2 comments about The Lacrosse Training Bible: The Complete Guide for Men and Women.

1. My son, Drew, was a mid-level player on his HS varsity lacrosse team. Last season, his junior year, while some of the better players were being evaluated by college scouts, Drew was receiving very little (if any) attention. I bought him this book as soon as it came out (July). The results have been nothing short of miraculous. His skill level has increased ten-fold! Now, he's simply ridiculous, playing at a level neither the coach nor I knew he was capable of. Even though the season hasn't officially started yet, he's already been named a starter. What's more, the coach has called all the college scouts he knows, telling them that Drew is a must-see. Thank you, thank you, thank you Vincent Perez-Mazzola... Because of you, my son's dream of being offered a scholarship for a college lacrosse powerhouse may soon become a reality!



2. I wanted to comment on the Lacrosse Bible. I bought the book for my children as they are both in the sport at school. The level of their knowledge of the sport has been enhanced by this book. The author has included all the drills necessary for anybody to learn the sport and excel at it. I would highly recommend this book for anybody with an interest in sports who wants an understanding behind the mechanics of this sport.

5 comments about The Confident Coach's Guide to Teaching Lacrosse: From Basic Fundamentals to Advanced Player Skills and Team Strategies (Confident Coach).

1. Since it is nearly impossible to find anything in "Lacrosse for Adults" for those who are new to the sport and would love to learn to play, I got this book in the hopes of learning the basics. I haven't had a chance to put the new knowledge to the test in either play or instruction, but it was a very valuable tool for the novice player or coach. GO MAMMOTH! GO OUTLAWS!



2. I am very pleased with this book. Great outline of all aspects of the sport. A must have for beginning coaches and/or parents with kids starting to play lacrosse.



3. I am coaching youth, middle school, and travel lax teams and have very little on-field lacrosse experience. Of the tools I have found, this book is the most straightforward. When I see the most experienced coaches work, they are using the drills in this book. There is still a lack of good books on intermediate lacrosse offensive and defensive strategies, but this handles all the basics.



4. Hi,
   
   the book seemed fine, but the box was open and the pages turned back alittle.



5. This book is a welcome addition to the lack of material on lacrosse, but it doesn't add much depth to the subject and is not very useful as a reference or as a tool for coaches. I would recommend Dave Pietramala's book over this one, hands down.

5 comments about Shotokan's Secret: The Hidden Truth Behind Karate's Fighting Origins.

1. Probably the best book I've read as far as the true history of not only of the Shotokan style but karate itself. Very detail in the history and the applications of the Shotokan style. I highly recomend this book to karate practioners.



2. The Best Book on the Origins & History Shotokan Karate & More!
   
   A radical book yes, but it's not controversial OR contradictory at all IMHO. Easy to read & packed full of information about the true origins & history of Shotokan & budo, not just the normal couple of paragraphs that you get in most books on the subject.
   I agree wholeheartedly with all the other "POSITIVE" reviews written here below, as for the negative one about "serious injury", the only serious injury to anyone following the many applications (bunkai) described in here would be to the opponent - and you don't have to change the moves in the kata to fit the bunkai (Oyo Bunkai). See Injury-free Karate by Paul Perry.
   
   If you're a serious student of Shotokan Karate (or any of its derivatives or styles) then you ought to read this one FIRST, it'll save you a lot of money. It really is a breath of fresh air compared to the myriad of humdrum copycat books on karate.
   
   If you're looking for a broader & deeper history of karate (& Martial Arts) in general then also look at "Okinawan Karate" by Mark Bishop.



3. This author of this book admittedly rented or bought a number of videos on Okinawa karate, supposedly watched the videos and then wrote a book based on his limited experience in Shotokan ryu, a Japanese off-shoot of the original Okinawan arts. The author make some fairly outrageous claims that he attempts to pass off as historically correct without one shred of primary research or evidence. It is outrageous that a publishing house would even bother putting this diatribe in print.
   
   Readers interested in Shotokan should immerse themselves in Harry Cook's book, The History of Shotokan. For more information on what Shotokan is missing as a martial art, I highly suggest the Gennosuke Higaki book: Hidden Karate, the true bunkai for the Heian Katas and Naihanchi.



4. The money, once again, was taken from my bank account for payment, but the book was never delivered. Regardless of my efforts, there seems to be no willing effort to work with me on returning my money or sending me the book.



