Sports Books

This book is a "must have" in every dressage enthusiasts library. Another outstanding book by Ms. Loch.

I selected this book based on the reviews that have been posted. I was not disappointed in the least.

Finally a book on classical dressage that really tells you HOW to do it. Sylvia Loch is fantastic. I recommend this book to those who sometime feel like the real detail of how to apply the aids is missing from other dressage texts.

I cannot adequately describe the beauty and accuracy with which she writes. Clarifying the aids, and the horse's biomechanics and perceptions with a truly classical constructive approach.

A truly helpful, different perspective with easy to understand content for all riders.

I've had this book for over a year and I didn't pick it out to read until recently. I had been focused on books directed at training young horses and I thought this book would be better suited for a future stage when my mare had at least mastered the basics under saddle. Boy, do I wish I had started this book sooner!
I found this book to be the perfect companion book to others I have on starting young horses. Primarily because it makes you think about what you, as a rider, are doing. It is all too easy to focus on the young horse, instead of yourself. But if you have picked up bad habits along the way, you'll be hindering your progress and frustrating your horse.
What I like most about this book, is that it gives you the horses perspective, how he feels about each movement and how you deliver the aids. It encourages you to breakdown each movement and think about what you are doing as a rider - are you asking correctly and using the aids effectively.
The first few chapters (literally the first half of the book) are excellent for training a young horse, or re-schooling an older one. The subsequent chapters build up through the levels, from Training Level to Grand Prix. I know this book will be well used.

I have had this book for years and always go back and find something new in it. It's just a wonderful read and contains wonderful reminders on how to be the best you. I HIGHLY recommend it!

A must buy for anyone who believes in persistence and hard work.

The Edge took me from a average school boy rugby union player to a professional player who represented 2 countries( Scotland - the land of my birth and South Africa - the country who taught me to play rugby.) In business and sport it is a roller coaster ride and The Edge motivated me to remain positive and always keep the fire of desire burning inside. Today I use what the book taught me to motivate young rugby players at club, provincial and international level. I have also named my software company The Edge. This is a must if you wish to succeed in life.

Ths is one of the most influencial books in my life. It took me from a high school nobody, to a college somebody. It is a book that can help any person suceed in life, and to know the right way to do it. This book should be in everyone'e library. You can even read a quote every day and try to incorporate in that day. The edge is a true success book.

If you coach, manage, or supervise anyone, this is a must have. Whether for work or play, this book is the "Bible" of motivation. I'm an area branch manager for the worlds largest employer. What else is there to say? Buy this book! Place your order now because finding copies of it is very hard. This is truely, bar none, the first book anyone who is responsible for mentoring someone should have.

I have been involved in fly fishing for 8 years and fly tying for 7. Over that time I have assembled a library of books and scoured the internet for information related to this sport. In all my years of research this book has been the most informative in both fishing and tying. The way he has organized the information is tremendous. It is very simple to understand, yet is overflowing with valuable information. I keep coming back time and time again. If I were to put a dollar value on what this book is worth to me it would be in the hundreds of dollars. To think that I picked it up for $10 blows my mind. Buy this book and I know it will be one you get your money's worth. This is by far the most valuable resource in my fly fishing library. I only wish I had come across it 8 years ago!

This is a must have book for any fly fisherman. This book will help you fill up that fly box with exactly what you need to catch trout. I own many different fly tying books that I have collected through the years. "Essential Trout Flies" by Dave Hughes is by far the one I reference the most. If you can only have one fly tying reference - This is the one you want! I really like the way the book is set up. You will learn about each fly pattern and why it's essential. Once you learn one pattern, you'll know how to tie many others. Dave Hughes list many other fly patterns that can be tied basicially the same way... This helps keep the book fairly condensed and still very imformative.

This book came highly recommended to me from the online fly fishing forum that I frequent and it has lived up to the recommendations. Like most fly fishing books it opens up with a good discussion of fly tying equipment and materials. The major sections concern dryies, nymphs, wet flies and streamers. At the start of each major section is a discussion of it's uses, material and presentation.

I like the way it breaks down the hundreds of flies into a few styles. The idea is that you only need to learn a few major sets of tying steps to tie the majority of flies. The book looks at a major fly from each style (for dries: traditional, hairwing duns, sparkle duns, thorax duns, spinners,wulffs, humpies, parachutes, etc.). Then there are pictuers of the major variations. For each style at the end is a note on how to fish it.

This book focuses on simplicity and ease of tying. I have found it to be complete and very easy to follow in my tying.

What a great book. Of course anything by Dave Hughes is well written, very informative, I love all pictures! Just a great addition to any fly fisherman's library. It really helped me sort our what I needed versus buying a bunch of flies I'll never use.

