Athletics Books

An outstanding work that is clearly (read the other reviews, all bar Mr Pen-some's are naive responses) not understood or appreciated. I spent some time trying to track down a copy of this text and it was well worth it. People who have not read it should gush less when offering their critiques of 1984. To define the text would be to insult it but those who have read other Burgess works will recognise his fascination with and utilisation of multiple styles and approaches, the better to deal with the subjects in hand. Another masterpiece from Wilson - and no surprises there!

The thing that strikes me about this book is that it now reads as alternate history. Say Margaret Thatcher never goes into politics, and the Labour ascendency of the '70s is not cut short. Given the grimy, hopeless bitterness of many ostensibly socialist societies, the excesses depicted in this novel become more realistic. The resolution of these excesses (to the extent that they are resolved at all) is, alas, less convincing.

Minor spoiler -
the idea that the elected government would fall under the general mess could be found in almost any book. The idea that
the King (Charles Tertius) would emerge as the _de jure_ head of state to get things moving again was pure brilliance.

A discussion of '1984' by George Orwell, followed by a mini-novel ('1985') putting forward an alternative oppression scenario for life in London.

The mini-novel puts protagonist Bev Jones in London in 1985. Crime is rife. The standard of education of the youth-of-today is dreadful. Everyone is required to be in a trades union. Like Winston Smith in '1984', Bev Jones rebels from the system, with consequences for himself...

The mini-novel has potential at its beginning, but it descends into too much chat and too little action to remain sufficiently interesting to the reader.

This is an interesting book which was written at the wrong time (1978). In 1979, the Conservative Party, with its Thatcher Government, took political control of the UK, and the power of the trades unions became considerably weaker thereafter, rendering the novel in this book less relevant. The discussion in the book is nonetheless interesting.

3/5

i never got to read the criqtues on 1984 that burgess put in this(well thats a lie i skimmed them but no in depth thought) but i did read "1985"and thought of it as more practical than 1984 i would enjoy it if burgess would have expanded on it much more than he did it seemend more policitcal and rational than 1984. though 1984 was a fantastic novel at that and i highly respect orwell's works. 1985 had more of a dark humor too with my favorite line from burgess's novels "you have to get off!" "why?" "because were going on strike"

The novel itself is pretty weak, especially for Burgess. He seems scared by the gulf oil money that was flowing into England in the 1970s, perhaps even a bit resentful. However, preceding the novel is an extended essay on imaginary fiction that includes Burgess' take on Orwell. This essay is worth reading. It is as insightful as the novel is disappointing.

I bought this book in hopes of weight training and still be a vegetarian. To find the information you have to browse through the pages back and forth. The recipes are thrown in between other information, they are hard to find and keep them organized. It seems as though the information is just thrown all together randomly without any kind of specific structure or plan. Everything is all over the place combined with a bunch of complicated words and unnecessary information. Also information on certain supplements and plans are "Out on the jury" meaning the author has no idea, proof, or real recommendation of wether it works or not. In my opinion if you don't know if something works for sure... don't write about it in a 'guide'. It's silly. I wouldn't buy this book and I do not recommend it. In fact if I could return it, I would. Right now it's just going to the trash can.

I read in one review posted above "and you are (or aspire to be) a vegan, then this book is definitely for you." is this a JOKE? THIS reader obviously did not open this book at all! the term "vegetarian" in used so freely that people that eat a burger a week are considered "semi-vegetarians". What is that supposed to mean? And what about "pesco-vegetarians"? This guide is a joke. If you take veganism or vegetarianism seriously, don't waste your money on this title. However, I give it 2 stars because it has some information on vitamins and other supplements. Yet, I can get the same advice from any other "omni/carnivore" regular nutrition book.

This book uses many examples of athletes who call themselves "semi" vegetarian. Meaning they still consume meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, consuming any amount of animal flesh is not vegetarianism.

She also references the lacto-vegetarian diet as consuming poultry, eggs, and dairy. Poultry is meat and does not constitute vegetarianism. Lacto means consuming dairy.

She is a strong voice for the supplement industry suggesting large amounts of creatine supplements as well as protein supplements. It is well known that the body cannot store protein and any excess is excreted in the urine along with calcium used in the process of alkalinizing and excreting the protein which can put you at risk for osteoporosis, not a good idea.

Much of the information in the book is highly outdated, focused on supplements and does not offer any sound advice for a true vegetarian who avoids all animal flesh.

The book has a slight undertone of trying to persuade you away from vegetarianism which I found odd for a book that claims to be for vegetarians.

I would not recommend this book, I should have read the other reviews before buying it. There are numerous truly vegetarian and vegan olympic or world class athletes, this book gives terrible examples of "semi" vegetarians or what should be termed non-vegetarians.
If you are a true vegetarian, I wouldn't buy this book as it really isn't for vegetarians.

This is the best sports nutrition (plant-based or othrewise) book I have read to date. It goes over training, body composition, diet, meal frequency and timing, calorie expenditure, optimal macro and micronutrients intake, etc... posing it all in an inviting format that allows the reader to actually read the book cover to cover (as opposed to just picking out what you "need") I cannot help but want a little bit more depth, but I forgive this due to the large spectrum of an audience the author is writting for. She simply would not be able to cover the plethora of athletes and body-types sufficiently no matter how many volumes she published. I like to believe her remedy for this is her "case-studies" of several different athletes differing in body-type, sport, and dietary preferences. She analyzes them all very thouroughly so that the reader can sort of scrapbook together a profile for themselves based on this information. I was personally happy to see that she included herself as one of the profiles because as a fellow petite female long-distance runner I find it difficult to get accurate information on health and nutrition. Most guidelines appeal to the 'average'size and bodytype which really doesn't help a lot of people.

This is a book for vegetarian and carnivorious athlete (or semi-athlete) alike, wanting to know the science of the feul s/he puts into his/her mouth, and be able to use it to his/her advantage.