5. I have been involved in Shotokan Karate for 46 years. I have taught thousands of students, and because I am a voracious reader and student, would have told you I knew a great deal about Shotokan Karate. This book proved me wrong. Oh sure, I knew the stories we are all told, but those stories are just passed along as gospel from one person to another. Author Bruce Clayton did the research himself, even teaching himself to read the Japanese characters.
   
   This book will open your mind in a way in which NO KARATE BOOK ANYWHERE can. You think you know the origin of your art? Guess again! You think you know the applications of your Kata? Wrong again! You think you know the place of Gichin Funakoshi to your art. Wait until you read the truth!
   
   Students of Shotokan are used to participating in NO CONTACT tournaments. We are told that Karate is too dangerous to allow hitting. In fact the rules of a match say that if you gain one full point, you win, because that one point would have killed an opponent. Like me, I'll bet you laughed at that idea. Wait until you read this book before you laugh again!!
   
   This book belongs in the collection of any serious student of Shotokan Karate, and since Shotokan is the source of so many other styles, I can say beyond a doubt that practitioners of any style of karate will love this book.
   
   I couldn't recommend this book highly enough. By all means buy this book!

1 comments about Lacrosse Face-Off (Matt Christopher Sports Fiction).

1. I liked the book a lot, because it's about lacrosse and lacrosse is almost my favorite sport. There are couple of reasons why I liked this book. One is it was a great book, it had a lot of people yelling and getting mad at each other.
   There are some mean people and some nice people in this book. Todd and Jeff are the nicest players. Todd is overweight and the doctor told him to lose weight! So he plays lacrosse. Jeff, the coach's son, tries to help Todd become a better lacrosse player. Garry, Todd's brother, has played lacrosse for 4 years and is a little nice. Michael is very, very mean. He is the top scorer in the league. He doesn't want Todd to play lacrosse because he thinks Todd stinks. Evan is also very mean. He likes to be around Michael all the time.
   I would recommend this book to people that like lacrosse. It was a great book and I think those kind of people would like this book very much.

2 comments about Lacrosse: Technique and Tradition, The Second Edition of the Bob Scott Classic.

1. David Pietramala and Neil Grauer have managed to take a classic and update it without sacrificing the integrity, spirit, and purpose of the first edition by Bob Scott. This Second Edition is an absolute must read for any lacrosse coach, player, and fan. Pietramala has done a masterful job of giving the reader insight into the modern game and his own personal views on the sport and the players, much as did Bob Scott before him. Neil Grauer has performed a flawless job in fine tuning the syntax and overall style to make it a very enjoyable read while remaining instructional. Truly the best contemporary book on the sport of Lacrosse. It is a rare and wonderful glimpse into the mind of a great player/coach, and the legacy that is Johns Hopkins Lacrosse.



2. As noted in the title, this is an update of Bob Scott's classic book on Lacrosse technique and coaching from the 1970's. Coach Pietramala has provided the best of both worlds in this edition. He has retained much of the old school, tried and true techniques and instruction from Coach Scott's original, while adding new techniques and strategies from the last thirty (!) years. I have played the game for 35 years and coached for six, and I have referenced the original edition countless times. Having Coach Pietramala's updates and observations included make this an invaluable reference and a must-have in any Lacrosse coaches library. It's also a great history of the legendary Johns Hopkins program for any fan of the sport.

5 comments about It's Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered.

1. This is a real page turner of a book. I was familiar with the work of Don Yaeger since he used to write for Sports Illustrated. He does not disappoint! I thought I knew the story but I wasn't even close to knowing the full story. He really brings it home and you feel like you know the person he writes about.
   
   Mike Pressler, the coach who lost his job, gives a first person account of the events that took place and is fascinating. You will enjoy this book, trust me!! GO DUKE!
   
   Gerard Zemek (husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry")



2. Coach Mike Pressler knows better than most of us how it feels to be in the center of a raging inferno of politically correct rage--where truth and justice have no place.
   
   In 2006, he was abruptly fired from his job as coach of Duke University's lacrosse team after three of his players were accused by a demented black female stripper of gang rape. These charges fed perfectly into a fanatically obsessed scenario found at most universities of white male treachery, black victomhood and feminist paranoia.
   
   Duke President Richard Brodhead, his motor-mouth assistant, John Burness and board chairman, Bob Steele, quickly jumped on the politically correct bandwagon and let the public know that they were throwing the players into the raging inferno.
   
   The administration refused to look at any of the exonerating proof of innocence of the accused that was continually offered to them by the defense attorneys.
   
   The administration instead threw its support behind the psychopathic District Attorney Mike Nifong who knew early on that the rape charges were a hoax. The stripper, Crystal Mangum, had made the identical charges three years before against another group of men, but these, too, proved to be false.
   
