Athletics Books

As a former teammate of Brads, I enjoyed reading of his antics and career moves in the sport. He writes well and conveys his message nicely. I'm looking forward to the sequel. Keep up the good work Brad!

A wild man!! The best years of my life were with Brad.

Well, one third of the book was written about his childhood, his junior life experience in high school and university which are .... nothing but common growing up experience to every one. Writing style is nothing exciting to write about.... 2 stars...

As with most books written by athletes, this book reeks of self-obsession. I had to put it down multiple times because I got so tired of reading about how good, smart, deserving, etc., he was. Contrary to many of the reviews on this site, it doesn't reveal anything particularly hilarious, stunning, or even that insightful. I'm not sure what I was expecting to get out of this book, but on the whole it was quite a disappointment. Buy it used or make sure you can sell it to someone else for a few bucks.

Sick of being told how to do this or that? This book is for you. Brad tells hilarious stories of his training, racing and traveling. You'll find yourself laughing out loud. Brad is one of the true characters of the sporting world.

I thought the book as a whole was very good. My expectations are kind of high for books like these, since a lot of the physiological knowledge is out there and available to people already. A book like this has to go the extra mile to inform its readers well. There is a more updated version available but I've read through both and didn't feel like it was missing anything. Plus it's now going for very cheap!

The explanations of the science behind exercise were enlightening, I've read Clyde Soles' Training for Peak Performance and there was a lot of overlap on the concepts. Clyde gives better information on heart rates, but this book definitely has more information altogether, diving for pages and pages into nutrition, aerobic, anerobic, periodization, etc. The training plans are excellent goal-based programs, although some seem too aggressive w/ comparison to the activity. The authors are striving, however, to make sure they give the right advice, so they advocate a balanced workout to prevent chronic tightness and injuries from neglecting antagonist muscle groups and from lack of stretching. The information on warming up and treating one's weaknesses makes it worth buying the book. Since it's so inexpensive, if you don't know much about the fundamentals (as understood by current sports science) then get this book.

Love the book and it's advice but yes, it IS technical and there is alot to go through. Great for general guidelines and specific advice on particular sports and exercises. Plenty of stuff you can do at home if you don't have access to a gym. I'd recommend it to anyone in training!

This book is an excellent reference and strategy resource. There is tons of information ... almost overwhelming. You need to be able to sift through it to fit your goals. The books helps you to define and articulate your goals - this is a CRITICAL step if you want to get the most from this book. Without your goals, you will be overwhelmed with the wealth of information.

What do I mean? For example, this was my goal: To develop a SOLID fitness base (cardio, general strenght, lean-ness). Secondly, I want to also be able to perform successfully and effecitively on my bi-annual hikes to the White Mountains. Thirdly, I want to be in general shape for sports I like (basketball, mountain biking, and martial arts). Finally, I want to have a great build. Although this book does not talk about bodybuilding (you may need to supplement your knowledge with another book on bodybuilding), it implied that I can view bodybuilding as a "sports specific" goal. In other words, when summer is around the goal, this book showed me some ways to plan for this accordingly without sacrificing my general goals, at least from a planning perspective. Either you can wing it, or you can plan for it ... this book is great for the planning, and is very academic.

As a result, I have a plan to get in the best shape I've ever been in about 2-3 months (my Build Base Phase). By Feb/Mar of 2001, I will shift gears to get ready for my spring hike (My Sports Specific phase). When that's done, summer is near, so I'll start building some muscle and size for those hot, shirtless days (My 2nd Sports Specific phase). Again, as fall draws near, I will get back into hiking shape (Sports Specific phase), complete my excursion, and then repeat the cycle, as required, as needed (General Maintenance).

This book gave me practical ideas on how to plan for general fitness, sports specific performance, with a good degree of organization and rationale. But I had to definitely SIFT THROUGH IT ALL AND USE MY HEAD!

Some constructive criticism: I value the information on functional strength, i.e., although you can military press 100 lbs, that exercise does not directly "functionally" transfer to muscular performance needed to lift my bike onto the roof of my car. So, you must practice with more functionally specific exercises to get that performance. However, although many functional exercises are discussed, some of the descriptions don't explain the execution very well.

I would not recommend this to beginners ... it's like a reference guide for the experienced.

The book is clear and describes a lot of interesting exercises but doesn't translate into a realistic program.

