Athletics Books

"The Quotable Runner: Great Moments of Wisdom, Inspiration, Wrongheadedness, and Humor" is a gift book, but for the runner, it is a fun gift.

Runners aren't known for effusive Knute Rockne sorts of locker room speeches, or Yogi Berra witticisms, but, as seen here, they should be.

Quoted here are great runners and writers about running, from Shakespeare to high school mile record holder, Alan Webb.

Read what Lasse Viren, Emil Zatopek, Bill Bowerman, and Steve Prefontaine all had to say.

Readers of "Runner's World" may know many of these names, but there are some unexpected voices. Oprah Winfrey is there more than once, including, "I'm never going to run another marathon."

There's honesty. Distance star Rob de Castella on marathoning, "If you feel bad after 10 miles, you're in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you're normal. If you don't feel bad at 26 miles, you're abnormal."

There's wit. Don Kardong frankly said about registering a race with hills, "You entered a marathon with hills? You idiot."

Then there is the curious odd quotes. Finland's great Olympic marathoner, Lasse Viren enthusiastically revealed his secret to racing success, "Reindeer milk!" Whatever might be dubious about Viren's claim is difficult to argue. Viren won four gold medals.

A treat at the end is a few lines on each person quoted, a sort of mini-bio. I enjoyed learning the new names, and accomplishments of those quoted.

I fully recommend, "The Quotable Runner." It'll put a spark in your day as you head out on the lonely road on runners know.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

This book was given to me by a training partner a few days before my first marathon. Just flipping through the book, I found quote after quote that I connected with. Others gave me great inspiration. They were so good, I decided to read the book from cover to cover and couldn't put the book down. I love Mark's comentary on each subject "Training", "Coaches", "Fear", "Pain", "The Marathon". I want to stock up on this book so I can give it as gifts to my running friends!

I just finished this book and it has been such an inspiration!! It is boiling over with insight and wisdom about what we all feel as runners. It touches the human spirit in the struggles and triumphs related to the experience of running and everyday life. Each chapter is filled with quotes from famous runners about such subjects as: The Starting Line, Coaches, Training, Fear, Racing, Hills, The Marathon, The Mile, Mind Over Matter, Pain, The Olympics, The Finish Line, Victories and Defeats. This book really captures the SOUL of running!

I ended up returning this one to the bookstore after trying to push through the first few chapters...I've had easier marathons.

Most of the quotes in here are long winded personal accounts that don't provide the pithy punch and true quotability I was looking for from the title.

If your a runner...and even if you're not this book will inspire you to do things that you never thought possible. It will help you make goals...and then gradually surpass them. This book describes running as more than just a sport, but a way of life. Thumbs up to Mark Will-Weber on putting together a book that defines the greatest past-time in the world.

if you like lots of pictures and visual demos this book will bore you to death. To many words and not enough graphics.

This is the best book on coaching Rhythmic Gymnastics (or any sport) I have ever seen - It is so incredibly detailed. Talk about value for money !- it is absolutely packed to the brim full of precise descriptions on floor technique, handling the apparatus, developing strength and flexibility, dance, preparing for competitions, and more. It also includes many excellent diagrams to accompany the text, demonstrating beautifully the form and technique required for each skill clearly and simply.

This book is the ONLY book you will ever need to purchase on Rhythmic Gymnastics to coach all the way up to the elite level. The book offers many good tips for gymnasts wishing to be elite to get the competetive edge they need and to be the best they can be.

I thoroughly recommend this book to all.

Excellent book, so complete, no other book would would give you the physics behind holding a ball, etc. I recommend to anyone who would like a proper introduction to Rhythmic Gymnastics. It even tells you what vitamins and minerals to take for optimum performance levels. It is a book I refer to constantly, I am a better gymnasts because of it:-)

This is a great book for coaches and athletes alike. It goes through detailed explainations of jumps, apparatus technique, balances and general dance steps. This book is especially great for coaches because of its detailed descriptions and explainations. Younger gymnasts will need guidance due to technical jargon used, but it is definately a must have for any coach, gymnast or rhythmic enthusiast.