Very good book regarding a variety of patterns. This book would enable the reader the ability to tie any style especially for west of the Rocky mountains.

March 18, 2004

This is possibly the best book on Greco Roman Wrestling in print. I have a copy of Greco- Roman Wrestling by M. Briggs Hunt which has drawings rather than photos and is no longer in print, which is also very good. Greco Roman teaches holds for above waist, and is practiacal for street fighing, and has holds you can use staying on your feet ...
Train hard and have fun!
Guro Dennis Servaes

this book covers some basic greco-roman throws, as well as some exercies to build you up for the throws so you can proform the movments required. overall i would say get this book if you are looking to add some stand-up throws to your grappling or fighting game.

Excellent book. I recommend it to all wrestlers, Judo, BJJ and Submission grapplers. Upper body moves and applications are discussed in great detail along with body positioning. The book emphasizes that even though you can not use legs to trips your opponent positioning you body nonetheless is paramount. Will little modification these techniques can be applied to MMA as well.

This is possibly the best book on Greco Roman Wrestling in print. I have a copy of Greco- Roman Wrestling by M. Briggs Hunt which has drawings rather than photos and is no longer in print, which is also very good. Greco Roman teaches holds for above waist, and is practiacal for street fighing, and has holds you can use staying on your feet.
Train hard and have fun!
Guro Dennis Servaes

I would like to describe how extremely helpful this book is to a spectator of the sport of wrestling. Since I am merely a fan or observer of this great sport, I don't have the inside knowledge to understand exactly what I am seeing when I watch wrestling. This book has been an excellent reference text and teaching guide for me to learn more about my favorite sport.

Since so much happens in such a short amount of time in wrestling matches - which is one of the reasons this sport is truly special and so exciting to watch (no endless waiting for something to happen, no standing around, no lengthy time-outs) - this book does a wonderful job explaining in depth what actions the observer is witnessing.

I know this book is intended as a training/how-to manual, but I feel it is great for non-participants (cheerers) too. I intended to pass this book on to a family member to encourage participation in the sport, but I am afraid I am keeping it for myself, at least for the time being.

Great photos, easily understandable technical/strategy information, and a nice history/background section - this book has it all. I already had a tremendous appreciation for the sport of wrestling as far as the sportsmanship, strength, endurance, strategy, training, skill, etc. Now I have a greater understanding of the complexities and nuances as well. This has given me wonderful insight into something I could admire, but only slightly understand before. And I am planning to employ some of the flexibility exercises in a non-wrestling context. This is simply a wonderful book for everyone to enjoy, not just wrestlers and coaches.

J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles, and wrestling fan

I have just returned from Death Valley and this book was an excellent resource both before and during my trip. I found the author to be very straight forward about the information presented and very realistic about the wonders and realities of Death Valley. It's a truly amazing place and this book covers an incredible amount of information and detail that will serve me for years to come and many more visits!

This book is a great resource tool. A fairly inclusive area guide with historical, geological and physical details. More than adequate for most visitors to choose an advanced plan of daily activities. It is not attempting to be a USGS map nor a hikers bible. It is a fairly descriptive summary of things to see, do and where they are.

I purchased this book for helping us plan a 5 day stay in Stove Pipe Wells. Well worth the money spent.

This is a really good comprehensive guide that doesn't give away too many secrets. All the standard destinations are well covered, plus many out in the sticks, but it leaves plenty for you to discover on your own. Will definitely stay in my library, get loaned to friends, get destroyed or lost...all signs of a worthwhile guide.

A rare guide that is so complete i can stop looking further. I don't know how he has covered so much ground in one lifetime. Digonnet's love of Death Valley shines through. A pleasure to read but heavy for the backpack...i am ordering a fresh copy cuz the old one is beat up and has many pages torn out. Also, take care to assess your idea of strenuous against his to avoid finding yourself in over your head.

Be aware that Digonnet omits a few common destinations in this book. But it's by far the best guide to the huge number of hikes that he does include. Rely on this book for the majority of your destinations, but get another guide to fill in the gaps. Also keep in mind that areas described as "easy scrambles" for someone with a technical climbing background like Digonnet may be more difficult for flat-ground hikers.

What a shame that books this worthwhile have to go out of print. In its quiet, unassuming way, I found this to be a classic work of animal-lover's literature. Like at least one other reviewer, I wondered whether I could get through the entire book after reading the first paragraph, which seems to be foretelling a tragedy. But I did, and instead shared something more like a triumph. I will never give up my copy of this book. I hope the used copies available here will be enjoyed by many more people.

