Athletics Books

When I first read this book at the Bartlesville Public Library at the age of 10, I couldn't believe what I was reading. It seemed to me to be the most shocking thing in the world. At the time I had never been to Norman, and I had no idea where Lawton was.

This is a fantastic book in that it contains some pretty amazing stories. I can only believe that they were all true.

Later in life, I attended the University of Oklahoma and I got to become very acquainted with Norman. It didn't look like I had imagined it would, but it was exactly like Charles Thompson described it. Norman is a pretty big place, but it doesn't seem big enough to be able to contain all the debauchery that was happening during those days.

Things may have changed a lot, but in many ways things will always be the same. As long as we have college athletics there will be towns and universities that allow success to become their one burning desire, and nothing will be too sacred or respected to stand in the way of that. I am sad to say it happened in Norman, but it has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen in many other places. Nobody is immune to the ills that took down CT, Barry, and the Sooners. Let this book be a warning to other schools. OU is lucky that they survived this and have come out as true champions for not letting it take them down.

Anyone from Lawton who saw him breakdance knows that Thompson was the (*#&. Enough said.

Do you not think that it is time to let the past be the past. A decade later and we are still concerned about how wrong Charles Thompson was. Learn from this book learn from his mistakes. I have had the great fortune of getting to know him personally and he has a great story to tell. Let's just grow up.

i think all should read this book b/c it is an eye opener for parents and teens making the transition to college sports or into adulthood. let me tell you, it's was not just o.u. in the 80's doing dirt I played in the sec and the football players at the university were disruptive and coach and his staff stayed busy tring to keeping these guys out of trouble with the school and the law. one of the o.u. boosters wrote barry switzer job was not to babby sitter, true, but it is was not his job to go drinking with an 18 year old kid as well!

Charles Thompson and his book of lies. No one brought him to the lifestyle he was involved in. Barry Switzer offered him a chance to play football and get and education for free and he blew that opportunity. I am sick of hearing how Barry ruined all these guys lives. No one hired Switzer to baby sit, but to win football games. But, as long as we criticize winners as college football coaches, what about Bowden. The guy basically has the same mentality and no one bashes him. Come on people, don't waste the time and money on this piece of garbage.

This book is great tribute to Haile Gebreselassie. I thought that this book was well pieced together and it gives a good introduction to who he is and what he stands for. It would be nice if Haile could have been the author himself. Honestly, this book inspired me through a summer of great training and once you start reading you don't want to put the book down.

Excellent story of a successfull runner from an under privilage country. The story of his rising to fame is heart warming and all youngsters in the USA should read it to understand how young people in other countries must often battle great odds to be able to climb out of their invironments and meet success in spite of and not because of. Very interesting story.

I enjoyed this book but did not find it to be a compelling read. I found the writing somewhat choppy as if Mr. Dennison had strung together a number of individual pieces. Gebrselassie can certainly take his place among the greatest runners of all time and this book is a fine tribute.

Geb is one of my five favorite runners of all time, but this book is a little sappy even for me. By all accounts, a phenomenal athlete and a great guy; but the author could have been a bit more objective. The writing is a bit uneven as well.

For those who are unfamiliar with Gebrselassie, they will find this book incredibly boring. I, an avid runner, found this book to be a pretty horrible tribute to the greatest distance runner in the last 25 years. Most running books describe races in quite detail and focus on each of the tiring laps that a runner endures. This book on the otherhand basically skips over that saying "Haile won this, got the world record...or Haile lost this, and all of Ethiopia was angry at him." It doesn't go into any detail though. Rather than Haile the runner, this book focuses on Haile the businessman which is not what he is known for nor is it was most people even care much about.