   The raging storm against the trio of young men grew stronger when the usual anti-white racists came out of the woodwork. Like the NC Chapter of the NAACP, the New Black Panthers Party, the local Pot Bangers group, made up of left-wing faculty and students. Racial arsonists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson flew down to Durham, NC, to scream about white racist rapists and poor defenseless black women.
   
   This reminded many of us ironically that Al Sharpton engineered an identical hoax in l986 when he spent a year pushing the notorious Tawana Brawley rape hoax in New York state. She accused a gang of white men of raping her. A grand jury said the charges were totally fabricated but in the meantime, Sharpton and Jackson had destroyed lives right and left. Brawley was never charged for her crimes. Sharpton received a slap on the wrist and has never apologized.
   
   The authors reveal how corrupt members of the Durham police department, the district attorneys office, judges and many members of the black community of the city pushed their goal of railroading the trio of boys into prison for life. To hell with the truth.
   
   The media coverage was so vicious, especially the New York Times, that it often felt as if all the news reports were being written by Mike Nifong and Al Sharpton.
   
   At Duke, a gang of 88 faculty members (or a gang of 88 bigots) took out a full-page ad praising the protestors and urging them to "turn up the volume." Many of the teachers had lacrosse players in their classes and openly taunted them into admitting their guilt. None of the teachers ever apologized for their actions. Many were actually promoted, along with black activist students who had sent threatening e-mail to Coach Pressler.
   President Brodhead was just recently lavishly praised by his board of directors for his handling of the rape hoax--and for for his unwavering support of the demented Mike Nifong.
   
   When Pressler begged the administration to wait for the truth to come out before firing him and cancelling any appearances of the lacrosse team for a whole year, Duke's Athletic director, Joe Alleva told Pressler: "It's not about the truth." In those four words, you have revealed the heart of the people heading Duke University. And of all the other criminals who passionately pursued imprisonment for life for three young men who just happened to be white.



3. Exceedingly well written book. I have not stopped talking about it. This is not just a simple story of a high profile case. It focuses on how innocent people were directly affected in their every day lives by scandalous lies. The media never revealed this side of the story. It's unimaginable how this horrific mess could've happened. You can't stop but think what you would do had this happened to you. I was paralyzed reading what these people went through. You will truly be shocked, in disbelief to no end. I commend all the people who courageously stuck by and weathered the storm with all those who were unfortuneatly (directly and indirectly) involved. How utterly defiant, inexplicably brave. It just goes to show you the truth will always prevail. "It's Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered", is inspirationally AMAZING!!!



4. Even though I had followed the case at the time, I still read this in two nights flat - it's that good. This is an important book, heck it's an important story, particularly for "white people". I write that with hesitation, but heck that's the truth. How come "white" has almost become a term of abuse? "White boy" certainly has. And that's just it. They only reason this tall tale, this ridiculous hoax, went this far, affected so many lives, pushed so many people to the edge of their existence (could you post a $400, 000 bond for your son, whilst your wife is having a nervous breakdown) is that these were "white boys". Thus it was open season. Read with horror as these boys, because of making one mistake, one error of judgement, inviting a stripper to perform a private function in their home, lost their coach, their season, their house (many slept in their cars), were hounded off campus or formally expelled, threatened both verbally and by mail - all this after fully cooperating with the police, turning over all the physical evidence in their house without question, voluntarily took DNA tests - and it still took months and months, hundreds of thousands of dollars, perhaps millions (the lawyer fees of the indicted three estimated at $100,000 a month), an extraordinary display of loyalty and togetherness between their teamates, their relatives and neighbors and some great lawyers (their lawyers are to me, all heroes - one, Kirk Osborn, sadly died of a heart attack during the ordeal) to finally shake off the blatantly false allegation of a mentally unstable criminal supported by a madman whose daytime job was District Attorney. So we both cheer when they are finally vindicated by then wonder - is America crazy right now or what? What is this war on "white men" by the feminists, the race hustlers, the homosexuals, the Latinos and everybody else. I remember reading a post on a blog after this arose from a white male: "All the more reason just to keep your head down, get your sh** done in the daytime, and retire for the evening behind a locked door" - this is the reality for countless "privileged white males" in many parts of America today.
   
   I couldn't recommend this book highly enough. If you have teenage sons or daughters preparing to go to college, they need to read this book.



5. It's obvious that this book is cobbled together from drafts of several authors with different writing styles which isn't all that annoying in itself. However, the chronic repetition of the same information is. That said it's still worth finishing the read. It's certainly a sad indictment on the media industry and justice system in the USA.