I approach this review with 4 stars because of the title and my own personal opinion about nutrition, which I will discuss and allow you to make your ouw decision. Firstly I agree that the title is a bit misleading. Many vegans/strict vegetarians embrace (understandably) any material that endorses their cause, this book seemingly being one of them. Howver, upon reading, one realizes this is a book geared moreso to the health-conscious vegetarian than to the ethical vegetarian. This has upset some of the other reviewers and I suggest you consider it yourself. While the material thoroughly aknowledges the ethical vegetarian, it is obviously secondary to the matter at hand, nutrition. The two ideologies clash on many fronts, so I was suprised to find the author contadict herself on only a few, albeit a very significant few, issue:the dairy and calcium issue and protein. If you are unaware of the 'saga', strict vegetarians preach that dairy products inhibit absorption of calcium due to their high protein content rather than assist it. Furthermore, due to the lower protein content of the vegan diet, not as much calcium is needed because the body can make better use of what calcium is is getting from figs, dark leafy greens, etc... I tend to agree with this as it has been backed up by numerous epidemiological studies around the world, even though I am not a vegetarian. And while Dorfman initially agrees with the health benefits of a lower protein diet, she goes on to warn strict vegetarians/vegans about their low calcium intake recommending supplementation and fortified foods. This can be understood but for reasons on which she does not elaborate. Before agriculte was as large-scale as it is today (yes including organic), flooding the feilds between crops was common. This built up the mineral content of the soil and thus the mineral content of the vegetables growng therein. In today's world this simply is not the case, add that up with an already difficult task of eating a wide and plentiful variety of foods everyday (especially seasonal)and you end up with the unevitabl truth that both vegetarians and carnivors alike should be supplementing their diet with a good daily multivitamin (as a side note, a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables should give you plenty of vitamins, as these come from the plant itself, and so in this case only a multi-mineral supplement would be necessary). She also slips off the low-protein wagon a few times, applauding "low-fat-high-quality protein" as can be seen in her egg-white omelete recipe. I was kind of dissapointed here because one of my favorite parts of vegetarian dogma is how it busts the 'more protein the better' myth, showing that the bonelss skinless chicken breast you're eating for dinner or those 3 glasses of skim milk your drinking or the scoop of protein powder you put in your smoothie still contain calories, and just because a calorie comes from protein doesn't mean it wont be stored as fat. That being said, I want to stress that I am intentionally nit-picking here in the interest of the consumer, and that for all my complaints the author largely does well and only 'slips up' on few occasions.
My last qualm was her apprach to dietary fat. As with my her other inconsistencies, she does well on most accounts to promote dietary fat in its monounsaturated forms and praises its use in place of saturated fats found in animal products. She recommends between 10-30% of daily calories come from fat. This sort of left me luke-warm because although this is standard advise, recent studies show that a diet consisting of up to 40% fat, givin that it is mostly mono-unsaturated, is actually a much healthier diet than the low-fat craze we heve only recently begun to put an end to. However, she does not argue that a moderate amount of good fat in the diet is a bad thing, which is a worthy stride considering the release date of this book.

All that being said, her errors can be made up for by her accuracy in other areas. I recommend the book Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy by Walter Willet for more recent nutritional advise (warning, not a strictly vegetarian book, but not against vegan/vegetarinism either) as far as fat intake and the dairy calcium issue are concerned. But let it be known that he is not writting to the same audience as Dorfman, and therefore generalizes on much of the information about calorie balances, meal frequency, and timing that you would get if you bought the Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide.
To get an idea of the message in Eat, Drink,and Be Healthy, go to [...], and look at their food pyramids. Searching this site would probably be only slightly less effective than buying the book.

If you are looking for a book with ammo to attack the non-vegans in your life, this is not it. As several of the previous reviews have stated, this book provides numerous alternative nutrition plans. Some of the references made in the book measure the effectiveness of vegetarian diets to non-vegetarian diets when addressing some specific nutritional deficiencies associated with intensive training programs. I suggest that this information is presented as comparative and not as encouragement to become omnivorous as has been implied. As a committed vegetarian I took no offense to any of the suspect references.

Read with the absence of political bias this book is extremely informative to the serious athlete. Actual nutrition plans and specific rationale are included from vegetarian athletes with unequivocal credibility. The book is also extremely readable with bios and recipes inserted appropriately to support the nutritional strategies.

My reason for buying this book was to get an edge on my long run times and learn how to recover faster after races and heavy workouts. This book delivered on both accounts.
If you're a weekend mall walker looking for a recipe book, there are several out there that will teach you how to make foo-foo dishes until your eyes bleed. If you are serious about athletic training and understanding vegetarian sports nutrition, you are in the right place.

I dig whenever Todd Boyd is on a Project because He has a way with words.this Book puts alot into Perspective&Bridges many a gap.I was hoping for more Pulling together of Hip-Hop with the NBA a bit more but overall this Book makes for a Pretty Good read.

Todd Boyd takes the notion of the hip-hop industry and basketball being synonymous to an entirely new level. With fluid and memorable references to the similarities of how hip-hop came from the streets, to the formation of how basketball is now the newest form of hip-hop, Boyd captures the essence of the sport like no other.

Using references of how both dominate the streets and how the world of basketball has been changed thereafter, Boyd highlights the game and its glitches, from racism down to the money-making formula that has taken hold today. With no stone unturned, readers are carried through moments of fame, glory and the challenges that former and current NBA players face, including dealings within the drug game and how money-making opportunities being offered today are very similar in nature.

Although basketball used to be a quiet and unnoticed, it has now emerged as a dominant and lucrative force in the professional sports arena. With unparalleled style, YOUNG BLACK RICH & FAMOUS details the life that almost every young black man dreams of. The NBA, its lucrative deals and opportunities have transformed the way everyone looks at young black males and the actual sport today. Actually, it's quite obvious that basketball has emerged as the new "American" sport. They said it couldn't be done and couldn't happen - next question: Who's Ballin' Now?