Whenever I found it tough to head out for a run, or wake up early for a swim, I could easily count on this book for motivation. So much, in fact, that I couldn't read it before going to bed or else I'd be too fired-up to sleep!! As a former cometitor at the Hawaii Ironman, this book captures so much of the aura and intangibles of the race and the mindset of those that compete there. While it may have been written many years ago, what it's about is timeless (plus, the beginnings of Hawaii Ironman specifically and the sport of triathlon in general are not only inspiring but extremely interesting). Mike Plant does a fantastic job putting onto paper so many of the unexplainable aspects of endurance and does so in historically accurate and very well written prose. It's inspiring and it's tough to put down, even after you've read it once. I've read the book probably 20 times over the years and it's still a great book that you can just pick up, open to a random page, and read a bit until your batteries are recharged. It's out of print so they're hard to find, especially since those who have their own copy hold on to them forever. Enjoy!

OK, so I'm a little biased about the book. I'm a triathlete and have competed in AND finished the Ironman. In the years since I've done the race I've been meaning to put into words what I went through. Well, Mike Plant has done my job for me. Every thing I felt during the race was covered in the book. I think my wife gets tired of me reading paragraphs out loud to her: I'm reading about the same emotions, pain, and triumph that I went through.

Plant covers the event's history and the characters that competed in it. The interesting thing about the book is that even though it was written in 1986 (with a 1999 update), the overlying reasons about doing the race and all the feelings that go with it are still there. Sure, these days the technology is better, the athletes faster, the top pros are different; but the overall aura of the race is still there. Mike Plant covers this wonderfully.

One does not need to be a triathlete to enjoy the book. One of the things he mentions is the allure of the event; it's possible that anyone willing to put in the time to train could finish the event. If you are a triathlete and someone asks you "why would you do that to yourself?" Hand then Iron Will and tell them to read on.

As the founder of the Ironman Triathlon back in 1978, I have seen many attempts to get the story down on paper. Mike gets it better than anyone else so far. I was out of the triathlon picture for some years and appreciate Mike's total, beginning-to-end coverage of the Ironman history. The very few items with which I would take exception are all areas where other early participants have differing recollections or personal agendae. Mike is very careful to cover all sides of an often many-sided history. I recommend this book without reservation. John Collins (9th place, Ironman Hawaii 1978)

This book is basically a re-release of the book Mike Plant wrote 15 years ago. The people he writes about have not competed in a long, long time. Mark Allen is merely an up and comer here, rather than the reigning (now retired) champion we all remember him to be today. The author defends this re-release indicating that the only changes he has perceived are essentially the crowds, the bike technology and the advanced training regimens. OK, I liked reading the book to learn about the history and details of the race and now know my body probably could not survive the heat of the run. Nevertheless, I would have appreciated an update on this world famous event, rather than this attempt to cash in on an old work, with minimal input.

After all these years, Mike Plant's book still captures extremely well how the Hawaii Iron Man evolved from a death-defying challenge that nobody believed could be raced, to a full-fledged professional championship race that could be fought to the wire by men and women who made that day in Kona the focus of each year. Especially revealing are the author's portraits of Ironman legends Dave Scott and Scott Tinley. Having been taken by Plant into ST's mental and physical preparation for the race year after year, I finished the book feeling a little sorry that Tinley never beat Scott head-to-head in Kona. Much like an Ironman race, the book for me started out a bit conservatively, perhaps unsure how to approach the subject best. But once the setting and the characters fell in place, Plant's narrative moved a lot faster, much like a race that had begun to build in drama.

I would like to make special note of Plant's appreciation of Ironman founder John Collins and long-time race director Valerie Silk. For so many of us who compete in triathlons, follow the action, or just dream about running down Alii Drive some time before the 17-hour cut-off time, it is important to remember how improbable the Ironman's birth, and fragile its nascent years, really were. That, combined with the fact that this race could be blessed with such great, enduring athletes as Scott Tinley and Dave Scott to usher it into the limelight and maturity, is really miraculous, like Silk's fortuitous choice of courses on the Big Island.

