Athletics Books

Finally information you can trust! This is the best personal trainer-consumer book I have ever come across. It provides the perfect balance of science and practicality, written in an easy to read personable style.

One of the big bonuses of this book are Brooks's top 15 strength and stretch exercises. They are worth the price of the book alone.

This is also a great book to begin your studies to become a personal trainer. As an exercise physiologist, this is the first book I reach for as a reference in the development of handouts for my individual and corporate clients.

You can't miss with this one!!

This is the best book I have read on this subject. It is especially motivating for the person who is just starting out and does not really know how to begin an excercise program. It is very clearly written and covers every aspect of the workout. The pictures are great! The models look like normal people, so one doesn't feel overwhelmed by bodybuilders upon opening the book. I have been working out for a year now and would like to say "Thank you Douglas Brooks for keeping me motivated"

This is a must-read for someone just starting out in a fitness program of any type. Comprehensive information is presented in a logical way with enough details to satisfy more informed readers. Highly recommended.

Great book. I used to work out with my personal trainer in NYC Joe DiAngelo www.musclebomb.com and he recommended me this book.
Great!

The drills in this book are well organized and laid out so that the beginning coach can use them from the 6 year old beginning player up to championship caliber high school squads. I have been coaching youth basketball for over 23 years and this is one of the best instruction manuals I have used. Outstanding.

I've coached my son's team for three years as a dedicated parent, but my b-ball drills have been re-treads of my old Jr. & Sr. High drills. I looked for a book for awhile before finding this one; it has given me many fun & challenging drills easy enough for 9 - 11 year old boys with variations that expand as their skill level increases. I'd think that this book would be adequate at least through Middle School age. Perhaps the only caution is that this book assumes that the reader--if not the players--knows the game well. In other words, it is not a book to teach the coach the game.

This book is an excellent resourse for any coach. There is a chapter for each fundamental of the game. Each chaper has a nice progression of drills and a purpose behind each. Each individual drill has a referenced prerequisite section, a detailed break-down and diagram of the drill, and crucial teaching points as a ruberic. It also has a section to help you plan your practices for the entire season.

I have read many books on basketball instruction and this one is a must have.

I was new to coaching youth basketball and needed ideas for drills. This book was helpful with drills as well as good diagrams and explanations.

Great book, especially for those who have run a marathon and can appreciate first hand the highs and lows involved every step of the way. Couldn't put it down.

As a recreational but devoted marathoner, (currently training for #9), this was an obvious must-have for me. Most books published under the Rodale title are generally just rehashes of old RUNNERS WORLD magazine articles, but this is definitely not the case here.

This handsome coffee table book is beautifully designed and offers not only inspiring passages we've come to expect in the world of the long distance runner, but breathtaking photography and insight into the minds, passions and heartaches associated with the sport. It fairly examines the good and the bad throughout the long history of "Marathon;" from ancient Greece to contemporary pop culture.

Divided into 26.2 chapters, it is a wonderful book for both the devoted runner and interested spectator as well. Would make a great gift.

I actually had an emotional reaction by the time I got to "the Finish Line." Just like in real-life! So this book willl definitely be a treasured addition to my library.

I'm a "senior", "middle-of-the-pack" runner and been at this for 30 yrs, completed 7 marathons and read most of the books concerning the subject, but found this one to be truly original. Running is basically a simplistic sport but to extend oneself to the extent to complete a marathon requires a special effort which this book manages to capture better than any other I've read so far. A must for anyone interested in running or those trying to figure out what makes people do this crazy stuff. Easy reading and wonderful photography!

I was fortunate enough to attend a recent college graduation where the author, Dr. Don Holst, gave the commencement address. His wonderful and impassioned speech led me to purchase his book that he so eloquently referred to. He used the triumphs and successes of the Olympic athletes as a backdrop to his theme that diligence and hard work are the keys to the graduating students' futures.
What a wonderful surprise! Holst recounts his discussions with the great athletes in this great book! He tells their stories in their own words while painting a brilliant picture of the worlds they lived in and how the ultimately came to affect it!
A must read for all! Great stories from both young and old to enjoy!

Don Holst, a consummate athlete, coach and professor in his own right has given us an important work on Olympic American Men of Track and Field. He has presented their Herculean accomplishments, taken us into their homes and made these icons our hosts as we sit at their feet listening and marveling and learning. Dr. Holst and Marcia Popp have offered a specialized work which has universal appeal.

