Trainers and Training Books

This is absolutely *the* book to use if you are intimidated by the marathon you just signed up for. Using a blend of solid training advice, exercises in the mental and psychological elements of marathon training, and first person stories from the authors' classes, The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer coaches you through every step of the way. This book was my primary guidance for training and running the LA Marathon, and I had a blast in every phase, even 16-mile training runs, which I did by myself because there aren't many marathoners as slow as me. I'm a big believer in training your mind as you train your body, and that's really the strength of this book. Highly recommended by the Slow Fat Triathlete!

I love this book! Had I not gotten injured in week 7 (no fault of the book or its methods... just my own crazy body structure!) I know that this book would have seen me through to completing my first marathon. I was amazed at how easy it was to follow the program, even considering my hectic life of two jobs and 4 kids. I had a lot of fun training with this program and would recommend it to anyone who would like to run a marathon for the first time.

This guide has great advice and insight into the physical and mental demands of endurance running. And the authors fully appreciate that there are real mental challenges -- inspiration, pride, and motivation are key elements of whether one can finish this race, rather than just footspeed.

Where the book is disappointing is in its dogmatic tone. It's a bit like listening to a high school gym instructor telling you "well do it my way or you are going to get an injury just you wait" over and over. One of the single most important skills in running is being in touch with the specific behavior of your body, and knowing when your legs are telling you that you need to adjust from a standardized training plan. I think this book is useful but would be helped by a more flexible point of view.

So I decided I wanted to run a marathon. Was it really that crazy of an idea? I had not run more than 3 miles since high school - 15 years earlier!! I bought this book, started the training and two days ago I finished my first marathon! It was such a great experience. While I don't think I'll ever run another, I'm so glad and proud to say I have done it once. This is really a great book and does produce the results it claims to.

A few days ago, I finished my first marathon. I went from a couch potato to running 26.2 miles using nothing but this book as a guide. I spent 10 weeks doing the recommended pre-training before starting the 16-week plan. I altered the plan a little due to some minor injuries and scheduling problems, but stuck to it for the most part. I think the best part of this training is in building your confidence and giving you the mental strength to get through adversity. When I hit mile 20, my legs were aching real bad and I needed to use some of the mental techniques described in the book to will myself to the finish line. It's only been a few days, but I'm already planning my next one! If you've never run a marathon before, I would definitely recommend this book to help you through your first one.

Mark's books are easy to read and offer the thoughts and insights of a true horseman. His methods are gentle and honor the horse. Delightful.

This is my favorite of Mark's books. Although I love them all. I have read all 5 and am waiting for more. I read them in 1-3 sittings, cannot put them down! I am starting to buy this book for friends and family, I think Mark's books should be a prerequisite for horse ownership! I have raised and trained horses for close to 30 years. I have read a lot, try to keep an open mind & keep learning. Anyway I have pretty much developed my way of doing things and had found in the past, by checking out more trainer's books that either I did not agree or they were for the "new to horses" person. I had read the reviews here on Mark's books, then just happened to find a couple Mark Rashid books used at a sale & thought okay, they're cheap, I'll try them! I could not put them down! Some things that Mark shares reinforce what I've learned myself, but I found lots to learn in these books too. We had an old cowboy/trainer/farrier/castrater/teeth floater/friend who lived around here for years. If I needed to learn anything about horses, I'd ask Sonny, the thing was Sonny never "gave" you the answer! He told you a story & let you learn the answer yourself! Mark's books remind me of that. Mark's books will follow you through your life. He offers the teachings of truly living well & with compassion in your daily life. 2 things always come into my head since reading his books . . . WHAT DOES MY HORSE THINK ABOUT THIS? and IS THIS REALLY WORTH WORRYING ABOUT? 90% of the time we worry about the little things that we don't need to. Mark's books are an AWESOME read for anyone!

Another good one from Mark. Makes you think of horses in a whole new way has you step into their world so to speak. A must read!

Mark has written a nice book, not clearly a manual or a How to.. book but a text full of experiences. It's not literature about horses but a book about different horses and experiences, giving clues about horsenalities and personalities. A fun and interesting book.

