to the point. but for the intermediate and advance runners, this book has nothing new to offer other than repeat and remind of what you have already learnt.

If you're an advanced or intermediate runner, you probably
understand most of what is covered already. In my opinion,
this book is more for the beginner runner, or the runner who
is returning to the sport after a long layoff. However, even
respected runners such as Frank Shorter (1972 Olympic Gold
Medalist Men's Marathon), Joan Benoit Samuelson (1984 Olympic
Gold Medalist Women's Marathon), and Jeff Galloway have
endorsed the book. The author himself is the winner of the
1968 Boston Marathon. However, that is not the point. The
point is that this book is compact and easy to read. Someone
in elementary school who is starting out as a runner could
benefit from this book, even though it is probably intended
more for high school runners and older runners.
In the introduction, the author says the book is only to
cover the basics. If you want a tome on running that is
comprehensive, I suggest Timothy Noakes' book The Lore
of Running, which is nearly 1000 pages. The Principles
section is essentially a summary of what the topic he is
discussing. It is written in a nice sequential order,
even though you can use it as a reference guide. I am
deducting a star because it is brief, and doesn't contain
everything you need to know about running, but then again
that wasn't the point of this book, since it would be
redundant. I would recommend getting additional books on
running if you're a serious runner and are looking for
something more comprehensive. It lacks training schedules
for anything besides the marathon in this book, and getting
started towards running if you're not running already.
The breakdown of the book is as follows:
Introduction

Part I: The Joy of Running
For The Health Of It
The Real Runner's High

Part II: First Steps
Getting Started
It's Okay To Go Slow
Motivation
Aches and Pains
Blisters
The 10-Percent Rule
Running and Walking

Part III: Women
Safety
Menstruation
Pregnancy
Menopause
Special Concerns

Part IV: Equipment
Shoes
Apparel
Heart-Rate Monitors
Treadmills
Indoor Exercise

Part V: Nutrition
Carbohydrates
Fats
Proteins
Vitamins and Minerals
Before and after a Run
On The Run
Drinks, Bars and Gels
Vegetarian Diet

Part VI: Warming Up and Cooling Down
Hard and Easy Workouts
Progressive Training
Hills
Cross-Training
Groups
Long Runs
Tempo Training
Max VO2
Speed-Form Training
Burnout

Part VII: Weight Loss
Running Works Best
The Running Diet
A 24-Hour Program
Maximum Weight Loss

Part VIII: Weather
Heat
Cold
Dark, Snow, Ice and Rain

Part IX: Injury Prevention and Treatment
Overuse Injuries
Stretching
Ice
Pain Relievers
Shinsplits
Knee Injuries
Achilles Tendinitis

Part X: Racing
The Decision To Race
Goals
Mental Preparation
Tapering
The Start
Pace

Part XI: The Marathon
Commitment
Building-Up
Essential Element
Yasso 800s
Taper
Carbohydrate-Loading
Final 24 Hours
Early and Middle Miles
The Wall
Recovery

Part XII: A Lifetime of Running
Slowing Down, Feeling Great
Use It or Lose It