Sports and Recreation Books

This book is full of good ideas for making the ordeal of packing easier. I have implemented some of those ideas for my recent trips and it has made my life easier.

Very useful book. Perhaps a litte too much detail, but the universal packing lists, esp. for children. are excellent. I now have an index card with a packing list for my daughter which makes things a lot easier.

The one thing I dread about traveling is dragging my heavy luggage around. I appreciated the author's solid tips on packing lighter. I'm going to try her bundle packing method in 2 weeks and believe it will work just great. I appreciated her lists and pointing out the things I probably could leave behind. She also listed many websites where I could review and buy luggage and packing accessory items. If I follow her advice I think my next vacation will be a little more pleasant than previous ones. Thanks!

All my life I have yearned for some unknown knowledge. Feeling incomplete, I began at an early age to selfishly take in as much information as possible. I read everything I could get my hands on, encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks, but nothing could quench this thirst. That is until I found this book. I still remember the day fate brought it to me. Opening its crisp pages I began to take in its glorious advice. Immediately captivated, I read the book uninterrupted from cover to cover, twice. Hours later, as I reluctantly closed the book, I breathed a sigh of relief. My soul at rest, I put down "The Packing Book: Secrets of the Carry-on Traveler".

First, decide you're ready to travel hassle-free (or as close to it as possible). Next, visualize your perfect carry-on travel wardrobe. Author and packing expert Judith Gilford makes it all a breeze in this readable, oddly interesting handbook. She includes specific lists to jumpstart your thinking about packing for business, vacation and special itineraries - adventure, business or cruise travel, for instance. She offers great tips, from how to pack a layered bundle to keep your clothes wrinkle-free to the best practices for stain removal. getAbstract recommends her guidelines if you want to be able to travel light and still have everything you need upon arrival.

This is a good book for overview and good for beginners to martial arts. But you will not find any practical hints. On the other hand although I found only one sentence useful in the book, it is worth to buy and read this book for this only sentence.

As a meditator and Urantia Book reader who has been interested since some time ago in the development of 12 senses as suggested in:

"The average special physical-sense endowment of human beings is twelve, though the special senses of the three-brained mortals are extended slightly beyond those of the one- and two-brained types; they can see and hear considerably more than the Urantia races." The Urantia Book[49:4.3]

It was a real surprise for me to find in this most profound book by Bruce Frantzis that:

"In Eastern thought, humans have two different kinds of senses -external and internal...However, most people are unware of the more subtle capacities of their correspondent internal or psychic sense, those that enable them to access and use chi's most subtle qualities"pag319

In fact before reading this excellent book I already had envisioned these 10 senses, I had called the Cosmic sense, and additionally I had already envisioned the "spiritual essence of the Who I Am", as a sense, the sense of the Being... and that sense that permitted Ancient Taoists envisioned unity in duality, represented in their yin-yang symbol, the dialogic sense, making them the 12 senses described in UB.

Another thing that has liked me the most in this book is the use of synergy instead of entropy in manipulating the inner energy, something that explains why in the West there is a great need of a paradigm schift that include not only the outer senses, but also the inner senses to make a better approach to Eastern Inner science.

I highly recommend this book!!!

A well presented book that outlines a breathing technique that is simple but extremely effective. I purchased this book after having purchased and read Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body. I have practiced TM meditation for 33 years and Tai Chi for 15 years. Bruce offers a new and freshing approach to these valuable techniques for self development.

Bruce Kumar Frantzis is awesome, both as a teacher, and as a lucid writer. The Power of Internal Martial Arts and Chi is a well written tome that interlaces Frantzis' personal history with the history of a wide variety of the martial arts, from karate to bagua, and is an excellent introduction into the martial and healing arts. I highly recommend it for the novice as well as the seasoned martial artist. It is definitely a book that inspires and motivates.

This is an amazing book in my opinion and it goes into great detail about every aspect of the 3 main Internal Martial Arts of China.
Everyone with an interest in studying Tai Chi should read this book!
My review is based on an earlier version of the book which I purchased a few years ago.

I have been studying Yang Style Tai Chi for 6 years now in Northern Ireland and more recently, Wu Style Broadsword and I have found that good teachers are few and far between.
I have very been lucky to find 2 good teachers!