"Home Waters" is a charming story about a fly fisherman and his dog. It is Monninger's memoir and tribute to his dog, Nellie, an eleven-year-old Golden Retriever, who he has recently learned has cancer. He decides to take a road trip from his home in New Hampshire to visit some of his favorite fishing spots in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Monninger takes the reader along for the ride, describing the details of his fishing trips -- where he sets up, which type of bait he uses, how he adjusts his technique to the circumstances -- and how Nellie accompanies him in all he does -- how she sniffs at each stick and stone as she explores a new area, how she snuggles into his sleeping bag on cold nights, how she taught herself to dive under water after him. As he makes his way through the trip, he reminisces about earlier fishing trips and other experiences he and Nellie have shared.

I loved the tone of this book. Monninger has a pleasant, matter-of-fact way of telling a story. I especially liked how he conveyed his simple love and respect for Nellie just in the way he interacted with her and in his reports of their conversations: "I told Nellie we were done for the night. She seemed grateful." Or, "I told her she was a good dog." When Nellie encountered a harvested potato field, she gave her best shot at retrieving the hundreds of potatoes left on the ground, only to be defeated by the magnitude of the task. Monninger says, "I consoled her on the walk back to the truck, telling her we all have such days, then fed and watered her. I told her to lay down on her dog bed and she did." After he returns to his hotel: "When I unhooked Nellie's leash inside the room, she put her nose on the edge of the bed, asking permission to get up. I told her to go ahead, but not to hog the whole thing. She curled at the foot of the bed, tail to nose. I sat besider her and gave her a rub. In a little while she began to snore. I read for awhile, then turned out the light." I especially related to his dilemma when he went fishing at Yellowstone. "The hard part was explaining to Nellie it is against park regulations to take a dog into the back country.... Nellie wasn't pleased with it... and when I locked her in the back of the truck, she whined to come with me. I was firm with her and caved only enough to give her a biscuit." I've never been fly fishing, but I enjoyed Monninger's equally droll explanations of how it works, the strategy (and luck) that goes into it. I think I now understood why "the one that got away" haunts every fisherman.

Monninger uses all his senses in his prose. Unassuming details become necessary pieces of a fabulous story about a man's love for his best friend, one that can't verbally reciprocate the bond but shows an appreciation of the author through her patience and obedience. Bravo!

In this memoir, author Joseph Monninger recounts a very special fly-fishing trip with his best friend, eleven-year-old Golden Retriever, Nellie. Nellie has been diagnosed with cancer and Monninger decides to let the illness run its course- but not without one last grand encounter with nature. The pair traverse the country by pickup truck- camping, fishing and otherwise enjoying nature and the company of each other. This is a great book for those who fish because there are lots of references to the techniques and joys of fly-fishing.But the touching glimpses of the bond between man and dog, and of dealing with the curves life throws at us, add memorable depth and make this wonderful story of interest to everyone, fisher-person or not.

This is a wonderful story about the relationship between a man and his dog. I've never gone fly fishing but I found the descriptions quite interesting. I felt like I was with Joe and Nellie on their adventues. Very moving! I highly recommend this book to everyone even if you don't have a dog!

If you want to test Ballard's theories, try the drill on
page 60: "Another way to get a feel for [connection] is to
hit some medium or short irons with a handkerchief under
your left shoulder. If you drop the handkerchief, you've
unplugged, or disconnected, allowing the arms to work
independently of the body." You may have seen Vijay Singh
hit practice shots with a headcover under his left arm
and wonder what he was doing. That's what he's doing.

I've played 40 years, including college golf, and have a
single digit handicap. I am 5'8", small framed, under 150
lbs. Without the big muscle approach, I'm toast. His
common misconceptions alone will help you.

This title should be put back in production. It would
eliminate a lot of human suffering.

In my humble opinion based on reading perhaps 1,000 books on golf over the past 40+ years, this may be the single best golf instructional book ever written. It's short, it's clear, it's well-illustrated, and it's an approach to instruction that WORKS. As I recall, Ballard was selected as the "teacher of the decade" for the 1980's by Golf Magazine, and with good reason. His fundamental principle of "connection" is, as he says, not merely the key to golf but to any number of sports. He has identified the fundamental principle that distinguishes the great ball-strikers from the hacks and also-rans. Regardless of what they may SAY they do, or FEEL they do, Ballard has identified what the great ball-strikers really DO. I recently took some lessons at the Kapalua Golf Academy and came home thinking "That sounds just like what Jimmy Ballard was saying 20 years ago." I picked up a copy of this book and confirmed that it indeed was what Ballard was saying 20 years ago. You may need some professional guidance to confirm that you are grasping what Ballard is saying, but I'm convinced that what he is saying is pretty much the one overriding key to the golf swing. I'm astounded that this book is out of print because it deserves to live alongside of Hogan's Five Lessons and a handful of other indisputable classics.