Quite simply, I love horses, and I loved this book.

What Mark writes about horses and humans gets to the heart of what life's all about. If I was the CEO of a big company, I'd bring this cowboy in to talk horse with my upper management, let them figure out why. I relate to his idea of quiet leadership.

I've since read three of Mark's other books. All of them have something unique to say, Mr. Rashid is a man with sharp prespective on life and a way with words.

If you're just getting started in the dog training world, this book is for you. It covers what it's really like to work with people and their dogs, getting your education, advertising, all sorts of tips and sample forms. If you're trying to decide whether dog training is for you, get this book. I'm glad I did!

Love this book! I wasnt sure if I was taking the right path to becoming a dog trainer, but utilizing the resources in this book, I feel confident in my decisions. Very informative and realistic.

Excellent resource for trainers or those considering the field. Chock full of tips, guidelines and ethics. Extremely helpful in devising your business plan. You don't realize how many things you didn't think of until you read this book!

I was really excited to read this book. I kept a note pad by me to jot down all the great ideas that the book gives! Great info on starting your own business

This is an excellent source, full of useful advice on the ins and outs of putting together a dog training business. It does not go into training techniques, so you'll definitely need other books on methodology along with this one, which is strictly business. I think she's a bit conservative in her advice, which is probably necessary to publish and avoid liability. However, it can be a little discouraging to think that ALL OF THAT is necessary - just realize, it may not be. But it certainly has EVERYTHING you need!

We have owned horse for many years. I used to think that there were good ones and bad ones, hated Arabs and didn't care for mares all that much. After I read Mark's books I changed my mind. Each book is a delightful story that teaches through example. One the points I learned that, though very simple, is that horses can and usually will do anything they are physically capable of if introduced to it properly. I highly recommend this series of books to anyone with horses, novice or seasoned veteran. You won't be disappointed unless you can't admit that you don't know it all.

I have so many wonderful things to say about this book and yet none of them do it justice. I've been a rider my entire life, mostly riding dressage, and this book really brought it all together for me. If you want a deeper relationship with your horse, and by that, I mean you really want to put in the mindfulness and discipline to really see what an amazing relationship you can have, then get this book. Now. Mark, with his wonderful story telling ability, takes us through a journey that I think many of us can apply to our own lives. He has so many important things to say. While he can help people with techniques, perhaps his greatest gift is in going farther, deeper, in expressing those concepts that can not only change a person's relationship with his/her horse, but can change his/her life as well.

In our frenetic world, with so many showy horsepeople who don't truly know horses at all, it's good to know that Mark is sharing his wisdom. He is such a gift to horses - and humans - and every person owes it to his or her horse to go out and get this book and really learn from it.

I am very pleased with this book and all the others I have read by Mark Rashid. He writes in a manner that is very easy to read. He has a lovely way of sharing information with the reader without it feeling like a text book. I would highly recommend his books to anyone who loves horses and wants to learn more about them.

I was introduced to Mark's works several years ago by a friend who said our lives were very similiar. I have read all of Mark's books and highly recommend them. As I found out, Mark's writing is simple in it's common sense approach for achievement, will more than likely stimulate your memory for pleasurable moments, and put quite a few smiles on your face as you read. You will learn a lot about horses, a lot about life and a major key ingredient for success in both: Patience. Patience breeds success and I doubt there are many, if any, horseman with more patience than Mark. I recommend Kathleen Lindley's book "In the Company of Horses" as well.

Having been a student of Natural Horsemanship, and and avid reader, few trainers have made more sense to me...and my horse...than Mark Rashid. His work is highly approachable, very no-nonsense, and very empowering.

Horsemanship Through Life provided a unique opportunity to see inside a strong transition in Mark's career which occurred when he became a student of another art. Learning how to learn is a respectible, and difficult, process. Giving yourself permission to be a 'beginner' again is not easy in our culture of instant gratification, but this book illustrates how valuable it can truly be.