I have 5 of Bruce's books now, a video and some DVD's ~ I refer to them on a regular basis for tips, but mainly for inspiration, when the circumstances of life prevent me from practicing as regularly as I would like.
The book that this review is concerning is excellent in that respect ~ it demonstrates the immense possibilities of what one can achieve by training their own body and mind & this process ultimately gives one access to their spirit and to their higher spiritual qualities.

All of Bruce's work is so multi-faceted ~ you will get what you need depending on your level of experience and understanding ~ this is something that you feel after a lot of practice, rather than a mere intellectual understanding ~ next time you read, you will pick up something new and so on and so forth.

Just like regular practice of a form ~ if you are really focusing on what you are doing, you pick up on very subtle qualities each time you practice and that information can be used to improve your form & help you reach higher levels of perfection.

This book has developed in me, an interest in studying Ba Gua Chang, which I hope to get into in a few years time, after I perfect my current Tai Chi and Broadsword forms.

When I read Bruce's books, I feel myself "like a small baby" (in the words of the immortal T.T.Laing)
The amount of knowledge contained in this and his other books is phenomenal!!!

My advice? ... BUY IT ... it will become one of your best friends on your life-long journey of discovering your true potential.

This is the third year in a row I have bought the Football Prospectus book, and still delivers. This is a must for any fan, and gives so much in depth information. I have watched and played football all my life, and this book still gives insight to many different things.

Not only for regular fans, this is also great for people who play fantasy football, and gamble on football as well.

I highly recommend this, and any future versions that the Football Outsiders guys put out.

As always a great read for any football fan. The in depth essays and analysis show interesting trends behind the scenes. The chapters on teams and the profiles on players are so much fun to read through. Some of the research they've only started on looks to have very promising new material for next year as well.

This is the best, independently produced volume about pro football. The author and his team has have put much effort and research into this book and it is very detailed regarding the NFL teams and their stats.

A comprehensive guide of all 32 NFL teams, it is a must for any football fan.

Not quite as staggeringly awesome as the baseball version of the Prospectus, but a great, great reference for the upcoming NFL season. It is interesting to see that there are metrics that can be applied to football just like the ones used in baseball, and the Football Outsiders do it better than anyone. If you're looking for predictions on the whole season, your team, or just some prep for your fantasy league, this book is for you.

This is the 4th year Aaron Schatz and company have published a prospectus and they have become the best football analysts whose information is publicly available. they introduce statistical analysis in a very useful fashion that allows you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your favorite teams and players. You can check out their work at footballoutsiders.com. They don't cover college football too much so this is mostly for NFL fans.

This was the best book I ever read. It helped me relize all the stuff that gose on in RJ. And as I big fan, and still am, I was stoked! Wow, all RJ fans or soon to be RJ fans should read this book!

For those who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 60's and early 70's will enjoy this book especially if you were a fan of Roller Derby. It brings back so many memories of all those skaters who gave me their entertainment best. Like pro-wrestling, Roller Derby became more of a sports-entertainment over the years but the performers were still top-rate athletes. A great read.

I can't think of someone more qualified to write on this subject. I was going to read it and then I said to myself, "Why bother?" :) Great title!

It's surprising a book is out there--what's more surprising is that it's entertainingly written. You just can't put it down. Full of great stories and beautiful photos. Includes a section on RollerJam that is very informative. If you ever watched the Bay Bombers week after week, you must get this one!

I enjoyed reading about a time that I remember & the people I idolized. I would have liked a little more info on some of the past stars such as Gerry Murry, Gene Gammon, The Atkinson's, Ken Monti, LuLu Palermo & other skaters from that era. However, I did enjoy the book & so did my mother. We used to go to the Armory in NYC every Thursday night. It was our night out together. The pictures & history were great.

I was looking for ideas on simple structures for the homestead. The book is a bit dated, but you have to go back to find simple, uncomplicated ideas. We have grown so accustomed to specialized fasteners, tools and other hardware. Building a simple shed can be expensive when you have to buy materials. We have an abundance of raw materials and this book provided some ideas towards cost effective structures.

