Running Books

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.

After deciding it was time to get serious about my diet, I started to look through all of the healthy cookbooks I had sitting in my cabinet. This cookbook was the one that by far had the most dog-eared pages with recipes I wanted to try. The couple of recipes I have tried so far have been winners with both myself and my picky husband. I cannot wait to try all of the others!

I was very pleased with the service. The book arrived very quickly and in excellent condition. Great recipes!

An unexpected bonus was that the cookbook came with a comb binding--which I love!! The recipes are simply fantastic and up to date!

I started cooking as soon as I received the book and love just about every recipe in it. They are both easy to make and delicious to eat.

AWESOME< AWESOME> AWESOME! Love this cookbook. Everything in it is delicious and this has become my favorite cookbook.

This is the book to have on how to keep your feet, knees, and any other body parts working as well as they can. Great diagnosis on whatever ails you as a runner. Timeless and still universally useful regardless of how old the book is. This is my second copy in the last 15 or so years.

A must read book for any runner at all stages of fitness and running experience.

Very good book. Has a plethora of useful tips for veteran and beginner runners alike. Highly recommended.

I so wish I had this book when I just started running! It should have helped me prevent so many painful experiences as well as bills from physiotherapy... This book covers everything from choosing the correct shoes and injury preventing techniques to diagnosing and treating foot and leg injuries. The writer seemed very knowledgeable and he certainly helped me. With his simple advices I can run long distances again without pain and I couldn't do it in almost a year! I had no idea there are so many things that need attention when running safely. Think all runners need this knowledge.

This book was recommended to me by a co-worker and it got me through my first half marathon. I still use it as a reference. I've since gifted it to several friends who also run.

The book was better than I expected, and arrived before I expected it to.
Great buy. Thanks. :D

This book is so much fun. I'm a digital artist and use Illustrator as my tool. I learned so many techniques from this book. The pictures are big and bold and the author teaches without making you feel like a novice.

I bought this book for my husband and he loves it. He is constantly drawing little pictures for me. It will certainly bring out the inner artist in you. This book is easy to follow along with.

A casual glance through this book originally made me think it looked too cutesy and not what I wanted. I'll still say that too many of his characters and examples are cutesy, and rather stilted. But there's a lot of excellent material here. I found several tips that I (so far) haven't seen in several other books. I've had several nagging questions: Exactly how do I get things done? How is a finished cartoon created? On what size and kind of paper, using what tools? Blitz walks you through all of that stuff. The section on drawing backgrounds and perspective was also really handy.

I'd say this is the single best book I've seen to get started on cartooning. Even if you want to draw some other, very different style (like, some kind of dark Batman comic or something), if you have little or no cartooning experience, this book will be helpful.

I don't consider my self to possess any artistic abilities when it comes to drawing. I wanted to enter a contest on YouTube where I had to draw pictures of things. I got this book. Followed the easy to use instructions, drew my pictures, entered the contest and won the $5,000 grand prize. I would definitely say I got my money's worth from this book and much much more. Highly recommended.

I bought this book when it was first published and used it as a primer to learn how to cook. It is highly practical with the chapters arranged by technique (boiling, braising, sauteing, etc). And it is well illustrated with simple drawings that effectively communicate how to execute those techniques. I would recommend it to anyone, especially those who are just learning to cook. Unfortunately, even though it was re-issued a few years ago in both hardcover and paperback, the used booksellers think this book must be worth its weight in gold. It isn't. If you can find a copy in good condition at a reasonable price, consider buying it. If not, look for James Peterson's -Essentials of Cooking- which, in many ways, is a superior book and should be available at a sane price.

Selection, technique and associated recipes from this legend make this a book one turns to often. Mine is worn out from over fifteen years of usage. You'll put it profit in your kitchen.

This is the classic of American cooking, the first cookbook to own and the one you go back to all your life.
Beard had a brilliant sense for food, and in this book he shares concepts and approaches, explaining the equipment you use, and the techniques, methodically, clearly and with his particular elan.
Anyone can follow this book. But between the recipes presented throughout the book (organized in the unusual manner of by technique - things you boil, things you bake, things you roast, etc.) and the concordance (organized by food), you can find great recipes and just plain information and direction to help you make just about enough food to last a lifetime.
I brought it with me to France and still rely on it.

This classy reprint of a standard cooking guide deserves a spot on the shelf of any serious cook's collection: this edition provides an introduction by Julia Child and a foreword by Barbara Kafka as it covers the basics methods and ingredients of good cooking, with a healthy dose of Beard's philosophy added for spice.