Don Holst has managed to accomplish the IMPOSSIBLE --- he has made me LOVE SPORTS ! Read this book, I DARE YOU, and then TRY TO PUT IT DOWN . . . Glenn Cunningham's story will inspire you, Jackson Scholz will delight and tickle you, and Bruce Jenner will continue to amaze you, even as Craig Virgin's breaks your heart . . . it's all about the times, and the timing.

Every MOM needs to read this, to help you understand why those boys and girls want to work SO HARD, when many of their peers choose the drugs and booze . . . It's HEART, my friend, something in the soul they are born with that whispers to them to do something MORE, and in the cases of these athletes, MUCH, MUCH MORE . . .

I have an extensive, eclectic home library, but I can't remember the last time I actually dog-earred and mutilated a book by LOVING IT SO MUCH . . . , or carried it from room to room, not wanting to miss a moment. (OR re-read it as soon as I finished, just to enjoy it all over again).

Hard to put down, and harder to forget Holst's unforgettable interviews with these true American Heroes, from the start of this project in the 50's to the present, this little book has the big heart of a sports history classic. NO superlatives in Webster's will suffice for this fine expenditure of your all-too-busy time. Buy 2, and send 1 to your favorite NON-athlete !

K Morris in Saint Louis,
Home of the big stainless steel handle next to the water

The book is a great for anyone in the exercise field. It is easy to read and straight forward. It covers every aspect of athletic training, rehab, and injury diagnosis.
A DEFINITE MUST HAVE!

I am the Head Athletic Trainer and Professor of Athletic Training Curriculum at a college in Oklahoma City. This is the best text I have ever read which caters to the education of Athletic Trainers. It is the text of choice for my Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries class, as well as a source of reference for any challenge I face within the training room. This book is the "Trainer's Bible" bar none! I personally used the eighth edition when studing for the NATABOC exam and have used the ninth and tenth editions in my classes. I highly recommend this text for everyone in the sports medicine field. If you are a Student Atheltic Trainer and are debating whether or not to spent the Seventy-something dollars for this book. this book will make the difference between pass and fail!

This book is one of the most important books for an athletic trainer. It covers everything that is in each of the 5 different domains of an athletic trainer. Their sections on sports injuries, and treatments are invaluable to anyone who is preparing to sit for the NATA exam. It is fondly termed by those that I know as the "trainer's bible." And that is exactly what it is.

The order came very expediently and the book was just as described. Will definitely order again from this vendor.

I am a student Athletic trainer. As such I needed a book that clearly explained the material that I was covering in class and in labs. This book has a lot of very useful information, is easy to read, it is organized well, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone in the field of sports medicine/ athletic training.

This huge book, now in its 12th edition was begun in 1963. It is intended for the education of atheletic trainers. Its primary concern is in preventing and when necessary treating sports injuries.

This new 12th edition is a major upgrade to the book. It has been extensively reorganized into major sections that have related subject matter concentrated together. In addition, each chapter has been rewritten to reflect the latest techniques, equipment, procedures, and drugs that affect sports medicine.

The biggest changes are in chapters devoted to the musculoskeletal injuries. These chapters have beeg significantly expanded and are now as comprehensive as possible within the scope of practice in atheletic training.

Finally, each book comes with a license to use the extensive on line support for the book. This is broken into two areas. First is additional information related to each chapter including flash cards, self-quizzes, and other resources. Second is the eSims area which helps students prepare for the atheletic training certification exam.

This is the standard in the industry.

This is a remarkable little book, about something simple, yet as important as anything we do - enjoying the moment. And reading this was a pleasure, as the writer took me on a simple journey, and isn't a thing like rock-skipping fascinating? Well done!

This book is a little gem. It made me smile and relax just to read it! What a wonderful book for all your friends who need to get back in touch with how amazing the simple pleasures are in life. Great to help with new year's resolutions! I couldn't recommend it more.

This is a very nice gift to give to just about anyone male, female, young & old. Most people grow up trying their hand at skipping and the book brings back those memories. I was surprised at the back of the book gift. I think the inclusion of the rock is a great idea.

This is not just a book about basketball. Ask anyone who ever played a sport, and they can probably tell you how much their coach influenced their life. At a time in life when boys are becoming men, a positive male role model, whether it be a parent, coach or a teacher, can make all the difference. Neil Swidey's insider's view of the lives of the players, their families and Coach O'Brien was both heartwarming and disturbing. But this is not unique to Boston. All over the country, we continue to spend money building more jails instead of improving our schools, after school programs and parks. This is a good read for young or old. And not just men.