For instance, in the chapter on "Backpacking, Hiking and Snowshoeing" you are supposed to work up to a routine of 23 exercises. Since most of these are for 2-3 sets of 12+ reps, if you take six seconds per rep, this works out to 55 minutes of actual exercise time--not including any rest intervals or time to switch weights, etc. Seems like a lot of time to train for, well, walking.

A good book for choosing rehab & injury prevention exercises, but I wouldn't base a whole fitness routine on it.

John

The word "comprehensive" seems very fitting for "Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness" because the volume packs in a lot of background information on physiology as well as specific training regimens for particular outdoor sports. I particularly value the icons for different sports used to identify exercises that are particularly valuable for the sport you are preparing for. The final chapters provide focused training regimens for specific sports, which are cross-referenced to the exercise descriptions found in other parts of the book. The book also provides valuable tips on functional exercises that focus on combinations of muscle groups to achieve more practical training than the muscle isolation process used in many weight training machines. All in all, this is one of the very best I've seen for sport-focused training.

Son used it for college and really thought it was a great book. He now is a long distance runner, so something worked!!!!!
Plus written by Bowerman - Oregon's coach of Steve Prefontaine....well, we know PRE got the benefit from this man!!!!

I'm a hurdler and this book provided me with lots of excersizes and times that I should be running.

A very easy to read and follow book on Bowerman's philosophy of training in track and field. A common sense approach that is refreshing.

When I started coaching track as a graduate assistant at a small Division 3 school, I really needed some help creating workouts for my athletes. I found this book to be extremely useful in its content with regards to workouts, sprint/hurdle/field techniques, etc. Of course, it is esstential that you have some type of track and field experience in order to understand what is being presented in the book. Every coach has their own style of presenting workouts. Fortunately, I have experience running track at a Division 1 level school--so I found it easier to use the workouts in accordance with my own style. Don't forget though--as a coach, you need to take into consideration the level of athlete you are dealing with (ie. no experience, some, elite level, etc). Basically you can use these workouts to fit the level of your athletes. I really liked how the authors incorporated an entire year of workouts for every event in track and field. Overall, I thought it was a good investment for any coach at a highschool or college level.

There are almost no illustrations of the movements described in this book. There is some good information but I think they are assuming you are already an experienced coach and have seen all these complex movements they talk about. if you are a novice looking for some detailed descriptions of the training movements, along with pictures, this is not the book for you.

The good thing about this book is that it lays out a very rational plan for speed improvement with pre-testing and needs evaluation. The organization of the workouts is a little complicated, though, leaving the reader to constantly refer to separate tables in different parts of the book. Some of the form exercises are pretty dated as well.

March 3, 2004

Reviewer: George R. Colfer, PhD.


After reading two mixed reviews from 2002 and 2004, I decided to read and review this book. Considering who the book was written for (i.e., young athletes), I would recommend it as a Resource and Guide for Speed Improvement. No book is ever perfect for all audiences regardless of size, length or type. When I see a title for "young athletes," I usually hold my breath as most imitate what works only for highly skilled athletes. The first thing I liked about the book was the introduction including "How to use the book" (pg. 11) and Chapter 1, which offers assessment to determine readiness for certain components of the workouts. Another example was regarding Plyometrics (pg. 90) where the author states a leg strength requirement and who by age level should avoid plyometrics, although I would rather see this at the beginning of the section as many youngsters "do" and don't read. Dr. Dintiman is very knowledgeable and also proven in the area of speed and running improvement. He has a much higher level book now in it's 3rd or 4th printing. Speed Improvement for Young Athletes is readable and follows a "how to do it" approach without a lot of "hype." My experience with speed is that it first requires self-motivation. There is a lot of material and equipment necessary which is why I think a youngster following this program would need the guidance of a coach, very knowledgeable parent or as part of a camp or clinic-type setting. The information and programs are proven to be effective with no doubt. Implementing them from reading about them may require some assistance as Dr. Dintiman mentions in the introduction (pg. 11-#1). Speed endurance is a relatively new term and is well covered in Chapter 7, but a more complete definition may be helpful. In the next edition, I would recommend updating some of the strength training photographs and I would find an index at the end to be very helpful. However, these do not detract from the content and program construction of the book (i.e., the 30 workouts), which achieves the author's purpose.