This is one of the best, most complete books I have ever read about any sport, and it inspired me to try rhythmic gymnastics, which I now love. A fabulous resource, with plenty of pictures and diagrams, this book includes chapters about body movements, dance, apparatus handling techniques, putting together routines, coaching hints and strategies, competition advice and info, and much, much more. This is the only book that you will need as a rhythmic gymnast or a coach to get the best out of rhythmic gymnastics. A wonderful, fantastic book, and highly recommended!

This book is easy to read, yet has very good explanations of techniques and exercises to improve your running. Very good information.

This is not a single running "plan", but 12 articles relating to distance running, and related subjects.
Some of the articles - maximizing recovery (Pfitzinger), Maintaining Fitness While Injured (Douglas - coauthor of several books with Pfitz), Supplement Guide (Pfeffer), are very focused and well written. They directly address the question for any serious runner - "Are certain activities going to improve my running, by how much, and is it really worth it?"
Others such as Rubio's training plan are anecdotal and rambling. "I qualified for the Trials using this plan, so you can too". This is non-specific nonsense that is of no use.

The listed references are not sorted or even footnoted in the text - weak. There are 5-6 websites listed, again with no guidance.

The editors obviously solicited articles from a wide range of practioners and published (in realtively unedited form) the 12 best, covering what they believed were the most current subjects in distance running. It is a stretch to call this a "book", but still quite useful.

This is not a traditional training book like Daniels or Coe and Martin, nor is it one of the scores of "Explain Everything About Running to the Beginner" books out there. Instead, it focuses on the aspects of training with which even experienced runners may be unfamiliar. For example, it discusses lifting weights, stretching, dietary concerns, etc. in addition to topics directly related to running such as peaking for a race, improving leg speed, addressing long-term aerobic development, multi-pace training, etc.

This is a valuable book because even if you know a lot about running, you will probably find something new in here. Keep in mind what many of the authors say must be taken with a grain of salt. The jury is still out on whether lower-body exercises and form drills will make you a better distance runner, for example. If you tried to do all the supplementary training discussed in this book, you would probably be working out three hours a day at least. You'll have to try different things and decide for yourself if they are helping your running or just wasting your time and energy. But hey, if you're like most serious runners, you're willing to try almost anything if it will keep you healthy and make you faster. So check the book out for yourself.

Regardless of your running level, this concise collection of essays addresses many issues and will surely provide useful information and inspiration from which the runner can pick and choose. Interesting and informative, it will reinforce or realign your current regimen with clarity and effective advice.

I learned several new stretches and ways to add a little bit more efficiency to my running style. Very Helpful

I'm an adult onset runner (48 yrs old, 200 lbs) and started running in Sept 07. I had read Glover's "The Runner's Handbook" which is fantastic! After my 3rd month (when I got to running 3 miles 3-4 times a week) I decided to start a log. I had looked at a few others (Runner's World, Training for Mortals, etc.) and liked the setup of Glover's logbook the best.

It doesn't have set dates, so you can start using it in the middle of the year. Lots of great charts in the back. The log entries let you put in quite a lot of info as well as weekly summaries.

Well worth the money and a great motivator as you see your miles accumulate. I'm aiming for my first marathon in Apr 08!

Highly recommended

Finally, a logbook that has charts for the slower runners of this world! Somebody finally realizes that not everybody runs a 9:00 minute mile! Thank you!

I was very disappointed with the Runner's Training Diary, particularly with the "log" portion of the book. The design seemed dated and too confining. I never had enough room to write much, and it was visually unpleasant with its boxes of various grey shadings for the different categories. I did find the articles and charts generally useful, but to me, the "log" portion is the heart of any logbook, and I ended up ditching my Training Diary and bought The Ultimate Runner's Journal, which was much more flexible, has a much "cleaner" design, great articles, and included color pictures to boot!

My husband and I have been using this log for nine years. Two new logs are our annual new year's present to each other. One year he tried a different one, another year I tried a different one, but we both find this log to have the best format, charts, extra info, etc. If you don't keep a log, try it. You'll be amazed at how helpful and interesting it is to have a diary of your runs.