Reviewed by T. Belinda Williams
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Using the tools of a critical theorist, Todd Boyd sets out to analyze the quest for freedom of expression and existence, as it is played out on the basketball court and within the Black cultural renaissance of Hip-Hop music. American basketball, as it is played and lived by young African American men and Hip-Hop culture both resist being co-opted by mainstream America. They have both moved from the purlieus of the larger American popular cultural purview to occupy a unique space at the vortex of the American global marketing machine. Within this framework, America and the world, are live witnesses of the creative expression of black culture as it is lived and informed by black rather than white norms and of the global representation of American popular culture, in the face of black rather than white men. Such an analysis requires that one is able to navigate seamlessly between the theoretical constructs of critical theory, the lyrical genius of the Notorious B.I.G. and the choreographic grace of his Airness, Michael Jordan, all the while "keeping it real" as only a Black man can do. Boyd is successful in his methodological approach as he delivers with stunning detail the nuances of what it means to be young, black, rich and famous in America.
Boyd's expertise as a critical theorist is evident as he lays out the theoretical framework for the book and adeptly situates his theory within the venue of the National Basketball Association where Hip-Hop music has become the new national anthem. In addition, his background as a journalist and sports enthusiast gives him a solid foundation from which he recounts more than thirty years of basketball history. As an African American man and scholar, Boyd brings lived as well as critical experience to the understanding of the emergence of Hip-Hop culture as a counter hegemonic movement on the American landscape.
Boyd identifies the creative genius of the African American style of basketball at the center of a transformation that has taken place in the NBA. It is basketball, with its low equipment cost, ability to be played in small places, and its capacity to be played alone, that is uniquely suited for the African American urban reality. Basketball provides African American "ballers" the creative canvass on which portraits of individualized representations of freedom may be painted.
Reminiscent of the aesthetic rhythm of a Magic Johnson assist to James Worthy, Boyd show how the lyrics, the style of dress and the overall attitude of Hip-Hop has informed a new generation "Hip-Hop ballers" in the NBA. Boyd connects the freestyle of play in this new generation of ballers to the freedom of style and expression that is epitomized in Hip-Hop culture.
The connection between Hip-Hop and how it influences the rise of freestyle play in the NBA, and the uncompromising and unassimilated attitude of the young, black, rich and famous NBA stars is critical to Boyd's central theme. Boyd does an outstanding job in developing his thesis along the lines of the transformation of the NBA through these new school players. However, he fails to do justice to the emergence and the development of Hip-Hop as a cultural phenomenon. The book focuses on the transformation of the NBA and Hip-Hop is used primarily as the background music throughout the process. Boyd also neglects the significance of the WNBA as a creative context for African American woman, or perhaps as a restrictive platform for a black female cultural contribution. Finally, Boyd leaves important questions unanswered: Does the power to maintain one's personal freedom and individual creativity only lend itself to the "rich and famous"? If so, how should we address the simply "young and black"?
Overall, the work makes a significant contribution to the growing body of literature that concerns itself with the radical reconstruction of race and representation in a global society. Students and academicians of critical theory, critical race theory, and cultural anthropology will find the examination of the NBA and Hip-Hop as fascinating contexts in which to study race representations and the indigenous creation of cultural norms. In addition, the book provides for the sports enthusiast, a tremendous insight into the evolution of the game of basketball as it distinguishes itself from baseball and football, as the only major professional sport in which individual creativity has transformed the sport, and in doing so transformed the culture.
In the end Boyd makes a shocking revelation that shows that as the NBA gains global popularity as an American cultural commodity, the global spokesperson for American culture is increasingly a black man.

Dr. Boyd hits it on the head with this piece about basketball and hip-hop. The only way a book like this can be written the way it was is if you are a part of the culture yourself, because if not, it will not be easy to understand. I, for one, love it because he uses teams from the 80's, such as the Georgetown Hoyas, the early 90's with the Fab Five of the Michigan Wolverines, and other teams, players, and events in the game which took me back in time. When he speaks about these things, you can see the connection with hip-hop, such as Allen Iverson's influence, and others lack thereof. He uses lyrics from some of the hip-hop's greats, but like I mentioned before, you must be a part of the culture or at least familiar with it to see what he is trying to say. He keeps it real throughout the book and gives credit where it is due while being critical at the same time. 'Ball and hip-hop have a unique bond, and the significance of it cannot be ignored.

At first glace, I was ready to dismiss this book. The author's picture shows a heavy set 30-something man with a goatee, granny sunglasses, and what appears to be... an ASCOT!! ("No diggity," I thought. "I could take Poindexter to the rack! Boo-ya!"). In his intro, the author mentions his PhD (a lot -- okay, we *get it*) and street-cred hybrid, saying he's "Einstein plus Shaft"! But alas, his saving grace is his name -- Todd Boyd. There's no "Dr." or middle names or initials. Todd Boyd -- Tight!

The writing isn't professor-foggy or professor-take-10-pages-to-make-a-one sentance-point; the words are sharp and clear. There are no big words in quotations, no use of "so-called" and -- I was looking for it -- only one "indeed"! And while the writing style doesn't convey the speed and aggression of b-ball, or the inside game (Pat Riley and Phil Jackson's books have more sweat and sneaker squeaks), Boyd has the objective distance and big picture theories of a cultural historian.

Boyd covers basketball since the 1970's. And I'll just kick it freestlye with some of his points:

- Kareem exemplified the 70's stars' stoicism. He played basketball -- he was not there to entertain the white man. Boyd compares these types of players to jazz greats who were not looking for popular approval. (Like Miles Davis, who would turn his back to the audience while he played).