Dr. Dintiman, an international authority on speed improvement, has produced a much needed text which offers excellent instruction on how to improve sport specific sprinting speed. What makes this book unique is that it is the first text specifically geared to the young athlete. The concepts in the text are based on internationally accepted research and proven instructional methods. The assessment program offered by the author is finely tuned to specifically uncover the young athlete's strengths and weaknesses. This allows valuable training time to be focused on specific points of identified weaknesses. Speed Improvement For Young Athletes: How To Sprint Faster In Your Sport In 30 Workouts, is a must purchase for any coach, parent, or individual who desires to produce a faster and quicker young athlete.

I purchased this book to brush up on speed training and the latest techniques so I could train my son and some soccer teamates. I have done speed training myself years ago and was familiar with the methods. This book cuts out the fluff and tells you exactly what to do and why. The author does a good job of explaining how to apply the training to younger athletes and at what age each technique is appropriate. The step by step training course outlined is terrific. My only complaint is that not enough emphasis is put on sprintng technique/posture and how to improve it. My experience has been that poor technique/posture is often the biggest problem for young athletes and luckily I already knew quite a bit about technique. A few more photos and details on proper sprinting technique would really help. Overall, the book is very good and we are achieving great results using the workouts.

Eleven of my age group soccer kids completed the 30 workouts in this book in ten weeks. After seeing the improvement in acceleration and speed, the other 8 team members and their parents are sorry they didn't join in. The 30 workouts alone are worth the price of the book. You don't need a sports science background. If you are looking for a "just do-it" approach that improves speed in short sprints, this book is for you. The book cuts to the chase. There is no need to dig out anything. Everything that is included is important and the program works.

There are plenty of good tips for the past 50 swimmer, although the book is light on technique. Excellent for the swimmer dealing with injury and any older swimmer curious about how to set up an effective workout.

I was somewhat dissapointed in this book but by the same token taken by pleasant surprise regarding certain aspects of the book. It is not great on technique and the mechanics of swimming; for that lack of information I was dissapointed. To the authors credit he tells you right out the gate that this is not what you will find in this book and suggests some other books. This was helpful. The information regarding various excercises that can be done in the gym to help your swimming was excellent and most beneficial. Being a very average recreational swimmer I found this helpful for taking that next step using swimming as a cardio vascular excercise routine. All in all I enjoyed this book on what to do out of the water. Recommended for seniors looking to better understand the physical aspects of swimming and how to improve your overall conditioning .

I just started swimming and was expecting some " how to swim better" tips. This book is more about the next level, which is not bad, just not what I expected. It focuses on swimming's effect on the body, which is informative, but is mostly focused on comeptition etc. Not useful for a novice.

Be warned -- this book is aimed more at serious swimmers, those largely with competitive urges, than at the fitness swimmer who is interested primarily in the health benefits of swimming as exercise.

The authors are explicit about their purpose. They state: "Swimming Past 50 is not a 'learn to swim' book. [It] covers in more depth the benefits of an intense, structured training program, in order to prepare for competition."

I swam competitively in high school, 45 years ago. Recently, I decided to get back into swimming as an additional mode of exercise beside the running I've done for nearly 50 years. Because of the long time away from swimming, I felt I needed some guidance. I have on my shelf two books from this same series: "Weight Training Past 50" and "Running Past 50." I found both of those helpful for someone with my interests. I thought that "Swimming Past 50" would be the same kind of book.

However, I discovered that the book centers on serious training, with distances on the order of 3000 to 4500 yards per workout. Now, I don't have the time for that kind of training commitment, nor the interest in working through the multiple levels of training cycles described (multiyear, annual, macrocycle, microcycle, and workout -- one or two per day!!), nor the cascades of sets of laps at different paces, etc., etc., that this book describes and recommends.

If you are interested in being this kind of serious swimmer, as opposed to someone (like me) who only wants a less impactful form of exercise, perhaps you will find this book useful. I give it only three stars to emphasize that the raves it gets from other reviewers need a touch of circumspection.

Mel understands every aspect of serious swimming and is able to communicate his life's experience with the sport in an understandable and enjoyable way. As a fellow US Masters swimmer, I especially apprecitate his knowledge of what it takes to get faster on a continuing basis through an understanding of stroke mechanics and training.

Well written. Easy to understand. Good remainder for coaches who forget who they are coaching for and why they are coaching youth football.
Good reading for any coach just starting or who have just a couple of years under their belt

For a coach, the first 3 chapters were not needed. The rest of the book provided great insight and help with the game.