Johnson's book is an excellent resource for anyone with rotator cuff issues. It is well written and easy to understand.

This book, written by a Physical Therapist, explains and shows the muscles involved in the rotator cuff more clearly than any other anatomy book I've picked up on the subject. He explains what muscles you are strengthening for each exercise. Stretching, very much like yoga stretching, is also included. If I could talk to the author, I would ask him to look up Supported Headstand as a very effective treatment for RCS, too. This is thoroughly explained in volume 16 of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy in a research article entitled Headstand for Rotator Cuff Tear: Shirshasana or Surgery.

So easy to understand! I know have a good knowledge of how the shoulder works. The exercises are very helpful. Got me closer of achieving zero pain. Hardly have pain anymore, mostly tight or a little uncomfortable but that's better than chronic pain ay!! It only takes around 3-4 hours to read. DO IT IF YOU KAIN'T TAKES NO MORES!!

I was afraid I would never be able to lift weights again. Both of my shoulders were in pain, even causing me to have to lie on my back to sleep. I read this book carefully, and have followed the exercise exactly as he directs, and I have zero pain in my shoulders now ! Zero ! And I'm back to lifting weights !
I can't tell you how impressed I am with the research that went into Mr. Johnson's work. He only goes by scientific evidence based upon peer-reviewed, randomized controlled trials. This stuff really works!
By the way, I had the same experience with my back problems after reading "Treat Your Own Back" by Dr. McKenzie
Thank you Mr. Johnson!
Ken
Los Angeles, CA

I hurt my rotator cuffs doing some bag work. I waited a long time (I'm a guy) to go into an ortho. He gave me the advice to work on my posture, lose weight and a photocopy of some exercises to do. Told me that how I injured myself didn't matter, fixing it was what counted. Well, posture and losing weight solved that problem.

Had a completely different feeling problem. Went back after eight months of worsening pain. Same diagnosis, they told me it was "referred pain" which was why it felt completely different. Same exercises. You can find them all over the internet.

Didn't do much for me. I slowly got more or less better on my own. But, I had nagging pain every morning, the exercises and stretches did nothing for me.

Rather than go back, I decided to try this book first, based on recommendations from a friend I followed up.

First, the explanations aside, the core of the book is short. You are only going to do about four exercises and four stretches at any one time. There are routines for severe to very mild problems (beginning to advanced).

Second, the explanations made sense and I've been able to apply them to a few other areas.

But, it has been less than a month and I'm waking up pain free from time to time, the first time in a very long time.

Would I pay this much for a paperback? Not usually, but it was a lot better than blowing half a day off from work seeing the ortho sports med guy again. Would I buy a book when the internet is swimming with essays, charts, etc.?

Well, but for the fact it works and the free stuff didn't, no. But the free stuff doesn't quite put it all together the way this does and it didn't quite do the trick.

If you've got pain, if your doctor's routines haven't really done much for you, if the internet hasn't led you anywhere new, you might really want to try this book. It has details on how to do things, number of repetitions, how long to hold the stretches, etc.

Simple? Yes. Five to ten minutes a day simple, but just the right five to ten minutes a day have made all the difference for me.

This is one of the books I will be reading more than once. I have read a few books on horsemanship and frankly I ended up choking a bit on all the different techniques and advices. Mark Rashid has the ability to let the reader learn for himself and to show us that the horses hold great power as friends and teachers. The storytelling form makes it easy and entertaining to read but gives very little explicit guidlines to the practical work with horses. In stead it offers an opportunity to look into his own way of being with and learning from the horses.

If you have ever had that special once in a lifetime horse you will relate totally to this book. I sure know I did.

It is A good book to read whether you are into horse or not. It is more of a self help book than training. Worth reading for anyone. Good book on communication between your horse and you.

I am not good at reviewing books, but I will say that if you had a six star rating instead of just five, I would definitely give it a six.
Anyone who is fond of horses or has ridden and/or worked with horses would love this book written by a totally likeable man who looks at training, riding, working and just being buddies from the horse's point of view. This book shows great understanding of the subject. Mark's writing is easy, compassionate, humorous and you just hate it when the book ends. From now on I will buy any book written by Mark Rashid. (TOLD you I was not good at writing reviews)!

a book showing that there is a lot to be learned from our horse if we only care to listen to him/her.