I would have liked to read more about female athletes, such as the Puntous twins, Erin Baker, and even Paula Newby-Fraser. Plant barely mentions Sylviane and Patricia Puntous until close to the end of the book, and then nearly all the descriptions are negative. Baker and Newby-Fraser are reverently described, but in nowhere the dramatic shades that the men receive.

Lastly, the atrocious proofreading cannot go unmentioned. After a dozen years since the original printing, one would think that Velo Press could have paid someone a few quid to sit down and correct errors. The mistakes get even worse in the Epilogue, where the author calls triathlon great Greg Welch "Greg Stewart" twice in one paragraph, and an entire paragraph is repeated twice, but slightly differently phrased. This mars an otherwise classic 4-star book severely enough to merit a deduction from this Romanian judge; otherwise, it's a fantastic read that belongs on the shelf with Scott Tinley's own Triathlon: A Visual History (also marred by poor proofreading, but worthy of classic status).

I found this book to be insightful and very well researched. As a historian, I enjoyed the detail, and the photographs -- particularly the team pictures from each year -- added to the product.

During my highschool and college years, the K.C. Athletics were my team. Their less than remarkable history and Charlie Finlay's escapades are accurately captured in this book.

The title of this short review says it all: too much about Charlie Finley and Arnold Johnson, and not enuff about the players - you learn nothing about the players and the team in this book - you read all about stadium leases, concession revenues, deals to move to other cities, attendance figures, front office personnel salaries, etc. - I'm sure most A's fans didn't wake up eager to read the morning sports pages in Kansas City to read about attendance figures. What you DON'T get to know is the team - most players get, at the very most, a short paragraph or two, and some get nothing at all - you read some about the managers and coaches - there is no biographical info or anecdotal info on the players. Have you ever read a book and realize that the author isn't a professional writer? - you'll get that feeling with this book - about halfway thru, I realized I was reading about leases and concessions and revenues, and hardly NOTHING about the players. Readers, there is a reason why some books still are at their list price, years after they've been released, in paperback no less - this is why.

If you're a Philly, KC, or Oakland A's or hard-core baseball fan you should read this book. It's obvious that Rev. Peterson loved the KC A's and enjoyed his research in writing this book, and there was much research which into this book. Using Bill James' (Kansas native) Win Shares to value the dozens of trades made by the A's was quite interesting. It shows that the A's weren't quite the buffoons everybody thought that they were. Unfortunately several of the trades helped the Yankees in the short run, and the A's subsequently traded some of the players that they acquired and those players went on to good careers with other clubs.

I did find one or two factuals errors and one editing error. The book states that the expansion draft let each club designate 15 players of their 40 man roster to be eligible for the draft. Actually the clubs could protect 15 players from their 40 man roster. So the expansion clubs got to pick from the 16th best player on down from a team's 40 man roster. In memory serves after the first player was selected from your team, the original AL team could pull two more players back from being selected. The NL used a similar system one year later. Although dumping salaries weren't the issue that they would become in the expansion drafts of the nineties, many older players in the twilight of their careers were drafted by the expansion clubs (e.g., Bobby Shantz). Bobby had several nice years subsequent to expansion, but was essentially what today would be called a role player, but what a role player.

At first I was going to rate this book 4*, but decided to rate it 5* because it did retain my interest throughout the book and I looked forward to reading each succeeding chapter. It most definitely is an enjoyable read.

I grew up with the A's, moving to K.C. in 1961 when I was 8 years old. Although I love the Royals, the A's were my first team. This book brought back many memories and is well worth the cost. There are a few more typos and punctuation errors than I expected but these did not detract much from my enjoyment of the book. I have never seen this book for sale in K.C area book stores, so was thrilled to find out about this recently and aquired my copy from Amazon. Municipal Stadium was such a neat place to watch games - I'm glad I grew up watching the A's and Chiefs there. My dad was too cheap to park at the Sam's lots (but to his credit we rarely sat in general admission!), so he always parked in somebody's yard on Brooklyn Avenue. At least today you can still eat at Arthur Bryant's down the street, then go see the "info plaque" at 22nd & Brooklyn where the stadium was.