This book is great! I would recommend this to anyone 12+, because the shelters are quite hard to build. It is excellent for boy scouts. I got this for Christmas and in my troop were starting on plans already! Great for any wilderness lover and I recommend all the related books!
1/16/08

I know that most people will find this book to be anything but "green" however, I found this concept to be perfect in a world that sometimes forgets what it is like to be young at heart. Some of the shelters are not safe and one should always supervise young children who if left alone will build forts and such, yet there is a certain allure about thinking you are back in time and surviving on your own wits. Great ideas for survival campouts or if you like getting out "there" and just might once or twice get too far out "there" and find yourself in the need of an overnight shelter. Loved the book and will use or adapt many of the detailed plans.

This book is great! I would recommend this to anyone 12+, because the shelters are quite hard to build. It is excellent for boy scouts. I got this for Christmas and in my troop were starting on plans already! Great for any wilderness lover and I recommend all the related books!
1/16/08

This book is geared towards building structures that were used by outdoorsmen from years past. It covers how to make a bed from natural materials, a log cabin, Native American log house, and how to work an axe just to name a few topics covered in this book. The drawings of the dwellings in the book are simple (but not in depth plans or charts). The author does a great job of explaining how to construct these devices, but as I said a drawn picture is all your going to get if your a visual learner. Over all the book does what it says it will do, gives the reader good information, and I personally wouldn't be caught dead without it if I was trapped in the middle of nowhere by myself.

I don't believe, and will probably never believe, that there is any place as magical and life-changing as summer camp. I have been going to camp for years, and still am; the moments I have spent at my summer camp are without a doubt the best of my life. It is only natural, then, that I would want a book like this on a cold winter's day so I can be transported back to the wonder and perfection of a swim in the lake or a talent show cheer. And with hundreds of huge photographs, quotes, songs, and stories, this book does just that... beautifully!

Color wars, socials with boys, campfires, swimming tests, arts and crafts, inside jokes, an entire dining room full of singing children... these are the images of camp, so clear and vibrant all through this book. Countless dozens of topics are addressed fondly here, as memories that really can and do define people's childhoods. I see photos here from the 1920s, '30s and earlier, yet everything still seems so familiar and each smiling face feels like someone I have met. I never dreamed anyone could be as serious about their summer camp as I am, and yet here are memoirs from women who may be great-grandmothers now, reaching out to anyone who shares their sleepaway passion.

This book is geared toward grown women but I, a teenager, can sympathize with every page and I know my camp friends will too. Laurie Susan Kahn has made a big, thick slice of nostalgia that will bring back memories for those who can no longer attend their beloved camp. This is its target, but I think it also strikes a chord with current campers who need some hope and history to get them through the school year, while they count the days until the days are at their longest. This book focuses only on all-girls' camps but girls from coed camps will enjoy it nonetheless. Even if these aren't the exact traditions that were carried out, all who take a peek at this can relate to its tugging at the heartstrings.

The whole big volume is moved along with sentimentality, many different viewpoints, and a sense of humor. Most people who love summer camp like this will not realize that anyone else felt the same way until they open this book. It's like an affirmation that you're not completely crazy, much like camp itself, where it's okay to be crazy and you'll still be accepted. The quotes scattered throughout say so much in few words ("Camp was my heaven and my escape"). Everyone who reads this will feel an urge to show it to their camp friends immediately.

I can't stress enough how amazing and heartwarming the book is for any female camper, past or present, and from the other reviews on here I'm clearly not the only one who has been touched by it. Every camp-lover's shelf should have a treasured place for this; mothers should share it with daughters and vice-versa. It should, and no doubt will, remain close to the hearts of the women and girls who read it--curled up in front of the fireplace at Christmas, or in cabins in July with the very friends and giggles they cannot live without.

This is the true story about the girls who had the good fortune to spend their summers in the most idylic settings to be had. The specific camp didn't matter, for all of them share the same values. I have sent this book to many of my camp friends and all have been most enthusiastic!

This book is a beautiful creation that will deeply touch any woman with wonderful camp memories. I couldn't put it down until I had studied every photo, read every caption, and ordered a copy for my best camp friends. I felt like a recognized the face of each and every girl in this timeless tribute. Kahn has complied a scrapbook for all of us to remember suntanned summers swimming in the lake and joyously eating burnt food from the fire.