Trainers in Motion is a necessity for anyone who is in the training industry. It has become my primary resource for techniques to deliver content that is retained and used. The end result: the participants are enthusiastic about the information they receive and even better they are using this information to enhance the jobs they do for our company. We all WIN!

Jim Vidakovich's Trainers in Motion is published in a binder with dividers, so you can add your own notes and comments. This reader participation workbook parallels Vidakovich's approach to involving participants in their own training. Vidakovich begins with an initial discussion of his approach, but the majority of the book is very hands-on, with descriptions of exercises, illustrations of room arrangements, lists of suggested approaches and questions for you to answer. This notebook is packed with good ideas from an expert on training. The caveat:...it's a little pricey. Nonetheless, we from getAbstract recommend it with confidence to trainers and workshop leaders. If hands-on is your style, you have a very well-informed friend in Jim Vidakovich.

Although the price may deter some buyers, if you are doing any professional training, this book is a must-have. I unconditionally recommend it. There are many other books on conducting workshops (see my other reviews) but a lot of them are either; 1. Too academic on the subject of adult learning (beware of the use of the word 'andragogy'), or 2. Too consumed with team/individual game playing.

Trainers in Motion is my "bible" for conducting professional workshops. Vidakovich goes so far as to distinguish those activities that are appropriate for small groups versus large groups, and how to adapt your approach if the group dynamics change (which they will).

The real beauty of the book is the adaptability of it to almost any subject. I have taught workshops on Leadership, Team Building, Project Management, Sales and Marketing, Creativity, and other subjects, and one standard I have followed is the approach of this book towards generating participation and excitement.

The 3-ring binding of the book is also a benefit, as I have been able to take some of the pages along with me, when needed, as opposed to the entire book.

Use it well!

I have participated in Jim's Accelerated Learning Course, where he taught us many of the ideas & exercises delineated in this book. All of us in the Course felt it was invaluable, and we were all "seasoned" professional trainers and consultants. His book is an excellent extension of his professionalism, enthusiasm, and superior training techniques. I can't recommend it highly enough.As a Trainer, I'm supposed to be professional ... this book has helped me be even better.

I must say that Mr. Vidakovich's book is an essential tool for today's training environment. "Trainers in Motion" has set a new standard in adult learning in the 21st century. We all can learn to utilize this style not only in our academic environment, but also in our everyday interpersonal relations.

If you are in the training field, this is a must see manuel to guide you to an enhanced training environment that not only will your participants enjoy, but you will also have fun in the process.

Enjoy, Jeff Stavitzski Corporate Trainer (Levitz)

I always wondered how in the world did they train a dolphin to jump, flip and do all those fancy moves and now I have some idea. I mean afterall, the dolphin is in the water and you are on land? With dogs, at least, you can say commands with your voice and reward it by petting it. Well, this book answers all those questions you wondered about how they trained dolphins but were to afraid to ask or afraid to look stupid by asking. It is written in a very friendly, easy to read language and I was very pleasantly surprised with the book. I would highly recommended to to anybody and who knows, you might pick up a pointer or two on how to train other animals!

As someone who has loved dolphins her entire life (when I was little I wanted to be a dolphin trainer), this book intrigued me just because it was about dolphins and written by a dolphin trainer. I was pleasantly surprised on how much I was actually able to learn by reading it. Not only is it a great wealth of information about cetaceans (dolphins), it is also a very interesting read on training. It is full of anecdotes, making the book entertaining, and scientific data and fact, helping to lend a bit of seriousness. The unique training ideas that Karen Pryor discovered by trial and error can be, and are, used on every animal from a dolphin to a cat to a human. I highly recommend this book.

This book was great!!! Karen Pryor is a great writer and a wonderful scientist!!! I have never read a more inciting book! It was great, it gave me different perspectives on dolphin training and even some insight on careers!! Buy this book, you won't regret it!!