- The ABA allowed "street ball" play, while the NBA of the 70's was more conservative. When the ABA folded/merged with the NBA, street style was injected into the NBA. And today, street style is *the* style.

- In the late 70's, the image of the NBA was of lazy cocaine users. Boyd notes that the NBA was no more coked up than other sectors of the entertainment industry. Boyd does not mention that ballers are athletes worshipped by kids. (And Boyd doesn't mention that Magic, Bird, *and Commissioner David Stern* all came into the league in the same year and upgraded the league's image).

- Magic redefined "position" by playing all five spots to win the championship his rookie year. This helped break the limitations of position -- players could roam all over -- and furthered the street style. (For example, Jordan or Kobe can bring the ball up the court and create his own shot and/or take it to the hole... formerly a point guard had to set, say, Dr. J up. The Dr. was dangerous on the wing, if he got the ball... Jordan was dangerous always).

- Magic smiled a lot, which was a break from the Jabbar stoic style. Magic makes it okay to entertain without seeming minstrel. Boyd claims that it was demeaning that Magic was always mentioned in the same breath as Bird. I say Bird was the second-best all-around player, and they elevated each other. I think Magic would agree. (And the *only* possible knock on Jordan was that he never had a nemesis - a Bird, a Joe Frazier - that took him to an even higher level. Of course, he had no nemesis because he was too good :-).

- The Celtics and Duke University teams were whiter by design. It's no accident. (I'd add the Utah Jazz).

- The Detroit Pistons were viewed as Bad Boys because they - and Detroit - were so black. (Plus Lambier :-). Boyd claims they were hated for the same physical play of the whiter Celts. I say the Pistons played nastier.

- Iverson is Boyd's poster boy for hip-hop style in basketball. He does what he wants, and f*%& 'em. Boyd doesn't seem to have a problem with Iverson showing up late or missing practices. Hey, f#*^ 'em. Uh, those are his teammates he's f&$%ing!

- Boyd likes that high schoolers can and do jump straight to the pros. And he doesn't think high schoolers should have to pass a test to play college ball. He claims that it's NCAA affirmative action for whites. (Chris Rock voice here....) Too many black players? Give the ghetto kids a test! If you have $200, how many pairs of duck shoes can you buy at Land's End, and still have enough to buy a jar of mayonaisse?

- The NBA is increasingly non-white, and the whites are increasingly foreigners. The college game is whiter, as it's more controlled, and the best players - who are also black - go from high school to the pros... or stay in college for a year or two before going pro.

- And Boyd weaves Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, and of course hip-hop into the mix.

- Plus a lot, lot, more. (For example, my review title "Skywalker" references David Thompson, the most electrifying player of his era. He literally took the air game to a whole new level. His career was cut short (you could say his was the promise that Jordan later delivered on), and I'm very glad Boyd told his story).

- A couple things Boyd does not mention, that my creative license allows: 1) In the 1920's, Dr. Funkenstein was the first "black" player in the league. A white man who wore blackface, Funkenstein dazzled the crowd by dribbling between his legs, passing behind his back, and doing a "jump shot". (I find the whole concept offensive: Could you imagine Allen Iverson in white face, high striped socks and short shorts while shooting set-shots and being lauded because "he doesn't have much natural talent, but he plays with a lot of HEART!"). 2) If you look closely at Kevin McHale, you can see the scars on his neck from where they took the bolts out. Was he created in a lab as part of a honky Boston conspiracy?

Go Lakers!

This book is just awesome! It isn't a book you just plop down in a chair and read, but one you absorb a chapter or topic at a time. Re-read it as necesary and then when you think you grasp or remember most of the information move on to another. It is organized so that you can look up specific subjects that you are interested in without reading the whole book through, by the way. There's more information within its pages than you can shake an Olympic bar at and much of it you will be hard up finding anywhere else...much less all of it in one book. Don't think of Science of Sports Training as your guide to weight training or a specific sport. It's a compilation of all the finer things for those that already know their sport well, that can only come from a very experienced coach. You could say it's geared toward those with a mindset of being a "student of sport", not just a practitioner of some recreational fun. Mr. Kurz has alot of knowledge to convey to the West if they just give him a mind ready to absorb what he offers, I personally really appreciate the effort he put forth into giving us this book, as there are few like it at all esp. from Eastern European coaches. If you appreciated "Science and Practice of Strength Training" by Zatsiorsky, you should definiately pick this one up too.

This is a reference book on sports training. Kurtz discusses principles of training for various goals, such as strength, endurance, technical and combination of those. All relevant topics are covered: assessment of trainees, warmup, periodization, training cycles and many other subjects. The book is very comprehensive and is extensively referenced. It is also easy to read.

I understand the frustration of some of the reviewers, because the book does not have the actual recipes for training. However, after reading it recipes are just not needed: one can design training programs according to the goals with the long term view.