I'm now placing my order for my sixth consecutive yearly training diary. It's easy to use, attractively designed and there's plenty of room for recording your daily runs. I use all the charts in the back: the week-by-week mileage chart, the training mileage graph, record of races, pr chart. The pacing charts and race time comparison and predictor charts are indispensable (yes, you can find this info on the web, but it's great to have right here in the book for when you are traveling).

Every runner should keep a log like this. It helps keep you motivated and see your progress.

In the 2002 reprint of the early-1990s publication, Murray A. Sperber utilizes unexamined documents from the Notre Dame sports archives and digs even further into unmasking the myths surrounding the beginnings of football as a (inter)national institution at the university.

For example, Sperber found Knute Rockne's personal and athletic department correspondence in the basement of a campus library. And though the rules for recruiting were much different in Rockne's time, Sperber concludes that institutional control became nearly impossible as the coach became a living legend. Some things never change, I guess.

Though Rockne takes center-stage in the history, Sperber devotes ample space to the founding of the school by French priests and the growth of the university during the times of rampant anti-Catholicisim. Go no further than what the "Orange" nickname actually meant at Syracuse University to understand that issue.

Sperber follows the path of the program through the hiring of Frank Leahy in 1941, though his conclusions - as timely now as they were more than a decade ago - takes aim at the money-go-round of major college athletics and the rumblings it can cause in the foundation of the university framework.

In 2006, Sperber presented several lectures on the Rockne legend and ND football, proving the book is still reaching fans and those interested in the college's rich tradition on the gridiron that has made it "America's Team," to love or hate.

To most Americans, the idyllic, idealistic era of college football in the early 20th century was summed up by Pat O'Brien as Knute Rockne and Ronald Reagan as George Gipp in the film "Knute Rockne All-American." Sperber's meticulously-detailed and well-researched book debunks many of the popular myths about Rockne that grew from the film while chronicling the growth of college football into a big-time endeavor that is sometimes only tenuously connected to collegiate education.

While the author does not explicitly connect the sport of the 1920s with the sport of today, the cliche about history repeating itself comes to mind again and again when reading this book. College football in the days of Knute Rockne, similar to college football in the present days of the BCS, was filled with highly-paid coaches threatening to leave their team for more lucrative pastures, questionable recruiting tactics, players who spent more time in pool halls than in the classroom, allegations over weak "cupcake" scheduling, huge payouts by boosters for matchups in Soldier Field or Yankee Stadium and other headlines that still appear in modern sports pages.

Notre Dame fans would enjoy an objective, unique story about the most famous program in collegiate athletics, while sports fans in general should also enjoy this revealing picture of how college football was transformed into the multi million dollar behemoth it is today.

All ND fans should read this book and keep it in their library.
The most comprehensive history of the early days of ND football.

Dr. Sperber unearthed Knute Rockne's personal and athletic department correspondence in the basement of Hesburgh Library and relied heavily upon it to create this insightful account of the times and tenure of Knute Rockne. Anyone who longs for the old days but wants to know what they were really like will find this book fascinating. Over time, the world has forgotten the way the nation mourned the passing of the great coach. It has also forgotten the genius, showman, businessman, and competitor that produced football's greatest record of achievement.

This book relies upon primary documents to breathe life into old attendance figures, names enshrined in Monogram Hall, and won-loss records. Newspaper accounts of the time and Rockne's correspondence reveal the corruption of the officiating, eligibility rules, and recruiting of his contemporaries but does not absolve him from his role. Preview: "Pop Warner football" should bear a different name.

Shortcomings include the meandering accounts of coaches, trends, and University presidents that can quickly become confusing. I strongly recommend "The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia" (Marder, Spellen and Donovan, Citadel Press, 2001) as a companion to put the results of critical wins, losses, and seasons into perspective. The author's treatment of individual topics (the Rockne biopick, Geoge Gipp, etc.) separately tends to make the context of the seasons and their results hard to follow.

Dr. Sperber also shows his opions about big-time college athletics too boldly. He describes the "reform" movement of Rockne's era deftly but cannot help editorializing from his own campaigns at Indiana University, going so far as to name Coach Bob Knight in a footnote as an example of sport gone awry. Although his distinguished American Studies background serves him and the reader very well, his views come through clearly.

This book is excellent and provides wonderful insight into how Notre Dame football came to life.

SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER is a scholarly look at a sports phenomenon - the creation and early development of football at Notre Dame to 1941 and the hiring of Frank Leahy as coach. Much of the book is devoted to the politics within the university community among the coaches, administrators and influential alumni. It is also a story about the rise of Notre Dame football during a period when Catholics were striving for more influence politically and more acceptance in general in the United States.

The author makes much use of the private correspondence of Knute Rockne and paints a very unromantic picture of the great coach and some of his star players. Based on this book Lee Marvin or Robert Mitchum instead of Ronald Reagan are the best choices to play the part of George Gipp in a movie.

SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER is more of a cultural history than a football story. It contains very little football action. The book is well-researched and shows how both the urge to overemphasize college football and the resulting forces trying to contain it have been in existence for a long time.

This book provides great insight to a variety of training methods and should be a must for any coach, at any level. There is a level of specificity and clarity to each of the different chapters, and I am particularly caught with the ease of reading even the most technical terms. One could argue that the sprinter training developed is much more specific than the distance running, but the effort, energy and research put into this book's development is solid.

Great book for beginning coaches. Supplement it with a book that includes more info on drills and training routines.

The book arrived in PERFECT new condition. One of the best coaching resourses available in print. Highly recomend to coaches experienced and novice.

Wonderful purchase. This is an informative text with information for beginners as well as veterans of track and field.

This is a great Track and Field Coaching Manual. It covers everything Track and Field. This is a manual that every coach should start with. It has very good relay techniques and philosophy as well. I wish that the book cover information on how to best help an athlete recover after races to get ready for additional races that day, or a race on the following day.

Percy Cerutty was certainly an energetic and entertaining character who took his own near death experiences into an extraordinary fitness life style transferring into a fitness coach, a highly competent masters runner and a successful yet erratic coach. He strikes me as being as Australian version of the late great Yankee coach Casey Stengel who although a competent coach, was also a great entertainer and showman made famous for his wise cracks. Cerutty was as famous for some of as his antics and his often conflicting abrasive style as well as his unique coaching that encompassed capturing an animalistic form of competitive spirit, efficiency of running form and off track running. Sims captures Cerutty with his unique lifestyle set up by his long-term illnesses that almost killed him until he underwent a dietary change and exercise. Once a promising miler, Sims describes Cerutty as an unusually successful over 40s runner who competently ran marathons into his early 50s and remained a physical specimen all his life. The exciting part of the book is Cerutty's coaching of the Australian greats Landy, Macmillan and Les Perry. Of course, the career high point is his protégée Herb Elliot going undefeated in the mile/1500 through the fantastic 1960 Olympic dominating 1500 victory. The fascinating part of the book is Cerutty's personality that could be overly forthright and abrasive such as explaining to Roger Bannister why his form was inefficient and then conducting a demonstration. His low point is bad mouthing Landy after Landy ran one of the fastest miles in the world with a break through run, assuming that Landy was soaking up the glory on his own to reporters, causing a severance that never completely healed. Another unusual moment was accepting a so called expert's theory on the importance of warming up in double sweats that was tried right before an Olympic final probably costing Macmillan a medal. The training is not quite as detailed as one would like but Sims captures the overall program that consisted of weight workouts, dune running to endure beyond the lactate threshold, off track training allowing more physical freedom and living the life of a "stotan". His training compound on the Portsea was Spartan like in its unique seaside location but appears to have been a great get away from standardized training or intervals three times a week that was a 1950's rage promoted by a coaching rival. Often rejected by the Australian Olympic committee, Cerutty was a unique and hard character that emerged with Elliott as his great success. Quite a unique story and person captured well by Sims along with some great detail on the Olympics of that period. As a distance runner, Cerutty makes you appreciate the opportunity to get to a park and enjoy an off road run.

Cerutty was definitely an extraordinary character, but "maker of champions" or any other such label is very generous. Specifically, his antics drove Landy away, which led to Landy actually developing his own training and Cerutty then taking the credit for making the world's fastest man. In other words, he was kinda sleazy.

This fascinating biography of the legendary Australian track coach Percy Cerutty, based on his cache of personal writings and interviews with his inner circle, portrays a visionary thinker whose fusion of philosophical, biomechanical, naturalistic, nutritional and motivational theories into a "Stotan" approach to athletics and living remains as compelling today as it was during the peak of his popularity in the 1950s and 1960s.