I first read this book almost 20 years ago, when I was a kid and in love with dolphins. I have re-read it two dozen times since then and enjoyed it just as much every single time. It will help the reader understand behavior in general...of your pets, your kids, your co-workers, your spouse...and how you can affect that behavior with timely and positive reinforcement of desirable responses. A delightful book! Hugely entertaining throughout.

This book provided a great insider's look to what is means to be a dolphin/marine mammal trainer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering this for a career path. I know I am and that this book has helped me gained a great perspective and tips on dolphin training. The stories are really touching and before you know it, you're feel like standing right next to the author feeding and playing with the dolphins. This book is a definite must-have!

What a great resource. The stories recited in the book are poignant, humorous, and best of all, real. As a director of administrative support services I'm always looking for creative ways to get a point across. Stories work; these stories and the follow-up activities and presentation tips work.

My organization faces two challenges on a daily basis. First, what is the most efficient and effective way to collect, organize, manage and disseminate mountains of information? Second, how do we continue to streamline and simplify our administrative processes to provide more value-added service to our constituents?

The resources Lori and Mary provide through this text have enabled me to communicate more effectively with my staff during our planning and design sessions. The moral of these stories help us keep focused on the expectations and perceptions of our constituent base.

It's a book to be kept on your desk and referred to many times.

I find that I hear myself telling the same stories over and over again to colleagues when trying to make a point. On the one hand, this is good for sending a consistent message. On the other hand, I get tired of hearing the same thing, and need to make my points in new ways.

As the global marketing research manager for Invista (the world's largest fibers company with consumer and b2b brands such as Lycra(r) and Stainmaster(r)), I need to convert data to meaning that helps our leadership to make decisions. That is what the stories in Stories Trainers Tell do for me. When our managers understand the opportunities that stories point out in the research, they are better able to act with confidence and communicate with clarity.

While I contributed to the book, I also use what it offers to make me a better communicator. I can communicate the meaning I see in data more effectively when I have a story to help me out.

I recommend that you check out the book for yourself to learn how you can upgrade your thinking and practice no matter what role you are in.

I am a Director of Training for a fortune 500 company. Quarterly, I look for new resources that my 40 designers and trainers can use when developing and delivering material to our employees and agents. This book was the gem I've been looking for. Story telling is the most powerful thing a trainer can give their students - because the stories last in the mind forever when the technical details disappear. This book details the how, the what, the when, the where, and the why. Recently I bought a copy for each one of my staff - and the incredible results are already coming in!!! Thanks for my best new resource of the year!

To be successful as a project management consultant, it is important to be able to influence people to move in the direction in which they need to go (not always the direction in which they would like to go). The thing about using stories to influence is that people love stories and will listen even if they are resisting other management methods. This book has wonderful, rich content and is very easy to use. The commitment of the authors to help readers succeed is demonstrated by the sayitwithastory web site and newsletter. I am very pleased this terrific resource is available. [By the way, these stories work on family members also!]

Storytelling has been used to convey history and lessons for centuries. Before newspapers came on the scene, story tellers would travel from village to village telling stories to share the news of what was happening in other communities and the world at large...at least as large as it was back then. One could argue that storytelling has become almost a lost art as our communication mode has shifted more to content, facts, polices and procedures. In the corporate world, leaders and managers-and training professionals-have attempted to communicate without really reaching people "inside," where messages can resonate with a mental or emotional picture. It's that inner connection that has the potential of changing behavior and making a difference. To make that connection, communicators need to engage people's minds and hearts to help them "get" the message.

So here's a book on the stories trainers tell. Big book, thick. Whew! That's a lot of fluffy, touchy-feely soft stuff! That first impression will disintegrate as you open this wonderful resource. Sure, there's a treasure chest of stories, mostly from experienced trainers and professional speakers who use them regularly to build the effectiveness of their work. If this book were merely a collection of all those stories, it would be a helpful reference...sort of a Chicken Soup for the Trainer's Bookshelf. Fortunately, the authors have a deeper understanding of what communicators need, so they created an incredible tool kit for trainers, speakers, executives, managers, coaches, parents-the list goes on.