I have had a copy of this book for three years now - and it the favored book by our CITs at resident camp. Several have received it as a graduation gift and they pass it around and around and around the unit. No matter what camp you go to - some things are universal.

I went to a camp in the Pocanoes for 12 years, my daughter now goes to this very same camp! 90 years!! This summer, while spending a week with other alum from my camp, "Sleepaway" was recommended to me. This book, from cover to cover, perfectly summed up all our camp experiences. There are many, many pictues of campers all the way back to the early 1900's...very neat to see what camps looked like back then! We were excited to see our camp in there!

This is a gritty story of one mans hardships that he overcame to achieve the American Drean. He became the Lightweight World Champion in spite of his ordeal. Complete with many cultural and legal conflicts Jesus Chavez or Gabriel Sandoval's story is uplifting and should be required reading for many young people. The road is not always easy but hard work and perseverance will get you through even the most difficult of times. He went to prison, he was sent back to Mexico twice to truly be a stranger in a strange land both here and there. It is a remarkable story that should be told and heard by many. My only problem with the book is that it ends rather abruptly. Especially recommended for young people but all can learn from this inspiring story. This book would make a great addition to a middle school, high school or community library. Check it out, it'll knock you out.

Fans of boxing will find the biography of boxer Jesus 'El Matdor' Chavez inspiring: he grew up impoverished in Mexico, became an illegal worker in Chicago, and learned both English and the boxing skills which would make him a three-time Gold Glove champion in years ahead, eventually arising to win the Lightweight Championship in 2005. His struggles and achievements come to life in an outstanding survey of boxing challenges and immigrant issues alike.

Really a fantastic book. My husband and I recently started watching boxing and have really enjoyed it which made me want to read this book. I am a girl's girl, but I have to say, this is one of the best books I've read! STANDING EIGHT is about amazing grit, courage and true will, overcoming adversity like you've never imagined. WOW!

I was more than pleasantly surprised when I read this book. I initially bought it as a fan of the writer, but quickly got enthralled in the story. I read this book in two days and loved every minute. I recommend it to anyone who has any interest in boxing or latin american history.

The book is the tale of a young mexican boy who like and comes to America
searching for a good life... and following his dream. He chooses boxing as a way to stay out of gangs/drugs/violence and so on. He ends up in prison, but gets out and eventually becomes a legendary boxing world champion. Cool deal...

Yessiree, I give it 5 stars as a running book. I was finding I was docking some books and CDs; because I approached it like, is it perfect enough to get the highest rating like a Shakespeare play or a symphony?

I go with the genre it belongs too; and too, I'd say those who have had substance abuse/alcohol problems would find it inspiring too; cause Dick became addicted to pain killers; and did some things; that were indeed wrong.

It's a good book for athletes, cause Dick's body did start to break down some; even away from his being prone to some bad accidents. It makes me ponder, we hear about so many athletes who later end up being not in the best shape because of their sports career, say like Larry Bird. It makes you think, it's great to run that great Boston Marathon in '82; but is it worth it in the long run.

I agree, the book may have minor blemishes, might be choppy in parts in the latter half of the book, but it shouldn't keep anyone from reading it, indeed, some of this could have been expanded on.

It's a good book, kind of for your couples too; I mean, I admire his wife, Maureen, for staying with Dick; for her care, love and also standing up to him some.

I definitely, would like to read "Duel in the Sun" to continue reading on Mr. Beardsley, really, along with his rival at the Boston Marathon, Alberto Salazar and along with "Pre" Prefontaine himself; there certainly is more to read on these famous track runners from America.

As Dean Karnazes' book UltraMarathon Man is getting to be compulsory reading for Greeks (but not only them of course), I think Minnesotans and those from the surrounding areas should read this one, especially if they are interested in the sport.

Beardsley reminds me a bit of the great American cyclist from the turn of the century (meaning near 1900) Major Taylor, in that his glory descended into lows.

After going through this book, I am still contemplating parts of it and how we and history will see Dick, but I definitely would wish him and his family the best. Some parts of it, really are astonishing; and it is astonishing as a whole. He certainly has given a lot to the Marathon.