While Cerutty's coaching relationships with milers John Landy and Herb Elliot have been examined in a number of other works, this book sheds new light on the turbulent childhood, adolescent and early adult years that forged his volatile temperament and laid the groundwork for his theories. What emerges is a picture of complex man with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and curiosity for his environment, which led to a number of groundbreaking theories that won admiration from many. To its credit, the book's even-handed dissection of Cerutty's character gives equal shrift to his manic-depressive tendencies, self-destructive behavior, and the inflammatory outbursts that soured many friendships and spawned a large contingent of detractors. Graem Sims also captures the tension between Cerutty's strong drive to profit from his theories and his refusal to affiliate himself with individuals or projects that offended his Stotan principles.

The book probably won't silence those who view Cerutty as a charlatan who just happened to become associated with talented young men bound for athletic glory with or without his assistance. But it reinforces my conviction that this enigmatic fellow, who ran sand dunes, moved heavy weights and ran six-minute miles well into his sixties, was one of the most important thinkers in the history of athletics. His emphasis on doing things the natural way and disdain for modern trappings and conveniences are particularly meaningful in light of the doping scandals currently rocking the sports world.

-Kevin Joseph, author of "The Champion Maker"

To know Percy Cerutty was to be castigated, scorned and sometimes to question your very existence. Cerutty's goading of athletes would hardly have survived this litigious age. Yet as a runner at his Portsea International Athletics Centre in the sixties, I was drawn to the sheer force of his personality, his originality in research and running, his discourses and attitudes in philosophy, the extraordinary way he almost floated over the ground as he ran, and his lectures at "the circus", the small sandy circle where he held his audience in awe. Cerutty had a simple test of "manliness" and propensity to succeed - if you could survive Portsea and his outbursts, then you could survive most things. Many didn't, but others went on to become world champions in running, cycling, and other sports, and I was privileged to meet some of them. Cerutty coined the term "stotans" deriving it from the greek ancients of "Stoics" and "Spartans."

Graem Sims has researched Percy Cerutty's life very thoroughly and written a long overdue book; a task I had once contemplated myself. In keeping with current storytelling fashions, he starts at the end (of Percy's life), but then traces his entire history. Cerutty really lived two lives; one up to the age of 44 when his health had been devastated by smoking, physical inactivity and early pneumonia and poor diet, and he was given less than two years to live, and the second beginning with his recognition of his need to survive, and embracement of new rules for living, eating and working. To this he added his prolific background of reading in all subjects from theology to science, and his extra-ordinary capacity to experiment and research movement and fitness from first principles. Graem's book provided fascinating insights into aspects of Percy's life that I had not known. While he includes numerous stories of Cerutty's famed biting comments and cantankerous nature, he does not dwell on them in a sensationalist way; rather he explores the whole rich canvas of Cerutty's life and its directions. Many of Cerutty's antics, for example, were deliberate attempts at publicity to attract people and an income to his athletics centre; the sheer diversity of his ambitions and his complex character however often become self-destructive. There are character and biographical sketches of many people who were connected or disconnected with Cerutty, at a time when Australian middle distance runners held world stage, and reproductions of numerous photos including the earliest shacks at Portsea, many from a cache of suitcases unopened for a quarter-century. Cerutty was a model of independent and unbiased research - Graem's biography includes the development of Cerutty's ideas on movement from studying the motion of horses for hours; methodologies which had more in common with the great scientists of the renaissance than the deductive processes in modern laboratories.

This book is not just for Cerutty aficionados and athletes; as a personality, philosopher and scientist, he makes a fascinating subject for anyone interested in the subject of what makes us tick, physically, mentally and emotionally. Much of what he said and did half a century ago is highly relevant to the current era of cloning, bio-ethics and the passion for computerised simulations which take the place of real life. Graem has provided a well-balanced biography of a man who had us eating raw foods and oatmeal decades before the term muesli was heard in Australia, moving heavy weights twenty years before gyms and fitness regimes were embraced by more than dedicated athletes, and a holistic approach to life and ethics that preceded the rise of eastern philosophies into western thinking. A book that I couldn't put down, and highly recommended

Those who have met him would realize that something has been ignited within them. Regardless of whether those people agree or disagree with him. Their latent wildness is awakened and their fighting instinct is switched on. They become independent as a human being who decides their own path and who does not rely on others.