This book juxtaposes basketball and real life. In doing so Swidey provides a multiple perspectives.

Sometimes the reader is present almost as a fellow team member during very private times in the coaches and player's lives; both on and off the court. You know what music they are listening to - the complex dynamics that are playing out under the surface - what they are thinking during emotionally charged situations. The author has an uncanny ability to bring the reader into these young adult's lives.

Other times Swidey provides a 360 helicopter vantage point that allows the reader to see all character's points of view at the same time; and an ability to see how relatively small events in the present; have big consequences as events unfold.

From either point of view the story is compelling. While based around a basketball coach and his team's on and off court struggles - it is more accurately about a good but flawed man's attempt to help good but flawed kids navigate their urban maze.

I am not usually a reader, but I had a hard time putting this book down. Swidey does an excellent job capturing what has been an incredible story in Boston over the past few years. It's about basketball but, it is also about so much more. He describes how the aftermath of school desgregation in Boston has left the public schools in crisis, and how having someone who cares can make such a huge diffrence.

"Athletic Forever" provides information on getting into shape without getting injured. It offers nutritional guidance and provides an easy-to-understand overview of the principles of scientific training -- the very guidelines used by professional coaches and athletes for attaining peak fitness. Should you get injured in the course of pursuing sports and recreation, "Athletic Forever" will get you back in the game fast: simply refer to the back of the book where you'll find a comprehensive guide to sports injuries -- how to recognize them and what to do to overcome them. This is a no-nonsense, easy-to-understand book.

It was a great pleasure to read and learn from "Athletic Forever. The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic Plan for Lifetime Fitness." Dr. Frank Jobe et al have taken on an interesting, contemporary subject in a most timely manner. The glowing forwards from Tommy Lasorda and Magic Johnson illustrate the tremndous respect that professional sports celebrities have for Dr. Jobe and "Athletic Forever." The text is formatted in a logical, concise manner and explores anatomy, injuries and treatment protocol without getting bogged down in needless detail. The KJ facts and closeups clearly add a new dimension to the body of knowlege regarding lifetime fitness. I especially enjoyed the insights with regards to diagnosing the cause of back pain. It is very refreshing to hear from the experts that high tech and costly imaging methods such as MRI's are in many cases unrelated to a patient's back pain. The section on stregthening and flexibility exercises is presented in a straight forward manner yet provides exceedingly valuable information in a refreshingly "low tech" appearance. Perhaps it is beyond the scope of the text, but it may have been useful to discuss 1 or 2 of the Kerlan-Jobe innovations in the field of sports medicine (For example, I would have been extremely interested in the story of Tommy John and the procedures and rehabilitation used in the "rebuilding of his pitcher's arm.") I would highly reccomend "Athletic Forever" to all athletes and health professionals!

Athletic Forever is an excellent health reference book because it doesn't simplify things, as so many new "fitness plans" do. Dr. Jobe & his colleagues simply present good factual information and excellent tips to help people maintain a healthy lifestyle. I found the back section of exercises particularly useful and authoritative.

With the Summer Olympics looming, this is a wonderful and timely book on the history of women athletes. Well-written and well-organized, it a valuable addition to anyone's library.

Athletries is a well-illustrated, well-versed panorama of the ancient Olympic games with copious historical documentation. Moreover, besides its excellent review of the games generally, this book specifically details the role that women played in those ancient tournaments, placing them back on their earned pedestals, trumping the too-long-held assumption that women were non-existent beyond the hearth of the ancient world. The inclusion of copies of the actual Ancient Greek inscriptions (translated into Modern Greek and English), evincing the triumphs of women athletes, establishes this book's credibility in stone. The authors even include a pronunciation guide for the "it's-all-Greek-to-me" crowd, making an already accessible book more so. With the coming Olympic games, to be held once again in Athens, Greece, the timing of a book that reviews that competition's history is ideal--to enlighten readers that the spirit of that ancient contest was one shared by both men and women is essential.

I read this book in our college library. Though it was obvious that the authors had done a lot of research, the book was easy to read and included great graphics. I came away with a deep appreciation for the role of women in this ancient society and in the history of the world. This is a book that would appeal to both men and women and to all ages, including young adults. It should be in public and academic libraries.