I'm an older golfer (70+) and I found this the best golf swing instruction book I've ever read. The illustrations were of players I remember idolizing when I was a younger player, the concepts logically defined & metaphores easy to remember when practising, the drills constructive & productive. His use of concepts like "connections" and "swinging from the ground up" have stayed with me throughout the season. In some instances he told me things about the act of swinging the club that had never occurred to me before. In short he must have been a great teacher as my golf instructor told me when he recommended it.

From taking up golf at age 10 until I was 18 I was a hacker - and I so desperately wanted to be good that practiced every day on the range. I took lessons from many local Club pros but never improved. My swing felt ungainly and awkward and I found golf so frustrating and depressing. Then by accident I bought Jimmy's first video - 'The Jimmy Ballard Golf Connection'. Soon after I bought this book. I was completely amazed. He was telling me exactly the OPPOSITE of what I had always been taught by all these different pros, as well as many well meaning amateurs at my club. It was almost an evangelical experience. I felt as if a huge cloud had been lifted. I read and re-read his book and immediately began to practice, disgard all the classical 'sacred' swing rules I had ever learnt that had prevented me from making any natural, athletic moves and ignore all the teaching I had ever had. What a transformation. Within 12 months my handicap had reduced from 18 to 6 and then shortly after to 3. I was picked for my University first team for 3 straight years and won the vast majority of my matches. I hit the ball so consitently and straight whilst my opponents were in the trees/rough/undergrowth. Best of all, my golf swing FELT so perfect, natural, effortless, balanced and perectly repetitive. Everyone commented about it enviously. I had so many comments that my swing looked exactly like Curtis Strange. (He should have known better than to listen to any other teacher and fiddle with a perfect swing). Now several years later, my busy career has meant that I only played golf once last year. But I stood on the first tee having not hit a ball for many months and after I few practice swings, my swing felt perfect, natural and easy. Perfect contact and the ball went straight down the middle as if I had never been off the golf course. That is the proof that Jimmy Ballard is right and everyone else is wrong. Before if I didn't hit a ball for 2 days I just couldn't make contact.
What more can I say? This man has given me a perfect golf swing for a lifetime. He is God when it comes to golf. He may not be anywhere near as good at promoting himself and using the media as David Leadbeader (who stole a few of Jimmy's ideas when he came to prominence - and then added some flawed ideas of his own) but listen to no one else and read nothing else unless it's by Jimmy Ballard. This book is the Bible.

It's a real shame that this book is out of print. This is the best book I've read on the golf swing. Applying concepts learned in just the first few chapters, I saw immediate improvement.

I really enjoyed the book, it was fun and made me laugh. But more so than making me laugh, it also taught me. It taught me about running and how strange we runners can be. It also reminded me not to take myself too seriously as a runner.

The chapters are short, making it an easy read! Whether you are a hard-core runner or a newbie (like me) you should enjoy it!

I was looking for a little humor to go along with training for my first marathon, and I found it in this book! Schwartz takes all the small quirks of a runner, things you may not even think twice about, and has you laughing all day. Nice, light, fun reading.

I may be one of the few runners who had not yet heard of Bob's wonderfully written book. Thankfully I came upon it at the bookstore and I could not put it down. It's filled with rip roaring laughter as Bob takes us on a hilarious romp through all things (and then some) near and dear to runners and provides some insight as well. I enjoyed all the many chapters but some stand out so well that just thinking of them makes me break out in laughter (from Introduction to Ingurgitation to Trick or Feet to Lifetime Taper for a Masterful Peak).

If you want to laugh, this is the book for you. Tremendous!

This is a fantastically funny book and although dealing with running, it provides a lot of laughs for non-runners as well. Bob presents a terrifically humorous look at runners and races and training and lots of other subjects associated with running. The book makes a great gift and the accompanying illustrations are a perfect compliment to each chapter.
It's rare to find a book presented so very well and Bob should be highly commended for this welcome addition to a runner's library. The chapters on stretching and cross training and his satirical look at rules to run by are simply hilarious!

Finally, a humorist who is a runner takes a wonderfully funny look at all runners. This book had me laughing out loud from the moment I opened it as each of the short, snappy chapters are filled with wonderful humor in a very well written, easy flowing and creative manner.
Bob is a skillful author and very funny and entertaining. I've read many of his articles on family life as well and would love to see a similar book on that subject.
I highly recommend I Run, Therefore I Am - Nuts! to all runners. The book is simply great! I've actually read it twice now and had the same amount of laugh out loud chuckles along the way.