From all the negative comments I have read, I had to reply. This is a must have book for anyone who wants to understand about sports training. This book gives you a general guide that can help you in any sport. This book is not a bunch of BULL. It is "RATIONAL SPORTS TRAINING" from Eastern Europe. It gives scientific descriptions to help you understand how each type of training would work. This book is not about specific sports training or how to train in a specific manner. Its about understanding methods of training to reach peak performance with as much minimal effort as possible(also note SCIENCE of Sports Training).
Some believe this book to be trivial or a bunch of bull. Well, I guess these people believe that all the scientific experiments done in this book is a bunch of bull. These experiments are done to show specific results that vary from recent to past. So, some of these experiments still remain valid. Experiments were done by REAL scientist.
Another reason for one to not like this book is if they can't exactly read. Most of the book is not really difficult to understand, unless you have basic reading school. You must think about it to understand it. It does get technical from time to time. This lack of understanding of the text by people who don't understand, as the reviewers Matt and Matt above has said, don't think about what they read. At first, I didn't understand the text of some topics. After thinking and looking back at the book, I have a greater understanding of sports training. One reviewer note taking showers with different temperatures as trivial. Kurz notes that one should shower after a workout as part of rest. One should change temperature, so as to "invigorate" the body. If you want to see the validity of this statement, try it at home sometimes. Workout like weightlifting,etc. and try it. If you are not invigorated then I guess rational sports training is nonsense(changing temperatures, to clarify myself, means showering from warm to cold to warm to cold,etc.).
Though i have commented on a lot of positive aspects, the book does have some negative aspects in my opinion. This book is comprehensive, but some topics could be expanded upon like nutrition. The book maybe sort of complex in that you may lose your way. This means that you might remember a topic, but not quite clearly understand, and it is kind of hard to find it in the book.
Some notes Thomas Kurz as unprofessional. I guess tough love is unprofessional for some people. Read some questions asked to Thomas Kurz. They are pretty stupid. I mean its in the damn book. If I asked a stupid question, then I must be doing something wrong in my training. Being scolded would note the inefficiency of my training. I guess some people can't handle a little bit of a direct answer; My dad is worse than Thomas Kurz!
I have learned a great deal about this book. Without it, I would seriously be hurting myself. There is info that can change the way you train for the sake of safety and possible improvements. If your serious about training this is a must have, but if you are a person who is not serious, then don't waste your time to write a incoherent, unlogical review of this book!

This book contains a wealth of knowlege extracted from scientific research journals and, at times, feels more like a survey article than a traditional book. This results in a very densely packed tome of data on all aspects of training. However, this type of book may not be suitable for all readers. To put it bluntly, you are meant to study this book and not passively read it. And when I say study, I mean be prepared to take notes and scribble down your thoughts. This isn't a book that you're going to lie down with and read in bed. Those familiar with Kurz knows that he does not mollycoddle the lazy and those that don't bother to think things through and this book certainly continues that tradition. You are expected to put in some kind of effort in developing your training method. This is actually quite reasonable: Kurz simply cannot be expected to draft up example workouts for every type of athlete.

The key to appreciating this book is to realize what it is meant to do and what it is not. This book provides a wealth of data that you can use to develop your training regimen. It is not meant as a "by-the-numbers" description of exactly what to do and when. For example, other authors may tell you to do such and such. Kurz will report on exactly how level of performance improvement resulted from doing that in a controlled study and cite the appropriate research article. It is up to you to determine whether this level of performance is sufficient to justify incorporating the specific training methodology in question within your regimen. Kurz' intention seems to be to provide the reader with the necessary data to make informed decisions regarding training. What you do with that information is up to you.

This is a no-nonsense book. Other sports training books feature lots of photographs of attractive male and female athletes in superb physical condition performing the exercises. Those pictures have been replaced with graphs displaying cold, hard data in Kurz' book. Kurz does not waste time trying to motivate the reader.

If you are serious about your training and want to be responsible for crafting your own training regimen then this book will be a goldmine for you. The depth and breath of knowledge contained within its pages is astonishing. If, however, you want to be fed example workouts and explicitly told what to do, then you will be confused and frustrated with this book. I can easily see an exasperated reader sceaming "Get to the damn point, Man!" when reading this book. It comes down to whether you want to be your own coach or not. I've found it to be a wonderful resource and would definitely recommend it for advanced athletes and those who are serious about their training. However, for the begining athlete, this may not be the best choice for a first book on subject of scientific training.

After reading some of the more negative reviews encouraged me to write - A lot of this book has to be read in context, and it isn't a textbook on how to get better at playing a certain sport and it isn't a textbook on the mechanics of the body. These can be found in most local library's many times over.

What it covers is the planning and control of training for peak performance, i.e. it tells you finer points that are often missed, for example how to cope with jet lag isn't going to be a problem if you don't travel, but for major athletes travelling is a part of the course which isn't touched in most books.

To agree with another review - this book does need to be studied, not flicked through and pick out 'facts' or to criticise because of sections being pulled out of context.

Also as an aside, Kurz's manner might be a little abrupt, but I bet he gets a lot of questions (I have asked a few and had them answered in a constructive way). He probably gets a lot of drivel in these questions and probably puts sarcastic answers to make writers think before they ask stupid questions.

This is a fascinating book. Jonathan attempts to tie physiology to principles that have been discussed for years as being psychological. It can be liberating to know that people are not being difficult, but they are the way they are because of their "hard wiring" which causes them to see the world differently. One problem is the self testing for brain typing. It can be tricky to pick the correct type even when you've been as honest as you can with the questions. It can also influence your expectations for children's development. This is a seminal work that needs to be developed further by the scientific community.

Jon's book and research, have proven, time and time again, that determining and understanding a person's brain type gives you a great advantage in understanding your own behavior, and the behavior of others. Instead of always wondering why people are the way they are, or, as many do, trying to change the basic behavior of another person, you gain insight on how that person's mind and view of life work. And as you coach, manage and work with others, you can encourage them in area's of strength, or preference, base on their unique braintype.

There is a great deal of misunderstanding and misinformation in the understanding, and utilization, of the Myers-Briggs model. Jon's braintype model helps to clarify, scientifically, what is really going on, inside that mind.

I am a student of this book; and have used it extensively in my coaching and business career. It is one of the best investments a person can make in helping them understand themselves; and others....

Daniel Dyk, ISTJ

I first found out about Brain Typing thru Tennis Magazine's coverage on the subject a couple of years back. Then I bought this book and was absolutely amazed to discover how our inborn mental traits can have such a profound effect on how we live, work, and play. Not only that but how our cerebral makeup is linked with our body movements as well as level of intelligence.

My own type - INTP - was covered only briefly in the Tennis Chapter as Jon Neidnagel points out that people of this type are mostly knowledge seekers and normally do not take to athletics but this INTP is a big sports fan. But reading the material on ISTP- which was the most widely written about Type- compensated for it a little because it shares some cerebral characteristics with my Type.