He would have achieved many successes if only he had played things better. But in the face of success, success almost always ran away. He was indeed the doomed type. It could be said it was inevitable. A person should not be controlled by another. Cerutty expressed this ideal both intentionally and unintentionally.

Irrespective of the class or the position of the people he was with, he continued to be himself. He lived his life on his own initiative and responsibility without belonging to any group.
He followed his inner voice right through to the end, no matter what others said. He was just Cerutty to the very end.

Cerutty - a man who pursued the truth, who chose solitude and finely honed his sensibility. He kept on expressing through his body what the joy of living and freedom are. His powerful message still appeals to us even now, 30 years after his death.

My daughter needed a biography on a female for a school book report. This one was very informative and we learned a lot about someone who honestly we had not heard of before I found this book. It would be good for third grade and up.

I bought this book for a public speaking my 7th grade students were doing. The book is detailed in her athletic achievements, despite harsh critics. It also delves into her personal life and life with cancer. Babe Didrikson was an intriguing person and Russell Freedman captured her life very nicely.

Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The making of a champion, by Russell Freedman. This book was great. It doesn't just tell about her adult life; it also talks about how she got started, like when she was young. She was always the tomboy type until she was in her twenties. As she got older, she had to be the center of all the attention. To tell you the truth, she was always full of herself, which wasn't always a good thing. Babe participated in almost every sport that a woman could do. She was good at every one of them, too. She turned professional in track and field, basketball, and golf. I recommend this book to any girl who loves to compete in sports. I really didn't have a role model until I read this book!

When asked if there was something she didn't play, Babe replied smiling: "dolls!" This intriguing book by Russell Freedman lets you in on the tragic and wonderful secrets in Babe Didrikson Zaharias's life. From hurdling her neighbor's bushes to winning world-wide golf tournaments, Babe's extraordinary life captures all young readers! How good can Babe get? This wonderful story tells it all with excitement and suspense. Enjoy your reading!

This book is an interesting, yet honest look at the life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias. There are parts of the book that are necessarily a bit dry, e.g., the explanation of how and why she tried to regain her amateur status after playing as a professional. Most of the book, however, does an excellent job of getting the reader to feel her seemingly boundless energy and determination. It also does a good job of portraying the limitations of the era on female athletes. It doesn't make them into tragedies, but it does point out that they were more "hurdles" that Babe had to overcome.

For those interested in biographies of famous women, this book and Freedman's book about Eleanor Roosevelt are both excellent additions to the young adult library.

This is a very solid book to read in your quest of mastery. Not quite the total package. I think the book on Mastery by George Leonard covers the whole realm of mastery a little better. This book does make a couple of great points, like when your practicing a skill to over compensate by doing the complete oppsoite. If your shooting a basketball & keep missing to the right then practice missing a couple to left so you can find balance & make the shot down the middle. This also teaches you mentally to that you can control balance by being unbalanced, which will make help you see being balanced more clearly. A little weird but works. But this is only one of many good points I think Millman gives. Its a great start for mastery & is highly recommend

The book has 166 pages of content and can be divided into three main parts. The first part is fairly abstract, Millman calls it "Understanding the Larger Game". The first chapter is about natural laws that Millman sees as being helpful to understand; the next has to do with bringing awareness to our activities as a way to see what we are doing wrong, what we are doing right, and then learning from our mistakes; last chapter of part 1 is about preparation, about slow and steady progress. Personally, having read alot of self help and mind body I didn't really find this first part very helpful. The second part and the first chapter of the third part are, to me, the meat and bones of the book, where the concrete content is. He has chapters on Mental, Emotional, and Physical talent and how to cultivate all three. He talks about the self concept, fear of failure, about breathing, and then about strength, suppleness, stamina, and sensitivity. Then there is a chapter with specific advice for working on skills, like hitting a golf ball or diving or gymnastics. The third part of the book criticizes the focus on results and urges more focus on focus, concentration and personal growth and the last chapter is about new sports, less competitive, that Millman sees developing in the future. Again, this part is more abstract and it is very normative, criticizing competition, though he does recognize that it can bring out the best in people, and then naming some new sports he sees as good developments. He also suggests requiring athletes in asymettrical sports such as golf, tennis, bowling and baseball to "use both arms equally" (pg 143). I found that a little annoying and I also didn't really see it as having a place in this book. Overall, there are a bunch of good points in here, it is clear that Millman understands how to pursue excellence and growth, but I felt the book was a bit unfocused and there was nothing really new for someone who has done some reading in this area. Greg ...