A must for anyone who loves good food. I bought my copy about 20 years ago in my bachelor days, and still refer to it regularly. If you can learn the techniques in this book and in "From Julia Child's Kitchen," you'll be in the 99th percentile of home cooks. Add a couple of Pierre Franey's 60-Minute Gourmet or Cuisine Rapide volumes, and you and yours will eat well for life.

From the lush, gorgeous photos to the restrained and respectful text, this is a fan's perfect movie book. Page after page of lushly displayed photos, a very readable and elegant type face set on rich, coated paper in a layout that can only be described as simple and most artistically planned, LANA is a visual joy. It is also a book full of the kind of information that only a daughter could provide, yet it is not, by any means, a hatchet job and that is also a joy.

Lana Turner was a glamorous icon, a symbol of the kind of extravagant Hollywood glory that no longer exists and of which this fan has fond memories. She was a better actress than most and certainly better than many remember, but her blonde beauty in the dozens of perfectly posed studio photos and in her films put the emphasis elsewhere. She was, above all, a Star. The photo portraits here are exquisite, carefully chosen by a pair who loved her: her daughter Cheryl and Lou Valentino, collector extraordinaire.

This book is a loving work of art which any fan of Lana's and of old Hollywood will surely want to own.

Lana: "The Memories, the Myths, the Movies" is without doubt the best book ever written on Lana Turner. Marvelous pictures, the complete biography, put together by her daughter who obviously loved her mother very much. Lana Turner fans will never find a better book about her.

I purchased this book last week and the verdict is that this book is such a treat and certainly a wonderful resource for Lana fans. Cheryl Crane and Cindy de la Hoz have included a multitude of photographs and information that I have not seen in previous books on LT. I am totally in love with this book, it is truly a joy to read and I would definitely recommend it. The photos are gorgeous and I think it's interesting that the book contains a synopsis of every film Lana was ever in - it even dispels the myth about her having supposedly been an extra in 1937's "A Star is Born". Her more obscure films include "The Flame and the Flesh", "Betrayed" and "the Lady Takes a Flyer" and each of them is covered in depth and many stills are featured. At the beginning of the book there are also some baby pictures of Lana (Julia Jean) and pictures of her dad that were not published in her autobiography or seen in Cheryl's TCM documentary.

I WAS EXPECTING A NORMAL HARD COVER BOOK........WHAT I GOT WAS A TABLE TOP BOOK WITH ONE OF THE MOST HONESTLY WRITTEN BOOKS I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME.
THE LAYOUT OF THE BOOK IS INCEDIBLE,AND MORE UNSEEN PHOTO'S THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE.
IT IS A SHAME LANA COULD NOT SEE HOW HONESTLY & DIRECT HER STORY WAS TOLD.
HER DAUGHTER DOES SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT...AND ANY ATTEMPT BY ANOTHER AUTHOR TO TELL HER LIFE STORY IN THE FUTUE WOULD BE IN VAIN.
THIS IS THE FINAL WORD ON AN INCEDIBLE STAR.

The quintessential book on this screen legend. Beautiful and numerous photos augmented with some interesting anecdotes.
Lana comes across as a star, but one that's been humanized by her daughter Cheryl Crane reminiscences. Highly recommended!

It's Dan Dunn at his best. It is totally inappropriate. I mean that in the best way possible. If you are a fan of his writing, buy this book!

This book is easily the best book I've ever written... the only one, actually. Dan Dunn is great. Dan Dunn is me.

Dan Dunn has written a book that is not only freakin' funny, but is also a very informative tome about the history of booze. If you are unable to travel this year, pick up this book, pour yourself a drink and take a trip with Dunn as he traverses the world in search of free booze and food. You will not be disappointed.

"Nobody Likes a Quitter" rocks, which makes sense, because author Dan Dunn apparently likes his liquor on the rocks and, well, in just about any other form. Dunn, a professional booze writer for numerous magazines and newspapers, manages to bundle up his social life, professional life, and the life of the various skid-row bums he calls friends and roommates --- who may or may not be completely real but who are unfortunately at least 75% real --- into a tight roman à clef narrative of debauchery and merriment.

It's hard not to see the parallels to "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Dunn's mentor and one-time bothersome Colorado neighbor, Hunter S. Thompson. (The two used to hang together in the 1990s, and Dunn apparently has the crazed late-night voicemail message from Thompson on his machine to prove it.)