The author explains in detail how the brain works, and that each Type is proficient at accessing certain regions of the brain that makes every one of the 16 Brain Types unique. One other thing I found to be incredible was how Jon N. types people by their motor skills and speech patterns.

The only shortcoming of this book, according to me, is that it did not offer that many tips on overcoming weaknesses. For example, ISTPs are advised to control their intensity and not introspect too much upon making mistakes but what is needed for this Type in these situations is a few easy to remember tips so that action can be taken on the spot. In the heat of battle its not as easy to check one's intensity, especially if the athlete's nature is highly intense.

On the whole, the material in this book was enlightening, to say the least. Athletes will discover answers to a lot of whys? if they would just read about their own Type in this book

Although Mr. Niednagel wants us to believe that the product he is pitching, Brain Typing, is scientifically based, it is really nothing more than just another weary entry from the productive and fertile field of pseudoscience. He uses anecdotes and testimonials to pitch his product with absolutely zero controlled studies that even hint at its effectiveness. The irony of using athletes to promote his product is the common knowledge of athletic superstition.

He has every right to sell a product that relies on the expectations, dreams, and wishes of the buyer. This is what American commerce is all about. But, pleeeese!! Don't try to tell us it has any relationship to real science.

The author is, in my opinion, a lot better at self-promoting than he is at Typing celebrities. The guy made a splash by (in all likelihood) Typing two football players correctly, Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf, when there was tons of dollars on the line. Unfortunately, this single success is being parlayed into a non-scientific snake-oil salesmanship. Better yet: his line of reckless conjecturism is taking the once scientific field of MBTI into the realm of phrenology. Great. Nothing could discredit Isabel Myers-Briggs and David Keirsey's studies more quickly. (though, truth be told, the Keirseys have been getting a lot heavier into pure conjecture lately, and offer less and less empirical backing)
What is even more disturbing, if you check the author's website, is his alarming tendency towards an elitist (and often radically errant. IMO) Typing of US presidents. Apparently, this author maintains, on pure conjecture of course, that only ENTs can ascend to the presidency. Thus does he mis-Type (and now for my own conjectures, which i can back up at least as credibly as this author) ISFJ GW Bush as an ENTJ; thus does he mis-Type ESFP Bill Clinton as an ENTJ; thus does he mis-Type ENFP Ronald Reagan also as an ENTJ. You see a lot of "ENTJs" in his findings, right? (I am betting the author is an ENT himself. Naturally.) Anyway, such purely conjectural favoritism, in addition to resurrecting a kind of phrenology, is, I'm afraid, because the author is also putting forth a form of "Master Racism/Typism" agenda. Very worrisome, should some psychological Hitler ever come along. Think about it.
Of course, a lot of ENTs do indeed circulate in the halls of US leadership--they just should not be confused with the theatrical muppets we call presidents: indeed, those darned NT mystery men are often found hovering around our presidents, in the form of what may be called "The Establishment." You know, the Cheneys and the Rumsfelds and the Brzyzinskis--these guys may indeed be the braintrusts of NT power that the author thinks he is seeing when he looks at the bogus media image that the Establishment and the controlled major media gives to clear-cut Sensors like Bush and Clinton (clear cut when you study their previous actions and speeches, not just the scripted answers these Sensor presidents read to scripted questions by the major media). Anyway, if this guy who sells himself so well can be so duped by the media image of a man, I wouldn't trust much of any of his conjectures.

In his 3rd edition of this book, exercise physiologist Tom Fahey , continues to present the basics of weight training and offers the latest information from some sports medicine and exercise physiology research. The book is simple and concise. It is recommended for the person who has limited or even no weight training experience or knowledge but who is interested in starting a weight lifting routine.

Chapters include information on muscle development, exercise mechanics and specfic chapters that will help you develop different areas of the body such as chest & shoulders, arms, abdominals, neck and back,and lower body. In addition to exercises with free weights, Fahey also includes routines using Universal Gym and Nautilus type equipment. A chapter on nutrition includes information on diet and performance, steroids and eating disorders.

This is a good primer for developing a beginner's weight training program.

Not as good as the Dummies series which has better written and illustrated books on this subject.

I recently boought this book and read it in one sitting on a flight. It is the best I've seen yet. Not only does it have great weight training guidance with various kinds of equipment (barbell, dumbell, & various machines) but it gives variations and clear cautions. In addition it has the best nutrition & lifestyle discussion and getting started section I've ever seen. It also discusses the difference between strength, power and ensdurance and how to achieve them. Simply trhe best yet.

This book has just about all that you can ask of a book on basic weight training; programs, techniques, principles, cautions, etc. It's also well-organized, printed on acid-free, recycled paper, and has several useful appendices, as well as a glossary and a comprehensive index after the text section. If you can buy just one weight training guide, this is a very good choice.

Well I bought this book thinking it would be informational and helpful, but in fact it was a waste of money! The pictures are poorly illustrated, and they did not include variations of the exercise. Spend your money on a better book!

There are two problems with this book. First, it begins with a speech given by coach Jim Tressel on January 3, 2003, just before the 2002 National Championship game. Except it never happened. The speech was a fake, written by Ken Pryor, a fan, and e-mailed and posted across the Internet. It wasn't even meant to be a hoax, but simply something like a speech the coach might give, most sites listing Pryor as its author. Until this book, I never knew anyone had actually believed it to be anything else. It seems more than a little odd that the author didn't contact Tressel or anyone on his staff to confirm the validity of the speech. It's even more odd that the book's editor didn't either, considering that this book wasn't published until August of 2005, more than two and half years after it was already widely known to be false.