I have heard Dick Beardsley speak and he is awesome. I purchased his book to give for gifts at Christmas time. He has persevered through the toughest of obstacles and is still standing with his wife by his side!

My husband is a marathon runner & enjoys reading. We have met Dick Bearsley when we ran the Detroit Lakes Half marathon. My husband really enjoyed this book. He learned alot about Dick Beardsley & his marathons.

Very well written book! It shows the high and low of Dick Beardsley's running career and life. It is a very quick read, with no slow sections. It might be the best book about running that I have read.

This book is about the life of a runner named Dick Beardsley. It talks about his life goals in running and how he got into a bad habbit of using pain killers. The book takes place in the mainland, and not in a certain place because he traveled a lot to race. See i am a runner so i like the book because it gave me the motivation to go on when the going gets tough. If i compare this book to other book i would say it is not the best running book i have read but, it is better than the other types of books i have read. I think if you are a runner you will really like the book cause it teaches you to be tough in a race and some pointers on how to run marathons. If you do not run i dont think you will have a strong liking with this book. It can get kind of boring a some parts, but the parts that tell about his races really made me want to read on, so if you are a runner i think this book is better for you than if you are not a runner. So be a runner!

I remember Ralph Miller's Oregon State teams while growing up in the Midwest. I rarely got to see them play on Television(no cable), but when I did, there was something about the way they played that made me want to play like them. As I grew up, I realized it was the fundamentals, limited turnovers, uptempo transition game with a disciplined offense that were the keys. They played the game the way it should be played. When I came across Mr. Seidler's book/tape, I just had to see what Ralph Miller's "secrets" were. As I read and watched the tape, I soon found out that it was the system that made the difference. Not one or two things that a coach plucks out of the book. That was engrained into my head by numerous e-mails with Mr. Seidler. He kept telling me to re-read and continue to watch the tapes. As I did, things became clearer and I began to see how the whole system worked. I began to see a little of what Coach Miller had spent 40 years working to perfect. Now I'm starting to teach it to my players and were getting results. It's simple, fundamental and proven. I'd highly recommend this to ANY coach at ANY level. And use Mr. Seidler as a resource. He's very gracious and has "lived it" while assisting Coach Miller.

I too am a girls' basketball coach for a northeastern US High school at the JV level. I want to begin by saying that I wish I had found Steve Seidler's book when it was first published. It is THE single best resource for total implementation of a sound basketball system.

For years I had been scouring the many basketball publishing catalogs looking for just the right mix of titles to build my team system. I was searching for a full court defense that would recover into a ball pressuring half court defense. In addition I did not want a rote pattern offense but instead was interested in a ball control offense which allowed the players to learn basketball and react to what the defense gave them (after trying to secure an easy fast break basket). After having spent hundreds of dollars, if not more, in an attempt to find all the ingredients I needed to implement a successful basketball system, I finally found it all in one neat package. I had stumbled upon some of the important aspects of "Cappy" Miller's scheme with my investments, but it would have taken years to figure out which variables were contributing to the varying degrees of success I had achieved. This book and video package is exactly what I have been looking for as Coach Seidler has quite ably conveyed the 38 years of experience Ralph Miller had already accumulated. Not to mention coach Miller's relationship to Naismith and Phog Allen as incredible resources and connections to the history and development of the sport.

Now that the varsity coach would like to implement Miller's 1-4 offense after the JV's succesful deployment - I can better understand the purpose behind the 7 drills Coach Seidler outlines. The offense is difficult to run successfully without using each drill (my able, and very successful in his own right, colleague does not yet see the value in the split post drill, for example). This was evident as I struggled implementing the scheme in our summer league without fully understanding the drills. In other words, Coach Seidler is correct. It is true that one may find it difficult to implement pieces of the system without the 7 drills. The video is a must watch for one to understand how the 7 drills are to be implemented.

I highly recommend purchasing this set. I look forward to finding out how well it works with a 13u AAU girls' team as well!