Dan Millman does a master job of explaining a lot of very important techniques needed in developing skills (in sport). I just wish I could have read this book many years ago... It is well explained, funny at times, enjoyable, well structured and with plenty of examples from many sports so everyone (almost) can related to situations similar to the ones described.

This is a must have book for any sportsman(woman)

"Millman's work combines the best of the human potential movement with the practical tools needed to reach that goal. It features sections on the "Peaceful Warrior Warm-Up", the aging athlete, and instructions for creating a daily exercise routine. This work is as much about mastering life as it is about the game itself." - NAPRA REVIEW

Dan Millman is definetly one of my favorite authors and speakers. Ever since I read his book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, almost 15 years ago, I have gravitated towards his work. I even translated one of his books, The Laws of Spirit, from English to Icelandic a few years back. My review might therefore be tainted with my admiration : )

Body Mind Mastery is a great book for athletes and Millmans approach is balanced and invigorating. He challenges the athletes training routines and mindset with a perfect blend of information and practical guidlines.

Many coaches in Iceland have used this book with good outcomes as a result of my recommending it to them.

It has even come in handy for people I know that are not professional athletes. The philosophy expounded on can be used in varied situations in life.

As an A's fan (albeit an Oakland one--I'm not old enough to remember the Philly version), I am fascinated by the strange journey my team has taken in baseball. This book fills in the blanks and is not only about the 1929 A's. It covers pretty much the entire time they were in Philadelphia and really does bring both the team and period alive. It focuses, of course, on Connie Mack but the postscript on what happened to these players from this 1929-31 dynasty is great followup. I also like his short, but sweet, statistical comaprison of these A's to the so-called "greatest team of all-time" the 1927 (or specifically 1926-28) Yankees. At times the author when describing scenes around and in Shibe Park, you can almost hear the fans and the crack of the bat.

I also love the little trivia just thrown in a line or two in places like the fact Thomas Edison was a huge A's fan!

Fascinating account, even for one raised on horseback and skis. I have never understood the intricacies of The Great American Past Time, however, Mr. Kashatus' story telling is illuminating.

THIS IS A BOOK I DID NOT WANT TO END. AN EXCELLENT JOB OF WRITING ABOUT ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING OWNERS AND ONE OF THE LAST DINOSAURS OF BASEBALL. (CONNIE MACK) THIS BOOK'S TELLING OF THE A'S DYNASTY OF THE LATE 20'S AND EARLY 30'S IS EXTENSIVE AND MASTERFULLY WRITTEN. THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ALL BASEBALL FANS. ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER READ.

I was expecting more really. Not much has been written on the 1929 Athletics dynasty but lots of good information is out there on this team. I figured the author would collect all this info and give us the best of it in his book. We get a few good tales about Connie Mack's boys but nothing new or spectacular and this book is not cheap. I love Foxx, Grove, Simmons, Cochrane, and so I bought it, but it was very average. In fact, kind of dull sometimes. Buy it because it's the only book out there on this team (29-31 A's) but don't expect too much. Buy the biographies on Foxx, Cochrane and Grove and you will learn just about as much, if not more. The Sports Illustrated article on this team with Simmons on the cover got me interested in this team-it was awesome-but don't expect the same from this book. Give me a good Biography on Al Simmons to go with the others mentioned above and we got the complete story on this greatest team of all-time-even better than the 27 Yankees.

Fascinating account, even for one raised on horseback and skis. I have never understood the intricacies of The Great American Past Time, however, Mr. Kashatus' story telling is illuminating.