Each of the stories is presented with tips on how to use it, questions to enrich the telling, key point options, and follow-up activities. The stories-short, not long-are set apart in the text by the use of helpful shading. So, now we have more value than just a catalog of stories. But, wait! There's more. The book includes an explanation of different kinds of stories, when and how they can be used, with a cross-reference to the 55 stories. Want even more value? The stories are gathered into chapters that organize the resources for easier access: Appreciating Differences, Communications and Feedback, Customer Service, Influence and Motivation, Leadership, Living Our Values, Performance and Coaching, Problem Solving, Teamwork and Collaboration, and Training Fundamentals.

Are you sensing why I'm enthusiastic about this book? We're not done! I've only told you about what's in the back of the book! "Stories Trainers Tell" begins with an invaluable section on the why and how of using stories to enhance and enrich communication. Page after page of tips and insight educates and inspires the reader, deepening understanding to raise the level of professionalism and effectiveness in communication.

The CD-ROM? Pop this tool into your computer and enjoy an MP3 format delivery of audio dramatizations of the stories in the book. Readers can now learn as listeners also, and most of the recordings are authorized for replay to audiences. Playing a recording of someone else telling a story, then facilitating the interpretation and application of what was heard offers a new dimension to the richness of communication, thought stimulation, and movement to action.

Then there's the reading list and the index. So much! You'll be captivated with a cover-to-cover read, entranced by the stories yourself. This book will sit prominently on your shelf as a primary resource for years to come. I half-apologize for the long review, but this book deserves the accolades.

This book is really well illustrated, and when you look at the ages of the people in the pics and the exercises that they are doing, it should shame you into getting your new yrs resolution started.

Good book.

I look and feel younger now than I did 20 years ago! Thanks to the magic of "Forever Young". I love the easy to follow workout charts that come with the book. I even love to workout when I travel, now, because I don't want to stop feeling "Forever Young".
Carushka Jarecka
Age 51
President of Carushka Bodywear

This book is an incredible resource to both the novice or experienced in weight training. For less than the cost of one hour with a live personal trainer, you can have a proven schedule of routines at your finger tips. Take it to the gym, take it on the road........your portable personal trainer is there to keep you on the track to better health and a more attractive body!

If you are a personal trainer, you cannot afford to not own this book!

I've always wished that I had been born into this life with an owners manual. I've now found one in Frank and Karen Cuva's, FOREVER YOUNG, Your Personal Trainer.

I discovered weight training at age 63 when I finally decided to do something for the health of my bones. This book has been the perfect guide. The authors give step by step, easy to follow and clearly illustrated instructions on the correct path to weight lifting--without injury. And they don't stop there! With an engaging style they share their own personal stories of advancement in the arenas of bodybuilding and fitness (truly inspirational). They address issues of motivation, nutrition and age appropriate progression. Included in the book are enough workout charts to take you through an entire year without repeating a routine.

What comes through loud and clear in this book is that Frank and Karen Cuva really care about all of us folks stumbling our way toward fitness. Whether you work with a personal trainer full-time or you are your own personal trainer, this book is invaluable!

If you always want to be young, then this is the book you were looking for. Workout charts I received along with this book is really good and very easy to follow. This book is an incredible companion for the people doing weight training. Their instructions are clear cut, step by step, easy to follow and clearly illustrated instructions on the correct path to weight lifting--without injury.
I read the book and I thought, this doesn't sound too bad, but I found myself miserable. I just was frustrated after a week....it was very regimented. I did benefit by eliminating my coffee habit with the help of a wonderful coffee substitute called soyffee (www.s o y c o f f e e .com) Its made from soybeans which is a godsend for those troubled with hot flashes like myself. Another book I bought was the South Beach Diet book. I read that book and found the plan to be made up of things I would eat and the items were normal grocery store items so no hunting at the health food stores or buying online.

We have to be thankful to the authors for making us all fit and healthy.