Well, where do you go when you are asked to coach your daughters sixth grade team and you have limited coaching experience. I grew up watching Ralph Millers teams and went to OSU so I do have a bias toward his ideas. Finding a book (the only book?) about his systems was a godsend. The ideas were exactly what we needed, a simple plan that they (and I) could learn thru repetition. We started out looking like the bad news bears in shorts. By the start of the seasons they could handle the ball reasonably well and run a rudimentry offense. Our defense became very good in a short period of time. When we reached the mid-point of the season they could set up the backdoor and executed it very well. Hearing the parents in the stands become more excited and cheer as the play was set up and then executed was very rewarding. I know the girls derived much satisfaction from playing as a team. We went thru the regular season undefeated and won the City championship. This year we have the same 10 girls from the same middle school that can now compete with the "A" and "Select" teams at tournaments. This is not due to my coaching ability but to drills and ideas outlined in this book. This does not mean its easy, it takes a lot of work and thought to implement the ideas, but it does show you how to do it. In my opinion you need the video also. Not for the kids to see but for you to visualize what is discussed in the book. All in all, the best money I could have spent.

I grew up in Corvallis as a rabid Oregon State University Beavers basketball fan, and I was in my mid twenties when Coach Seidler was an assistant to Ralph Miller. "The Orange Express" was by far the best coached team I have ever seen, and, as Sports Illustrated noted in 1980, those players "could pass a pumpkin through an inner tube!"
Coach Seidler has taken a personal interest in the growth of my team, as he communicates the details of this system to me by email and by phone.
This system is exciting to coach, and my team has improved a great deal in a short period of time because of our coaching staff's committment to the 1-4 offense, and to the pressure defense techniques that are outlined, in great detail, in this book.
This book clearly explains this system in a user friendly fashion.
I am currently coaching at a new high school in Oregon, with a team comprised of only freshmen and sophomores. We are competing against some of the best teams in the State of Oregon.
To see the growth of the players, and the joy that they have in creating turnovers and backdoor opportunities against much more experienced teams has made our committment to this system worth far more than the relatively small price of this book.
I am proud to be developing a program that honors the memory of Coach Miller.

I have over 50 books and videos relating to baksetball coaching. Some deal with certain aspects of the game, others deal with a system. A System of Game Execution is by far the best coaching book I have ever seen. It tells of the history of basketball, how that history is related to the system, the philosophy of the system, drills for the system, and how everything within the system ties together. The book is written by Steve Seidler and explains in detail the system used by the late Ralph Miller at Oregon State University. Steve was an assistant to Ralph at OSU. Steve also provides his e-mail address and is very good about replying to e-mails. The system is sound and easy to teach and learn. The drills help the players to teach themselves the system. The system is based on team concept and pressure on the opponent at all times. I feel every basketball coach on any level should have this in their library. It is a book you can read again and again and learn something more each time.

I really don't care of teletubbies. But boy did both of my kids. They loved this book because they ask questions like who's hiding behind the tree and the kids would flip it up or down and find who it was. They were anxious. A very enjoyable book to read and fun!

It's a great book for older kids. My daughter tore all the pop up parts out of the book so now we pretend that it's peek-a-boo.

This pop-up book asks you who's hiding behind different things, with the Teletubbies being behind the first four hiding places. Then comes Noo-noo & finally all the Teletubbies are hidden. While 1 or 2 year olds who like the show will probably get some giggles out of it, the book's art work is lacking. It's pretty stale fare, especially the sky. Couldn't they have put at least one bird, or maybe the sun with the baby's face in it up there? This seems to be a rush-job to capitalize on the popularity of the tv show. Looks like it worked - the copy we have is a 5th edition. There's many other pop-up books out there that are done much better, but if your little kiddies love the Tubbies, I'm sure they'll dig this.

I know most parents cringe at the thought of the Teletubbies,me too, but my one year old loves them. In "Teletubbies Play Hide and Seek" little ones are asked to find the Teletubbies under the flaps. After just a couple of readings she understood how to wait until mommy reads the words before she lifts the flap. She also learned the word boo. It's a little word, but it's a start. You might not enjoy the Teletubbies, but it's worth it to watch your child's face light up.

My 8-month old daughter LOVES this book! It makes her laugh out loud and she already has figured out how to lift the flaps on her own when we read it! It's a cute little book for babies and toddlers. I don't mind the Teletubbies so much anymore! :-)