Ellington Darden worked for Nautilus for a number of years. I believe his Ph.D. is in nutrition. I found this book to be far superior to most other weight training books. The book explains the research behind Nautilus machines and performing only one set of each movement to exhaustion. Here are things this book will teach you: 1. One method of scientifically based weight training; 2. Proper form; 3. A lesson in anatomy and physiology as it applies to weight training. You might think this is not a lot but it's a lot if you've been wasting your time with fad training methods. One thing I remember in this book is how Darden describes how some football players get so strong that they may only need one weight training session per week. Some years ago, I cut back my weight training as he described and the strength gains I achieved still amaze me.

Take the guidlines that are supplied in this book and apply them and I guarantee you won't fail at your fitness goals. Increase the intensity of your workout by applying Dr.Ellington Darden's high intenisty principles and prepare to be amazed. I went from 14% body fat to 8% body fat in three months using his principles applied to nautilus machines. I also went from 190 lbs. to 215 lbs. A lean muscle mass gain of almost 35 lbs! That's with no supplements, just hard, intense work every other day, one set about 10-12 exercises.

This is an excellent book with which to train under. The Nautilus principles are high-quality guidelines which serve to help you gain the most efficiency from your workout.

I am new to Nautilus equipment and this book has been a big help. It explains how to use all of the machines and provides sample workouts. My only complaint about the book is that it gives the impression that Nautilus training is the only valid form of strength training. Many pages are devoted to explaining why other forms of exercise are not as good as Nautilus. This makes the book feel like one big commercial for Nautilus. If you are just starting an exercise program (like myself), this book is helpful, but read some other books to get less biased perspective.

The book was far more of a sales brochure for Nautilus equipment than I had expected. Perhaps even more disappointing was the mediocre quality of the instructions in Part II. I found the instructions no more detailed than those affixed to the sides of Nautilus machines at the gym.

Murray Sperber proves that a Ph.D from one of the most prestigious English departments in the United States doesn't translate into being a good writer. His research into the history of college athletics is outstanding but Sperber doesn't do enough to connect the dots. Sperber put together a collection of historical facts so disjointed that his theme doesn't always remain consistent throughout one chapter let alone a whole book.
For example, Chapter 47 is called "Magazines discover revisionism". Most people associate the word revisionism with holocaust deniers and legal scholarship that doesn't do justice to the intent of the framers. Sperber's examples include some deceptive articles but also some revolutionary articles. Putting two types of revisionism under one roof is confusing and how do deceptive articles slanted against college athletes reinforce Sperber's conclusion that the crisis in college sports evolved over several decades?

Murray Sperber has become one of my favorite authors. I really liked his first book, College Sports Inc., and also his second, Shake Down the Thunder. The first one focused on the problems in contemporary college sports, especially how schools lose money in it, and the second book showed the history of the phenomenon from the point of view of the only school that has actually made money in college sports, Notre Dame. Both books were very well-researched but, although Sperber is a college professor, he writes really well and always entertains and enlightens the reader.

Onward to Victory combines the best elements of Sperber's first two books--he exposes the scoundrels in college sports, particularly the NCAA, and also reveals the "true history" of the phenomenon. This book is set in the 1940s and 1950s, and again Notre Dame comes off very well--it never cheated because it could do so well and win by playing it straight. But the book is so much more--if you love stories about what crooks the sports media are and have always been, this book is for you.

At the end of this book, Sperber outlines his next one, Beer & Circus: The Impact of Bigtime College Sports on Undergraduate Education. I really look forward to that one. It's great that there is someone around like Sperber willing to puncture holes in the sanctimonious greedheads who run college sports and the media people who promote it so relentlessly.

I graduated from a school that now has an active movement towards moving up in Division 1-A football and another movement towards returning to "pure" non-scholarship sports. This book showed me that the worst abuses in college sports are well behind us.