I put off writing a review on this book for a long time,...Since Mr. Wu is my teacher. I did not want anyone to think I was Jumping on the band wagon, when this first came to Paperback, So I waited to review it.
So here it is:

This book is probably the most needed book on Kung Fu, Gong Fu, Shaolin.
It is HUGE,.....I mean HUGE!!
It just doesn't get any better than this book.
This book is "SO" worth the money that it is ALMOST OBSCENE!!!
Buy it, I guarantee you will not regret it.

Very detailed book, exellent reference material, as well as gives some insites into different styles.I am very happy with it and it has helped me already. Highly recomended to anyone intrested in the martial arts of this type.

This book does not illustrate the visually captivating "flowery fist" kung fu often seen in the movies. It really addresses the root elements of kung fu.Not only does it cover the fighting elements but also the fitness and spiritual aspects as well. This is a must have for anyone interested in martial arts.

I think this is one of the most complete book on Wushu that I've came across.
It contains information on warmups, techniques, sanshou, chin na, and chi kung.
The appendix at the end of the book was very informative. It provides information about many of the Wushu figures and styles.
The only thing I was unclear on is how to actually apply the wushu techniques from forms in free sparring or fight. It seems that there is a disconnect between the techniques used in the forms and the techniques used in Sanshou. The technique used in Sanshou looked more like a combination of Kickboxing and throws or even jeet kune do.
Maybe for many people, it questions the usefulness of learning technique used in forms other than for training movements and calesnetics.

This volume is nothing but great. It covers all the things you'll need for your wushu training and is crammed with loads of extra information about styles, people, weapons and more.

I especially like the fact that it stresses jibengong, the fundamental excercises of wushu, and not taolu (form). The sanda applications are well explained and covers a lot of ground. A little bit more fighting strategy and tactics would be a good thing though. The explanations and presentation of neigong, the internal martial arts, are also very good. I think that neigong and qigong have to be felt and describing them in words is an impossible task that nobody ever will be able to do well, but Shou Yu Liang does a good job none the less. The glossary in the end is very impressive indeed. It has a LOT of entries of which many are illustrated. Very well.

My only real criticism of the work is that I don't think it covers wushu history well enough. It's too much of a runthrough and dosen't really give any in-depth information. It is a subject that is very dear to me so I guess I'm biased on that point. Also their explanation of the character wu (as in wushu)is not satisfactory. There are generally two mainstream theories in linguistic circles of the original meaning of the word (the most popular by far is Berhard Karlgrens) none of which is the one presented in this volume.

However, that is only a tiny complaint and it dosen't alter the fact that this is a very impressive book. It truly IS the best book on wushu in English. I live and train traditional wushu in Beijing and have trained for some 8-9 years. I am of the opinion that wushu cannot be learned from a book, no matter how good it is, but it can definitely help you improve and clarify things for you. This book is a very good reference, especially for beginners, but also for the advanced student. It offers a lot of information and is WELL worth the price.

Rick Reilly has a unique gift for communicating his humorous tales. Thumbs up.

Every Thursday I check the mailbox when I get home, see my Sports Illustrated, and go straight for the back page so I can read Mr. Reilly's column. There is a reason he has been named Sportswriter of the Year so many times, he is simply the best. Reilly writes about the humorous, the sad, and the ironic of sports. I laughed at why he hates the Yankees so much, and almost bawled when reading about the Columbine teacher who gave his life for his students. I do some writing myself and even in my dreams I am not half as good as Mr. Reilly is, and never will be. If you are a fan of good, solid writing, pick this book up and read it over and over again.

There are serious columns in the book. The humorous ones are what made me read the book again. The chapter on the Olympics is the funniest thing I have ever read. Anyone who thinks Reilly is boring has no sense of humor.

Nobody writes about sport like Reilly. This is a great collection of his Sports Illustrated pieces. If you are a fan of sports journalism, this is a must read for you.

I had the privilege of being interviewed several times by Rick when I was a high school track athlete and he was a young flip-flop wearing sports writer for the Boulder Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, Colorado earning his stripes covering high school sports. Even way back then it was obvious that he enjoyed sports writing and it came as little surprise to see him eventually end up as SI's most notable writer. This collection of some of his best (but not all of his best) SI columns is a gem. Not all are "laugh out loud" humorous, but many are (a testament to his versatility as a writer). His postscript comments are also entertaining. After a thorough reading, this book is a keeper. I can't wait for Volume 2.