Admittedly, and Dunn would have to agree, Quitter isn't as literary as Fear and Loathing --- there's no stated quest to find the American dream, although Dunn seems to be living it; no stated agenda of capturing the essence of generations x, y or z --- but the rhythm and the fun and the spirit (and spirits) are there. Whereas Thompson was on assignment for Rolling Stone and his fuel was his narcotics, Dunn consumes nearly every known mainstream and indigenous intoxicant in North America and Europe while remaining ever so loyal to the Deadline, capital D, and his responsibility to his readers.

Dunn is proud and irreverent, with 12 chapters in Quitter based on AA's 12 steps. This is the stuff he obviously couldn't put into his newspaper columns. Aside from the sex, which is sloppy enough to believe, there's the feeling that any responsible newspaper editor, knowing the true background, would send Dunn to rehab instead of footing the bill for his drinking orgies.

I'd call this required reading for any serious educated drinker. There is a narrative, sort of, in a hazy drunk kind of way: The letters between him and a Fox TV executive about some ill-fated pilot are worth the price of admission, as is the high-as-a-kite Larry King story. Yet layered in here also is the history of booze, in sidebars, and lessons on cocktail making. Like a Long Island Ice Tea, the various poisons somehow mesh in an intoxicating read.

-cw

If you love fiction and comedy, you will love this book. Dan dunn is a unique writer and his book is worth reading. Just take a look at the endorsements and you will know that this book is for those with a sense of humor. Buy, read and enjoy. We did!!

The title says it all, as co-authors Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas amp things up to delve into the training and racing for those who are seeking to achieve big goals in the vast venues of road racing events; from the fast 5k to the grinding marathon.

The charts, analysis and text is geared to be guides over specific periods of time. The book - while a comparably "easy" read - is best used in conjunction with a training/racing schedule, hence it may find a cozy home next to a log and not gathering dust on a shelf.

Pfitzinger was one of the top road racers - and 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon champion - in an incredible era for runners and events. The knowledge and tips he shares are for the long run.

What I like most about Pfitzinger's and Scott's book is that it is a very friendly efficient book that gets right into the subject matter and it breaks down what others describe in more complex fashion, like VO2 Max, into much simplier terms making the comprehension easy and in far fewer pages. Although written in the very late 90s, this book is still an excellent guide for HS and runners virtually up to local elite status. "Daniels Running Formula" is probably mote satisfying, and more detailed for top guns but Pfitziner and Scott give you a lot of the same information with a variety of workouts based on goal times at various distances. The authors even quote Daniel's research and others so it still is in the game. If you want a quick grasp training book that is top knotch, pleasant to read with examples and pictures, then this is your book.

Pfitzinger's book finally delivers on what I always want from a book on a complex subject, simple explanations and simple solutions. Why write 800 pages when 188 will suffice. If you are only looking to train for 5K's then you can skip the section on 10K and marathon training and get even more concise explanations. This book gives short, simple explanations to the key elements of a training program. We now know everything we need to know about VO2 max and lactate threshold training, their relative importance, how to improve them and how to incorporate them into your training program. Pete indirectly points out how most of us are doing no lactate threshold training (by running most of our daily runs to slow) and doing all of our interval work to fast. I recommend this book to anyone looking to improve his or her racing times.

I would also suggest buying "Daniels Running Formula". I bought it last summer and my 5K's times went down from 19:40 to 18:50. I bought "Road Racing for Serious Runners" to basically get a second opinion on Daniel's theories. Actually these are not opinions or theories. These are time-tested methods back by sound science. I'm 43 years old and I'm living proof that random training will yield random results. Both Pfitzinger and Jack Daniels book will eliminate the "lets try this" approach to training. Both books cover the same topics and both authors come up with the basically the same training program. Daniels book breaks his schedule into 4 six-week phases while Pfitzinger has a 10-week and an 11 phase. When you look at both plans it becomes obvious and almost laughable on how easy it is to improve on your racing times (and in my case actually cut back on the training intensity).

I would buy both books so you can really feel good about your new training methods. Pete's book is simpler and has separate schedules for some of us low 20-40 mile per week folks. Daniels book has slightly more science and covers more topics. Daniels also has been around longer and has trained more athletes. There are only a few contradictions in Pete's book. He states on page 21 that your volume of Vo2 max workouts (your hard intervals) should be 1 workout per week with a total distance covered of 4 to 8K with the possibility of adding a second lower volume session each week. This corresponds with Daniels book where he has 2 Vo2 max sessions each week (or 1 Vo2 Max and a race). But when you get to the detailed 5K schedules for the 20-40 miles per week you only see 6 Vo2 max workouts scheduled in 21 weeks, despite them being listed as the number one priority. Also only 5 threshold workouts are scheduled in the last 11 weeks for the 20-40 mile schedule. I guess Pete is no dummy. He knows that Bill Rodgers may not use his book and that it will be geared towards people like me. He knows that I'm going to sneak in a combination of ten 5K and 8K races this fall before I attempt to peak in early December. The Daniels book just encourages it and has those realities clearly shown on the schedules. Just buy both books, start training smarter and in some cases a little easier. I've bought bad unhealthy lunches for [PRICE]. If you run this will be the best [PRICE} you will ever spend.