The chapters about Red Blaik's Army powers and the post-college military teams were especially enlightening-showing how an emphasis on winning and power gets too far out of hand.

I like to watch college football and accept it for what it is-entertainment. But at least we are more "honest" today with the best players who are not serious students by allowing them to turn pro early.

Sperber's book showed me that while we have had little or no "reform"-we are at least more aware.

A good book on the progression of college athletics through the years. Sperber looks behind the scences in college athletics with somewhat of a true eye. The major problem with the book is the stories and references to ND. Several chapters are devoted to ND history. ND is a great school but I did not buy Onward to Victory to get a detailed history of ND.

Other than the overrun of ND stories a good not great book.

I read this hoping for an indepth analysis of all facets of the growth of college sports. But Sperber devotes at least half of the book to an analysis of Notre Dame (perhaps because it was easy research - driving from IU to South Bend). Every facet of his ND examples are covered in too much depth while his coverage of the incidents which publicity leads one to believe the book is really about, are cursory at best with little depth in the research behind the topics. I found myself skimming over all the ND examples while reading other topics - an easy one day read over all.

My review should probably be discounted because I know Katie, in fact the photo of her kicking the ball is one that I had taken for her. First about Katie, she is not the type of person to seek publicity for herself and she is an extremely honest person, integrity is important to her. I know her motive is to help young women (anyone for that matter) that have big dreams. I also know how hard the entire ordeal has been on her so I think writing the book was a bit of personal therapy for herself.

What I did not know when I bought the book was how well written it was. Katie has a journalism background and it showed as I thought she did a wonderful job of describing her roller coaster experiences. In fact I was a little surprised how well she weaved her story. To me her book told how people in leadership roles can mold an environment. Student athletes at CU are no more good or evil than student athletes at UNM, or anywhere else, but the leadership can make a difference when it comes to what behavior is accepted and prohibited. Leadership creates it's own sub-culture, and the book did a nice job of contrasting two very different sports sub-cultures.

Before my review, I've got several problems with the "statements" of the previous reviewer.

First, you didn't read the book. If have difficulty with such, please have someone help you with my comments.
Second, if you are to do a book review, you ARE supposed to read the book, not simply spew venom.
Third, I work in the justice system and am aware of the complexities of these types of cases. You obviously are stuck in some time warp where you expect women to follow your idea of set rules for reporting criminal acts, especially those of a sexual nature. Things are not as simple as your agenda indicates.

So let's talk about the book. It is a fine piece of writing. And it answered many behind the scenes questions I had about the situation in Colorado. I was especially interested to see how Ms. Hnida was attacked and smeared BEFORE the infamous press conference by Barnett. It seems to be a common thread in society- attack the victim if they dare speak out.

The book follows a clear path and story line about how Ms Hnida came to the university and tried to achieve her dreams, only to be assaulted verbally and physically. The despair she suffered was painful to read, as it is one seen so often in crime victims- whether it is a crime committed by a stranger or even a family member. It's been my experience that victims often are silent, afraid to speak out and often resort to destructive behaviors. She stayed strong. Then to read about her persistence to push forward was inspiring. The team and coaches of New Mexico who took Ms Hnida onto their squad are to be commended. I would hope their actions are the rule rather than the exception. I especially took offense about the "Texas" comments made by the Colorado coach, by the way.

I would recommend this book for all sports fans, parents, and would be athletes, especially young females. I hope other victims of violence find the courage to come forward. Ms Hnida is a true role model.

Before closing, a few more comments to the previous reviewer. Please read the book before commenting. Its called honesty,something you might learn from Ms Hnida.

And a correction of "facts". Ms. Hnida did not take a scholarship nor hold a scholarship from another player. She was a walk on. It is documented in the book from published news articles by Barnett, who called her the best kicker available in the list of potential walkons. And I'm still trying to figure out the "best friends" on the training staff comments. Players typically do not confide in non players, nor does the training staff participate or observe all that takes place on the field. And the rape took place in the off season. But then again, you would know that if you had read the book.