No comments about Lacrosse Firestorm (Matt Christopher Sports Fiction).

No comments about Women's Lacrosse: A Guide for Advanced Players and Coaches.

5 comments about Tri Power: The Ultimate Strength Training, Core Conditioning, Endurance, and Flexibility Program for Triathlon Success.

1. most of the current triathlon books don't seem to put much emphasis on strength and flexibility training. this book fills that gap.



2. I am new this year to the Triathlon world and this book has helped me in my training more than anything besides hiring a personal coach. The programs are easy to follow and take approx 30 minutes to complete each day. You can choose whatever exercise you want to tailor it to your needs. I was never into stretching until I started this "guide". Now I understand why stretching and core strength are important in a Triathlete as well as in life. I give it 4 stars only due to the fact that it took me a while to figure out which exercise was what. Other than that if your looking to prepare for a Triathlon or even just want to get fit in approx 30 min a day, then this book will help you.



3. TRI POWER: THE ULTIMATE PROGRAM FOR TRIATHLON SUCCESS is a key component of any weight training or conditioning exercise program, offering up four phases of conditioning and showing athletes how to get the most from a triathlon experience. The authors are certified teachers and experts: their instruction will appeal to any triathlon trainer and to any collection strong in sports representation.



4. A well-written, organized triathlon program designed for beginner or advanced athletes of any age, which highlights health benefits, safe training methods and assessments. The flexibility and strength assessments are detailed and illustrated to perform the exercises correctly! TriPower pieces together all the integral components to train for a triathlon. This will help me tremendously as I prepare for my next triathlon, and as I train clients for their 1st triathlon!!



5. This book is RICH with information and covers quite a spectrum. I don't usually leave comments but this book is worth the time.. I was able to meet the authors too and they are no joke.
   (no wonder this is on a best-seller list. wow)

5 comments about Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case.

1. The authors of this definitive book on the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case (one a Democrat and one an independent) literally blow away the the church of political correctness that rules over most elite American universities, such as Duke. The authors clearly demonstrate the shocking lack of political diversity within the arts and humanities faculty at Duke, and shows how the steadfast refusal of the "Group of 88" to apologize to the Duke lacrosse team for their rush to judgment in light of overwhelming evidence clearly highlights the lack of character present among most of these individuals. The authors also point out how a number of these academics have dubious academic credentials at best, yet the tenure system guarantees these individuals more job security than a Supreme Court justice. Because all the people at Duke were so enamored with the concept of the case (a bunch of rich white guys taking advantage of a poor black woman), any concept of fairness or adherence to the American concept of "innocent until proven guilty" has been thrown out of the window.
   
   What is more troubling is that had the "colors been reversed," i.e. black members of the basketball team accused of raping a white stripper, then it is also quite likely the "Group of 88" would have stood by the athletes, and likely have prevented the rush to judgment that occurred with the lacrosse team from ever happening. Perhaps it is no surprise to find that the average tuition over the last 30 years at private colleges has increased at double the rate of inflation, while the quality of education has clearly deteriorated.
   
   If you are a parent with a child approaching college age, I strongly advise you to obtain a copy of the book, "Choosing the Right College, 2008-2009" published by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. In it, you will find many examples of the intellectual trash being dumped on students at Duke and many other "elite" universities. The book highlights a number of fine universities that do not worship at the altar of political correctness and actually require students to study a broad spectrum of the greatest works of Western civilization. If the universities of America required the same diversity of their faculty members with respect to their political beliefs that they demand when it comes to race, color, sex, etc., then the students would only benefit. Thanks to the authors for this wonderful book. I am only sad that when all the lacrosse players eventually collect their well-deserved damages from Duke for having "thrown them under the bus," the school administration will likely smile, deny guilt, and pay for it with more massive tuition increases.



2. I did not like the way the book was written, for this reason I did not finish it, Maybe later I will get back to it, But I don't think so
   To many small details that were not interesting however I am glad these young men were found innocent and politic correctness got a black eye from this incident.



3. It is quite likely that the infamous Duke rape case chronicled in Taylor and Johnson's book will one day be regarded as the emblematic parable of our time - in much the same way that the McCarthy hearings have become the emblematic episode of the early 1950s Cold War. It is difficult to conceive of an event that could more starkly highlight the societal dysfunctions of our era.
   