This leads into my second problem: It seems like any "fan" of Ohio State football would have known this. But to be fair, I don't doubt that Mr. Menzer is a fan. (He mentions in his "Acknowledgements" that at an early age he had an uncle and aunt that dressed him in OSU wear when he visited them Columbus.) It's just that by his reasoning, all my friends would have to be considered "fanatics." They have the football schedule months, if not a year, in advance, they have a plan for each and every game, and -to a certain degree- plan their lives around football Saturdays.

In my experience, being a Buckeye fan is something that seeps into you, like osmosis. No one dressed us up. We spoke up first, with "Where's MY Buckeye shirt?" and "Can I have an Ohio State hat for my birthday?" or "I'm saving up for a -insert OSU item here-." It's a certain level of commitment that isn't really a choice; at some point it's just ingrained in you.

But is this a bad book? I want to say, `No, not at all, except for the opening, it's a very good book.' Unfortunately, that's not true, because the opening puts you in a pall for the rest of the reading. Credibility is compromised. Is it written well? Absolutely, it is. Menzer is great with the turn of a word, but the validity of what follows is always in doubt.

When a young Earle Bruce sustains an injury and can't play football for Ohio State, Woody Hayes literally jumped into his car to stop him, and ask him to get an Ohio State education regardless? He uses the word literally. I've seen speeches by both men, and I have never heard either say Woody, not figuratively, but literally jumped into a car.

Later, defensive tackle Nick Buonamici says to coach Hayes, "Goddammit, I did it for you, Coach," and then jumped onto a table to reveal a tattoo. Really? He swore at Woody Hayes, in front of the whole team, then leaped onto a table? I didn't realize there was this much jumping in Columbus, Ohio.

And at a game, it was so cold that some people were physically unable to stand afterwards? Come on. That's way beyond even frost-bite. Hypothermia?

There are a lot of books about Ohio State football. Like this one, they all talk about the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy, Archie Griffin, about the undefeated team of 1968, about the legend of Woody Hayes, and the storied history of the Ohio State-Michigan game.

When picking up a book about the Buckeyes, let's just say this would not be my first choice.


***************************
Joe Menzer is a sportswriter and contributor to NASCAR.com. Born in Hamilton, Ohio, and a graduate of Bowling Green State University, he covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA for the Willoughby/Lake County News-Herald. He has contributed articles to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Washington Post, the Sporting News, and Inside Sports, amongst others. He covered the Carolina Panthers football organization for over a decade, and is the author of several books, including Cavs from Fitch to Fratello: The Sometimes Miraculous, Often Hilarious Wild Ride of the Cleveland Cavaliers (1994), The Wildest Ride: A History of NASCAR (2002), and Four Corners: How UNC, N.C. State, Duke, and Wake Forest Made North Carolina the Center of the Basketball Universe (2004).
***************************

There must be a credibility factor when a person puts words to press; whether it's a doctoral thesis, newspaper feature or a book chronicling a moment in time.

The plagarism scandels thay hounded historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Srephen E. Ambrose shows the shortcuts even the most respected writers will take, seemingly with an arrogance that no person will question their false research.

It is unfortunate that Joe Menzer - who, for years, was considered an excellent sports reporter/columnist in northeast Ohio - has traded fact for fantasy in the opening pages of what potentially could have been an excellent history of nearly 40 years in Ohio State football.

The reader is allegedly in the locker room before the 2003 National Championship game with coach Jim Tressel and his squad. Tressel gives a stirring speech - actually, one for the ages.

The problem - let me rephrase this, the major problem - is the speech supposedly given by Tressel is from an Internet posting on a message board that was written by a fan.

Well, nowhere do I see Tressel saying, "And men, according to the fan....," while he gives his version of Knute Rockne's legendary, but equally bogus, "Win One for the Gipper."

After this fraudulent opener, the book is classic Menzer, as he tramples over the myths and rumors surrounding the program from the late 1960s teams of Woody Hayes to the triumph by Tressel's team in the Fiesta Bowl.

But I cannot pull myself away from that false start. Words should mean something and Menzer has placed himself in the same category of Kearns Goodwin & Ambrose; but for all the wrong reasons.

I bought this book last year with a Barnes and Noble gift card and immediately got into it. Now I myself am a huge sports enthusiast, especially when it comes to history. This is a good read on the history of ohio state football. Starting with the early days of the team and covering the bases on Paul Brown and Woody Hayes-coached teams that won national championships, the author does not fail to impress. The book came out right after Ohio State's national championship victory over Miami in the Tostitos Bowl, therefore the beginning talked about the win and how good it was for Tressel to bring a championship back to Columbus.

What really interested me was how John Cooper was disliked in Columbus, the main reason being that he did not take the rivalry with Michigan seriously. If you expect to succeed as a head coach, you must motivate yourself and prepare yourself for that big game at the end of the year that may have national title implications on the line. It's the best rivalry in all of college football, next to Notre Dame-USC, and this year will be no exception. Number 1 vs. number 2 will be watched by everybody who's somebody.

As a young girl growing up in Ohio--many suns ago--I still remember my three brothers, my father and multi-uncles arguing the pros and cons of good old Ohio State football! So when I saw this book on Amazon, I just HAD to get it.

Wow--what memories it brings back!

I now live in Silicon Valley, and out here in the Golden State, we're always rooting for the 49ers and the Raiders, with three-fourths of my large family being 49ers fans, the other quarter rooting for the Raiders. Imagine the fun we have!

Now that my memory has been refreshed on Ohio Buckeye Madness, I can now toss in a good old Ohio State football story. It's invigorating to be reminded of one's ROOTS! (pun intended)

This author is using information in the this book, specifically the "Pre-Game Speech", without the permisson of the original author and without crediting the author of this material. As the above reviewer notes, this "speech" was not actually given by Tressel, so the author is factually incorrect. As for the rest of the book, I have no idea, wouldn't buy because of the dishonesty in the first pages.

This books explains how to build up your own periodized training program.
Its practical approach and the step by step procedure make you understand how to reason when plannin g a periodized routine.
It is necessary, however, to have a clear understanding of the basic concepts of training, since no information is provided in this regard.