I find Ms Hnida far from being a "gutless coward". In the world of free speech, you are allowed to call people names like little kids do on the playground...... (even calling Neuheisel a "clown" was VERY mature).

Based on what I read, I'm sure Ms Hnida can handle your type. However, it is the other women who will still be uncomfortable and lack confidence in coming forward when attacked. You have tried to turn back the clock a few centuries. This book moves that clock forward. Kudos to the brave!

I first saw Katie Hnidea on television. Since I like books about women and sports, I knew I'd have to read this one. I must admit I was leery. So many stories of harassment fall into the "they done me wrong" whiny genre -- a boring waste of time. Remember Kelly Flinn, the USAF lieutenant who lost her career due to an adulterous affair? Her book did little to help her reputation; she came across as woefully naive.

But Still Kicking really is a football story. From the beginning, it's obvious that Katiei Hnidai is a real trooper. She just wanted to get on a Divison I team and play ball. She loved practices. She was a team player in every sense of the word. And she's used to being a winner: in high school, she played soccer and football, getting crowned Homecoming Queen at halftime, still wearing her shoulder pads.

Katie's a confident, strong woman. She describes growing up in a close, loving family, where her dreams were always supported. Living near Boulder, she wanted to play for U of Colorado. The head coach encouraged her but then took off for another job, leaving her to the not-so-tender mercies of a coach who would be fired following numerous allegations of rape and abuse associated with the players.

Katie really tried to fit in, but she was taken aback by insults, verbal abuse and what might delicately be called inappropriate touching. She came down with mononucleosis her freshman year and remained ill for a good part of her time in Colorado.

Eventually she ended up in New Mexico, a state where I used to live. She was fully accepted by the team and made friends there. She never became a starter and her time on the field was limited. But for a few all-too-brief years, she was an honest-to-goodness football player.

Without making an explicit statement, Katie lets us see how a coach's attitude can influence a team. Her Colorado coach wasn't crazy about women in general and Katie in particular. The New Mexico coach asked bluntly, "Why would there be a problem?" Players picked up their cues accordingly.

So what else could Still Kicking do?

Monday morning quarterbacking gets tricky, on and off the field. When the Colorado head coach left, it's easy to say, "She should have begun visiting other schools." Indeed, Katie considered talking to other universities. And she would have received a warm welcome. But she loved Colorado and didn't want to leave her home state.

As a career consultant, I've seen similar decisions in vastly different environments. "Go where you're wanted" should be the motto of every college applicant and career changer. In my own PhD program, one woman had turned down a generous fellowship to attend a program she felt was more prestigious -- like turning down a lower-ranked university to get a walk-on at a top Division I school. It's a risky strategy that rarely pays off.

But overall Katie comes across as solid and likeable, without an ounce of self-pity. She doesn't make excuses or waste time wishing her life had gone differently. She lets us glimpse life behind-the-scenes of a couple of college football teams, giving us the female perspective (I like her story of sharing a smelly weight room with a bunch of guys).

Perhaps because she's young, she delivers her story with a fresh, energetic, upbeat style that keeps the pages turning. I would have liked to see some more thoughtful discussion: "Looking back, I now see..." The first few chapters are cheery enough for a Walt Disney movie, broken only by her response to the Columbine High School tragedy.

But overall, I'm impressed with Katie's maturity. If she'd attended a university as a member of a women's basketball team, she'd have been guided with mentors. At U of Tennessee, each freshman gets assigned to a "big sister" on the team: it's like a big sorority. Katie had to forge her own path, keeping her own counsel. She was always "on." And she takes the experience in stride, performing like a pro.

Fans of women's sports and anyone interested in the role of women will want to read this book. At the very end we learn that about 2700 girls are playing on high school teams. Inevitably, some of them will sign up for college football.

That's reason enough to read Still Kicking.