Very good book for learning to race everything from 5k to marathon distances. There is no fluff, just the facts on how to prepare for a specific race distance. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is the authors schedules are a little too general for those of us who must have a detailed schedule. This book is not a beginner's book. To get the most from it you need to have some experience running races, even if you are a slow runner.

If Jack Daniel's book is the bible of running, this book is a close second. Clear, concise, and with good training tables, this book is a nice tweak on Daniel's book.

Using the methods espoused in these two books has improved my race times dramatically. Instead of random training, every training run now has a purpose; be it a slow easy run or speed workouts at the track.

Your Performing Edge, the new 4th edition is absolutely the best resource I've ever come across for creating success in my personal and professional life. I use it for my sports training and for my professional development in my business. I also use the Your Performing Edge Comprehensive Learning System, a 12-CD set, which is a great companion to the book, with visualization exercises, a workbook, and hundreds of tools for performing my best.
I love the Free ,Mini Ecourse that Dr. JoAnn created on her website,
www.sports-psych.com
Lots of great tools, insights and ideas for my training - a great resource that I use every day. Thanks.

If you improve your mental performance, you will improve your physical performance, This book will show you how to start with your mental outlook and go from there.

This is one of the best books I have read. It is a psychology book with a sports theme. Loved it!!!

Your Performing Edge is quite simply the best book i have ever read on the subject of improving mental performance. I am a keen amateur golfer with a 4 handicap and a great natural athelete. Like everyone, i was searching for that "miracle" to help me break through the next barrier - my mind. I have read and studied a number of other books and programs about improving mental performance. While many gave you the answers to "what" you need to do, none gave you the answers to "how" to improve. Dr. JoAnn Dalkoetters insights, lessons and tips are the most valuable resource ever produced on the subject. Combine this book with her Personal Coaching Program and you have, what i consider to be, the most powerful program available. I am now playing the golf i have always dreamed of. Your Performing Edge is a must read for anyone seriously considering improving their mental approach to atheletics, life, business or otherwise.

This Audio CD is a Companion to the the "YOUR PERFORMING EDGE book. It contains four guided visualization exercises that helped me to practice what I was learning in the book.
The exercises guided me with:

Energizing my mind and body
Building new confidence and motivation
Focusing and performing my best
Healing and recovering completely

I found this program really works for improving performance in all parts of my life - professionally and personally.
Dr. Dahlkoetter's training exercises on this CD helped me learn to focus on my goals and visualize the results I was looking for. Now that I can see a clear picture of what I want in my life, I am moving forward and making real progress in fitness, personal productivity, and peak performance.

I highly recommend this CD to anyone who wants excellence in all aspects of life.

Chefitz' book is a delicious collection of sweet, subtly moving stories inside an overly pretentious wrapper. As a Jewish inspirational storyteller, I have found his tales to be powerful without being heavy-handed; two of them are now part of my core repertoire.

You don't need to be Jewish to appreciate these kabalistic stories, however. Read them out loud, savor their sweetness, and be prepared to be touched gently and deeply.

This is the kind of book you want to buy and give to everyone. I gave a copy to my mother in her 80s and she said it was the most wonderful gift she had received this year. These stories sink into your soul and resurface to uplift your days. I definitely remember more to count my blessings and to give them too and thus I receive more blessings and am open to more coming as well. Reading this book, life seems full of miracles!

I purchased this book, The Curse of Blessings, based on the reviews here. I have to say that I am very disappointed with this book. I struggled through it and found little to recommend it. For me, it didn't live up to the high ratings given here. The stories are often convoluted, flat, and without inspiration. I feel duped for having purchased a real clunker. Instead, I would recommend Irwin Kula's book, Yearnings, which I have found to be exceptional in its ability to inspire and provide insights into life's challenges.

This marvelous little collection of stories are good on the first reading, and even better on subsequent readings. Some are mysterious stories, some are sweet, and all have the ring of truth.

I liked it so much I bought other copies as gifts. Enjoy!

These ten short stories by Mitch Chefitz are meant to be read aloud. Each time, as a reader or a listener, I find the stories to be enriching, inspiring, and, in a few, delightful and humorous.