I need the adress of Mr. Steven J. Fleck, Ph.D

I thought this book was terribly awful. Its more of a briefreview of periodization, not a book on the theory, and training. Itsalmost like a cheap, and sloppy version of cliff notes on Dr.Bompa's Serious Strength Training. I would not recommend Periodization Breakthrough to anyone. If you want the complete theory, and training methodology of Periodization for bodybuilding/strength training purposes, I very highly recommend Dr. Bompa's Serious Strength Training. It is I beleive the best written book on the topic!

This was a really detailed book. I have read "Serious Strength Training" by Bompa, however I felt that this book gave me more insight into creating my own custom periodization schedule. Bompa's book had most of it pre-planned. The book had excellent citations for research an gave me all the information I needed in a well laid out format.

I was disappointed in this book. It advertises itself as containing "The Ultimate Training System," but does not live up to the title. It has some good material in it, and I appreciated the science-based support of the authors' theories. However, it is extremely light on practical examples. There are far better books out there to help you understand and develop "The Ultimate Training System." One I would recommend is The New Power Program: Protocols for Maximum Strength by Michael, Dr. Colgan.

I own hundreds of football coaching books and this might be the most useful I have ever read. Don't be confused by the title, the best part of the book is it's detailed description of picking apart coverages, and the 80 series passing game. This is a must have for any football coach.

Coach, thanks for writing this book. It certainly solved the problem I was having with pass protection at my high school. The concept is easy for the kids to understand. The pass packages improved what we were trying to do in the passing game. They gave us more diversity. We improved from 2-8 to 7-3 with just average athletes.

Apparently "Coach" takes his criticism a little too harsh. I have to agree with "reader" this book is wafer thin on pass protection and there is NOTHING new here. It is the same slant,hitches,fades and crossing combos that everybody uses. I guess if you've never stood on the sideline, read another football book, watched game tapes of your opponents and gone to a clinic you will find this insight "helpful". Not sure why Coach Powers thinks he has discovered something new here. I was also wondering where coach explains how some of the routes he says are in this book are adaptable to ANY formation?? Like reader I wish Coach Powers well and I don't doubt that he is a good coach but let us be honest with those who are making a decision on which books to fit into their tight time and financial limits. There isn't anything special or unique that makes this book a must have "pre-season" read.

As a highly successful college coach, I have discovered that it's really not necessary to scheme against the blitz. Really, if one executes the gameplan that one scripts several months before the game, there is no need to adjust.

Screens and quick slants are dangerous plays to run. The best way to beat the blitz is to keep the QB stationary, so that he is able to execute the keen gameplan of 3 yard outs.

Another good way to beat the blitz is to have the receivers run very long, complicated hitch patterns that will confuse the DB.

Besides that, there is no need to bring in extra blockes, audible, misdirect, tunnel screen, flare, quick slant, rollout, or do anything else.

I believe that my astounding record of wins per season stands as a testiment to my ability.

If I wrote such a totally inaccurate review I wouldn't want anyone to know who I was (Reader) or where I lived (Football Town, USA) either. The pass protection scheme is adequately covered in the opening chapters of this book as noted by the editorial reviews. Once defenders are identified and the pass protection scheme is explained a few adjustments are discussed. We use very few of the adjustments but they are in our package. The basic scheme holds up versus most fronts and stunts reducing the need for a lot of adjustments which confuse players. We have a few adjustments that will take care of certain stunts we see but the basic calls are usually all we need. I have received several emails from coaches telling me how much they enjoyed learning this pass protection scheme and they think it will help them. I know it will! It turned us around from perennial losers to contenders. There is almost no three-step drop in this passing book while all of Coverdale and Robinson's drops are in the Quick Passing Game. I recommend their books to you. We use them to give us another dimension to our passing offense. Also, there are enough formation possibilities that a coach could use a different formation on nearly every down of a ten game schedule. That's enough for us. The versatility and effectiveness of the pass routes are expounded on in the chapters dealing with four-quick receivers, attacking cover two, attacking cover three, attacking man coverage, using play-action passes, and a goal line package with minimal (if any) similarity to Coverdale and Robinson's books. Even if your pass protection is sound the book is worth getting for its effective pass routes in chapters five through eleven.

I'm a Physical Therapist Assistant, a Nurse, and an ACSM cert Health Fitness Instructor. Yessis goes over basic kinesiology as well as how to perform these exercises with safe form. He also goes into reasons WHY bad form is harmful, how to avoid as well as why certain exercises can be beneficial in certain sports. This is a great book to become familiarized with muscles, actions, and strict form. I recommend it for any trainer or athlete. I often give it as a gift to my clients when they complete training with me.

While the book features a variety of exercises, it advocates strength training methods that have been proven to be dangerous, and that by mere logic seem wrong. First, the author instructs you to hold you breath during each move, claiming this is proper breathing technique. Also, he condones explosive training which is detrimental to the muskuloskeletal system. Along with other flaws, this book was a waste of money. Your money is better spent buying books such as "A Practical Approach to Strength Training." This book is one that is backed up scientifically and teaches you the safest and most effective way to exercise.

I've read about a half a dozen or so books on strength training. The worst thing for the beginner is getting injured, which is very easy to do, and could stop further training for fear of getting injured again. This book describes in detail the movements involved in the lifts and injury prevention. For this alone, it's worth it to get the book. Then, if you wish to continue there are other books to buy, such as "Weight Training-2nd: Steps to Success" which gives you workout plans and why to exercise opposing muscle groups, etc.

I expected a more through book on exercises and their effects on the body. Maybe a good book for beginners but not for experienced athletes.

You could find the information in this book in any number of places online. Not only would the information at a good Kinesiology website be more complete but you would also get moving gifs to show you proper form.

I don't think I got even one useful thing out of this book.