This is my first year coaching and I found my knowledge of the game,and conditioning and prep drills lacking. This book may be too simple for those that have played the game a lot and are more than arm-chair quarterbacks.
I found the breakdown of practice sessions helpful because they stressed the different areas of the game but kept the pace moving to help keep the kids from getting bored.
This does not contain a playbook and if you are looking for this you might be disappointed.

This is an okay book, but the first half of this already thin ( about 120 pages 10"x7") book is just about something most guys who watch or have played football will already know. How wide is the field? How long is it? What's an even versus an odd defense? And so on.

The second half is very dilute, which is the real meat of coaching football. If you are an absolute novice, then buy this book. If you can get it free somewhere or very inexpensive, then it's worth a quick glance, but it is not a book you go back to over and over after the first reading, in my opinion.

Good luck to you coaches ... and remember the priority:
1. Children Safety
2. Build character
3. Win football games within spirit and letter of rules

I've been coaching now for a couple of seasons and ran across this book. I decided to buy it, and a few others to add to my library. I feel like as a coach you can never learn too much, and this one seemed interesting.

I bought 4 books that day, but read this one first. I should have read it last because it made the other 3 look and sound retarded. Worst yet, it made me look stupid for buying them. The information provided in this book was absolutely great and very instructive. It really starts you off from the absolute basics of coaching, which can come across as a little condescending if you know anything about football. But quickly takes off into a world of information, some which you probably already knew but forgot over time.

It literally takes you by the hand and walks you through the process of getting through an entire season, from the first practice, how to handle parents, through team meetings, right into the seasons games. I highly recommend any coach that is working with youth teams (Jr. High and below) to take a look at this gem and get as much as they can from it.

I found this book very helpful when I decided to incorporate stretching/strengthing to my workout routine without having to sign up for a costly class. There is a learning curve and anyone using this book should be prepared to take some time to learn the stretches - it won't happen overnight. The stretches are clearly described in a step-by-step manner with pictures and "easing the stretch" options to help people of all fitness levels. I particularly appreciated the 30 minute routines so I didn't have to decide which stretches to perform in what order. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

This is not a book for beginners! The exercises start at a challenging level and get harder. The illustrations are excellent but the prose is too much to read while trying to follow the instructions. There is no remedial instruction for someone who is having trouble with a particular stretch. All in all, a beautiful choice for advanced stretch or yoga enthusiasts only.

I was looking for a stretching programme which would supplement my weightlifting workout. This does not appear to be the book. I would have preferred stretches which would target specific aching muscles.

The word "yoga" is not mentioned anywhere in the title or on the covers of the book, but make no mistake, every "stretch" in this book is a yoga posture. This twist of labelling, however, doesn't take anything away from the fact that this is an excellent reference on how to stretch your body _using_ yoga postures. The book is entirely focused on increasing flexibility and fitness: No long discourses on chakras, spirituality, or benefits of a vegetarian diet in here; just detailed instructions on how to stretch in each pose accompanied by high-quality, annotated photographs that clearly show the correct body configuration. Note also that this is NOT a book that talks about the physiology of stretching or Golgi reflexes or the phys-ed approach to stretches. Go elsewhere for that kind of information. The stretches in here aren't designed to help you isolate a particular muscle so the descriptions are all high-level (e.g. "lumbar spine", "hip", "neck").

As one reviewer has already noted, the poses (even in the beginner sequence) are advanced. Fortunately, the authors explain and illustrate ways to make the poses easier using props with each description of the posture. Here's where my one nitpick comes in: if you look in the back of the book under "Stretching for Sport", you'll find that the authors are shown using props to ease stretches in ways that weren't covered back in the main section of the book (e.g. there's a way to ease the Inverted Stretch using a chair instead of a wall). It would have been great if descriptions for these other prop uses could have been included in the description chapters, but the pictures are clear enough that you can figure out what to do regardless.

I have a couple of yoga books and videos, but this is the reference I keep coming back to when I want to make sure I've got the posture right or find another way to stretch my hamstrings.

Complete stretching is filled with easy to follow color photos, gently paced work outs and stretches for specific situations (tennis, running, relaxing, topping up energy, etc.) I substantially increased my strength and flexibility over a several month period starting with the basic stretch work out. The classic sun salute of yoga is shown in easy to follow pictures - and is a great a.m. work out. In addition to stretching and strengthening tight muscles, if performed continuously it is quite aerobic. I have recommended this book to many people of all ages and everyone who uses it loves it.

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).