This is the story of a woman who was the first female player on a Division I college football team. She achieved her dream of making the team at the University of Colorado, but she was nearly destroyed by the sexism, sexual harassment, and eventual sexual assault that she experienced in the now notorious Colorado football program. Hnida eventually transferred to the football program of Rocky Long at the University of New Mexico. In the supporting and accepting UNM football program she became the first woman to play and score in a Division I college football game. Her story not only describes the courageous struggle and triumph of a remarkable young woman, but also illustrates some of the very best, as well as some of the very worst, aspects of college football programs. The seemingly endless reports of coaches and schools condoning sexual harassment and covering up sexual assaults by college athletes can easily give the impression that all athletic programs are bastions of misogyny and sexual abuse. Hnida's description of Coach Long and her teammates at the University of New Mexico reminds us that this is not the case. Much to the contrary, their warm acceptance and unconditional support illustrate all that is good about college athletics.

Katie Inida's story of triumph over multiple adversities should inspire athletes of either sex and in any sport. It should also motivate university presidents and alumni groups to demand that their coaches and their athletic programs meet the standards set by Coach Long and the University of New Mexico.

THis is a story about a young lady who benefitted from a coach which allowed her on the team despite being the worst kicker on the team (I think his name was Neuheisal) and did not deserve to be there. She became a national figure with Gary Barnett's ill timed comments and then became a New Mexico media element. She obviously was not a good kicker as she was ONLY able to kick ONE extra point in seven years of Div 1 kicking.
The element that is disturbing is this: If in fact she was molested/raped, she has a CIVIL responsiblity to identify WHO, WHEN, HOW and prosecute the assailant. That would require a court case and potentially ruin her story if in fact it was proven to NOT BE TRUE. In today's society..we all have a responsiblity to report crimes.

This young lady never did anything to speak of in football and should not even have been there. When will men be able to try out for Field Hockey? Why is there a dual standard? Men cannot try out for womens sports; why is the reverse admissable/? Save your $$$ and buy Buffaloed. It is a much better read.

This is a solid, yet brief, introduction to long distance running. Their are good training programs inside for all distances from 5k to ultra-marathon. The focus of the training guides is more on time than on distance.

Another good book for those interested in long distance is the Non-runner's guide to marathon trainer. Good mental tips to keep yourself going.

I agree with the previous reviewers. This is a good book for us newbies. I learned about shoes, diet, and, most important, got a nice overview of a program to help me begin running and perhaps work towards loftier goals. I think it only took me an hour or so to get through this yet the example running plans to me are what I'll remember the most.

I am not so sure I would say buy this book since you skim it more than read it. I happened to see it in my local library. I am going to run copies of the training recomendations though. Great information, yes, but worth spending the money when I can run copies of the few pages I got the most out of? Maybe better to save my $$ for a more advanced book (if and when I get there).

I have been following 2 of the 6 training programmes in this book. The Level 1 programme is ideal for novices who are looking to get into running. Following the Level 2 programme I ran a 5k race within 6 weeks of starting training and was surprised at how well I did. After a one year hiatus from running due to an unrelated injury, I am looking forward to entering my 2nd 5k race in a few weeks. If you follow the training programmes in this book you will get excellent results.

Besides, the training programmes the book is filled with tips that go into as much detail as necessary for a novice runner. Topics include, diet, clothing and injuries. I feel that the upper level programmes lack the detail of those in the lower level.

I liked the training plans on this book. Personally, tables are easier to skim through than text or anecdotes. Plus it's a thin book and easy to carry around. Daniel's Book had a lot of stuff that overwhelmed me. This is truly a good beginner's guide because unlike other beginner books that just go on and on about how to choose the right shoe or what to wear or how life changing running can be...it gives you training tables. Something I'd like to know after I finally have the shoes. Unlike more advanced books...it doesn't talk about Lactate Tresholds, or give me instructions like run at 10K pace, VO2 Max.

If you don't like a lot of fluff, and you want to run a 1/2 or full marathon, I'd recommend this book. It covers the basics, a variety of training schedules (depending on your current level), and answers questions that new marathoner might have. It was a great reference for me as I trained for my first 1/2 marathon.