   Taylor and Johnson's book amply demonstrates the incompleteness of viewing the Duke rape case simply as a rogue prosecutor running amok, unfairly targeting three boys despite profuse evidence of their innocence, and getting his comeuppance in the end. However unethical his conduct, DA Nifong could not by himself have catapulted these young men to national infamy. That sorry result required the active collaboration of countless accomplices: in the media, on the Duke faculty and administration, and within associations dedicated to the propagation of identity-politics grievance-mongering.
   
   Indeed, the distinguishing aspect of this case is not that a prosecutor attempted to wrongfully charge three boys with rape -- for it seems sadly inevitable that somewhere, sometime across this nation, some such prosecutorial misconduct will recur. What distinguishes the Duke case is the ease with which so many attempted to shoehorn the events into a preconceived narrative of race- and sex-based exploitation (a narrative further spiced with an element of "revenge of the nerds" (faculty and press) against the "jocks" they resented.)
   
   It is daunting enough that so many would jump to completely unsubstantiated conclusions before all the facts were out. The even greater tragedy is that once the facts were known, many people in positions of power and influence simply chose to disregard them insofar as they were inconvenient to the fantasy narrative in which they had invested so much of their professional identity. Perhaps the most egregious example of this is the disgraced "Group of 88" Duke faculty, who published an ad that presumed the fact of a sexual assault, contained a series of anonymous, unsubstantiated race-baiting quotes, and which encouraged the noise of the mob over the dispassionate evaluation of the evidence. Sadly, most of the Group of 88 has failed to apologize for their contribution to the hysterical atmosphere that gave momentum to the wrongful prosecution, but has since portrayed themselves as victims rather than transgressors, and misrepresented the plain language and intent of their own published statements. The juvenility of the Group of 88's methods of processing information has been on public display, and it has been an ugly sight to behold.
   
   The stubborn refusal of so many in academia and the press to recognize factual reality even in the face of overwhelming evidence rightly calls into question the states of both competence and ethics in America's universities and in press rooms. As one example, noted sports journalist John Feinstein, we now know, was exactly wrong in his initial written interpretations of events, yet still had the audacity to write an article well after the resolution of the case, decrying the continuing lack of accountability in the Duke athletic department, while himself once again getting the facts wrong, and oblivious to the irony of his own calls for accountability in others. That so many in academia and journalism could sail blithely through this episode without looking themselves in the mirror and acknowledging their own pivotal roles in a gross injustice, sadly, speaks volumes about the state of both professions, and greatly explains growing public cynicism about each. Nifong was prosecuted for his misconduct, but Feinstein, Nancy Grace, and the Group of 88, among others, are still paid handsomely to prattle on as though their credibility is intact.
   
   Taylor and Johnson relate the facts of the case in vivid, gripping detail. I give the book four stars rather than five because at places the text veers unattractively into an overheated blog style. The story is damning enough without this occasionally hamhanded commentary by the authors. But this is a minor sour note in the book; the reader is likely to be so incensed by the facts of the case, of which this is the best available history, that they will be unperturbed by stylistic imperfections.



4. So many of the other reviewers have so forcefully and eloquently expressed my feeling about the book, I need hardly add to them. But my "heading" is quite serious: This book is worthy of a Pulitzer and a National Book Award -- non-fiction, investigative reporting, whatever the categories. (I believe the Pulitzers are to be announced in early April.)
   Bob



5. Perhaps the clearest picture of the insidious forces of illiberalism that tried their best to deprive these young men of their freedom is obtained by drawing analogies with the McCarthyism of the 50s, as the authors do. It is frighteningly easy the way some people can change from persecutee to persecutor in such a short time. What is just as worrying is that this illiberal bloc that has developed in the States is mirrored all over the western world by similar forces in each country, which have spread like a particularly virulent fungus to wherever democracy has taken root, and which all guarantee the continuation of similar injustices, while the individuals involved continue their backpatting, under the illusion that they are fighting for freedom rather than against it. Well, this book is a wake-up call for you guys - the party's over, or at least winding down. For so long, critics of illiberalism have been branded right wing conservatives, fundamentalists, etc. if they so much as raised a voice in protest. It is important to all reading this review for you to know that by buying and reading this book, and throwing in your weight against these disturbing forces in our society, you are not throwing yourself in with conservative, reactionary, forces, but are in fact, taking a stand against them. This book is a Godsend to all who have suffered from today's McCarthyists, be they in America or around the world, because it gives an insight into the kind of minds that are ruining any hope of a decent society for our descendants to grow up in, and it is to these innocents that every thinking man and woman is morally obliged to ensure that those who have perverted the names of equality and correctness fail to reach the misty, utopian goals they have set for all of us.