I've only been running for about a year, and I was afraid this book would be too technical, or too focused on competitive/marathon runners. But I've gone through this book with a highlighter time and time again finding helpful tips to make running safer, healthier, and more fun. It's a keeper!

I am a triathlete, and as such I am always searching for ways to increase both my endurance and my enjoyment of excersize. Joe Henderson, not only makes reading about running fun but offers some unique and worthwhile suggestions for even the serious athlete.

Hey if it isn't still fun to run then read this book and follow his advice. Before long you will wonder why did not think to make these changes earlier and save yourself some unproductive pain.

Also, many of these lessons transfer nicely into other sports so do not be afraid to try them out.

Like the other reviewers, I loved this book. It will keep you interested in running for a long time to come. Henderson makes sense.

But I want to make sure that serious runners know what the book is really about. It's not a book about developing a competitive edge--at least not in the normal sense. It's not about living on the edge--in terms of high mileage training. It's about not falling off the edge--that is, staying healthy and interested in running over the long haul.

As much as I loved the book, I couldn't give it 5 stars because right now I'm in the competitive mode, determined to qualify and run the Boston Marathon. I need more tough training right now than Henderson promotes.

Once I run Boston, I'll come back to this book and love it more than ever.

I had been running on and off for years. Injuries here and there and lack of motivation prevented me from attaining any consistency. Late 1996 I decided to run the Chicage Marathon in the fall of 1997, consequently shortly before my 40th birthday. Trying to prove to everyone and myself that I am not really aging. That even though I'm 40, I feel 25. Who am I kidding! I decided that I would become knowldegable on the topic and searched for running books on the amazon.com site. Joe's book came up in the list. I had heard about him in Runners World magazine so I decided to try the book. It totally changed my view of running. Run for FUN!! Run for your health not against your health. So many great tips on how to run but also a wealth of thoughts that changed my mindset that has allowed me to get past the boredom. I love each and every run and look forward to them with a new enthusiasm that I never had before. This book was a great investment in my future health. I will be a runner for life

This isn't it what it says. It's mostly reprints of Henderson's columns from Runner's World and other periodicals. As such, it's a good picture of his outlook, warts and all. Unfortunately, it's not as cohesive a perspective as it would be if it were a complete work. Henderson contradicts himself several times, and gives some genuinely bad advice, like training for marathons by running no more than half the distance (even he admits to barely finishing with this approach -- imagine what it would do to a novice!), and drinking soda or sugar water during endurance runs (this can be downright dangerous).

What good information there is to be had here is mostly quoted from Sheehan, Galloway, and others. This gives a good overview of some of the primary sources, but it's marred by Henderson's inconsistency and his obvious ego.

TJ and LJ were my specialties in high school and college, and I have been an avid technical student of the TJ and LJ events for over 20 years, as both an athlete and a coach. The Complete Book of Jumps is a book that I wish I would have found long ago. It's far and away the best text I've found on the subject of jumps.

This excellent book breaks down all phases of the jumps, ie: long jump, high jump, triple jump, and pole vault. The book discusses the science and technique of many successful jumpers throughout the world and breaks down each phase of the jump. There is also great training and conditioning information as well.

the book did not explain it clarel

Not only was this book easy to understand, but I went from "no 20 foot long jumpers" to having three that went over 21 feet. Great stuff on periodization. Easy to understand and easy to implement.

I was happily suprised by this book. I'm used to seeing general track and field books or "specialized" books that are nothing of the sort. This book, however, is wonderful. It covers all aspects of the long, triple, high and pole vault jumping events, form the first training day to the approach to the landing to the last day of season. In fact, it gives a comprehensive training plan for the whole year. Plus, "The Complete Book of Jumps" gives really good, clear explanation, complete with illustrations, of each of the jumps. It's definitely worth the money and the read, even for half the information it has!